The National Council for the Industrialization of Critical and Strategic Minerals (CIMCE) approved, on November 5, 2026, the list of 27 minerals prioritized by the National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals (PNMCE). They were organized into three priority classes, and inclusion on the list is the criterion for access to the policy’s support instruments.
The Minerals on the List
The approved list has 27 substances, distributed across three classes:
- Class 1 (high priority, 9 minerals): rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon, and uranium.
- Class 2 (medium priority, 8 minerals): tungsten, chromium, vanadium, tantalum, titanium, phosphate, potassium, and sulfur.
- Class 3 (low priority, 10 minerals): niobium, tin, iron, zinc, gold, magnesium, molybdenum, thorium, aluminum, and the platinum group.
The release does not separate the minerals into critical and strategic: it treats the list as one of critical and/or strategic minerals.
Criteria for the Priority Classes
According to the release, the minerals were distributed according to their importance to Brazil in terms of sovereignty and industrialization, taking five factors into account: geopolitical risk; geographic concentration of production; potential for substitution; Brazil’s position in the production chain; and the country’s dependence and vulnerability. The classes also signal priority of access to the support instruments provided for in the policy.
These factors match the five criteria for classification by priority under Decree No. 13,146/2026 (art. 4, §2), examined in our article on the decree’s criteria.
How Does the List Affect Access to Government Support?
In addition to providing legal certainty, inclusion on the list is a criterion for access to the PNMCE’s new support instruments. Only projects focused on the 27 minerals and entered in the National Project Registry may receive government support.
Prioritization is what makes possible, for example, the Mining Activity Guarantee Fund (FGAM), created to share risk, leverage bank credit, and overcome the financing challenge in the early stages of exploration and mining. The National Mining Agency (ANM) retains its regulatory, oversight, and granting powers.
What Instruments and Amounts Does the Policy Provide?
- FGAM: may receive a contribution of up to R$ 2 billion from the federal government, in addition to funds from states, municipalities, and private entities.
- Federal Program for the Beneficiation and Transformation of Critical and Strategic Minerals (PFMCE): will have a fiscal ceiling of R$ 1 billion per year between 2030 and 2034, so that companies can invest in beneficiation, transformation, and urban mining.
The policy also provides for financing mechanisms and tax incentives to encourage value addition. In return, it requires companies to invest in Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D&I), to meet socio-environmental commitments, and to use local products and labor, among other requirements.
How Was the List Drawn Up, and Can It Be Updated?
To draw up the list, the minerals proposed by the ministries that make up the CIMCE were considered. Lists from other countries, lists from other council representatives (the Brazilian Mining Institute, the National Confederation of Industry, the National Union of the Fertilizer Raw Materials Industry, and the Critical Minerals Association), and suggestions from experts were also consulted.
As for updates, the release states that the list may be updated at future council meetings.
Other Decisions from the Meeting
The Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) must present, within 15 days, a proposal for the priority production chains of the National Plan for Critical and Strategic Minerals, to be submitted to the council’s plenary.
Three points deserve checking for each project: whether the substance is on the list, which class it falls under, and whether the project is registered in the National Project Registry.
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Source: Governo Federal aprova lista brasileira de minerais críticos e estratégicos (Agência Gov, Casa Civil, November 5, 2026). Related legislation: Law No. 15,506/2026 and Decree No. 13,146/2026.
📷 Image: Magnific
