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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Summary of Risk Factors
An investment in our ordinary shares is subject to a number of risks, including risks related to our business and industry, risks related to our corporate structure, risks related to doing business in China and risks related to our ordinary shares. You should carefully consider all of the information in this Report before making an investment in the ordinary shares. The following list summarizes some, but not all, of these risks. Please read the information in this section for a more thorough description of these and other risks.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
For more detailed discussions of the following risks, see Risk FactorsRisks Related to our Business and Industry on pages 19 through 25.
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| Our subsidiaries business operations are cash intensive, and our subsidiaries business could be adversely affected if we fail to maintain sufficient levels of liquidity and working capital; |
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| We grant relatively long payment terms for accounts receivable which can adversely affect our cash flow; |
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| Our subsidiaries face short lead-times for delivery of products to customers. Failure to meet delivery deadlines could result in the loss of customers and damage to our reputation and goodwill; |
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| Our subsidiaries face intense competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively, we may not be able to maintain profitability; |
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| Our revenues are highly dependent on a limited number of customers and the loss of any one of our subsidiaries major customers could materially and adversely affect our growth and revenues; |
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| As our subsidiaries expand their operations, they may need to establish a more diverse supplier network for raw materials. The failure to secure a more diverse supplier network could have an adverse effect on our financial condition; |
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| To remain competitive, our subsidiaries are introducing new lines of business, including the production and sale of electric industrial heavy equipment. If these efforts are not successful, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected; |
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| New lines of business, including the production and sale of electric industrial heavy equipment, may subject us and our subsidiaries to additional risks; |
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| Volatile steel prices can cause significant fluctuations in our operating results. Our revenues and operating income could decrease if steel prices increase or if our subsidiaries are unable to pass price increases on to their customers; and |
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| We are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may affect our subsidiaries ability to procure raw materials. |
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Risks Related to Doing Business in China
For more detailed discussions of the following risks, see Risk FactorsRisks Related to Doing Business in China on pages 26 through 35.
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| Changes in Chinas economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations; |
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| Uncertainties arising from the legal system in China, including uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and the possibility that regulations and rules can change quickly with little advance notice, could hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities, result in a material adverse change to our business operations, and damage our reputation, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and cause our securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Doing Business in ChinaThe PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. If the Chinese government significantly regulates the business operations of our PRC subsidiaries in the future and our PRC subsidiaries are not able to substantially comply with such regulations, our business operations may be materially adversely affected and the value of our ordinary shares may significantly decrease and Risk FactorsRisks Related to Doing Business in ChinaUncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us and our PRC subsidiaries; |
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| The Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers. Any actions by the Chinese government to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Doing Business in ChinaThe PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. If the Chinese government significantly regulates the business operations of our PRC subsidiaries in the future and our PRC subsidiaries are not able to substantially comply with such regulations, our business operations may be materially adversely affected and the value of our ordinary shares may significantly decrease; |
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| Our future offerings will need to be filed with the CSRC, along with compliance with any other applicable PRC rules, policies and regulations, in connection with any future offering of our securities. Any failure to filing, or delay in filing, or failure to complying with any other applicable PRC requirements for an offering, may subject us to sanctions imposed by the relevant PRC regulatory authority. In addition, if applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change such that we are required to obtain approval in the future and we fail to obtain such approvals, we may be subject to an investigation by competent regulators, fines or penalties, or an order prohibiting us from conducting an offering, and these risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our ordinary shares, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, or cause such securities to significantly decline in value or become worthless. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Doing Business in ChinaWe are required under PRC laws to submit filings to CSRC for our future offerings. However, we believe that we are not currently required to obtain the approval and/or comply with other requirements of the CSRC, the CAC, or other PRC governmental authorities under PRC rules, regulations or policies in connection with our continued listing on Nasdaq. In the event that any such approval is required or that there are other requirements we are obligated to comply with, we cannot predict whether or how soon we will be able to obtain such approvals and/or comply with such requirements. and Risk FactorsRisks Related to Doing Business in ChinaWe may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by our customers and any failure to comply with PRC laws and regulations over data security could result in materially adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and our continued listing on Nasdaq; |
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| Our subsidiaries may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by their customers and any failure to comply with PRC laws and regulations over data security could result in materially adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and our continued listing on Nasdaq; |
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| You may have difficulty enforcing judgments against us; |
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| Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a Resident Enterprise of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders; |
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| PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investments in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from our future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries; |
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| We may rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs, and any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct business; |
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| Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment; |
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| U.S. regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations in China; and |
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| Our securities may be delisted and prohibited from being traded under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditor in the future. Any future delisting and cessation of trading of our securities, or the threat of their being delisted and prohibited from being traded, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, any inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of our auditor in the future would deprive our investors of the benefits of such inspections. See Risk FactorsRisks Related to Doing Business in ChinaOur ordinary shares may be delisted and prohibited from being traded under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors. The delisting and the cessation of trading of our ordinary shares, or the treat of their being delisted and prohibited from being traded, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, any inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections deprives our investors with the benefits of such inspections. |
Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares
For more detailed discussions of the following risks, see Risk FactorsRisks Related to Our Ordinary Shares on pages 36 through 37.
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| Future sales of our ordinary shares, whether by us or our shareholders, could cause the price of our ordinary shares to decline; |
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| Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on the price appreciation of our ordinary shares for return on your investment; and |
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| Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of our ordinary shares. |
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Risks Related to our Business and Industry
Our subsidiaries business operations are cash intensive, and our subsidiaries business could be adversely affected if we fail to maintain sufficient levels of liquidity and working capital.
As of JuneSeptember 30, 2024, we had approximately $17.1263 million of cash and cash equivalents. Historically, we have spent a significant amount of cash on our operational activities, principally to procure raw materials for our subsidiaries products. Our short-term loans are from Chinese banks and are generally secured by a portion of our fixed assets, land use rights and/or guarantees by related parties. Certain of these loans are secured against a portion of the shares of our PRC subsidiaries. The term of a majority of such loans is one year. Historically, we rolled over such loans on an annual basis. However, we may not have sufficient funds available to pay all of our borrowings upon maturity in the future. Failure to roll over our short-term borrowings at maturity or to service our debt could result in a transfer of the ownership of a portion of the shares of our PRC subsidiaries to secured lenders, the imposition of penalties, including increases in interest rates, legal actions against us by our creditors, and even insolvency.
Although we have been able to maintain adequate working capital primarily through cash from operations and short-term and long-term borrowings, any failure by our customers to settle outstanding accounts receivable, or our inability to borrow sufficient capital from local banks in the future could materially and adversely affect our cash flow, financial condition and results of operations.
We grant relatively long payment terms for accounts receivable which can adversely affect our cash flow.
As is customary in China, for competitive reasons, we grant relatively long payment terms to most of our subsidiaries customers. The allowances we establish for our receivables may not be adequate. We are subject to the risk that we may be unable to collect accounts receivable in a timely manner. If the accounts receivable cannot be collected in time, or at all, a significant amount of expected credit losses will occur, and our business, financial condition and results of operation will likely be materially and adversely affected.
Our subsidiaries face short lead-times for delivery of products to customers. Failure to meet delivery deadlines could result in the loss of customers and damage to our reputation and goodwill.
Most of our subsidiaries customers are large manufacturers, who generally place large orders for our subsidiaries products and require prompt delivery. Our subsidiaries product sale agreements typically contain short lead-times for the delivery of products and tight production and manufacturer supply schedules that can reduce our profit margins on the products procured from our subsidiaries suppliers. Our subsidiaries suppliers may lack sufficient capacity at any given time to meet all of the demands from our subsidiaries customers if orders exceed their production capacity. Our subsidiaries strive for rapid response to customer demands, which can lead to reduced purchasing efficiency, increased procurement costs and low profit margins. If our subsidiaries are unable to meet the customer demands, they may lose customers. Moreover, failure to meet customer demands may damage our reputation and goodwill.
