Established in 1994, the bank was chartered to implement the state policies in industry, foreign trade, economy, and foreign aid to other developing countries, and provide policy financial support so as to promote the export of Chinese products and services.

Commercial activity includes export credits mainly in the infrastructure fields (roads, power plants, oil and gas pipelines, telecom, and water projects) and investment loans for Chinese businesses to establish overseas in the energy, mining and industrial sectors.

[2]: 85 The bank is a part of the Chinese foreign aid system and administers the Two Preferential Loan Program (两优贷款业务; liangyou).

The preferential export buyer's credit is provided to a foreign borrower to purchase Chinese goods or services (e.g. construction contractor building the project).

[12] During the Covid pandemic, the bank granted the government of Angola an undisclosed amount of debt relief.

The news follow's India's promise to also support Sri Lanka through the debt restructuring program.

[18]: 112 Beginning in the early 2000s, the Sri Lankan government sought to obtain funding from international creditors to develop Hambantota.

[2] The Sri Lankan government sought funding for the Hambantota Port project form both the United States and India, which both declined.

[19] In July 2006, Sri Lankan foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera met in China with Exim Bank president Li Ruogu.

[2]: 137 There are a total of 21 branches of the bank, in Anhui, Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Fujian, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai, Shanxi,Shenzhen, Tianjin, Xiamen, Xi'an, Xinjiang, Yunnan, and Zhejiang.