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Note 35 - Nationalization of Venezuelan subsidiaries
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Note 35 - Nationalization of Venezuelan subsidiaries  
Note 35 - Nationalization of Venezuelan subsidiaries

35      Nationalization of Venezuelan subsidiaries

  

Following the nationalization by the Venezuelan government of the Company’s interests in its majority-owned subsidiaries TAVSA - Tubos de Acero de Venezuela S.A. (“Tavsa”) and Matesi Materiales Siderúrgicos S.A (“Matesi”) and in Complejo Siderúrgico de Guayana, C.A (“Comsigua”), the Company 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 and obtained favorable awards, which are final and not subject to further appeals.

   

Matesi

   

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 and 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 $173.0 million (including $0.2 million of legal fees), payable in full and net of any applicable Venezuelan tax, duty or charge.


On June 8, 2018, Tenaris and Talta filed an action in federal court in the District of Columbia to recognize and enforce the award in the United States. On July 17, 2020, the court entered judgment recognizing the Matesi award. The judgment orders Venezuela to pay to Tenaris and Talta an amount of $256.4 million, including principal and post-award interest through the judgment date, and provides for post-judgment interest to accrue on this sum at the U.S. federal statutory rate.

    
Tavsa and Comsigua

  

On December 12, 2016, the tribunal issued its award upholding Tenaris’s and Talta’s claim and granted compensation in the amount of $137.0 million and ordered Venezuela to pay an additional amount of $76.0 million in pre-award interest and 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.


On June 8, 2018, Tenaris and Talta filed an action in federal court in the District of Columbia to recognize and enforce the award in the United States. On March 29, 2021, the court granted Tenaris’s and Talta’s request to recognize the Tavsa award and on August 24, 2021, the court entered judgment in favor of Tenaris and Talta and against Venezuela in the amount of $276.9 million, with post-judgment interest accruing from the date of judgment at the federal statutory post-judgment interest rate. On November 5, 2021, the court, in response to a motion by Tenaris and Talta, amended the judgment amount to $280.7 million, with post-judgment interest continuing to accrue from August 24, 2021, at the federal statutory post-judgment interest rate.

       

Transfer of the Awards and Judgements

        

On January 25, 2023, Tenaris and Talta entered into an awards purchase agreement with an unaffiliated purchaser pursuant to which Tenaris and Talta agreed to sell all of their rights, title and interests in the above-referenced claims, awards and judgements, including all post-award or post-judgement interest accruing on the awards and judgements, for a purchase price of $81 million, plus a non-refundable signing payment of $1 million as reimbursement of expenses.

   

After the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control approved the transfer of the awards and judgements to the purchaser, the transfer was consummated on September 7, 2023. As a result, the Company collected $82 million in the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company does not maintain any residual interest in these awards and judgements. The net result derived from this operation amounted to $33.3 million.