Our subsidiaries face intense competition, and, if our subsidiaries are unable to compete effectively, we may not be able to maintain profitability.
Our subsidiaries compete with many other companies located in the PRC and internationally that manufacture similar products. Many of our subsidiaries competitors are larger companies with greater financial resources. Intense competition in a challenging economic environment in the PRC has, in the past, put pressure on our margins and may adversely affect our future financial performance. Moreover, intense competition may result in potential or actual litigation between our subsidiaries and their competitors relating to such activities as competitive sales practices, relationships with key suppliers and customers or other matters.
It is likely that our subsidiaries competitors will seek to develop similar competing products in the near future. Some of our subsidiaries competitors may have more resources than our subsidiaries do, operate in greater scale, be more capitalized than our subsidiaries are, have access to cheaper raw materials than our subsidiaries do, or offer products at a more competitive price. There can be no assurance that our initial competitive advantage will be retained and that one or more competitors will not develop products that are equal or superior in quality and are better priced than our subsidiaries products. If our subsidiaries are unable to compete effectively, our results of operations and financial position may be materially and adversely affected.
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Our revenues are highly dependent on a limited number of customers and the loss of any one of our subsidiaries major customers could materially and adversely affect our growth and revenues.
During the sixnine months ended JuneSeptember 30, 2024 and 2023, our subsidiaries five largest customers contributed 41.6001% and 48.107.73% of our revenues, respectively. For the sixnine months ended JuneSeptember 30, 2024 and 2023, Greenlands single largest customer, Hangcha Group, accounted for 14.763.81% and 16.5914%, respectively, of Greenlands total revenue, and Greenlands second largest customer, Longgong Forklift Truck, accounted for 11.862.55% and 10.711.39%, respectively, of Greenlands total revenue. As a result of our subsidiaries reliance on a limited number of customers, our subsidiaries may face pricing and other competitive pressures, which may have a material adverse effect on our profits and our revenues. The volume of products sold for specific customers varies from year to year, especially since our subsidiaries are not the exclusive provider for any customers. In addition, there are a number of factors that could cause the loss of a customer or a substantial reduction in the products that our subsidiaries provide to any customer that may not be predictable. For example, our subsidiaries customers may decide to reduce spending on our subsidiaries products or a customer may no longer need our subsidiaries products following the completion of a project. The loss of any one of our subsidiaries major customers, a decrease in the volume of sales to our subsidiaries customers or a decrease in the price at which our subsidiaries sell their products to customers could materially adversely affected our profits and revenues.
In addition, this customer concentration may subject our subsidiaries to perceived or actual leverage that our subsidiaries customers may have in negotiations, given their relative size and importance to our subsidiaries. If our subsidiaries customers seek to negotiate their agreements on terms less favorable to our subsidiaries and our subsidiaries accept such terms, such unfavorable terms may have a material adverse effect on our subsidiaries business and our financial condition and results of operations. Accordingly, unless and until our subsidiaries diversify and expand their customer base, our future success will significantly depend upon the timing and volume of business from our subsidiaries largest customers and the financial and operational success of these customers.
As our subsidiaries expand their operations, they may need to establish a more diverse supplier network for raw materials. The failure to secure a more diverse supplier network could have an adverse effect on our financial condition.
In the event that our subsidiaries need to diversify their supplier network, our subsidiaries may not be able to procure a sufficient supply of raw materials at a competitive price, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Furthermore, despite our subsidiaries efforts to control their supply of raw materials and maintain good relationships with their existing suppliers, our subsidiaries could lose one or more of their existing suppliers at any time. The loss of one or more key suppliers could increase our subsidiaries reliance on higher cost or lower quality supplies, which could negative affect our profitability. Any interruptions to, or decline in, the amount or quality of our subsidiaries raw materials supply could materially disrupt our subsidiaries production and adversely affect our subsidiaries business and our financial condition and financial prospects.
To remain competitive, our subsidiaries have introduced new lines of business, including the production and sale of electric industrial heavy equipment. If these efforts are not successful, our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
Prior to December 2020, through Zhongchai Holding and its PRC subsidiaries, our products mainly included transmission systems and integrated powertrains for material handling machineries, particularly for electric forklift trucks. In December 2020, through HEVI, we launched a new division to focus on the production and sale of electric industrial heavy equipmenta division that Greenland intends to develop to diversify its product offerings. HEVIs electric industrial heavy equipment products currently include GEF-series electric forklifts, a series of lithium powered forklifts with three models ranging in size from 1.8 tons to 3.5 tons, GEL-1800, a 1.8 ton rated load lithium powered electric wheeled front loader, GEX-8000, an all-electric 8.0 ton rated load lithium powered wheeled excavator, and GEL-5000, an all-electric 5.0 ton rated load lithium wheeled front loader. HEVI also introduced mobile DC battery chargers to support a growing market of EV applications requiring DC charging capabilities in the North America market. These products are available for purchase in the U.S. market. In August 2022, HEVI launched a 54,000 square foot industrial electric vehicle assembly site in Baltimore, Maryland to support local services, assembly and distribution of its electric industrial heavy equipment product line. In July 2024, HEVI announced a partnership with Lonking Holdings Limited to develop and distribute heavy electric machinery and related technology specialized for the US.S. market. In August 2024, HEVI launched its H55L all-electric wheeled front-end loader, which can lift up to six tons in indoor and outdoor applications without the mess and emissions of diesel, and the H65L all-electric wheeled front-end loader, the largest lithium battery powered electric wheel loader commercially available in North America.
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There are risks in connection with this new line of business. HEVI may experience difficulties in the development and launch of electric industrial heavy equipment, and HEVIs products may not be well-accepted by the market. As we have limited experience in the electric industrial heavy equipment business, our efforts in developing such business may not succeed and we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to cover our investment and become profitable. During such process, our results of operations and financial conditions may not be improved in a timely manner, or at all. We cannot assure you that we will successfully transition our business focus and it is possible that we remain in such transition period for an extended period of time. During such period, our revenue may be very limited and we may continue to experience material and adverse effects to our results of operations, financial condition and business prospects.
New lines of business, including the production and sale of electric industrial heavy equipment, may subject us and our subsidiaries to additional risks.
From time to time, we may implement new lines of business or offer new products within our subsidiaries existing lines of business. Currently, we plan to offer additional models of electric industrial heavy equipment through HEVI. As such, we face significant challenges, uncertainties and risks, including, among others, with respect to our subsidiaries ability to:
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| build a well-recognized and respected brand; |
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| establish and expand our customer base; |
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| improve and maintain our operational efficiency for new lines of business; |
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| maintain a reliable, secure, high-performance and scalable technology infrastructure for our new lines of business; |
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| anticipate and adapt to changing market conditions, including technological development and changes in competitive landscape; |
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| navigate an evolving and complex regulatory environment, such as licensing and compliance requirements; and |
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| manage the resources and attention of management between our current core business and new lines of business. |
Moreover, there can be no assurance that the introduction and development of new lines of business or new products and services would not encounter significant difficulties or delay or would achieve the profitability as we expect. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new products or services could have a material adverse effect on our subsidiaries business and our results of operations and prospects. For example, HEVI may experience difficulties in developing and launching additional models of electric industrial heavy equipment, or may not be able to develop them at reasonable costs. Due to HEVIs limited experience with electric industrial heavy equipment, HEVI also face challenges and uncertainties relating to the possibility of success of this new business.
As our subsidiaries enter into new business sectors, our subsidiaries are also subject to competition from such industries. There can be no assurance that our subsidiaries will be able to compete effectively with respect to their new businesses. If our subsidiaries fail to establish their strengths or maintain their competitiveness in those industries, our business prospects, results of operations and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected.
