Century Global Commodities
Corporation (“
Century” or the
“
Company”) today announced it has made a binding
offer (the “
Offer to Purchase”) to WISCO Canada
ADI Resources Development & Investment Limited (“
WISCO
ADI”), a 23.5% shareholder of Century, to purchase WISCO
ADI’s joint venture interests in Century’s Attikamagen and Sunny
Lake iron ore projects (the “
Joint Venture
Interests”) in exchange for net cash consideration of
$1.17 million. The Company has submitted the Offer to Purchase the
Joint Venture Interests through the facilities of the Shanghai
United Assets and Equity Exchanges (the “
Shanghai United
Exchange”). WISCO ADI listed the Joint Venture Assets on
the Shanghai United Exchange in June 2020. Century’s Offer to
Purchase remains subject to WISCO ADI’s acceptance.
The Proposed
Transaction
The Joint Venture Interests include WISCO ADI’s
interests in the Attikamagen and Sunny Lake joint venture
agreements which include the following:
- a 40% interest
in Labec Century Iron Ore Inc. (“Labec Century”),
the joint venture company for Century’s Attikamagen property,
- a 40% interest
in WISCO Century Sunny Lake Iron Mines Limited
(“Century Sunny Lake”), the legal
trustee of Century’s Sunny Lake Project, and
- a 18.9%
interest in the Sunny Lake Project.
If accepted, Century anticipates that the Joint
Venture Interests (the “Transaction”) would be
acquired pursuant to a transfer agreement to be entered into
between Century and WISCO ADI following WISCO ADI’s acceptance of
the Offer to Purchase (the “Acquisition
Agreement”). It is anticipated that the Acquisition
Agreement would provide for (i) the transfer of all of WISCO ADI’s
shares in Labec Century and Century Sunny Lake to a subsidiary of
Century, (ii) the assignment of a shareholder loan receivable to
the Century subsidiary, and (iii) the assumption of a shareholder
loan payable obligation of WISCO ADI by the Century subsidiary. In
addition, the shareholder and joint venture agreements between
Century and WISCO ADI, and their respective affiliates, for the
Attikamagen and Sunny Lake iron projects would be terminated on
closing. As consideration for the above, Century will pay to WISCO
ADI cash in the amount of $1.17 million in cash.
If Century’s Offer to Purchase is accepted,
Century anticipates that Transaction would be completed in November
2020.
If the Offer to Purchase is accepted and the
Transaction completes, WISCO ADI will have no equity ownership in
either Labec Century, the Attikamagen project, Century Sunny Lake
or the Sunny Lake project, all of which will be 100% owned by
Century on a consolidated basis. WISCO ADI will continue to
own its approximate 23.5% equity interest in Century which will not
be impacted by the completion of the Transaction. In
addition, WISCO ADI will not have any funding obligations payable
to either Labec Century or Century Sunny Lake, and neither Labec
Century nor Century Sunny Lake will owe any funds to WISCO ADI.
WISCO ADI is presently the owner of 23,197,768
common shares of the Company, representing 23.5% of the issued and
outstanding shares of Century, and will continue to hold this
position both before and after completion of the Transaction.
Approval of the Transaction
The Offer to Purchase the Joint Venture
Interests from WISCO ADI was approved by the board of directors of
Century (the “Century Board”) at a meeting held on
October 12, 2020. The nominees of WISCO ADI on the Century Board
did not attend this meeting due to the interest of WISCO ADI in the
transaction and, accordingly, did not participate in the approval
of the transaction.
At the meeting, the Century Board received the
report of Century’s management that included an assessment of the
value of the Joint Venture Interests to be acquired and the
consideration to be paid to WISCO ADI should an agreement be
concluded. Century’s management evaluated the transaction and
concluded that the value of the consideration to be paid to WISCO
ADI, including the cash of $1.17 million, is approximately $2.6
million (the “Consideration Value”). The
Consideration Value accounts for the cash to be paid by Century to
WISCO ADI and the value of a shareholder loan obligation of WISCO
ADI to be assumed by Century with offsets to account for (i) the
increase to the consolidated cash to Century resulting from the
acquisition of Labec Century, (ii) the offset of the WISCO ADI
shareholder loan receivable against the WISCO ADI shareholder loan
payable, and (iii) the 40% interest of WISCO ADI in the shareholder
loan payable.
