Notes Payable, Long-Term Debt, Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 29, 2019

Notes Payable, Long-term Debt, Commitments and Contingencies

Notes Payable, Long-Term Debt, Commitments and Contingencies

Note 5 – Notes Payable, Long-Term Debt, Commitments and Contingencies

Notes Payable

Notes payable outstanding under uncommitted lines of credit was $160 million as of June 29, 2019, with $119 million denominated in South African rand, $20 million denominated in Canadian dollars, $14 million denominated in Zambian kwacha and $7 million denominated in Brazilian real. The weighted average interest rate for outstanding notes payable was 8.23% and 7.76% as of June 29, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. The notes payable under the uncommitted lines of credit are unsecured and do not require compensating balances. Also, Seaboard has a $100 million committed credit line secured by certain short-term investments with no balance outstanding as of June 29, 2019. Seaboard’s borrowing capacity under its uncommitted and committed lines of credit was reduced by the outstanding balances and letters of credit totaling $18 million as of June 29, 2019.

Long-Term Debt

The following is a summary of long-term debt:

		June 29,		December 31,
(Millions of dollars)		2019		2018
Term Loan due 2028	$	695	$	698
Foreign subsidiary obligations due 2019 through 2023		94		81
Total long-term debt at face value		789		779
Current maturities of long-term debt and unamortized discount and costs		(55)		(40)
Long-term debt, less current maturities and unamortized discount and costs	$	734	$	739

The interest rate on the Term Loan was 4.03% and 4.15% as of June 29, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. The weighted average interest rate on Seaboard’s foreign subsidiary obligations was 3.91% and 3.80% June 29, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Seaboard was in compliance with all restrictive debt covenants relating to these agreements as of June 29, 2019.

Contingencies

On June 28, 2018, Wanda Duryea and eleven other indirect purchasers of pork products, acting on behalf of themselves and a putative class of indirect purchasers of pork products, filed a class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota against several pork processors, including Seaboard Foods LLC and Agri Stats, Inc., a company described in the complaint as a data sharing service. Subsequent to the filing of this initial complaint, additional class action complaints making similar claims on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. The complaints allege, among other things, that beginning in January 2009, the defendants conspired and combined to fix, raise, maintain, and stabilize the price of pork products in violation of U.S. antitrust laws by coordinating their output and limiting production, allegedly facilitated by the exchange of non-public information about prices, capacity, sales volume and demand through Agri Stats, Inc. The complaints on behalf of the putative classes of indirect purchasers also include causes of action under various state laws, including state antitrust laws, unfair competition laws, consumer protection statutes, and state common law claims for unjust enrichment. The complaints also allege that the defendants concealed this conduct from the plaintiffs and the members of the putative classes. The relief sought in the respective complaints includes treble damages, injunctive relief, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees on behalf of the putative classes. The complaints were amended and consolidated, and the cases are now organized into three consolidated putative class actions brought on behalf of (a) direct purchasers, (b) consumer indirect purchasers, and (c) commercial and institutional indirect purchasers.  The amended complaints named Seaboard Corporation as an additional defendant. On July 9, 2019, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico filed a similar class action complaint against Seaboard Foods LLC and Seaboard Corporation in the U.S. District Court of Puerto Rico making essentially the same contentions as set forth in the cases filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, but also contending violation of Puerto Rican antitrust laws. Seaboard intends to defend these cases vigorously. It is impossible at this stage either to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from these suits, or to estimate the amount of potential loss, if any, resulting from the suits.

On March 20, 2018, the bankruptcy trustee (the “Trustee”) for Cereoil Uruguay S.A. (“Cereoil”) filed a suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay that was served during the second quarter naming as parties Seaboard and Seaboard’s subsidiaries, Seaboard Overseas Limited (“SOL”) and Seaboard Uruguay Holdings Ltd. (“Seaboard Uruguay”). Seaboard has a 45% indirect ownership of Cereoil. The suit seeks an order requiring Seaboard, SOL, and Seaboard Uruguay to reimburse Cereoil the amount of $22 million, contending that deliveries of soybeans to SOL pursuant to purchase agreements should be set aside as fraudulent conveyances. Seaboard intends to defend this case vigorously. It is impossible at this stage to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from this suit. In the event of an adverse ruling, Seaboard and its two subsidiaries could be ordered to pay the amount of $22 million. Any award in this case would offset against any award in the additional case described below filed by the Trustee on April 27, 2018.