Volatile steel prices can cause significant fluctuations in our operating results. Our revenues and operating income could decrease if steel prices increase or if our subsidiaries are unable to pass price increases on to their customers.
Our subsidiaries principal raw materials are processed metal parts and components which are made of carburizing steel. The steel industry as a whole is cyclical and, at times, pricing and availability of steel can be volatile due to numerous factors beyond our subsidiaries control, including general domestic and international economic conditions, labor costs, sales levels, competition, levels of inventory, consolidation of steel producers, higher raw material costs for steel producers, import duties and tariffs and currency exchange rates. This volatility can significantly affect the availability and cost of raw materials.
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Our subsidiaries suppliers, like many other processed metal parts and components manufacturers, maintain substantial inventories of steel to accommodate the short lead times and just-in-time delivery requirements of customers. Accordingly, our subsidiaries suppliers purchase steel in an effort to maintain their inventory at levels that they believe to be appropriate to satisfy the anticipated needs of customers based upon historic buying practices, supply agreements with customers and market conditions. When steel prices increase, competitive conditions will influence how much of the price increase suppliers would pass on to our subsidiaries and how much our subsidiaries can pass on to their customers. To the extent our subsidiaries are unable to pass on future price increases in raw materials to their customers, the revenues and profitability of our business could be adversely affected.
We are subject to various risks and uncertainties that might affect our subsidiaries ability to procure raw materials.
Our performance depends upon our subsidiaries ability to procure low cost, high quality raw materials on a timely basis from their suppliers. Our subsidiaries suppliers are subject to certain risks, including the availability of raw materials, labor disputes, inclement weather, natural disasters, and general economic and political conditions, which might limit the ability of our subsidiaries suppliers to provide low cost, high quality merchandise on a timely basis. Furthermore, for these or other reasons, one or more of our subsidiaries suppliers might not adhere to our subsidiaries quality control standards, and our subsidiaries might not identify the deficiency. Any failure by our subsidiaries suppliers to supply quality materials at a reasonable cost on a timely basis could reduce our net sales or profits, damage our reputation and have an adverse effect on our financial condition.
Our subsidiaries may lose their competitive advantage, and their operations may suffer, if we fail to prevent the loss or misappropriation of, or disputes over, their intellectual property.
Our subsidiaries rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, trade secrets and confidentiality agreements to protect their intellectual property rights. While our subsidiaries are not currently aware of any infringement on their intellectual property rights, our subsidiaries ability to compete successfully and to achieve future revenue growth will depend, in significant part, on their ability to protect their proprietary technology. Despite many laws and regulations promulgated, as well as other efforts made, by China over the past several years in an attempt to protect intellectual property rights, intellectual property rights are not as certain in China as they would be in many Western countries, including the United States. Furthermore, enforcement of such laws and regulations in China has not been fully developed. Neither the administrative agencies nor the court systems in China are as equipped as their counterparts in developed countries to deal with violations or handle the nuances and complexities between compliant technological innovation and non-compliant infringement.
Our subsidiaries transmission technology is protected through a combination of patents, trade secrets, confidentiality agreements and other methods. However, our subsidiaries competitors may independently develop similar proprietary methodologies or duplicate our products, or develop alternatives, which could have a material adverse effect on our subsidiaries business and our results of operations and financial condition. The misappropriation or duplication of our subsidiaries intellectual property could disrupt their ongoing business, distract our management and employees, reduce our revenues and increase our expenses. Our subsidiaries may need to litigate to enforce their intellectual property rights. Any such litigation could be time consuming and costly and the outcome of any such litigation cannot be guaranteed.
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Our PRC subsidiaries have limited insurance coverage for their operations in China and may incur losses resulting from product liability claims, business interruption or natural disasters.
HEVI, an operating subsidiary of ours in the U.S., maintains commercial general liability insurance for its business operations. However, our PRC subsidiaries have limited insurance coverage for their operations in China, and our PRC subsidiaries are therefore exposed to risks associated with product liability claims against our PRC subsidiaries or otherwise against their operations in the PRC in the event that the use of our PRC subsidiaries products results in property damage or personal injury. Since our subsidiaries transmission products are ultimately incorporated into forklifts, it is possible that users of forklifts or people installing these products could be injured or killed, whether as a result of defects, improper installation or other causes. We are unable to predict whether product liability claims will be brought against our PRC subsidiaries in the future or to predict the impact of any resulting adverse publicity on our PRC subsidiaries business. The successful assertion of product liability claims against our PRC subsidiaries could result in potentially significant monetary damages and require us to make significant payments. Our subsidiaries do not carry product liability insurance and may not have adequate resources to satisfy a judgment in the event of a successful claim against us. In addition, our subsidiaries do not currently, and may not in the future, maintain business interruption insurance coverage. As such, our subsidiaries may suffer losses that result from interruptions in their operations as a result of inability to operate or failures of equipment and infrastructure at our subsidiaries facilities. Our subsidiaries also do not currently maintain catastrophe insurance. As such, any natural disaster or man-made disaster could result in substantial losses and diversion of our subsidiaries resources to address the effects of such an occurrence, which could materially and adversely affect our subsidiaries business and our financial condition and results of operations.
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Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.
Our PRC subsidiaries are required under PRC laws to participate in various government sponsored employee benefit plans, including social security insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payments, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of their employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where our PRC subsidiaries operate their businesses. Our PRC subsidiaries have not made adequate employee benefit payments to the social security insurance and the housing fund. As a result, they may be required to make up the contributions for these plans within a stipulated period of time. In addition, our PRC subsidiaries may be required to pay late fees equal to 0.05% of the shortage of the contributions to the social security fund for each day our PRC subsidiaries fail to make up the contributions and may be imposed fines up to three times of such shortage if our PRC subsidiaries fail to make up the difference within the time frame prescribed by relevant government authorities. The maximum amount of such penalties that we anticipate could be imposed on our PRC subsidiaries with respect such employee benefits payments is approximately US$200,000. If our PRC subsidiaries are subject to late fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected. As of the date of this Report, our PRC subsidiaries have not been ordered to pay outstanding contributions or related penalties.
If labor costs in the PRC increase substantially, our PRC subsidiaries business and our costs of operations may be adversely affected.
In recent years, the Chinese economy has experienced inflation and labor cost increases. Average wages are projected to continue to increase. Further, under PRC law an employer is required to pay various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing funds, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of its employees. The relevant government agencies may examine whether an employer has made adequate payments to the statutory employee benefits, and those employers who fail to make adequate payments may be subject to late payment fees, fines and/or other penalties. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will continue to increase based on the past trends. If we are unable to control our labor costs or pass such increased labor costs on to our subsidiaries customers, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected and could continue to adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has continued to spread across the world and has created unique global and industry-wide challenges. COVID-19 has resulted in quarantines, travel restrictions, and the temporary closure of offices and facilities in China and many other countries. New COVID-19 variants have also emerged, potentially extending the period during which COVID-19 will negatively impact the global economy.
Since 2021, a few waves of COVID-19 infections emerged in various regions of China, and in response, the Chinese government implemented certain anti-COVID measures and protocols. Chinese industries have gradually resumed businesses as the Chinese government lifted its COVID-19 protocols and measures since December 2022. The COVID-19 pandemic has not resulted in significant impact on our operations for the six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.
However, the potential downturn brought by, and the duration of, the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult to assess or predict, and any associated negative impact on us will depend on many factors beyond our control. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacts our future results remains uncertain, and we are closely monitoring its impact on us. Our subsidiaries business and our results of operations, financial conditions and prospects could be adversely affected directly, as well as indirectly, to the extent that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic harms the Chinese and global economy in general.
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We may not be able to effectively protect our intellectual property from unauthorized use by others.
