EU’s Jozef Sikela promises refining investment and technology transfer, in a race for Brazilian minerals that the US and China already lead
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenIgor Patrickin Rio de JaneiroPublished: 5:37am, 26 Jun 2026The European Union is offering Brazil a “more beneficial” partnership on critical minerals than the United States or China, the bloc’s international partnerships commissioner said on Thursday, promising investment in domestic refining and technology as Brussels works to cut its dependence on Chinese supply chains.European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela made the case during a week-long visit to Brazil that included a stop on Saturday at a rare earth research and processing centre run by Australian miner Viridis Mining and Minerals in Pocos de Caldas, in Minas Gerais state, one of four projects chosen to speed up cooperation between the two sides.
