LONG-TERM DEBT

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

In third quarter of 2024, the Company refinanced our debt portfolio resulting in amendments to our existing agreements as well as entering into a new senior secured term loan. The effects of the refinancing are described herein.

Long-term debt is summarized in the following table:


In millions	September 30, 2024		December 31, 2023
Term Loan F - due 2027 (a)	$	355	$	471
Term Loan F-2 - due 2031 (b)	233		—
Term Loan A - due 2029 (c)	222		266
7.00% Senior Notes - due 2029 (d)	—		89
Securitization Program	100		117
Other	16		16
Less: current portion	(43)		(28)
Total	$	883	$	931

(a) As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, presented net of $3 million and $3 million in unamortized debt issuance costs, respectively.

(b) As of September 30, 2024, presented net of $2 million in unamortized debt issuance costs.

(c) As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, presented net of $3 million and $2 million in unamortized debt issuance costs, respectively.

(d) As of December 31, 2023, presented net of $1 million in unamortized debt issuance costs.

In addition to the debt noted above, the Company has the ability to access a cash flow-based revolving credit facility (“Revolving Credit Facility”). As a part of the refinancing in the third quarter of 2024, the company amended the existing Revolving Credit Facility agreement which reduced the total borrowing capacity to $400 million and extended the maturity to 2029. In addition, the Company entered into a separate bilateral letter of credit facility and subsequently transferred all existing letters of credit to the new facility, eliminating the impact to the borrowing capacity of the Revolving Credit Facility. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had no outstanding borrowings on the Revolving Credit Facility and an available borrowing capacity of $400 million. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had no outstanding borrowings on the Revolving Credit Facility and $21 million of letters of credit related to the Revolving Credit Facility, resulting in an available borrowing capacity of $429 million. Any outstanding balance on the Revolving Credit Facility is recorded within “Notes payable and current maturities of long-term debt” in the condensed consolidated balance sheet.

Sylvamo North America LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, maintains a $110 million accounts receivable finance facility (the “Securitization Program”), maturing in 2027 as amended during the debt refinancing in the third quarter. The Company sells substantially all of its North American accounts receivable balances to Sylvamo Receivables, LLC, a special purpose entity, which pledges the receivables as collateral for the Securitization Program. The borrowing availability under this facility is limited by the balance of eligible receivables within the program. The average interest rate for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was 6.20%, and the average interest rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 5.92%.

In the first quarter of 2023, in connection with the tender offer and the consent solicitation related to the 2029 Senior Notes, the Company entered into a new senior secured term loan facility amendment which provided an aggregate principal amount of $300 million (“Term Loan A”). Term Loan A, together with $60 million borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility, were used to pay the total consideration for all notes tendered in the tender offer, plus accrued interest and all fees and expenses incurred in connection with the tender offer and consent solicitation. Upon close in the first quarter of 2023, $360 million aggregate principal of the notes were tendered, resulting in a debt extinguishment cost of $5 million, related to the write-off of debt issuance costs. This cost was recorded within “Interest expense (income), net.” As part of the refinancing in the third quarter of 2024, the agreement for Term Loan A was amended to extend the maturity date to 2029.

In the third quarter of 2024, as a result of the debt refinancing, the Company entered into a new senior secured term loan facility which provided an aggregate principal amount of $235 million (“Term Loan F-2”) maturing in 2031. A portion of the proceeds from Term Loan F-2 were used to repay $104 million of Term Loan F and $36 million of Term Loan A. The Company used the remaining proceeds to redeem the $90 million outstanding principal of our 2029 Senior Notes and to pay related premiums and fees. Debt extinguishment costs for the refinancing include $3 million of premiums paid related to the 2029 Senior Notes redemption and $2 million of deferred financing costs which were written off. This cost was recorded within “Interest expense (income), net.” In connection with the debt refinancing, we incurred $5 million of debt issuance costs to be amortized over each instrument’s term until maturity.

The interest rates applicable to the Term Loan F, Term Loan A and Revolving Credit Facility are based on a fluctuating rate of interest measured by reference to SOFR plus a fixed percentage of 1.85%, 1.85% and 1.85%, respectively, payable monthly, with a SOFR floor of 0.00%. Term Loan F-2 is based on a fluctuating rate of interest measured by reference to SOFR plus a fixed percent of 2.25%, payable monthly, with a SOFR floor of 0.00%. The obligations under the Term Loan F, Term Loan A, Term Loan F-2, and Revolving Credit Facility are secured by substantially all the tangible and intangible assets of Sylvamo and its subsidiaries, subject to certain exceptions, and are guaranteed by Sylvamo and certain subsidiaries.

