HomeCirculars › RBI/2012-13/384

Exim Bank's USD 20 mn LOC to Nigerian Export-Import Bank

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/384 · issued 18 Jan 2013 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies a USD 20 million line of credit from Exim Bank to Nigeria's Exim Bank for financing Indian exports. AD Category-I banks must inform exporters, ensure GR/SDF declarations, and follow commission rules. Last LC opening date is May 9, 2015; disbursement by November 9, 2015.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore, Priya, gets a call from an exporter who wants to sell solar panels to Nigeria. She explains that under Exim Bank's new 20 million dollar loan, the exporter must source at least 90% of the panels from India and fill out GR/SDF forms for each shipment. Priya also reminds him that no agent commission is allowed unless he gets RBI approval first, and that all Letters of Credit must be opened before May 9, 2015.

What changed

RBI has informed AD Category-I banks about a new line of credit agreement between Exim Bank and the Nigerian Export-Import Bank. The LOC of USD 20 million is effective from May 10, 2012, with a 36-month window for opening LCs and 42 months for disbursement. At least 90% of contract value must be sourced from India.

What it means for you

Banks can now facilitate Indian exports to Nigeria under this LOC, ensuring compliance with FEMA and RBI guidelines. The 90% local sourcing rule and commission restrictions (max 5% with prior RBI approval for after-sales service) require careful documentation. This opens a structured financing channel for exporters targeting the Nigerian market.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Exporters dealing with Nigeria, 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 last date for opening Letters of Credit under this LOC?

The last date for opening LCs is May 9, 2015, which is 36 months from the effective date of the agreement (May 10, 2012).

Can exporters pay agency commission without RBI approval?

For exports not involving after-sales service, commission can be paid from the exporter's own resources or EEFC account after full payment realization. For after-sales service exports, prior RBI approval is needed, and commission is capped at 5% of invoice value.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2012-13/384 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.77 January 18, 2013 To All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 20 million to Nigerian Export-Import Bank Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an agreement dated November 15, 2011 with the Nigerian Export-Import Bank , making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 20 million (USD Twenty millions) for financing exports of eligible goods and services from India. The goods and services for export under the 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 Exim Bank under this agreement. Out of the total credit under this Agreement, the goods and services of the value of at least 90 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India. 2. The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from May 10, 2012 and the date of execution of Agreement is November 15, 2011. Under the LOC, the last date for opening Letters of Credit and Disbursement will be 36 months (May 9, 2015) and 42 months (November 09, 2015) from the effective date of the Agreement. 3. Shipments under the credit will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by Reserve Bank from time to time. 4. While no agency commission shall be payable in respect of exports financed under the above line of credit, the Reserve Bank may consider, on merit, requests for payment of commission up to a maximum of 5 per cent of the f.o.b. (free on board) / c&f (cost and freight)/c.i.f. (cost, insurance and freight) value in respect of goods exported and which require after sales services. In such cases, commission will have to be paid by deduction from the invoice of relevant shipment to agents and the reimbursable amount by the Exim Bank to the negotiating bank will be 90 per cent of the f.o.b /c&f /c.i.f. value. Approval for the payment of commission should be obtained from the office of the Reserve Bank of India (Foreign Exchange Department) within whose jurisdiction the Head Office of the exporter is situated, before the relevant shipment is effected. In other cases (i.e. exports not involving after sales services), if required the exporter may use his own resources or utilize balances of his EEFC a/c for payment of agency commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer Category –I (AD Category –I ) banks may allow such remittance after realization of full payment of contract value subject to compliance of prevailing instructions on 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. 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, (Rashmi Fauzdar) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2012-13/384 · issued 18 Jan 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (AD Category-I banks, Exporters dealing with Nigeria, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's USD 20 mn LOC to Nigerian Export-Import Bank” is: “Inform exporter clients about the LOC terms and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 18 Jan 2013).

  1. Circular: RBI/2012-13/384 -- Exim Bank's USD 20 mn LOC to Nigerian Export-Import Bank
  2. Issued: 18 Jan 2013
  3. Action required: Inform exporter clients about the LOC terms and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
  4. Action required: Ensure all shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Process agency commission only after full contract value realization and compliance with prevailing rules.
  6. Action required: For after-sales service exports, verify RBI approval before allowing commission up to 5% of invoice value.
  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.

💬 Banker Discussion

Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.

Loading comments…
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly).
Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=7815&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.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