Samarco rebuffs creditors on resumption of debt talks

Samarco Mineracao has rejected creditors’ formal request to resume talks to restructure its defaulted debt, signaling heightened risks for bond holders, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation.

The Brazilian iron-ore venture between BHP and Vale said it has yet to firm up its business plan. And without that, the company argues that it will be at a disadvantage if it were to resume talks that have been put on hold for almost a year on its $2.9-billion in defaulted debt, the people said.