General Conditions for Issue of Letters of Credit and Guarantees Sample Clauses

Open Split View

Download

Share

Cite

General Conditions for Issue of Letters of Credit and Guarantees 

Sample 1Sample 2

Save

Copy

Related to General Conditions for Issue of Letters of Credit and Guarantees

• Requirements For Issuance of Letters of Credit (a) Borrowing Agent shall authorize and direct any Issuer to name the applicable Borrower as the “Applicant” or “Account Party” of each Letter of Credit. If Agent is not the Issuer of any Letter of Credit, Borrowing Agent shall authorize and direct Issuer to deliver to Agent all instruments, documents, and other writings and property received by Issuer pursuant to the Letter of Credit and to accept and rely upon Agent’s instructions and agreements with respect to all matters arising in connection with the Letter of Credit, the application therefor or any acceptance therefor. (b) In connection with all trade Letters of Credit issued or caused to be issued by Issuer under this Agreement, each Borrower hereby appoints Issuer, or its designee, as its attorney, with full power and authority if an Event of Default shall have occurred: (i) to sign and/or endorse such Borrower’s name upon any warehouse or other receipts, and acceptances; (ii) to sign such Borrower’s name on bills of lading; (iii) to clear Inventory through the United States of America Customs Department (“Customs”) in the name of such Borrower or Issuer or Issuer’s designee, and to sign and deliver to Customs officials powers of attorney in the name of such Borrower for such purpose; and (iv) to complete in such Borrower’s name or Issuer’s, or in the name of Issuer’s designee, any order, sale or transaction, obtain the necessary documents in connection therewith, and collect the proceeds thereof. Neither Agent, Issuer nor their attorneys will be liable for any acts or omissions nor for any error of judgment or mistakes of fact or law, except for Agent’s, Issuer’s or their respective officers’, directors’, agents’, employees’, attorneys’ or Affiliates’ gross negligence, willful misconduct. This power, being coupled with an interest, is irrevocable as long as any Letters of Credit remain outstanding.

• Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Extension Letters of Credit (i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, by a single L/C Issuer selected by the Borrower, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to an L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application may be sent by facsimile, by United States mail, by overnight courier, by electronic transmission using the system provided by the applicable L/C Issuer, by personal delivery or by any other means acceptable to such L/C Issuer. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the applicable L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as the Administrative Agent and such L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the applicable L/C Issuer: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (G) the purpose and nature of the requested Letter of Credit; and (H) such other matters as the applicable L/C Issuer may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the applicable L/C Issuer (A) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (B) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (C) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (D) such other matters as such L/C Issuer may require. Additionally, the Borrower shall furnish to the applicable L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent such other documents and information pertaining to such requested Letter of Credit issuance or amendment, including any Issuer Documents, as such L/C Issuer or the Administrative Agent may require. (ii) Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, such L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless an L/C Issuer has received written notice from any Revolving Credit Lender, the Administrative Agent or any Loan Party, at least one Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained in Article IV shall not then be satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, such L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower or applicable Subsidiary thereof or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with such L/C Issuer’s usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Revolving Credit Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, purchase from such L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Revolving Credit Lender’s Applicable Revolving Credit Percentage times the amount of such Letter of Credit. (iii) If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic extension provisions (each, an “Auto-Extension Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Extension Letter of Credit must permit such L/C Issuer to prevent any such extension at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Non-Extension Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by an L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to such L/C Issuer for any such extension. Once an Auto-Extension Letter of Credit has been issued, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the applicable L/C Issuer to permit the extension of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the first anniversary of the Revolving Credit Maturity Date; provided, however, that no L/C Issuer shall permit any such extension if (A) such L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted, or would have no obligation, at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its revised form (as extended) under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of clause (ii) or (iii) of Section 2.03(a) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Extension Notice Date (1) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Revolving Lenders have elected not to permit such extension or (2) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied, and in each such case directing such L/C Issuer not to permit such extension. (iv) If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the applicable L/C Issuer may, in its sole discretion, agree to issue a Letter of Credit that permits the automatic reinstatement of all or a portion of the stated amount thereof after any drawing thereunder (each, an “Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit”). Unless otherwise directed by an L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to such L/C Issuer to permit such reinstatement. Once an Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit has been issued, except as provided in the following sentence, the Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the applicable L/C Issuer to reinstate all or a portion of the stated amount thereof in accordance with the provisions of such Letter of Credit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if such Auto-Reinstatement Letter of Credit permits an L/C Issuer to decline to reinstate all or any portion of the stated amount thereof after a drawing thereunder by giving notice of such non-reinstatement within a specified number of days after such drawing (the “Non-Reinstatement Deadline”), such L/C Issuer shall not permit such reinstatement if it has received a notice (which may be by telephone or in writing) on or before the day that is seven Business Days before the Non-Reinstatement Deadline (A) from the Administrative Agent that the Required Revolving Lenders have elected not to permit such reinstatement or (B) from the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied (treating such reinstatement as an L/C Credit Extension for purposes of this clause) and, in each case, directing such L/C Issuer not to permit such reinstatement. (v) Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the applicable L/C Issuer will also deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment. (vi) If the expiry date of any Letter of Credit would occur after the Revolving Credit Maturity Date, the Borrower hereby agrees that it will at least thirty (30) days prior to the Revolving Credit Maturity Date (or, in the case of a Letter of Credit issued or extended on or after thirty (30) days prior to the Revolving Credit Maturity Date, on the date of such issuance or extension, as applicable) Cash Collateralize such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to 105% of the L/C Obligations arising or expected to arise in connection with such Letter of Credit.

