Item 1A. Risk Factors.
We are a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are not required to provide the information under this item. We reserve the right not to provide risk factors in our future filings.
An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding to purchase, hold, or sell our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below in addition to the cautionary statements and risks described elsewhere in this Annual Report and in our other filings with the SEC, including our registration statements and reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of these known or unknown risks or uncertainties actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows could be seriously harmed. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, resulting in a loss of all or part of your investment.
RISKS RELATD TO OUR BUSINESS
OUR INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS HAVE ISSUED A GOING CONCERN OPINION AND IF WE CANNOT OBTAIN ADDITIONAL FINANCING AND/OR REDUCE OUR OPERATING COSTS SUFFICIENTLY, WE MAY HAVE TO CURTAIL OPERATIONS AND MAY ULTIMATELY CEASE TO EXIST.
The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates continuity of operations, realization of assets and liquidation of liabilities in the normal course of business. The Company had a total stockholder’s equity of $2,938,502 and a deficit working capital of $3,240,008 and an accumulated deficit of $27,443,231 as of December 31, 2024, and used $3,560,950 in net cash from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024.
For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, our company reported a net loss of $4,416,319 compared to a net loss of $5,782,666 for the year 2023. The reduction in net loss for 2024 is primarily attributed to several key factors, including our strategic expansion into higher-margin waste-to-energy business unit, also a reduction in interest and financing fees compared to the previous year. Despite the persistently high interest rates, we are actively exploring more cost-effective financing options moving forward.
Although our financial statements have been prepared under the assumption that we would continue our operations as a going concern, there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, based on our financial statements and results of operations at that time. Specifically, as noted above, we have experienced losses from operations and negative cash flows from operating activities. Although our audited financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, were prepared under the assumption that we would continue our operations as a going concern, the report of our independent registered public accounting firm that accompanies our financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, contains a going concern qualification in which such firm expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, based on our financial statements and results at that time.
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. These prior losses and expected future losses have had, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on our financial condition. In addition, continued operations and our ability to continue as a going concern may be dependent on our ability to obtain additional financing in the near future and thereafter, and there are no assurances that such financing will be available to us at all or will be available in sufficient amounts or on reasonable terms. Our financial statements do not include any adjustments that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty. If we are unable to generate additional funds in the future through sales of our products, financings or from other sources or transactions, we will exhaust our resources and will be unable to continue operations. If we cannot continue as a going concern, our shareholders would likely lose most or all of their investment in us.
WE HAVE AN ACCUMULATED DEFICIT AND MAY INCUR ADDITIONAL LOSSES; THEREFORE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO OBTAIN THE ADDITIONAL FINANCING NEEDED FOR WORKING CAPITAL, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES AND TO MEET OUR DEBT SERVICE OBLIGATIONS.
As of December 31, 2024, we had current liabilities of $6,438,099 and total current assets of $3,198,091.
Our debt could limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, or other purposes in the future, as needed; to plan for, or react to, changes in technology and in our business and competition; and to react in the event of an economic downturn.
We may not be able to meet our debt service obligations. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow or obtain funds for required payments, or if we fail to comply with covenants in our revolving lines of credit, we will be in default.
WE MAY ONCE AGAIN IN THE FUTURE RELY ON CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS TO OBTAIN CONTROL OF A VIE, WHICH MAY NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE IN PROVIDING OPERATIONAL CONTROL AS DIRECT OWNERSHIP.
On January 1, 2023, we entered into the CAA with SSET and Xiangyueheng, two other shareholders of Shuya, wherein the three parties agreed to vote in unison at the shareholders’ meeting of Shuya to consolidate the controlling position of the three parties in Shuya. We relied on such contractual arrangement to gain effective control of Shuya and consolidated Shuya into our consolidated financial statements effective on or after January 1, 2023. After the termination of such contractual arrangements on January 1, 2024, we no longer consolidate Shuya into our consolidated financial statements. See “ Prospectus Summary – Corporate Information ” for details. However, in the event that we once again employ a similar VIE structure in the future, you should be aware that a controlling financial interest through contractual arrangements is not considered as equal to equity interest and this structure involves unique risks to investors. If we had more than 50% equity ownership of the VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIE, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the contractual arrangement, we relied on the performance by the other external parties of their obligations under the contract to exercise control over the VIE. The other parties may not perform their obligations under the contract. All of such contractual arrangements are governed by and interpreted in accordance with PRC laws, and arising from these contractual arrangements will be resolved through arbitration or in the PRC. However, the legal system in the PRC is not as developed as in other jurisdictions, such as the United States. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the outcome of arbitration or . These uncertainties could limit our ability to enforce the contractual arrangement. In the event we are to enforce the terms of contractual arrangement or we experience significant or other in the process of enforcing such agreement, we may not be to exert control over the VIE and may control over the assets owned by the VIE. Our financial performance may be materially and affected as a result and we may not be eligible to consolidate the financial results of the VIE into our consolidated financial results.
WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH NASDAQ’S MINIMUM BID PRICE LISTING REQUIREMENT OR NASDAQ’S ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER MEETING LISTING REQUIREMENT; IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO REGAIN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE TIME PERIODS PERMITTED BY NASDAQ, OUR COMMON STOCK MAY BE DELISTED, WHICH WOULD LIKELY IMPAIR OUR ABILITY TO RAISE CAPITAL AND COULD CONSTITUTE AN EVENT OF DEFAULT UNDER OUR OUTSTANDING PROMISSORY NOTES.
On November 5, 2024, the Company received a written notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) indicating that the Company was not in compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”). The Nasdaq listing rules require listed securities to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share, and, based upon the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock for the prior 30 consecutive business days, the Company no longer met this requirement. The Nasdaq rules provided the Company a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of the notice (or until May 5, 2025) in which to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement.
