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Busan Metropolitan City Expands Support for Local SMEs Entering Alibaba.com: More Exporting Firms and Record-High Results

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency announced that they will expand support for local SMEs to enter Alibaba.com in order to help them advance into global online markets.

Last year, 18 local SMEs that entered Alibaba.com through Busan Metropolitan City’s support program recorded a total of 90 export deals worth USD 5.42 million (approximately KRW 7.9 billion).

Among them, 15 companies achieved actual exports, marking the highest performance on record in terms of the conversion rate to actual exporters.

Industrial goods-based companies (67% of the 18 companies) accounted for 96% of total exports, and companies that had remained on the platform for three to five years or longer saw sharp increases in performance due to accumulated promotional effects and the retention of long-term trading partners.

Since launching in 2018, the program has maintained stable growth over eight years and has established itself as a low-cost, high-efficiency online marketing support model.

In particular, companies that have participated continuously five times or more have delivered clear outcomes in improving store operation proficiency and securing long-term buyers, and the program is being assessed as a successful case that substantively contributes to online trade self-reliance.

Based on these results, Busan Metropolitan City will expand the program this year to support 20 companies, raise the per-company support amount to reflect increased paid membership fees, and provide expanded support for keyword advertising costs.

Selected companies will receive support covering a one-year Alibaba.com paid membership fee (USD 3,999) and 70% of keyword advertising costs, along with online marketing training on individual consultations, buyer response, and buyer analysis.

To strengthen product exposure competitiveness, keyword advertising support will be set at USD 500 for existing participants and USD 1,000 for new participants.

In addition, the program will provide practical training across overall online store operations, including unlimited product listings, 40 quotation request opportunities per month, mini-site creation, translation, and onboarding support.

To help export-beginner companies and newly onboarding firms enter the online market in the initial stage, Busan Metropolitan City plans to match and dispatch a University Student Trade Support Team, being trained through the Busan Export One-Stop Center, to support prompt responses to buyer requests such as online consultations, inquiries, and quotation requests, thereby reinforcing the establishment of online trade.

This support is in response to a Busan Development Institute survey in December 2025 showing that about 33% of local companies do not use online channels due to a lack of digital trade capabilities, and it is expected to contribute to building a foundation for establishing online trade.

Companies wishing to participate may apply through the Busan Metropolitan City Export Platform (http://trade.bepa.kr) until March 6.

Of the 20 companies, seven new companies will be selected separately to provide opportunities to enter online trade.

Companies that have received support five times or more may also apply; however, they will be selected only as a lower priority and only when applications fall short, in order to balance both performance and equal opportunity.

Meanwhile, at a meeting with the head of Alibaba.com Korea held at the City Council on the 4th, Busan Metropolitan City shared the status and results of its support program and announced plans to expand support going forward.

Kim Kyung-duk, Assistant Mayor of Digital Economy Office, said, “To support local SMEs in global online trade, Busan Metropolitan City will sustain the performance of existing participating companies and strengthen new participants’ capacity to respond to online trade, establishing a virtuous cycle from ‘platform entry → operation → exports.’” He added, “We will continue our cooperation with Alibaba.com.”