LISBON, April 10 (Reuters) - Portugal's caretaker

government rolled out a package of loans and other measures

worth more than 10 billion euros ($11.1 billion) on Thursday to

help the economy weather the impact of U.S. trade tariffs.

"The world we knew has changed, we have to adapt and react,

there is no certainty about what awaits us, but we were not

caught by surprise," Prime Minister Luis Montenegro told a press

briefing after a cabinet meeting that approved the plan.

Economy Minister Pedro Reis said around 70,000 exporters, as

well as foreign investors relocating their businesses to

Portugal, would benefit from the aid that includes 5.2 billion

euros in financing lines for companies' working capital and

investment.

Another 3.5 billion euros is aimed specifically for

investment by exporters, with 400 million in grants, and 1.2

billion in credit insurance.

A week ago, neighbouring Spain announced a 14-billion-euro

package of similar aid, becoming one of the first major

economies to come up with concrete steps to protect itself from

new U.S. tariffs a day after U.S. President Donald Trump

announced them.

Reis said Portugal's plan, despite coming later, was larger

than Spain's considering the size of its economy, and had been

welcomed by businesses during discussions with the government

this week.

"Companies and foreign investors see these measures as

positive because the Portuguese economy is more awake ... and it

gives confidence," he said.

The tariffs have rattled markets and drawn condemnation from

world leaders facing an abrupt end of an era of trade

liberalisation. On Wednesday, Trump decided to pause for 90 days

reciprocal new duties he had imposed on multiple countries, even

as he ratcheted up a trade war with China.

The United States accounted for around 6% of Portugal's

total exports last year. Key exporters include oil company Galp

, pharmaceutical firms, cork maker Corticeira Amorim

and pulp and paper producer Navigator.

The Bank of Portugal has estimated the tariff war could

diminish its 2025 growth forecast of 2.3% by 0.9 percentage

points.

($1 = 0.9014 euros)

(Reporting by Sergio Goncalves, writing by Andrei Khalip;

Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)