(a) Benefit—(1) In general. In the case of a loan guarantee, a benefit exists to the extent that the total amount a firm pays for the loan with the government-provided guarantee is less than the total amount the firm would pay for a comparable commercial loan that the firm could actually obtain on the market absent the government-provided guarantee, including any difference in guarantee fees. See section 771(5)(E)(iii) of the Act. The Secretary will select a comparable commercial loan in accordance with §351.505(a).

(2) Government acting as owner. In situations where a government, acting as the owner of a firm, provides a loan guarantee to that firm, the guarantee does not confer a benefit if the respondent provides evidence demonstrating that it is normal commercial practice in the country in question for shareholders to provide guarantees to their firms under similar circumstances and on comparable terms.

(b) Time of receipt of benefit. In the case of a loan guarantee, the Secretary normally will consider a benefit as having been received in the year in which the firm otherwise would have had to make a payment on the comparable commercial loan.

(c) Allocation of benefit to a particular time period. In allocating the benefit from a government-provided loan guarantee to a particular time period, the Secretary will use the methods set forth in §351.505(c) regarding loans.