Exim Bank's EUR 100 mn credit line to Cuba for rice imports
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-2023/133 · issued 20 Oct 2022 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notified Exim Bank's EUR 100 million short-term line of credit to Banco Exterior de Cuba for financing rice purchases from India. AD Category-I banks must inform exporters and follow FEMA guidelines for shipments and commission payments.
The rule, in the simplest words
Exim Bank (a government bank that helps Indian exports) gave a 100 million Euro loan to a Cuban bank to buy rice from India.
At least 75% of the rice contract's value must come from India; the rest can come from other countries.
No agency commission (a fee paid to a middleman) can be paid from this loan money.
If an exporter wants to pay a middleman, they must use their own money after they get paid for the rice.
Banks must tell rice exporters about this loan and make sure they fill out the right export forms.
How it plays out — a real example
Ravi, a forex & trade-finance officer in Indore, gets a call from a rice exporter asking about the new Cuba deal. Ravi explains that the Exim Bank loan covers 75% Indian rice, and warns that no commission can come from the loan—only from the exporter's own pocket after payment. He then helps the exporter fill the shipping form correctly.
What changed
Exim Bank signed an agreement on June 23, 2022, with Banco Exterior de Cuba for a EUR 100 million Short-Term Line of Credit (STLoC) to finance rice procurement from India. The credit became operational on September 9, 2022, with an 8-month terminal utilization period from contract inclusion. At least 75% of contract value must be sourced from India, and no agency commission is payable under this STLoC.
What it means for you
Indian rice exporters now have a dedicated credit facility to boost exports to Cuba, with Exim Bank financing the purchases. AD banks must ensure shipments are declared correctly and that no agency commission is paid from the credit proceeds, though exporters can use own resources for commissions after full export value realization. This aligns with India's foreign trade policy and FEMA provisions.
What you must do
Inform exporter constituents about the STLoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for full terms.
Ensure shipments under this credit are declared in Export Declaration Form/Shipping Bill per RBI instructions.
Verify that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India for eligible contracts.
Do not allow agency commission payments from STLoC proceeds; only permit remittance from exporter's own resources after full export value realization.
Who it affects
AD Category-I banks, Indian rice exporters, Exim Bank, Banco Exterior de Cuba
❓ Common questions
What is the purpose of this EUR 100 million credit line?
It is a Short-Term Line of Credit from Exim Bank to Banco Exterior de Cuba to finance the purchase of rice from India.
Can exporters pay agency commission under this STLoC?
No, agency commission is not payable from the credit. Exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances for commission after full export value realization.
What is the sourcing requirement for goods under this credit?
At least 75% of the contract price must be supplied from India; the remaining 25% can be procured from outside India.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2022-2023/133
A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.17
October 20, 2022
All Category – I Authorised Dealer Banks
Madam/Sir
Exim Bank’s Short-Term Line of Credit (STLoC) of EUR 100 million
to the Banco Exterior de Cuba for purchase of rice from India
Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an agreement dated June 23, 2022 with the Banco Exterior de Cuba- an agency nominated by the Government of Republic of Cuba for making available to the latter, Short Term Line of Credit (STLoC) of EUR 100 million (Euro One Hundred Million Only) for the purpose of financing procurement of rice from India to the Republic of Cuba. The export of eligible goods including plant, machinery and equipment, and services including consultancy services for the purpose of procurement of rice to be exported from India, as defined under the agreement, would be allowed subject to their eligibility 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 the agreement, goods and 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 per cent of goods and services may be procured by the seller for the purpose of the eligible contract from outside India.
2. The Credit Agreement under the STLoC has become operational from September 09, 2022. Under the STLoC, the terminal utilization period is 8 months from the date of contract inclusion under the STLoC.
3. Shipments under the STLoC shall be declared in Export Declaration Form/Shipping Bill as per instructions issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time.
4. No agency commission is payable for export under the above STLoC. 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 (AD) Category- I banks may allow such remittance after realization of full eligible value of export subject to compliance with the extant 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 complete details of the STLoC from the Exim Bank’s office at Centre One, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005 or from their website www.eximbankindia.in
6. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under section 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
(Ajay Kumar Misra)
Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2022-2023/133 · issued 20 Oct 2022. 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 rice exporters, Exim Bank, Banco Exterior de Cuba), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's EUR 100 mn credit line to Cuba for rice imports” is: “Inform exporter constituents about the STLoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for full terms.” (RBI issued this 20 Oct 2022).
Circular: RBI/2022-2023/133 -- Exim Bank's EUR 100 mn credit line to Cuba for rice imports
Issued: 20 Oct 2022
Action required: Inform exporter constituents about the STLoC details and direct them to Exim Bank for full terms.
Action required: Ensure shipments under this credit are declared in Export Declaration Form/Shipping Bill per RBI instructions.
Action required: Verify that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India for eligible contracts.
Action required: Do not allow agency commission payments from STLoC proceeds; only permit remittance from exporter's own resources after full export value realization.
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.
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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=12405&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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