SEC Form 20-F filed by Hongli Group Inc.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

☐ REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR (g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR 

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

☐ SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of event requiring this shell company report for the transition period from ____________to ____________ 

Commission file number: 001-41671

HONGLI GROUP INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

N/A

(Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)

Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

No. 777, Daiyi Road,

Changle County, Weifang City,

Shandong Province, China, 262400.

Tel: +86 0536-2185222

(Address of principal executive offices)

Jie Liu, Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +86 0535-2180886

Email: [email protected]

No. 777, Daiyi Road,

Changle County, Weifang City,

Shandong Province, China, 262400. 

(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

None

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:

As of December 31, 2023, the issuer had 12,238,750 Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

☐ Yes ☒ No

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

☐ Yes ☒ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

☒ Yes ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

☒ Yes  ☐ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

† The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

☐ Item 17  ☐ Item 18

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).

☐ Yes ☒ No

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

☐ Yes  ☐ No

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION

Unless otherwise indicated, numerical figures included in this Annual Report on Form 20-F (the “Annual Report”) have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in various tables may not be arithmetic aggregations of the figures that precede them.

For the sake of clarity, this Annual Report follows the English naming convention of first name followed by last name, regardless of whether an individual’s name is Chinese or English. Numerical figures included in this Annual Report have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, numerical figures shown as totals in various tables may not be arithmetic aggregations of the figures that precede them. Certain market data and other statistical information contained in this Annual Report are based on information from independent industry organizations, publications, surveys and forecasts. Some market data and statistical information contained in this Annual Report are also based on management’s estimates and calculations, which are derived from our review and interpretation of the independent sources listed above, our internal research and our knowledge of the PRC information technology industry. While we believe such information is reliable, we have not independently verified any third-party information and our internal data has not been verified by any independent source.

This annual report on Form 20-F includes our audited consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

Unless otherwise noted, all currency figures in this filing are in U.S. dollars. Any discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding. Our reporting currency is U.S. dollar and our functional currency is Renminbi. This Annual Report contains translations of certain foreign currency amounts into U.S. dollars for the convenience of the reader. Other than in accordance with relevant accounting rules and as otherwise stated, all translations of Renminbi into U.S. dollars in this Annual Report were made at the rate of RMB 7.0999 to USD 1, the year-end spot rate on December 31, 2023 or at the rate of RMB 7.0809 to USD 1, the average rate for the year ended December 31, 2023.    Where we make period-on-period comparisons of operational metrics, such calculations are based on the Renminbi amount and not the translated U.S. dollar equivalent. We make no representation that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to in this Annual Report could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Renminbi, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

MARKET AND INDUSTRY DATA

Market data and certain industry forecasts used in this Annual Report were obtained from internal surveys, market research, publicly available information and industry publications. Industry publications generally state that the information contained therein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but that the accuracy and completeness of such information is not guaranteed. Similarly, internal surveys, industry forecasts and market research, while believed to be reliable, have not been independently verified, and we make no representation as to the accuracy of such information.

Part I

Item 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not Applicable.

Item 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not Applicable.

Item 3. KEY INFORMATION

Contractual Arrangements between Hongli WFOE and Hongli Shandong 

Hongli WFOE, a wholly subsidiary of Hongli Cayman, and Hongli Shandong entered into a series of Contractual Arrangements in April 2021. Such Contractual Arrangements consist of a series of three agreements, along with shareholders’ powers of attorney (“POAs”) and irrevocable spousal consent letters. Neither Hongli Cayman nor its subsidiaries own any equity interests in the PRC operating entities.

The Contractual Arrangements are designed to allow Hongli Cayman to consolidate Hongli Shandong’s operations and financial results in Hongli Cayman’s financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP as the primary beneficiary for accounting purposes.

Due to PRC legal  restrictions on foreign ownership in certain sectors or other matters, such as telecommunications and the internet, many China-based operating companies had to list on a U.S. exchange through Contractual Arrangements, or a VIE structure, without a direct ownership in main operating entities. However, even though the business of some other China-based operating companies, including Hongli Shandong, is not within any sensitive sector that Chinese law prohibits or restricts direct foreign investment in, some China-based operating companies, as well as Hongli Shandong, at the discretion of the management, still selected to utilize such VIE structure to list overseas to avoid the substantial costs and time. If Hongli Shandong had selected to directly list on a U.S. exchange without such Contractual Arrangements, Hongli Shandong would be required to obtain certain regulatory approvals in connection with the conversion of the PRC operating entities into wholly foreign owned entities which would take the Company approximately 3-6 months to complete, without certainty when the conversion would be completed successfully. As a result, management elected to pursue the VIE structure, at which time that the PRC government did not initiate a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China including enhancing supervision over the use of variable interest entities for overseas listing.

The PRC government has initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over the use of variable interest entities for overseas listing, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. As we chose such VIE structure, we understand that we are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may not otherwise exist if we had direct equity ownership in the operating entities. The VIE structure has inherent risks that may affect your investment, including less effectiveness and certainties than direct ownership and potential substantial costs to enforce the terms of the Contractual Arrangements. See “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — We rely on Contractual Arrangements with the VIE and the shareholders of the VIE to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities. We do not have an equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control of, through such ownership or investment, the VIE.” We, as a Cayman Islands holding company, may have difficulty in enforcing any rights we may have under the Contractual Arrangements with Hongli Shandong, its founders and owners, in PRC because all of our Contractual Arrangements are governed by the mainland China laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC, where the legal environment is not as developed as in the United States. See “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our Contractual Arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our results of operation.” Furthermore, these Contractual Arrangements may not be enforceable in China if PRC government authorities or courts take a view that such Contractual Arrangements contravene applicable PRC laws and regulations or are otherwise not enforceable for public policy reasons. See “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we and the PRC operating entities must conduct business activities. We or the PRC operating entities are currently not required to obtain permissions or approval from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges nor for the execution of Contractual Arrangements, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval and were denied permission from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange or continue to offer securities to investors, which could materially affect the interest of the investors and cause the value of our Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.” In the event we are unable to enforce these Contractual Arrangements, we may not be able to consolidate the financial results of Hongli Shandong, and our results of operation may be materially and adversely affected. For more information, see “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure” and “Item 3. Key Information — D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China.”

Permission Required from the PRC Authorities for the VIE’s Operation.

The operation of the PRC operating entities is governed by laws and regulations in mainland China. The PRC entities have received all requisite permissions and approvals from the government authorities or agencies in mainland China to conduct its current business in mainland China. Hongli Cayman and its subsidiaries as well as the PRC operating entities have not received any denial from the mainland China government authorities or agencies for the VIE’s operation in mainland China. Hongli HK is a holding company with no operation except that Hongli HK holds all of the outstanding equity of Hongli WFOE and may distribute any dividends or payments (if any) received from Hongli WFOE to Hongli Cayman as dividends or transfer the cash proceeds from Hongli Cayman to Hongli WFOE. As of the date hereof, Hongli HK has received all the requisite license or permits from Hong Kong government with regards to its activities.

On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Measures and five supporting guidelines, which went effective on March 31, 2023. According to the Trial Measures, among other requirements, (1) domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfil the filing procedures with the CSRC; if a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedure, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties; (2) if the issuer meets both of the following conditions, the overseas offering and listing shall be determined as an indirect overseas offering and listing by a domestic company: (i) any of the total assets, net assets, revenues or profits of the domestic operating entities of the issuer in the most recent accounting year accounts for more than 50% of the corresponding figure in the issuer’s audited consolidated financial statements for the same period; (ii) its major operational activities are carried out in China or its main places of business are located in China, or the senior managers in charge of operation and management of the issuer are mostly Chinese citizens or are domiciled in China; and (3) where a domestic company seeks to indirectly offer and list securities in an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC, and such filings shall be submitted to the CSRC within three business days after the submission of the overseas offering and listing application. According to the CSRC Notice, the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas before the effective date of the Trial Measures (namely, March 31, 2023) shall be deemed as Existing Issuers. Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filing procedures immediately, but they shall be required to file with the CSRC within three working days from the completion of any subsequent offerings.

On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, Ministry of Finance of the PRC, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China promulgated the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Archives Rules, which took effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Archives Rules, domestic companies that seek for overseas offering and listing shall strictly abide by applicable laws and regulations of the PRC and the Archives Rules, enhance legal awareness of keeping state secrets and strengthening archives administration, institute a sound confidentiality and archives administration system, and take necessary measures to fulfill confidentiality and archives administration obligations. Such domestic companies shall not leak any state secret and working secret of government agencies, or harm national security and public interest. Furthermore, a domestic company that plans to, either directly or through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any document and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level. Moreover, a domestic company that plans to, either directly or through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. The Archives Rules also stipulate that a domestic company that provides accounting archives or copies of accounting archives to any entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators and individuals shall fulfill due procedures in compliance with applicable national regulations.

Any failure of us to fully comply with new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer the Ordinary Shares, causing significant disruption to our business operations, severely damage our reputation, materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations and cause the Ordinary Shares to significantly decline in value or become worthless. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factor — Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could have a material adverse effect on us”; “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factor — Our failure to obtain prior approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission for the listing and trading of our Ordinary Shares on a foreign stock exchange could delay the initial offering or could have a material adverse effect upon our business, operating results, reputation and trading price of our Ordinary Shares”; “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factor — New rules for China-based companies seeking for securities offerings in foreign stock markets was released by the CSRC recently. While such rules have not yet come into effect as of the date of this Annual Report, the Chinese government may exert more oversight and control over overseas public offerings conducted by China-based issuers, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our Ordinary Shares to investors and could cause the value of our Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or become worthless”; and “Regulation — Regulation Related to M&A Regulations and Overseas Listings.”

On December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”), together with twelve other government agencies in mainland China, published the Measures for Cybersecurity Review which became effective on February 15, 2022, which required that any “network platform operator” controlling personal information of no less than one million users which seeks to list in a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review. As the PRC operating entities’ business is engaged in cold roll formed steel profile manufacturing in mainland China and do not involve the collection of personal data of at least 1,000,000 users, implicate cybersecurity, we believe that neither we, nor the PRC operating entities are “network platform operator(s)”, and subject to the cybersecurity review of the CAC. On July 7, 2022, the CAC issued the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfers which became effective on September 1, 2022, and it requires that a data processor to provide data abroad under specific circumstances shall apply for the security assessment in respect of the outbound data transfer. As the PRC operating entities do not engage in any operation of information in infrastructure or involve the process of personal data of more than 1,000,000 individual, and have not provided over 100,000 individual’s personal information or over 10,000 individual’s sensitive personal information since January 1 of the last years abroad, further, the PRC entities have not involved the “important data” under the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfer. We believe that we, our subsidiaries, or the VIE are not subject to the security assessment of outbound data transfer under the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfers. As of the date of this Annual Report, we are of the view that we are in compliance with the applicable PRC laws and regulations governing the data privacy, personal information and information and outbound data transfer in all material respects, including the data privacy, personal information and outbound data transfer requirements of the CAC, and we have not received any complaints from any third party, or been investigated or punished by any PRC competent authority in relation to data privacy and personal information protection. However, as there remains significant uncertainty in the interpretation and enforcement of relevant PRC cybersecurity laws and regulations, we could be subject to cybersecurity review or security assessment of outbound data transfer, and if so, we may not be able to pass such review in relation to the initial offering or such security assessment in relation to outbound data transfer. In addition, we could become subject to enhanced cybersecurity review or investigations launched by PRC regulators in the future. If we (i) do not receive or maintain such permissions or approvals, (ii) inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or (iii) applicable laws, regulations, or interpretations change and we are required to obtain such permissions or approvals in the future, it may result in fines or other penalties, including suspension of business, and revocation of prerequisite licenses, as well as reputational damage or legal proceedings or actions against us, which may have material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. If we are not able to fully comply with the Measures for Cybersecurity Review, our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors may be significantly limited or completely hindered, and our securities may significantly decline in value or become worthless. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factor — In light of recent events indicating greater oversight by the Cyberspace Administration of China over data security, particularly for companies seeking to list on a foreign exchange, though such oversight is not applicable to us, we may be subject to a variety of PRC laws and other obligations regarding data protection and any other rules, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material and adverse effect on the business of the PRC operating entities, our listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, financial condition, results of operations, and the offering.”

Dividend Distributions or Transfers of Cash among Hongli Cayman, Its Subsidiaries, and the PRC Operating Entities

As of the date of this Annual Report, none of Hongli HK, Hongli WFOE and the PRC operating entities have made any dividends to Hongli Cayman. As of the date of this Annual Report, no dividends or distributions have been made to any U.S. investors. We intend to keep any future earnings to re-invest in and finance the expansion of the business of the PRC operating entities, and we do not anticipate that any cash dividends will be paid in the foreseeable future. As of the date of this Annual Report, Hongli Cayman, Hongli HK, Hongli WFOE as well as the PRC operating entities have not adopted or maintained any other cash management policies and procedures.

