AIIB eyes first USD bond issuance as early as June

BEIJING - The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said Saturday that it may issue its first US dollar-denominated bond as soon as the end of June this year.

Soren Elbech, treasurer of the Beijing-based multilateral development bank, said in a statement that the earliest issuance window will be "toward the end of the first half of 2018," with time required for certain procedures, including the Board of Governors' approval of AIIB's 2017 financial statements as well as borrowing and swap documentation.

Elbech said the minimum size of the issuance will be $1 billion, but as demand for the first bond issue from a triple-A multilateral institution in 25 years may be large, "we anticipate having to issue a larger size."

In terms of maturity of the bond, Elbech said the choice will be between three and five years depending on investor demand at the time.

He said the bank plans to cap its total borrowing volume at $3 billion in 2018.

The AIIB has received three top-notch ratings from the global credit rating agencies S&P Global Ratings, Moody's and Fitch in recognition of the bank's strong capital base and stable outlook.

With 84 members so far, the bank was officially established in December 2015 and opened for business in January 2016.

It prioritizes investment in energy, power generation, transport, rural infrastructure, environmental protection and logistics in Asia.