France to Offer Loans to Small Businesses Hit by Fuel Costs

The French government will offer loans of as much as €50,000 ($57,600) to small businesses that are the most exposed to rising fuel costs in transportation, fishing and agriculture.

The loans will run for 36 months and are limited to companies in those sectors that spend at least 5% of their revenue on fuel. They will be issued through an online platform run by public investment bank Bpifrance, the finance ministry said in a statement late Friday.