Through its subsidiaries, we hold patents, trademarks and other intellectual properties that are critical to our business in the PRC. Any of our intellectual property rights could be challenged, invalidated, circumvented or misappropriated, or such intellectual property may not be sufficient to provide us with competitive advantages. We cannot assure you that (i) all of the intellectual property rights we owned will be adequately protected, or (ii) our intellectual property rights will not be challenged by third parties or found by a judicial authority to be invalid or unenforceable. Moreover, there can be no assurance that we will obtain such trademarks and any other trademarks that are crucial to our business in the future. Thus, third parties may also take the position that we are infringing their rights, and we may not be successful in defending these claims. Additionally, we may not be able to enforce and defend its proprietary rights or prevent infringement or misappropriation, without incurring substantial expenses to us and a significant diversion of management time and attention from our business strategy.
To protect our parents, trademarks and other proprietary rights, we reply on and expect to continue to rely on a combination of physical and electronic security measures and trademark, patent and trade secret protection laws. If the measures we have taken to protect our proprietary rights are inadequate to prevent the use or misappropriation by third parties or such rights are diminished due to successful challenges, the value of our brand and other intangible assets may be diminished and our ability to attract and retain customers may be adversely affected.
Competition for our and our subsidiaries employees is intense, and we and our subsidiaries may not be able to attract and retain the highly skilled employees needed to support our subsidiaries business.
As we continue to experience growth, our future success depends on our and our subsidiaries ability to attract, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and skilled employees, including engineers, financial personnel and marketing professionals. Competition for highly skilled engineering, sales, technical and financial personnel is extremely intense. We and our subsidiaries may not be able to hire and retain these personnel at compensation levels consistent with our existing compensation and salary structure. Many of the companies with which we and our subsidiaries compete for experienced employees have greater resources than we and our subsidiaries have and may be able to offer more attractive terms of employment.
In addition, we and our subsidiaries invest significant time and expense in training our employees, which increases their value to competitors who may seek to recruit them. If we and our subsidiaries fail to retain our employees, we could incur significant expenses in hiring and training their replacements, and the quality of our products could decrease, resulting in a material adverse effect on our subsidiaries business.
Our business depends on the continued efforts of our senior management. If one or more of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, our business may be severely disrupted.
Our business operations depend on the continuing services of our senior management. While we have provided different incentives to our management, we cannot assure you that we can continue to retain their services. If one or more of our key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, we may not be able to replace them easily or at all, our future growth may be constrained, business may be severely disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. In addition, although we have entered into a non-competition agreement with Mr. Peter Zuguang Wang, the chairman of our board of directors, there is no assurance that Mr. Wang will not join our competitors or form a competing business. If any dispute arises between us and Mr. Wang, we may incur substantial costs and expenses in order to enforce the non-competition agreement in China, and we may be unable to enforce it at all.
We do not maintain key person insurance, and as a result, we may incur losses if any of our directors, executive officers, senior manager or other key employees chooses to terminate his or her services with us.
We do not maintain key person insurance for our directors, executive officers, senior management or other key employees. If any of our key employees terminate his or her services or otherwise becomes unable to provide continuous services to us, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. If any of our executive officers or key employees joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose customers, operational know-how and key professionals and staff members.
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We are currently operating in a period of economic uncertainty and capital markets disruption, which has been significantly impacted by geopolitical instability due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia and conflicts between Israel and Hamas.
U.S. and global markets are experiencing volatility and disruption as a result of the outbreak or escalation of wards including Russias launch of a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, conflicts between Israel and Hamas. Although the length and impact of these ongoing conflicts are highly unpredictable, these conflicts have led to market disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices, credit, and capital markets. In addition, as a result of the ongoing conflicts around the world, we may experience other risks, difficulties and challenges in the way we conduct our business and operations generally. For example, the conflict could adversely affect supply chains and impact our ability to control raw material costs. A protracted conflict between Ukraine and Russia or between Israel and Hamas, any escalation of either conflict, and the wider global economy and market conditions could, in turn, have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations and could cause the market value of our ordinary shares to decline.
High inflation rates may adversely affect us by increasing costs beyond what we can recover through price increases and limit our ability to enter into future traditional debt financing.
Inflation can adversely affect us by increasing costs of critical materials, equipment, labor, and other services. In addition, inflation is often accompanied by higher interest rates. Continued inflationary pressures could impact our profitability. Inflation may also affect our ability to enter into future traditional debt financing, as high inflation may result in an increase in cost.
The outcome of litigation, inquiries, investigations, examinations, or other legal proceedings in which we are involved, in which we may become involved, or in which our clients or competitors are involved could distract management, increase our expenses, or subject us to significant monetary damages or restrictions on our ability to do business.
From time to time, we are subject to litigations or legal proceedings in connection with our business operations. The scope and outcome of these proceedings is often difficult to assess or quantify. Plaintiffs in lawsuits may seek recovery of large amounts, and the cost to defend such litigation may be significant.
For example, on April 26, 2024, all of the Companys current directors, the Companys chief executive officer, and the Companys controlling shareholder, Cenntro Holding Limited, were named as defendants (collectively, the Defendants), and the Company was named as a nominal defendant in a shareholder derivate action filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. The compliant assets, inter alia, that Defendants breached their fiduciary duties owed to the Company, committed waste and violated Section 16(a) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The complainant seeks: (i) on behalf of the Company, monetary damages of no less than $38,060,365; (ii) to restrict Mr. Peter Wang, the chairman of the Companys board of directors from selling ordinary shares of the Company until Cenntro Holding Limited has paid off its amount due to the Company and setting up a trust over any future funds from sales of the Companys ordinary shares by Mr. Peter Wang or Cenntro Holding Limited; (iii) that the Defendants disgorge profits obtained as a result of their wrongful conduct; (iv) to enjoin of the Companys proposed spin-off transaction; (v) attorney fees and costs; and (vi) any other relief the court may deem just and proper.
On June 28, 2024, the Companys board of directors held a board meeting, during which the directors of the Company unanimously approved a decision to terminate its previously announced plan of spinning off its drivetrain systems segment. After due diligence review, the Companys board of directors has identified that the spin-off would likely not generate significant value to its shareholders due to changing market conditions. On July 8, 2024, the Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the shareholder derivative action.
Any negative outcomes from above material litigation or any other regulatory actions or litigation or claims, including monetary penalties or damages or injunctive provisions regulating or restricting how we conduct our business could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation. Regardless of whether any current or future claims in which we are involved have merit, or whether we are ultimately held liable or subject to payment of penalties, such investigations and claims have been and may continue to be expensive to defend, may divert managements time away from our operations and may result in changes to our business practices that adversely affect our results of operations.
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Risks Related to Doing Business in China
Changes in Chinas economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations.
A substantial majority of our assets and operations are located in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be influenced to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in China generally. The PRC economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including with regard to the level of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the PRC government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. In addition, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies.
The PRC government also exercises significant control over Chinas economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.
While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy, and the rate of growth has been slowing since 2012. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in China, in the policies of the PRC government or in the laws and regulations in China could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China. Such developments could adversely affect our business and operating results, lead to reduction in demand for our subsidiaries products and adversely affect our subsidiaries competitive position. The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these measures may benefit the overall PRC economy, but may have a negative effect on us and our subsidiaries. For example, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in the past the PRC government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate adjustment, to control the pace of economic growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in China, which may adversely affect our business and operating results.
Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us and our PRC subsidiaries.
The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and the enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.
In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past four decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our and/or our PRC subsidiaries judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our/our PRC subsidiaries ability to enforce our/their contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, the regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us and our PRC subsidiaries.
Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we and/or our PRC subsidiaries may not be aware of our/their violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
In addition, we and our PRC subsidiaries are subject to risks and uncertainties of the interpretations and applications of PRC laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, limitations on foreign ownership in the industry our PRC subsidiaries operate. We and our PRC subsidiaries are also subject to the risks and uncertainties about any future actions of the PRC government. If any future actions of the PRC government result in a material change in our operations, and the value of our ordinary shares may depreciate significantly or become worthless.
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The PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which our PRC subsidiaries must conduct their business activities. If the Chinese government significantly regulates the business operations of our PRC subsidiaries in the future and our PRC subsidiaries are not able to substantially comply with such regulations, the business operations of our PRC subsidiaries may be materially and adversely affected and the value of our ordinary shares may significantly decrease.
The PRC government has exercised, and continues to exercise, substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership, including steel sector where our PRC subsidiaries have been doing their business. Any government decisions or actions to change the way steel production is regulated, or any decisions the government might make to cut spending, could adversely impact our PRC subsidiaries business and our results of operations. In addition, the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to operate in China may be harmed by changes in PRC laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental conditions, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.
We believe that our PRC subsidiaries operations in China are in material compliance with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements. However, the central or local governments of the jurisdictions in which our PRC subsidiaries operate may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations with little advance notice that would require additional expenditures and efforts on their part to ensure our subsidiaries compliance with such regulations or interpretations.
Our PRC subsidiaries may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. In the event that our PRC subsidiaries are not able to substantially comply with any existing or newly adopted laws and regulations, our business operations may be materially adversely affected and the value of our ordinary shares may significantly decrease.
Furthermore, the PRC government authorities may strengthen oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers like us. Such actions taken by the PRC government authorities may intervene or influence the operations of our PRC subsidiaries at any time, which may be beyond our control. Therefore, any such action may adversely affect the operations of our PRC subsidiaries and substantially limit or hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to you and significantly reduce the value of such securities or cause the value of such securities to be completely worthless.
We are required under PRC laws to submit filings to CSRC for our future offerings. However, we believe that we and our PRC subsidiaries are not currently required to obtain the approval and/or comply with other requirements of the CSRC, the CAC, or other PRC governmental authorities under PRC rules, regulations or policies in connection with our continued listing on Nasdaq. In the event that any such approval is required or that there are other requirements we and/or our PRC subsidiaries are obligated to comply with, we cannot predict whether or how soon we and/or our PRC subsidiaries will be able to obtain such approvals and/or comply with such requirements.
The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the MA Rules, purport to require offshore special purpose vehicles that are controlled by PRC companies or individuals and that have been formed for the purpose of seeking a public listing on an overseas stock exchange through acquisitions of PRC domestic companies or assets to obtain CSRC approval prior to publicly listing their securities on an overseas stock exchange. The interpretation and application of those regulations remain unclear.
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In addition, the PRC government authorities may strengthen future oversight over offerings that are conducted overseas. For instance, on July 6, 2021, the relevant PRC governmental authorities promulgated the Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities, which emphasized the need to strengthen the PRC governments supervision over overseas listings by PRC companies. Pursuant to the Opinions, effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems, are to be taken to deal with the risks of China-based overseas-listed companies, cybersecurity and data privacy protection requirements and similar matters. The Cybersecurity Review Measures (Decree No. 8 of the Cybersecurity Administration of the PRC), or the revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, enacted on December 28, 2021 and came into effect on February 15, 2022, also require online platform operators holding over one million users personal information to apply for a cybersecurity review before any public offering on a foreign stock exchange. These statements and regulations are recently issued, and there remain substantial uncertainties about their interpretation and implementation. See also Our PRC subsidiaries may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by their customers and any failure to comply with PRC laws and regulations over data security could result in materially adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and our continued listing on Nasdaq.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC published the Regulations of Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies (the Trial Measures) and its accompanying guidelines and instructions, which came into effect on March 31, 2023, and will apply if a domestic enterprise issues shares, depositary receipts, corporate bonds convertible into shares, or other securities of an equity nature outside of the PRC, or lists its securities for trading outside of the PRC. According to such regulations, a domestic enterprise that issues and lists its securities outside of the PRC shall comply with the filing procedures and report the relevant information to the CSRC. A domestic enterprise shall not be listed on an overseas stock exchange if any of the following circumstances exists: (i) where such securities offering and listing is explicitly prohibited by provisions in laws, administrative regulations and relevant state rules; (ii) where the intended securities offering and listing may endanger national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State Council in accordance with law; (iii) where the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing, or its controlling shareholders and the actual controller, have committed crimes such as corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property or undermining the order of the socialist market economy during the latest three years; (iv) where the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing is suspected of committing crimes or major violations of laws and regulations, and is under investigation according to law, and no conclusion has yet been made thereof; (v) where there are material ownership disputes over equity held by the domestic companys controlling shareholder or by other shareholders that are controlled by the controlling shareholder and/or actual controller. The Trial Measures changes the management of licensing to record management, strengthen the supervision in the aftermath, create a more transparent and predictable institutional environment, and support the standardized development of enterprises using the overseas capital market.
According to the Notice on Filing Management Arrangements for Overseas Listings of Domestic Enterprises issued and implemented by the CSRC on February 17, 2023, since the date of effectiveness of the Trial Measures, the domestic enterprises falling within the scope of filing that have been listed overseas or met the following circumstances are existing enterprises: Before the effectiveness of the Trial Measures, the application for indirect overseas issuance and listing has been agreed by the overseas regulators or overseas stock exchanges (such as having passed the hearing on the Hong Kong market or registration become effective as agreed on the U.S. market, etc.), and it is not required to perform issuance and listing supervision procedures of the overseas regulators or overseas stock exchanges (such as rehearing on the Hong Kong market, etc.), and the overseas issuance and listing will be completed by September 30, 2023. According to the above regulations, the Company is an existing enterprise, which do not be required to file immediately, and filing should be made as required if they involve refinancing and other filing matters.
As of the date of this Report, we believe we and our PRC subsidiaries are not required to obtain any permission from PRC authorities (including the CSRC and the CAC) to operate our PRC subsidiaries business as presently conducted or listing on Nasdaq. Therefore, as of the date of this Report, we and our PRC subsidiaries have not applied for any permission or approval from any PRC governmental authority in connection with our offshore listing or offering and, as such, no such permission or approval has been granted or denied. However, if it fails to comply with the Trial Measures during future issuance of securities or listing on other stock exchanges outside of China, we may be subjected sanctions imposed by the PRC regulatory authorities, and our reputation, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.
To the extent cash in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, the funds may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of our Company or our subsidiaries by the PRC government to transfer cash.
Relevant mainland PRC laws and regulations permit the companies in mainland China to pay dividends only out of their respective retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with mainland China accounting standards and regulations. Additionally, each of the companies in mainland China are required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. Furthermore, in order for us to pay dividends to our shareholders, we may rely on payments made from our mainland PRC subsidiaries to their respective shareholders and then to our Company. If our these entities incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us.
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Our cash dividends, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars. If we are considered a tax resident enterprise of mainland China for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders may be regarded as mainland China-sourced income and as a result may be subject to mainland PRC subsidiariwithholding tax. See Risks Related to Doing Business in China Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a Resident Enterprise of China. Such classification will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences may be liable for improper use or to us and our non-PRC shareholders. The PRC government also imposes controls on the convertibility of Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of mainland China. Shortages in foreign currencies may restrict our ability to pay dividends or other payments, or otherwise satisfy our foreign currency denominated obligations, if any. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and expenditures from trade-related transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior appropriation of personal informval from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange as long as certain procedural requirements are met. Approval from appropriate government authorities is required if Renminbi is converted into foreign currency and remitted out of mainland China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. The PRC government may, at its discretion, impose restrictions on access to foreign currencies for current account transactions and if this occurs in the future, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders.
