Natural Health Trends Corp

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

Our operations and financial results are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and the trading price of our common stock. There have been no material changes to our risk factors since our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

, except as set forth below.

Our business in China is subject to compliance with a myriad of applicable laws and regulations, and any actual or alleged violations of those laws or government actions otherwise directed at us could have a material adverse impact on our business and the value of our company.

In contrast to our operations in other parts of the world, our China subsidiary has not implemented a direct sales model in China. The Chinese government permits direct selling only by organizations that have a license and has also adopted anti-pyramid selling and multi-level marketing legislation. We operate an e-commerce direct selling platform in Hong Kong and recognize the revenue derived from sales to both Hong Kong and Chinese members as being generated in Hong Kong. Products purchased by members in China are delivered to third parties that act as the importers of record under agreements to pay applicable duties. In addition, through a Chinese entity, we sell products in China using an e-commerce retail platform. Chinese members may elect to participate in either or both of the Chinese entity and the Hong Kong entity.

We previously submitted a preliminary application for a direct selling license in China, but withdrew our application in 2019 upon the recommendation of a Chinese governmental authority. We expect to reapply for a direct selling license in China when we believe that circumstances are again ripe for doing so. We are unable to predict whether and when we will be successful in obtaining a direct selling license to operate in China, and if we are successful, when we will be permitted to conduct direct selling operations and whether such operations would be profitable.

We continually evaluate our business in China and Hong Kong for compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including seeking the input of outside professionals and certain Chinese authorities. This process can and has resulted in the identification of certain matters of potential noncompliance. We work on a continuing basis to satisfactorily address such matters, however there can be no assurance that adequate steps are taken or that applicable laws and regulations are properly interpreted.

Should the government authorities determine that our activities violate applicable laws and regulations, including Chinas direct selling, pyramid selling or multi-level marketing laws and regulations, or should new laws or regulations be adopted, there could be a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The Chinese government scrutinizes the activities of direct selling companies. Our business continues to be subject to regulations and examinations by municipal and provincial level regulators. At times, actions by government regulators have impacted our members activities in certain locations and have resulted in a few cases of enforcement actions. In each of these cases, we helped our members with their defense of the legality of their conduct.

Our business and the value of our company can be adversely affected by Chinese government scrutiny, even if that scrutiny does not result in investigations of our business. Although we remain in regular contact with Chinese government officials and take other steps to address regulatory concerns, these government officials have significant discretion in the application and enforcement of laws and regulations. As a result, our business and the value of our company remain vulnerable to Chinese government scrutiny, whether or not initiated by third parties, which scrutiny could result in changes to our business and/or the Chinese or Hong Kong government taking action against us.

On May 29, 2026, Chinas State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released for public comment a draft revision to Chinas Regulations on the Prohibition of Pyramid Selling (the Draft Revision), with the public comment period having closed on June 28, 2026. The Draft Revision appears designed to significantly strengthen Chinas anti-pyramid-selling enforcement framework, with notable provisions addressing: (i) online pyramid-selling activity, including internet-based distribution models subject to heightened scrutiny; (ii) internet platform responsibilities, with online platforms potentially facing affirmative compliance obligations, monitoring duties, or direct liability exposure; (iii) enhanced interagency coordination among SAMR, public security authorities, telecommunications regulators, and other agencies; (iv) fund monitoring of payment flows associated with pyramid-selling activity; and (v) significantly increased monetary penalties and expanded personal liability for individuals determined to be responsible for pyramid-selling violations.

The Draft Revision does not indicate that China has reopened or accelerated the grant of new direct selling licenses or plans to change the regulatory framework for direct selling. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to obtain a Chinese direct selling license in the future or that the licensing regime will be modified in a manner beneficial to our business. The Draft Revision may undergo further revision before final rules, if any, are adopted. Even in draft form, the Draft Revision signals that Chinese regulators intend to apply increasing scrutiny to online and network-based distribution models, and the proposed changes may be implemented in a manner that is ultimately adverse to businesses that operate without a Chinese direct selling license and rely on distributor or network-based sales models. Any adoption of the Draft Revision, or of regulations similar to it, could result in increased compliance costs, penalties, required cessation of certain activities, or other adverse consequences for our business, results of operations, and financial condition, and could expose our officers, directors or other personnel operating in or in relation to China to personal regulatory risk.

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Various other factors could harm our business in Hong Kong and China, such as worsening economic conditions in Hong Kong or China, adverse developments relating to the industry in which we conduct our business, adverse local publicity, negative changes to our business and/or social media coverage, geopolitical or trade tensions between the United States and China or other events that may be out of our control. For example, in 2019 the Chinese government announced a 100-day campaign focusing on companies involved in the sale of food, equipment, daily necessities, small home electrical appliances and services that are claimed to promote health. The Chinese government ministries in charge of this campaign indicated that they were targeting illegal practices in the industry, particularly the manufacture and sale of counterfeit and substandard products, and false advertising and misleading claims as to the health benefits of products and services. It is understood that the campaign was specifically focused on the business practices of direct selling companies. As a result, we and some of our peers voluntarily decided to temporarily suspend our member activities, such as product roadshows, product trainings and larger company-sponsored events, in China. We did this because we learned that the campaign was announced in broad outlines by the central government, and the interpretation and enforcement of the campaign was delegated to the provincial and local governments. We consider it a top priority for our business to develop an understanding of and cooperate with all levels and jurisdictions of the government agencies and did not want to run the risk of being inadvertently entangled in the government enforcement actions as the provincial and local government formulated and implemented their interpretive guidance and rule-making. It may again in the future be necessary or advisable to suspend member activities or take similar actions, and the resulting periods of reduced activity may have a material adverse effect on our business.

Although we attempt to work closely with both national and local Chinese governmental agencies in conducting our business, our efforts to comply with national and local laws may be harmed by a rapidly evolving regulatory climate, concerns about activities resembling violations of direct selling, pyramid selling or multi-level marketing legislation, subjective interpretations of laws and regulations, and activities by individual members that may violate laws notwithstanding our policies prohibiting such activities.

The legal and regulatory environment in China applicable to direct selling, e-commerce and distributor-based business models continues to evolve rapidly and with limited public notice. Enforcement of existing regulations is uneven, and interpretations may also change without formal rulemaking. We may not become aware of regulatory changes or enforcement actions until they have already materially affected our operations. The costs of compliance with additional regulatory requirements, or the consequences of non-compliance, could be significant, and we cannot predict the timing, scope, or ultimate effect of the regulatory changes described above. Any determination that our operations or activities, or the activities of our individual members, employee sales representatives, or importers of record are not in compliance with applicable laws and regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines, extended interruptions of business, restrictions on our future ability to obtain business licenses or expand into new locations, changes to our business model, the termination of required licenses to conduct business, or other actions, any of which could materially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.