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Overview

Bank of China contributes £154 million GBP to £3 billion GBP Revolving Facility B of a £6 billion GBP syndicated loan to British American Tobacco p.l.c. in 2020 (Linked to Record ID#99403)

Commitments (Constant USD, 2023)$203,701,293
Commitment Year2020Country of ActivityUnited KingdomDirect Recipient Country of IncorporationUnited KingdomOverseas JurisdictionUnited KingdomSectorIndustry, Mining, ConstructionFlow TypeLoan

Status

Project lifecycle

Pipeline: Commitment

Pipeline: PledgePipeline: CommitmentImplementationCompletion

Timeline

Key dates

Commitment date
Mar 12, 2020
Last repayment (originally scheduled)
Mar 11, 2025

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

  • Bank of China (BOC)

Cofinancing agencies

Private Sector

  • Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. (BBVA)
  • Banco Santander, S.A. (Santander Group) (formerly Banco Santander Central Hispano, S.A.)
  • Bank of America Europe Designated Activity Company (BofA Europe) (formerly Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Designated Activity Company)
  • Barclays Bank PLC
  • Citibank, N.A.
  • Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft (Commerzbank AG)
  • Deutsche Bank AG
  • Goldman Sachs Bank USA
  • HSBC Bank PLC
  • Intesa Sanpaolo S.P.A. (formerly Cariplo/Banca Intesa/BCI)
  • Lloyds Bank plc (formerly Lloyds TSB Bank PLC)
  • Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
  • Société Générale S.A. (SocGen or Societe Generale)
  • Standard Bank of South Africa Limited (Standard Bank)
  • Standard Chartered Bank PLC
  • Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC)
  • UniCredit Bank AG
  • Wells Fargo Bank N.A.

State-owned Banks

  • Emirates NBD Bank P.J.S.C.
  • National Westminster Bank Plc (NatWest)

Receiving agencies

Private Sector

  • British American Tobacco p.l.c.

Guarantors

Private Sector

  • British American Tobacco p.l.c.

Loan description

BOC contribution to £6 billion GBP syndicated loan to British American Tobacco p.l.c. in 2020

Interest rate (t₀)1.164%Interest typeVariable Interest RateLoan tenor6-month rateMaturity5 years

Narrative

Full Description

Project narrative

On March 12, 2020, Bank of China (London Branch) signed onto a revolving syndicated, multi-facility credit worth £6,000,000,000 GBP in total for borrowers B.A.T. International Finance p.l.c., B.A.T. Netherlands Finance B.V, and B.A.T Capital Corporation - who are all subsidiaries of parent organization British American Tobacco p.l.c.. The proceeds of each facility were to be used for general corporate purposes. BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO P.L.C. acted as guarantor. £154,000,000 GBP to £3,000,000,000 GBP Revolving Facility A (captured via Record ID#99403); and £154,000,000 GBP to £3,000,000,000 GBP Revolving Facility B (captured via Record ID#99404). Revolving Facility A carried a 1-year maturity (with optional minor extension upon request), and Revolving Facility B has a maturity of 5 years. Two additional facilities (US$ Swingline Facility A & EURO Swingline Facility B) were also committed-to on March 12, 2020, but BOC did not contribute to them. For each facility, the rate of interest on each Revolving Facility Advance and each Term Advance for its Term was the rate per annum determined by the Agent to be the aggregate of the applicable margin and LIBOR (or, in the case of an Advance denominated in euro, EURIBOR). The Margin for the Term of a Revolving Facility Advance under Revolving Facility A or a Term Advance would be determined on the Rate Fixing Day for that Term by reference to the table below: Rating (S&P/Moody’s) Facility Margin per annum A-/A3 0.15%. BBB+/Baa1 0.20%. BBB/Baa2 0.30%. BBB-/Baa3 or less 0.40%. The Margin for the Term of a Revolving Facility Advance under Revolving Facility B would be determined on the Rate Fixing Day for that Term by reference to the table below: Rating (S&P/Moody’s) Facility Margin per annum A-/A3 0.20%. BBB+/Baa1 0.275%. BBB/Baa2 0.375%. BBB-/Baa3 or less 0.475%.

Staff comments

1. As the "applicable margin" depends on the organizations' rating, AidData has estimated the rate of interest for Revolving Facility A as the highest rating's margin 0.150% + average 6M LIBOR in March 2020 0.964%. The estimated rate of interest for Revolving Facility B is the highest rating's margin 0.200% + average 6M LIBOR in March 2020 0.964%. 2. A swingline facility is a sub-limit of a syndicated revolving credit loan whereby a lender makes a short term (not more than five days) loan, in smaller amounts, on shorter notice, and with a higher interest rate than is otherwise available for revolving credit loans. 3. As stated in the loan agreement, "The Parent shall, on behalf of the Borrowers, pay to the US Agent: a) commitment fee at the rate of 25 per cent. of the applicable Margin calculated in accordance with Clause 8.3 (Calculation of the Margin) on the undrawn, uncanceled amount of the Total Revolving Facility A Commitments on each day, for distribution to each Bank pro rata to the proportion its Revolving Facility A Commitment bears to the Total Revolving Facility A Commitments from time to time; and b) a commitment fee at the rate of 35 per cent. of the applicable Margin calculated in accordance with Clause 8.3 (Calculation of the Margin) on the undrawn, uncanceled amount of the Total Revolving Facility B Commitments on each day, for distribution to each Bank pro rata to the proportion its Revolving Facility B Commitment bears to the Total Revolving Facility B Commitments from time to time. Each commitment fee is calculated and accrues from the Signing Date on a daily basis and is payable quarterly in arrear with the first payment due three months after the Signing Date for the period from the Signing Date. Accrued commitment fee is also payable to the US Agent for the relevant Bank(s) on the cancelled amount of its Commitment at the time the cancellation takes effect."; therefore, AidData has calculated the commitment fee as 25% of 1.114 for Revolving Facility A (0.2785%) and 35% of 1.164 for Revolving Facility B (0.4074%).