Fukuoka Prefecture announced that total disbursements under its special loan program for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by U.S. tariff measures have reached ¥2 billion. The program, titled the “U.S. Tariff Response Special Loan,” was independently established by the prefecture to support the cash flow of local businesses impacted by U.S. trade policies. Eligible firms are those whose sales have declined—or are projected to decline—by 5% or more due to the tariffs. The interest rate is set at 1.3%, which is 0.2 percentage points lower than the prefecture’s main institutional loan programs. From its launch on May 1 through the end of July, a total of 136 loans were issued.