Industrial Policy & Trade Monitor· 2663 actions· ✨ 89 recent

On 6 February 2026 Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the federal innovation-financing agency FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos) launched Round 2 of the "Mais Inovação Brasil" call for the defence sector, committing BRL 300 million (~USD 56.9 million) in non-reimbursable economic-subsidy funding. Companies may apply under two thematic lines — "National Defence Technologies" or "Economic Sustainability for the Defence Industrial Base (BID)" — for projects with high technical uncertainty aligned with strategic defence priorities, in exchange for a financial counterpart proportional to the grant received. Applications are accepted on a continuous-flow basis until 30 September 2026 (later extended to 2 October 2026) or until the budget is exhausted.

Brazil's federal innovation-financing agency FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos), under the MCTI/FNDCT umbrella, published a BRL 500 million (~USD 94.8 million) public call — "Finep Mais Inovação Brasil – Rodada 2 – Transição Energética" — offering non-repayable economic-subsidy grants for private-sector research, development and innovation projects across eight energy-transition technology lines: low-carbon electricity generation, energy storage, low-carbon hydrogen, biofuels, biogas/biomethane, and carbon capture/storage/use. Applicant companies must partner with at least one Scientific, Technological and Innovation Institution (ICT). Proposal submission opened 2026-03-03 and runs continuously until 2026-08-31 17:00 (Brasília time).

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber executive committee (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 852, dated 4 February 2026 and published in the Diário Oficial da União on 5 February 2026, amending Annex VI of Resolução Gecex nº 272/2021 — the instrument that adapted Brazil's Common Mercosur Nomenclature (NCM) and Common External Tariff (TEC) to the 2022 Harmonized System revision. The measure realigns applied tariffs on roughly 1,249 NCM codes under the IT/telecom (LEBIT) and capital-goods (BK) special-tariff exception lists, per secondary reporting raising codes currently taxed below a 7.2% floor up to that rate, with other affected lines moving to higher bracket rates (reported figures include 12.6%, 20%, and other tiers depending on product). Aeronautical-sector products are explicitly excluded from the recomposition (Art. 2). Global Trade Alert classifies the measure as a "Red" (trade-restrictive) import tariff intervention.

On 29 December 2025, Brazil's national development bank BNDES approved R$1.13 billion (~USD 205 million) in financing for Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN) to modernise three industrial plants at the Usina Presidente Vargas in Volta Redonda (RJ). R$625.8 million comes through the Finem credit line for sintering-plant emissions-control upgrades (new electrostatic precipitators and bag filters) that partly reimburse investments CSN made since 2023 to satisfy a Term of Adjustment of Conduct (TAC) with Rio de Janeiro's state environmental agency (INEA). A further R$500 million comes through the BNDES Mais Inovação programme for innovative machinery, IT equipment and IoT technology services. BNDES states the financing "fortalece a cadeia produtiva nacional de equipamentos" (strengthens the national equipment supply chain), giving the operation a domestic-content-preference dimension alongside its environmental/innovation financing purpose.

Brazil's Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and its financing arm FINEP opened a non-reimbursable economic-subsidy call of up to R$60 million (~USD 11 million), funded by the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT), to finance Brazilian companies developing a low-cost small tractor (15-18hp) plus at least six compatible agricultural implements for family farming. The formal edital ("Seleção Pública MCTI/FINEP/FNDCT — Desafios Tecnológicos para Agricultura Familiar") was published 23 December 2025 with a submission deadline of 3 March 2026; funded projects must donate completed technology packages to farmer cooperatives. The programme is a domestic R&D/production-support subsidy rather than a border instrument, but it directs public financing toward import-substituting domestic tractor manufacturing.

Brazil's national development bank BNDES approved a BRL 848 million (~USD 159 million) loan, drawn from the Fundo da Marinha Mercante (Merchant Marine Fund), to Tecon Salvador SA — the Wilson Sons container-terminal subsidiary that operates the Port of Salvador's container terminal in Bahia — to fund storage-yard expansion, new handling equipment, and infrastructure/technology modernisation works. The project targets a near-doubling of annual handling capacity, from roughly 553,000 to over 1 million TEUs, and BNDES estimates approximately 1,400 direct and indirect jobs during the implementation phase.

On 31 October 2025, Brazil's federal innovation-financing company FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) announced a new R$1 billion (~USD 182 million) tranche of Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (FNDCT) resources for the Inovacred decentralized-credit line, with project submissions opening 3 November 2025. At least R$300 million of the tranche is earmarked for companies in the North, Northeast and Center-West regions. The measure is a domestic reimbursable-credit subsidy supporting innovation projects nationwide rather than a border instrument, channelled through roughly 30 accredited financial agents.

