US trade chief pressed Brazil to review Anglo American nickel sale to China

Jamieson Greer asked Brasilia to curb ‘non-market’ buyers of critical minerals in exchange for relief from Trump’s tariffs

First reported by Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo and CNN Brazil on Thursday, the proposal would have given Washington advance notice of mining asset sales before those deals closed, subjected transactions involving rare earths to US review, and opened a window for American companies to buy the assets before any sale won approval.

Greer also asked Brasilia to limit investment by “non-market actors” and foreign entities of concern in mining, refining and other critical industrial sectors. Brazilian officials read the phrase as a reference to China, the country’s largest trading partner and a growing source of investment in its mining sector.