The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will inject a supplementary budget of 12.2 billion won to support small and midsize companies facing export disruptions due to the Middle East war. The focus is on obtaining overseas certifications needed to diversify export destinations and easing the burden of online export logistics.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) said on the 22nd that it will implement the "overseas export regulation response support program," which supports overseas standard certification acquisition expense, and the "online export SME logistics support program," which supports online export logistics expense.
First, it will cover 50% to 70% of the certification acquisition expense required by the export destination, up to a maximum of 100 million won per company. In the medical device sector, support extends up to 150 million won. In addition to tests and consulting needed during the certification process, it will also support up to 50 million won for demonstration expense to verify product operation in the local environment.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) also decided to provide regulatory response counseling, training, and briefings for corporations pursuing export market diversification amid instability in the Middle East.
Logistics support for online exporters will also be expanded. It will cover up to 70% of the expense for using fulfillment services—such as storage, packaging, delivery, and returns—through private logistics companies, within a limit of 35 million won.
It will also partially support the expense for using overseas logistics centers operated by Busan Port Authority (BPA). Eligible centers include Los Angeles (LA) in the United States, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Barcelona in Spain, and East Java in Indonesia.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) also plans to offer training related to logistics and customs clearance, along with one-on-one consultations with experts.
Im Dong-woo, director of the Global Growth Policy Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), said, "Following U.S. tariff measures last year and now the recent Middle East war, uncertainty in the export environment has increased," and added, "We expect this support to help strengthen the export response capacity of affected small and midsize companies."
Of these support programs, applications for overseas standard certification acquisition support can be submitted on the 23rd, and applications for the online exporter logistics support program can be submitted on the 24th, each through the relevant websites.