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Policy
for UMC Conversion Sale Program
Sales of Shares in ADS Form by Eligible Common Share Holders
The purpose of the Conversion Sale Program (the "Program")
contemplated by this Policy for UMC Conversion Sale Program
(this "Policy") is to facilitate the potential sales
of common shares of United Microelectronics Corporation ("UMC"
or the "Company"), par value NT$10 per share ("Common
Shares"), in American Depositary Share ("ADS")
form by interested non-affiliate, non-management and non-employee
holders of Common Shares in a coordinated fashion. The Program
permits conversion of Common Shares to ADSs for the purpose
of sale only and holders of Common Shares will not be allowed
to convert Common Shares into ADSs for the purpose of holding
the ADSs. The terms of each sale in a Sale Period (as defined
below) under the Program (a "Sale") will be further
specified in the terms and conditions of the Sales, and a
Sale will be subject to the approval by the board of directors
of UMC. In addition, certain ROC and U.S. regulatory and stock
exchange approvals will be required for a Sale under the Program.
The Program will be reviewed and may be revised from time
to time if changes are deemed necessary or beneficial by the
board of directors of UMC. In addition, this Policy may be
revised and the Program may be suspended or terminated at
any time solely at the discretion of UMC.
1.
Eligibility of Selling Shareholders
Holders of Common
Shares who are interested in a Sale ("Selling Shareholders")
shall satisfy the following eligibility requirements.
Minimum
number of shares held
The minimum number
of Common Shares which are held by any Selling Shareholder
and eligible for Sale shall not be less than 0.04% of the
total outstanding Common Shares as of the relevant Announcement
Date (as defined below).
Minimum
holding period
The Selling Shareholder
has owned the Common Shares offered for Sale under the Program
for a minimum period of one year prior to the relevant Announcement
Date.
Status
of shareholder
The Selling Shareholder
must not be an affiliate (as defined under U.S. securities
laws) of UMC. In addition, UMC's management and employees
are prohibited from participating in the Program.
2.
Terms of Sales
Manner
of sale
All Sales will
be made in a manner not requiring registration under the U.S.
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").
UMC reserves the right to suspend
the Program in the event UMC is considering, among other things,
raising funds in the international markets or in the event
of an affiliate sale.
Frequency
of sale
UMC does not expect
to facilitate Sales more than once in any calendar quarter
(a "Sale Period").
Number
of shares to be sold during each Sale Period
Eligible shareholders
interested in participating in the Program are required to
sell a minimum of 0.04% of outstanding Common Shares.
UMC plans to facilitate
the sale of Common Shares in the form of ADSs in an aggregate
amount of not more than 0.6% of the total outstanding Common
Shares during any Sale Period as of the relevant Announcement
Date, provided that UMC may determine to increase such aggregate
amount of Common Shares during a Sale Period to an amount
not exceeding 1.0% of the total outstanding Common Shares
as of the relevant Announcement Date.
All ADSs to be
sold shall be allocated pro rata to all eligible Selling Shareholders
based on their respective indicated numbers of Common Shares
for prospective Sales, which indicated numbers of Common Shares
for each eligible selling shareholder shall in no event exceed
the aggregate amount of Common Shares to be sold in a Sale
Period.
Sale
price and number of shares sold during each Sale Period
All Sales must
be made through the designated trade facilitator (the "Trade
Facilitator") under the Program (which will be an internationally
recognized investment bank). None of the Selling Shareholders
has any obligation to sell any Common Shares until and unless
he/she/it has executed a sale agreement with the Trade Facilitator.
In addition, before Selling Shareholders are required to make
a commitment to sell in a particular Sale, a minimum price
(the "Minimum Price") in U.S. dollars will be specified,
and the Trade Facilitator agrees not to sell Common Shares
below the Minimum Price in that Sale. The actual number of
Common Shares to be disposed of by the Selling Shareholder
in each Sale, and the price at which each such Sale will be
made, will be subject to market conditions.
3.
Application and Other Procedural Requirements
For each Sale,
UMC will announce the deadline for application prior to UMC's
Board of Directors meeting to approve the applications and
the Company's sponsorship of ADRs issuance as part of such
Program ("Announcement Date"). An eligible Selling
Shareholder interested in participating in a Sale will be
required to submit on or prior to the relevant application
deadline an application for sale under this Program together
with all necessary documentation certifying his/her/its eligibility
(as more fully described in the application form which will
be made available on the Announcement Date). The designated
administrative agent for the Program shall verify shareholder
eligibility on behalf of the Trade Facilitator after all of
the applications have been received and will notify Selling
Shareholders of their allocation of ADSs to be available for
Sale.
4.
Designation of Agents and Counsel
UMC will designate
a local ROC brokerage firm to act as administrative agent
to handle the administrative aspects of the Program and verify
the allocated Shares available for Sale, a U.S. law firm and
a ROC law firm to advise UMC on legal aspects of the Program,
an agent or agents to act as the depositary, escrow agent,
custodian and paying agent and an internationally recognized
investment bank to act as the Trade Facilitator to execute
the Sales on behalf of the Selling Shareholders.
5.
Fees, Expenses, Taxes & Commissions
All fees and expenses
incurred by UMC, agents and advisors for the Program and the
internationally recognized investment bank acting as Trade
Facilitator in connection with the Program will be borne pro
rata by the Selling Shareholders who participate in the Program.
In addition, each Selling shareholder shall be responsible
for all taxes and commissions associated with the Sale of
his/her/its shares under the Program.
6.
Oversite
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, UMC reserves the right not to assist any Selling
Shareholder with any prospective Sale or to withdraw its assistance
at any time during the process if such Sale is deemed to not
be in compliance with the terms of the Program or applicable
law.
7.
Disclaimer
UMC does not recommend
or promote the sale of UMC shares in ADS form by the Selling
Shareholders. Any Sale under the Program is subject to UMC
and the Selling Shareholders obtaining all ROC and U.S. regulatory
and stock exchange approvals, including, but not limited to,
the approvals of the ROC Securities and Futures Commission,
the Central Bank of China and the New York Stock Exchange.
Policy
for UMC Conversion Sale Program FAQs
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