Supply chain footprint — snapshot year 2025
| Element | Share % | Quantity | Global rank | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nb niobium |
90.9% | 100,000 tonnes per year | 1st | high | Brazil 2024e mine production: 100,000 metric tons Nb content. USGS chapter text states Brazil accounted for approximatel… |
| Be beryllium |
22.2% | 80.0 tonnes per year | 2nd | high | Brazil 2024e mine production: 80 metric tons. |
| Fe iron |
17.6% | 440 million tonnes per year | 2nd | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil 2024e = 440,000 thousand metric tons. |
| Ta tantalum |
10.0% | 210 tonnes per year | 4th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil mine production 210 t Ta in 2024e; reported reserves 40,000 t. |
| Sn tin |
9.7% | 29,000 tonnes per year | 5th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil 29,000 metric tons (estimated) 2024e, essentially unchanged from 29,300 in 2023. Brazil acco… |
| Al aluminum |
7.3% | 33.0 million tonnes per year | 4th | high | |
| Li lithium |
4.2% | 10,000 tonnes per year | 6th | high | Brazil included a mineral tailings operation in the major-producing set described by USGS. |
| Si silicon |
4.1% | 190,000 tonnes per year | 4th | high | USGS 2024e: 190 kt. Second-largest producer. Leading US import source (38% of Si metal imports, 2020–23 avg). |
| C carbon |
4.0% | 182 million tonnes per year | 20th | high | |
| Si silicon |
3.9% | 200,000 tonnes per year | 5th | high | USGS 2024e: 200 kt. |
| Cr chromium |
3.0% | 1.4 million tonnes per year | 6th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil 2024e = 1,400 thousand metric tons. |
| Mn manganese |
3.0% | 590,000 tonnes per year | 7th | high | USGS MCS 2025: Brazil 590 thousand metric tons 2024e (estimated). |
| Na sodium |
2.4% | 6.6 million tonnes per year | 11th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil 2024e = 6,600 thousand metric tons. |
| P phosphorus |
2.2% | 5.3 million tonnes per year | 7th | high | Brazil 2024 estimate: 5,300 kt (up from 5,280 kt in 2023). Capacity expansions expected by 2027. |
| Au gold |
2.1% | 70.0 tonnes per year | 13th | high | Brazil 2024e: 70 metric tons. Reserves: 2,400 t. |
| Ni nickel |
2.0% | 77,000 tonnes per year | 8th | high | |
| Ca calcium |
1.9% | 8.1 million tonnes per year | 5th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil 2024e = 8,100 thousand metric tons. |
| K potassium |
0.8% | 0.4 million tonnes per year | 11th | high | Brazil — USGS 2024 estimate: 360 thousand metric tons K2O equivalent. Despite large domestic reserves, Brazil is a major… |
| W tungsten |
0.3% | 280 tonnes per year | 13th | medium | Brazil 2023: ~280 t W content (BGS WMP: 284 t). Scheelite operations in Rio Grande do Norte (MNB Mineração Nordeste Bras… |
| Ce cerium |
0.0% | 20.0 tonnes per year | 12th | high | USGS MCS 2025: Brazil 20 t REO (2024e), down from 140 t in 2023. |
| Element | Share % | Quantity | Global rank | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al aluminum |
7.7% | 11.0 million tonnes per year | 4th | high | |
| O oxygen |
3.0% | 3.2 million tonnes per year | 6th | low | Brazil is a large primary steel producer and therefore a meaningful oxygen consumer. |
| Fe iron |
1.8% | 34.0 million tonnes per year | 9th | high | |
| Al aluminum |
1.5% | 1.1 million tonnes per year | 15th | high | Brazil. USGS 2024e: 1,100 kt; yearend capacity 1,280 kt. |
| Element | Share % | Quantity | Global rank | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nb niobium |
89.8% | 16,000,000 tonnes | 1st | high | Brazil reserves: 16,000,000 metric tons Nb content. |
