"Financial Relief Ahead"... Customized 5 Billion Won Emergency Vouchers for SMEs and Mid-Sized Companies

Ministry of Trade and KOTRA Recruiting Companies Until July 21
Strengthened Financial Support for Exporters Affected by Strong Exchange Rate
New Prepayment Support System for Currency Fluctuation Insurance Introduced

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) have launched support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies that are facing difficulties due to the recent surge in raw material import costs caused by a strong won-dollar exchange rate and export controls by major countries.

Exterior view of the KOTRA Headquarters. KOTRA

The two organizations announced on July 12 that they will implement the “2026 Emergency Support Voucher 4th Program” with a budget of 5 billion won and are recruiting participating companies until July 21.

This 4th program focuses on supporting companies that have suffered damages due to the strong won-dollar exchange rate at the center of global trade risks and those facing export controls from major countries. A key feature of the program is the introduction of specialized services designed to practically address these challenges.

First, the financial safety net for export companies facing increased raw material import costs and heightened foreign exchange risk due to the strong exchange rate will be expanded. To help companies proactively respond to exchange rate volatility, a new prepayment support system has been introduced, allowing companies to claim costs for foreign exchange risk hedging even if the maturity date of their currency fluctuation insurance is after the voucher agreement date. In addition, the voucher usage limit for trade insurance and guarantee services has been doubled from 10 million won to 20 million won to help companies alleviate the financial burden of export financing.

For exporters facing stricter trade regulations and strategic goods controls from major countries, a new menu of specialized consulting services has been introduced. These consulting services analyze the impact of overseas export control measures on Korean companies and provide tailored response strategies. Additional consulting menus have also been added, including support for Authorized Economic Operator (CP) certification and advanced internal control systems for risk management, to help companies overcome export challenges.

Kang Kyungsung, President of KOTRA, stated, “Recently, export companies have been facing a complex crisis of a strong exchange rate and global export controls. Through this 4th Emergency Support Voucher Program, we will provide targeted support for SMEs and mid-sized companies facing trade challenges, and continue to energize exports by operating specialized, field-oriented services to help exporters overcome macro-level trade barriers together.”

The amount of emergency support vouchers issued under this program will range from 20 million won to a maximum of 150 million won, depending on the industry and sales volume of the selected companies. The government subsidy rate will be 70% for SMEs and 50% for mid-sized companies. In consideration of the urgent difficulties faced by companies, support will be applied retroactively to cover service usage costs incurred since February this year, and will be provided for a total of 12 months until January 2027.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.