00:00Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is calling for Brazil to process more of its rare earth resources domestically,
00:08rather than simply exporting raw materials.
00:11Lula, who is seeking a fourth term, says Brazil needs to add more value to its mineral resources at home.
00:20Brazil has the world's second largest rare earth reserves after China.
00:24A critical minerals bill is now before the Senate after passing the lower house in May.
00:30The bill would create a national policy for strategic minerals while requiring companies to invest part of their revenue in
00:36research and development.
00:38Lula also called for more investment in Portuguese language artificial intelligence, as well as training in mathematics, engineering and digital
00:46skills.
00:47He said that would help Brazil build greater technological independence rather than getting caught between the US and China.