| Er erbium |
23.3% | 105,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — second-largest world reserve base after China. Estimated Er₂O₃: ~105,000 t. Current … |
| Sm samarium |
23.3% | 588,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — largest single-country reserve base after China. Estimated Sm reserves: ~588,000 t. … |
| Dy dysprosium |
23.3% | 420,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — second-largest world reserve base. Estimated Dy₂O₃: ~420,000 t at 2% basket share. C… |
| La lanthanum |
23.3% | — | 2nd | high | Brazil: 21,000,000 t REO per USGS MCS 2025, 23.3% of the >90 Mt floor. Derived La2O3: ~6,090,000 t. Large LREE-bearing l… |
| Pr praseodymium |
23.3% | 945,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — largest single-country reserve base after China. Estimated Pr reserves: ~945,000 t. … |
| Gd gadolinium |
23.3% | — | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t (23.3% of world floor). Derived Gd2O3: ~210,000 t. Large carbonatite and laterite depo… |
| Ho holmium |
23.3% | 31,500 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — second-largest world reserve base. Estimated Ho₂O₃: ~31,500 t at 0.15% basket share.… |
| Y yttrium |
23.3% | 945,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t (second-largest globally). Derived Y₂O₃ floor: ~945,000 t. Current Brazilian REE produ… |
| Yb ytterbium |
23.3% | 105,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — second-largest world reserve base after China. Estimated Yb₂O₃: ~105,000 t. Current … |
| Lu lutetium |
23.3% | 10,500 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — second-largest world reserve base after China. Estimated Lu₂O₃: ~10,500 t. Current B… |
| Eu europium |
23.3% | 21,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — second-largest world reserve base. Estimated Eu₂O₃: ~21,000 t. Current Brazilian pro… |
| Tb terbium |
23.3% | 21,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t — second-largest world reserve base after China. Estimated Tb₄O₇: ~21,000 t. Current B… |
| Tm thulium |
23.3% | 14,700 tonnes | 2nd | high | Brazil REO reserves: 21,000,000 t (23.3% of world floor). Derived Tm2O3: ~14,700 t. Large carbonatite and laterite depos… |
| Ce cerium |
23.1% | 21,000,000 tonnes | 2nd | high | |
| Fe iron |
17.0% | 34,000,000,000,000 tonnes | 3rd | high | USGS MCS 2025: Brazil 34,000 million metric tons crude ore. |
| Mn manganese |
15.9% | 270,000,000 tonnes | 4th | high | USGS MCS 2025: Brazil 270,000 thousand metric tons. |
| Ni nickel |
12.0% | 16,000,000 tonnes | 3rd | high | |
| Ta tantalum |
10.3% | 40,000 tonnes | 3rd | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil reported tantalum reserves of 40,000 t. |
| Sn tin |
10.0% | 420,000 tonnes | 5th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil 420,000 metric tons. |
| Al aluminum |
9.3% | 2,700,000,000 tonnes | 5th | high | |
| Au gold |
3.8% | 2,400 tonnes | 9th | high | Brazil: 2,400 t. |
| U uranium |
2.8% | 167,800 tonnes | 9th | high | Brazil 167,800 tU at <USD 130/kgU; 177,800 tU at <USD 260/kgU. Resources decreased substantially in the 2023 Red Book du… |
| P phosphorus |
2.2% | 1,600,000,000 tonnes | 7th | high | Brazil: 1,600,000 thousand metric tons = 1.6 billion metric tons. Igneous apatite deposits. |
| Cr chromium |
0.6% | 6,600,000 tonnes | 7th | high | USGS MCS 2025 table: Brazil reserves = 6,600 thousand metric tons gross weight. |
| K potassium |
0.1% | 2,300,000 tonnes | 10th | high | Brazil — USGS: 2,300 thousand metric tons K2O equivalent. Recoverable ore: 10,000 thousand metric tons. Small reserves d… |