Hongli Cayman is a holding company with no material operations of its own and does not directly generate any revenue. Cash proceeds raised from overseas financing activities, including the cash proceeds from any securities offering, may be transferred by Hongli Cayman to Hongli HK, and then transferred to Hongli WFOE via capital contribution or shareholder loans, as the case may be. Cash proceeds may flow to the VIE from Hongli WFOE pursuant to certain contractual agreements between Hongli WFOE and the VIE as permitted by the applicable PRC regulations. The process for sending such proceeds back to the mainland China may be time-consuming after the closing of the offering. We may be unable to use these proceeds to grow the business of the PRC operating entities until the PRC operating entities receive such proceeds in mainland China. Any transfer of funds by the offshore holding company to the entities in the PRC, either as a loan or as an increase in registered capital, are subject to approval by or registration or filing with relevant governmental authorities in mainland China. Any foreign loans procured by the PRC operating entities and Hongli WFOE is required to be registered with China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”) or its local branches or satisfy relevant requirements, and Hongli WFOE may not procure foreign loans which exceed the difference between their respective total project investment amount and registered capital or 2.5 times (which may be varied due to the change of mainland China’s national macro-control policy) of the net worth of Hongli WFOE, and the VIE may not procure foreign loans which exceed 2.5 times (which may be varied due to the change of mainland China’s national macro-control policy) of the net worth of the VIE. According to the applicable PRC regulations on foreign-invested enterprises in mainland China, capital contributions to the PRC operating entities are subject to the filing with State Administration for Market Regulation in its local branches, the Ministry of Commerce in its local branches and registration with a local bank authorized by SAFE. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Mainland China regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay us from using the proceeds of the initial offering or any future offering to make loans or additional capital contributions to our subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand the business of the PRC operating entities.”

Under our current corporate structure, we rely on dividend payments from Hongli HK and Hongli WFOE to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders or to pay any debt we may incur:

The transfer of funds among the PRC operating entities are subject to the Provisions of the Supreme People’s Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Private Lending Cases (2020 Second Amendment, the “Provisions on Private Lending Cases”), which was implemented on January 1, 2021 to regulate the financing activities between natural persons, legal persons and unincorporated organizations. The Provisions on Private Lending Cases set forth that private lending contracts will be upheld as invalid under the circumstance that (i) the lender swindles loans from financial institutions for relending; (ii) the lender relends the funds obtained by means of a loan from another profit-making legal person, raising funds from its employees, illegally taking deposits from the public; (iii) the lender who has not obtained the lending qualification according to the law lends money to any unspecified object of the society for the purpose of making profits; (iv) the lender lends funds to a borrower when the lender knows or should have known that the borrower intended to use the borrowed funds for illegal or criminal purposes; (v) the lending is violations of public orders or good morals; or (vi) the lending is in violations of mandatory provisions of laws or administrative regulations.

In addition, the mainland China government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of mainland China. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to transfer cash out of mainland China and pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders. There can be no assurance that the PRC government will not intervene or impose restrictions on our ability to transfer or distribute cash within our organization or to foreign investors, which could result in an inability or prohibition on making transfers or distributions outside of mainland China and may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively.”

If we are considered a mainland China tax resident enterprise for tax purposes, any dividends we pay to our overseas shareholders may be regarded as China-sourced income and as a result may be subject to PRC withholding tax at a rate of up to 10.0%. Certain payments from the VIE, Hongli Shandong, to Hongli WFOE are subject to mainland China taxes, including business taxes and VAT.

In addition, each of Hongli WFOE and the PRC operating entities is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of its registered capital. Each of such entity in mainland China may also set aside a portion of its after-tax profits to fund an optional employee welfare fund, although the amount to be set aside, if any, is determined at the discretion of its board of shareholders. Although the statutory reserves can be used, among other ways, to increase the registered capital and eliminate future losses in excess of retained earnings of the respective companies, the reserve funds are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of liquidation.

Pursuant to the Arrangement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, or the Double Tax Avoidance Arrangement, the 10% withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a mainland China project. However, the 5% withholding tax rate does not automatically apply, and certain requirements must be satisfied, including without limitation that (a) the Hong Kong project must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends; and (b) the Hong Kong project must directly hold no less than 25% share ownership in the mainland China project during the 12 consecutive months preceding its receipt of the dividends. In current practice, a Hong Kong project must obtain a tax resident certificate from the Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower mainland China withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the Double Taxation Arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by Hongli WFOE to its immediate holding company, Hongli HK. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not applied for the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. Hongli HK intends to apply for the tax resident certificate when Hongli WFOE plans to declare and pay dividends to Hongli HK. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — There are significant uncertainties under the EIT Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of Hongli WFOE, and dividends payable by Hongli WFOE to Hongli HK may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.”

Financial Information Related to the VIE

The following tables present selected condensed consolidating statements of income and comprehensive income, and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the selected condensed consolidating balance sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, which showing financial information for parent company, Hongli Cayman, its subsidiaries (Hongli HK and Hongli WFOE), the VIE and its subsidiaries, eliminating entries and consolidated information.

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEETS

SELECTED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

ROLL-FORWARD OF INVESTMENT IN SUBSIDIARIES AND VIE

A. [Reserved]

B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

D. Risk Factors

SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the following risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report. Investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report before making an investment decision. The risks and uncertainties described below represent our known material risks to our business. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could suffer. In that case, you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Related to the Business and Industry of the PRC Operating Entities

Risks and uncertainties related to the business and industry of the PRC operating entities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

We are also subject to risks and uncertainties related to our corporate structure, including, but not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

The WFOE and PRC operating entities are based in mainland China, Hongli HK is established in Hong Kong as a holding company, and the PRC operating entities have all of their operations in China, and therefore, we and the PRC operating entities face risks and uncertainties related to doing business in China in general, including, but not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares

In addition to the risks described above, we are subject to general risks and uncertainties related to our Ordinary Shares, including, but not limited to, the following:

Risks Related to the Business and Industry of the PRC Operating Entities

The business of our PRC operating entities involves occupational hazards to their workforce.

The operations of our PRC operating entities rely heavily on their workforce, which is exposed to a wide range of operational hazards typical for the steel-making industry. These hazards arise from working at industrial sites, operating heavy machinery and performing other hazardous activities. Although the PRC operating entities provide their workforce with occupational health and safety training and believe that their safety standards and procedures are adequate, accidents at their sites and facilities have occurred in the past and may occur in the future as a result of unexpected circumstances, failure of employees to follow proper safety procedures, human error or otherwise. If any of these circumstances were to occur in the future, they could result in personal injury, business interruption, possible legal liability, damage to our business reputation and corporate image and, in severe cases, fatalities, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects. The PRC operating entities have general liability and workers’ compensation insurance to protect them against such risks, but recoveries under the insurance coverage that we obtain in the future, if any, may not fully offset their costs in the event of a claim.

The PRC operating entities may not be able to accurately forecast demand for their products.

The PRC operating entities order raw materials and supplies and plan production based on discussions with their customers and internal forecasts of demand. If they are unable to accurately forecast demand for their products, in terms of both overall volume and specific products, they may experience delayed product shipments and customer dissatisfaction which could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The considerable uncertainty in Chinese economic growth could hurt demand of the products of the PRC operating entities.

While China has grown significantly over the past two decades, the growth rate may decrease due to uncertainties with respect to national structural control along with other factors. If China’s growth rate slows, or even declines, demand for the products of the PRC operating entities might be accordingly decreased. Therefore, the business of the PRC operating entities might be adversely affected by the slowdown in the economic conditions, which would negatively affect sales of their products, operations of our company and our financial condition.

Tariffs could materially have a negative impact on demand of the products of the PRC operating entities.

Import tariffs, other trade barriers and protectionist policies could negatively affect steel prices and the PRC operating entities’ exports to international markets, particularly the United States. Such import barriers adversely affect the PRC operating entities’ business by limiting their access to or competitiveness in foreign steel markets. For example, as the PRC operating entities are currently developing the US market, the PRC operating entities might anticipate a significant increase of cost of goods for their sales if any to the United States as a result from tariffs on steel and steel products imports imposed by the U.S. government. The U.S. government imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports in March 2018 under “Section 232” from nearly all foreign countries. In addition to the Section 232 tariff, the U.S. government has imposed hefty anti-dumping and subsidy countervailing duties on a wide range of steel imports from China. With regard to the PRC operating entities in particular, the Section 232 tariff had a limited effect on their U.S. sales, because the tariffs on their exports to the United States had already reached 25% before 2018. There was no additional tariff on their U.S. exports in respect of the Section 232 tariff or the US-China trade war. However, you should not expect that the PRC operating entities’ sales of products would continue to offset the potential increase in the pricing of the steel products due to any increased tariffs. As a result of increasing costs, the potentially increased pricing by the PRC operating entities could have an adverse effect on their operations and financial conditions and our financial conditions.

The PRC operating entities’ business is also affected by global economic conditions.

As the PRC operating entities profile products are applied to different kinds of machineries and equipment manufactured by enterprises in South Korea, Japan, United States and Sweden, the demands of the machineries and equipment in the world will to a certain extent impact the business of the PRC operating entities. Further, the PRC operating entities offer a broad range of products exported to South Korea, Japan, United States and Sweden, so the business of the PRC operating entities also depend upon factors relating to global economic conditions such as business conditions, interest rates, availability of credit, and applicable taxation in regional and local markets where they sell their products.

Our revenue will decrease if the industries in which the customers of the PRC operating entities operate experience a protracted slowdown.

The products of the PRC operating entities mainly serve as key components in projects and machines operated by their customers which are in a broad range of industries. Therefore, the PRC operating entities are subject to the general changes in economic conditions affecting those industry segments of the economy. If the industry segments in which the customers of the PRC operating entities operate do not grow or if there is a contraction in those industries, demand for the PRC operating entities’ products will decrease. Demand for the PRC operating entities’ products is typically affected by a number of overarching economic factors, including, but not limited to, interest rates, the availability and magnitude of private and governmental investment in infrastructure projects and the health of the overall global economy. If there is a decline in economic activity in China and the other markets in which the PRC operating entities operate or a protracted slowdown in industries on which the PRC operating entities rely for their sales, demand for their products and our revenue will likewise decrease.

The PRC operating entities operate in a competitive industry. If the PRC operating entities are unable to compete successfully, they may lose market share to their competitors.

The domestic market for custom-made profile and related products is highly competitive. The PRC operating entities’ current or potential competitors include major and scaled manufacturers in China and overseas. Some of their competitors may have greater brand recognition, a larger group of customers or vendors, longer operating histories and greater marketing resources than we do. Customers may weight their experience and resources over us in various ways, therefore increasing our competitor’s respective market shares. This competition affects the prices at which the PRC operating entities are able to sell their products, and their ability to retain or attract customers.

You should not expect that the PRC operating entities will be able to compete successfully against current or potential competitors, and such competitive pressures may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Failure to compete successfully against existing or new competitors may cause the PRC operating entities to lose market share, customers and other business partners.

Any decline in the availability or increase in the cost of raw materials could materially affect our earnings.

The principal raw material used to manufacture the products of the PRC operating entities is steel. The manufacturing operations of the PRC operating entities depend heavily on the availability of raw materials. The availability of raw materials may decline and their prices may fluctuate greatly. During the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, Hongli Shandong, the VIE, purchased a total of approximately $3.58 million, $5.20 million and $8.8 million, respectively, of raw materials from Shanghai Wanhe Supply Chain Management Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Wanhe”), which accounted for approximately 48%, 50% and 65% of our raw materials, respectively.     Hongli Shandong has a procurement framework agreement with Shanghai Wanhe valid until December 31, 2024   with an automatic two-year renewal is received from either party, under which Hongli Shandong may purchase raw materials under specific purchase contracts. Though the PRC operating entities are not dependent on their current suppliers and may be able to find replacement in the market, we cannot assure you that their operations will not be interrupted if their major suppliers are unable or unwilling to provide them with raw materials on terms acceptable to them. This could result in a decrease in profit and damage to our reputation in the industry. In the event the cost of the PRC operating entities’ raw materials increase if they have to use a substitute supplier or even from their existing suppliers, they may not be able to pass these higher costs on to their customers in full or at all. Any increase in the prices for raw materials could materially increase their costs and therefore lower their earnings.

We have a substantial customer concentration, with a limited number of customers accounting for a substantial portion of our revenues.

We derive a significant portion of our revenues from a few major customers. The PRC operating entities had 3 major customers, LOVOL, South Korean VOLVO and SDLG, who in aggregate accounted for approximately $12.0 million, or 75% and $15.0 million, or 74% of sales and $15.6 million, or 72% for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.   All of these major customers have been with the PRC operating entities for an average of 10 years and we consider that their relationship with them are stable and solid. Inherent risks exist whenever a large percentage of total revenues are concentrated with a limited number of customers. It is not possible for us to predict the future level of demand for our products and services that will be generated by these customers or the future demand for our products by these customers in the marketplace. If any of these customers experience declining or delayed sales due to market, economic or competitive conditions, the PRC operating entities could be pressured to reduce their product prices or these customers could decrease the purchase quantity of the products of the PRC operating entities, which could have an adverse effect on the margins and financial position, and could negatively affect our revenues and results of operations. If any of these three large customers of the PRC operating entities terminates the purchase of the PRC operating entities’ products, such termination would materially negatively affect our revenues, results of operations and financial condition.

The loss of any of the key customers of the PRC operating entities could reduce our revenues and our profitability.

We consider the major customers of the PRC operating entities in each period to be those customers that accounted for more than 10% of our revenue in such period. The PRC operating entities had 3 major customers, LOVOL, South Korean VOLVO and SDLG, who in aggregate accounted for approximately $12 million, or 75%, $15 million, or 74% of sales and $15.6 million, or 72% for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.    All of these major customers have been with the PRC operating entities for an average of 10 years and we consider that their relationship with them are stable and solid.

However, there can be no assurance that the PRC operating entities will maintain or improve the relationships with customers who do not have long-term contracts with them. If the PRC operating entities cannot maintain long-term relationships with major customers or replace major customers from period to period with equivalent customers, the loss of such sales could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our inability to raise capital could have material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The VIE, Hongli Shandong, is currently undertaking an Expansion Plan with an aggregated estimated cost of $24.9 million which will significantly improve its capacity and profit margin as well as its market shares and scale. If we cannot raise capital and are unable to execute the business plan of the PRC operating entities successfully, the PRC operating entities may not be able to grow effectively as they expected or satisfy the increased demands from their existing customers, or respond to new orders from potential customers, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and results of operation.

