HomeCirculars › RBI/2012-13/323

Exim Bank's USD 178 Million Line of Credit to Tanzania

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/323 · issued 11 Dec 2012 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's USD 178.125 million line of credit to Tanzania for water supply projects. At least 75% of contract value must be sourced from India. Banks must advise exporters and follow FEMA guidelines.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore helps an exporter who wants to sell water pipes to Tanzania under this loan. The officer reminds the exporter that 75% of the pipes must be made in India, and no commission can be taken from the loan money. The exporter then contacts Exim Bank for the full details and fills the GR form correctly.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a credit agreement on October 2, 2012, with Tanzania for a USD 178.125 million line of credit to fund water supply schemes in Dar-es-Salaam and Chalinze. The credit became effective from November 21, 2012. Last dates for opening LCs and disbursement are 48 months for project exports and 72 months for supply contracts.

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now tap this credit line for supplying goods, machinery, and services to Tanzania, with a mandatory 75% local sourcing requirement. AD banks must ensure compliance with FEMA rules on GR/SDF forms and agency commission restrictions. This opens a structured financing route for exporters targeting African infrastructure projects.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods, machinery, equipment, and services, 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 minimum Indian content requirement under this line of credit?

At least 75% of the contract price must be sourced from India for goods and services, including consultancy. The remaining 25% can be procured from outside India.

Can exporters pay agency commission under this LOC?

No agency commission is payable from the credit. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full contract payment is realized.

What are the key timelines for this credit facility?

The credit agreement is effective from November 21, 2012. For project exports, LCs must be opened and disbursements made within 48 months of scheduled completion. For supply contracts, the deadline is 72 months from the execution date, i.e., October 1, 2018.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2012-13/323 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.57 December 11, 2012 To All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 178.125 million to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an Agreement dated October 2, 2012 with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 178.125 million (USD one hundred seventy–eight million and one hundred twenty –five thousand) for the purpose of augmentation of water supply scheme of Dar-es-Salaam and Chalinze regions in Tanzania. The goods, machinery, equipment 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 including consultancy services of the value of at least 75 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India and the remaining 25 percent 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 November 21, 2012 and the date of execution of Agreement is October 2, 2012. 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 the case of project exports and 72 months (October 1, 2018) from the execution date of the Credit Agreement in the case of supply contracts. 3. Shipments under the LOC will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by the 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 in 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 the 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, (Dr. Sujatha Elizabeth Prasad) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/323 · issued 11 Dec 2012. 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, machinery, equipment, and services, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's USD 178 Million Line of Credit to Tanzania” is: “Inform exporter customers about the Exim Bank line of credit and its terms.” (RBI issued this 11 Dec 2012).

  1. Circular: RBI/2012-13/323 -- Exim Bank's USD 178 Million Line of Credit to Tanzania
  2. Issued: 11 Dec 2012
  3. Action required: Inform exporter customers about the Exim Bank line of credit and its terms.
  4. Action required: Advise exporters to contact Exim Bank for full details and documentation.
  5. Action required: Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
  6. Action required: Verify that no agency commission is paid from the credit; allow remittance only from exporter's own resources or EEFC after full payment realization.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=7741&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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