EXIM Bank of Pakistan
Pakistan's state-owned export credit agency and development finance institution supporting exports, trade investment, and import-substitution activity.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
EXIM Bank of Pakistan, formally the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan and commonly abbreviated as EBP, is Pakistan's official export credit agency. It is a state-owned development finance institution headquartered in Islamabad and was created to strengthen the country's international trade position. Its mandate extends beyond conventional commercial banking: the institution is intended to help Pakistani exporters obtain financing, reduce the risks associated with cross-border transactions, support trade-related investment, and improve the competitiveness and diversification of Pakistan's export base. The bank's institutional history began before its formal operating launch. The Government of Pakistan incorporated the entity as a public limited company with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan on 11 June 2015. It was designated a development finance institution in December of that year, but the organization did not begin formal operations at that stage. Its legal foundation was subsequently established through the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan Act, 2022. The legislation was approved by Pakistan's Senate on 30 September 2022 and signed into law by President Arif Alvi on 14 October 2022. The Act gave the bank a statutory role in supporting international trade, export-oriented businesses, import-substituting industries, trade investment, and government trade schemes that might be assigned to it. The bank formally began operating in October 2022 and was publicly launched and inaugurated on 22 December 2023 by caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar. This launch marked the transition from a long-planned institutional vehicle into an operating national export-finance agency. Its intended offerings include trade finance, trade credit insurance, trade services, equity participation, and other mechanisms for mitigating the financial and commercial risks faced by exporters and investors. The bank is also expected to provide an alternative channel through which federal trade policies and programs can be administered or delivered. EBP's policy purpose is closely linked to Pakistan's efforts to diversify exports, attract foreign direct investment, expand participation in international markets, and reduce dependence on selected imported goods through support for import-substituting production. By combining financing and risk mitigation, the bank is designed to address constraints that ordinary commercial lenders may be reluctant to absorb, including foreign-buyer risk, political and sovereign risk, payment risk, and the longer maturities often required for export-oriented industrial projects. The institution remains a government-backed and policy-oriented bank rather than a listed retail banking brand. Its principal constituency is Pakistan-based exporters, manufacturers, investors, and businesses involved in international trade. On 21 March 2025, Pakistan's Economic Coordination Committee approved the phasing out of long-term financing from the State Bank of Pakistan to EBP, a policy decision relevant to the bank's future funding model. As of June 2025, the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency had assigned the bank a long-term AAA rating. Publicly available reference material does not establish a broad branch network, a retail consumer franchise, or a separately marketed international subsidiary structure.
History
The institutional concept behind EXIM Bank of Pakistan predates its operating existence. The Government of Pakistan incorporated the entity with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan as a public limited company on 11 June 2015. In December of that year it was declared a development finance institution. The early incorporation created a legal and organizational vehicle for a national export credit agency, but the bank did not immediately become a fully functioning financial institution. The bank's formal legal mandate was supplied by the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan Act, 2022. The Senate ratified the legislation on 30 September 2022, and President Arif Alvi signed it on 14 October 2022. Under the Act, the institution was tasked with supporting, promoting, and developing international trade; trade-related investment; export-oriented enterprises; and import-substituting businesses and industries in line with federal trade policies and programs. The law also enabled the bank to administer, operate, or manage international trade schemes transferred or outsourced to it by the federal government, a government agency, or the State Bank of Pakistan. Formal operations began in October 2022. The bank was subsequently launched and inaugurated publicly on 22 December 2023 by caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar. The launch represented the operationalization of a state-backed institution designed to fill a policy role not fully addressed by ordinary commercial banking. Its purpose is to make international transactions and export investment more viable by combining credit, insurance, trade services, and other risk-management tools. EBP's intended business model centers on the needs of Pakistani exporters and companies participating in international supply chains. Its prospective services include trade financing, trade credit insurance, equity participation, and related trade services. These tools are intended to address payment and buyer risk, improve access to working capital and project finance, and help businesses compete in foreign markets. The bank's mandate also includes supporting foreign direct investment and import-substitution projects, linking its activities to broader industrial and economic policy rather than exports alone. The institution is therefore best understood as a government-backed export credit agency and development finance institution, not as a conventional consumer bank. Its strategic role is to support export growth and diversification, strengthen the competitiveness of Pakistani firms, and provide an enabling environment for trade and investment. The public record identifies Islamabad as its headquarters but does not establish a large retail branch network or a broad consumer banking proposition. A significant later policy development occurred on 21 March 2025, when the Economic Coordination Committee approved the phasing out of the State Bank of Pakistan's long-term financing to EBP. This decision has implications for the bank's funding structure and the way its future lending and risk-support programs are financed. As of June 2025, the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency had assigned EBP a long-term AAA rating. The available reference material does not provide sufficient information to identify a detailed roster of current executives, a standalone official website URL, specific flagship transactions, or quantified lending and export-impact results.
