Document:

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                                                                    EXHIBIT 4.17

                                                                 [CITIBANK LOGO]

     Citibank, N.A.

     Citibank Tower
     Citibank Plaza
     3 Garden Road
     Central, Hong Kong

     G.P.O. Box 14 Hong Kong
     Tel:  852/2868 8888

                            Corporate Banking Group
February 1, 2001

Global-Tech Appliances Inc.
12/th/ Floor, Kin Teck Industrial Building,
26 Wong Clink Hang Road,
Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Attn:   Mr. John Sham - President and CEO
        ---------------------------------

Dear Mr. Sham,

Re:     Banking Facility Letter
        -----------------------

We are pleased to advise renewal of a HKD50,000,000.00 (HKD FIFTY Million only)
Short Term Trade to Global-Tech Appliances Group subject to terms and conditions
outlined below:

Lender             :     Citibank, N.A. Hong Kong Branch ("the Bank")

Borrowers          :     Pentalpha Hong Kong Limited ("the Borrowers") Wing
                         Shing Products (BVI) Co Ltd

Guarantors         :     Global-Tech Appliances Inc. ("the Guarantor")

Facility           :     HKD50,000,000.00 (HKD FIFTY Million only) Short Term
                         Trade Facility with the following sublimits:

                         i)   HKD50,000,000.00 full sublimit for issuance of
                              Letters of Credit ("L/C"); up to 90 days Trust
                              Receipt Loans for purchases under L/C and Export
                              Bills Negotiation to cater for sales under L/C;

                         ii)  HKD30,000,000.00 sublimit for up to 90 days import
                              invoice financing to cater for open account
                              purchases;

                         iii) HKD2,000,000.00 sublimit for short term money
                              market loan and overdraft;

                         iv)  USD500,000.00 (USD FIVE Hundred Thousand only)
                              Pre-settlement risk* facility for booking of
                              foreign exchange contracts. Maximum tenor of FX
                              contracts: 360 days.

                              *The pre-settlement limit is calculated by the
                              Bank and differs for each transaction depending on
                              the nature and tenor of the contract.
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Pricing  :   a)  L/C issuance

                     1/4 % on first USD50,000.00
                     1/16 % on balance,
                     Minimum HKD450.00

                     Organised under the laws of U.S.A. with limited liability
<PAGE>

                                                                 [CITIBANK LOGO]
Global-Tech Facility Letter
February, 2001

             b)  TR loan/ Invoice financing/ Export Bills Negotiation/ Short
                 Term Money Market Loan

                 For HKD drawing:  HKD Prime or 2% p.a. over 1, 2 or 3-month
                                   HKD Hibor or Citibank HKD cost of funds,
                                   whichever is higher
                 For USD drawing:  USD Prime or 2% p.a. over 1, 2 or 3-month
                                   USD Libor or Citibank USD cost of funds,
                                   whichever is higher

             c)  Overdraft

                 For HKD drawing:  HKD Prime +1%
                 For USD drawing:  USD Prime + 1%

Documentation to be obtained:
-----------------------------

1)   Acceptance of this Facility Letter together with its terms and
     conditions.
2)   Board Resolution from Borrowers and Guarantor validating acceptance of
     the facility together with the terms and conditions as outlined herein.

Documentation obtained:
-----------------------

1)   Continuing Guaranty / Letter of Set-Off dated 4/7/2000 for HKD50,000,000.00
     from Global-Tech Appliances Inc. in support of Pentalpha Hong Kong Limited
     and Wing Shing Products (BVI) Co Ltd.
2)   Board Resolution dated 4/7/2000 from Global-Tech Appliances Inc. validating
     Continuing Guaranty / Letter of Set-Off dated 4/7/2000 for HKD50,000,000.00
     trade facility extended to Pentalpha Hong Kong Limited and Wing Shing
     Products (BVI) Co Ltd.
3)   Advance Agreement/ General Letter of Hypothecation/ Set-Off dated 4/7/2000
     from Pentalpha Hong Kong Limited.
4)   Advance Agreement/ General Letter of Hypothecation/ Set-Off dated 4/7/2000
     from Wing Shing Products (BVI) Co Ltd.
5)   Continuing Agreement for Letters of Credit dated 4/7/2000 from Pentalpha
     Hong Kong Limited.
6)   Continuing Agreement for Letters of Credit dated 4/7/2000 from Wing Shing
     Products (BVI) Co Ltd.
7)   Export Bills Agreement dated 4/7/2000 from Pentalpha Hong Kong Limited.
8)   Export Bills Agreement dated 4/7/2000 from Wing Shing Products (BVI) Co
     Ltd.

