Brazilian Rare Earths partners with France’s Carester for 10-year rare earths supply deal

Brazilian Rare Earths signs a 10-year agreement with Carester SAS to supply dysprosium and terbium feedstocks, marking a major step toward diversifying global rare earth supply chains beyond China.

Australian-listed Brazilian Rare Earths Ltd has entered into a long-term partnership with Carester SAS, a France-based rare earth separation and recycling company, to supply heavy rare earth feedstocks over an initial ten-year period, the miner announced Thursday.

Under the deal, Carester will purchase up to 150 tonnes per year of contained dysprosium and terbium — two of the world’s most sought-after critical minerals — from Brazilian Rare Earths. These elements are essential for producing high-performance permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, and defense technologies.

In addition to the supply agreement, Carester will provide engineering and technical services for Brazilian Rare Earths’ planned separation plant at the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex in Bahia state, Brazil. The facility will be a cornerstone of the company’s downstream development strategy and a key step toward establishing a non-Chinese supply chain for rare earths.

“Teaming with Carester gives us the technical depth and downstream capacity to rapidly convert our ultra high-grade rare earths into the vital products customers need,” said Bernardo da Veiga, CEO of Brazilian Rare Earths.

The collaboration comes amid growing international efforts to diversify critical mineral supply chains away from China, which currently dominates global rare earth processing. Western nations have increased investments and partnerships to secure access to key inputs for the green and digital transitions.

Carester’s ongoing development of a rare earth separation and recycling plant in France — backed by over €216 million ($251 million) from the French government and Japanese entities — reinforces Europe’s ambitions to strengthen its strategic autonomy in critical materials.

As demand for dysprosium and terbium surges, this partnership positions Brazil as a rising player in the global rare earth market, supporting the West’s broader push to ensure sustainable and resilient mineral supply chains.