The PRC operating entities will require substantial additional funding in the future. There is no assurance that additional financing will be available to the PRC operating entities.

The PRC operating entities have been dependent upon bank loans and proceeds received from their shareholders’ equity contributions to meet their capital requirements in the past. We cannot assure you that the PRC operating entities will be able to obtain capital in the future to meet their capital requirements for their product development and to maintain operations and improve financial performance. If the PRC operating entities were unable to meet their future funding requirements for working capital and for general business purposes, they could experience operating losses and limit their marketing efforts as well as decrease or eliminate capital expenditures. If so, our operating results, our business results and our financial position would be adversely affected. If adequate additional financing is not available on reasonable terms, the PRC operating entities may not be able to undertake their expansion plan or purchase additional equipment for their operations, and they would have to modify their business plans accordingly.

Mainland China regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion may delay us from using the proceeds of the initial offering and any future offering to make loans or additional capital contributions to our subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand the business of the PRC operating entities.

Hongli Cayman is an offshore holding company conducting operations in mainland China through the PRC operating entities pursuant to the Contractual Arrangements. We may make loans to our subsidiaries subject to the approval from governmental authorities and limitation of amount, or we may make additional capital contributions to our subsidiaries in China.

Any loans to Hongli WFOE in China, which is treated as a foreign-invested enterprise under PRC law, are subject to PRC regulations and foreign exchange loan registrations. For example, loans by us to Hongli WFOE in China to finance its activities cannot exceed statutory limits and must be registered with the local counterpart of SAFE. In addition, a foreign invested enterprise shall use its capital pursuant to the principle of authenticity and self-use within its business scope. The capital of a foreign invested enterprise shall not be used for the following purposes: (i) directly or indirectly used for payment beyond the business scope of the enterprise or the payment prohibited by relevant laws and regulations; (ii) directly or indirectly used for investment in securities investments other than banks’ principal-secured products unless otherwise provided by relevant laws and regulations; (iii) the granting of loans to non-affiliated enterprises, except where it is expressly permitted in the business license; and (iv) paying the expenses related to the purchase of real estate that is not for self-use (except for the foreign-invested real estate enterprises).

SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming the Administration of Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital of Foreign-invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, effective June 2015, in replacement of the Circular on the Relevant Operating Issues Concerning the Improvement of the Administration of the Payment and Settlement of Foreign Currency Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, the Notice from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Relevant Issues Concerning Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Exchange Businesses, and the Circular on Further Clarification and Regulation of the Issues Concerning the Administration of Certain Capital Account Foreign Exchange Businesses. Although SAFE Circular 19 allows RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested enterprise to be used for equity investments within China, it also reiterates the principle that RMB converted from the foreign currency-denominated capital of a foreign-invested company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope. Thus, it is unclear whether SAFE will permit such capital to be used for equity investments in China in actual practice. SAFE promulgated the Notice of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Reforming and Standardizing the Foreign Exchange Settlement Management Policy of Capital Account, or SAFE Circular 16, effective on June 9, 2016, which reiterates some of the rules set forth in SAFE Circular 19, but changes the prohibition against using RMB capital converted from foreign currency-denominated registered capital of a foreign-invested company to issue RMB entrusted loans to a prohibition against using such capital to issue loans to non-associated enterprises. Violations of SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 could result in administrative penalties. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 may significantly limit our ability to transfer any foreign currency we hold, including the net proceeds from the initial offering, to Hongli WFOE, which may adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand the business of the PRC operating entities in China.

On October 23, 2019, SAFE issued the Circular on Further Promoting Cross-border Trade and Investment Facilitation, or SAFE Circular 28, which took effect on the same day. SAFE Circular 28, subject to certain conditions, allows foreign-invested enterprises whose business scope does not include investment, or non-investment foreign-invested enterprises, to use their capital funds to make equity investments in China. Since SAFE Circular 28 was issued only recently, its interpretation and implementation in practice are still subject to substantial uncertainties.

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, and the fact that the PRC government may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary government registrations or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to PRC subsidiaries in or future capital contributions by us to Hongli WFOE in China. As a result, uncertainties exist as to our ability to provide prompt financial support to our subsidiaries when needed. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we expect to receive from the initial offering and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand the business of the PRC operating entities.

Restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively.

All of our revenues are denominated in Renminbi. The Renminbi is currently convertible under the “current account,” which includes dividends, trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, but not under the “capital account,” which includes foreign direct investment and loans, including loans we may secure from our onshore subsidiaries. Currently, PRC subsidiaries may purchase foreign currency for settlement of “current account transactions,” including payment of dividends to us, without the approval of SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, the relevant PRC governmental authorities may limit or eliminate our ability to purchase foreign currencies in the future for current account transactions. Since we expect a significant portion of our future revenue will be denominated in Renminbi, any existing and future restrictions on currency exchange may limit our ability to utilize revenue generated in Renminbi to fund our business activities outside of the PRC and/or transfer cash out of China to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders. Foreign exchange transactions under the capital account remain subject to limitations and require approvals from, or registration with, SAFE and other relevant PRC governmental authorities. This could affect our ability to obtain foreign currency through debt or equity financing for our subsidiaries. In addition, there can be no assurance that the PRC government will not intervene or impose restrictions on our ability to transfer or distribute cash within our organization or to foreign investors, which could result in an inability or prohibition on making transfers or distributions outside of China and may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

During any growth, the PRC operating entities may encounter problems related to their operational and financial systems and controls, including quality control and delivery and production capacities.

Any significant growth in the market for the products of the PRC operating entities or their entry into new markets may require additional employees for managerial, operational, financial and other purposes. As of April 10, 2024, the PRC operating entities have 163 employees. The PRC operating entities would also need to continue to expand, train and manage their employees. Continued future growth will impose significant added responsibilities upon their management to identify, recruit, maintain, integrate, and motivate new employees.

The PRC operating entities may encounter working capital shortage, as they may need additional funds to finance the purchase of materials and supplies, development of new products, and hiring of additional employees.

For effective growth management, the PRC operating entities will be required to continue improving their operations, management, and financial systems and controls. The PRC operating entities’ failure to manage growth effectively may lead to operational and financial inefficiencies, which will have a negative effect on their profitability. We cannot assure investors that the PRC operating entities will be able to timely and effectively meet increased demand and maintain the quality standards required by their existing and potential customers.

Our indebtedness to lenders and other creditors is significant and if we encounter demands for payment that we cannot meet, it could have adverse consequences for our business and future prospects.

As of December 31, 2023, our current assets were approximately $10.8 million, and our current liabilities were approximately $7.7 million. As of December 31, 2022, our current assets were approximately $14.0 million, and our current liabilities were approximately $12.4 million.  

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, the PRC operating entities entered into various loan agreements with the banks for an aggregated amount of approximately $9.06 million to facilitate their operations. As of December 31, 2023, short-term loan balance was approximately $5.72 million, long-term loan balance was $3.34 million. Interest rates for the loans outstanding during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 range from 2% to 6.8% per annum.  Substantially all outstanding bank loans as of December 31, 2023 were guaranteed by the family members of Mr. Jie Liu, our CEO, and certain third-party companies. For the years ended December 31, 2022, the PRC operating entities entered into various loan agreements with the banks for an aggregated amount of approximately $16.6 million, to facilitate their operations. Interest rates for the loans outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2022 range from 4.3% to 6.8% per annum.   All of the bank loans mature within one year. Substantially all outstanding bank loans as of December 31, 2022 were guaranteed by the family members of Mr. Jie Liu, our CEO, companies owned by those family members, and certain third-party companies.  For the years ended December 31, 2021, the PRC operating entities entered into various loan agreements with the banks for an aggregated amount of approximately $5.66 million to facilitate their operations. Interest rates for the loans outstanding during the years ended December 31, 2021 range from 4.35% to 6.95% per annum. All of the bank loans mature within one year. Substantially all outstanding bank loans as of December 31, 2021 were guaranteed by the family members of Mr. Jie Liu, our CEO, companies owned by those family members, and certain third-party companies.

Our ability to pay these liabilities and meet our obligations will also depend on our cash reserves, available additional financing and ongoing operating performance. Historically, the PRC operating entities had been using their historical funds to optimize the sales and production of the PRC operating entities and the PRC operating entities have been generating positive cash flows from their business for their ordinary course of operations. In order to further grow and expand the business, the PRC operating entities are seeking bank loans to fund and execute their Expansion Plan, and there can be no assurance that the PRC operating entities will possess or be able to secure the bank loans to meet these payment obligations under the Expansion Plan when they become due. A failure by Hongli Shandong to meet its payment and other obligations, including its financial covenants and security coverage requirement, could lead to defaults under such loan agreements. If Hongli Shandong defaults under its loan agreement, Hongli Shandong may have to cash the deposit of its working capital, which could have material impact on business and results of operation.

The PRC operating entities’ failure to satisfy these obligations when due would have a material adverse effect on their ability to continue in business and could cause them to liquidate, resulting in the total loss of value to our shareholders.

We cannot assure you that the internal growth strategy of the PRC operating entities will be successful, which may result in a negative impact on our growth, financial condition, results of operations and cash flow.

One of the strategies of the PRC operating entities is to grow internally through increasing the development of new products and improving the quality of existing products. However, many obstacles to this expansion exist, including, but not limited to, increased competition from similar businesses, the PRC operating entities’ ability to improve their products and product mix to realize the benefits of their research and development efforts, international trade and tariff barriers, unexpected costs, costs associated with marketing efforts abroad and maintaining attractive foreign exchange rates. We cannot, therefore, assure you that the PRC operating entities will be able to successfully overcome such obstacles and establish their products in any additional markets. The inability of the PRC operating entities to implement this internal growth strategy successfully may have a negative impact on our growth, future financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

The business of the PRC operating entities depends on the continued efforts of their senior management. If one or more of the key executives of the PRC operating entities were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, the business of senior management may be severely disrupted.

The business operations of the PRC operating entities depend on the continued services of their senior management, particularly the executive officers named in this Annual Report. While the PRC operating entities have provided different incentives to their management, we cannot assure you that the PRC operating entities can continue to retain their services. If one or more of their key executives were unable or unwilling to continue in their present positions, the PRC operating entities may not be able to replace them easily, or at all, their future growth may be constrained, their business may be severely disrupted and our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected, and the PRC operating entities may incur additional expenses to recruit, train and retain qualified personnel. In addition, although the PRC operating entities have entered into confidentiality and non-competition agreements with their management, there is no assurance that any member of their management team will not join the competitors of the PRC operating entities or form a competing business. If any dispute arises between the PRC operating entities and their current or former officers, the PRC operating entities may have to incur substantial costs and expenses in order to enforce such agreements in China or the PRC operating entities may be unable to enforce them at all.

The business of the PRC operating entities is substantially dependent upon their key R&D personnel who possess skills that are valuable in this industry, and the PRC operating entities may have to actively compete for their services.

One key to the success of the PRC operating entities is their experienced R&D team which enables them to be a “custom-made profile shop” for their customers. The PRC operating entities compete for qualified personnel with other similar products manufacturing companies. Intense competition for these personnel could cause their compensation costs to increase, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial performance. Key R&D personnel and our general managers of the PRC operating entities have entered into non-compete and confidentiality agreements with us, however, we cannot assure you that the PRC operating entities will not lose them because of such contractual obligations. The future success of the PRC operating entities and ability to grow their business will depend in part on the continued service of these individuals and the PRC operating entities’ ability to identify, hire and retain additional qualified personnel. If the PRC operating entities are unable to attract and retain qualified employees, they may not be able to meet their business and financial goals.

The PRC operating entities may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of their intellectual property, which could cause a loss of customers, reduce our revenues and harm their competitive position.

The PRC operating entities rely on a combination of copyright, trademark, software registration, anti-unfair competition and trade secret laws, as well as confidentiality agreements and other methods to protect our intellectual property rights. To protect their trade secrets and other proprietary information, key R&D personnel and their general managers are required to enter into confidentiality agreements. These agreements might not provide effective protection for the trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information in the event of any unauthorized use, misappropriation or disclosure of such trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information. Implementation of intellectual property-related laws in China has historically been lacking, primarily because of ambiguities in the PRC laws and difficulties in enforcement. Accordingly, intellectual property rights and confidentiality protections in China may not be as effective as those in the United States or other developed countries, and infringement of intellectual property rights continues to pose a serious risk of doing business in China. Policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive. The steps the PRC operating entities have taken may be inadequate to prevent the misappropriation of their proprietary technology. Unauthorized copying, other misappropriation, or negligent or accidental leakage of their proprietary technologies could enable third parties to benefit from their technologies without obtaining their consent or paying them for doing so, which could harm the business and competitive position of the PRC operating entities. Though the PRC operating entities are not currently involved in any litigation with respect to intellectual property, they may need to enforce their intellectual property rights through litigation. Litigation relating to their intellectual property may not prove successful and might result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

The PRC operating entities may face intellectual property infringement claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend. If the PRC operating entities fail to defend themselves against such claims, we may lose significant intellectual property rights and may be unable to continue providing their existing products.