• Conditions to Letters of Credit The issuance of any Letter of Credit hereunder (whether or not the applicable Issuing Lender is obligated to issue such Letter of Credit) is subject to the following conditions precedent: A. On or before the date of issuance of the initial Letter of Credit pursuant to this Agreement, the initial Loans shall have been made. B. On or before the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit, Administrative Agent shall have received, in accordance with the provisions of subsection 3.1B(i), an originally executed Notice of Issuance of Letter of Credit, in each case signed by the chief executive officer, the chief financial officer or the treasurer of Company or by any executive officer of Company designated by any of the above-described officers on behalf of Company in a writing delivered to Administrative Agent, together with all other information specified in subsection 3.1B(i) and such other documents or information as the applicable Issuing Lender may reasonably require in connection with the issuance of such Letter of Credit. C. On the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit, all conditions precedent described in subsection 4.2B shall be satisfied to the same extent as if the issuance of such Letter of Credit were the making of a Loan and the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit were a Funding Date.

• Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit; Auto-Renewal Letters of Credit (i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to an L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the relevant L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. at least two (2) Business Days prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be; or, in each case, such later date and time as the relevant L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in its sole discretion. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the relevant L/C Issuer: (a) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (b) the amount and currency thereof; (c) the expiry date thereof; (d) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (e) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (f) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; and (g) such other matters as the relevant L/C Issuer may reasonably request. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail reasonably satisfactory to the relevant L/C Issuer (1) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (2) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (3) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (4) such other matters as the relevant L/C Issuer may reasonably request. (ii) Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the relevant L/C Issuer will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, such L/C Issuer will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Unless the relevant L/C Issuer has received written notice from the Administrative Agent, any Revolving Credit Lender or any Loan Party, at least one (1) Business Day prior to the requested date of issuance or amendment of the applicable Letter of Credit, that one or more applicable conditions contained in Article IV shall not have been satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, such L/C Issuer shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower (and, if requested, on behalf of a Subsidiary) or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case, in accordance with such L/C’s Issuer’s usual and customary business policies. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Revolving Credit Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to, acquire from the relevant L/C Issuer a risk participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Revolving Credit Lender’s Pro Rata Share times the amount of such Letter of Credit. (iii) If the Borrower so requests in any applicable Letter of Credit Application, the relevant L/C Issuer shall agree to issue a Letter of Credit that has automatic renewal provisions (each, an “Auto-Renewal Letter of Credit”); provided that any such Auto-Renewal Letter of Credit must permit the relevant L/C Issuer to prevent any such renewal at least once in each twelve-month period (commencing with the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit) by giving prior notice to the beneficiary thereof not later than a day (the “Nonrenewal Notice Date”) in each such twelve-month period to be agreed upon at the time such Letter of Credit is issued. Unless otherwise directed by the relevant L/C Issuer, the