On April 27, 2018, the Trustee for Cereoil filed another suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay that was served during the second quarter naming as parties Seaboard, SOL, Seaboard Uruguay, all directors of Cereoil, including two individuals employed by Seaboard who served as directors at the behest of Seaboard, and the Chief Financial Officer of Cereoil, an employee of Seaboard who also served at the behest of Seaboard (collectively, the “Cereoil Defendants”). The Trustee contends that the Cereoil Defendants acted with willful misconduct to cause Cereoil’s insolvency, and thus should be ordered to pay all liabilities of Cereoil, net of assets. The bankruptcy filing lists total liabilities of $53 million and assets of $30 million. Seaboard intends to defend this case vigorously. It is impossible at this stage to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from this suit. In the event of an adverse ruling, Seaboard and the other Cereoil Defendants could be ordered to pay the amount of the net indebtedness of Cereoil, which based on the bankruptcy schedules would total $23 million. It is possible that the net indebtedness could be higher than this amount if Cereoil’s liabilities are greater than $53 million and/or Cereoil’s assets are worth less than $30 million. In addition, in the event of an adverse ruling, the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance could order payment of the Trustee’s professional fees, interest, and other expenses. Any award in this case would offset against any award in the case described above filed on March 20, 2018.

On May 15, 2018, the Trustee for Nolston S.A. (“Nolston”) filed a suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay that was served during the second quarter naming as parties Seaboard and the other Cereoil Defendants. Seaboard has a 45% indirect ownership of Nolston. The Trustee contends that the Cereoil Defendants acted with willful misconduct to cause Nolston’s insolvency, and thus should be ordered to pay all liabilities of Nolston, net of assets. The bankruptcy filing lists total liabilities of $29 million and assets of $15 million. Seaboard intends to defend this case vigorously. It is impossible at this stage to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from this suit. In the

event of an adverse ruling, Seaboard and the other Cereoil Defendants could be ordered to pay the amount of the net indebtedness of Nolston, which based on the bankruptcy schedules would total $14 million. It is possible that the net indebtedness could be higher than this amount if Nolston’s liabilities are greater than $29 million and/or Nolston’s assets are worth less than $15 million. In addition, in the event of an adverse ruling, the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance could order payment of the Trustee’s professional fees, interest, and other expenses.

On September 18, 2014, and subsequently in 2015 and 2016, Seaboard received a number of grand jury subpoenas and informal requests for information from the Department of Justice, Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section (“AFMLS”), seeking records related to specified foreign companies and individuals. The companies and individuals as to which the requested records relate were not affiliated with Seaboard, although Seaboard has also received subpoenas and requests for additional information relating to an affiliate of Seaboard. During 2017, Seaboard received grand jury subpoenas requesting documents and information related to money transfers and bank accounts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (“DRC”) and other African countries and requests to interview certain Seaboard employees and to obtain testimony before a grand jury. Seaboard has retained outside counsel and is cooperating with the government’s investigation. It is impossible at this stage either to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome or to estimate the amount of potential loss, if any, resulting from the government’s inquiry.

Seaboard is subject to various administrative and judicial proceedings and other legal matters related to the normal conduct of its business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate resolution of these items is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the condensed consolidated financial statements of Seaboard.

Guarantees

Certain of the non-consolidated affiliates and third-party contractors who perform services for Seaboard have bank debt supporting their underlying operations. From time to time, Seaboard will provide guarantees of that debt in order to further Seaboard’s business objectives. Seaboard does not issue guarantees of third parties for compensation. As of June 29, 2019, guarantees outstanding to affiliates and third parties were not material. Seaboard has not accrued a liability for any of the affiliate or third-party guarantees as management considers the likelihood of loss to be remote. See Notes Payable above for discussion of letters of credit.