Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Related Party Transactions

v3.7.0.1
Related Party Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Company owns a 60% controlling interest in a joint venture formed with Swire, which is a related party. The joint venture arrangement involves Transition Services Agreements ("TSAs") with Swire, under which Swire provides administrative and information technology services to the joint venture. The Company continues to reduce its costs under the TSAs as it internalizes the back-office functions and related personnel, and is transitioning the joint venture's systems to the Company's platform. The joint venture incurred service fees, valued under the TSAs at Swire's cost, of $516,000 and $853,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. These fees are included in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. In addition, the joint venture pays Swire sourcing fees related to the purchase of certain inventory. These sourcing fees are capitalized into inventories and charged to cost of sales as the inventories are sold. The Company incurred sourcing fees of $1,000 and $51,000, for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
In 2014, both the Company and Swire funded long-term loans to the joint venture. The Company's loan has been eliminated in consolidation, while the Swire loan is reflected as note payable to related party in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2017 and 2016 and December 31, 2016. The note with Swire, in the principal amount of RMB 97,600,000 (US $14,171,000 at March 31, 2017), matures on December 31, 2018 and bears interest at a fixed annual rate of 7%. Interest expense related to this note was $249,000 and $264,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
As of March 31, 2017 and 2016, and December 31, 2016, net payables to Swire for service fees, interest expense and miscellaneous expenses totaled $1,139,000, $1,870,000 and $707,000, respectively, and were included in accounts payable in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
In addition to the transactions described above, Swire is also a third-party distributor of the Company's brands in certain regions outside of mainland China and purchases products from the Company under the Company's normal third-party distributor terms and pricing.