We are receiving interest patronage credits under the Term Loan F and Term Loan F-2. Patronage distributions, which are made primarily in cash but also in equity in the lenders, are generally received in the first quarter of the year following that in which they were earned. Expected patronage credits are accrued in accounts and notes receivable as a reduction to interest expense in the period earned. After giving effect to expected patronage distributions of 90 basis points, of which 75 basis points is expected as a cash rebate, the effective net interest rate on the Term Loan F was approximately 5.80% and 6.31% as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, and the effective net interest rate on the Term Loan F-2 was approximately 6.20% as of September 30, 2024.

In connection with the Term Loan F, the Company was party to interest rate swaps with various counterparties with a notional amount of $200 million maturing in 2024 and $200 million maturing in 2026. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company received cash proceeds of $12 million from the unwind of four interest rate swaps maturing in 2024 with a total notional amount of $200 million. In addition, the Company liquidated the swaps maturing in 2026 with a notional amount of $200 million in the third quarter of 2023, receiving cash proceeds of $19 million. The related gains from all swap proceeds have been deferred within “Accumulated other comprehensive loss” in the condensed consolidated balance sheet and will be amortized into interest expense over the original contract term of the swaps, of which less than one year is remaining for the swaps originally maturing in 2024 and two years is remaining for the swaps originally maturing in 2026.

In the first quarter of 2023, the Company entered into four new interest rate swaps with various counterparties with a notional amount of $200 million, maturing in 2025. The interest rate swaps are designated as cash flow hedges, and are utilized to manage interest rate risk. The interest rate swaps allow for the Company to exchange the difference in the variable rates on Term Loan F determined in reference to SOFR and the fixed interest rate per notional amount ranging from 3.72% to 3.75%.

As of September 30, 2024 the fair value of the interest rate swaps related to Term Loan F was immaterial, and as of December 31, 2023 was an asset of $1 million recorded within “Deferred charges and other assets.”

In relation to Term Loan A, the Company is party to interest rate swaps with a current aggregate notional amount of $222 million that amortize each quarter and mature in 2028. These interest rate swaps allow for the Company to exchange the difference in the variable rates on Term Loan A determined in reference to SOFR and the fixed interest rate per notional amount ranging from 4.13% to 4.16%. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the fair value of these interest rate swaps resulted in a liability of $6 million and $5 million, recorded within “Other liabilities,” respectively.

As a result of the refinancing in the third quarter of 2024, the Company entered into five new interest rate swaps with various counterparties in connection with Term Loan F-2. The total current notional amount of these swaps is $235 million, which will amortize each quarter and mature in 2029. These interest rate swaps allow for the Company to exchange the difference in the variable rates on Term Loan F-2 determined in reference to SOFR and the fixed interest rate per notional amount ranging from 3.80% to 3.82%. As of September 30, 2024, the fair value of these interest rate swaps resulted in a liability of $5 million recorded within “Other liabilities,” respectively.

The Company is subject to certain covenants limiting, among other things, the ability of most of its subsidiaries to: (a) incur additional indebtedness or issue certain preferred shares; (b) pay dividends on or make distributions in respect of the Company’s or its subsidiaries’ capital stock or make investments or other restricted payments; (c) create restrictions on the ability of the Company’s restricted subsidiaries to pay dividends to the Company or make certain other intercompany transfers;

(d) sell certain assets; (e) create liens; (f) consolidate, merge, sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; and (g) enter into certain transactions with its affiliates. The Company is currently subject to a maximum consolidated total leverage ratio of 3.75 to 1.00.

The limit on restricted payments that we may make prior to the resolution of the Brazil Tax Dispute is $60 million if our pro-forma consolidated leverage ratio is less than 2.50 to 1.00 and greater than or equal to 2.00 to 1.00, or $90 million if the pro-forma consolidated leverage ratio is less than 2.00 to 1.00. However, limitations imposed on restricted payments are eliminated prior to the final settlement of the Brazil Tax Dispute if (i) we deposit $120 million in an account subject to the control of the administrative agent under our credit agreement, or (ii) we deposit $60 million in such an account and maintain $225 million of available liquidity at the time we make restricted payments. The funds deposited in the account would be used to pay the Company’s share of the settlement of the Brazil Tax Dispute, with any excess funds returned to us if our portion of any final settlement amount is less than the amount on deposit. In 2023, the Company deposited $60 million in an account subject to the control of the administrative agent. Therefore, our ability to make restricted payments under the credit agreement is governed by the provisions in the credit agreement in effect as if the Brazil Tax Dispute is settled, if at the time of any restricted payments we maintain $225 million of available liquidity.

As of September 30, 2024, we were in compliance with our debt covenants.