Brazil's national development bank BNDES approved a BRL 117.2 million (~USD 21.7 million) loan to Lightera Latam S.A. — the Brazilian (Curitiba) arm of Lightera, a Furukawa Electric group optical-solutions company — drawn under the Funttel BNDES telecommunications technology fund. The financing supports R&D, machinery/equipment and prototyping for new optical-connectivity products: high-density fibre-optic cables, passive optical network equipment, network management/monitoring systems, and IoT/machine-learning sensing solutions for data-centre and telecom markets. BNDES president Aloizio Mercadante framed the loan as advancing the Lula government's strategic connectivity and telecommunications-competitiveness agenda; Global Trade Alert logs the same underlying operation under both a "state loan" and a "local content incentive" classification.

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber executive committee (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 794 on 25 September 2025, published in the Diário Oficial da União on 26 September 2025, revoking Ex-Tarifário duty exemptions on six specific tariff-line items spanning three prior ex-tarifário annexes: one Information Technology/Telecommunications line (NCM 9032.89.82, Ex 043, under Resolução Gecex 323/2022), and five Capital Goods lines covering mining-boring machinery (NCM 8430.41.20, Ex 015/025/050, under Resolução Gecex 311/2022), machine-tools for stone/ceramics working (NCM 8464.10.00, Ex 059), industrial washing/cleaning machinery parts (NCM 8450.90.10, Ex 029/032/033) and refrigeration-equipment parts (NCM 8418.99.00, Ex 048) (all under Resolução Gecex 322/2022). The affected lines revert from the reduced Ex-Tarifário rate (typically 0%) to Brazil's standard Mercosur Common External Tariff (TEC) rate, effective 60 days after publication (25 November 2025) — the date Global Trade Alert records as implementation.

The New Development Bank (NDB), the multilateral development bank founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, approved an RMB 1.4 billion (approximately USD 196.9 million / BRL 1.07 billion) non-sovereign loan to China Three Gorges Brasil Energia S.A. (CTG Brasil) to finance construction of the Serra da Palmeira wind power project, a 648 MW facility with 108 turbines across the State of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. The project, whose total cost is approximately BRL 4.33 billion, uses turbines supplied by China's Goldwind Science & Technology. NDB development-bank financing at preferential rates functions as a below-market subsidy to CTG Brasil's Brazilian renewable-generation buildout.

Brazil's national development bank BNDES approved R$625 million in financing on 11 August 2025 for São Martinho S/A to build a second processing line at its Boa Vista corn-ethanol complex in Quirinópolis, Goiás, blending R$500 million from the concessional Fundo Clima with R$125 million from the standard BNDES Finem line. FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos) is contributing a further R$102.8 million earmarked for the project's innovative components — Industry 4.0 process technology and a first-in-Brazil vinasse oil-recovery process. Combined, the two public financiers cover R$727.8 million (~62%) of the R$1.18 billion total project cost, with São Martinho funding the remaining R$452.2 million from its own resources. The expansion adds 635,000 tonnes/year of corn-milling capacity and 270,000 m³/year of ethanol output, targeted for 2027 start-up.

Brazil's Inter-Ministerial Commission for Novo PAC Innovations and Acquisitions (CIIA-PAC/CC), under the Casa Civil, published Resolução CIIA-PAC/CC nº 3, de 28 de julho de 2025 in the Diário Oficial da União on 2025-07-31. The resolution designates a list of manufactured healthcare equipment (primary and specialised care items, e.g. vaccine cold-storage units, digital retinographs, electrocautery devices, defibrillators, surgical tables, anesthesia machines, rigid videoendoscopy systems) that qualifies for a public -procurement preference margin under Decreto nº 11,889/2024 and Art. 26 of Lei nº 14,133/2021. Qualifying domestically manufactured products can win public tenders even when priced 10-20% above imported equivalents, provided the manufacturer holds BNDES Finame accreditation and meets national-technology (TECNAC) content criteria. The measure accompanies an announced BRL 2.4 billion government purchase of over 10,000 healthcare equipment units for Brazil's public health system (SUS).

On 22 July 2025, BNDESPAR — the equity-investment arm of Brazil's national development bank BNDES — approved a BRL 114 million (approx. USD 20.5 million) minority equity subscription in Grupo Santa Clara, a Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo)-based producer of special fertilizers and bioinputs founded in 1997. The deal gives BNDESPAR a 19.9% stake, implying a company valuation near BRL 570 million, and is BNDESPAR's first direct variable-income (equity) operation since the bank reactivated its equity-participation strategy in June 2025 — a decade after its last direct stock investment. Proceeds are earmarked to expand Santa Clara's biofactory in Jaboticabal (SP) and fund the group's growth plan toward BRL 1 billion in revenue by 2030.

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber executive committee (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 746, dated 3 July 2025 and published in the Diário Oficial da União on 4 July 2025, amending Annex I of Resolução Gecex nº 323/2022 — the Ex-Tarifário regime for information-technology and telecommunications-goods tariff lines. The amendment excludes a set of existing duty-free Ex-Tarifário codes from the annex (reverting those lines to the standard MFN import duty) while including new codes granting temporary duty relief (typically to 0%) on lines with no equivalent domestic production; Global Trade Alert's tracking of the underlying state act counts 27 IT/telecom product lines affected in total, split between roughly 22 new/renewed duty-free grants (revoking 31 December 2025 absent renewal) and 5 exclusions reverting to standard duty. The amendment took effect 11 July 2025, seven days after publication. GTA classifies the measure "Red" (trade- restrictive/discriminatory), consistent with its treatment of GECEX's narrow, discretionary Ex-Tarifário product-line grants as favouring specific importers rather than liberalising trade economy- wide.

