RBI relaxes norm for credits for import into India

25 Sep 2013 Evaluate

In its another move to ease the pressure on rupee and help the industry,  the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has relaxed norms to raise funds from abroad, allowing all types of companies to avail trade credit facility from overseas for import of capital goods. Earlier, only companies in the infrastructure sector were allowed to raise such trade credits.

In its notification RBI has said that  “On a review, it has been decided to allow companies in all sectors to avail of trade credit not exceeding $20 million up to a maximum period of five years for import of capital goods as classified by the Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)”. RBI further said that the abinitio contract period of 15 months for all trade credits has been relaxed to 6 months. The amended policy has come into force with immediate effect. However, RBI said that banks are not permitted to issue letters of credit/guarantees/letter of undertaking/letter of comfort in favour of overseas supplier, bank and financial institution for the extended period beyond three years.

Earlier, as per its circular issued in September 2012, it has allowed companies in the infrastructure sector, where “infrastructure” is as defined under the extant guidelines on External Commercial Borrowings (ECB) to avail of trade credit up to a maximum period of five years for import of capital goods as classified by DGFT, where the trade credit must be abinitio contracted for a period not less than fifteen months and should not be in the nature of short-term roll overs; and AD banks were not permitted to issue Letters of Credit/guarantees/Letter of Undertaking (LoU) /Letter of Comfort (LoC) in favour of overseas supplier, bank and financial institution for the extended period beyond three years.

© 2026 The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. MoneyWorks4Me ® is a registered trademark of The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.

×