§ 1488.2 - Definition of terms.

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As used in this subpart A and in the forms and documents related thereto, the following terms shall have the meanings assigned to them in this section:

Account receivable means the contractual obligation of the foreign importer to the exporter for the port value of the commodity delivered for which the exporter is extending credit to the importer. The account receivable shall be evidenced by documents, in form and substance satisfactory to CCC, establishing the contractual obligation between the U.S. exporter and the foreign importer. The account receivable shall provide for (1) payment of principal and interest in U.S. dollars in the United States, (2) interest in accordance with § 1488.14, and (3) acceleration of payment thereunder in accordance with these regulations.

Agency or branch bank means an agency or branch of a foreign bank, supervised by New York State banking authorities or the banking authorities of any other State providing similar supervision, and approved by the Controller, CCC.

Assistant Sales Manager means the Assistant Sales Manager, Commercial Export Programs, Office of the General Sales Manager.

Bank obligation means an obligation, acceptable to CCC, of a U.S. bank, a foreign bank, an agency or branch bank, to pay to CCC in U.S. dollars the amount of the account receivable, plus interest in accordance with § 1488.14. The bank obligation shall be in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit issued by a U.S. bank or a branch bank, or confirmed or advised by a U.S. bank or any agency or branch bank in accordance with § 1488.12. The bank obligation shall provide for payment under the terms and conditions of the financing agreement and shall be payable not later than the date of expiration of the financing period or of the bank obligation, whichever occurs first, if payment is not received from other sources.

CCC means the Commodity Credit Corporation, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Carrying charges means storage, insurance, and interest charges involved in the cost of storing the commodity before delivery as provided for in the sales contract, and other incidental costs as may be approved by the Assistant Sales Manager.

Commercial risk means risk of loss due to any cause other than specified as noncommercial risk in paragraph (u) of this section.

Date of delivery means the on-board date of the ocean bill of lading, or the date of an airway bill, or, if exported by rail or truck, the date of entry shown on an authenticated landing certificate or similar document issued by an official of the government of the importing country. If delivery is before export, the date of delivery means (1) the date(s) of the warehouse receipt(s), or other evidence acceptable to CCC, covering the commodity in a warehouse acceptable to CCC, or (2) the onboard carrier (truck, rail car or lash or seabee barge) date of a through bill of lading covering commodities in a container or a lash or seabee barge at a U.S. inland or coastal point.

Date of sale means the earliest date the exporter has knowledge that a contractual obligation exists with the foreign buyer under which a firm dollar and cent price has been established or a mechanism to establish the price has been agreed upon.

Delivery means the delivery required by the export sale contract to transfer to the importer full or conditional title to the agricultural commodity. Delivery before export may be (1) in a warehouse in the United States acceptable to CCC by issuance or transfer of the warehouse receipt to the importer, or (2) f.a.s. or f.o.b. U.S. inland or coastal loading point, if the commodity is loaded in a container on a truck or rail car, or in a lash or seabee barge for shipment to a point of export under a through bill of lading. Delivery at point of export shall be f.a.s. or f.o.b. export carrier at U.S. ports, at U.S. airports, at U.S. border points of exit or, if transshipped through Canada, at ports on the Great Lakes or the St. Lawrence River.

Eligible commodities means agricultural commodities, including eligible cotton, produced in the United States and designated as eligible for export under CCC's Export Credit Sales Program in a USDA announcement. Commodities which have been purchased from CCC are eligible for export as private stocks. Exports of commodities pursuant to any CCC barter contract, Pub. L. 480 or AID agreement, or direct loan by the Export-Import Bank are not eligible for financing under this program. Commodities delivered prior to CCC receiving the sale registration request in accordance with § 1488.4 are not eligible for financing under this program unless such financing is determined by the Vice President, CCC, or the Assistant Sales Manager, to be in the interest of CCC.

Eligible cotton means Upland and Extra Long staple cotton grown in the United States: Provided, however, That reginned or repacked cotton, as defined in regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the U.S. Cotton Standards Act (7 CFR 28.40), by-products of cotton such as cotton mill waste, motes, and linters, and any cotton that contains any by-products of cotton are not eligible for export financing hereunder. CCC's determination as to the eligibility of cotton shall be final.

Eligible destination means the country which is named in the financing agreement and which meets the licensing requirements of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Eligible exporter or exporter means a person (1) who is engaged in the business of buying or selling commodities and for this purpose maintains a bona fide business office in the United States, its territories or possessions, and has someone on whom service of judicial process may be had within the United States, (2) who is financially responsible, and (3) who is not suspended or debarred from contracting with or participating in any program financed by CCC on the date of issuance of the financing approval.

OGSM means the Office of the General Sales Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Financing agreement means the exporter's request for a sale registration as approved by the Assistant Sales Manager, including the terms and conditions of the regulations in effect on the date of approval.

Financing period means the number of months over which repayment is to be made. Such period shall start on the date of delivery or the weighted average delivery date of the commodities to be exported under the financing agreement, and shall expire on the expiration of the bank obligation or the specified period over which repayment is to be made, whichever occurs first.

Foreign bank means a bank which is not a U.S. bank or an agency or branch bank, and includes a foreign branch of a U.S. bank.

Foreign importer or importer means the foreign buyer who purchases the commodities to be exported under a financing agreement and executes the documents evidencing the account receivable assigned to CCC.

GSM-5 means the regulations contained in this subpart A, and supplements thereto, setting forth the terms and conditions governing the CCC Export Credit Sales Program.

Noncommercial risk means risk of loss due to (1) inability of the foreign bank through no fault of its own to convert foreign currency to dollars, or (2) non-delivery into the eligible destination of the commodity covered by a financing agreement through no fault of the foreign bank or importer or exporter because of the cancellation by the government of the eligible destination of previously issued valid authority to import such shipment into the eligible destination or because of the imposition of any law or of any order, decree, or regulation having the force of law, which prevents the import of such shipment into the eligible destination, or (3) inability of the foreign bank to make payment due to war, hostilities, civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, civil commotion, or other like disturbance occurring in the eligible destination, expropriation, or confiscation, or other like action by the government of the eligible destination country, or (4) failure of the foreign bank to make payment for any reason if it is an instrumentality of or is wholly owned by the foreign government.

Port value means the net amount of the exporter's sales price of the commodity to be exported under the financing agreement, (1) basis f.a.s. or f.o.b. export carrier at U.S. ports, at U.S. border points of exit, at U.S. airports if shipped by air, or, if transshipped through Canada at ports on the Great Lakes, or on the St. Lawrence River, or (2) basis U.S. warehouse for commodities delivered to such warehouse before export, or (3) basis f.a.s. or f.o.b. U.S. inland or coastal loading point for commodities delivered before export under through bill of lading. The port value shall not include ocean freight for a c. & f. sale or ocean freight and marine and war risk insurance for a c.i.f. sale but may include carrying charges as provided for in the sales contract. The net amount of the exporter's sales price means the exporter's contract price for the commodities, on the basis stated above, less any payments made to the exporter and less any discounts, credits, or allowances by the exporter.

Sale means a contract to sell on credit U.S. agricultural commodities to be financed under GSM-5.

United States means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

U.S. bank means a bank organized under the laws of the United States, a State, or the District of Columbia.

USDA announcement means an announcement published monthly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and which includes the list of eligible commodities and interest rates under GSM-5.

Vice President, CCC means the Vice President who is the General Sales Manager, Office of the General Sales Manager.