Brazil-based Comphania Vale do Rio Doce (CVRD), exporter of iron ore and pellet, has closed a long-awaited $300 million deal that went out for ten years at under 9% (see ASRI 10/9/00, p. 2).
The transaction was divided into three tranches, one wrapped by MBIA and two unwrapped. Bank of America led the deal. CVRD structured the transaction as a sale of product from CVRD to its subsidiary, CVRD Overseas Ltd., based in the Cayman Islands.
CVRD Finance, a bankruptcy-remote entity, acted as the servicer in the deal. The transaction included six designated customers, which only accounts for 30% of CVRD's total exports.
According to sources close to the deal, "CVRD opened the market. It was a benchmark for Brazil."
The unwrapped tranches received a Baa2 rating from Moody's Investors Service, BBB+ from Fitch, and BBB- from Standard & Poor's. All three rating agencies gave the wrapped tranche AAA ratings.
