1 E X E C U T I O N C O P Y EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT THIS EIGHTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT (this "Amendment"), dated as of February 24, 1997, is by and between KAISER ALUMINUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the "Parent Guarantor"), the various financial institutions that are or may from time to time become parties to the Credit Agreement referred to below (collectively, the "Lenders" and, individually, a "Lender"), and BANKAMERICA BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., a Delaware corporation, as agent (in such capacity, together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, the "Agent") for the Lenders. Capitalized terms used, but not defined, herein shall have the meanings given to such terms in the Credit Agreement, as amended hereby. W I T N E S S E T H: WHEREAS, the Company, the Parent Guarantor, the Lenders and the Agent are parties to the Credit Agreement, dated as of February 15, 1994, as amended by the First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of July 21, 1994, the Second Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of March 10, 1995, the Third Amendment to Credit Agreement and Acknowledgement, dated as of July 20, 1995, the Fourth Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated as of October 17, 1995, the Fifth Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of December 11, 1995, the Sixth Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of October 1, 1996 and the Seventh Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of December 17, 1996 (the "Credit Agreement"); and WHEREAS, the parties hereto have agreed to amend the Credit Agreement as herein provided; NOW, THEREFORE, the parties hereto agree as follows: Section 1. Amendment to Credit Agreement. A. Section 9.2.4 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by amending clause (b) thereof to read in its entirety as follows: "(b) Interest Coverage Ratio. The Company shall not permit the Interest Coverage Ratio (i) for the one Fiscal Quarter period ending March 31, 1996 to be less than 1.1 to 1.0, (ii) for the two Fiscal Quarter period ending June 30, 1996 to be less than 1.2 to 1.0, (iii) 1 2 for the three Fiscal Quarter period ending September 30, 1996 to be less than 0.5 to 1.0, (iv) for the four Fiscal Quarter period ending December 31, 1996 to be less than 0.3 to 1.0, (v) for the one Fiscal Quarter period ending June 30, 1997 to be less than 0.2 to 1.0, (vi) for the two Fiscal Quarter period ending September 30, 1997 to be less than 0.4 to 1.0, (vii) for the three Fiscal Quarter period ending December 31, 1997 to be less than 0.6 to 1.0 and (viii) for the four Fiscal Quarter period ending on the last day of each of the Fiscal Quarters set forth below to be less than the correlative ratio indicated: Date Ratio ---- ----- First Fiscal Quarter of 1998 0.8 to 1.0 Second Fiscal Quarter of 1998 1.2 to 1.0 Third Fiscal Quarter of 1998 1.6 to 1.0 Fourth Fiscal Quarter of 1998 2.0 to 1.0 and each Fiscal Quarter thereafter" Section 2. Conditions to Effectiveness. This Amendment shall become effective as of the date hereof only when the following conditions shall have been satisfied and notice thereof shall have been given by the Agent to the Parent Guarantor, the Company and each Lender (the date of satisfaction of such conditions and the giving of such notice being referred to herein as the "Eighth Amendment Effective Date"): A. The Agent shall have received for each Lender counterparts hereof duly executed on behalf of the Parent Guarantor, the Company, the Agent and the Required Lenders (or notice of the approval of this Amendment by the Required Lenders satisfactory to the Agent shall have been received by the Agent). B. The Agent shall have received: (1) Resolutions of the Board of Directors or of the Executive Committee of the Company and the Parent Guarantor approving and authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Amendment, certified by its corporate secretary or an assistant secretary as being in full force and effect without modification or amendment as of the date of execution hereof by the Company or the Parent Guarantor, as the case may be; (2) A signature and incumbency certificate of the officers of the Company and the Parent Guarantor executing this Amendment; (3) For each Lender an opinion, addressed to the Agent and each Lender, from Kramer, Levin, Naftalis, Nessen, Kamin & Frankel, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent; and 2 3 (4) Such other information approvals, opinions, documents, or instruments as the Agent may reasonably request. Section 3. Company's Representations and Warranties. In order to induce the Lenders and the Agent to enter into this Amendment and to amend the Credit Agreement in the manner provided herein, the Parent Guarantor and the Company represent and warrant to each Lender and the Agent that, as of the Eighth Amendment Effective Date after giving effect to the effectiveness of