The success of the PRC operating entities largely depends on their ability to use and develop their technology without infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties, especially patents. The PRC operating entities may be subject to risk related to potential patent infringement claims, regarding the patents of our profile products developed by them used for the production of the profile products for their customers. The PRC operating entities may be subject to litigation involving claims of violation of other intellectual property rights of third parties. The PRC operating entities may be unaware of intellectual property registrations or applications relating to their products that may give rise to potential infringement claims against them. There may also be technologies licensed to and relied on by the PRC operating entities that are subject to infringement or other corresponding allegations or claims by third parties which may damage our ability to rely on such technologies. The PRC operating entities are subject to additional risks as a result of their hiring of new employees who may misappropriate intellectual property from their former employers. Parties making infringement claims may be able to obtain an injunction to prevent the PRC operating entities from delivering services or using technology involving the allegedly infringing intellectual property. Intellectual property litigation is expensive and time-consuming and could divert management’s attention from our business. A successful infringement claims against the PRC operating entities, whether with or without merit, could, among others, require them to pay substantial damages, develop non-infringing technology, or re-brand their name or enter into royalty or license agreements that may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all, and cease making, licensing or using products that have infringed a third party’s intellectual property rights. Protracted litigation could also result in existing or potential customers deferring or limiting their purchase or use of the PRC operating entities’ products until resolution of such litigation, or could require the PRC operating entities to indemnify their customers against infringement claims in certain instances. Any intellectual property claim or litigation in this area, whether the PRC operating entities ultimately win or lose, could damage the reputation of the PRC operating entities and have a material adverse effect on their business, results of operations or financial condition.

Pandemics and epidemics, natural disasters, terrorist activities, political unrest, and other outbreaks could disrupt our delivery and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Global pandemics, or fear of spread of contagious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, and avian flu, as well as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, or other natural disasters could disrupt our business operations, reduce or restrict our operations and services, incur significant costs to protect our employees and facilities, or result in regional or global economic distress, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Actual or threatened war, terrorist activities, political unrest, civil strife, and other geopolitical uncertainty could have a similar adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation launched an invasion of Ukraine that has had an immediate impact on the global economy resulting in higher energy prices and higher prices for certain raw materials and goods and services which in turn is contributing to higher inflation in the United States and other countries across the globe with significant disruption to financial markets. We and the PRC operating entities currently do not have any operation or business in Russia or Ukraine, however, we may be potentially indirectly adversely impacted any significant disruption it has caused and may continue to escalate. In addition, the United States and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia which increases the risk that Russia may resort to retaliatory actions, including the launching of cyberattacks. Even though the PRC operating entities’ business is engaged in CRF profile manufacturing in China and do not have any measure in place to mitigate such potential cyberattacks, it is possible that these attacks could have collateral effects on additional critical infrastructure and financial institutions globally, which could adversely affect our operations. It is difficult to assess the likelihood of such threat and any potential impact at this time. Any one or more of these events may impede our operation and delivery efforts and adversely affect our sales results, or even for a prolonged period of time, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by epidemics, natural disasters and other catastrophes.

The business of the PRC operating entities could be materially and adversely affected by the outbreak of epidemics, including but not limited to COVID-19, swine influenza, avian influenza, middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV). Our financial and operating performance have been adversely affected by COVID-19, natural disasters and other catastrophes. As a result of COVID-19, the PRC operating entities have experienced slowdowns and temporary suspensions in production. The PRC operating entities’ business could be materially and adversely affected in the event that the slowdowns or suspensions last for a long period of time, or decrease demand for their products. During such epidemic outbreak, China may adopt certain hygiene measures, including quarantining visitors from places where any of the contagious diseases were rampant. Any prolonged restrictive measures in order to control the contagious disease or other adverse public health developments in China or our targeted markets may have a material and adverse effect on the PRC operating entities’ business operations.

Similarly, natural disasters, wars (including the potential of war), terrorist activity (including threats of terrorist activity), social unrest and heightened travel security measures instituted in response, and travel-related accidents, as well as geopolitical uncertainty and international conflict, will affect travel volume and may in turn have a material adverse effect on the PRC operating entities’ business and results of operations. In addition, the PRC operating entities may not be adequately prepared in contingency planning or recovery capability in relation to a major incident or crisis, and as a result, their operational continuity may be adversely and materially affected, which in turn may harm their reputation.

If the PRC operating entities are not able to continue to innovate or if the PRC operating entities fail to adapt to changes in their industry, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.

The custom-made profile products industry has trends of developing high-end and high-tech products to fulfill the changing customers’ demands. Furthermore, the competitors of the PRC operating entities are constantly developing innovations in different types of steel products to enhance customers’ experience. The PRC operating entities continue to invest significant resources in their infrastructure, research and development and other areas to enhance their existing products as well as to introduce new products that will attract more participants to their marketplaces. The changes and developments taking place in this industry may also require the PRC operating entities to re-evaluate their business model and adopt significant changes to their long-term strategies and business plan. The failure of the PRC operating entities to innovate and adapt to these changes would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If the PRC operating entities fail to promote and maintain their brand in an effective and cost-efficient way, our business and results of operations may be harmed.

We believe that developing and maintaining awareness of the PRC operating entities’ brand effectively is critical to attracting new and retaining existing customers. Successful promotion of the PRC operating entities’ brand and their ability to attract customers depend largely on the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and the success of the channels they use to promote their products. It is likely that the PRC operating entities’ future marketing efforts will require them to incur significant additional expenses. These efforts may not result in increased revenues in the immediate future or at all and, even if they do, any increases in revenues may not offset the expenses incurred. If the PRC operating entities fail to successfully promote and maintain their brand while incurring substantial expenses, our results of operations and financial condition would be adversely affected, which may impair the PRC operating entities’ ability to grow their business.

New lines of business or new products may subject us to additional risks.

From time to time, the PRC operating entities may implement new lines of business or offer new products within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products, the PRC operating entities may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products may not be achieved and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business or a new product. Furthermore, any new line of business and/or new products could have a significant impact on the effectiveness of our system of internal controls. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new products could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Equipment failures or production curtailments or shutdowns could adversely affect the PRC operating entities’ production. A lack of insurance coverage could expose the PRC operating entities to significant costs and business disruption.

The production capacities of the PRC operating entities are subject to equipment failures and to the risk of catastrophic loss due to unanticipated events, such as fires, explosions and adverse weather conditions. None of the PRC operating entities maintain any insurance to cover assets, property and potential liability of their business. The lack of insurance could leave their business inadequately protected from loss. If the PRC operating entities were to incur substantial losses or liabilities due to fire, explosions, floods, other natural disasters or accidents or business interruption, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

We may be exposed to liabilities under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and any determination that we violated the foreign corrupt practices act could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act, or 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 will have operations, agreements with third parties and make sales in South-East Asia, which may experience corruption. The existing business of the PRC operating entities in Asia creates the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by one of the employees, consultants, or sales agents of our Company, because these parties are not always subject to the control of the PRC operating entities. It will be our policy to implement safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees. Also, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants, or sales agents of our Company may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible. Violations of the FCPA 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 government may seek to hold our Company liable for successor liability for FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire.

Environmental regulations impose substantial costs and limitations on the PRC operating entities’ operations.

The PRC operating entities use a variety of chemicals and produce significant emissions in their manufacturing operations. As such, the PRC operating entities are subject to various national and local environmental laws and regulations in China concerning issues such as air emissions, wastewater discharges, and solid waste management and disposal. These laws and regulations can restrict or limit their operations and expose them to liability and penalties for non-compliance. While the PRC operating entities believe that their facilities are in material compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations, the risks of substantial unanticipated costs and liabilities related to compliance with these laws and regulations are an inherent part of the PRC operating entities’ business. It is possible that future conditions may develop, arise or be discovered that create new environmental compliance or remediation liabilities and costs. While the PRC operating entities believe that they can comply with existing environmental legislation and regulatory requirements and that the costs of compliance have been included within budgeted cost estimates, compliance may prove to be more limiting and costly than anticipated.

Non-compliance with present or future construction and environmental regulations may result in potentially significant monetary damages and fines.

As the operations of the PRC operating entities’ business impact the environment, the PRC operating entities must comply with all applicable national and local environmental laws and regulations in China. The PRC operating entities are required to undertake environmental impact assessment procedures and pass certain inspection and approval procedures before commencing our operations. The PRC operating entities are also required to register with, or obtain approvals from, relevant environmental protection authorities for various environmental matters such as discharging waste generated by their operations.

The PRC operating entities intend to increase their capacity in the future by establishing new facilities. The PRC operating entities will be required to obtain certain environmental, construction and safety approvals and completed certain examination and acceptance procedures for these facilities. They may not be able to obtain such approvals or complete such procedures in a timely manner or at all. If for any reason the relevant government authorities in China determine that the PRC operating entities are not in compliance with environmental and construction laws and regulations, the PRC operating entities may be required to pay fines, suspend or cease their operations in the relevant premises. In addition, because the requirements imposed by environmental, health and safety laws and regulations may change and more stringent regulations may be adopted, the PRC operating entities may be unable to accurately predict the cost of complying with these laws and regulations, which could be substantial.

You may have difficulty enforcing judgments obtained against us.

Hongli Cayman is an exempted Cayman Islands company and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. Virtually all of our assets and a substantial majority of our current business operations are conducted in the PRC. In addition, all of our directors and officers (except one independent director) are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. A substantial portion of the assets of these persons is located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for you to effect service of process within the United States upon these persons. It may also be difficult for you to enforce the U.S. courts judgments obtained in U.S. courts including judgments based on the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws against us and our officers and directors, none of whom (except one independent director) are residents in the United States, and whose significant assets are located outside of the United States.

We have been advised by our Cayman Islands legal counsel, Ogier (Cayman) LLP, that the courts of the Cayman Islands are unlikely (i) to recognize or enforce against us, judgments of courts of the United States obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States; and (ii) in original actions brought in the Cayman Islands, to impose liabilities against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States, so far as the liabilities imposed by those provisions are penal in nature. In those circumstances, although there is currently no statutory enforcement or treaty between the United States and the Cayman Islands providing for enforcement of judgments obtained in the United States. The courts of the Cayman Islands will recognize and enforce a foreign money judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without retrial on the merits based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the sum for which judgment has been given provided certain conditions are met. For a foreign judgment to be enforced in the Cayman Islands, such judgment must be final and conclusive, given by a court of competent jurisdiction (the courts of the Cayman Islands will apply the rules of Cayman Islands private international law to determine whether the foreign court is a court of competent jurisdiction), and must not be in respect of taxes or a fine or penalty, inconsistent with a Cayman Islands judgment in respect of the same matter, impeachable on the grounds of fraud or obtained in a manner, and or be of a kind the enforcement of which is, contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. Furthermore, it is uncertain that Cayman Islands courts would enforce: (1) judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us or other persons that are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws; or (2) original actions brought against us or other persons predicated upon the Securities Act. Ogier has informed us that there is uncertainty with regard to Cayman Islands law relating to whether a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the securities laws will be determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands as penal, punitive in nature. A Cayman Islands Court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.

Potential disruptions in the capital and credit markets may adversely affect the PRC operating entities’ business, including the availability and cost of short-term funds for liquidity requirements, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Potential changes in the global economy may affect the availability of business and customer credit. The PRC operating entities may need to rely on the credit markets, particularly for short-term borrowings from banks in China, as well as the capital markets, to meet our financial commitments and short-term liquidity needs if internal funds from their operations are not available to be allocated to such purposes. Disruptions in the credit and capital markets could adversely affect their ability to draw on such short-term bank facilities. The PRC operating entities’ access to funds under such credit facilities is dependent on the ability of the banks that are parties to those facilities to meet their funding commitments, which may be dependent on governmental economic policies in China. Those banks may not be able to meet their funding commitments to the PRC operating entities if they experience shortages of capital and liquidity or if they experience excessive volumes of borrowing requests from the PRC operating entities and other borrowers within a short period of time.

Long-term disruptions in the credit and capital markets could result from uncertainty, changing or increased regulations, reduced alternatives or failures of financial institutions could adversely affect our access to the liquidity needed for our business. Any disruption could require us to take measures to conserve cash until the markets stabilize or until alternative credit arrangements or other funding for our business needs can be arranged. Such measures may include deferring capital expenditures, and reducing or eliminating discretionary uses of cash. These events would adversely impact our results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure

We rely on Contractual Arrangements with the VIE and the shareholders of the VIE to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities. We do not have an equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control of, through such ownership or investment, the VIE.

We have relied and expect to continue to rely on the Contractual Arrangements with the VIE to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities. We do not have an equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control of, through such ownership or investment, the VIE.

If we had direct ownership of the VIE, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIE, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the current Contractual Arrangements, we rely on the performance by the VIE and its shareholders of their obligations under the contracts to consolidate financial results of the VIE. The shareholders of the VIE may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. Such risks exist throughout the period in which we intend to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities through the Contractual Arrangements with the VIE. Although we have the right to replace any shareholder of the VIE under the Contractual Arrangements, if any shareholder of the VIE is uncooperative or any dispute relating to these contracts remains unresolved, we will have to enforce our rights under these contracts through the operations of PRC laws and arbitration, litigation and other legal proceedings and therefore will be subject to uncertainties in the PRC legal system. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could have a material adverse effect on us.” Therefore, we do not have an equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control of, through such ownership or investment, the VIE.

Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our Contractual Arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our results of operation.

If the VIE or its shareholders fail to perform their respective obligations under the Contractual Arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements. We may also have to rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including seeking specific performance or injunctive relief, and claiming damages, which we cannot assure you will be effective under PRC laws. For example, if the shareholders of the VIE were to refuse to transfer their equity interest in the VIE to us or our designee if we exercise the purchase option pursuant to these Contractual Arrangements, or if they were otherwise to act in bad faith toward us, then we may have to take legal action to compel them to perform their contractual obligations.

