DEBT (Note)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt [Note Text Block]

The borrowing capacity of the Company's commercial paper program is $1.0 billion supported by its $1.4 billion credit agreement. Under the terms of the program, individual maturities on borrowings may vary, but not exceed one year from the date of issue. Interest bearing notes may be issued either as fixed or floating rate notes. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the program.

At March 31, 2024, International Paper’s credit facilities totaled $1.9 billion. The credit facilities generally provide for interest rates at a floating rate index plus a pre-determined margin dependent upon International Paper’s credit rating. The credit facilities previously included a $1.5 billion contractually committed bank facility with a maturity date of June 2026. In June 2023, the Company amended and restated its credit agreement to, among other things, (i) reduce the size of the contractually committed bank facility from $1.5 billion to $1.4 billion, (ii) extend the maturity date from June 2026 to June 2028, and (iii) replace the LIBOR-based rate with a SOFR-based rate. The liquidity facilities also included up to $500 million of uncommitted financings based on eligible receivables balances under a receivables securitization program that expires in June 2025. At March 31, 2024, the Company had no borrowings outstanding under the receivables securitization program.

During the first quarter of 2024, the Company had debt reductions of $3 million related to decreases in the amount of capital leases.

The Company’s financial covenants require the maintenance of a minimum net worth, as defined in our debt agreements, of $9 billion and a total debt-to-capital ratio of less than 60%. Net worth is defined as the sum of common stock, paid-in capital and retained earnings, less treasury stock plus any cumulative goodwill impairment charges. The calculation also excludes accumulated other comprehensive income/loss and both the current and long-term Nonrecourse Financial Liabilities of Variable Interest Entities. The total debt-to-capital ratio is defined as total debt divided by the sum of total debt plus net worth. As of March 31, 2024, we were in compliance with our debt covenants.

At March 31, 2024, the fair value of International Paper’s $5.6 billion of debt was approximately $5.3 billion. The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt is estimated based on the quoted market prices for the same or similar issues. International Paper’s long-term debt is classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, which is further defined in Note 1 in the Company’s Annual Report.