- 2025
State Bank long-term financing phase-out approved
[1]The Economic Coordination Committee approved phasing out long-term financing from the State Bank of Pakistan to EBP on 21 March 2025.
- 2025
Long-term AAA rating reported
[1]As of June 2025, the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency had assessed the bank's long-term credit rating at AAA.
- 2023
Public launch and inauguration
[1]EXIM Bank of Pakistan was formally launched and inaugurated on 22 December 2023 by caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar.
- 2022
Export-Import Bank of Pakistan Act enacted
[1]The Senate approved the founding legislation on 30 September 2022, and it was signed into law on 14 October 2022.
- 2022
Formal operations begin
[1]The bank began formal operations in October 2022 under its new statutory framework.
- 2015
Entity incorporated as a public limited company
[1]The Government of Pakistan incorporated the proposed export-import bank with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan on 11 June 2015.
- 2015
Designated as a development finance institution
[1]The entity was declared a development finance institution in December 2015, establishing its intended policy-finance character before formal operations began.
Products and positioning
A sovereign-backed export credit agency and development finance institution intended to expand and diversify Pakistan's exports, support trade investment, mitigate cross-border commercial risks, and implement federal trade-policy programs.
Trade finance · 2022
Export finance
Financing intended to help Pakistan-based exporters fund production, working capital, shipment-related needs, and other stages of international sales. It is part of the bank's central mandate to improve exporter access to credit and strengthen the country's ability to compete in overseas markets.
Insurance and risk mitigation · 2022
Trade credit insurance
Credit-insurance support designed to mitigate risks associated with selling to overseas buyers and conducting cross-border trade. The reference material identifies trade credit insurance as a core intended service, although it does not specify individual policy products, coverage limits, or distribution arrangements.
Trade services · 2022
Trade services
A broad category of services supporting international trade transactions. These services are part of EBP's statutory and institutional role, but publicly available reference material does not provide a detailed product catalog or name specific instruments offered under this category.
Development finance · 2022
Equity participation
Equity participation is identified as one of the bank's intended mechanisms for supporting export-oriented enterprises and trade investment. The available sources do not specify the eligibility rules, transaction structures, sectors, or individual investments associated with this offering.
Brand decisions
2025
Phasing out of State Bank long-term financingStrategyBackground
The bank's early funding framework included long-term financing from the State Bank of Pakistan.
Action taken
On 21 March 2025, the Economic Coordination Committee approved phasing out the State Bank's long-term financing to EBP.
Aftermath
The decision creates a need for the institution to operate under a changing funding model, although the available reference material does not describe the replacement arrangements or their quantified effect.
2022
Adoption of a statutory export-credit mandateStrategyBackground
Pakistan sought a dedicated institution to promote international trade, export-oriented businesses, import-substituting industries, and trade investment.
Action taken
The Export-Import Bank of Pakistan Act, 2022 established EBP as the country's official export credit agency and authorized it to provide financing, insurance, trade services, equity participation, and to administer assigned government trade schemes.
Aftermath
The bank began formal operations in October 2022 and was publicly inaugurated in December 2023.
Sources1 sources
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