Business · Trade · 3 hrs ago
Brazil may ban raw nickel exports to encourage domestic processing
Brazilian ministers said the country could eventually ban exports of raw nickel to encourage more processing at home.
The idea was raised at the first meeting of a new government council on critical and strategic minerals, attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The government has identified 27 minerals to receive priority access to incentives under its new national policy.
Officials say the policy is meant to help build Brazil’s mineral supply chain, including through financing support and controls on production.
They pointed to Indonesia, which used restrictions on nickel exports to attract processing and battery manufacturing.
No export ban has been announced; ministers described it as a possibility, with no timing given.
Brazilian ministers said the country could eventually ban exports of raw nickel to encourage processing within Brazil.
The comments came at the first meeting of the National Council for Critical and Strategic Minerals on Thursday.
The government also set a list of 27 critical and strategic minerals eligible for priority access to incentives.
Development Minister Márcio Elias Rosa said controls on production could be part of policies to support financing.
Energy and Mines Minister Alexandre Silveira cited Indonesia’s nickel industry as an example of domestic processing.
- Who
- Brazilian ministers Márcio Elias Rosa and Alexandre Silveira.
- What
- They said Brazil could eventually ban raw nickel exports to encourage domestic processing.
- When
- Thursday, November 5, 2026.
- Where
- Brasília, at the first meeting of the National Council for Critical and Strategic Minerals.
- Why
- The government aims to add value to mining in Brazil and develop domestic processing.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Brazil’s federal government set a list of 27 critical and strategic minerals for priority access to incentives.
Ministers discussed the possibility of banning raw nickel exports at the first meeting of the National Council for Critical and Strategic Minerals.
- Minerals on priority list
- 27
- Council meeting
- First meeting of the National Council for Critical and Strategic Minerals
- Possible export restriction
- Raw nickel
- Indonesian share of global nickel production
- 60%
What people are saying
Indonesia, at a certain moment, prohibited nickel exports and was able to attract the processing industry to its territory, as I imagine we will do
a gateway for investments with legal certainty
Indonesia produces 60% of the world's nickel and it was merely an exporter of nickel to China
The spirit of the law is to develop the (production) chain in Brazil