All the agreements under our Contractual Arrangements are governed by PRC laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in China. Accordingly, these contracts would be interpreted in accordance with PRC laws and any disputes would be resolved in accordance with PRC legal procedures. The legal system in the PRC is not as well established as in some other jurisdictions, such as in the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these Contractual Arrangements. Meanwhile, there are some regulations that are unfavorable to the PRC operating entities. There are also very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how Contractual Arrangements in the context of a consolidated variable interest entity should be interpreted or enforced under PRC laws and there remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final and parties cannot appeal arbitration results in court unless such rulings are revoked or determined unenforceable by a competent court. If the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. In the event that we are unable to enforce these Contractual Arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or other obstacles in the process of enforcing these Contractual Arrangements, we may not be able to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities, and our results of operation may be negatively affected. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure — Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.”

Our Ordinary Shares may decline in value or become worthless if we are unable to assert our contractual rights over the assets of the PRC operating entities that conduct all or substantially all of our operations.

We are an offshore holding company incorporated and registered in the Cayman Islands. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we consolidate financial results of the PRC operating entities through Contractual Arrangements with Hongli Shandong and its subsidiaries. We have relied and expect to continue to rely on the Contractual Arrangements with the PRC operating entities, to operate our business. If the PRC government determines that the Contractual Arrangements constituting part of the VIE structure do not comply with PRC regulations, or if these regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, it would likely result in a material change in our operations and our Ordinary Shares may decline in value or become worthless if we are unable to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities.

The shareholders of the VIE may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The shareholders of the VIE are currently controlling shareholders of us with 61.42% equity interest. As of the date of this report, the shareholders of the VIE are Mr. Jie Liu, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Hongli Cayman, who holds 30% of the equity interest, Mr. Yuanqing Liu, who holds 40% of the equity interest, and Ms. Ronglan Sun, who holds 30% of the equity interest, respectively, of the VIE. As of the date of this report, these three shareholders of the VIE are also the shareholders of Hongli Development, which owns 61.42% equity interest in Hongli Cayman. Mr. Yuangqing Liu is the founder of the Hongli Shandong and the father of Mr. Jie Liu, and Ms. Ronglan Sun is the spouse of Mr. Yuangqing Liu and the mother of Mr. Jie Liu. Mr. Yuangqing Liu and Ms. Ronglan Sun have granted their proxy to Mr. Jie Liu to vote their shares in Hongli Development for all corporate transactions requiring shareholders’ approval, and Mr.  Jie Liu as such may be deemed to have sole voting and investment discretion with respect to the Ordinary Shares held by Hongli Development. However, we expect their holding to be diluted as a result of any potential equity financing that we may contemplate, and thus they may have actual or potential conflicts of interest with us. These shareholders may breach, or refuse to renew, the existing Contractual Arrangements we have with them, which may have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively consolidate financial results of the PRC operating entities. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and these shareholders, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

If the custodians or authorized users of our controlling non-tangible assets, including chops and seals of the VIE, fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these assets, our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Under PRC law, legal documents for corporate transactions, including agreements and contracts that our business relies on, are executed using the chop or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative whose designation is registered and filed with the relevant local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”), formerly known as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce. We generally execute legal documents by affixing chops or seals, rather than having the designated legal representatives sign the documents.

We use two major types of chops: corporate chops and finance chops. Chops are seals or stamps used by a PRC company to legally authorize documents, often in place of a signature. We use corporate chops generally for documents to be submitted to government agencies, such as applications for changing business scope, directors or company name, and for legal letters. We use finance chops generally for making and collecting payments, including issuing invoices. Use of corporate chops must be approved by department manager and office of the president, and use of finance chops must be approved by our finance department. The chops of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE are generally held by the relevant entities so that documents can be executed locally. Although we usually utilize chops to execute contracts, the registered legal representatives of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE have the apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of such entities without chops, unless such contracts set forth otherwise.

In order to maintain the physical security of our chops, we generally have them stored in secured locations accessible only to the designated key employees of the office of the president or finance departments. Our designated legal representatives generally do not have access to the chops. Although we have approval procedures in place and monitor our key employees, including the designated legal representatives of our subsidiary and consolidated VIE, the procedures may not be sufficient to prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. There is a risk that our key employees or designated legal representatives could abuse their authority, for example, by binding our subsidiary and consolidated VIE with contracts against our interests, as we would be obligated to honor these contracts if the other contracting party acts in good faith in reliance on the apparent authority of our chops or signatures of our legal representatives. If any designated legal representative obtains control of the chop in an effort to obtain control over the relevant entity, we would need to have a shareholder or board resolution to designate a new legal representative to take legal action to seek the return of the chop, apply for a new chop with the relevant authorities, or otherwise seek legal remedies for the legal representative’s misconduct. If any of the designated legal representatives obtains and misuses or misappropriates our chops and seals or other controlling intangible assets for whatever reason, we could experience disruption to our normal business operations. We may have to take corporate or legal action, which could involve significant time and resources to resolve the matter, while distracting management from our operations, and our business operations may be materially and adversely affected.

Contractual Arrangements in relation to the VIE may be subject to scrutiny by the mainland China tax authorities and they may determine that we or the VIE owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the mainland China tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. The mainland China enterprise income tax law requires every enterprise in mainland China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the mainland China tax authorities determine that the Contractual Arrangements among Hongli WFOE, the VIE, and the shareholders of the VIE were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust the VIE’s income in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by the VIE for mainland China tax purposes, which could in turn increase its tax liabilities without reducing Hongli WFOE’s tax expenses. In addition, if Hongli WFOE requests the shareholders of the VIE to transfer their equity interests in the VIE at nominal or no value pursuant to these Contractual Arrangements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject our Hongli WFOE and VIE to mainland China income tax. Furthermore, the mainland China tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on the VIE for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if our consolidated variable interest entities’ tax liabilities increase or if it is required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

If the VIE goes bankrupt or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding, its ability to operate its business might be materially and adversely hindered, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

The VIE holds certain assets that are material to the operation of its business, including the use right of industrial land and production facilities. Under the Contractual Arrangements, the VIE may not cause it to, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of its assets or its legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. However, in the event the shareholders of the VIE breach the Contractual Arrangements and voluntarily liquidate the VIE or the VIE declares bankruptcy and all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, or are otherwise disposed of without our consent, the VIE may be unable to continue some or all of its business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations. If the VIE undergoes a voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, independent third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering its ability to operate business, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

As a “controlled company” under the rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, we may choose to exempt our company from certain corporate governance requirements that could have an adverse effect on our public shareholders.

Our directors and officers beneficially own a majority of the voting power of our outstanding Ordinary Shares. Under the Rule 4350(c) of the Nasdaq Capital Market, a company of which more than 50% of the voting power is held by an individual, group or another company is a “controlled company” and may elect not to comply with certain corporate governance requirements, including the requirement that a majority of our directors be independent, as defined in the Nasdaq Capital Market Rules, and the requirement that our compensation and nominating and corporate governance committees consist entirely of independent directors. Although we do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption under the Nasdaq listing rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elect to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. Accordingly, during any time while we remain a controlled company relying on the exemption and during any transition period following a time when we are no longer a controlled company, you would not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq Capital Market corporate governance requirements. Our status as a controlled company could cause our Ordinary Shares to look less attractive to certain investors or otherwise harm our trading price.

For as long as we are an emerging growth company, we will not be required to comply with certain reporting requirements, including those relating to accounting standards and disclosure about our executive compensation, that apply to other public companies.

We are classified as an “emerging growth company” under the JOBS Act. For as long as we are an emerging growth company, which may be up to five full fiscal years of the closing of the initial offering, unlike other public companies, we will not be required to, among other things, (i) provide an auditor’s attestation report on management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our system of internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, (ii) comply with any new requirements adopted by the PCAOB requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report in which the auditor would be required to provide additional information about the audit and the financial statements of the issuer, (iii) provide certain disclosure regarding executive compensation required of larger public companies or (iv) hold nonbinding advisory votes on executive compensation. We will remain an emerging growth company for up to five years, although we will lose that status sooner if we have more than $1.235 billion of revenues in a fiscal year, have more than $700 million in market value of our Ordinary Shares held by non-affiliates, or issue more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period.

To the extent that we rely on any of the exemptions available to emerging growth companies, you will receive less information about our executive compensation and internal control over financial reporting than issuers that are not emerging growth companies. If some investors find our Ordinary Shares to be less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our Ordinary Shares and our share price may be more volatile.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and if we take advantage of certain exemptions from disclosure requirements available to emerging growth companies, this will make it more difficult to compare our performance with other public companies.

We are an “emerging growth company” within the meaning of the Securities Act, as modified by the JOBS Act. Section 102(b)(1) of the JOBS Act exempts emerging growth companies from being required to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards until private companies (that is, those that have not had a Securities Act registration statement declared effective or do not have a class of securities registered under the Exchange Act) are required to comply with the new or revised financial accounting standards. The JOBS Act provides that a company can elect to opt out of the extended transition period and comply with the requirements that apply to non-emerging growth companies but any such an election to opt out is irrevocable. We have elected not to opt out of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we, as an emerging growth company, can adopt the new or revised standard at the time private companies adopt the new or revised standard. This will make comparison of our financial statements with another public company which is neither an emerging growth company nor an emerging growth company which has opted out of using the extended transition period difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting standards used.

We have identified material weaknesses and significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. If we fail to develop and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud.

As defined under standards established by the PCAOB, 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 consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As described elsewhere in our Annual Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, our management identified material weaknesses in the design and operation of our internal controls because: 

We also identified the following deficiencies that we believe to be significant deficiencies. As defined in standards established by the PCAOB, a “significant deficiency” is deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those responsible for oversight of our financial reporting as follows:

As defined under standards established by the PCAOB, 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 consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

In order to address the material weaknesses and significant deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting of the Company, we have: (a) continued our efforts to look for an experienced outside consultant with adequate experience with U.S. GAAP and the SEC reporting and compliance requirements; (b) continued our efforts to provide ongoing training courses in U.S. GAAP to existing personnel, including our Chief Financial Officer; (c) continued our efforts to set up the internal audit department, and enhance the effectiveness of the internal control system; and (d) continued our efforts to implement necessary review and controls at related levels and all important documents and contracts will be submitted to the office of its chief executive officer for retention. We plan to allocate up to 5% of the proceeds of the initial offering for recruitment of personnel including but not limited to experienced personnel and/or advisors with expertise in U.S. GAAP and internal control and capital markets experience. 

We cannot be certain that these measures will successfully remediate the material weakness or that other material weaknesses will not be discovered in the future. If our efforts are not successful or other material weaknesses or control deficiencies occur in the future, we may be unable to report our financial results accurately on a timely basis or help prevent fraud, which could cause our reported financial results to be materially misstated and result in the loss of investor confidence or delisting and cause the market price of our ordinary shares to decline. In addition, it could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of our securities. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increased risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods. Because of our status as an emerging growth company, we are not required to obtain, and therefore you will not be able to depend on, an attestation from our independent registered public accountants as to our internal control over financial reporting for the foreseeable future.

Risks Related to Doing Business in China

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could have a material adverse effect on us.

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.

In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past four decades has significantly enhanced the protection afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, the regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us.

In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of Chinese laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to us.

The PRC legal system is based on written statutes and prior court decisions have limited value as precedents. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules. As a result, we may not be able to keep ourselves updated with these policies and rules in time. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

Our Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from being traded on a national exchange under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCA Act) if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors. The delisting of our Ordinary Shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

The Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“AHFCAA”) requires the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years. On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCA Act, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCA Act, whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China, and (2) Hong Kong.

Our auditor, RBSM LLP, is an independent registered public accounting firm with the PCAOB, and as an auditor of publicly traded companies in the U.S., is subject to laws in the U.S. pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in New York, NY, and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. Our auditor was not identified in the PCAOB’s Determination Report.

On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor’s, control. The PCAOB is continuing to demand complete access in mainland China and Hong Kong moving forward and is already making plans to resume regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond, as well as to continue pursuing ongoing investigations and initiate new investigations as needed. The PCAOB has indicated that it will act immediately to consider the need to issue new determinations with the HFCA Act if needed and does not have to wait another year to reassess its determinations.

However, the recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements.

Any uncertainty related to our auditor and related regulatory developments could cause the market price of our ordinary shares to be materially and adversely affected, and our securities could be delisted or prohibited from being traded on the national securities exchange. If our Ordinary Shares are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such a delisting would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our Ordinary Shares when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with a potential delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our Ordinary Shares.

China’s economic, political and social conditions, as well as changes in any government policies, laws and regulations may be quick with little advance notice and could have a material adverse effect on the PRC operating entities’ business and the value of our Ordinary Shares.

A substantial majority of the operations of the PRC operating entities are conducted in China, and a significant portion of our net revenues are derived from customers where the contracting entity is located in China. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and certain transactions we may undertake may be subject, to a significant extent, to economic, political and legal developments in China.

China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth in the past two to three decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Demand for the products of the PRC operating entities depends, in large part, on economic conditions in China. Any slowdown in China’s economic growth may cause the potential customers of the PRC operating entities to delay or cancel their plans to purchase the PRC operating entities’ products, which in turn could reduce our net revenues.

Although China’s economy has been transitioning from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy since the late 1970s, the PRC government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling the incurrence and payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. Changes in any of these policies, laws and regulations may be quick with little advance notice and could adversely affect the economy in China and could have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of our Ordinary Shares.

The PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage foreign investment and sustainable economic growth and to guide the allocation of financial and other resources. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not repeal or alter these measures or introduce new measures that will have a negative effect on us, or more specifically, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not initiate possible governmental actions or scrutiny to us, which could substantially affect our operation and the value of our Ordinary Shares may depreciate quickly.

The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we and the PRC operating entities must conduct business activities. We or the PRC operating entities are currently not required to obtain permissions or approval from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges nor for the execution of Contractual Arrangements, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval and were denied permission from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange or continue to offer securities to investors, which could materially affect the interest of the investors and cause the value of our Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.

