The geopolitics of Rare Earths Elements (REEs) and the insertion of Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes the big global actors race for Rare Earths Elements (REEs), Brazil’s insertion in this dispute and its socioenvironmental implications. Its objectives are to describe the importance of REEs to the industry and defense, analyzing world race of the principal global actors (United States, European Union, China and Japan) by REEs and evaluating the insertion of Brazil in this dispute and its socioenvironmental implications. The article utilizes the historical materialism of Marx and bases it in Harvey for a critical analysis about the seek for new RREs reserves, in Klare on resource wars and latest resources, and on the concept of Keohane e Nye about vulnerability dependence, to evaluate the relation between the importer of TR and China. It concludes that the seek for new REEs reserves inserts it the primitive accumulation of capital, especially in Brazil, where to expand the REEs production it could be necessary, in the future, to explore them in Indigenous Lands in Amazonia, causing socioenvironmental impacts; and that the shortage of Res may affect the economy of the big global actors and to generate from trade tensions to military conflicts.