US Court To Hear Argentine Debt Injunction Appeal On April 13

A U.S. appeals court will hold a hearing on April 13 to analyze the possible lifting of injunctions that have restricted Argentina from paying off some of its debts, according to an order issued by the court late on Friday.

On Thursday, the U.S. government asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to uphold the lifting of the injunctions, given the country's efforts to settle litigation over bonds in default since 2002.

The brief was filed following a visit to Argentina by U.S. President Barack Obama, who praised the pace of reforms taken by President Mauricio Macri, the country's new center-right leader.

Argentina's previous leader Cristina Fernandez had a chilly relationship with Washington and refused to negotiate with U.S.-based creditors suing Argentina over its 2002 debt default.

The date of the appeal court hearing is one day before the April 14 deadline established for Argentina to deliver a $4.65 billion payout to key "holdout" creditors, as agreed in a February deal that could allow the country to return to international debt markets after almost 15 years.

If the country issues fresh debt in the international bond market, the finance ministry will insist on paying an interest rate of no more than 8.5 percent, official news agency Telam reported, citing unnamed government sources.

Finance Minister Alfonso Prat Gay plans to issue up to $15 billion in bonds to pay Argentina's settlement with creditors and finance other government operations, the Telam report said.

Macri inherited an economy with high inflation, scant central bank reserves and wide deficits. Prat Gay would go on a road show to New York, London and other financial centers to sell the upcoming issuance to investors long put off by Fernandez's interventionist policies, Telam said.