The Chinese government has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. The ability of the PRC operating entities to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our and the PRC operating entities’ part to ensure 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.

As such, the Company’s business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. In the event that the PRC operating entities are not able to substantially comply with any existing or newly adopted laws and regulations, the business operations of the PRC operating entities may be materially adversely affected and the value of our Ordinary Shares may significantly decrease or become worthless.

In the future, the PRC government authorities may strengthen oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers like us. It is uncertain when and whether we will be required to obtain other permission or approvals from the PRC authorities or agencies to list additional securities on U.S. exchanges or enter into Contractual Arrangements (including retroactively), and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Such actions, if any, taken by the PRC government authorities may intervene or influence the operations of the PRC operating entities at any time, affected, directly or indirectly, which are beyond our control. Therefore, any such action may adversely affect the operations of the PRC operating entities and significantly limit or hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to you and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.

The Chinese government may intervene or influence our operations at any time, or may exert more control over offerings conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, which actions may impact our operations materially and adversely, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors, and cause the value of our Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.

The Chinese government has exercised, and continues to exercise, substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. The ability of the PRC operating entities to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and regulations, including those relating to manufacturing, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would require additional expenditures and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly, government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.

The business of the PRC operating entities is subject to various government and regulatory interference. The PRC operating entities could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal agencies and government sub-divisions. We may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. The PRC operating entities’ operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations relating to the business or industry of the PRC operating entities, which could result in further material changes in our operations and could adversely impact the value of our Ordinary Shares.

Furthermore, given recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, although, as advised by our PRC counsel, we are currently not required to obtain permission or approval from any of the PRC authorities or agencies and have not received any denial to list on the U.S. exchange, it is uncertain whether or when we might be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even if such permission is obtained, whether it will be later denied or rescinded, which could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer our securities to investors and cause the value of our shares to significantly decline or be worthless.

The business operation of the PRC operating entities are located in mainland China where laws and regulations governing the current business operations of the PRC operating entities are sometimes vague and uncertain and any changes in such laws and regulations may be quick with little impair our ability to operate profitably.

There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations governing the business of the PRC operating entities and the enforcement and performance of our arrangements with customers in certain circumstances. The laws and regulations are sometimes vague and may be subject to future changes, and their official interpretation and enforcement may involve substantial uncertainty. The effectiveness and interpretation of newly enacted laws or regulations, including amendments to existing laws and regulations, may be delayed, and the business of the PRC operating entities may be affected if the PRC operating entities rely on laws and regulations which are subsequently adopted or interpreted in a manner different from our understanding of these laws and regulations. New laws and regulations that affect existing and proposed future businesses may also be applied retroactively. We cannot predict what effect the interpretation of existing or new PRC laws or regulations may have on the business of the PRC operating entities.

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil law system may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and the enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.

In 1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters in general. The overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign investments in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in China. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, the regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us.

Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all and may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules (some of which are not published in a timely manner or at all) that may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect the business of the PRC operating entities and impede our ability to continue our operations.

Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the “Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law,” or the Opinions, which was made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems will be taken to deal with the risks and incidents of China-concept overseas listed companies, and cybersecurity and data privacy protection requirements and similar matters. The Opinions and any related implementing rules to be enacted may subject us to compliance requirement in the future.

We rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material adverse effect on our ability to conduct the business.

Hongli Cayman is a holding company, and we rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our subsidiaries for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and service any debt we may incur. If Hongli WFOE and Hongli Shandong 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. In addition, the mainland China tax authorities may require our subsidiaries to adjust its taxable income, in a manner that would materially and adversely affect their ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us.

Under PRC laws and regulations, Hongli WFOE, as wholly foreign-owned enterprise in China, may pay dividends only out of their respective accumulated after-tax profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise is required to set aside at least 10% of its accumulated after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds, until the aggregate amount of such funds reaches 50% of its registered capital. At its discretion, a wholly foreign-owned enterprise may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to staff welfare and bonus funds. These reserve funds and staff welfare and bonus funds are not distributable as cash dividends.

In response to the persistent capital outflow and the Renminbi’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2016, the People’s Bank of China and SAFE have implemented a series of capital control measures, including stricter vetting procedures for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions, dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls and our subsidiaries’ dividends and other distributions may be subjected to tighter scrutiny in the future. Any limitation on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct the business of the PRC operating entities.

There are significant uncertainties under the EIT Law relating to the withholding tax liabilities of Hongli WFOE, and dividends payable by Hongli WFOE to Hongli HK may not qualify to enjoy certain treaty benefits.

Under the PRC EIT Law and its implementation rules, the profits of a foreign invested enterprise generated through operations, which are distributed to its immediate holding company outside the PRC, will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%. Pursuant to a special arrangement between Hong Kong and mainland China of the PRC, such rate may be reduced to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns more than 25% of the equity interest in the PRC company. Hongli WFOE is wholly-owned by Hongli HK. Moreover, under the Notice of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues regarding the Administration of the Dividend Provision in Tax Treaties promulgated on February 20, 2009, the tax payer needs to satisfy certain conditions to enjoy the benefits under a tax treaty. These conditions include: (1) the taxpayer must be the beneficial owner of the relevant dividends, and (2) the corporate shareholder to receive dividends from the mainland China subsidiary must have continuously met the direct ownership thresholds during the 12 consecutive months preceding the receipt of the dividends. Further, the State Administration of Taxation promulgated the Notice on How to Understand and Recognize the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties on October 27, 2009, which limits the “beneficial owner” to individuals, projects or other organizations normally engaged in substantive operations, and sets forth certain detailed factors in determining the “beneficial owner” status. In current practice, a Hong Kong enterprise must obtain a tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority to apply for the 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. As the Hong Kong tax authority will issue such a tax resident certificate on a case-by-case basis, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain the tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not commenced the application process for a Hong Kong tax resident certificate from the relevant Hong Kong tax authority, and there is no assurance that we will be granted such a Hong Kong tax resident certificate.

Even after we obtain the Hong Kong tax resident certificate, we are required by applicable tax laws and regulations to file required forms and materials with relevant mainland China tax authorities to prove that we can enjoy 5% lower PRC withholding tax rate. Hongli HK intends to obtain the required materials and file with the relevant tax authorities when it plans to declare and pay dividends, but there is no assurance that the tax authorities of mainland China will approve the 5% withholding tax rate on dividends received from Hongli HK.

Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and the price of our Ordinary Shares.

Substantially all of our revenues and expenditures are denominated in RMB, whereas our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and RMB will affect the relative purchasing power in RMB terms of our U.S. dollar assets and the proceeds from our initial public offering. Gains and losses from the re-measurement of assets and liabilities that are receivable or payable in RMB are included in our consolidated statements of operations. The re-measurement has caused the U.S. dollar value of our results of operations to vary with exchange rate fluctuations, and the U.S. dollar value of our results of operations will continue to vary with exchange rate fluctuations. A fluctuation in the value of RMB relative to the U.S. dollar could reduce our profits from operations and the translated value of our net assets when reported in U.S. dollars in our financial statements. This could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition or results of operations as reported in U.S. dollars. If we decide to convert our RMB into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our ordinary shares or for other business purposes, appreciation of the U.S. dollar against the RMB would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount available to us. In addition, fluctuations in currencies relative to the periods in which the earnings are generated may make it more difficult to perform period-to-period comparisons of our reported results of operations.

The value of the RMB against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions and China’s foreign exchange policies. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its decade-old policy of pegging the value of the RMB to the U.S. dollar, and the RMB appreciated more than 20% against the U.S. dollar over the following three years. However, the PBOC regularly intervenes in the foreign exchange market to limit fluctuations in RMB exchange rates and achieve policy goals. During the period between July 2008 and June 2010, the exchange rate between the RMB and the U.S. dollar had been stable and traded within a narrow range. Since June 2010, the RMB has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. Since October 1, 2016, Renminbi has joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right (SDR), along with the U.S. dollar, the Euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound. In the fourth quarter of 2016, the RMB has depreciated significantly in the backdrop of a surging U.S. dollar and persistent capital outflows of China. With the development of the foreign exchange market and progress towards interest rate liberalization and Renminbi internationalization, the PRC government may in the future announce further changes to the exchange rate system and we cannot assure you that the Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future.

There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a flexible currency policy. Any significant appreciation or depreciation of the RMB may materially and adversely affect our revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ordinary shares in U.S. dollars. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our initial public offering into RMB to pay our operating expenses, appreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the RMB amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, a significant depreciation of the RMB against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce the U.S. dollar equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our ordinary shares.

Limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert RMB into foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on the price of our ordinary shares.

Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our net revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.

The mainland China government imposes controls on the convertibility of the RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of mainland China. We receive substantially all of our net revenues in RMB. Under our current corporate structure, we rely on dividend payments from Hongli HK and Hongli WFOE to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders or to pay any debt we may incur. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. Therefore, our subsidiaries are able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to us without prior approval from SAFE, subject to the condition that the remittance of such dividends outside of the PRC complies with certain procedures under PRC foreign exchange regulation, such as the overseas investment registrations by the beneficial owners of our company who are PRC residents. But approval from or registration with appropriate government authorities is required where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of mainland China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies.

In light of the flood of capital outflows of mainland China in 2016 due to the weakening RMB, the PRC government has imposed more restrictive foreign exchange policies and stepped up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement. More restrictions and substantial vetting process are put in place by SAFE to regulate cross-border transactions falling under the capital account. The PRC government may also at its discretion restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders.

Failure to make adequate contributions to various employee benefit plans as required by PRC regulations may subject us to penalties.

We are required under PRC laws and regulations to participate in various government sponsored employee benefit plans, including certain social insurance, housing funds and other welfare-oriented payment obligations, and contribute to the plans in amounts equal to certain percentages of salaries, including bonuses and allowances, of our employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time at locations where the PRC operating entities operate their businesses. The requirement of employee benefit plans has not been implemented consistently by the local governments in China given the different levels of economic development in different locations. If the local governments deem our contribution to be not sufficient, we may be subject to late contribution fees or fines in relation to any underpaid employee benefits, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Currently, we are making contributions to the plans based on the minimum standards although the PRC laws requires such contributions to be based on the actual employee salaries up to a maximum amount specified by the local government. If we are subject to late contribution fees or fines in relation to the underpaid employee benefits, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.

The M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish 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.

The Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in August 2006 and amended in 2009, and some other regulations and rules concerning mergers and acquisitions established additional procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities by foreign investors more time consuming and complex, including requirements in some instances that the Ministry of Commerce of China (“MOFCOM”) be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. Moreover, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the MOFCOM shall be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In addition, the security review rules issued by the MOFCOM that became effective in September 2011 specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the MOFCOM, and the rules prohibit any activities attempting to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we and the PRC operating entities may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the above-mentioned regulations and other relevant rules to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including obtaining approval from the MOFCOM or its local counterparts may delay or inhibit our and the PRC operating entities’ ability to complete such transactions, which could affect the ability to expand the business of the PRC operating entities or maintain their market share.

Our failure to obtain prior approval of the China Securities Regulatory Commission for the listing and trading of our Ordinary Shares on a foreign stock exchange could delay the initial offering or could have a material adverse effect upon our business, operating results, reputation and trading price of our Ordinary Shares.

The M&A Rule contains provisions that require that an offshore special purpose vehicle (“SPV”) formed for listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by Chinese companies or individuals shall obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to the listing and trading of such SPV’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. On September 21, 2006, the CSRC published procedures specifying documents and materials required to be submitted to it by an SPV seeking CSRC approval of overseas listings. However, the application of the M&A Rule remains unclear with no consensus currently existing among leading Chinese law firms regarding the scope and applicability of the CSRC approval requirement. We have not chosen to voluntarily request approval under the M&A Rule. Based on the understanding of the current PRC law, rules and regulations, we believe that the CSRC’s approval may not be required for the listing and trading of our ordinary shares on Nasdaq in the context of our initial public offering, given that Hongli WFOE was not established by a merger with or an acquisition of any PRC domestic companies as defined under the M&A Rules.

If prior CSRC approval was required, we may face regulatory actions or other sanctions from the CSRC or other Chinese regulatory authorities. These authorities may impose fines and penalties upon our operations in mainland China, limit our operating privileges in mainland China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from the initial offering into China, or take other actions that could have a material adverse effect upon our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and prospects, as well as the trading price of our Ordinary Shares. The CSRC or other Chinese regulatory agencies may also take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to terminate the initial offering prior to closing.

New rules for China-based companies seeking for securities offerings in foreign stock markets was released by the CSRC recently. Such rules may subject us to additional compliance requirements in the future.

On February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated the Trial Measures and five supporting guidelines, which went effective on March 31, 2023. According to the Trial Measures, among other requirements, (1) domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfil the filing procedures with the CSRC; if a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedure, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties; (2) if the issuer meets both of the following conditions, the overseas offering and listing shall be determined as an indirect overseas offering and listing by a domestic company: (i) any of the total assets, net assets, revenues or profits of the domestic operating entities of the issuer in the most recent accounting year accounts for more than 50% of the corresponding figure in the issuer’s audited consolidated financial statements for the same period; (ii) its major operational activities are carried out in China or its main places of business are located in China, or the senior managers in charge of operation and management of the issuer are mostly Chinese citizens or are domiciled in China; and (3) where a domestic company seeks to indirectly offer and list securities in an overseas market, the issuer shall designate a major domestic operating entity responsible for all filing procedures with the CSRC, and such filings shall be submitted to the CSRC within three business days after the submission of the overseas offering and listing application. According to the CSRC Notice, the domestic companies that have already been listed overseas before the effective date of the Trial Measures (namely, March 31, 2023) shall be deemed as Existing Issuers. Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filing procedures immediately, but they shall be required to file with the CSRC within three working days from the completion of any subsequent offerings. If a domestic company fails to complete required filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties, such as an order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines.