It is our customary practice that we reserve the overriding right to modify or
cancel the aforesaid credit facility and their terms and conditions anytime at
our discretion without prior notice. Under normal circumstances, however, we
will review the credit facility on a periodic basis. Kindly indicate your
acceptance of the above terms and conditions by signing and returning the
duplicate copy of this letter at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for banking with Citibank, N.A. and we look forward to building a
close relationship in the years ahead. Please feel free to contact us should you
have any questions regarding our wide spectrum of services.

Yours sincerely,

/s/  Alvin Mak

Alvin Mak
Vice President
Local Corporate Division Head

                                       2
<PAGE>

                                                                 [CITIBANK LOGO]
Global-Tech Facility Letter
February, 2001

The above Terms and Conditions are Agreed and Accepted by:

For and on behalf of                           For and on behalf of
GLOBAL-TECH APPLIANCES INC.                    PENTALPHA HONG KONG LIMITED

 /s/ John C.K. Sham                            /s/ John C.K. Sham
-------------------------------------------   ---------------------------------
Global-Tech Appliances Inc. (Guarantor)       Pentalpha Hong Kong Limited
                                              (Borrower)

For and on behalf of
Wing Shing Products (BVI) Company Ltd.

/s/ John C.K. Sham
-------------------------------------------
Wing Shing Products (BVI) Co Ltd (Borrower)

                                       3<PAGE>

                                                                     Exhibit 4.1

    Number                                                    Shares
  PRU                             [GRAPHIC]

   Common Stock                                             Common Stock
INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE              THIS CERTIFICATE IS TRANSFERABLE
       STATE OF NEW JERSEY                             IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK,
                                                      JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY,
                                                     AND CANTON, MASSACHUSETTS
                                                        -------------------
    PAR VALUE OF $.01      Prudential Financial, Inc.    CUSIP 744320 10 2
                                                        -------------------

      This certifies that
                                                             SEE REVERSE FOR
                                                         CERTAIN DEFINITIONS

      is the owner of

          FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF THE COMMON STOCK OF

Prudential Financial, Inc. transferable on the records of the corporation in
person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate
properly endorsed. This certificate is not valid unless countersigned and
registered by the Transfer Agent and Registrar.
        Witness the facsimile seal of said corporation and the facsimile
signatures of its duly authorized officers.

COUNTERSIGNED AND REGISTERED                                 DATED:
EQUISERVE TRUST COMPANY, N.A. TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
BY

 /s/ Stephen Cesso          /s/ Susan S. Blount        /s/ Arthur F. Ryan
      AUTHORIZED OFFICER            SECRETARY             CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
                                                     AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

                                    [SEAL]

<PAGE>

                          Prudential Financial, Inc.

The Corporation will furnish without charge to each shareholder who so requests
a statement of the designations, relative rights, preferences and limitations of
the shares of each class and series of stock of the Corporation authorized to be
issued and of the authority of the board of directors of the Corporation to
divide the shares into classes or series and to determine and change the
relative rights, preferences and limitations of any class or series of stock of
the Corporation. Such request may be made to the transfer agent.

The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this
certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:

<TABLE>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                                           <C>
TEN COM - as tenants in common                UNIF TRAN MIN ACT - ...................Custodian....................
                                                                         (Cust)                     (Minor)

TEN ENT - as tenants by the entireties                           under Uniform Transfers to Minors
                                                                 Act.................
                                                                        (State)
JT TEN  - as joint tenants with right of
          survivorship and not as             UNIF GIFT MIN ACT - ...................Custodian....................
          tenants in common                                              (Cust)                     (Minor)
                                                                  under Uniform Gifts to Minors
                                                                  Act.................
                                                                         (State)

                        Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For value received,........................hereby sell, assign and transfer unto

PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
--------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

<TABLE>

<S>                                         <C>
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
      PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________Shares

of the Common Stock represented by the within Certificate and do hereby irrevocably constitute
and appoint ___________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________Attorney
to transfer the said stock on the books of the within-named Corporation with full power of
substitution in the premises.

                                            Dated:_____________________________________________

                                            X
                                            ---------------------------------------------------

                                            X
                                            ---------------------------------------------------
                                            THE SIGNATURE(S) MUST BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE
                                            GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS
                                            AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH
                                            MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE
                                            MEDALLION PROGRAM) PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.
</TABLE>

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain Rights
as set forth in a Rights Agreement between Prudential Financial, Inc. and
EquiServe Trust Company, N.A., dated as of November 1, 2001 (the "Rights
Agreement"), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and
a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of
Prudential Financial, Inc. Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, such Rights will be evidenced by separate certificates and
will no longer be evidenced by this certificate. Prudential Financial, Inc. will
mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement without
charge after receipt of a written request therefor. Under certain circumstances
set forth in the Rights Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any Person who
is, was or becomes an Acquiring Person or any Affiliate or Associate thereof (as
such terms are defined in the Rights Agreement) or one of certain transferees
thereof, whether currently held by or on behalf of such Person or by any
subsequent holder, may be limited as provided in the Rights Agreement.

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