On January 8, 2025, the Company received a written notice from Nasdaq indicating that the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq’s annual shareholder meeting requirement as set forth in Listing Rules 5620(a) and 5810(c)(2)(G) (the “Annual Shareholder Meeting Requirement”). The Nasdaq listing rules require the Company to have an annual meeting of shareholders within twelve months of the end of the Company’s fiscal year end, and the Company has not had an annual meeting within twelve months of the Company’s 2023 fiscal year end as required. The Nasdaq rules provided the Company 45 calendar days to submit a plan to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholder Meeting Requirement. The Company submitted such plan as required, and on February 27, 2025, Nasdaq provided the Company an extension of until June 3, 2025, to regain compliance with the Annual Shareholder Meeting Requirement.
There is no guarantee that the Company will be able to regain compliance with either the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or the Annual Shareholder Meeting Requirement. If the Company’s common stock ultimately were to be delisted for any reason, including because the Company cannot regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement or the Annual Shareholder Meeting Requirement, it could negatively impact the Company by (i) reducing the liquidity and market price of the Company’s common stock; (ii) reducing the number of investors willing to hold or acquire the Company’s common stock, which could negatively impact the Company’s ability to raise equity financing; (iii) limiting the Company’s ability to use a registration statement to offer and sell freely tradable securities, thereby preventing the Company from accessing the public capital markets; and (iv) impairing the Company’s ability to provide equity incentives to its employees. Additionally, delisting of the Company’s common stock from the Nasdaq Capital Market could constitute an event of under its outstanding convertible promissory notes, resulting in those notes becoming immediately due and payable, and resulting in being applied to those notes.
OUR BUSINESS, RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION MAY BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY PUBLIC HEALTH EPIDEMICS.
Our business, results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected if a public health epidemic such as COVID-19 interferes with the ability of us, our employees, workers, contractors, suppliers, customers and other business partners to perform our and their respective responsibilities and obligations relative to the conduct of our business. We maintain offices in various countries throughout the world with employees and workers upon whom we rely to, among other things, identify sources of supply, conduct factory inspections, place orders for merchandise, perform factory monitoring with respect to production, quality control and other requirements, and arrange shipping. A public health epidemic, like the coronavirus, poses the risk that we or our employees, workers, contractors, suppliers, customers and other business partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time, including due to shutdowns that may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities. We face similar risks if a public health epidemic affects other geographic areas where our employees, workers, contractors, suppliers, customers and other business partners are located.
IF DEMAND FOR THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT THE COMPANY OFFERS SLOWS, OUR BUSINESS WOULD BE MATERIALLY AFFECTED.
Demand for products which it intends to sell depends on many factors, including:
the economy, and in periods of rapidly declining economic conditions, customers may defer purchases or may choose alternate products;
the cost of oil, gas and solar energy;
the competitive environment in the heat to power sectors may force us to reduce prices below our desired pricing level or increase promotional spending;
our ability to maintain efficient, timely and cost-effective production and delivery of the products and services; and,
All of these factors could result in immediate and longer term declines in the demand for the products and services that we offer, which could adversely affect our sales, cash flows and overall financial condition.
WE OPERATE IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKET. IF WE DO NOT COMPETE EFFECTIVELY, OUR PROSPECTS, OPERATING RESULTS, AND FINANCIAL CONDITION COULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.
The markets for our products and services are highly competitive, with companies offering a variety of competitive products and services. We expect competition in our markets to intensify in the future as new and existing competitors introduce new or enhanced products and services that are potentially more competitive than our products and services. We believe many of our competitors and potential competitors have significant competitive advantages, including longer operating histories, ability to leverage their sales efforts and marketing expenditures across a broader portfolio of products and services, larger and broader customer bases, more established relationships with a larger number of suppliers, contract manufacturers, and channel partners, greater brand recognition, and greater financial, research and development, marketing, distribution, and other resources than we do and the ability to offer financing for projects. Our competitors and potential competitors may also be able to develop products or services that are equal or superior to ours, achieve greater market acceptance of their products and services, and increase sales by utilizing different distribution channels than we do. Some of our competitors may aggressively discount their products and services in order to market share, which could result in pricing pressures, reduced profit margins, market share, or a to grow market share for us. If we are not to compete effectively our current or potential competitors, our prospects, operating results, and financial condition could be affected.
WE MAY LOSE OUT TO LARGER AND BETTER-ESTABLISHED COMPETITORS.
The alternative power industry is intensely competitive. Most of our competitors have significantly greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources as well as greater experience in the industry than we have. Our products may not be competitive with other technologies, both existing at the current time and in the future. If this happens, our sales and revenues will decline, or fail to develop at all. In addition, our current and potential competitors may establish cooperative relationships with larger companies to gain access to greater development or marketing resources. Competition may result in price reductions, reduced gross margins and loss of market share.
OUR INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS SUBJECT US TO RISKS, WHICH COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR OPERATING RESULTS.
Our international operations are exposed to the following risks, several of which are out of our control:
political and economic instability, international terrorism and anti-American sentiment, particularly in emerging markets;
preference for locally branded products, and laws and business practices favoring local competition;
unusual or burdensome foreign laws or regulations, and unexpected changes to those laws or regulations;
|import and export license requirements, tariffs, taxes and other barriers;
costs of customizing products for foreign countries;
increased difficulty in managing inventory;
less effective protection of intellectual property; and
difficulties and costs of staffing and managing foreign operations.
Any or all of these factors could adversely affect our ability to execute any geographic expansion strategies or have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
OUR PRODUCTS MAY BE DISPLACED BY NEWER TECHNOLOGY.