On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, Ministry of Finance of the PRC, National Administration of State Secrets Protection and National Archives Administration of China promulgated the Archives Rules, which took effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Archives Rules, domestic companies, including the domestic entities of overseas listed companies, that seek for overseas offering and listing shall strictly abide by applicable laws and regulations of the PRC and the Archives Rules, enhance legal awareness of keeping state secrets and strengthening archives administration, institute a sound confidentiality and archives administration system, and take necessary measures to fulfill confidentiality and archives administration obligations. Such domestic companies shall not leak any state secret and working secret of government agencies, or harm national security and public interest. Furthermore, a domestic company that plans to, either directly or through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals or entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any document and materials that contain state secrets or working secrets of government agencies, shall first obtain approval from competent authorities according to law, and file with the secrecy administrative department at the same level. Moreover, a domestic company that plans to, either directly or through its overseas listed entity, publicly disclose or provide to relevant individuals and entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators, any other documents and materials that, if leaked, will be detrimental to national security or public interest, shall strictly fulfill relevant procedures stipulated by applicable national regulations. The Archives Rules also stipulate that a domestic company that provides accounting archives or copies of accounting archives to any entities including securities companies, securities service providers and overseas regulators and individuals shall fulfill due procedures in compliance with applicable national regulations.

As we completed the listing and the initial offering prior to March 31, 2023, we do not believe that our listing and the initial offering are subject to the requirements provided under the Trial Measures. As the Trial Measures and the Archives Rules were newly published, however, there are substantial uncertainties as to the implementation and interpretation, and how they will affect the future financing. Any failure of us to fully comply with new regulatory requirements may significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer the Ordinary Shares, cause significant disruption to our business operations, severely damage our reputation, materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, and cause the Ordinary Shares to significantly decline in value or become worthless.

Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

In February 2012, SAFE promulgated the Notices on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plans of Overseas Publicly-Listed Companies, replacing earlier rules promulgated in March 2007. Pursuant to these rules, PRC citizens and non-PRC citizens who reside in China for a continuous period of not less than one year who participate in any stock incentive plan of an overseas publicly listed company, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a domestic qualified agent, which could be the PRC subsidiary of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures. In addition, an overseas entrusted institution must be retained to handle matters in connection with the exercise or sale of stock options and the purchase or sale of shares and interests. We and our executive officers and other employees who are PRC citizens or who have resided in the PRC for a continuous period of not less than one year and who are granted options or other awards under the share compensation plan will be subject to these regulations when our company becomes an overseas listed company upon the completion of the initial offering. Failure to complete the SAFE registrations may subject them to fines and legal sanctions and may also limit our ability to contribute additional capital into our and limit our subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends to us. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law.

We face uncertainty regarding the PRC tax reporting obligations and consequences for certain indirect transfers of our operating company’s equity interests. Enhanced scrutiny over acquisition transactions by the PRC tax authorities may have a negative impact on potential acquisitions we may pursue in the future.

The PRC tax authorities have enhanced their scrutiny over the direct or indirect transfer of certain taxable assets, including, in particular, equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise, by a non-resident enterprise by promulgating and implementing the SAT Circular of Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies on Foreign Direct Investment, or Circular 59, and Circular of Strengthening Administration of Corporate Income Tax on Income from Transfer of Equity by Non-resident Enterprises, or Circular 698, which became effective in January 2008, and the SAT issued the Circular on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or Circular 7, in replacement of some of the existing rules in Circular 698, which became effective in February 2015.

Under Circular 698, where a non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the equity interests of a PRC “resident enterprise” indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, the non-resident enterprise, being the transferor, may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, if the indirect transfer is considered to be an abusive use of company structure without reasonable commercial purposes. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC tax at a rate of up to 10%. Circular 698 also provides that, where a non-PRC resident enterprise transfers its equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise to its related parties at a price lower than the fair market value, the relevant tax authority has the power to make a reasonable adjustment to the taxable income of the transaction.

In February 2015, the SAT issued Circular 7 to replace the rules relating to indirect transfers in Circular 698. Circular 7 has introduced a new tax regime that is significantly different from that under Circular 698. Circular 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to not only indirect transfers set forth under Circular 698 but also transactions involving transfer of other taxable assets, through the offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, Circular 7 provides clearer criteria than Circular 698 on how to assess reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. Circular 7 also brings challenges to both the foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of the taxable assets. Where a non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, the non-resident enterprise being the transferor, or the transferee, or the PRC entity which directly owned the taxable assets may report to the relevant tax authority such indirect transfer. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise.

On October 17, 2017, the SAT promulgated the Circular on Issues Relating to Withholding at Source of Income Tax of Non-resident Enterprises, or SAT Circular 37, which became effective on December 1, 2017, and Circular 698 was then replaced effective December 1, 2017. Certain provisions of the SAT Circular 37 were revised by the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Revising Certain Taxation Normative Documents issued on June 15, 2018. Circular 37, among other things, simplified procedures of withholding and payment of income tax levied on non-resident enterprises.

We face uncertainties on the reporting and consequences on future private equity financing transactions, share exchange or other transactions involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises. The PRC tax authorities may pursue such non-resident enterprises with respect to a filing or the transferees with respect to withholding obligation, and request our subsidiaries to assist in the filing. As a result, we and non-resident enterprises in such transactions may become at risk of being subject to filing obligations or being taxed, under Circular 59 or Circular 7 and Circular 37, and may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with Circular 59, Circular 7 and Circular 37 or to establish that we and our non-resident enterprises should not be taxed under these circulars, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The PRC tax authorities have the discretion under SAT Circular 59, Circular 7 and Circular 37 to make adjustments to the taxable capital gains based on the difference between the fair value of the taxable assets transferred and the cost of investment. Although we currently have no plans to pursue any acquisitions in China or elsewhere in the world, we may pursue acquisitions in the future that may involve complex corporate structures. If we are considered a non-resident enterprise under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and if the PRC tax authorities make adjustments to the taxable income of the transactions under SAT Circular 59 or Circular 7 and Circular 37, our income tax costs associated with such potential acquisitions will be increased, which may have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, in accordance with the Individual Income Tax Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, later amended on August 31, 2018 and effective January 1, 2019, where an individual carries out other arrangements without reasonable business purpose and obtains improper tax gains, the tax authorities shall have the right to make tax adjustments based on a reasonable method, and levy additional tax and collect interest if there is a need to levy additional tax after making tax adjustments. As a result, our beneficial owners, who are PRC residents, may be deemed to have carried out other arrangements without reasonable business purpose and obtained improper tax gains for such indirect transfer, and thus be levied tax.

Because we are a Cayman Islands exempted company and consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities through the Contractual Arrangements, which have a substantial majority of their business conducted in the PRC, you may be unable to bring an action against us, our officers and directors, the PRC operating entities or their officers and directors or to enforce any judgment you may obtain. It may also be difficult for you or overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China.

Hongli Cayman is incorporated and registered in the Cayman Islands. All of our assets are located outside of the United States and the proceeds of our initial public offering and future financings will primarily be held in banks outside of the United States. In addition, a majority of our directors and officers reside outside of the United States. We are a holding company with no material operation of our own and we consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities through the Contractual Arrangements. All of the assets and officers and directors of the PRC operating entities are located in China. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe we have violated your rights, either under United States federal or state securities laws or otherwise, or if you have a claim against us. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may not permit you to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

It may also be difficult for you or overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with its counterparts of another country or region to monitor and oversee cross-border securities activities, such regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or “Article 177,” which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Article 177 further provides that Chinese entities and individuals are not allowed to provide documents or materials related to securities business activities to foreign agencies without prior consent from the securities regulatory authority of the PRC State Council and the competent departments of the PRC State Council. While detailed interpretation of or implementing rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.

The ability of U.S. authorities to bring actions for violations of U.S. securities law and regulations against us, our directors and executive officers named in this Annual Report (except one independent director) may be limited. Therefore, you may not be afforded the same protection as provided to investors in U.S. domestic companies.

The SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice, or the DOJ, and other U.S. authorities often have substantial difficulties in bringing and enforcing actions against non-U.S. companies such as us, and non-U.S. persons, such as our directors and executive officers in the PRC. Due to jurisdictional limitations, matters of comity and various other factors, the SEC, the DOJ and other U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to pursue bad actors, including in instances of fraud, in emerging markets such as the PRC. We conduct our operations mainly in the PRC and our assets are mainly located in the PRC. There are significant legal and other obstacles for U.S. authorities to obtain information needed for investigations or litigation against us or our directors, executive officers or other gatekeepers in case we or any of these individuals engage in fraud or other wrongdoing. In addition, local authorities in the PRC may be constrained in their ability to assist U.S. authorities and overseas investors in connection with legal proceedings. As a result, if we, our directors, executive officers or other gatekeepers commit any securities law violation, fraud or other financial misconduct, the U.S. authorities may not be able to conduct effective investigations or bring and enforce actions against us, our directors, executive officers (except one independent director) or other gatekeepers. Therefore, you may not be able to enjoy the same protection provided by various U.S. authorities as it is provided to investors in U.S. domestic companies.

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress, or the NPC, approved the Foreign Investment Law, which has taken effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Wholly Foreign-owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since it is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For instance, under the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. Though it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment through contractual arrangements would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activity under the definition in the future. In addition, the definition contains a catch-all provision which includes investments made by foreign investors through means stipulated in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council. Therefore, it still leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. In any of these cases, it will be uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market access requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations. Furthermore, if future laws, administrative regulations or provisions prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangements, we may face substantial uncertainties as to whether we can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. Failure to take timely and appropriate measures to cope with any of these or similar regulatory compliance challenges could materially and adversely affect our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations.

The joint statement by the SEC and the PCAOB, Nasdaq listing rules, and the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies upon assessing the qualification of their auditors, especially the non-U.S. auditors who are not inspected by the PCAOB. These developments could add uncertainties to our listing and future offerings.

Furthermore, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or HFCA Act, which requires that the PCAOB be permitted to inspect the issuer’s public accounting firm, may result in the delisting of our Company in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our accounting firm at such future time.

In addition, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the AHFCAA, which requires the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three consecutive years.

On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the Ministry of Finance of the PRC, and PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol, or the Protocol, governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the Protocol, the PCAOB has independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. The PCAOB was required to reassess these determinations by the end of 2022. Under the PCAOB’s rules, a reassessment of a determination under the HFCA Act may result in the PCAOB reaffirming, modifying or vacating the determination. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor’s, control. The PCAOB is continuing to demand complete access in mainland China and Hong Kong moving forward, as well as to continue pursuing ongoing investigations and initiate new investigations as needed. The PCAOB has indicated that it will act immediately to consider the need to issue new determinations with the HFCA Act if needed and does not have to wait another year to reassess its determinations.

The lack of access to the PCAOB inspection in China could prevent the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of the auditors based in China. As a result, the investors may be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these accounting firms’ audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections, which could cause existing and potential investors in our stock to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

Our auditor, RBSM LLP, is an independent registered public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB, and as an auditor of publicly traded companies in the U.S., is subject to laws in the U.S. pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is headquartered in New York, NY, and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. Our auditor is not identified in the PCAOB’s Determination Report.

However, the above recent developments may have added uncertainties to our ability to continue to list on Nasdaq or to offer our securities and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us since we are an emerging growth company and substantial all of our operations are conducting in China.

In light of recent events indicating greater oversight by the Cyberspace Administration of China over data security, particularly for companies seeking to list on a foreign exchange, though such oversight is not applicable to us, we may be subject to a variety of PRC laws and other obligations regarding data protection and any other rules, and any failure to comply with applicable laws and obligations could have a material and adverse effect on the business of the PRC operating entities, our listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, financial condition, results of operations, and the offering.

Even though, currently, we are not subject to PRC laws relating to the collection, use, sharing, retention, security, and transfer of confidential and private information, such as personal information and other data, these laws continue to develop, and the PRC government may adopt other rules and restrictions in the future. Non-compliance could result in penalties or other significant legal liabilities.

The Cybersecurity Law, which was adopted by the National People’s Congress on November 7, 2016 and came into force on June 1, 2017, and the Cybersecurity Review Measures, or the “Review Measures,” which were promulgated on April 13, 2020, provide that personal information and important data collected and generated by a critical information infrastructure operator in the course of its operations in China must be stored in China, and if a critical information infrastructure operator purchases internet products and services that affect or may affect national security, it should be subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC. In addition, a cybersecurity review is required where critical information infrastructure operators, or the “CIIOs,” purchase network-related products and services, which products and services affect or may affect national security. Due to the lack of further interpretations, the exact scope of what constitute a “CIIO” remains unclear. Further, the PRC government authorities may have wide discretion in the interpretation and enforcement of these laws.

On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the Data Security Law which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Data Security Law requires that data shall not be collected by theft or other illegal means, and it also provides that a data classification and hierarchical protection system. The data classification and hierarchical protection system protects data according to its importance in economic and social development, and the damages it may cause to national security, public interests, or the legitimate rights and interests of individuals and organizations if the data is falsified, damaged, disclosed, illegally obtained or illegally used, which protection system is expected to be built by the state for data security in the near future. In addition, the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and the Office of Cybersecurity Review under the CAC, published the Cybersecurity Review Measures (Revised Draft for Comments), or the “Review Measures Draft,” on July 10, 2021, which provides that, aside from CIIOs that intend to purchase internet products and services, data processing operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to the cybersecurity review by the Cybersecurity Review Office. According to the Review Measures Draft, a cybersecurity review is conducted by the CAC, to assess potential national security risks that may be brought about by any procurement, data processing, or overseas listing. According to the latest amended Cybersecurity Review Measures, which was promulgated on December 28, 2021 and became effective on February 15, 2022, and replaced the Cybersecurity Review Measures promulgated on April 13, 2020, online platform operators holding more than one million users/users’ individual information shall be subject to cybersecurity review before listing abroad. Since the Cybersecurity Review Measures is new, the implementation and interpretation thereof is not yet clear. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not been informed by any PRC governmental authority of any requirement that we file for approval for the initial offering.

