Exim Bank's $300 mn Line of Credit to Ethiopia for Railway Project
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/178 · issued 12 Aug 2013 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's USD 300 million Line of Credit to Ethiopia for financing the Ethio-Djibouti Railway Line project. At least 75% of contract value must be sourced from India. Banks must advise exporters and handle GR/SDF declarations accordingly.
The rule, in the simplest words
Exim Bank gave a $300 million loan to Ethiopia for a new railway line.
At least 75% of the goods and services in the contract must come from India (the rest can come from other countries).
The loan starts on July 15, 2013; the bank must open letters of credit and pay within 48 months for project exports and 72 months for supply contracts.
All shipments under this loan must be declared on GR/SDF forms as told by the RBI.
No agency commission is paid, but if the exporter needs to pay a commission, they can use their own money or a foreign‑currency account after the contract is fully paid.
How it plays out — a real example
A senior export officer at a Mumbai bank meets with a Pune machinery exporter. She explains that for the railway project, 75% of the parts must be sourced from India and that the bank will open the letter of credit within 48 months. She also reminds him that all shipments must be declared on GR/SDF forms and that any commission can only be paid after the full contract value is received.
What changed
Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement with Ethiopia on June 13, 2013, effective July 15, 2013, for USD 300 million to fund the Asaita-Tadjourah railway project. The circular outlines the 75% Indian content requirement, timelines for LC opening and disbursement (48 months for project exports, 72 months for supply contracts), and rules on agency commission.
What it means for you
Indian exporters can now tap this LOC for railway-related goods and services, with a mandatory 75% local sourcing clause boosting domestic industry. AD banks must ensure proper GR/SDF form declarations and restrict agency commission payments to post-realization from exporter's own resources or EEFC accounts.
What you must do
Advise exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
Allow agency commission remittance only after full contract value realization and from exporter's own resources or EEFC accounts.
Monitor that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India as per the agreement.
Who it affects
AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods, machinery, equipment, and consultancy services, Exim Bank
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective July 15, 2013
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-18 13:31 IST
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 LOC?
At least 75% of the contract price must be supplied from India; the remaining 25% can be procured from outside India.
Can agency commission be paid under this LOC?
No agency commission is payable under the LOC itself. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full payment realization.
What are the timelines for using this credit?
For project exports, LCs must be opened and disbursed within 48 months from scheduled completion. For supply contracts, the last date is 72 months (June 12, 2019) from the credit agreement execution date.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2013-14/178
A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 22
August 12, 2013
To,
All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks
Madam / Sir,
Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 300 million to the
Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an Agreement dated June 13, 2013 with the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, for making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 300 million (USD Three hundred million only) for financing eligible goods, including machinery and equipment and services(including preparation of the Detailed Project Report) including consultancy services from India for the purpose of financing new Ethio-Djibouti Railway Line [ the Asaita- Tadjourah portion] Project in Republic of Ethiopia/ Republic of Djibouti. The goods, services, machinery and equipment 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 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 July 15, 2013 and the date of execution of Agreement is June 13, 2013. 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 (June 12, 2019) 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,
(C. D. Srinivasan)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2013-14/178 · issued 12 Aug 2013. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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 consultancy services, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's $300 mn Line of Credit to Ethiopia for Railway Project” is: “Advise exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 12 Aug 2013).
Circular: RBI/2013-14/178 -- Exim Bank's $300 mn Line of Credit to Ethiopia for Railway Project
Issued: 12 Aug 2013
Action required: Advise exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
Action required: Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
Action required: Allow agency commission remittance only after full contract value realization and from exporter's own resources or EEFC accounts.
Action required: Monitor that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India as per the agreement.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
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
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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=8303&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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