Century has also received the conditional
approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) to
the completion of the Transaction, subject to the Company meeting
the requirements of the TSX. As the Company is a non-exempt issuer
under the policies of the TSX and the Consideration Value is in
excess of 10% of the Company’s current market capitalization, the
TSX has required the Company to obtain the approval of a majority
of the Company’s disinterested shareholders for the Transaction
pursuant to section 501(c) of the TSX Company Manual. In
determining the majority of disinterested shareholders, the
23,197,768 common shares of the Company held by WISCO ADI is not
included in this calculation of majority approval. This approval
has been obtained by Century through the delivery of written
consent of shareholders holding a majority of Century’s outstanding
shares, exclusive of the common shares held by WISCO ADI. As the
position of WISCO ADI in Century will be same both before and after
the completion of the Transaction, as outlined above, there will
not be an effect on the control of Century resulting from the
completion of the Transaction.
As the Consideration Value is less than 25% of
Century’s current market capitalization, Century will rely on the
exemption from the formal valuation and minority approval
requirements under Multi-lateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of
Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions.
Sandy Chim, CEO of Century commented: “We are
very pleased with the transaction, which will consolidate 100%
interests of our joint ventures with our strategic partner, Baowu,
to allow Century the full flexibility to advance our iron projects
particularly our flag ship Joyce Lake at a time when the iron ore
market has been performing very well for a couple of years.
And Baowu will remain as a strategic partner holding approximately
23.5% of the Company.”
About Century
Century Global Commodities Corporation (TSX:CNT)
has established a large portfolio of iron ore projects with
extensive resources in Canada and has other metals and non-metals
operations as follows.
Iron Ore
With Baowu and Minmetals, both Global Fortune
500 companies, as Chinese strategic partners, Century owns one of
the largest iron ore mineral resource bases in the world, across
five projects in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador. Joyce Lake,
a direct shipping ore project in Newfoundland and Labrador, is our
most advanced project. It has completed feasibility and permitting
studies and can be brought to production within approximately 30
months. We are maintaining our properties ready for advancement
after a return to sustained higher iron ore prices.
Quality Food Services
Century has established a professional marketing
team and built a distribution system of quality food products
sourced from advanced countries to serve the Hong Kong market.
For further information please
contact:
Sandy Chim, President & CEO
Century Global Commodities Corporation
416-977-3188
IR@centuryglobal.ca
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING
INFORMATION
THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS “FORWARD-LOOKING
INFORMATION” WITHIN THE MEANING OF CANADIAN SECURITIES LEGISLATION.
THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE
REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF CENTURY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS
RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION INCLUDES INFORMATION THAT RELATES TO,
AMONG OTHER THINGS, CENTURY’S INTENTION TO COMPLETE THE WISCO ADI
ACQUISITION TRANSACTIONS. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION IS BASED ON,
AMONG OTHER THINGS, OPINIONS, ASSUMPTIONS, ESTIMATES AND ANALYSES
THAT, WHILE CONSIDERED REASONABLE BY CENTURY AT THE DATE THE
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED, ARE INHERENTLY SUBJECT TO
SIGNIFICANT RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER FACTORS
THAT MAY CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS AND EVENTS TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT
FROM THOSE EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION.
THE RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES, CONTINGENCIES AND OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY
CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE EXPRESSED OR
IMPLIED BY THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT
LIMITED TO, RISKS GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH CENTURY’S BUSINESS, AS
DESCRIBED IN CENTURY’S ANNUAL INFORMATION FORM FOR THE YEAR ENDED
MARCH 31, 2020. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON
FORWARDLOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS
INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE CENTURY MAY ELECT TO, IT
DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR
TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.
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