---
title: "What is Exim"
space: "Wiki"
url: "https://jmtradelink.com/docs/exim/overview"
updated: "2026-07-05"
---

# What is Exim

**Exim** is an Export-Import management app for Indian exporters, built on top of ERPNext. It does not replace the standard sales and purchase cycle — it extends it with everything an export house needs after the deal is won: shipping and customs paperwork, letter-of-credit compliance, export incentive claims, foreign-exchange hedging, and export finance.

The app covers five domains:

| Domain | What it does | Key doctypes |
|---|---|---|
| **Export compliance** | LC/CAD contract terms with a document checklist that blocks invoice submission until every document is verified | Contract Term, Document Check, Export Document |
| **Export benefits** | Calculates Duty Drawback and RoDTEP on every export invoice, posts receivable Journal Entries automatically, and consolidates them into claim documents | Duty Drawback Claim, RoDTEP Claim |
| **FX hedging** | Books forward contracts against orders/invoices, tracks utilization and cancellation P&L | Forward Booking |
| **Export finance** | Pre-shipment (PCFC) and post-shipment loans with automatic bank Journal Entries | Pre Shipment, Post Shipment |
| **Realisation & licences** | BRC reconciliation of bank receipts vs shipping bills, Advance Authorisation licence quota tracking, LUT and document-expiry registers | BRC Management, Advance Authorisation License, LUT Detail, Document Expiry |

## How everything connects

The chain starts at a normal ERPNext Sales Order and fans out from the Sales Invoice:

```mermaid
flowchart TD
    SO["Sales Order<br/>(with ports, Incoterms, marks)"] -->|"Create ▸ Contract Term"| CT["Contract Term<br/>(LC / CAD + document checklist)"]
    SO --> SI["Sales Invoice"]
    CT -->|"checklist gates submission"| SI
    SI -->|"on submit"| DBK["Duty Drawback JV<br/>(receivable)"]
    SI -->|"on submit"| ROD["RoDTEP JV<br/>(receivable)"]
    SI -->|"on submit"| BRC["BRC Management<br/>(draft, auto-created)"]
    SI -->|"licence rows"| AAL["Advance Authorisation<br/>License (exports)"]
    PI["Purchase Invoice<br/>(duty-free imports)"] -->|"licence rows"| AAL
    SO -.->|"underlying"| FWD["Forward Booking<br/>(FX hedge)"]
    FWD -->|"utilized by"| PRE["Pre Shipment<br/>(PCFC loan)"]
    FWD -->|"utilized by"| PE["Payment Entry<br/>(customer receipt)"]
    PRE -->|"repaid by"| POST["Post Shipment loan"]
    PE -->|"reconciled in"| BRC
    DBK -->|"swept into"| DBKC["Duty Drawback Claim"]
    ROD -->|"swept into"| RODC["RoDTEP Claim"]
```

Every arrow above is automated — the only documents you create by hand are the ones you'd create anyway (orders, invoices, payments) plus the finance documents (Forward Booking, Pre/Post Shipment) when you use those facilities.

## How Exim extends the core doctypes

Exim adds fields and behaviour to the ERPNext documents you already use:

- **Sales Order** — ports of loading/discharge, Incoterms (shipping terms), country of origin/destination, pre-carriage, marks & numbers, partial/trans-shipment flags, and a **Create ▸ Contract Term** button.
- **Sales Invoice** — a full **Exim tab**: FOB value per item, freight & insurance apportionment, duty drawback and RoDTEP rates per item, container details, BL/vessel/shipping bill numbers, hedging summary, and the LC document checklist. Submission triggers the benefit Journal Entries, the draft BRC, and licence consumption.
- **Delivery Note** — mirrors the invoice's packing, FOB, and duty fields.
- **Purchase Invoice** — shipping bill and port fields plus per-item Advance Authorisation licence consumption for duty-free imports.
- **Payment Entry** — a forward-contract grid so foreign-currency receipts utilize your hedges.
- **Company** — IEC code, REX number, and the ledger accounts used by the automatic benefit Journal Entries.
- **Payment Term** — extra due-date bases such as *Day(s) after BL date*, used for export credit terms.

## Where to go next

1. [Setup](/docs/exim/setup) — one-time configuration before the first export invoice.
2. [Export Sales Workflow](/docs/exim/export-sales-workflow) — order → LC → invoice, step by step.
3. [Export Benefits & Claims](/docs/exim/export-benefits-claims) — drawback/RoDTEP math and claim consolidation.
4. [Forward Booking & Hedging](/docs/exim/forward-booking-hedging) — FX forwards end to end.
5. [Export Finance](/docs/exim/export-finance) — PCFC and post-shipment loans.
6. [BRC Reconciliation](/docs/exim/brc-reconciliation) — proving realisation against shipping bills.
7. [Licences & Compliance](/docs/exim/licenses-compliance) — AAL, LUT, document expiry.
8. [Reports](/docs/exim/reports) — Hedging Details and APEDA Return.