The alternative power industry is undergoing rapid and significant technological change. Third parties may succeed in developing or marketing technologies and products that are more effective than those developed or marketed by us, or that would make our technology obsolete or non-competitive. Accordingly, our success will depend, in part, on our ability to respond quickly to technological changes. We may not have the resources to do this.
WE MUST HIRE QUALIFIED ENGINEERING, DEVELOPMENT AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PERSONNEL.
We cannot be certain that we can attract or retain a sufficient number of highly qualified mechanical engineers, industrial technology and manufacturing process developers and professional services personnel. To deploy our products quickly and efficiently, and effectively maintain and enhance them, we will require an increasing number of technology developers. We expect customers that license our technology will typically engage our professional engineering staff to assist with support, training, consulting and implementation. We believe that growth in sales depends on our ability to provide our customers with these services and to attract and educate third-party consultants to provide similar services. As a result, we plan to hire professional services personnel to meet these needs. New technical and professional services personnel will require training and education and it will take time for them to reach full productivity. To meet our needs for engineers and professional services personnel, we also may use costlier third-party contractors and consultants to supplement our own staff. Competition for qualified personnel is intense, particularly because our technology is specialized and only a limited number of individuals have acquired the needed skills. Additionally, we will rely on third-party implementation providers for these services. Our business may be harmed if we are unable to establish and maintain relationships with third-party implementation providers.
WE MAY BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY SHORTAGES OF REQUIRED COMPONENTS. IN ADDITION, WE DEPEND ON A LIMITED NUMBER OF SUPPLIERS TO PROCURE OUR PARTS FOR PRODUCTION WHICH IF AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS BECOMES COMPROMISED IT COULD ADD TO OUR COST OF GOODS SOLD AND AFFECT OUR REVENUE GROWTH.
At various times, there have been shortages of some of the components that we use, as a result of strong demand for those components or problems experienced by suppliers. These unanticipated component shortages have resulted in curtailed production or delays in production, which prevented us from making scheduled shipments to customers in the past and may do so in the future. Our inability to make scheduled shipments could cause us to experience a reduction in our sales and an increase in our costs and could adversely affect our relationship with existing customers as well as prospective customers. Component shortages may also increase our cost of goods sold because we may be required to pay higher prices for components in short supply and redesign or reconfigure products to accommodate substitute components.
OUR PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS, DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, IN THE AGGREGATE, BENEFICIALLY OWN MORE THAN 50% OF OUR OUTSTANDING COMMON STOCK AND THESE SHAREHOLDERS, IF ACTING TOGETHER, WILL BE ABLE TO EXERT SUBSTANTIAL INFLUENCE OVER ALL MATTERS REQUIRING APPROVAL OF OUR SHAREHOLDERS .
Our principal shareholders, directors and executive officers in the aggregate, beneficially own more than 50% our outstanding common stock on a fully diluted basis as of the date of the filing of this annual report. These shareholders, if acting together, will be able to exert substantial influence over all matters requiring approval of our shareholders, including amendments to our Articles of Incorporation, fundamental corporate transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, the sale of the company, and other matters involving the direction of our business and affairs and specifically the ability to determine the members of our board of directors. (See “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Managements”).
IF WE LOSE KEY SENIOR MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL OUR BUSINESS COULD BE NEGATIVELY AFFECTED. FURTHER, WE WILL NEED TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN ADDITIONAL SKILLED MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AND IF WE ARE NOT ABLE TO DO SO, OUR BUSINESS AND OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO GROW COULD BE HARMED.
Our success depends to a large extent upon the continued services of our executive officers. We could be seriously harmed by the loss of any of our executive officers. In order to manage our growth, we will need to recruit and retain additional skilled management personnel and if we are not able to do so, our business and our ability to continue to grow could be harmed. Although a number of companies in our industry have implemented workforce reductions, there remains substantial competition for highly skilled employees.
WE ARE SUBJECT TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE RISKS AND UNEXPECTED COSTS THAT WE MAY INCUR WITH RESPECT TO ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS MAY RESULT IN ADDITIONAL LOSS CONTINGENCIES, THE QUANTIFICATION OF WHICH CANNOT BE DETERMINED AT THIS TIME.
We are subject to various federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations, including those governing the use, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous substances in the ordinary course of our manufacturing process. If more stringent compliance or cleanup standards under environmental laws or regulations are imposed, or the results of future testing and analyses at our current or former operating facilities indicate that we are responsible for the release of hazardous substances, we may be subject to additional remediation liability. Further, additional environmental matters may arise in the future at sites where no problem is currently known or at sites that we may acquire in the future. Currently unexpected costs that we may incur with respect to environmental matters may result in additional loss contingencies, the quantification of which cannot be determined at this time.
OUR SALES AND CONTRACT FULFILLMENT CYCLES CAN BE LONG, UNPREDICTABLE AND VARY SEASONALLY, WHICH CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT VARIATION IN REVENUES AND PROFITABILITY IN A PARTICULAR QUARTER.
The timing of our sales and related customer contract fulfillment is difficult to predict. Many of our customers are large enterprises, whose purchasing decisions, budget cycles and constraints and evaluation processes are unpredictable and out of our control. Further, the timing of our sales is difficult to predict. The length of our sales cycle, from initial evaluation to payment for our products and services, can range from several months to well over a year and can vary substantially from customer to customer. Our sales efforts involve significant investment in resources in field sales, marketing and educating our customers about the use, technical capabilities and benefits of our products and services. Customers often undertake a prolonged evaluation process. As a result, it is difficult to predict exactly when, or even if, we will make a sale to a potential customer or if we can increase sales to our existing customers. Large individual sales have, in some cases, occurred in quarters subsequent to those we anticipated, or have not occurred at all. In addition, the fulfillment of our customer contracts is partially dependent on other factors related to our customers’ businesses that are not in our control. as with the sales cycle, this can also cause revenues and earnings to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. If our sales and/or contract fulfillment cycles lengthen or our substantial upfront investments do not result in sufficient revenue to justify our investments, our operating results could be affected.
