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Overview

ICBC contributes $40 million USD to $400 million USD revolving credit facility to Livent Corporation and FMC Lithium USA for general corporate purposes in 2018

Commitments (Constant USD, 2023)$40,251,852
Commitment Year2018Country of ActivityUnited StatesDirect Recipient Country of IncorporationUnited StatesSectorIndustry, Mining, ConstructionFlow TypeLoan

Status

Project lifecycle

Completion

Pipeline: PledgePipeline: CommitmentImplementationCompletion

Timeline

Key dates

Commitment date
Sep 28, 2018
End (actual)
Sep 1, 2022
Last repayment (originally scheduled)
Sep 28, 2023

Stakeholders

Organizations involved in projects and activities supported by financial and in-kind transfers from Chinese government and state-owned entities

Ultimate beneficial owners

At least 25% host country ownership

Funding agencies

State-owned Commercial Banks

  • Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)

Cofinancing agencies

Private Sector

  • Bank of America, N.A.
  • Citibank, N.A.
  • Citizens Bank, N.A. (formerly Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania)
  • Credit Suisse AG
  • Goldman Sachs Bank USA
  • JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (Chase Bank, formerly the Chase Manhattan Bank)
  • Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)

Receiving agencies

Private Sector

  • FMC Lithium USA
  • Livent Corporation

Guarantors

Private Sector

  • FMC Asia-Pacific, Inc.
  • FMC Lithium Overseas LTD.

Loan description

ICBC contributes to $400 million USD revolving credit facility to Livent Corporation and FMC Lithium USA for general corporate purposes in 2018

Interest typeVariable Interest RateLoan tenor6-month rateMaturity5 years

Narrative

Full Description

Project narrative

On September 28, 2018, financial close was reached on a deal in which a syndicate of eight banks—including ICBC—entered into a $400,000,000 USD syndicated loan agreement with Livent Corporation and its subsidiary FMC Lithium USA Corp., both Delaware-based corporations involved in the lithium production and processing industry. The purpose of this loan was to support the separation of Livent’s business from FMC Corporation. The maturity of the loan is September 28, 2023 (5 years), and the interest rate is LIBOR plus the company’s leverage ratio (2%-2.75%). The use of proceeds is for general corporate purposes (including capital expenditures and Permitted Acquisitions) of each Borrower and its subsidiaries or for the purposes of making any payments. While ICBC contributed $40 million USD to this loan, the following lenders also participated: Citibank, N.A., Bank of America, N.A., Credit Suisse Loan Funding LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Citizens Bank, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. Two of Livent’s domestic subsidiaries, FMC Asia-Pacific, Inc. and FMC Lithium Overseas LTD., served as guarantors for the credit. On September 1, 2022, the company entered into a new RCF worth $500 million and replaced the existing agreement. The new RCF does not involve Chinese banks.

Staff comments

1. Livent Corporation was a US-based lithium company created after the restructuring of FMC’s Lithium Business in July 2018. FMC Corporation is an American chemical manufacturing company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which originated as an insecticide producer in 1883 and later diversified into other industries. After the restructuring, FMC Lithium USA became a subsidiary of Livent Corporation. In January 2024, Livent Corporation and Australian lithium producer Allkem agreed to merge and created Arcadium Lithium, a leading global lithium chemicals producer committed to safely and responsibly harnessing the power of lithium to improve people’s lives and accelerate the transition to a clean energy future. 2. AidData does not have enough information to estimate the interest rate for the revolving credit facility due to the leverage ratio of the company. However, AidData estimates the range of the interest by adding the 6-month average LIBOR rate in September 2018 and the applicable rate based on the leverage ratio spread. The total interest is between (2.63%+2~2.75) 4.63% and 5.38%.