In re U.S. Steel Canada Inc.

571 B.R. 600, 2017 Bankr. LEXIS 2131, 64 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 124
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 31, 2017
DocketCase No. 17-11519 (MG)
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 571 B.R. 600 (In re U.S. Steel Canada Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re U.S. Steel Canada Inc., 571 B.R. 600, 2017 Bankr. LEXIS 2131, 64 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 124 (N.Y. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION GRANTING RECOGNITION OF THE FOREIGN MAIN PROCEEDING, THE FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVE, THE SANCTION ORDER, AND RELATED RELIEF

MARTIN GLENN, UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY JUDGE

U.S. Steel Canada Inc. (“USSC”) filed this chapter 15 case on June 2, 2017 (the “Petition Date”), seeking recognition in this Court of its Canadian CCAA Proceeding as a foreign main proceeding, and seeking recognition and enforcement in the United States of the Sanction Order, the Plan, and related orders, approved by the Canadian Court (all defined below). No objections were filed in this Court to any of the requested relief. Following a hearing on June 29, 2017, the Court entered an order granting all of the requested relief. (ECF Doc. # 12.) This Opinion explains the basis for the Court’s ruling.

The relevant pleadings in this Court include the Verified Petition for (I) Recognition of Foreign Main Proceeding, (II) Recognition of Foreign Representative, [603]*603(III) Recognition of Sanction Order, and (IV) Related Relief (ECF Doc. # 2) (the “Verified Petition” and, together with the form chapter 15 petition (ECF Doc. # 1), the “Petition”). USSC filed the Petition in its capacity as foreign representative, authorized by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Ontario, Canada (the “Canadian Court”) to seek recognition of the reorganization proceeding in Canada (the “CCAA Proceeding”) under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (the “CCAA”). The Petition sought an order from this Court (i) granting the Petition and recognizing the CCAA Proceeding as a foreign main proceeding under sections 1517 arid 1520 of the Bankruptcy Code; (ii) recognizing USSC as the foreign representative; and (iii) granting recognition of an order sanctioning a reorganization plan and related transactions approved by the Canadian Court in the CCAA Proceeding (the “Sanction Order”). The Petition includes a supporting memorandum of law and draws additional support from the declarations of William Aziz (the “Aziz Declaration,” ECF Doc. # 3) and James D. Gage (the “Gage Declaration,” ECF Doc. #4). The Aziz Declaration was supplemented with a copy of the Sanction Order (the “Aziz Declaration II,” ECF Doc. # 9) and then supplemented once more (the “Aziz Declaration III,” ECF Doc. # 14).

I. BACKGROUND

A. USSC’s Business Operations

USSC is wholly and indirectly owned by United States Steel Corporation (“U.S. Steel”), an integrated steel producer organized under Delaware law and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Aziz Decl. ¶ 6.) U.S. Steel is among the largest producers of steel in North America and contributes significantly to the global steel market. (Id.) USSC was acquired by U.S. Steel in October 2007 (the “Acquisition”) and serves as U.S. Steel’s Canadian subsidiary. (Id.) USSC principally operates from its Lake Erie Works facility (the “Lake Erie Facility”) and Hamilton Works facility (the “Hamilton Facility”). (Id.)

The Lake Erie Facility is situated along the shores of Lake Erie near Nanticoke, Ontario on a 6,600-acre industrial parcel. (Id. ¶ 7.) The Lake Erie facility carries out a number of processes, including: (i) the baking of coal in coke ovens in order to convert it to coke (“coke making”); (ii) combining the coke with iron ore and limestone in a blast furnace (“iron making”); (iii) combining the iron with scrap metal and injecting it with oxygen to form liquid steel, which is solidified into slabs (“steel making”); and (iv) the hot rolling of steel slabs into sheets, then into coils (“finishing”). (Id.) USSC sells its products at various stages of finish throughout the production process. (Id. ¶ 8.) A great number of hot rolled coils, howeyer, are shipped to the Hamilton Facility to undergo further finishing before they are ready for sale. (Id.)

The Hamilton Facility is located along the Hamilton Harbor and is approximately 810 acres in size. (Id. ¶ 9.) The Hamilton Facility’s operations consist of coke ovens and finishing lines, including a cold reduction mill (which forms hot rolled steel into thinner gauges of steel for end customer use, ie., “cold-rolled steel”) and two galvanizing lines (which add zinc to the cold-rolled steel). (Id. ¶ 10.) Like the Lake Erie Facility, the Hamilton Facility’s products fall into different stages of finish depending on the purpose for which those products will be used. (Id. ¶ 11.)

B. Financial Instability

Shortly after the Acquisition, the 2008 financial crisis hit. (Id. ¶ 16.) USSC’s financial stability and the stability of the steel market in general were compromised. (Id.) Additionally, the reduction of manufaetur-[604]*604ing in Canada and the increase in imports entering the Canadian market had a negative impact on USSC’s business. (Id.) Labor disputes, the idling of production at the Lake Erie Facility and the Hamilton Facility, and post-retirement obligations further compounded USSC’s financial difficulties. (Id. ¶¶ 17-19.) Under such financial hardship, USSC found itself unable to make full interest payments under a term loan agreement and ceased interest payments altogether under an amended revolver loan. (Id. ¶ 19.) USSC filed the CCAA Proceeding on September 16, 2014 (“Filing Date”). (Id. ¶20.)

C. USSC’s Outstanding Funded Indebtedness

As of the Filing Date, USSC’s outstanding funded indebtedness under the Amended Revolver Loan, the Term Loan Agreement, and the Province Loan (all defined below) totaled approximately CAD $2.0 billion and approximately USD $193.1 million. (Id. ¶ 12.)

1. The Amended Revolver Loan

On May 11, 2010, U.S. Steel Holdings, Inc. (“USS Holdings”), a subsidiary of U.S. Steel, and USSC, entered into a USD $600 million revolving loan facility (the “Amended Revolver Loan”) that matures on May 11, 2025. (Id. ¶ 13.) As of the Filing Date, USSC owed USD $193.1 million under the Amended Revolver Loan, including accrued and unpaid interest. (Id.)

2. The Term Loan Agreement

On October 29, 2007, 1344972 Alberta ULC (a wholly-owned subsidiary of U.S. Steel that merged with a predecessor of USSC in December 2007) and U.S. Steel Canada Limited Partnership LP (“USSC LP”) (the direct parent of USSC) entered into a CAD $1.5 billion unsecured loan (the “Term Loan Agreement”) that matures on October 31, 2037. (Id. ¶ 14.) The outstanding debt under the Term Loan Agreement was CAD $1.85 billion plus accrued and unpaid interest as of the Filing Date. (Id.)

3.The Province Loan

On March 31, 2006, the Province of Ontario made a loan to USSC (the “Province Loan Agreement”) that is due on December 31, 2015 (the “Province Loan”). (Id. ¶ 15.) The Province Loan bears interest at 1% per annum, payable semi-annually. (Id.) The outstanding balance on the Province Loan, including accrued and unpaid interest, was approximately CAD $150.7 million on the Filing Date.

D. Initiation of the CCAA Proceeding

USSC filed the CCAA Proceeding, seeking protection by the Canadian Court pursuant to the CCAA. (Id. ¶ 20.) On September 16, 2014, the Canadian Court granted the relief requested and entered an order appointing Ernst & Young Inc.

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Bluebook (online)
571 B.R. 600, 2017 Bankr. LEXIS 2131, 64 Bankr. Ct. Dec. (CRR) 124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-us-steel-canada-inc-nysb-2017.