We have experienced seasonal and end-of-quarter concentration of our transactions and variations in the number and size of transactions that close in a particular quarter, which impacts our ability to grow revenue over the long term and plan and manage cash flows and other aspects of our business and cost structure. Our transactions vary by quarter, with the fourth quarter typically being our largest. If expectations for our business turn out to be inaccurate, our revenue growth may be adversely affected over time and we may not be able to adjust our cost structure on a timely basis and our cash flows may suffer.
OUR OPERATING MARGINS MAY DECLINE AS A RESULT OF INCREASING PRODUCT COSTS.
Our business is subject to significant pressure on pricing and costs caused by many factors, including competition, the cost of components used in our products, labor costs, constrained sourcing capacity, inflationary pressure, pressure from customers to reduce the prices we charge for our products and services, and changes in consumer demand. Costs for the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are affected by, among other things, energy prices, consumer demand, fluctuations in commodity prices and currency, and other factors that are generally unpredictable and beyond our control. Increases in the cost of raw materials used to manufacture our products or in the cost of labor and other costs of doing business in the United States and internationally could have an adverse effect on, among other things, the cost of our products, gross margins, operating results, financial condition, and cash flows.
OUR SALES AND PROFITABLITY OF OPERATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN THE PRC ARE DEPENDANT ON THE PRICE OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS.
Our Waste Heat Recovery products and Waste Recovery products are dependent on the prices of traditional energy sources. Our products reuse wasted heat and create electricity or reusable fuel. As the price of energy increases, the economic justification for our products increases. At the same time, as the price for traditional fuel decreases, there is less incentive for customers to purchase our products and it may impair our ability to sell our products.
IF THE SPOT PRICE OF NG IN CHINA DROPS BELIOW THE PURCHASE PRICE OUR TRADERS NETOTIATE WITH OUR SUPPLIERS, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SELL OUR LNG OR MAY HAVE TO SELL IT AT A LOSS.
Our traders at JHJ purchase NG at a fixed price in large volumes. If the spot prices for NG drop below our purchase price, we may not be able to sell our NG to our customers or may have to sell the NG at a substantial loss. We do not purchase a sufficient volume of LNG to be able to hedge against price declines of this commodity. If we believe that NG prices are too high and we are unable to purchase because we believe that prices will drop, we will not have sufficient supply of NG to conduct trading operations until the market pricing returns to a level at which we can conduct operations.
WE MAY NOT HAVE SUFFICENT FUNDS TO CONDUCT OUR TRADING OPERATIONS IN THE PRC.
We are funding our trading operations through cash flow generated by JHJ and from funds provided by our parent. If we or JHJ does not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to conduct trading operations.
OUR WASTE TO ENERGY PRODUCTS FROM ENEX HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED IN THE UNITED STATES AND DEPEND ON DATA OBTAINED FROM OPERATIONS IN THE UKRAINE AND RUSSIA.
ENEX’s HTAP 5 and 10 have not been installed in the United States. In order to commence sales, our purchasers will need to accept data from Russia or the Ukraine that they may not deem reliable. We cannot give any assurances that we will be able to finance the bonds or find an EPC willing to guaranty performance.
THE IMPLEMENTAION OF OUR WASTE TO ENERGY JOINT VENTURES DEPENDS ON US FINDING FUNDING FO THE PROJECTS.
In order to implement the ENEX system in our waste to energy joint ventures, we will need to finance directly or obtain third party financing for these projects. We cannot give any assurances that we will be able to directly finance these projects or be able to find a third party to provide financing to them. If we are not able to finance the projects we will not be able to implement our business plan in this sector.
FLUCTUATIONS IN EXCHANGE RATES COULD HAVE A AN EFFECT ON THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF OUR HONG KONG AND CHINA SUBSIDIARIES.
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 China’s foreign exchange policies. Since June 2010, the Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Renminbi has depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China. This depreciation halted in 2017, and the RMB appreciated approximately 7% against the U.S. dollar during this one-year period. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system, and we cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future which may impact the profitability of our operations in China.
WE MAY NEED TO RAISE ADDITIONAL CAPITAL REQUIRED TO GROW OUR BUSINESS, AND WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RAISE CAPITAL ON TERMS ACCEPTABLE TO US OR AT ALL.
Growing and operating our business will require significant cash outlays and capital expenditures and commitments. We have utilized cash on hand and cash generated from operations as sources of liquidity. If cash on hand and cash generated from operations are not sufficient to meet our cash requirements, we will need to seek additional capital, potentially through equity or debt financing, to fund our growth. Our ability to access the credit and capital markets in the future as a source of liquidity, and the borrowing costs associated with such financing, are dependent upon market conditions.
In addition, any equity securities we issue, including any preferred stock, may be on terms that are dilutive or potentially dilutive to our stockholders, and the prices at which new investors would be willing to purchase our securities may be lower than the offering price per share of our Common Stock. The holders of any equity securities we issue, including any preferred stock, may also have rights, preferences or privileges which are senior to those of existing holders of Common Stock. If new sources of financing are required, but are insufficient or unavailable, we will be required to modify our growth and operating plans based on available funding, if any, which would harm our ability to grow our business.
NATURAL DISASTERS AND OTHER CATASTROPHIC EVENTS BEYOND OUR CONTROL COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE.
The occurrence of one or more natural disasters, such as fires, hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, floods and earthquakes; geo-political events, such as civil unrest in a country in which our suppliers are located or terrorist or military activities disrupting transportation, communication or utility systems; or other highly disruptive events, such as nuclear accidents, pandemics, unusual weather conditions or cyber-attacks, could adversely affect our operations and financial performance. Such events could result, among other things, in operational disruptions, physical damage to or destruction or disruption of one or more of our properties or properties used by third parties in connection with the supply of products or services to us, the lack of an adequate workforce in parts or all of our operations and communications and transportation disruptions. These factors could also cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease or result in increased in the United States and global financial markets and economy. Such occurrences could have a material effect on us and could also have indirect consequences such as increases in the costs of insurance if they result in significant of property or other insurable .
WE HAVE ISSUED A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES WHICH IF CONVERTED WILL SUBSTANTIALLY DILUTE ALL OF OUR STOCKHOLDERS.
We have issued a substantial number of convertible securities which, if converted, would result in substantial dilution to our stockholders. We also have outstanding other convertible securities, including shares of preferred stock, warrants and other equity instruments convertible into shares of common stock. As of December 31, 2024, these convertible securities include the following:
Convertible Notes - and Approximate common share equivalents
Series E preferred shares
Warrants and Common Stock equivalent’s
Total Convertible Common Stock equivalents
OUR ISSUANCE OF ADDITIONAL CAPITAL STOCK IN CONNECTION WITH FINANCINGS, ACQUISITIONS, INVESTMENTS, OUR EQUITY INCENTIVE PLANS, OR OTHERWISE WILL DILUTE ALL OTHER STOCKHOLDERS.
We expect to issue additional capital stock in the future that will result in dilution to all other stockholders. We expect to grant equity awards to employees, directors, and consultants under our equity incentive plans. We may also raise capital through equity financings in the future. As part of our business strategy, we may acquire or make investments in complementary companies, products, or technologies, and issue equity securities to pay for any such acquisition or investment. Any such issuances of additional capital stock may cause stockholders to experience significant dilution of their ownership interests and the per share value of our common stock to decline.
WE MAY MAKE ACQUISITIONS THAT ARE DILUTIVE TO EXISTING STOCKHOLDERS. IN ADDITION, OUR LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN ACQUIRING OTHER BUSINESSES, PRODUCT LINES AND TECHNOLOGIES MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO OVERCOME PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY ACQUISITIONS WE MAY UNDERTAKE.
We intend to evaluate and explore strategic opportunities as they arise, including business combinations, strategic partnerships, and the purchase, licensing or sale of assets. In connection with any such future transaction, we could issue dilutive equity securities, incur substantial debt, reduce our cash reserves or assume contingent liabilities.
Our experience in acquiring other businesses, product lines and technologies is limited. Our inability to overcome problems encountered in connection with any acquisitions could divert the attention of management, utilize scarce corporate resources and otherwise harm our business. Any potential future acquisitions also involve numerous risks, including:
problems assimilating the purchased operations, technologies or products;
costs associated with the acquisition;
adverse effects on existing business relationships with suppliers and customers;
risks associated with entering markets in which we have no or limited prior experience;
potential loss of key employees of purchased organizations; and
potential litigation arising from the acquired company’s operations before the acquisition.
Furthermore, acquisitions may require material charges and could result in adverse tax consequences, substantial depreciation, deferred compensation charges, in-process research and development charges, the amortization of amounts related to deferred compensation and identifiable purchased intangible assets or impairment of goodwill, any of which could negatively affect our results of operations.
WE MAY BE SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENT LAWS AND REGULATIONS PARTICULAR TO OUR OPERATIONS WITH WHICH WE MAY BE UNABLE TO COMPLY.
We may not be able to comply with all current and future government regulations which are applicable to our business. Our business operations are subject to all government regulations normally incident to conducting business (e.g., occupational safety and health acts, workmen’s compensation statutes, unemployment insurance legislation, income tax, and social security laws and regulations, environmental laws and regulations, consumer safety laws and regulations, etc.) as well as to governmental laws and regulations applicable to small public companies and their capital formation efforts. Although we will make every effort to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we can provide no assurance of our ability to do so, nor can we predict the effect of those regulations on our proposed business activities. Our failure to comply with material regulatory requirements would likely have an adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business and could result in our cessation of active business operations.
COMPLIANCE WITH CHANGING REGULATION OF CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC DISCLOSURE WILL RESULT IN ADDITIONAL EXPENSES.
Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related SEC regulations, have created uncertainty for public companies and significantly increased the costs and risks associated with accessing the public markets and public reporting. Our management team will need to invest significant management time and financial resources to comply with both existing and evolving standards for public companies, which will lead to increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue generating activities to compliance activities.
OUR REVENUE GROWTH RATE DEPENDS PRIMARILY ON OUR ABILITY TO EXECUTE OUR BUSINESS PLAN.
We may not be able to identify and maintain the necessary relationships within our industry. Our ability to execute our business plan also depends on other factors, including the ability to:
1. Negotiate and maintain contracts and agreements with acceptable terms;
2. Hire and train qualified personnel;
3. Maintain marketing and development costs at affordable rates; and,
4. Maintain an affordable labor force.
WE MAY BE SUBJECT TO SECURITIES LITIGATION, WHICH IS EXPENSIVE AND COULD DIVERT MANAGEMENT ATTENTION.
The market price of the shares of our common stock may be volatile, and in the past companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their securities have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business.
Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which requires us to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share . If our stock trades below this threshold for 30 consecutive trading days , we may receive a non-compliance notice from Nasdaq. Failure to regain compliance within the specified grace period could result in delisting , which may negatively impact our liquidity and ability to raise capital.
Additionally, Nasdaq listing requirements mandate that we hold an annual shareholder meeting to maintain compliance with corporate governance rules. Failure to do so may also result in delisting proceedings . We are actively working to address these issues and remain in good standing with Nasdaq.
CETY faces the risk of Nasdaq delisting due to a price deficiency , meaning its stock price has fallen below the minimum bid requirement. To maintain compliance, the company must regain the required price threshold within the allotted grace period. Additionally, successfully holding an annual shareholder meeting is crucial to meeting Nasdaq’s corporate governance requirements and maintaining its listing status.
CETY faces the risk of Nasdaq delisting due to the Company’s failure to hold an annual meeting within 12 months of the end of the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2023. As a result, as of January 8, 2025, the Company has 45 calendar days, or until February 24, 2025, to submit a plan to Nasdaq to regain compliance.
The Company intends to hold its annual meeting as soon as practicable. In that regard, the Company plans to complete and file its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, on or about by the end of March 2025. Subsequently, the Company plans to file a preliminary proxy on about April 17, 2025 and hold its annual meeting before June 3, 2025. As such, Staff has determined to grant the Company an extension until June 3, 2025, to regain compliance with the Rule.
RISKS RELATED TO DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA
Due to our operations in China, we face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties related to being based in and having significant operations in China, and therefore are subject to risks associated with doing business in China generally. Risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China could result in a material adverse change in our operations in China and/or the value of the securities we are registering for sale, and may 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 be worthless. Such risks and uncertainties include the following:
THERE ARE UNCERTAINTIES REGARDING THE INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF PRC LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS.
The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws, rules 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 investment in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws, rules and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China or may be subject to various degrees of interpretation and discretion by PRC regulatory agencies. In particular, because these laws, rules and regulations are relatively new, and because of the limited number of published decisions and the nonbinding nature of such decisions, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws, rules and regulations involve uncertainties and are not always uniform and predictable. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, 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 which may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until some time after the occurrence of the .
Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have different degrees of discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts we have entered into and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
THE PRC GOVERNMENT EXERTS SUBSTANTIAL INFLUENCE OVER THE MANNER IN WHICH WE CONDUCT OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS. IT MAY INFLUENCE OR INTERVENE IN OUR OPERATIONS AT ANY TIME AS PART OF ITS EFFORTS TO ENFORCE PRC LAW, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A MATERIAL ADVERSE CHANGE IN OUR OPERATIONS AND THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES WE ARE OFFERING.
A portion of our business is conducted in the PRC, and is governed by PRC laws, rules and regulations. The PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we conduct our business, and it may intervene in or influence our operations at any time. The PRC government has recently published new policies that substantially affected certain industries. We cannot rule out the possibility that it will in the future release regulations or policies that directly or indirectly affect our industry or require us to seek additional permission to continue our operations, which could result in a material adverse change in our operation in China and/or the value of our securities. Therefore, investors of our company and our business face potential uncertainty from actions taken by the PRC government affecting our business.
The Chinese government has exerted more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment in China-based issuers. Such actions 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 be worthless. For more details, see “— The approval or record filing of the CSRC, CAC, or other PRC government authorities may be required in connection with our future capital raising activities under the PRC laws .”
A RECENT JOINT STATEMENT BY THE SEC AND THE PCAOB, RULE CHANGES BY NASDAQ, AND THE HOLDING FOREIGN COMPANIES ACCOUNTABLE ACT ALL CALL FOR ADDITIONAL AND MORE STRINGENT CRITERIA TO BE APPLIED TO COMPANIES WITH OPERATIONS IN EMERGING MARKETS UPON ASSESSING THE QUALIFICATION OF THEIR AUDITORS, ESPECIALLY THE NON-U.S. AUDITORS WHO ARE NOT INSPECTED BY THE PCAOB. THESE DEVELOPMENTS COULD ADD UNCERTAINTIES TO OUR CONTINUED LISTING OR FUTURE OFFERINGS OF OUR SECURITIES IN THE U.S.
On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or having substantial operations in emerging markets including China. The joint statement emphasized the risks associated with lack of access for the PCAOB to inspect auditors and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets.
On May 18, 2020, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in “Restrictive Market”, (ii) adopt a new requirement relating to the qualification of management or board of directors for Restrictive Market companies, and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.
On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a national exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. On December 18, 2020, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act was signed into law.
On March 24, 2021, the SEC announced the adoption of interim final amendments to implement the submission and disclosure requirements of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. In the announcement, the SEC clarified that before any issuer will have to comply with the interim final amendments, the SEC must implement a process for identifying covered issuers. The announcement also stated that the SEC staff was actively assessing how best to implement the other requirements of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, including the identification process and the trading prohibition requirements.
On June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law, would reduce the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act from three years to two. On December 29, 2022, a legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated Appropriations Act”), was signed into law by President Biden. The Consolidated Appropriations Act contained, among other things, an identical provision to HFCAA, which reduces the number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCAA from three years to two.
On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, whether the board of directors of a company is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction.
On December 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements in the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. The rules apply to registrants that the SEC identifies as having filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by an authority in foreign jurisdictions. The final amendments were effective on January 10, 2022. The SEC began to identify and list Commission-Identified Issuers on its website shortly after registrants began filing their annual reports for 2021.
On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB announced the PCAOB Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act determinations (the “PCAOB determinations”) relating to the PCAOB’s inability to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in China of the PRC or Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region and dependency of the PRC, because of a position taken by one or more authorities in the PRC or Hong Kong.
On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol with the CSRC and the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in China and Hong Kong.
On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced in the 2022 Determination its determination that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, and the PCAOB Board voted to vacate previous determinations to the contrary.
Should the PCAOB again encounter impediments to inspections and investigations in mainland China or Hong Kong as a result of positions taken by any authority in either jurisdiction, including by the CSRC or the MOF, the PCAOB will make determinations under the HFCAA as and when appropriate. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in PRC makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of PRC that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause investors and potential investors in our Common stock to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.
Our auditor, TAAD LLP, is headquartered in the United States, and, as a PCAOB-registered public accounting firm, it is required to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with the laws of the U.S. and professional standards. TAAD LLP has been subject to PCAOB inspections and is not among the PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in the PRC or Hong Kong that are subject to the PCAOB’s determination of having been unable to inspect or investigate completely. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if it is later determined that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate our auditor completely, if there is any regulatory change or step taken by PRC regulators that does not permit our auditor to provide audit documentations located in China or Hong Kong to the PCAOB for inspection or investigation, or the PCAOB expands the scope of the Determination so that we are subject to the HFCAA, as the same may be amended, our common stock may be delisted from or prohibited from trading on a national securities exchange, including the Nasdaq, the exchange on which our common stock is currently listed.
The recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us. Furthermore, the Consolidated Appropriations Act reduces the period for foreign companies to comply with PCAOB audits to two consecutive years instead of three, thus reducing the time period for triggering the prohibition on trading, and this ultimately could result in our common stock being delisted by an exchange.
THE APPROVAL OR RECORD FILING OF THE CSRC, CAC, OR OTHER PRC GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES MAY BE REQUIRED IN CONNECTION WITH OUR FUTURE CAPITAL RAISING ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PRC LAWS.
Recent statements by the Chinese government have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in PRC based issuers. The PRC has recently promulgated new rules that require companies collecting or holding large amounts of data to undergo a cybersecurity review prior to listing in foreign countries, a move that will significantly tighten oversight over PRC-based internet giants. The Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2021 version) was promulgated on December 28, 2021 and became effective on February 15, 2022. These measures specify that any “online platform operators” controlling the personal information of more than one million users which seek to list on a foreign stock exchange are subject to prior cybersecurity review.
On November 14, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) published the Draft Regulations on the Network Data Security Administration (Draft for Comments) (the “Security Administration Draft”), which provides that data processing operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to cybersecurity review by the relevant Cyberspace Administration of the PRC. According to the Security Administration Draft, data processing operators shall apply for a cybersecurity review by the relevant Cyberspace Administration of the PRC under certain circumstances, such as (i) mergers, restructurings, and divisions of Internet platform operators that hold large amount of data relating to national security, economic development, or public interest which affects or may affect the national security, (ii) overseas listings of data processors that process personal data for more than one million individuals, (iii) Hong Kong listings of data processors that affect or may affect national security, and (iv) other data processing activities that affect or may affect the national security. The deadline for public comments on the Security Administration Draft was December 13, 2021.
The PRC Data Security Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (the “SCNPC”) on June 10, 2021 and took effect on September 1, 2021, requires data collection to be conducted in a legitimate and proper manner, and stipulates that, for the purpose of data protection, data processing activities must be conducted based on data classification and hierarchical protection system for data security.
On August 20, 2021, the SCNPC promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China, or the Personal Information Protection Law, which integrates the scattered rules with respect to personal information rights and privacy protection and took effect on November 1, 2021.
Our business in China does not involve the collection of user data, implicate cybersecurity, or involve any other type of restricted industry. Based on our understanding of currently applicable PRC laws and regulations, our registered public offering in the U.S. is not subject to the review or prior approval of the CAC. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not received any notice from any authorities identifying the operating entities as CIIOs or requiring us to go through cybersecurity review or network data security review by the CAC. Uncertainties still exist, however, due to the possibility that laws, regulations, or policies in the PRC could change rapidly in the future. Any future action by the PRC government expanding the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CAC could significantly limit our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
On February 17, 2023, the CSRC released Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies with five interpretive guidelines (the “Trial Measures”), which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, a PRC domestic company that seeks to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in direct or indirect overseas offering, shall fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC and report relevant information to the CSRC. Direct overseas offering and listing by domestic companies refers to such overseas offering and listing by a joint-stock company incorporated domestically. Any overseas offering and listing made by an issuer that meets both the following conditions will be deemed an indirect offering and listing in an overseas market and, therefore, be subject to filing requirement: (i) 50% or more of the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements for the most recent accounting year is accounted for by domestic companies; and (ii) the main parts of the issuer’s business activities are conducted in the Mainland China, or its main places of business are located in the Mainland China, or the senior managers in charge of its business operation and management are mostly Chinese citizens or domiciled in the Mainland China. The determination as to whether or not an overseas offering and listing by domestic companies is indirect shall be made on substance over form basis. If we ever are required by the CSRC to submit and complete the filing procedures for our future offerings of our securities, we cannot you that we will be to complete such filings in a timely manner, or even at all, which could significantly limit or completely our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly or become . Any by us to comply with such filing requirements under the Trial Measures may result in rectification, , and a fine between RMB 1 million and RMB 10 million on our PRC Subsidiaries or Shuya, which could and materially affect our business operations and financial outlook and could cause the value of our common stock to significantly or, in extreme cases, become .
On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, together with other PRC government authorities, released the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions”), which come into effect on March 31, 2023. The Confidentiality and Archives Administration Provisions require, among others, that PRC domestic enterprises seeking to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either directly or indirectly, shall establish the confidentiality and archives system, and shall complete approval and filing procedures with competent authorities, if such PRC domestic enterprises or their overseas listing entities provide or publicly disclose documents or materials involving state secrets and work secrets of PRC government agencies to relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, overseas regulatory agencies and other entities and individuals. It further stipulates that providing or publicly disclosing documents and materials which may adversely affect national security or public interests, and accounting files or copies of important preservation value to the state and society shall be subject to corresponding procedures in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. As of the date of this Annual Report, we are not subject to the approval to the competent authorities since we do not possess any documents or materials involving state secrets and work secrets of PRC government agencies.