As of the date of this Report, there are no restrictions or limitation provided by their customers s imposed by the Hong Kong government on the transfer of capital within, into, and out of Hong Kong (including funds from Hong Kong to mainland China), except for the transfer of funds involving money laundering and criminal activities. However, there is no guarantee that the Hong Kong government will not promulgate new laws or regulations that may impose such restrictions in the future. If there is a significant change to current political arrangements between mainland China and Hong Kong, or the applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change, our Hong Kong subsidiary may become subject to PRC laws or authorities. As a result, our Hong Kong subsidiary could be subject to similar government controls on the convertibility of foreign currency and any failure to comply the remittance of currency out of Hong Kong as described above.
As a result of the above, to the extent cash in the business is in the PRC/Hong Kong or a PRC/Hong Kong entity, such funds or assets may not be available to fund operations or for other use outside of the PRC/Hong Kong, due to interventions in or the imposition of restrictions and limitations on the ability of us or our subsidiaries by the competent government to the transfer of cash.
Our PRC subsidiaries may be liable for improper use or appropriation of personal information provided by their customers and any failure to comply with PRC laws and regulations over data security could result in materially adverse impact on our business, results of operations, and our continued listing on Nasdaq.
Our PRC subsidiaries business involves collecting and retaining certain internal and customer data. Our PRC subsidiaries also maintain information about various aspects of their operations. The integrity and protection of customer and company data is critical to our business. Our subsidiaries customers expect that our subsidiaries will adequately protect their personal information. Our PRC subsidiaries are required by applicable laws to keep strictly confidential the personal information that they collect, and to take adequate security measures to safeguard such information.
The PRC Criminal Law, as amended by its Amendment 7 (effective on February 28, 2009) and Amendment 9 (effective on November 1, 2015), prohibits institutions, companies and their employees from selling or otherwise illegally disclosing a citizens personal information obtained in performing duties or providing services or obtaining such information through theft or other illegal ways. On November 7, 2016, the Standing Committee of the PRC National Peoples Congress issued the Cyber Security Law of the PRC, or Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017. Pursuant to the Cyber Security Law, network operators must not, without users consent, collect their personal information, and may only collect users personal information necessary to provide their services. Providers are also obliged to provide security maintenance for their products and services and shall comply with provisions regarding the protection of personal information as stipulated under the relevant laws and regulations.
The Civil Code of the PRC (issued by the PRC National Peoples Congress on May 28, 2020 and effective from January 1, 2021) provides the legal basis for privacy and personal information infringement claims under the Chinese civil laws. PRC regulators, including the CAC, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Public Security, have been increasingly focused on regulation in data security and data protection.
The PRC regulatory requirements regarding cybersecurity are evolving. For instance, various regulatory bodies in China, including the CAC, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Market Regulation, have enforced data privacy and protection laws and regulations with varying and evolving standards and interpretations. In April 2020, the Chinese government promulgated Cybersecurity Review Measures, which came into effect on June 1, 2020. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, operators of critical information infrastructure must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services which do or may affect national security.
In December 2021, the CAC and other related authorities promulgated the revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, which came into effect on February 15, 2022. The revised Cybersecurity Review Measures propose the following key changes:
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| online platform operators who are engaged in data processing are also subject to the regulatory scope; |
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| the CSRC is included as one of the regulatory authorities for purposes of jointly establishing the state cybersecurity review working mechanism; |
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| the online platform operators holding more than one million users individual information and seeking a listing outside China shall file for cybersecurity review with the Cybersecurity Review Office; and |
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| the risks of core data, material data or large amounts of personal information being stolen, leaked, destroyed, damaged, illegally used or transmitted to overseas parties and the risks of critical information infrastructure, core data, material data or large amounts of personal information being influenced, controlled or used maliciously shall be collectively taken into consideration during the cybersecurity review process. |
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Certain internet platforms in China have reportedly become subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny in relation to cybersecurity matters. As of the date of this Report, we have not been included within the definition of operator of critical information infrastructure by a competent authority, nor have we been informed by any PRC governmental authority of any requirement that we file for a cybersecurity review. However, if we are deemed to be a critical information infrastructure operator or an online platform operator that is engaged in data processing and holds personal information of more than one million users, we could be subject to PRC cybersecurity review in the future.
As there remains significant uncertainty in the interpretation and enforcement of relevant PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations, we could be subject to cybersecurity review. In addition, we could become subject to enhanced cybersecurity review or investigations launched by PRC regulators in the future. Any failure or delay in the completion of the cybersecurity review procedures or any other non-compliance with the related laws and regulations may result in fines or other penalties, including suspension of business, website closure and revocation of prerequisite licenses, as well as reputational damage or legal proceedings or actions against us and/or our PRC subsidiaries, which may have material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. As of the date of this Report, we and our PRC subsidiaries have not been involved in any investigations on cybersecurity review initiated by the CAC or related governmental regulatory authorities, and we and our PRC subsidiaries have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanction in such respect.
On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress of China, or the SCNPC, promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and imposes export restrictions on certain data an information.
As of the date of this Report, we do not expect that the current PRC laws on cybersecurity or data security would have a material adverse impact on our business operations. However, as the scope of the PRC Data Security Law is broad and includes the collection, storage, use, processing, transmission, availability and disclosure of data, among others, and uncertainties remain regarding the interpretation and implementation of these laws and regulations, we cannot assure you that we and our PRC subsidiaries will comply with such regulations in all respects and we and/or our PRC subsidiaries may be ordered to rectify or terminate any actions that are deemed illegal by regulatory authorities. Any directly liable person within our Company for violations or alleged violations of the PRC Data Security Law may become subject to fines. We and/or our PRC subsidiaries may also become subject to fines and/or other sanctions that may have material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.
A severeOn September 24, 2024, the CAC released the Administrative Regulations on the Network Data Security, or prolonged downturn in t the Data Security Regulations, which will become effective on January 1, 2025. The Data Security Regulations may apply to the use of networks to carry out data processing activities and the supervision and administration of network data security in mainland China and apply to activities outside mainland China to process personal information of any natural persons in mainland China under any of the following circumstances: (i) for the purpose of providing products or services to natural persons in mainland China; (ii) analyze and evaluate the behavior of natural persons in mainland China; and (iii) other circumstances stipulated by laws and administrative regulations. The Data Security Regulations further stipulate that where it is indeed necessary to transfer important data collected and generated by a network data processor during its operation within the territory of mainland China to overseas parties, it shall pass the security assessment for cross-border data transfer organized by the CAC. Network data processors should identify and declare important data in accordance with the relevant provisions, but they are not required to conduct security assessment for outbound data transfer for data that has not been notified or published as important data by relevant departments or regions. In addition, the Data Security Regulations provides that data processors that process important data must conduct an annual data security assessment with regard to the data process activities, and submit the assessment report to relevant competent authorities at or above the provincial level. Since the Data Security Regulations is newly promulgated, there remains uncertainty as to how it will be implemented and interpreted by the competent authorities and whether the PRC or global economregulatory agencies, including the CAC, will adopt new laws, regulations, rules, or detailed implementation and interpretation related to security assessment. We cannot predict the impact of the Data Security Regulations on us, if any, at this stage, and we will closely monitor and assess any development in the implementation and interpretation of the Data Security Regulations. Even though we do not believe our business activities fall under the scope of Data Security Regulations, in the event that a competent PRC governmental authority could mncludes otherwise, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all.
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A severe or prolonged downturn in the PRC or global economy could materially and adversely affect our business and our financial condition.
The global macroeconomic environment is facing challenges. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the worlds leading economies, including the United States and China. There have been concerns over unrest and terrorist threats in the Middle East, Europe and Africa and over the conflicts involving Ukraine, Syria, Russia and North Korea. There have also been concerns on the relationship among China and other Asian countries, which may result in, or intensify potential conflicts in relation to, territorial disputes, and the trade disputes between China and other countries. It is unclear whether these challenges and uncertainties will be contained or resolved, and what effects they may have on the global political and economic conditions in the long term.
