Chrysler Fiat-U.S. Reaches Deal With Chrysler Banks, Person Says

By John Hughes

April 28 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. has reached agreement with banks on terms to reduce debt of Chrysler LLC, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

The banks’ representatives agreed to forgo $6.9 billion in debt in return for $2 billion in cash, said the person, who declined to be identified discussing the private talks. The deal is one of the steps Chrysler needed to avoid a bankruptcy after April 30.

Bankruptcy remains a possibility for Chrysler, the person said. All 46 banks involved need to ratify the terms, and it isn’t likely that all would, the person said. In that case, a quick, surgical type of bankruptcy may be needed to bring any dissenting banks into an agreement, the person said.

Chrysler, operating with $4 billion in U.S. loans, faces an April 30 deadline to restructure its costs or risk losing government support.

Shawn Morgan, a Chrysler spokeswoman, declined to comment.