Borrower shall not be required to make a specific request to the relevant L/C Issuer for any such renewal. Once an Auto-Renewal Letter of Credit has been issued, the applicable Lenders shall be deemed to have authorized (but may not require) the relevant L/C Issuer to permit the renewal of such Letter of Credit at any time to an expiry date not later than the Letter of Credit Expiration Date (unless the Borrower has entered into arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the relevant L/C Issuer to Cash Collateralize the Outstanding Amount of such L/C Obligations or backstop such Letter of Credit on the later of (I) the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit and (II) the 30th day prior to the Letter of Credit Expiration Date); provided that the relevant L/C Issuer shall not permit any such renewal if (A) the relevant L/C Issuer has determined that it would not be permitted or would have no obligation at such time to issue such Letter of Credit in its renewed form under the terms hereof (by reason of the provisions of Sections 2.03(a)(ii) or (iii) or otherwise), or (B) it has received notice (which may be by telephone, followed promptly in writing, or in writing) on or before the day that is five (5) Business Days before the Nonrenewal Notice Date from the Administrative Agent or any Revolving Credit Lender, as applicable, or the Borrower that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Section 4.02 is not then satisfied. (iv) Promptly after its delivery of any Letter of Credit or any amendment to a Letter of Credit to an advising bank with respect thereto or to the beneficiary thereof, the relevant L/C Issuer will also deliver to the Borrower and the Administrative Agent a true and complete copy of such Letter of Credit or amendment.

• Procedures for Issuance and Amendment of Letters of Credit (i) Each Letter of Credit shall be issued or amended, as the case may be, upon the request of the Borrower delivered to the Issuing Bank (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) in the form of a Letter of Credit Application, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Borrower. Such Letter of Credit Application must be received by the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent not later than 12:00 p.m., central time at least two Business Days (or such later date and time as the Issuing Bank may agree in a particular instance in its sole discretion) prior to the proposed issuance date or date of amendment, as the case may be. In the case of a request for an initial issuance of a Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the Issuing Bank: (A) the proposed issuance date of the requested Letter of Credit (which shall be a Business Day); (B) the amount thereof; (C) the expiry date thereof; (D) the name and address of the beneficiary thereof; (E) the documents to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; (F) the full text of any certificate to be presented by such beneficiary in case of any drawing thereunder; and (G) such other matters as the Issuing Bank may require. In the case of a request for an amendment of any outstanding Letter of Credit, such Letter of Credit Application shall specify in form and detail satisfactory to the Issuing Bank (w) the Letter of Credit to be amended; (x) the proposed date of amendment thereof (which shall be a Business Day); (y) the nature of the proposed amendment; and (z) such other matters as the Issuing Bank may require. (ii) Promptly after receipt of any Letter of Credit Application, the Issuing Bank will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has received a copy of such Letter of Credit Application from the Borrower and, if not, the Issuing Bank will provide the Administrative Agent with a copy thereof. Upon receipt by the Issuing Bank of confirmation from the Administrative Agent that the requested issuance or amendment is permitted in accordance with the terms hereof, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Issuing Bank shall, on the requested date, issue a Letter of Credit for the account of the Borrower or enter into the applicable amendment, as the case may be, in each case in accordance with the Issuing Bank’s usual and customary business practices. Immediately upon the issuance of each Letter of Credit, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to and hereby does, purchase from the Issuing Bank a participation in such Letter of Credit in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Percentage Share times the amount of such Letter of Credit.

