Brazilian miner Serra Verde Group is boosting production of rare earth metals at a time of growing trade friction between the US and China, the world’s dominant supplier of minerals critical to technology.

The company, which started commercially producing concentrate in Brazil’s Goias state about a year ago, plans to deliver 5,000 tons of rare earth oxide annually in 2026, Chief Operating Officer Ricardo Grossi said in an interview. The higher output will come alongside increased capacity, he said Monday, without disclosing numbers.

Serra Verde is also mulling strategic partnerships with companies and countries to expand in rare earth metals production and processing, said Grossi, whose closely held firm produces neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and dysprosium. He sees a chance for the miner to become an alternative supplier to the West for such critical minerals, especially if China expands export controls against the US to more metals.