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Credit lines offered by the National Bank of Social and Economic Development (BNDES) encompass long-term financing for the development of investment projects and for the commercialization of new machines and equipment, as well as the financing of Brazilian exports, taking into account ethical, environmental and sustainable development principles. BNDES's credit lines also contribute to strengthen the capital of private companies and to the development of capital markets.

About 3.2 million families so far have been provided with a home by the Minha Casa, Minha Vida program. Some 1.2 million will still benefit from it shortly, and possibly a few million more in the future. Brazil understands that social housing plays a central role in promoting sustainable urban development and economic development, in accordance with the principles emanating from the New Urban Agenda recently approved in Quito. The Brazilian Government is focusing its efforts on improving quality and expanding the number of homes offered, as well as increasing the efficiency of the system. In addition to the program's direct social gains, investments of US$100 billion since the beginning of Minha Casa, Minha Vida have had a significant impact on income generation and employment, acting as an important economic policy tool. Another recent Government initiative in the area of housing is the so-called Cartão Reforma, a program targeting the low-income population aimed at improving the quality of substandard housing.

Brazil attaches high priority to strengthening the WTO dispute settlement system and has actively participated in the mechanism since its very first dispute (US – Gasoline). To date, of 524 WTO disputes, Brazil participated in 158 – 31 as complainant, 16 as respondent and 111 as a third party. Most of the cases dealt with issues that are at the core of the Multilateral Trading System, such as: granting of subsidies both to industrial (Canada – Aircraft) and agricultural goods (EU – Sugar and US Upland Cotton) and the application of trade restrictive measures by developed countries (US - Orange Juice), the protection of the environment (Brazil – Tyres) and public health (EU – Medicines in Transit).

Brazil has also signed mutual recognition agreements with multilateral bodies such as the "Bureau International des Poids et Mesures" (BIPM), the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), the Inter American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the American Aerospace Quality Group (AAQG), the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) and the Global Partnership for Good Agricultural Practice (Globalgap), and became a full party to the OECD decisions on the mutual acceptance of data (MAD) – Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) on pesticides, their components and related products as well as on industrial chemical products.

Since the creation of the WTO, Brazil has signed more than thirty bilateral agreements on sanitary and phytosanitary matters, based on SPS Agreement principles. The main purpose of these agreements is to identify common rules, simplify import controls, harmonize certification requirements, and facilitate bilateral trade and the entry of selected products. The importance of such agreements for Brazilian exporters and their trade partners can be measured by the increase in the bilateral volume of trade exports with more than one hundred countries and the integration of medium and small-sized agricultural producers into the international market in sectors as honeybee, organic products, fresh fruits and flowers. However, the full potential of Brazil's agribusiness has yet to be fully developed, mainly due to the lack of recognition of equivalence agreements by some countries, as recommended by the SPS Agreement.

New Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot programs are being negotiated. Together with PPH pilot programs, actions on patent priority exams were in place in 2016. The first one consists of transforming the Green Patents pilot program into a definitive service offered by INPI, making it possible to prioritize patent requirements regarding the environment and green technologies. The second action is a pilot project that allows small businesses, the financial resources of which are generally reduced, to have their patent requirements prioritized.

Brazil has one of the world's cleanest energy mixes. 43.8% (2016) of primary energy sources are renewable, compared to a world average of 14.3% and 9.5% in OECD (2015) countries. Renewable sources will continue to account for a large share of supply, mostly due to the use of hydropower and bioenergy, including biofuels. Only 30% of Brazil's hydroelectric potential has been exploited. The potential for increased production of this renewable and affordable energy source is an integral part of the country's long-term strategy for the sector. Widespread access to affordable energy is crucial to achieve the goals of sustainable development, to promote social inclusion and poverty reduction; to advance national integration and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; and to improve competitiveness. Brazil is, therefore, investing significant amounts in research and in new technologies to improve the generation and distribution of energy.

Brazil also considers bioenergy, including biofuels, an indispensable tool for the expansion and diversification of the energy matrix. Nowadays, biomass electricity – generated mostly from sugarcane processing plants – accounts for about 8.8% of Brazil's total electricity energy supply. By 2024, biomass, wind and solar generation are expected to supply 20.7% of the country's electricity energy needs. In the transportation sector, the use of ethanol and biodiesel plays a key role in the pursuit of sustainable development, climate change mitigation and energy security. The Brazilian case shows that the long term and large scale sustainable production and use of biofuels are possible, and Brazil continues to work towards the creation of an international market for biofuels.

Brazil will also continue to be committed to MERCOSUR, regional integration – as mandated by its Constitution – and to strengthening and fostering new bilateral and regional trade agreements, with a view to promoting cooperation, sustainable development and mutually beneficial results.

Brazil remains open to and encourages inward FDI, which is prevalent across the economy. There are several sector-specific foreign ownership prohibitions (certain postal services, and nuclear energy) or limitations (e.g. air transport, financial institutions, health services, rural land acquisition, broadcasting and publishing media, fishing, mining, and hydrocarbons exploration). (...)