There’s a monetary tug-of-war occurring between BRICS and the G7, and it has now reached uncommon earth reserves. The West needs to keep up its dominance, whereas the 11-member alliance goals to topple it. The very crust of the earth now holds the important thing to a billion-dollar financial system. This comes after India signed an MoU with Brazil in February for bilateral cooperation for the important sources.
Uncommon earth reserves are actually in demand as they’re used for Tesla electrical automobiles, Nvidia chips, and F-35 fighter jets. It’s the ‘new oil’ that each alliances wish to acquire management of. Not like the oil sector which is distributed, the uncommon earth reserves are concentrated, with BRICS holding a bigger share than G7. This makes the taking part in subject uneven, with the 11-member alliance holding the playing cards.
Who Owns A lot of the World’s Uncommon Earth Reserves? BRICS vs G7 Comparability
BRICS owns the best uncommon earth reserves, and the G7 bloc is lagging. In response to the newest knowledge, the alliance holds 72% of the uncommon minerals, which is a lion’s share. This enables them to dictate the phrases and circumstances of export and output. US President Donald Trump is trying to acquire management of the sector and signed a pact with Japan.
The $550 billion pact with Japan secures a important minerals provide and likewise reduces dependence on China. Nonetheless, BRICS member China holds the best uncommon earth reserves, and no G7 nation comes shut. The manufacturing of commodities requires the assist of China, which the Xi Jinping administration leverages for commerce offers.
Share-wise Holdings of the Minerals Mapped in Charts
Beneath is the estimated uncommon earth reserves held by BRICS members vs G7. The chart exhibits how the 11-member alliance is clearly on the high.
| Nation | Estimated Reserves (Metric Tons) | World Share (%) |
| China | 44,000,000 | 36–40% |
| Brazil | 22,000,000 | 15–16% |
| Russia | 12,000,000 | 9% |
| India | 6,900,000 | 5% |
| Vietnam (Affiliate) | 22,000,000 | 15–16% |
- United States: 1.5 million metric tons (roughly 1% of worldwide share).
- Australia (G7 Ally): 18 million metric tons (a serious shiny spot for the West).
- Canada: 830,000 metric tons. EU (Greenland/Sweden): Rising deposits, however nonetheless years away from scale.
The chart above clearly exhibits that the 11-member bloc outperforms the West by a much bigger margin.
One other Troubling Scenario For the West
Trump allowed US corporations to mine ore at Mountain Go, California, however a lot of it needs to be despatched to China for refining. Even when the US positive aspects entry to the minerals, the refining needs to be finished by China. This offers the Chinese language an higher hand within the sector because the US depends upon their output. So, the domination of the uncommon earth reserves is clearly one-sided, the place BRICS controls the sector and never the G7.
Why This Spells Bother For the US Greenback
BRICS member China is leveraging its uncommon earth reserves to regulate commerce insurance policies with G7 members. The Xi Jinping administration has additionally tightened the whip by limiting gross sales to the US and the West. Creating nations now maintain the important thing to the sector and never the developed nations. The worldwide monetary world is experiencing a tilt in energy the place rising economies are on the forefront.
As well as, BRICS may rewrite commerce insurance policies for uncommon earth reserves, specializing in de-dollarization to problem the G7. Xi Jinping needs the Chinese language yuan to go worldwide and compete with the US greenback. With a worldwide share of 44%, it might dictate the insurance policies and make it China-centric. It already controls the world’s factories and manufacturing, and now the minerals.
The Chinese language yuan may very well be made the default fee together with different BRICS member currencies. This offers the G7 a giant blow as all commerce is dominated by the US greenback, euro, and pound. The rise of the Chinese language yuan within the coming a long time will result in a paradigm shift in commerce. Even India and Russia are aiming to internationalize their native forex, the rupee and ruble.
In distinction, the G7 nations are going through a harmful inflection level in 2026. For many years, the West had efficiently outsourced mining and refining to the East. Now, they’re waking as much as a actuality the place they personal the manufacturers (Apple, Tesla), however BRICS owns the substances of the uncommon earth reserves. The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been holding a number of emergency conferences in 2026 to debate “prudent de-risking.”