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Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions, changes in domestic economic and political policies and the expected or perceived overall economic growth rate in China. While the economy in China has grown significantly over the past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy, and the rate of growth has been slowing in recent years. Although growth of Chinas economy remained relatively stable, there is a possibility that Chinas economic growth may materially decline in the near future. Any severe or prolonged slowdown in the global or PRC economy may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
You may have difficulty enforcing judgments against us.
A significant portion of our assets are located, and a substantial amount of our subsidiaries operations are conducted, in the PRC. In addition, some of our directors and officers are nationals or residents of the PRC, including our chief financial officer, Mr. Jing Jin, and independent director, Mr. Ming Zhao, and a substantial majority of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons. In addition, there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the PRC would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts because China does not have any treaties or other arrangements that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments with the United States. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, courts in the PRC will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security, or the public interest.
Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, we may be classified as a Resident Enterprise of China. Any classification as such will likely result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders.
Under the PRC EIT Law, an enterprise established outside of China with de facto management bodies within China is considered a resident enterprise, meaning that it can be subject to an enterprise income tax, or EIT, rate of 25.0% on its global income. In April 2009, the SAT promulgated a circular, known as Circular 82, and partially amended by Circular 9 promulgated in January 2014, to clarify the certain criteria for the determination of the de facto management bodies for foreign enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups. Under Circular 82, a foreign enterprise is considered a PRC resident enterprise if all of the following apply: (1) the senior management and core management departments in charge of daily operations are located mainly within China; (2) decisions relating to the enterprises financial and human resource matters are made or subject to approval by organizations or personnel in China; (3) the enterprises primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholders meeting minutes are located or maintained in China; and (4) 50.0% or more of voting board members or senior executives of the enterprise habitually reside in China. Further to Circular 82, the SAT issued a bulletin, known as Bulletin 45, effective in September 2011 and amended on June 1, 2015 and October 1, 2016, to provide more guidance on the implementation of Circular 82 and clarify the reporting and filing obligations of such Chinese controlled offshore incorporated resident enterprises. Bulletin 45 provides for, among other matters, procedures for the determination of resident status and administration of post-determination matters. Although Circular 82 and Bulletin 45 explicitly provide that the above standards apply to enterprises that are registered outside China and controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, Circular 82 may reflect the SATs criteria for determining the tax residence of foreign enterprises in general.
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If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a resident enterprise for PRC enterprise income tax purposes, a number of unfavorable PRC tax consequences could follow. First, we may be subject to the enterprise income tax at a rate of 25% on our worldwide taxable income as well as PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In our case, this would mean that income such as non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Second, under the PRC EIT Law, dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would be deemed as qualified investment income between resident enterprises and therefore qualify as tax-exempt income pursuant to the clause 26 of the PRC EIT Law. Finally, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new resident enterprise classification could result in a situation in which the dividends we pay with respect to our ordinary shares, or the gain our non-PRC shareholders may realize from the transfer of our ordinary shares, may be treated as PRC-sourced income and may therefore be subject to a 10% PRC withholding tax. The PRC EIT Law is, however, relatively new and ambiguities exist with respect to the interpretation and identification of PRC-sourced income, and the application and assessment of withholding taxes. If we are required under the PRC EIT Law to withhold PRC income tax on dividends payable to our non-PRC shareholders, should there be a determination in the future to pay dividends, or if non-PRC shareholders are required to pay PRC income tax on gains on the transfer of their ordinary shares, our business could be negatively impacted and the value of your investment may be materially reduced. Further, if we were treated as a resident enterprise by PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both China and such countries in which we have taxable income, and our PRC tax may not be creditable against such other taxes.
PRC regulation of loans to, and direct investments in, PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using proceeds from our future financing activities to make loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries.
As an offshore holding company with PRC subsidiaries, we may transfer funds to our PRC subsidiaries or finance our PRC entities by means of loans or capital contributions. Any capital contributions or loans that we, as an offshore entity, make to our PRC subsidiaries, are subject to PRC regulations. Any loans to our PRC subsidiaries, which are foreign-invested enterprises, cannot exceed statutory limits based on the difference between the amount of our investments and registered capital in such subsidiaries, and shall be registered with State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, or its local counterparts. Furthermore, any capital increase contributions we make to our PRC subsidiaries, which are foreign-invested enterprises, are subject to the requirement of making necessary reports in Foreign Investment Comprehensive Management Information System, and registration with other government authorities in China. We may not be able to obtain these government registrations or approvals on a timely basis, if at all. If we fail to obtain such approvals or make such registration, our ability to make equity contributions or provide loans to our PRC subsidiaries or to fund their operations may be negatively affected, which may adversely affect their liquidity and ability to fund their working capital and expansion projects and meet their obligations and commitments. As a result, our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business may be negatively affected.
We may rely on dividends paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs, and any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct business.
As a holding company, we conduct a substantial amount of our business through our subsidiaries in China. We may rely on dividends paid by these PRC subsidiaries for our cash needs, including the funds necessary to pay any dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. The payment of dividends by entities established in China is subject to limitations. Regulations in China currently permit payment of dividends only out of accumulated profits as determined in accordance with accounting standards and regulations in China. In accordance with the Article 210, 214 of the Company Law of the PRC (Revised in 2023), each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to allocate 10% of their profits to their statutory common reserve when they distribute their after-tax profits for the current year. A company shall no longer be required to make allocations to their statutory common reserve once the aggregate amount of such reserve exceeds 50% of their registered capital. The statutory common reserve fund of a company may only be used to cover the losses of the company, expand the business and production of the company or be converted into additional capital. As a result, our PRC subsidiaries are restricted in their ability to transfer a portion of their net assets to us in the form of dividends. In addition, if any of our PRC subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict such subsidiarys ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Any limitations on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to transfer funds to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends and otherwise fund and conduct our business.
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You may be subject to PRC income tax on dividends from us or on any gain realized on the transfer of our ordinary shares.
Under the PRC EIT Law, subject to any applicable tax treaty or similar arrangement between the PRC and your jurisdiction of residence that provides for a different income tax arrangement, PRC withholding tax at the rate of 10.0% is normally applicable to dividends from PRC sources payable to investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, which do not have an establishment or place of business in China, or which have such establishment or place of business if the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business. Any gain realized on the transfer of shares by such investors is subject to 10.0% PRC income tax if such gain is regarded as income derived from sources within China unless a treaty or similar arrangement otherwise provides. Under the Individual Income Tax Law of the PRC and its implementation rules, dividends from sources within China paid to foreign individual investors who are not PRC residents are generally subject to a PRC withholding tax at a rate of 20% and gains from PRC sources realized by such investors on the transfer of shares are generally subject to 20% PRC income tax, in each case, subject to any reduction or exemption set forth in applicable tax treaties and PRC laws.
There is a risk that we will be treated by the PRC tax authorities as a PRC tax resident enterprise. In that case, any dividends we pay to our shareholders may be regarded as income derived from sources within China and we may be required to withhold a 10.0% PRC withholding tax for the dividends we pay to our investors who are non-PRC corporate shareholders, or a 20.0% withholding tax for the dividends we pay to our investors who are non-PRC individual shareholders, including the holders of our Shares. In addition, our non-PRC shareholders may be subject to PRC tax on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of our ordinary shares, if such income is treated as sourced from within China. It is unclear whether our non-PRC shareholders would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their tax residence and China in the event that we are considered as a PRC resident enterprise. If PRC income tax is imposed on gains realized through the transfer of our ordinary shares or on dividends paid to our non-resident investors, should there be a determination in the future to pay dividends, the value of your investment in our ordinary shares may be materially and adversely affected. Furthermore, our shareholders whose jurisdictions of residence have tax treaties or arrangements with China may not qualify for benefits under such tax treaties or arrangements.
