Nitrogenmuvek in Last-Ditch Talks to Avert Default on Euro Bond

An ammonia tank at the Nitrogenmuvek Zrt. fertilizer plant in Petfurdo, Hungary.

Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg
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Nitrogenmuvek, Hungary’s cash-strapped fertilizer maker, is locked in “very active” negotiations with creditors to extend the maturity of a €200 million ($222 million) bond that’s due in a day, Chief Strategy Officer Zoltan Bige said.

While Nitrogenmuvek paid its last coupon this week, it’s not in a position to repay the principal, Bige told Bloomberg News in an interview on Tuesday. Some of the company’s financial constraints can be blamed on a discriminatory and “unmanageable” Hungarian tax it’s contesting in court, he said.