• Terms of Letters of Credit At the time of issuance, the amount, form, terms and conditions of each Letter of Credit, and of any drafts or acceptances thereunder, shall be subject to approval by the applicable Issuing Bank and the Borrower. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event may (i) the expiration date of any Letter of Credit extend beyond the Revolving Termination Date, or (ii) any Letter of Credit have an initial duration in excess of one year; provided, however, a Letter of Credit may contain a provision providing for the automatic extension of the expiration date in the absence of a notice of non-renewal from the applicable Issuing Bank but in no event shall any such provision permit the extension of the expiration date of such Letter of Credit beyond the Revolving Termination Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a Letter of Credit may, as a result of its express terms or as the result of the effect of an automatic extension provision, have an expiration date of not more than one year beyond the Revolving Termination Date (any such Letter of Credit being referred to as an “Extended Letter of Credit”) so long as the Borrower delivers to the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the applicable Issuing Bank and the Revolving Lenders no later than 30 days prior to the Revolving Termination Date, Cash Collateral for such Letter of Credit for deposit into the Letter of Credit Collateral Account in an amount equal to the Stated Amount of such Letter of Credit; provided, that the obligations of the Borrower under this Section in respect of Extended Letters of Credit shall survive the termination of this Agreement and shall remain in effect until no Extended Letters of Credit remain outstanding. If the Borrower fails to provide Cash Collateral with respect to any Extended Letter of Credit by the date 30 days prior to the Revolving Termination Date, such failure shall be treated as a drawing under such Extended Letter of Credit (in an amount equal to the maximum Stated Amount of such Letter of Credit), which shall be reimbursed (or participations therein funded) by the Revolving Lenders in accordance with the immediately following subsections (i) and (j), with the proceeds being utilized to provide Cash Collateral for such Letter of Credit. The initial Stated Amount of each Letter of Credit shall be at least $500,000 (or such lesser amount as may be acceptable to the applicable Issuing Bank, the Administrative Agent and the Borrower).

• Additional Conditions to Letters of Credit If the issuance of a Letter of Credit is requested, all conditions set forth in Section 2.3 shall have been satisfied.

• Conditions Precedent to Loans and Letters of Credit 32 Section 3.1 Conditions To Effectiveness.................................................32 Section 3.2 Each Credit Event...........................................................33 Section 3.3 Delivery of Documents.......................................................34

• Requests for Issuance of Letters of Credit The Borrower shall give the Issuing Bank and the Administrative Agent written notice at least five (5) Business Days prior to the requested date of issuance of a Letter of Credit, such notice to describe in reasonable detail the proposed terms of such Letter of Credit and the nature of the transactions or obligations proposed to be supported by such Letter of Credit, and in any event shall set forth with respect to such Letter of Credit the proposed (i) initial Stated Amount, (ii) beneficiary, and (iii) expiration date. The Borrower shall also execute and deliver such customary applications and agreements for standby letters of credit, and other forms as requested from time to time by the Issuing Bank. Provided the Borrower has given the notice prescribed by the first sentence of this subsection and delivered such applications and agreements referred to in the preceding sentence, subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the satisfaction of any applicable conditions precedent set forth in Section 6.2, the Issuing Bank shall issue the requested Letter of Credit on the requested date of issuance for the benefit of the stipulated beneficiary but in no event shall Issuing Bank be obligated to deliver the requested Letter of Credit prior to the date five (5) Business Days following the date after which the Issuing Bank has received all of the items required to be delivered to it under this subsection. The Issuing Bank shall not at any time be obligated to issue any Letter of Credit if such issuance would conflict with, or cause the Issuing Bank or any Revolving Lender to exceed any limits imposed by, any Applicable Law. References herein to “issue” and derivations thereof with respect to Letters of Credit shall also include extensions or modifications of any outstanding Letters of Credit, unless the context otherwise requires. Upon the written request of the Borrower, the Issuing Bank shall deliver to the Borrower a copy of each issued Letter of Credit within a reasonable time after the date of issuance thereof. To the extent any term of a Letter of Credit Document is inconsistent with a term of any Loan Document, the term of such Loan Document shall control.

• CONDITIONS OF LENDING AND ISSUANCE OF LETTERS OF CREDIT The obligation of each Lender to make Loans and of the Issuing Lender to issue Letters of Credit hereunder is subject to the performance by each of the Loan Parties of its Obligations to be performed hereunder at or prior to the making of any such Loans or issuance of such Letters of Credit and to the satisfaction of the following further conditions: