CBAT CBAK Energy Technology Inc

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS

Our business operations have been and may continue to be materially and adversely affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by COVID-19 emerged in late 2019 and has spread within the PRC and globally. The coronavirus is considered to be highly contagious and poses a serious public health threat. The World Health Organization labeled the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, 2020, given its threat beyond a public health emergency of international concern the organization had declared on January 30, 2020.

Any outbreak of health epidemics or other outbreaks of diseases in the PRC or elsewhere in the world may materially and adversely affect the global economy, our markets and our business. In the first quarter of 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak has caused disruptions in our manufacturing operations and temporary closure of our offices. The disruption in the procurement, manufacturing and assembly process within our production facilities has resulted in delays in the shipment of our products to customers, increased costs and reduced revenue. As of the date of this annual report, we have fully resumed operations.

As the coronavirus epidemic expands globally, the world economy is suffering a noticeable slowdown. If this outbreak persists, commercial activities throughout the world could be curtailed with decreased consumer spending, business operation disruptions, interrupted supply chain, difficulties in travel, and reduced workforces. The duration and intensity of disruptions resulting from the coronavirus outbreak is uncertain. It is unclear as to when the outbreak will be contained, and we also cannot predict if the impact will be short-lived or long-lasting. The extent to which the coronavirus impacts our financial results will depend on its future developments. If the outbreak of the coronavirus is not effectively controlled in a short period of time, our business operation and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected as a result of any slowdown in economic growth, operation disruptions or other factors that we cannot predict.

Our failure to timely complete the construction of our Dalian facility and commence its full commercial operations could negatively affect our business operations.

We are currently constructing our Dalian facility and we have relocated most of the operating assets, including machinery and equipment, as well as the customers, employees, patents and technologies from BAK Tianjin to the Dalian facility. We have completed the construction of two plants of the Dalian facility and their commercial operation began in July 2015. We are currently constructing two more plants and have completed their civil work and the product lines are expected to be completed by September 2025, but we cannot give assurance that the construction will be completed as scheduled or, without cost overrun. Even if the construction is completed on a timely basis, we cannot give assurance that the full commercial operation can begin as we expected. In addition, we may not be able to attract a sufficient number of skilled workers to meet the needs of the new facility. If we experience delays in construction or commencement of the full commercial operations, increased costs or lack of skilled labor, or other unforeseen events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted. Operating results could also be unfavorably impacted by start-up costs until production at the new facility reaches planned levels.

Our independent auditors have expressed substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern

Our independent auditors have added an explanatory paragraph to their audit opinion issued in connection with our financial statements included in this report which states that the financial statements were prepared assuming that we would continue as a going concern. As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements included with this report, we had a working capital deficiency, accumulated deficit from recurring losses and short-term debt obligations as of December 31, 2019. These conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As disclosed under Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, we had a working capital deficiency, accumulated deficit from recurring net losses and short-term debt obligations as of December 31, 2019. These factors raise substantial doubts about our ability to continue as a going concern. In June and July 2016, we obtained advances with an aggregate amount of $5.5 million from potential investors and converted these loans to common stock in August 2016. In February 2017, we signed a letter of understanding with each of eight individual investors whereby these investors agreed in principle to subscribe for new shares of our common stock totaling $10 million. In May 2017, we entered into a securities purchase agreement with these investors to issue stock with an aggregate amount of $9.6 million. In June 2017, we issued the shares to the investors. In July 2019, we issued a promissory note which has an original principal amount of $1,395,000 to Atlas Sciences, LLC (the “Lender”). In December 2019, we issued another promissory note which has an original principal amount of $1,670,000 to the Lender. As of December 31, 2019, we had unutilized committed banking facilities of $4.7 million. We plan to renew our bank borrowings upon maturity and raise additional funds through bank borrowings and equity financing in the future to meet our daily cash demands. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining the financing. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

We rely on a few battery suppliers to fulfill our customers’ orders. If we fail to effectively manage our relationships with, or lose the services of these suppliers and we cannot substitute suitable alternative suppliers, our operations would be materially adversely affected.

Before the production at our Dalian facility can completely fulfill our customers’ orders, we expect to continue to generate part of our revenues by outsourcing our customers’ orders to BAK Shenzhen and a few other suppliers. If our business relationship with BAK Shenzhen and other suppliers changes negatively or their financial condition deteriorates, or their operating environment changes, our business may be harmed in many ways. BAK Shenzhen and other suppliers may unilaterally terminate battery supply to us or increase the prices. As a result, we are not assured of an uninterrupted supply of high power lithium batteries of acceptable quality or at acceptable prices from BAK Shenzhen and other suppliers. We may not be able to substitute suitable alternative contract manufacturers in a timely manner on commercially acceptable term or at all. We may be forced to default on the agreements with our customers. This may negatively impact our revenues and adversely affect our reputation and relationships with our customers, causing a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our business depends on the growth in demand for electric vehicles, light electric vehicles, electric tools, energy storage, UPS, and other high-power electric devices.

As the demand for our products is directly related to the market demand for high-power electric devices, a fast growing high-power electric devices market will be critical to the success of our business. In anticipation of an expected increase in the demand for high-power electric devices such as electric vehicles, light electric vehicles, electric tools, energy storage and UPS in the next few years, we have built our Dalian manufacturing facilities. However, the markets we have targeted, primarily those in the PRC, may not achieve the level of growth we expect. If this market fails to achieve our expected level of growth, we may have excess production capacity and may not be able to generate enough revenue to obtain our profitability.

If we cannot continue to develop new products in a timely manner, and at favorable margins, we may not be able to compete effectively.

The battery industry has been notable for the pace of innovations in product life, product design and applied technology. We and our competitors have made, and continue to make, investments in research and development with the goal of further innovation. The successful development and introduction of new products and line extensions face the uncertainty of customer acceptance and reaction from competitors, as well as the possibility of cannibalization of sales of our existing products. In addition, our ability to create new products and line extensions and to sustain existing products is affected by whether we can:

The failure to develop and launch successful new products could hinder the growth of our business and any delay in the development or launch of a new product could also compromise our competitive position. If competitors introduce new or enhanced products that significantly outperform ours, or if they develop or apply manufacturing technology which permits them to manufacture at a significantly lower cost relative to ours, we may be unable to compete successfully in the market segments affected by these changes.

Our efforts to develop products for new commercial applications could fail.

Although we are involved with developing certain products for new commercial applications, we cannot provide assurance that acceptance of our products will occur due to the highly competitive nature of the business. There are many new product and technology entrants into the marketplace, and we must continually reassess the market segments in which our products can be successful and seek to engage customers in these segments that will adopt our products for use in their products. In addition, these companies must be successful with their products in their markets for us to gain increased business. Increased competition, failure to gain customer acceptance of products, the introduction of competitive technologies or failure of our customers in their markets could have a further adverse effect on our business.

Our future success depends on the success of manufacturers of the end applications that use our products.

As we expand to the battery markets for global electric vehicles, light electric vehicles, electric tools, energy storage, UPS and other high-power electric devices, our future success depends on whether end-application manufacturers are willing to use batteries that incorporate our products. To secure acceptance of our products, we must constantly develop and introduce more reliable and cost-effective battery cells with enhanced functionality to meet evolving industry standards. Our failure to gain acceptance of our products from these manufacturers could materially and adversely affect our future success.

Even if a manufacturer decides to use batteries that incorporate our products, the manufacturer may not be able to market and sell its products successfully. The manufacturer’s inability to market and sell its products successfully, whether from lack of market acceptance or otherwise, could materially and adversely affect our business and prospects because this manufacturer may not order new products from us. If we cannot achieve the expected level of sales, we will not be able to make sufficient profits to offset the expenditures we have incurred to expand our production capacity, nor will we be able to grow our business. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future success would be materially and adversely affected.

Our failure to keep up with rapid technological changes and evolving industry standards may cause our products to become obsolete and less marketable, resulting in loss of market share to our competitors.

The lithium-based battery market is characterized by changing technologies and evolving industry standards, which are difficult to predict. This, coupled with frequent introduction of new products and models, has shortened product life cycles and may render our products obsolete or unmarketable. Our ability to adapt to evolving industry standards and anticipate future standards will be a significant factor in maintaining and improving our competitive position and our prospects for growth. To achieve this goal, we have invested and plan to continue investing significant financial resources in our R&D infrastructure. R&D activities, however, are inherently uncertain, and we might encounter practical difficulties in commercializing our research results. Accordingly, our significant investment in our R&D infrastructure may not bear fruit. On the other hand, our competitors may improve their technologies or even achieve technological breakthroughs that would render our products obsolete or less marketable. Therefore, our failure to effectively keep up with rapid technological changes and evolving industry standards by introducing new and enhanced products may cause us to lose our market share and to suffer a decrease in our revenue.

A change in our product mix may cause our results of operations to differ substantially from the anticipated results in any particular period.

Our overall profitability may not meet expectations if our products, customers or geographic mix are substantially different than anticipated. Our profit margins vary among products, customers and geographic markets. Consequently, if our mix of any of these is substantially different from what is anticipated in any particular period, our profitability could be lower than anticipated.

We may be subject to declining average selling prices, which may harm our revenue and gross profits.

Consumer electronics such as electric vehicles, light electric vehicles, electric tools, energy storage, UPS are subject to declines in average selling prices due to rapidly evolving technologies, industry standards and consumer preferences. As a result, manufacturers of these electronic devices expect us as suppliers to cut our costs and lower the price of our products in order to mitigate the negative impact on their own margins. We have reduced the price of some of our electric bike batteries in the past in order to meet market demand and expect to continue to face market-driven downward pricing pressures in the future. Our revenue and profitability will suffer if we are unable to offset any declines in our average selling prices by developing new or enhanced products with higher selling prices or gross profit margins, increasing our sales volumes or reducing our costs on a timely basis.

We may face impairment charges if economic environments in which our businesses operate and key economic and business assumptions substantially change.

Assessment of the potential impairment of property, plant and equipment and other identifiable intangible assets is an integral part of our normal ongoing review of operations. Testing for potential impairment of long-lived assets is dependent on numerous assumptions and reflects our best estimates at a particular point in time, which may vary from testing date to testing date. The economic environments in which our businesses operate and key economic and business assumptions with respect to projected product selling prices and materials costs, market growth and inflation rates, can significantly affect the outcome of impairment tests. Estimates based on these assumptions may differ significantly from actual results. Changes in factors and assumptions used in assessing potential impairments can have a significant impact on both the existence and magnitude of impairments, as well as the time at which such impairments are recognized. Future changes in the economic environment and the economic outlook for the assets being evaluated could also result in impairment charges. Any significant asset impairments would adversely impact our financial results.

We experience fluctuations in quarterly and annual operating results.

Our quarterly and annual operating results have fluctuated in the past and likely will fluctuate in the future. The demand for our products is driven largely by the demand for the end-product applications that are powered by our products. Accordingly, the rechargeable battery industry is affected by market conditions that are often outside our control. Our results of operations may fluctuate significantly from period to period due to a number of factors, including seasonal variations in consumer demand for batteries and their end applications, capacity ramp up by competitors, industry-wide technological changes, the loss of a key customer and the postponement, rescheduling or cancellation of large orders by a key customer. As a result of these factors and other risks discussed in this section, period-to-period comparisons should not be relied upon to predict our future performance.

We may not be able to substantially increase our manufacturing output in order to maintain our cost competitiveness.

We believe that our ability to provide cost-effective products is one of the most significant factors that contributed to our past success and will be essential for our future growth. We believe this is one of our competitive advantages over our Japanese and Korean competitors. We need to increase our manufacturing output to a level that will enable us to substantially reduce the cost of our products on a per unit basis through economies of scale. However, our ability to substantially increase our manufacturing output is subject to significant constraints and uncertainties, including:

If we are unable to increase our manufacturing output because of any of the risks described above, we may be unable to maintain our competitive position or achieve the growth we expect. Moreover, even if we expand our manufacturing output, we may not be able to generate sufficient customer demand for our products to support our increased production output.

Maintaining our manufacturing operations will require significant capital expenditures, and our inability or failure to maintain our operations would have a material adverse impact on our market share and ability to generate revenue.

We had capital expenditures of approximately $7.4 million and $2.5 million in the fiscal years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. We may incur significant additional capital expenditures as a result of unanticipated expenses, regulatory changes and other events that impact our business. If we are unable or fail to adequately maintain our manufacturing capacity or quality control processes, we could lose customers and there could be a material adverse impact on our market share and our ability to generate revenue.

We may incur significant costs because of the warranties we supply with our products and services.

With respect to the sale of our battery products from fiscal 2016, we typically offer warranties against any defects due to product malfunction or workmanship for a period of six months-to-eight years from the date of purchase, including a period of six to twenty-four months for battery cells, and a period of twelve to twenty-seven months for battery modules for electric bicycles, and a period of three years to eight years (or 120,000 or 200,000 km if reached sooner) for battery modules for electric vehicles. We provide a reserve for these potential warranty expenses, which is based on an analysis of historical warranty issues. There is no assurance that future warranty claims will be consistent with past history, and in the event we experience a significant increase in warranty claims, there is no assurance that our reserves will be sufficient. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We do not have insurance coverage against damages or losses of our products. Defects in our products could result in a loss of customers and decrease in revenue, unexpected expenses and a loss of market share.

We have not purchased product liability insurance to provide against any claims against us based on our product quality. We expect that we will purchase product liability insurance in fiscal year 2020. If we fail to purchase product liability insurance, defects in our products could result in a loss of customers and decrease in revenue, unexpected expenses and a loss of market share, and any of our products are found to have reliability, quality or compatibility problems, we will be required to accept returns, provide replacements, provide refunds, or pay damages. As the insurance policy imposes a ceiling for maximum coverage and high deductibles, we may not be able to obtain from the insurance policy a sufficient amount to compensate our customers for damages they suffered attributable to the quality of the products. Moreover, the insurance policy also excludes certain types of claims from its coverage, and if any of our customers’ claims against us falls into those exclusions, we would not receive any amount from the insurance policy at all. In either case, we may still be required to incur substantial amounts to indemnify our customers in respect of their product quality claims against us, which would materially and adversely affect the results of our operations and severely damage our reputation.

We may not be able to accurately plan our production based on our sales contracts, which may result in excess product inventory or product shortages.

Our sales contracts typically provide for a non-binding, three-month forecast on the quantity of products that our customers may purchase from us. We typically have only a 15-day lead time to manufacture products to meet our customers’ requirements once our customers place orders with us. To meet the short delivery deadline, we generally make significant decisions on our production level and timing, procurement, facility requirements, personnel needs and other resources requirements based on our estimate in light of this forecast, our past dealings with such customers, market conditions and other relevant factors. Our customers’ final purchase orders may not be consistent with our estimates. If the final purchase orders substantially differ from our estimates, we may have excess product inventory or product shortages. Excess product inventory could result in unprofitable sales or write-offs as our products are susceptible to obsolescence and price declines. Producing additional products to make up for any product shortages within a short time frame may be difficult, making us unable to fill out the purchase orders. In either case, our results of operation would fluctuate from period to period.

We historically depended on third parties to supply key raw materials and components to us. Failure to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials and components in a timely fashion and at reasonable costs could significantly delay our production and shipments, which would cause us to breach our sales contracts with our customers.

We historically purchased from Chinese domestic suppliers certain key raw materials and components such as electrolytes, electrode materials and import separators, a key component of battery cells, from foreign countries. We purchased raw materials and components on the basis of purchase orders. In the absence of firm and long-term contracts, we may not be able to obtain a sufficient supply of these raw materials and components from our existing suppliers or alternates in a timely fashion or at a reasonable cost. If we fail to secure a sufficient supply of key raw materials and components in a timely fashion, it would result in a significant delay in our production and shipments, which may cause us to breach our sales contracts with our customers. Furthermore, failure to obtain sufficient supply of these raw materials and components at a reasonable cost could also harm our revenue and gross profit margins.

Fluctuations in prices and availability of raw materials, particularly Ni, Co, Mn and LiFePO4, could increase our costs or cause delays in shipments, which would adversely impact our business and results of operations.

Our operating results could be adversely affected by increases in the cost of raw materials, particularly Ni, Co, Mn and LiFePO4, the primary cost component of our battery products, or other product parts or components. The price of Ni, Co, Mn and LiFePO4 is not stable. If the price increases, it will negatively impact our financial results in years ahead. We historically have not been able to fully offset the effects of higher costs of raw materials through price increases to customers or by way of productivity improvements.

A significant increase in the price of one or more raw materials, parts or components or the inability to successfully implement price increases/ surcharges to mitigate such cost increases could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

We mainly manufacture and market lithium-based battery cells. If a viable substitute product or chemistry emerges and gains market acceptance, our business, financial condition and results of operations will be materially and adversely affected.

We mainly manufacture and market lithium-based batteries. As we believe that the market for lithium-based batteries has good growth potential, we have focused our R&D activities on exploring new chemistries and formulas to enhance our product quality and features while reducing cost. Some of our competitors are conducting R&D on alternative battery technologies, such as fuel cells. If any viable substitute product emerges and gains market acceptance because it has more enhanced features, more power, more attractive pricing, or better reliability, the market demand for our products may be reduced, and accordingly our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

Manufacturing or use of our products may cause accidents, which could result in significant production interruption, delay or claims for substantial damages.

Due to the high energy density inherent in lithium-based batteries, our batteries can pose certain safety risks, including the risk of fire. Although we incorporate safety procedures in the research, development, manufacture and transportation of batteries that are designed to minimize safety risks, the manufacture or use of our products may still cause accidents. Any accident, whether occurring at the manufacturing facilities or from the use of our products, may result in significant production interruption, delays or claims for substantial damages caused by personal injuries or property damages.

We face intense competition from other battery manufacturers, many of which have significantly greater resources.

The market for batteries used in electric vehicles and light electric vehicles is intensely competitive and is characterized by frequent technological changes and evolving industry standards. We expect competition to become more intense. Increased competition may result in declines in average selling prices, causing a decrease in gross profit margins. We have faced and will continue to face competition from manufacturers of traditional rechargeable batteries, such as lead-acid batteries other manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries, as well as from companies engaged in the development of batteries incorporating new technologies. Other manufacturers of high-power lithium batteries currently include Panasonic Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., BYD Co. Ltd., Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint Stock Co., Ltd., Amperex Technology Limited, BYD Co. Ltd, Hefei Guoxuan Hi-Tech Power Energy Co., Ltd and Chaowei Power Holdings Limited.

Many of these existing competitors have greater financial, personnel, technical, manufacturing, marketing, sales and other resources than we do. As a result, these competitors may be in a stronger position to respond quickly to market opportunities, new or emerging technologies and evolving industry standards. Many of our competitors are developing a variety of battery technologies, such as lithium polymer and fuel cell batteries, which are expected to compete with our existing product lines. Other companies undertaking R&D activities of solid-polymer lithium-ion batteries have developed prototypes and are constructing commercial scale production facilities. It is possible that our competitors will be able to introduce new products with more desirable features than ours and their new products will gain market acceptance. If our competitors successfully do so, we may not be able to maintain our competitive position and our future success would be materially and adversely affected.

We are dependent on a limited number of customers for a significant portion of our revenues and this dependence is likely to continue.

We have been dependent on a limited number of customers for a significant portion of our revenue. Our top five customers accounted for approximately 62.42% and 77.59% of our revenues for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, respectively. Dependence on a few customers could make it difficult to negotiate attractive prices for our products and could expose us to the risk of substantial losses if a single dominant customer stops purchasing our products. We expect that a limited number of customers will continue to contribute a significant portion of our sales in the near future. Our ability to maintain close relationships with these top customers is essential to the growth and profitability of our business. If we fail to sell our products to one or more of these top customers in any particular period, or if a large customer purchases fewer of our products, defers orders or fails to place additional orders with us, or if we fail to develop additional major customers, our revenue could decline, and our results of operations could be adversely affected.

We do not have long-term purchase commitments from our customers, which may result in significant uncertainties and volatility with respect to our revenue from period to period.

We do not have long-term purchase commitments from our customers and the term of our sales contracts with our customers is typically one year or less. Furthermore, these contracts leave certain major terms such as price and quantity of products open to be determined in each purchase order. These contracts also allow parties to re-adjust the contract price for substantial changes in market conditions. As a result, if our customers hold stronger bargaining power than us or the market conditions are in their favor, we may not be able to enjoy the price downside protection or upside gain. Furthermore, our customers may decide not to continue placing purchase orders with us in the future at the same level as in prior periods. As a result, our results of operations may vary from period to period and may fluctuate significantly in the future.

We extend relatively long payment terms to some large customers.

As is customary in the industry in the PRC, we extend relatively long payment terms to some large customers. As a result of the size of many of our orders, these extended terms may adversely affect our cash flow and our ability to fund our operations out of our operating cash flow. In addition, although we attempt to establish appropriate reserves for our receivables, those reserves may not prove to be adequate in view of actual levels of bad debts. The failure of our customers to pay us timely would negatively affect our working capital, which could in turn adversely affect our cash flow.

Our customers often place large orders for products, requiring fast delivery, which impacts our working capital. If our customers do not incorporate our products into their products and sell them in a timely fashion, for example, due to excess inventories, sales slowdowns or other issues, they may not pay us in a timely fashion, even on our extended terms. Our customers’ failure to pay may force us to defer or delay further product orders, which may adversely affect our cash flows, sales or income in subsequent periods.

We face risks associated with the marketing, distribution and sale of our products internationally, and if we are unable to effectively manage these risks, they could impair our ability to expand our business abroad.

For the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, we derived 12.9% and 2.5%, respectively, of our sales from outside the PRC mainland. We still deem overseas market as an important revenue source for us, and have been actively exploring overseas customers. The marketing, international distribution and sale of our products expose us to a number of risks, including:

Our business depends substantially on the continuing efforts of our senior executives and other key personnel, and our business may be severely disrupted if we lost their services.

Our future success heavily depends on the continued service of our senior executives and other key employees. In particular, we rely on the expertise and experience of our Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President Mr. Yunfei Li, our Interim Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Xiangyu Pei. If one or more of our other senior executives are unable or unwilling to continue to work for us in their present positions, we may encounter similar problems, but on a compounded basis. Moreover, if any of our current or former senior executives joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose customers, suppliers, know-how and key personnel. Each of our executive officers has entered into an employment agreement with us, which contains non-competition and confidentiality clauses. However, if any dispute arises between our current or former executive officers and the Company, it is hard to predict the extent to which any of these agreements could be enforced in China, where these executive officers reside, in light of the uncertainties with China’s legal system.

We have experienced significant management changes which could increase our control risks and have a material adverse effect on our ability to do business and our results of operations.

Since February 2009, we have had a number of changes in our senior management, including multiple changes in our Chief Financial Officer. The magnitude of these past and expected changes and the short time interval in which they have occurred or are expected to occur, particularly during the ongoing economic and financial crisis, add to the risks of control failures, including a failure in the effective operation of our internal control over financial reporting or our disclosure controls and procedures. Control failures could result in material adverse effects on our financial condition and results of operations. It may take time for the new management team to become sufficiently familiar with our business and each other to effectively develop and implement our business strategies. This turnover of key management positions could further harm our financial performance and results of operations. Management attention may be diverted from regular business concerns by reorganizations.

The success of our business depends on our ability to attract, train and retain highly skilled employees and key personnel.

Because of the highly specialized, technical nature of our business, we must attract, train and retain a sizable workforce comprising highly skilled employees and other key personnel. Since our industry is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, we may have to pay higher salaries and wages and provide greater benefits in order to attract and retain highly skilled employees or other key personnel that we will need to achieve our strategic objectives. As we are still a relatively young company and our business has grown rapidly, our ability to train and integrate new employees into our operations may not meet the requirements of our growing business. Our failure to attract, train or retain highly skilled employees and other key personnel in numbers that are sufficient to satisfy our needs would materially and adversely affect our business.

We may be exposed to infringement or misappropriation claims by third parties, which, if determined adversely to us, could cause our loss of significant rights and inability to continue providing our existing product offerings.

Our success also depends largely on our ability to use and develop our technology and know-how without infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties. The validity and scope of claims relating to lithium-ion battery technology patents involve complex scientific, legal and factual questions and analysis and, therefore, may be highly expensive and time-consuming. If there is a successful claim of infringement against us, we may be required to pay substantial damages to the party claiming infringement, develop non-infringing technologies or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Our failure to develop non-infringing technologies or license the proprietary rights on a timely basis would harm our business. Protracted litigation could result in our customers, or potential customers, deferring or limiting their purchase or use of our products until resolution of such litigation. Parties making the infringement claim may also obtain an injunction that can prevent us from selling our products or using technology that contains the allegedly infringing contents. Any intellectual property litigation could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation and financial condition.

We do not hold the property ownership rights for facilities located in the PRC. Our manufacturing activities could be adversely affected if we lose the facilities that we do not have property ownership rights.

We have obtained land use rights for our Dalian manufacture facilities, but have not yet obtained the property ownership of the Dalian manufacture facilities including its plants, office building, warehouse, and related supporting facilities. We expect that we will obtain such property ownership rights by June 2021. If we lose our Dalian facility due to the lack of the property ownership, our manufacturing activities will be adversely impacted.

Compliance with environmental regulations can be expensive, and our failure to comply with these regulations may result in adverse publicity and a material adverse effect on our business.

As a manufacturer, we are subject to various PRC environmental laws and regulations on air emission, waste water discharge, solid waste and noise. Although we believe that our operations are in substantial compliance with current environmental laws and regulations, we may not be able to comply with these regulations at all times as the PRC environmental legal regime is evolving and becoming more stringent. Therefore, if the PRC government imposes more stringent regulations in the future, we will have to incur additional substantial costs and expenses in order to comply with new regulations, which may negatively affect our results of operations. If we fail to comply with any of the present or future environmental regulations in material aspects, we may suffer from negative publicity and may be required to pay substantial fines, suspend or even cease operations. Failure to comply with PRC environmental laws and regulations may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

To the extent we ship our products outside of the PRC, or to the extent our products are used in products sold outside of the PRC, they may be affected by the following: The transportation of non-rechargeable and rechargeable lithium batteries is regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization, or ICAO, and corresponding International Air Transport Association, or IATA, Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA, Dangerous Goods Regulations and the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, or IMDG, and in the PRC by General Administration of Civil Aviation of China and Maritime Safety Administration of People’s Republic of China. These regulations are based on the United Nations, or UN, Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations and the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. We currently ship our products pursuant to ICAO, IATA, IMDG and PHMSA hazardous goods regulations. New regulations that pertain to all lithium battery manufacturers went into effect in 2019, 2017-2018 and 2016. The regulations require companies to meet certain testing, packaging, labeling and shipping specifications for safety reasons. We comply with all current PRC and international regulations for the shipment of our products, and will comply with any new regulations that are imposed. We have established our own testing facilities to ensure that we comply with these regulations. If we were unable to comply with the new regulations, however, or if regulations are introduced that limit our ability to transport our products to customers in a cost-effective manner, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We do not have insurance coverage against all the damages or losses of our Dalian facilities.

We currently have insurance for our pledged machinery and equipment and pledged buildings located at our Dalian facilities. We expect we will purchase related insurance for the remaining buildings when we obtain the property ownership certificate after the construction is completed. If we were to suffer any losses or damages to any of the facilities before the purchase of insurance, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

We have identified material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to remediate the material weaknesses or maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, and investor confidence and the market price of our shares may be adversely affected.

To implement Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX 404, the SEC adopted rules requiring public companies to include a report of management on the company’s internal control over financial reporting in their annual reports on Form 10-K. Under current law, we are subject to the requirement that we maintain internal controls and that management perform periodic evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal controls, assuming our filing status remains as a smaller reporting company. A report of our management is included under Item 9A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our management has identified the following material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting: we did not have appropriate policies and procedures in place to evaluate the proper accounting and disclosures of key documents and agreements, and there was insufficient accounting personnel with an appropriate level of technical accounting knowledge and experience in the application of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP, commensurate with our financial reporting requirements. A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. We have taken measures and plan to continue to take measures to remedy this material weakness. Since September 2016, we have regularly offered our financial personnel trainings on internal control and risk management. Since November 2016, we have regularly provided trainings to our financial personnel on U.S. GAAP accounting guidelines. However, the implementation of these measures may not fully address the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting. Our failure to address any control deficiency could result in inaccuracies in our financial statements and could also impair our ability to comply with applicable financial reporting requirements and related regulatory filings on a timely basis. Moreover, effective internal control over financial reporting is important to prevent fraud. As a result, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, as well as the trading price of our shares, may be materially and adversely affected.

If we become directly subject to the recent scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies, we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matter which could harm our business operations, stock price and reputation and could result in a loss of your investment in our stock, especially if such matter cannot be addressed and resolved favorably.

Recently, U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China, particularly companies like us which have completed so-called reverse merger transactions, have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered around financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies has sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions, and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on our Company, our business and our stock price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend our company. This situation will be costly and time consuming and distract our management from growing our company. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, our company and business operations will be severely and your investment in our stock could be rendered worthless.

The disclosures in our reports and other filings with the SEC and our other public pronouncements are not subject to the scrutiny of any regulatory bodies in the PRC. Accordingly, our public disclosure should be reviewed in light of the fact that no governmental agency that is located in China where substantially all of our operations and business are located have conducted any due diligence on our operations or reviewed or cleared any of our disclosures.

We are regulated by the SEC and our reports and other filings with the SEC are subject to SEC review in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act. Unlike public reporting companies whose operations are located primarily in the United States, however, substantially all of our operations are located in China. Since substantially all of our operations and business take place in China, it may be more difficult for the Staff of the SEC to overcome the geographic and cultural obstacles that are present when reviewing our disclosures. These same obstacles are not present for similar companies whose operations or business take place entirely or primarily in the United States. Furthermore, our SEC reports and other disclosures and public pronouncements are not subject to the review or scrutiny of any PRC regulatory authority. For example, the disclosure in our SEC reports and other filings are not subject to the review of China Securities Regulatory Commission, a PRC regulator that is tasked with oversight of the capital markets in China. Accordingly, you should review our SEC reports, filings and our other public pronouncements with the understanding that no local regulator has done any due diligence on our company and with the understanding that none of our SEC reports, other filings or any of our other public pronouncements has been reviewed or otherwise been scrutinized by any local regulator.

Our auditors, based in Hong Kong, China, like other independent registered public accounting firms operating in China and to the extent their audit clients have operations in China, is not permitted to be subject to full inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and, as such, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

Our independent registered public accounting firms that issued the audit reports included in our annual reports filed with the SEC, as auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB, are required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the laws of the United States and professional standards.

However, our operations are solely located in the PRC, a jurisdiction where PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the PRC authorities. Our independent registered public accounting firm, like others operating in China (and Hong Kong, to the extent their audit clients have operations in China), is currently not subject to inspection conducted by the PCAOB. Inspections of other firms that the PCAOB has conducted outside China have identified deficiencies in those firms’ audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the inspection process to improve future audit quality. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct full inspections of auditors operating in China makes it more difficult to evaluate our auditors’ audit procedures or quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections.

Proceedings instituted by the SEC against five PRC-based accounting firms could result in financial statements being determined to be not in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

In December 2012, the SEC instituted proceedings under Rule 102(e)(1)(iii) of the SEC’s Rules of Practice against five PRC-based accounting firms, alleging that these firms had violated U.S. securities laws and the SEC’s rules and regulations thereunder by failing to provide to the SEC the firms’ work papers related to their audits of certain PRC-based companies that are publicly traded in the United States. Rule 102(e)(1)(iii) grants to the SEC the authority to deny to any person, temporarily or permanently, the ability to practice before the SEC who is found by the SEC, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, to have willfully violated, or willfully aided and abetted the violation of, any such laws or rules and regulations. On January 22, 2014, an initial administrative law decision was issued, sanctioning four of these accounting firms and suspending them from practicing before the SEC for a period of six months. The sanction will not take effect until there is an order of effectiveness issued by the SEC. In February 2014, four of these PRC-based accounting firms filed a petition for review of the initial decision. In February 2015, each of these four accounting firms agreed to a censure and to pay fine to the SEC to settle the dispute with the SEC. The settlement stays the current proceeding for four years, during which time the firms are required to follow detailed procedures to seek to provide the SEC with access to Chinese firms’ audit documents via the CSRC. If a firm does not follow the procedures, the SEC would impose penalties such as suspensions, or commence a new, expedited administrative proceeding against the non-compliant firm or it could restart the administrative proceeding against all four firms. The four-year mark occurred on February 6, 2019.

While these issues raised by the proceedings are not specific to our auditor or to us, they potentially affect equally all PCAOB-registered audit firms based in China and all businesses based in China (or with substantial operations in China) with securities listed in the United States. Depending upon the final outcome, public companies in the United States with major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in the PRC, which may result in SEC’s revocation of the registration of their shares under the Exchange Act. Such a determinate would cause the immediate delisting of our common stock from the NASDAQ Stock Market, and the effective termination of the trading market for our securities in the United States, which would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our securities. Moreover, although our independent registered public accounting firm was not named as a defendant in the above SEC administrative proceedings, any negative news about the proceedings against these audit firms may erode investor confidence in China-based, US public companies, including us, and the market price of our shares may be adversely affected.

We may be adversely affected by the outcome of litigation against us in China.

On July 7, 2016, Shenzhen Huijie Purification System Engineering Co., Ltd (“Shenzhen Huijie”), one of the Company’s contractors, filed a lawsuit against CBAK Power in the Peoples’ Court of Zhuanghe City, Dalian for the failure to pay pursuant to the terms of the contract and entrusted part of the project of the contract to a third party without their prior consent. The plaintiff sought a total amount of $1,210,799 (RMB 8,430,792), including construction costs of $0.9 million (RMB6.1 million, which we already accrued for at June 30, 2016), interest of $30,689 (RMB0.2 million) and compensation of $0.3 million (RMB1.9 million). On September 7, 2016, upon the request of Shenzhen Huijie for property preservation, the Court of Zhuanghe froze CBAK Power’s bank deposits totaling $1,210,799 (RMB 8,430,792) for a period of one year. Further on September 1, 2017, upon the request of Shenzhen Huijie, the Court of Zhuanghe froze the bank deposits for another one year until August 31, 2018. Further on August 27, 2018, the Court of Zhuanghe froze the bank deposits for another year until August 27, 2019, upon the request of Shenzhen Huijie. On August 27, 2019, the Court of Zhuanghe again froze the bank deposits for another year until August 27, 2020, upon the request of Shenzhen Huijie. On June 30, 2017, according to the trial of first instance, the Court of Zhuanghe ruled that CBAK Power should pay the remaining contract amount of RMB6,135,860 (approximately $0.9 million) claimed by Shenzhen Huijie as well as other expenses incurred including deferred interest, discounted charge on bills payable, litigation fee and property preservation fee totaled $0.1 million. On July 24, 2017, CBAK Power filed an appellate petition to the Intermediate Peoples’ Court of Dalian (“Court of Dalian)” to defend the adjudication dated on June 30, 2017. On November 17, 2017, the Court of Dalian rescinded the original judgement and remanded the case to the Court of Zhuanghe for retrial. The Court of Zhuanghe did a retrial and requested an appraisal to be performed by a third-party appraisal institution on the construction cost incurred and completed by Shenzhen Huijie on the subject project. On November 8, 2018, we received from the Court of Zhuanghe the construction-cost-appraisal report which determined that the construction cost incurred and completed by Shenzhen Huijie for the subject project to be $1,311,197 (RMB9,129,868). On May 20, 2019, the Court of Zhuanghe entered a judgment that Shenzhen Huijie should pay back to CBAK Power $254,824 (RMB 1,774,337) (the amount CBAK Power paid in excess of the construction cost appraised by the appraisal institution) and the interest incurred since April 2, 2019. Shenzhen Huijie filed an appellate petition to the Court of Dalian. As of December 31, 2019, the Company has already paid RMB10,962,140 (approximately $1,574,342) and accrued RMB6.1 million (approximately $0.9 million) for the construction cost incurred and completed by Shenzhen Huijie.

In late February 2018, we received a notice from Court of Zhuanghe that Shenzhen Huijie filed another lawsuit against CBAK Power for breaches under the terms of a fire-control contract. The plaintiff sought a total amount of RMB244,942 ($35,178), including construction costs of RMB238,735 ($34,286) and interest of RMB6,207 ($891). We have accrued for these amounts as of December 31, 2019. The Court of Zhuanghe requested an appraisal to be performed by a third-party appraisal institution on the uncompleted construction cost on the subject project, which should be deducted from the total construction cost of the contract. Based on the appraisal report from the appraisal institution that the uncompleted cost was RMB 170,032 ($24,419).On October 16, 2018, the Court of Zhuanghe determined that CBAK Power should pay RMB 77,042 ($11,200) to Shenzhen Huijie after deducting the uncompleted cost, as well as other expenses incurred including deferred interest and litigation fee. On January 29, 2019, the Intermediate Peoples’ Court of Dalian (“Court of Dalian)” dismissed the appeal by Shenzhen Huijie and affirmed the original judgement.

On July 25, 2019, we received notice from Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration that Shenzhen Xinjiatuo Automobile Technology Co., Ltd filed arbitration against the Company for the failure to pay pursuant to the terms of the contract. The plaintiff sought a total amount of $0.16 million (RMB1,112,269), including equipment cost of $0.14 million (RMB976,000) and interest of $0.02 million (RMB136,269). As of December 31, 2019, we have accrued the equipment cost of $0.14 million (RMB976,000). On August 9, 2019, upon the request of Shenzhen Xinjiatuo Automobile Technology Co., Ltd, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration froze CBAK Power’s bank deposits totaling $0.16 million (RMB1,117,269), including equipment cost $0.14 million (RMB976,000), interest $0.02 million (RMB136,269) and litigation fees of $718 (RMB5,000) for a period of one year, or until August 2020. We believe that the plaintiff's claims are without merit and are vigorously defending ourselves in this proceeding. On August 7, 2019, We filed counter claim arbitration against Shenzhen Xinjiatuo Automobile Technology Co., Ltd for return of the prepayment due to the unqualified equipment, and sought a total amount of $0.29 million (RMB 1,986,400), including return of prepayment of $0.2 million (RMB1,440,000), liquidated damages of $68,936 (RMB480,000) and litigation fees of $9,542 (RMB66,440).

In November 2019, CBAK Suzhou received notice from Court of Suzhou city that Suzhou Industrial Park Security Service Co., Ltd (“Suzhou Security”) filed a lawsuit against CBAK Suzhou for the failure to pay pursuant to the terms of the sales contract. Suzhou Security sought a total amount of $20,065 (RMB139,713), including services expenses amount of $0.02 million (RMB 138,908) and interest of $115.6 (RMB 805). Upon the request of Suzhou Security for property preservation, the Court of Suzhou froze CBAK Suzhou’s bank deposits totaling $0.02 million (RMB 150,000) for a period of one year. As of December 31, 2019, nil was frozen by bank and the Company had accrued the service cost of $20,065 (RMB139,713).

In December 2019, we received notice from Court of Zhuanghe that Dalian Construction Electrical Installation Engineering Co., Ltd. (“Dalian Construction”) filed a lawsuit against CBAK Power for the failure to pay pursuant to the terms of the construction contract. Dalian Construction sought a total amount of $99,251 (RMB691,086) and interest $1,884 (RMB12,934). As of December 31, 2019, the Company has accrued the construction cost of $99,251 (RMB691,086). Upon the request of Dalian Construction for property preservation, the Court of Zhuanghe ordered to freeze CBAK Power’s bank deposits totaling $101,109 (RMB704,020) for a period of one year to December 2020. As of December 31, 2019, $94,965 (RMB661,240) was frozen by bank.

In February 2020, we received notice from Court of Zhuanghe that Dongguan Shanshan Battery Material Co., Ltd (“Dongguan Shanshan”) filed lawsuit against CBAK Power for the failure to pay pursuant to the terms of the purchase contract. Dongguan Shanshan sought a total amount of $0.6 million (RMB 4,434,209), which has already been accrued for as of December 31, 2019. Upon the request of Dongguan Shanshan for property preservation, the Court of Zhuanghe ordered to freeze CBAK Power’s bank deposits totaling $0.6 million (RMB4,434,209) for a period of one year to December 17, 2020. As of December 31, 2019, $33,504 (RMB233,295) was frozen by bank.

On March 20, 2020, we received notice from Court of Nanpi County, Hebei Province that Cangzhou Huibang Engineering Manufacturing Co., Ltd (“Cangzhou Huibang”) filed lawsuit against CBAK Power for the failure to pay pursuant to the terms of the purchase contract. Dongguan Shanshan sought a total amount of $0.3 million (RMB 2,029,594), including materials purchase cost of $0.3 million (RMB 1,932,947), and interest of $13,880 (RMB 96,647). Upon the request of Cangzhou Huibang for property preservation, the Court of Nanpi froze CBAK Power’s bank deposits totaling $ 0.3 million (RMB 2,029,594) for a period of one year to March 3, 2020. As of December 31, 2019, the Company has accrued materials purchase cost of $0.3 million (RMB 1,932,947).

In early September 2019, several employees of CBAK Suzhou files arbitration with Suzhou Industrial Park Labor Disputes Arbitration Commission against CBAK Suzhou for failure to pay their salaries in time. The employees seek for a payment including salaries of $89,295 (RMB638,359) and compensation of $75,956 (RMB543,000), totaling $0.17 million (RMB1,181,359). In addition, upon the request of the employees for property preservation, bank deposit of $0.17 million (RMB1,181,359) was frozen by the court of Suzhou for a period of one year. On September 5, 2019, CBAK Suzhou and the employees reached an agreement that CBAK Suzhou will pay these salaries and compensation. As of December 31, 2019, $6 (RMB43) was frozen by bank. Subsequent to December 31, 2019, the Company fully repaid the salaries and compensation.

Although we believe that some of plaintiff’s claims in the above lawsuits are without merit and we are vigorously defending ourselves, there is no assurance that we will be successful in the lawsuit. In the event that plaintiff prevails in the lawsuit, unfavorable court judgment could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

US federal income tax reform could have unforeseen effects on our financial condition and results of operations.

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”), which significantly changed U.S. tax law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act significantly modified the U.S. Internal Revenue Code by, among other things, reducing the statutory U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017; limiting and/or eliminating many business deductions; migrating the U.S. to a territorial tax system with a one-time transition tax on a mandatory deemed repatriation of previously deferred foreign earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries; subject to certain limitations, generally eliminating U.S. corporate income tax on dividends from foreign subsidiaries; and providing for new taxes on certain foreign earnings. We are still in the process of analyzing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and its possible effects on us. The impact of this tax reform on holders of our common stock is uncertain and could be adverse. In addition, the actual impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on us may differ from our estimates, and we may update the provisional amount upon obtaining, preparing or analyzing additional information, based on our review of future regulations or guidance issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and specific actions we may take in the future.

RISKS RELATED TO DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA

Changes in the economic and political policies of the PRC government could have a material and adverse effect on our business and operations.

We conduct substantially all our business operations in China. Accordingly, our results of operations, financial condition and prospects are significantly dependent on economic and political developments in China. China’s economy differs from the economies of developed countries in many aspects, including the level of development, growth rate and degree of government control over foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While China’s economy has experienced significant growth in the past 30 years, the growth has been uneven across different regions and periods and among various economic sectors in China. We cannot assure you that China’s economy will continue to grow, or that if there is growth, such growth will be steady and uniform, or that if there is a slowdown, such slowdown will not have a negative effect on its business and results of operations.

The PRC government exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through the allocation of resources, control over payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, implementation of monetary policy, and preferential treatment of particular industries or companies. Certain measures adopted by the PRC government may restrict loans to certain industries, such as changes in the statutory deposit reserve ratio and lending guidelines for commercial banks by the People’s Bank of China, or PBOC. These current and future government actions could materially affect our liquidity, access to capital, and ability to operate our business.

The global financial markets experienced significant disruptions in 2008 and the United States, Europe and other economies went into recession. Since 2012, growth of the Chinese economy has slowed down. 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 also have a negative effect on us. Our financial condition and results of operation could be materially and adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations that are applicable to us. In addition, any stimulus measures designed to boost the Chinese economy, may contribute to higher inflation, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could limit the legal protections available to you and us.

We conduct substantially all of our business through our operating subsidiaries in China. Our operating subsidiaries are generally subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investments in China and, in particular, laws applicable to foreign-invested enterprises, or FIEs. The PRC legal system is based on written statutes, and prior court decisions may be cited for reference, but have limited precedential value. Since 1979, a series of new PRC laws and regulations have significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, since the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties for you and us. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Moreover, most of our executive officers and directors are residents of China and not of the United States, and substantially all the assets of these persons are located outside the United States. As a result, it could be difficult for investors to affect service of process in the United States or to enforce a judgment obtained in the United States against our Chinese operations and subsidiaries.

The PRC government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities.

The PRC government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, import and export tariffs, environmental regulations, land use rights, property, and other matters. We believe that our 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 we operate 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 or joint ventures.

We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiaries for our cash needs.

We are a holding company, and we conduct all of our operations through our PRC subsidiaries. We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries for our cash needs, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our stockholders, to service any debt we may incur and to pay our operating expenses. Current regulations in the PRC permit payment of dividends only out of accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. According to the articles of association of our PRC subsidiaries, each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profit based on the PRC accounting standards and regulations each year to its statutory general reserve, until the balance in the reserve reaches 50% of the registered capital of the company. Funds in the reserve are not distributable to us in forms of cash dividends, loans or advances. In addition, if our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us, which in turn will adversely affect our available cash. 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.

Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to receive and use our sales revenue effectively.

The majority of our sales will be settled in RMB, and any future restrictions on currency exchanges may limit our ability to use revenue generated in RMB to fund any future business activities outside China or to make dividend or other payments in U.S. dollars. Although the Chinese government introduced regulations in 1996 to allow greater convertibility of the RMB for current account transactions, significant restrictions still remain, including primarily the restriction that foreign-invested enterprises may only buy, sell or remit foreign currencies after providing valid commercial documents, at those banks in China authorized to conduct foreign exchange business. In addition, conversion of RMB for capital account items, including direct investment and loans, is subject to governmental approval in China, and companies are required to open and maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for capital account items. We cannot be certain that the Chinese regulatory authorities will not impose more stringent restrictions on the convertibility of the RMB in the future.

Fluctuations in exchange rates could adversely affect our business and the value of our securities.

The value of our securities will be indirectly affected by the foreign exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and RMB and between those currencies and other currencies in which our sales may be denominated. Appreciation or depreciation in the value of the RMB relative to the U.S. dollar would affect our financial results reported in U.S. dollar terms without giving effect to any underlying change in our business or results of operations. Fluctuations in the exchange rate will also affect the relative value of any dividend we issue that will be exchanged into U.S. dollars, as well as earnings from, and the value of, any U.S. dollar-denominated investments we make in the future.

Since July 2005, the RMB has no longer been pegged to the U.S. dollar. However, the PBOC regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to limit fluctuations in RMB exchange rates and achieve policy goals. Following the removal of the U.S. dollar peg, the RMB appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. From July 2008 to June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar remained within a narrow band. Between June 2010 and August 2015, the Renminbi appreciated slowly against the U.S. dollar, though there were periods when the U.S. dollar appreciated against the RMB. On August 11, 2015, the People’s Bank of China allowed the Renminbi to depreciate by approximately 2% against the U.S. dollar. On November 30, 2015, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the regular five-year review of the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right, or the SDR, and decided that with effect from October 1, 2016, Renminbi is determined to be a freely usable currency and will be included in the SDR basket as a fifth currency, along with the U.S. dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the Renminbi had 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. The Renminbi in 2018 depreciated approximately by 5% against the U.S. dollar and continued to depreciate against the U.S. dollar by slightly over 1% in 2019. In the long term, the RMB may appreciate or depreciate more significantly in value against the U.S. dollar or other foreign currencies, depending on the market supply and demand with reference to a basket of currencies.

Very limited hedging transactions are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions. While we may enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these transactions may be limited, and we may not be able to successfully hedge our exposure at all. In addition, our foreign currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currencies. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your investment.

Failure to comply with PRC regulations relating to the investment in offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident stockholders to personal liability, limit our ability to acquire PRC companies or to inject capital into our PRC subsidiaries, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute profits to us or otherwise materially adversely affect us.

On July 14, 2014, SAFE issued the Circular on Relevant Issues Relating to Domestic Residents’ Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment through Special Purpose Vehicles (“Circular 37”), which replaced the Circular 75, promulgated by SAFE on October 21, 2005. Circular 37 requires PRC residents to register with local branches of SAFE in connection with their direct establishment or indirect control of an offshore entity, for the purpose of overseas investment and financing, with such PRC residents’ legally owned assets or equity interests in domestic enterprises or offshore assets or interests, referred to in Circular 37 as a “special purpose vehicle.”

We have notified substantial beneficial owners of our company who we know are PRC residents to comply with the registration obligation. However, we may not be aware of the identities of all our beneficial owners who are PRC residents. In addition, we do not have control over our beneficial owners and cannot assure you that all of our PRC resident beneficial owners will comply with Circular 37. The failure of our beneficial owners who are PRC residents to register or amend their SAFE registrations in a timely manner pursuant to Circular 37 or the failure of future beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents to comply with the registration procedures set forth in Circular 37 may subject such beneficial owners or our PRC subsidiaries to fines and legal sanctions. Failure to register or amend the registration may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries or receive dividends or other distributions from our PRC subsidiaries or other proceeds from disposal of our PRC subsidiaries, or we may be penalized by SAFE. These risks may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The M&A Rule establishes more complex procedures for some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

On August 8, 2006, six PRC regulatory agencies, including the China Securities Regulatory Commission, promulgated the Provisions Regarding Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rule, which became effective on September 8, 2006. The M&A Rule establishes additional procedures and requirements that could make some acquisitions of Chinese companies by foreign investors more time-consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the PRC Ministry of Commerce be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction and in some situations, require approval of the PRC Ministry of Commerce when a foreign investor takes control of a Chinese domestic enterprise. The regulations prohibit a transaction at an acquisition price obviously lower than the appraised value of the PRC business or assets and in certain transaction structures, require that consideration must be paid within defined periods, generally not in excess of a year. The regulation also limits 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. Government approvals will have expiration dates by which a transaction must be completed and reported to the government agencies. In the future, we may grow our business in part by acquiring complementary businesses, although we do not have any plans to do so at this time. The M&A Rule also requires PRC Ministry of Commerce anti-trust review of any change-of-control transactions involving certain types of foreign acquirers. On February 3, 2011, the Circular on Establishing the Security Review System for Merger and Acquisition of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors was promulgated by the General Office of the State Council, which went into effect on March 4, 2011. On August 25, 2011, the Ministry of Commerce issued the corresponding implementation rules. According to these rules, a foreign investor’s acquisitions of Chinese companies in the fields of military, important agricultural products, energy and resources, infrastructure, transport service, key technology and major equipment manufacturing, and other restricted fields requires security review by a ministerial panel established and governed under the direction of the State Council and led by the National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Commerce. Complying with the requirements of the M&A Rule to complete such transactions could be time-consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the PRC Ministry of Commerce, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

Investors may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing original actions in China based upon U.S. laws, including the federal securities laws or other foreign laws against us or our management.

All of our current operations are conducted in China. Moreover, most of our current directors and officers are nationals or residents of China. All or a substantial portion of the assets of these persons are located outside the United States and in the PRC. As a result, it may not be possible to effect service of process within the United States or elsewhere outside China upon these persons. In addition, uncertainty exists as to whether the courts of China would recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or such officers and/or directors predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof, or be competent to hear original actions brought in China against us or such persons predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof.

Under the 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.

On March 16, 2007, the National People’s Congress of China passed a new Enterprise Income Tax Law, or the EIT Law, and on November 28, 2007, the State Council of China passed its implementing rules, which took effect on January 1, 2008. Under the 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 treated in a manner similar to a Chinese enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes. The implementing rules of the EIT Law define de facto management as “substantial and overall management and control over the production and operations, personnel, accounting, and properties” of the enterprise.

On April 22, 2009, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Notice Concerning Relevant Issues Regarding Cognizance of Chinese Investment Controlled Enterprises Incorporated Offshore as Resident Enterprises pursuant to Criteria of de facto Management Bodies, or the Notice, further interpreting the application of the EIT Law and its implementation non-Chinese enterprise or group controlled offshore entities. Pursuant to the Notice, an enterprise incorporated in an offshore jurisdiction and controlled by a Chinese enterprise or group will be classified as a “non-domestically incorporated resident enterprise” if (i) its senior management in charge of daily operations reside or perform their duties mainly in China; (ii) its financial or personnel decisions are made or approved by bodies or persons in China; (iii) its substantial assets and properties, accounting books, corporate chops, board and shareholder minutes are kept in China; and (iv) at least half of its directors with voting rights or senior management often resident in China. A resident enterprise would be subject to an enterprise income tax rate of 25% on its worldwide income and must pay a withholding tax at a rate of 10% when paying dividends to its non-PRC shareholders. In addition, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues concerning the Determination of Resident Enterprises Based on the Standards of Actual Management Institutions in January 2014 to provide more guidance on the implementation of Circular 82. This bulletin further provides that, among other things, an entity that is classified as a “resident enterprise” in accordance with the circular shall file the application for classifying its status of residential enterprise with the local tax authorities where its main domestic investors are registered. From the year in which the entity is determined to be a “resident enterprise,” any dividend, profit and other equity investment gains from other resident enterprises within China in previous years (on or after January 1, 2008) shall be taxed in accordance with the enterprise income tax law and its implementing rules.

We may be deemed to be a resident enterprise by Chinese tax authorities. 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 interest on financing proceeds and non-China source income would be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Second, although under the EIT Law and its implementing rules dividends paid to us from our PRC subsidiaries would qualify as “tax-exempt income,” we cannot guarantee that such dividends will not be subject to a 10% withholding tax, as the PRC foreign exchange control authorities, which enforce the withholding tax, have not yet issued guidance with respect to the processing of outbound remittances to entities that are treated as resident enterprises for PRC enterprise income tax purposes. Finally, it is possible that future guidance issued with respect to the new “resident enterprise” classification could result in a situation in which a 10% withholding tax is imposed on dividends we pay to our non-PRC shareholders and with respect to gains derived by our non-PRC stockholders from transferring our shares. If we were treated as a “resident enterprise” by the PRC tax authorities, we would be subject to taxation in both the U.S. and China, and our PRC tax may not be used as a credit to reduce our U.S. tax.

We and our stockholders face uncertainties with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises or other assets attributed to a Chinese establishment of a non-Chinese company, or immovable properties located in China owned by non-Chinese companies.

In October 2017, the State Administration of Taxation issued the Bulletin on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-PRC Resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or Bulletin 37, which replaced the Notice on Strengthening Administration of Enterprise Income Tax for Share Transfers by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises issued by the State Administration of Taxation on December 10, 2009, and partially replaced and supplemented rules under the Bulletin on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or Bulletin 7, issued by the State Administration of Taxation on February 3, 2015. Pursuant to Bulletin 7, an “indirect transfer” of PRC assets, including a transfer of equity interests in an unlisted non-PRC holding company of a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises may be re-characterized and treated as a direct transfer of the underlying PRC assets, if such arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax. According to Bulletin 7, “PRC taxable assets” include assets attributed to an establishment in China, immoveable properties located in China, and equity investments in PRC resident enterprises and any gains from the transfer of such asset by a direct holder, who is a non-PRC resident enterprise, would be subject to PRC enterprise income taxes. When determining whether there is a “reasonable commercial purpose” of the transaction arrangement, features to be taken into consideration include: whether the main value of the equity interest of the relevant offshore enterprise derives from PRC taxable assets; whether the assets of the relevant offshore enterprise mainly consists of direct or indirect investment in China or if its income mainly derives from China; whether the offshore enterprise and its subsidiaries directly or indirectly holding PRC taxable assets have real commercial nature which is evidenced by their actual function and risk exposure; the duration of existence of the business model and organizational structure; the replicability of the transaction by direct transfer of PRC taxable assets; and the tax situation of such indirect transfer and applicable tax treaties or similar arrangements. In the case of an indirect offshore transfer of assets of a PRC establishment, the resulting gain is to be included with the enterprise income tax filing of the PRC establishment or place of business being transferred, and may consequently be subject to PRC enterprise income tax at a rate of 25%. Where the underlying transfer relates to immoveable properties located in China or to equity investments in a PRC resident enterprise, which is not related to a PRC establishment or place of business of a non-resident enterprise, a PRC enterprise income tax of 10% would apply, subject to available preferential tax treatment under applicable tax treaties or similar arrangements, and the party who is obligated to make the transfer payments has the withholding obligation. Pursuant to Bulletin 37, the withholding agent shall declare and pay the withheld tax to the competent tax authority in the place where such withholding agent is located within 7 days from the date of occurrence of the withholding obligation, while the transferor is required to declare and pay such tax to the competent tax authority within the statutory time limit according to Bulletin 7. Late payment of applicable tax will subject the transferor to default interest. Both Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7 do not apply to transactions of sale of shares by investors through a public stock exchange where such shares were acquired from a transaction through a public stock exchange.

There is uncertainty as to the application of Bulletin 37 or previous rules under Bulletin 7. We face uncertainties as to the reporting and other implications of certain past and future transactions where PRC taxable assets are involved, such as offshore restructuring, sale of the shares in our offshore subsidiaries or investments. Our company may be subject to filing obligations or taxes if our company is transferor in such transactions, and may be subject to withholding obligations if our company is transferee in such transactions, under Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7. For transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises, our PRC subsidiary may be requested to assist in the filing under Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7. As a result, we may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Bulletin 37 and Bulletin 7 or to request the relevant transferors from whom we purchase taxable assets to comply with these circulars, or to establish that our company should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Chinese anti-corruption laws, and any determination that we violated these laws could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (“FCPA”), and other laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials and political parties by U.S. persons and issuers as defined by the statute, for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. We have operations, have agreements with third parties, and make most of our sales in China. The PRC also strictly prohibits bribery of government officials. Our activities in China create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by the employees, consultants, sales agents, or distributors of our subsidiaries, even though they may not always be subject to our control. It is our policy to implement safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants, sales agents, or distributors of our subsidiaries may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA or Chinese anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal or civil sanctions, and we may be subject to other liabilities, which could negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. In addition, the U.S. government may seek to hold our subsidiaries liable for successor liability FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON STOCK

Numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly.

There are numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate significantly. These factors include:

Securities class action litigation is often instituted against companies following periods of volatility in their share price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs to us and divert our management’s attention and resources. Moreover, securities markets may from time to time experience significant price and volume fluctuations for reasons unrelated to operating performance of particular companies. For example, in the last week of February 2020, fears of the economic impacts of COVID-19 sparked the deepest weekly decline in the stock market in the United States since the 2008 financial crisis. These market fluctuations may adversely affect the price of our shares and other interests in our company at a time when you want to sell your interest in us.

If we fail to comply with the continued listing requirements of NASDAQ, we would face possible delisting, which would result in a limited public market for our shares and make obtaining future debt or equity financing more difficult for us.

Our common stock is traded and listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “CBAT”, which was changed from “CBAK” on November 30, 2018. The common stock may be delisted if we fail to maintain certain NASDAQ listing requirements.

On February 20, 2020, we received notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The NASDAQ Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) indicating that, for the last 30 consecutive business days, the bid price for the Company’s common stock had closed below the minimum $1.00 per share and as a result, the Company is no longer in compliance with the NASDAQ Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). The notification letter states that the Company will be afforded 180 calendar days, or until August 18, 2020, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. In order to regain compliance, shares of the Company’s common stock must maintain a minimum closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days. The above compliance period was thereafter extended to November 2, 2020 pursuant to Nasdaq’s temporary rule change. In the event the Company does not regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement by November 2, 2020, Nasdaq may provide the Company an additional 180-day period to regain compliance, if the Company meets the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the bid price requirement, and will need to provide written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period, by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. However, if Nasdaq determines that the Company will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if the Company is otherwise not eligible, Nasdaq will notify the Company that its securities will be subject to delisting.

We cannot ensure you that the Company will continue to comply with the requirements for continued listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market in the future. If our common stock loses its status on The NASDAQ Capital Market and we are not successful in obtaining a listing on The NASDAQ Capital Market, our common stock would likely trade in the over-the-counter market. If our shares were to trade on the over-the-counter market, selling our common stock could be more difficult because smaller quantities of shares would likely be bought and sold, transactions could be delayed, and security analysts’ coverage of us may be reduced. In addition, in the event our common stock is delisted, broker-dealers have certain regulatory burdens imposed upon them, which may discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our common stock, further limiting the liquidity of our common stock. These factors could result in lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common stock. Such delisting from the NASDAQ Capital Market and continued or further declines in our share price could also greatly impair our ability to raise additional necessary capital through equity or debt financing and could significantly increase the ownership dilution to shareholders caused by our issuing equity in financing or other transactions.

If we were delisted from NASDAQ, we may become subject to the trading complications experienced by “Penny Stocks” in the over-the-counter market.

Delisting from NASDAQ may cause our shares of common stock to become the SEC’s “penny stock” rules. The SEC generally defines a penny stock as an equity security that has a market price of less than $5.00 per share or an exercise price of less than $5.00 per share, subject to specific exemptions. One such exemption is to be listed on NASDAQ. Therefore, were we to be delisted from NASDAQ, our common stock may become subject to the SEC’s “penny stock” rules. These rules require, among other things, that any broker engaging in a purchase or sale of our securities provide its customers with: (i) a risk disclosure document, (ii) disclosure of market quotations, if any, (iii) disclosure of the compensation of the broker and its salespersons in the transaction and (iv) monthly account statements showing the market values of our securities held in the customer’s accounts. A broker would be required to provide the bid and offer quotations and compensation information before effecting the transaction. This information must be contained on the customer’s confirmation. Generally, brokers are less willing to effect transactions in penny stocks due to these additional delivery requirements. These requirements may make it more difficult for shareholders to purchase or sell our shares. Because the broker, not us, prepares this information, we would not be able to assure that such information is accurate, complete or current.

Our directors and executive officers, collectively, own approximately 16.33% of our outstanding common stock and may possess significant influence in or control over our management and affairs.

Mr. Yunfei Li, our president and chief executive officer and chairman of our board, and our other executive officers and directors beneficially owns an aggregate of 16.33% of our outstanding common stock. As a result, our directors and executive officers, acting together, may have significant influence in or control over our management and affairs, including the election of directors and approval of significant corporate transactions, such as mergers, consolidation, and sale of all or substantially all of our assets. Consequently, this concentration of ownership may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control, including a merger, consolidation or other business combination involving us, even if such a change of control would benefit our stockholders.

We do not intend to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.

For the foreseeable future, we intend to retain any earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock. Accordingly, investors must be prepared to rely on sales of their common stock after price appreciation to earn an investment return, which may never occur. Investors seeking cash dividends should not purchase our common stock. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors our board deems relevant.

Provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws could entrench our board of directors and prevent a change in control.

Our articles of incorporation provide that special meetings of the stockholders can only be called by our president or any other executive officer, or the board of directors, or any member thereof, the record holder or holders of at least 10% of all shares entitled to vote at the meeting, or the president or secretary at the written request of our stockholders holding not less than 30% of all shares issued, outstanding and entitled to vote. In addition, our bylaws and/or our articles of incorporation (i) allow vacancies in the board of directors to be filled by a majority of the remaining directors, though less than a quorum, (ii) provide that no contract or transaction between us and one or more of our directors or officers is void if certain criteria are met, (iii) provide that our bylaws may be amended or appealed at any meeting of the board of directors at which a quorum is present, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present at such meeting, and (iv) provide that at an annual meeting, our stockholders elect a board of directors and transact such other business as may properly be brought before the meeting; by contrast, at a special meeting, our stockholders may transact only the business for the purposes specified in the notice of the meeting unless all of our stockholders entitled to vote are present at the special meeting and consent.

In addition, our board of directors may cause us to issue our authorized but unissued shares of common stock in the future without stockholders’ approval. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of common stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control of a majority of our common stock by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Collectively, these provisions may have the effect of entrenching our existing board members, discouraging or preventing a transaction including a change in control transaction where such transaction would be beneficial to our stockholders.