HomeCirculars › RBI/2008-09/222

Exim Bank USD 20 mn Line of Credit to Myanmar for Wire Factory

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/222 · issued 14 Oct 2008 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks of Exim Bank's USD 20 million Line of Credit to Myanma Foreign Trade Bank for financing Indian exports for an ACSR wire factory in Myanmar. At least 85% of contract value must be sourced from India. Banks must advise exporters and follow FEMA rules.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore gets a call from a local exporter who wants to sell wire-making machines to Myanmar. The officer explains that Exim Bank's 20 million dollar loan can help, but the exporter must make sure 85% of the machine's value comes from India. The officer also reminds the exporter that no agent commission can be paid from the loan, so if they need to pay an agent, they must use their own money after the full payment arrives.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement on June 24, 2008, effective September 19, 2008, providing USD 20 million to Myanma Foreign Trade Bank. The credit supports exports for setting up an ACSR wire and galvanized iron wire manufacturing facility in Myanmar. Last disbursement for supply contracts is June 23, 2014; for project exports, 48 months from contract completion.

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now access this LOC to finance eligible goods and services for the Myanmar project, with a mandatory 85% Indian content. AD Category-I banks must facilitate remittances and ensure compliance with FEMA and RBI guidelines on GR/SDF forms and agency commission rules. No agency commission is payable under this LOC, but exporters may use own resources for such payments after full realization.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services to Myanmar, Exim Bank

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).

What is the purpose of this Line of Credit?

It finances Indian exports for setting up an Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) wire manufacturing factory in Myanmar, with annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes ACSR and 4,000 tonnes galvanized iron wire.

What is the Indian content requirement under this LOC?

At least 85% of the contract price must be supplied from India. The remaining goods and services (excluding consultancy) may be procured from outside India.

Can exporters pay agency commission under this LOC?

No agency commission is payable under the LOC. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full contract value realization, subject to RBI guidelines.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2008-09/222 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.22 October 14, 2008 To All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 20 million to Myanma Foreign Trade Bank , Myanmar Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an Agreement dated June 24 ,2008 with the Myanma Foreign Trade Bank ,Myanmar making  available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD  20 million (USD  twenty million  ) for financing eligible goods and services including consultancy services from India  relating to setting up of  an Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced (ACSR) wire manufacturing factory , with total annual output capacity of ACSR 10,000 tonnes and galvanized iron wire 4000 tonnes  in the Myanmar. The goods and services including consultancy services from India for exports under this Agreement are those which are eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by the Exim Bank under this Agreement. Out of the total credit by Exim Bank under this Agreement, the goods and services of the value of at least 85 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India, and the remaining goods and services (other than consultancy services) may be procured by the seller for the purpose of Eligible Contract from outside India. 2. The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from September 19, 2008 and date of execution of Agreement is June 24,2008 . Under the LOC, the last date for opening of Letters of Credit and Disbursement will be 48 months from the scheduled completion date(s) of contract(s) in case of project exports and 72 months ( June 23, 2014) from the execution date of the Credit Agreement in case of supply contracts . 3. Shipments under the LOC will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by Reserve Bank from time to time. 4. No agency commission is payable under the above LOC. However, if required, the exporter may use his own resources or utilize balances of his Exchange Earners’ Foreign Currency Account for payment of commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer Category- l (AD Category-l) banks may allow such remittance after realization of full payment of contract value subject to compliance with the prevailing instructions for payment of agency commission.  5. AD Category-I banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their exporter constituents and advise them to obtain full details of the Line of Credit from Exim Bank’s office at Centre One, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005  or log on to www. eximbankindia. in. 6. The Directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law.     Yours faithfully,  D.Mishra Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/222 · issued 14 Oct 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services to Myanmar, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank USD 20 mn Line of Credit to Myanmar for Wire Factory” is: “Advise exporter constituents about this LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 14 Oct 2008).

  1. Circular: RBI/2008-09/222 -- Exim Bank USD 20 mn Line of Credit to Myanmar for Wire Factory
  2. Issued: 14 Oct 2008
  3. Action required: Advise exporter constituents about this LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
  4. Action required: Allow remittance of agency commission only after full contract value realization and compliance with prevailing instructions.
  5. Action required: Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
  6. Action required: Verify that at least 85% of contract price is sourced from India for financed exports.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.

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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=4538&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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