We have been closely monitoring regulatory developments in the PRC regarding any necessary approvals from the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities required for overseas listings. However, there remains significant uncertainty as to the enactment, interpretation and implementation of regulatory requirements related to overseas securities offerings and other capital markets activities, which could materially and adversely impact our business and financial outlook and may impact our ability to accept foreign investments, or continue to list on a U.S. or other foreign exchange.
CHINA’S ANTI-MONOPOLY LAW, M&A RULES AND CERTAIN OTHER PRC LAWS AND REGULATIONS ALSO ESTABLISH COMPLEX PROCEDURES FOR ACQUISITIONS CONDUCTED BY FOREIGN INVESTORS THAT COULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR US TO GROW THROUGH ACQUISITIONS IN CHINA.
A number of regulations also established additional procedures and requirements that are expected to make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex. For example, the M&A rules require that the Ministry of Commerce, or the MOFCOM, be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise if (i) any important industry is concerned, (ii) such transaction involves factors that have or may have impact on the national economic security, or (iii) such transaction will lead to a change in control of a domestic enterprise which holds a famous trademark or PRC time-honored brand.
The approval from the MOFCOM shall be obtained in circumstances where overseas companies established or controlled by PRC enterprises or residents acquire affiliated domestic companies. Mergers, acquisitions or contractual arrangements that allow one market player to take control of or to exert decisive impact on another market player must also be notified in advance to the anti-monopoly authority under the State Council when the threshold under the Provisions on Thresholds for Prior Notification of Concentrations of Undertakings, or the Prior Notification Rules, issued by the State Council in August 2008 and amended in September 2018, is triggered. In addition, the Rules of the Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System of Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the Security Review Rule issued by the MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement.
Furthermore, on December 19, 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, and MOFCOM promulgated the Measures for Security Review of Foreign Investment, or the Foreign Investment Security Review Measures, which took effect on January 18, 2021. Under the Foreign Investment Security Review Measures, investment in certain key areas which results in acquiring the actual control of the assets is required to obtain approval from designated governmental authorities in advance. We may grow our business in part by acquiring other companies operating in our industry. Complying with the requirements of the new regulations to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including approval from the MOFCOM, the State Administration for Industry and Commerce and other governmental authorities, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share. It is unclear whether our business would be deemed to be in an industry that raises “national defense and security” or “national security” concerns. However, MOFCOM or other government agencies may publish explanations in the future determining that our business is in an industry subject to the security review, in which case our future acquisitions in China may be closely scrutinized or prohibited. Our ability to expand our business or maintain or expand our market share through future acquisitions would as such be materially and affected.
OUR PRC SUBSIDIARIES AND SHUYA ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON PAYING DIVIDENDS OR MAKING OTHER PAYMENTS TO US, WHICH MAY RESTRICT OUR ABILITY TO SATISFY OUR LIQUIDITY REQUIREMENTS IN THE FUTURE.
We may need dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC Subsidiaries or Shuya to satisfy our liquidity requirements. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC Subsidiaries and Shuya to pay dividends to their respective shareholders only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, such companies are required to set aside at least 10% of their accumulated profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of its registered capital. Our PRC Subsidiaries or Shuya may also, at the respective subsidiary’s discretion, allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on its articles of association and PRC accounting standards to certain reserve funds. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. Furthermore, if our PRC Subsidiaries or Shuya 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. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC Subsidiaries or Shuya to distribute dividends or to make payments to us may restrict our ability to satisfy our future liquidity requirements.
In addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable to dividends payable by PRC companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC-resident enterprises are incorporated. If we are deemed by the PRC tax authorities as a PRC tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our non-PRC resident shareholders may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result, may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10.0%. Pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC entity. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply and certain requirements must be satisfied, including, without limitation, that (a) the Hong Kong entity must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong entity must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the PRC entity during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In practice, a Hong Kong entity must obtain a tax resident certificate from the Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot be certain that we will be to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority and the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to any dividends to be paid by our subsidiaries in mainland China to our Hong Kong subsidiary, Clean Energy Technologies (H.K.) Limited.
We can give no assurance that we will declare dividends of any amounts, at any rate or at all in the future. The declaration of future dividends, if any, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements, general financial conditions, legal and contractual restrictions and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
PRC REGULATION OF LOANS TO AND DIRECT INVESTMENT IN PRC ENTITIES BY OFFSHORE HOLDING COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL OF CURRENCY CONVERSION MAY DELAY OR PREVENT US FROM MAKING LOANS OR ADDITIONAL CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR PRC SUBSIDIARIES OR SHUYA.
We are a U.S. based company conducting a portion of our operations in China. We may make loans to our PRC subsidiaries or Shuya subject to the approval, registration, and filing with governmental authorities and limitation of amount, or we may make additional capital contributions to our subsidiaries in China and Hong Kong. Any loans to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in mainland China, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, are subject to foreign exchange loan registrations. In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals or filings on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans by us to our PRC Subsidiaries and Shuya or with respect to future capital contributions by us to our PRC Subsidiaries and Shuya. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds from securities offering and to capitalize or otherwise fund our Chinese operations may be negatively affected.
FLUCTUATIONS IN EXCHANGE RATES COULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE RESULTS OF OPERATIONS OF OUR PRC SUBSIDIARIES AND SHUYA.
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 China’s foreign exchange policies. Since June 2010, the Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system, and we cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future which may impact the profitability of our operations in China.
