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

US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer asked Brazil to review the sale of Anglo American’s nickel mines to a Chinese state-controlled miner in exchange for tariff relief, two people familiar with the negotiations told the South China Morning Post.Washington made the request during talks to lift the 50 per cent tariffs US President Donald Trump imposed on Brazilian goods last year.First reported by Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo and Brazil" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="206041" data-entity-type="organization">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.