We may be unable to complete a business combination transaction efficiently or on favorable terms due to complicated merger and acquisition regulations and certain other PRC regulations.
On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory authorities, including Ministry of Commerce, the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the SAT, the Administration for Industry and Commerce, the CSRC and SAFE, jointly issued the MA Rules, which became effective on September 8, 2006 and were amended in June 2009. The MA Rules, governing the approval process by which a PRC company may participate in an acquisition of assets or equity interests by foreign investors, requires the PRC parties to make a series of applications and supplemental applications to the government agencies, depending on the structure of the transaction. In some instances, the application process may require presentation of economic data concerning a transaction, including appraisals of the target business and evaluations of the acquirer, which are designed to allow the government to assess the transaction. Accordingly, due to the MA Rules, our ability to engage in business combination transactions has become significantly more complicated, time-consuming and expensive, and we may not be able to negotiate a transaction that is acceptable to our shareholders or sufficiently protective of their interests in a transaction.
The MA Rules allow PRC government agencies to assess the economic terms of a business combination transaction. Parties to a business combination transaction may have to submit to Ministry of Commerce and other relevant government agencies an appraisal report, an evaluation report and the acquisition agreement, all of which form part of the application for approval, depending on the structure of the transaction. The MA Rules also prohibit a transaction at an acquisition price obviously lower than the appraised value of the business or assets in China and in certain transaction structures, require that consideration must be paid within defined periods, generally not in excess of a year. In addition, the MA Rules also limit our ability to negotiate various terms of the acquisition, including aspects of the initial consideration, contingent consideration, holdback provisions, indemnification provisions and provisions relating to the assumption and allocation of assets and liabilities. Transaction structures involving trusts, nominees and similar entities are prohibited. Therefore, such regulations may impede our ability to negotiate and complete a business combination transaction on legal and/or financial terms that satisfy our investors and protect our shareholders economic interests.
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Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the Peoples Bank of China. The Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. The value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions in China and by Chinas foreign exchange policies, among other things. We cannot assure you that Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future.
Significant fluctuation of the Renminbi may have a material adverse effect on your investment. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert our Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us.
Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. As of the date of this Report, we have not entered into any material hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency.
Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.
The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. We receive a significant portion of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current corporate structure, our British Virgin Islands holding company may rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries in China may be used to pay dividends to our Company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi. If such approval is withheld or the PRC government imposes other restrictions on the convertibility of Renminbi into foreign currencies, we may not be able to utilize our revenues effectively, and as a result, our business and results of operations may be materially adversely affected, and the value of our ordinary shares may decrease.
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U.S. regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations in China.
The SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice and other U.S. authorities may also have difficulties in bringing and enforcing actions against us or our directors or executive officers in the PRC. The SEC has stated that there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for investigations or litigation in China. China has recently adopted a revised securities law that became effective on March 1, 2020, Article 177 of which provides, among other things, that no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct an investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Accordingly, without governmental approval in China, no entity or individual in China may provide documents and information relating to securities business activities to overseas regulators when it is under direct investigation or evidence discovery conducted by overseas regulators, which could present significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for investigations and litigation conducted outside of China.
Our ordinary shares may be delisted and prohibited from being traded under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors. The delisting and the cessation of trading of our ordinary shares, or the treat of their being delisted and prohibited from being traded, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment. Additionally, any inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections deprives our investors with the benefits of such inspections.
Pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023, if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspections by the PCAOB for two consecutive years, the SEC will prohibit our Ordinary Shares from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States.
Our auditor, Enrome LLP, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards and was not identified in PCAOBs determination report as a firm subject to the PCAOBs determination. Our current auditor, Enrome LLP, is headquartered in the Republic of Singapore and subject to inspect by the PCAOB.
If the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong and we use an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on our financial statements filed with the SEC, we would be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer following the filing of the annual report on Form 20-F for the relevant fiscal year. In accordance with the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, our securities would be prohibited from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States if we are identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer for two consecutive years in the future. A prohibition of being able to trade in the United States would substantially impair or completely hinder your ability to sell or purchase our Ordinary Shares when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our Ordinary Shares or render them worthless. Also, such a prohibition would significantly affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.
Additionally, we cannot assure you whether the national securities exchange we are listed on or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditors audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach, or experience as it relates to our audit.
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Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares
Future sales of our ordinary shares, whether by us or our shareholders, could cause the price of our ordinary shares to decline.
If our existing shareholders sell, or indicate an intent to sell, substantial amounts of our ordinary shares in the public market, the trading price of our ordinary shares could decline significantly. Similarly, the perception in the public market that our shareholders might sell our ordinary shares could also depress the market price of our shares. A decline in the price of our ordinary shares might impede our ability to raise capital through the issuance of additional ordinary shares or other equity securities. In addition, the issuance and sale by us of additional ordinary shares, or securities convertible into or exercisable for our ordinary shares, or the perception that we will issue such securities, could reduce the trading price for our ordinary shares as well as make future sales of equity securities by us less attractive or not feasible. The sale of ordinary shares issued upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants could further dilute the holdings of our then existing shareholders.
We do not know whether a market for the ordinary shares will be sustained or what the trading price of the ordinary shares will be and as a result it may be difficult for you to sell your ordinary shares.
Although our ordinary shares trade on Nasdaq, an active trading market for the ordinary shares may not be sustained. It may be difficult for you to sell your ordinary shares without depressing the market price for the ordinary shares. As a result of these and other factors, you may not be able to sell your ordinary shares. Further, an inactive market may also impair our ability to raise capital by selling ordinary shares, or may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or acquire companies or products by using our ordinary shares as consideration.
Securities analysts may not cover our ordinary shares and this may have a negative impact on the market price of our ordinary shares.
The trading market for our ordinary shares will depend, in part, on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over independent analysts (provided that we have engaged various non-independent analysts). We do not currently have and may never obtain research coverage by independent securities and industry analysts. If no independent securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us, the trading price for our ordinary shares would be negatively impacted. If we obtain independent securities or industry analyst coverage and if one or more of the analysts who covers us downgrades our ordinary shares, changes their opinion of our shares or publishes inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, the price of our ordinary shares would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our ordinary shares could decrease and we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause the price and trading volume of our ordinary shares to decline.
Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on the price appreciation of our ordinary shares for a return on your investment.
We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our ordinary shares as a source for any future dividend income.
Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends, subject to certain requirements of British Virgin Islands law. In addition, our shareholders may by ordinary resolution declare a dividend, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. Under British Virgin Islands law, a British Virgin Islands company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account, provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in the company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiaries, our financial condition, contractual restrictions, and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our ordinary shares will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ordinary shares. There is no guarantee that our ordinary shares will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased the ordinary shares. You may not realize a return on your investment in our ordinary shares and you may even lose your entire investment in our ordinary shares.
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Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of our ordinary shares.
Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short sellers interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a security short. These short attacks have, in the past, led to selling of shares in the market.
Other public companies listed in the United States that have substantial operations in China have been the subject of short selling. Much of the scrutiny and negative publicity has centered on allegations of a lack of effective internal control over financial reporting resulting in financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result, many of these companies are now conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations and, in the interim, are subject to shareholder lawsuits and/or SEC enforcement actions.
We may in the future be the subject of unfavorable allegations made by short sellers. Any such allegations may be followed by periods of instability in the market price of our ordinary shares and negative publicity. If and when we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could be required to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable federal or state law or issues of commercial confidentiality. Such a situation could be costly and time- consuming and could distract our management from growing our business. Even if such allegations are ultimately proven to be groundless, allegations against us could severely impact our business operations and shareholders equity, and the value of any investment in our ordinary shares could be greatly reduced or rendered worthless.