Tenaris S.A. – Annual report – 31 December 2016
Industry: manufacturing
31 Nationalization of Venezuelan Subsidiaries
In May 2009, within the framework of Decree Law 6058, Venezuela’s President announced the nationalization of, among other companies, the Company’s majority-owned subsidiaries TAVSA – Tubos de Acero de Venezuela S.A. (“Tavsa”) and, Matesi Materiales Siderúrgicos S.A (“Matesi”), and Complejo Siderúrgico de Guayana, C.A (“Comsigua”), in which the Company has a non-controlling interest (collectively, the “Venezuelan Companies”). Tenaris and its wholly-owned subsidiary Talta – Trading e Marketing Sociedad Unipessoal Lda (“Talta”), initiated arbitration proceedings against Venezuela before the ICSID in Washington D.C. in connection with these nationalizations.
On January 29, 2016, the tribunal released its award on the arbitration proceeding concerning the nationalization of Matesi. The award upheld Tenaris’s and Talta’s claim that Venezuela had expropriated their investments in Matesi in violation of Venezuelan law as well as the bilateral investment treaties entered into by Venezuela with the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union and Portugal. The award granted compensation in the amount of $87.3 million for the breaches and ordered Venezuela to pay an additional amount of $85.5 million in pre-award interest, aggregating to a total award of $172.8 million, payable in full and net of any applicable Venezuelan tax, duty or charge. The tribunal granted Venezuela a grace period of six months from the date of the award to make payment in full of the amount due without incurring post-award interest, and resolved that if no, or no full, payment is made by then, post-award interest will apply at the rate of 9% per annum.
On March 14, 2016, Venezuela requested the rectification of the award pursuant to article 49(2) of the ICSID Convention and ICSID Arbitration Rule 49. The tribunal denied Venezuela’s request on June 24, 2016, ordering Venezuela to reimburse Tenaris and Talta for their costs. On September 21, 2016, Venezuela submitted a request for annulment of the award as well as the stay of enforcement of the award in accordance with the ICSID Convention and Arbitration Rules. The annulment request was registered on September 29, 2016, and the ad hoc committee that will hear Venezuela’s request was constituted on December 27, 2016. The parties are in the process of exchanging briefs. A hearing is scheduled to be held in the first quarter of 2017 regarding Tenaris’s and Talta’s opposition to Venezuela’s request to continue stay enforcement of the award. Following that hearing, there will be a further exchange of briefs and an oral hearing on Venezuela’s annulment request, currently proposed to be held in the last quarter of 2017.
Concerning the arbitration proceeding relating to the nationalization of Tenaris’s shareholdings in Tavsa and Comsigua, on December 12, 2016, the tribunal issued its award upholding Tenaris’s and Talta’s claim that Venezuela had expropriated their investments in Tavsa and Comsigua in violation of the bilateral investment treaties entered into by Venezuela with the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union and Portugal. The award granted compensation in the amount of $137 million and ordered Venezuela to reimburse Tenaris and Talta $3.3 million in legal fees and ICSID administrative costs. In addition, Venezuela was ordered to pay interest from April 30, 2008 until the day of effective payment at a rate equivalent to LIBOR + 4% per annum, which as of December 31, 2016 amounted $76 million. The deadline for filing a request for annulment of the award expires on April 11, 2017.
Based on the facts and circumstances described above and following the guidance set forth by IAS 27R, the Company ceased consolidating the results of operations and cash flows of the Venezuelan Companies as from June 30, 2009, and classified its investments in the Venezuelan Companies as financial assets based on the definitions contained in paragraphs 11(c)(i) and 13 of IAS 32.
The Company classified its interests in the Venezuelan Companies as available-for-sale investments since management believes they do not fulfil the requirements for classification within any of the remaining categories provided by IAS 39 and such classification is the most appropriate accounting treatment applicable to non-voluntary dispositions of assets.
Tenaris or its subsidiaries have net receivables with the Venezuelan Companies as of December 31, 2016, for a total amount of approximately $27 million.
The Company records its interest in the Venezuelan Companies at its carrying amount at June 30, 2009, and not at fair value, following the guidance set forth by paragraphs 46(c), AG80 and AG81 of IAS 39.
MANAGEMENT REPORT (extract)
Principal Risks and Uncertainties (extract)
Beginning in 2009, Venezuela nationalized our investments in, and assumed exclusive operation control over the assets of, Tubos de Acero de Venezuela S.A. or Tavsa, Matesi, Materiales Siderúrgicos S.A., or Matesi, and Complejo Siderurgico de Guayana, C.A., or Comsigua. Our investments in Tavsa, Matesi and Comsigua are protected under applicable bilateral investment treaties, including the bilateral investment treaty between Venezuela and the Belgian-Luxembourgish Union. The Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary Talta – Trading e Marketing Sociedad Unipessoal Lda, or Talta, initiated arbitration proceedings against Venezuela before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, or ICSID, seeking adequate and effective compensation for the expropriation of their investments in Matesi, Tavsa and Comsigua. On January 29, 2016, the tribunal released its award for the expropriation of our investment in Matesi, granted compensation in the amount of $87 million for the breaches and ordered Venezuela to pay an additional amount of $86 million in preaward interest, aggregating to a total award of $173 million, payable in full and net of any applicable Venezuelan tax, duty or charge. Similarly, on December 12, 2016, the tribunal issued its award for the expropriation of our investments in Tavsa and Comsigua, granted compensation in the amount of $137 million and ordered Venezuela to reimburse Tenaris and Talta $3.3 million in legal fees and ICSID administrative costs. In addition, Venezuela was ordered to pay interest from April 30, 2008 until the day of effective payment at a rate equivalent to LIBOR + 4% per annum, which as of December 31, 2016 amounted $76 million. However, given the current economic and political situation of Venezuela, we can give no assurance that the Venezuelan government will honor the award for the expropriation of our investments in Matesi nor agree to pay a fair and adequate compensation for our interest in Tavsa and Comsigua, or that any such compensation will be freely convertible into or exchangeable for foreign currency. For further information on the nationalization of the Venezuelan subsidiaries, see note 31 “Nationalization of Venezuelan Subsidiaries” to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report.
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