this Amendment, the following statements are true and correct in all material respects: A. Authorization of Agreements. The execution and delivery of this Amendment by the Company and the Parent Guarantor and the performance of the Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment (the "Amended Agreement") by the Company and the Parent Guarantor are within such Obligor's corporate powers and have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and the Parent Guarantor, as the case may be. B. No Conflict. The execution and delivery by the Company and the Parent Guarantor of this Amendment and the performance by the Company and the Parent Guarantor of the Amended Agreement do not: (1) contravene such Obligor's Organic Documents; (2) contravene the Senior Indenture, the New Senior Indenture, the Additional New Senior Indentures or the Subordinated Indenture or contravene any other contractual restriction where such a contravention has a reasonable possibility of having a Materially Adverse Effect or contravene any law or governmental regulation or court decree or order binding on or affecting such Obligor or any of its Subsidiaries; or (3) result in, or require the creation or imposition of, any Lien on any of such Obligor's properties or any of the properties of any Subsidiary of such Obligor, other than pursuant to the Loan Documents. C. Binding Obligation. This Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Parent Guarantor and this Amendment and the Amended Agreement constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Company and the Parent Guarantor, enforceable against the Company and the Parent Guarantor in accordance with their respective terms, except as may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or similar laws relating to or limiting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity. 3 4 D. Governmental Approval, Regulation, etc. No authorization or approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing with, any governmental authority or regulatory body or any other Person is required for the due execution, delivery or performance of this Amendment by the Company or the Parent Guarantor. E. Incorporation of Representations and Warranties from Credit Agreement. Each of the statements set forth in Section 7.2.1 of the Credit Agreement is true and correct. Section 4. Acknowledgement and Consent. The Company is a party to the Company Collateral Documents, in each case as amended through the date hereof, pursuant to which the Company has created Liens in favor of the Agent on certain Collateral to secure the Obligations. The Parent Guarantor is a party to the Parent Collateral Documents, in each case as amended through the date hereof, pursuant to which the Parent Guarantor has created Liens in favor of the Agent on certain Collateral and pledged certain Collateral to the Agent to secure the Obligations of the Parent Guarantor. Certain Subsidiaries of the Company are parties to the Subsidiary Guaranty and/or one or more of the Subsidiary Collateral Documents, in each case as amended through the date hereof, pursuant to which such Subsidiaries have (i) guarantied the Obligations and/or (ii) created Liens in favor of the Agent on certain Collateral. The Company, the Parent Guarantor and such Subsidiaries are collectively referred to herein as the "Credit Support Parties", and the Company Collateral Documents, the Parent Collateral Documents, the Subsidiary Guaranty and the Subsidiary Collateral Documents are collectively referred to herein as the "Credit Support Documents". Each Credit Support Party hereby acknowledges that it has reviewed the terms and provisions of the Credit Agreement as amended by this Amendment and consents to the amendment of the Credit Agreement effected as of the date hereof pursuant to this Amendment. Each Credit Support Party acknowledges and agrees that any of the Credit Support Documents to which it is a party or otherwise bound shall continue in full force and effect. Each Credit Support Party hereby confirms that each Credit Support Document to which it is a party or otherwise bound and all Collateral encumbered thereby will continue to guaranty or secure, as the case may be, the payment and performance of all obligations guaranteed or secured thereby, as the case may be. Each Credit Support Party (other than the Company and the Parent Guarantor) acknowledges and agrees that (i) notwithstanding the conditions to effectiveness set forth in this Amendment, such Credit Support Party is not required by the terms of the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document to consent to the amendments to the Credit Agreement effected pursuant to this Amendment and (ii) nothing in the Credit Agreement, this 4 5 Amendment or any other Loan Document shall be deemed to require the consent of such Credit Support Party to any future amendments to the Credit Agreement. Section 5. Miscellaneous. A. Reference to and Effect on the Credit Agreement and the Other Loan Documents. (1) On and