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber executive committee (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 748, signed 3 July 2025 and published in the Diário Oficial da União on 4 July 2025, revoking Ex-Tarifário (temporary import-duty exemption) status for 7 tariff-line codes previously granted duty-free treatment under the regime: 5 capital-goods lines, 1 information-technology/telecommunications line, and 1 automotive product classified as capital goods. The affected lines revert from 0% Ex-Tarifário rates to their standard MFN import duty. The change took effect 4 August 2025, one month after publication. Global Trade Alert flags Canada, China and Czechia among the trading partners most exposed by historical trade volume in the affected computing-machinery lines and classifies the measure "Red" (trade-restrictive).

On 23 June 2025, BNDES president Aloizio Mercadante announced that BNDESPAR — the equity-investment arm of Brazil's national development bank — would resume direct variable-income (equity) investing after roughly a decade, committing up to BRL 10 billion (~USD 1.8bn) to companies and funds focused on ecological transition, decarbonization and innovation. The commitment splits into up to BRL 5 billion in direct equity investments (open to applicants through December 2025) and up to BRL 5 billion deployed via investment funds, funded from proceeds of BNDESPAR's sale of mature-company stakes and dividend receipts rather than new fiscal outlay. The bank framed the relaunch as strengthening Brazil's capital markets while directing state capital toward green-economy and innovation targets of all company sizes.

Brazil's public innovation-financing agency FINEP approved R$164.1 million (~USD 29 million) in reimbursable financing on 9 June 2025 for Volare Veículos, the bus-manufacturing unit of the Marcopolo group, to develop a new continuous-line production process for a 100% domestically-engineered electric bus (own body and chassis). The FINEP tranche, drawn from the FNDCT federal science-and-technology fund, covers 70% of the R$234.5 million total project scope, with Marcopolo supplying the remaining R$70.3 million as counterpart funding. Approved under the "FINEP Mais Inovação" program with a two-year validity, the project will be executed at Marcopolo's São Mateus (Espírito Santo) plant and is expected to create ~500 jobs.

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber executive committee (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 730, signed 20 May 2025 and published in the Diário Oficial da União on 21 May 2025, removing 125 tariff-line codes from Ex-Tarifário (temporary import-duty exemption) coverage: 104 capital goods lines, 18 information-technology/telecommunications lines, and 3 automotive products classified as capital goods. The affected lines revert from preferential Ex-Tarifário rates to their standard MFN import duty, effective 20 July 2025, two months after publication. Global Trade Alert classifies the measure "Red" (trade-restrictive) and flags Austria, Belgium and Bulgaria among the trading partners most exposed by historical trade volume in the affected computing- machinery, special-purpose machinery and electric-motor lines.

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber executive committee (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 727, signed 20 May 2025, amending Annex I of Resolution No. 323 (4 April 2022) to modify import duties on 21 information- technology and telecommunications tariff lines. Twenty of the lines have their import duty temporarily eliminated (reduced to zero) and one line has its duty increased, effective 28 May 2025. The duty elimination on the 20 lines is temporary, with a stated revocation (reversion) date of 31 December 2025. Global Trade Alert classifies the measure "Red" and flags China, Germany and Indonesia among the trading partners most exposed by historical trade volume in the affected lines.

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber executive committee (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 732, dated 20 May 2025 and published in the Diário Oficial da União on 21 May 2025, amending Annexes II and VI of Resolução Gecex nº 272/2021 — the instrument that adapted Brazil's Common Mercosur Nomenclature (NCM) and Common External Tariff (TEC) to the 2022 Harmonized System revision. The amendment recomposes the TEC toward its full bound level for products on the IT/telecom (LEBIT) and capital-goods (BK) special-tariff exception lists, while carving out roughly 925 NCM codes across some 585 six-digit HS subheadings from the recomposition; secondary reporting describes the net effect as duty cuts on select data-processing and telephone equipment paired with duty increases across the broader excepted product set. Global Trade Alert classifies the measure as a "Red" (trade-restrictive) import-tariff intervention.

Brazil's federal innovation-financing agency FINEP (Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos) signed an Economic Grant Agreement with EVE Soluções de Mobilidade Aérea Urbana Ltda. ("Eve Brazil"), the Embraer subsidiary developing an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, agreeing to grant up to BRL 90,000,000.00 (~USD 15.96 million) in non-repayable economic subsidy funding for a project to build out Brazil's sustainable air-mobility ecosystem around eVTOL technology. Eve Brazil must contribute a minimum of BRL 100,760,797.26 (~USD 17.87 million) of its own resources, and the combined ~BRL 190.8 million project must use the funds within 36 months of signing or forfeit unused installments.