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Busan City Strengthens Voucher Support for SMEs Facing Export/Import Challenges Amid Rapidly Changing Trade Environment

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Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and Song Bok-cheol, President of Busan Economic Promotion Agency (BEPA), jointly announced that the city will recruit SMEs every month until November for the “Export/Import Difficulty Voucher Support Program” designed for small businesses facing global trade hurdles.

This program supports up to KRW 13 million per company for various export-related expenses incurred by:

• ●SMEs that export products, or

• ●Companies importing raw materials for export purposes.

Following a field survey conducted in April on U.S. tariffs, it was found that:

• 1.The biggest issue faced by companies was weakened price competitiveness due to U.S. tariff policy.

• 2.The most requested form of support was export vouchers and related assistance.

In response, Busan has more than doubled its program budget—from KRW 250 million to KRW 450 million—to support 50 local SMEs.

Last year, the program enhanced the export competitiveness of 92 local companies.

Recognizing the vulnerability of small-scale exporters to external risks such as tariff risks and international carbon regulations, Busan City has newly added the following support categories:

• ●Tariff Response Support (new in 2025):
  Companies can receive expert consultations from customs law firms or legal advisory services for relocating overseas offices to respond proactively to U.S. tariffs.

• ●Carbon Neutral Transition Support:
  In response to carbon border adjustment mechanisms and rising environmental standards, companies can access consulting on carbon reduction and eco-friendly process improvements.

Application & Process:

• ●Application Period: 1st–10th of every month, until November

• ●Platform: Overseas Marketing Integrated System

• ●Selected companies will receive support funds by the end of each month.

• ●The program may close early if the budget is exhausted.

For more details, companies should refer to the official announcement on the portal or contact BEPA at ☎ 051-600-1766.

Kim Bong-cheol, Director of Busan’s Digital Economy Office, stated:

“Through this program, we aim to relieve the burdens of local exporters facing uncertain global conditions and help ensure their sustainable growth despite external shocks.”

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Attachment: Program Overview

Category	Description
Support Period	Until November 2025
Target	About 50 SMEs in Busan
Support Amount	Up to KRW 13 million per company
Administering Body	Busan Economic Promotion Agency (BEPA)

Eligible Support Areas:

• ●International shipping

• ●Overseas exhibitions and trade fairs

• ●Promotional and marketing activities

• ●Foreign language video and design production

• ●Translation/interpretation services

• ●Overseas certification and IP registration

• ●Carbon neutrality consulting and upgrades

• ●Tariff response and customs advisory

Application Flow:

• 1.Application submission (1st–10th of each month)

• 2.Selection of recipient companies (11th–20th)

• 3.Funding disbursed (21st–end of month)

Expected Outcome:

• ●Tailored export support aligned with the rapidly changing international market

• ●Strengthened growth potential for local companies

• ●Revitalization of the regional economy