after the Eighth Amendment Effective Date, each reference in the Credit Agreement to "this Agreement", "hereunder", "hereof", "herein" or words of like import referring to the Credit Agreement, and each reference in the other Loan Documents to the "Credit Agreement", "thereunder", "thereof" or words of like import referring to the Credit Agreement shall mean and be a reference to the Amended Agreement. (2) Except as specifically set forth herein, the terms, provisions and conditions of the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain in full force and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed. B. Applicable Law. THIS AMENDMENT SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE A CONTRACT MADE UNDER AND GOVERNED BY THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT GIVING EFFECT TO SUCH LAWS RELATING TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS. C. Headings. The various headings of this Amendment are inserted for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Amendment or any provision hereof. D. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed by the parties hereto in several counterparts and by the different parties on separate counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original and all of which shall constitute together but one and the same instrument; signature pages may be detached from multiple separate counterparts and attached to a single counterpart so that all signature pages are physically attached to the same document. E. Severability. Any provision of this Amendment which is prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such provision and such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions of this Amendment or affecting the validity or enforceability of such provisions in any other jurisdiction. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amendment has been duly executed and delivered as of the day and year first above written. 5 6 KAISER ALUMINUM CORPORATION KAISER ALUMINUM & CHEMICAL CORPORATION By: By: ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer BANKAMERICA BUSINESS CREDIT, BANKAMERICA BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., as Agent INC. By: By: ----------------------------- ------------------------------ Name: Michael J. Jasaitis Name: Michael J. Jasaitis Its: Vice President Its: Vice President BANK OF AMERICA NATIONAL TRUST THE CIT GROUP/BUSINESS AND SAVINGS ASSOCIATION CREDIT, INC. By: By: ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Name Printed: Name Printed: ------------------- ------------------- Its: Its: ---------------------------- ----------------------------- CONGRESS FINANCIAL CORPORATION HELLER FINANCIAL, INC. (WESTERN) By: By: ----------------------------- ----------------------------- Name Printed: Name Printed: ------------------- ------------------- Its: Its: ---------------------------- --------------------------- LA SALLE NATIONAL BANK NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK PLC By: By: ----------------------------- --------------------------- Name Printed: Name Printed: ------------------- ------------------ Its: Its: ---------------------------- --------------------------- 6 7 TRANSAMERICA BUSINESS CREDIT ABN AMRO BANK N.V. CORPORATION By: By: ----------------------------- ---------------------------- Name Printed: Name Printed: ------------------- ------------------ Its: Its: ---------------------------- --------------------------- By: ---------------------------- Name Printed: ------------------ Its: --------------------------- ACKNOWLEDGED AND AGREED TO: AKRON HOLDING CORPORATION KAISER ALUMINUM & CHEMICAL INVESTMENT, INC. By: By: ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer KAISER ALUMINUM PROPERTIES, KAISER ALUMINUM TECHNICAL INC. SERVICES, INC. By: By: ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer OXNARD FORGE DIE COMPANY, INC. KAISER ALUMINUM INTERNATIONAL, INC. By: By: ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer KAISER ALUMINA AUSTRALIA KAISER FINANCE CORPORATION CORPORATION By: By: ------------------------------ ----------------------------- Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer 7 8 ALPART JAMAICA INC. KAISER JAMAICA CORPORATION By: By: ------------------------------- ----------------------------- Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer KAISER BAUXITE COMPANY KAISER EXPORT COMPANY By: By: ------------------------------- ----------------------------- Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer KAISER MICROMILL HOLDINGS, LLC KAISER SIERRA MICROMILLS, LLC By: By: ------------------------------- ------------------------------ Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Treasurer of Kaiser Aluminum Its: Treasurer & Chemical Corporation KAISER TEXAS SIERRA MICROMILLS, KAISER TEXAS MICROMILL LLC HOLDINGS, LLC By: By: ------------------------------- ------------------------------ Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Name Printed: Karen A. Twitchell Its: Treasurer Its: Treasurer 8