On July 7, 2022, the CAC promulgated the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfers which became effective on September 1, 2022. The Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfers requires that a data processor to declare security assessment for its outbound data transfer to the competent authority of cyberspace administration through the local cyberspace administration at the provincial level, in the circumstances where (1) the data processor provides important data abroad; (2) the critical information infrastructure operator or the data processor processing the personal information of more than one million people provides personal information abroad; (3) the data processor that has provided the personal information of over 100,000 individuals or the sensitive personal information of over 10,000 individuals cumulatively since January 1 of the previous year or (4) other circumstances prescribed by the CAC for which declaration for security assessment for outbound data transfers is require. Since the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfers became into force very recently, the “other circumstances” thereof are not yet clear. The “important data” under the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfers refers to any data that, once tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally obtained or illegally used, may endanger national security, economic operation, social stability, public health and security, etc.

As the PRC operating entities’ business is engaged in CRF profile manufacturing in China and do not engage in any operation of information in infrastructure or involve the collection of personal data of at least 1,000,000 users, or implicate cybersecurity, do not involve the process of more than 1,000,000 individual’s personal information, have not provided over 100,000 individual’s personal information or over 10,000 individual’s sensitive personal information since January 1 of the last years abroad, and have not involved the “important data” under the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfer. Therefore, we believe that we, our subsidiaries, or the VIE are not subject to the cybersecurity review of the CAC under the Cybersecurity Review Measure and the security assessment of outbound data transfer under the Security Assessment Measures for Outbound Data Transfers. As of the date of this Annual Report, we have not received any notice from any authorities identifying us as a CIIO or requiring us to undertake a cybersecurity review by the CAC. Further, we have not been subject to any penalties, fines, suspensions, investigations from any competent authorities for violation of the regulations or policies that have been issued by the CAC to date. However, there remains uncertainty as to how the Cybersecurity Review Measure will be interpreted or implemented and whether the PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, may adopt new laws, regulations, rules, or detailed implementation and interpretation related to the Cybersecurity Review Measure. If any such new laws, regulations, rules, or implementation and interpretation come into effect, we expect to take all reasonable measures and actions to comply. We cannot assure you that PRC regulatory agencies, including the CAC, would take the same view as we do, and there is no assurance that we can fully or timely comply with such laws should they be deemed applicable to our operations. There is no certainty as to how such review or prescribed actions would impact our operations and we cannot guarantee that any clearance can be obtained or any actions that may be required for our listing on the Nasdaq capital market and the offering as well can be taken in a timely manner, or at all.

PRC regulations relating to the establishment of offshore special purpose companies by PRC residents may subject our PRC resident shareholders to personal liability and limit our ability to acquire PRC companies or to inject capital into our subsidiaries, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to distribute profits to us, or otherwise materially and adversely affect us.

In July 2014, SAFE has promulgated the Circular on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Control on Domestic Residents’ Offshore Investment and Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, to replace the Notice on Relevant Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Residents’ Financing and Roundtrip Investment Through Offshore Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 75, which ceased to be effective upon the promulgation of SAFE Circular 37. SAFE Circular 37 requires PRC residents (including PRC individuals and PRC corporate entities as well as foreign individuals that are deemed as PRC residents for foreign exchange administration purpose) to register with SAFE or its local branches in connection with their direct or indirect offshore investment activities. SAFE Circular 37 further requires amendment to the SAFE registrations in the event of any changes with respect to the basic information of the offshore special purpose vehicle, such as change of a PRC individual shareholder, name and operation term, or any significant changes with respect to the offshore special purpose vehicle, such as increase or decrease of capital contribution, share transfer or exchange, or mergers or divisions. SAFE Circular 37 is applicable to our shareholders who are PRC residents and may be applicable to any offshore acquisitions that we make in the future.

If any PRC shareholder who makes direct or indirect investments in offshore special purpose vehicles, or SPV, fails to make the required registration or to update the previously filed registration, the subsidiaries of such SPV in China may be prohibited from distributing its profits or the proceeds from any capital reduction, share transfer or liquidation to the SPV, and the SPV may also be prohibited from making additional capital contribution into its subsidiary in China. On February 28, 2015, the SAFE promulgated a Notice on Further Simplifying and Improving Foreign Exchange Administration Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Notice 13, which became effective on June 1, 2015. Under SAFE Notice 13, applications for foreign exchange registration of inbound foreign direct investment and outbound overseas direct investment, including those required under the SAFE Circular 37, will be filed with qualified banks instead of the SAFE. The qualified banks will directly examine the applications and accept registrations under the supervision of the SAFE.

We have requested our shareholders that we know are PRC residents and hold direct or indirect interests in us to make the necessary applications, filings and amendments as required under SAFE Circular 37 and other related rules. To our knowledge, all of the initial beneficial owners of Hongli Cayman who are all PRC residents, completed the initial foreign exchange registration. However, we cannot guarantee that all or any of those shareholders will complete the SAFE Circular 37 registration before the closing of the initial offering. In addition, we may not at all times be fully aware or informed of the identities of all our beneficial owners who are PRC residents, and we may not always be able to compel our beneficial owners to comply with the SAFE Circular 37 requirements. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners who are PRC residents will at all times comply with, or in the future make or obtain any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE Circular 37 or other related regulations. Failure by any such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE Circular 37 could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.

Furthermore, as the interpretation and implementation of these foreign exchange regulations has been constantly evolving, it is unclear how these regulations, and any future regulation concerning offshore or cross-border transactions, will be interpreted, amended and implemented by the relevant governmental authorities. For example, we may be subject to a more stringent review and approval process with respect to our foreign exchange activities, such as remittance of dividends and foreign-currency-denominated borrowings, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we decide to acquire a PRC domestic company, we cannot assure you that we or the owners of such company, as the case may be, will be able to obtain the necessary approvals or complete the necessary filings and registrations required by the foreign exchange regulations. This may restrict our ability to implement our acquisition strategy and could adversely affect our business and prospects.

You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing original actions in mainland China against us based on Hong Kong or other foreign laws, and the ability of U.S. authorities to bring actions in China may also be limited.

Hongli Cayman is an exempted company with limited liability incorporated and registered under the laws of the Cayman Islands, we conduct a significant portion of our operations in mainland China and the majority of our assets are located in mainland China. In addition, all of our senior executive officers reside within mainland China for a significant portion of the time and many are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside mainland China. In addition, our PRC legal counsel has advised us that mainland China does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the Cayman Islands and many other countries and regions. Therefore, recognition and enforcement in mainland China of judgments of a court in any of these non-PRC jurisdictions in relation to any matter not subject to a binding arbitration provision may be difficult or impossible.

On July 14, 2006, Hong Kong and the PRC entered into the Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters by the Courts of the PRC and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Pursuant to Choice of Court Agreements Between Parties Concerned, or the 2006 Arrangement, pursuant to which a party with a final court judgment rendered by a Hong Kong court requiring payment of money in a civil and commercial case pursuant to a choice of court agreement in writing may apply for recognition and enforcement of the judgment in mainland China. Similarly, a party with a final judgment rendered by a mainland China court requiring payment of money in a civil and commercial case pursuant to a choice of court agreement in writing may apply for recognition and enforcement of the judgment in Hong Kong. A choice of court agreement in writing is defined as any agreement in writing entered into between parties after the effective date of the 2006 Arrangement in which a Hong Kong court or a mainland China court is expressly designated as the court having sole jurisdiction for the dispute. Therefore, it is not possible to enforce a judgment rendered by a Hong Kong court in mainland China if the parties in dispute have not agreed to enter into a choice of court agreement in writing. The 2006 Arrangement became effective on August 1, 2008.

Subsequently on January 18, 2019, Hong Kong and mainland China entered into the Arrangement on Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters between the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or the Arrangement, pursuant to which, among other things, the scope of application was widened to cover both monetary and non-monetary judgments in most civil and commercial matters, including effective judgments on civil compensation in criminal cases. In addition, the requirement of a choice of court agreement in writing has been removed. It is no longer necessary for parties to agree to enter into a choice of court agreement in writing, as long as it can be shown that there is a connection between the dispute and the requesting place, such as place of the defendant’s residence, place of the defendant’s business or place of performance of the contract or tort. The 2019 Arrangement shall apply to judgments in civil and commercial matters made on or after its effective date by the courts of both sides. The 2006 Arrangement shall be terminated on the same day when the 2019 Arrangement comes into effect. If a “written choice of court agreement” has been signed by parties according to the 2006 Arrangement prior to the effective date of the 2019 Arrangement, the 2006 Arrangement shall still apply. Although the 2019 Arrangement has been signed, its effective date has yet to be announced. Therefore, there are still uncertainties about the outcomes and effectiveness of enforcement or recognition of judgments under the 2019 Arrangement.

Furthermore, shareholder claims that are common in the U.S., including securities law class actions and fraud claims, generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to obtaining information needed for shareholder investigations or litigation outside China or otherwise with respect to foreign entities. Although the local authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such regulatory cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the U.S. have not been efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. According to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. Accordingly, without the consent of the competent PRC securities regulators and relevant authorities, no organization or individual may provide the documents and materials relating to securities business activities to overseas parties. See also “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares — You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law” for risks associated with investing in us as a Cayman Islands company.

Risks Related to Our Ordinary Shares

We are a “foreign private issuer,” and our disclosure obligations differ from those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. As a result, we may not provide you the same information as U.S. domestic reporting companies or we may provide information at different times, which may make it more difficult for you to evaluate our performance and prospects.

We are a foreign private issuer and, as a result, we are not subject to the same requirements as U.S. domestic issuers. Under the Exchange Act, we will be subject to reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. For example, we will not be required to issue quarterly reports or proxy statements. We will not be required to disclose detailed individual executive compensation information. Furthermore, our directors and executive officers will not be required to report equity holdings under Section 16 of the Exchange Act and will not be subject to the insider short-swing profit disclosure and recovery regime. As a foreign private issuer, we will also be exempt from the requirements of Regulation FD (Fair Disclosure) which, generally, are meant to ensure that select groups of investors are not privy to specific information about an issuer before other investors. However, we will still be subject to the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation rules of the SEC, such as Rule 10b-5 under the Exchange Act. Since many of the disclosure obligations imposed on us as a foreign private issuer differ from those imposed on U.S. domestic reporting companies, you should not expect to receive the same information about us and at the same time as the information provided by U.S. domestic reporting companies.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated and registered under Cayman Islands law.

Hongli Cayman is an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, as amended, the Companies Act (Revised) of the Cayman Islands, which we refer to as the Companies Act below, and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take actions against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law in the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands and from English common law. Appeals from the Cayman Islands Courts to the Privy Council (which is the final Court of Appeal for British overseas territories such as the Cayman Islands) are binding on courts in the Cayman Islands. Decisions of the English courts, and particularly the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal are generally of persuasive authority but are not binding in the courts of the Cayman Islands. Decisions of courts in other Commonwealth jurisdictions are similarly of persuasive but not binding authority. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the U.S. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the U.S. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the U.S.

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies (other than copies of our amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by our shareholders). Under Cayman Islands law, the names of our current directors can be obtained from a search conducted at the Registrar of Companies. Pursuant to our amended and restated articles of association, shareholders will not have any right to inspect any account or book or document of the Company except as conferred by Companies Act or as authorized by our directors or by ordinary resolution of our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

As a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulties in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the U.S.

Because we are a foreign private issuer and are exempt from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers, you will have less protection than you would have if we were a domestic issuer.

Nasdaq Listing Rules require listed companies to have, among other things, a majority of its board members be independent. As a foreign private issuer, however, we are permitted to, and we may follow home country practice in lieu of the above requirements, or we may choose to comply with the above requirement within one year of listing. The corporate governance practice in our home country, the Cayman Islands, does not require a majority of our board to consist of independent directors. Thus, although a director must act in the best interests of the Company, it is possible that fewer board members will be exercising independent judgment and the level of board oversight on the management of our company may decrease as a result. In addition, the Nasdaq Listing Rules also require U.S. domestic issuers to have a compensation committee, a nominating/corporate governance committee composed entirely of independent directors, and an audit committee with a minimum of three members. We, as a foreign private issuer, are not subject to these requirements. The Nasdaq Listing Rules may require shareholder approval for certain corporate matters, such as requiring that shareholders be given the opportunity to vote on all equity compensation plans and material revisions to those plans, certain ordinary share issuances. We intend to comply with the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rules in determining whether shareholder approval is required on such matters and to appoint a nominating and corporate governance committee. However, we may consider following home country practice in lieu of the requirements under Nasdaq Listing Rules with respect to certain corporate governance standards which may afford less protection to investors.

Nasdaq may apply additional and more stringent criteria for our continued listing because insiders will hold a large portion of the company’s listed securities.

Nasdaq Listing Rule 5101 provides Nasdaq with broad discretionary authority over the initial and continued listing of securities on Nasdaq and Nasdaq may use such discretion to deny initial listing, apply additional or more stringent criteria for the initial or continued listing of particular securities, or suspend or delist particular securities based on any event, condition, or circumstance that exists or occurs that makes initial or continued listing of the securities on Nasdaq inadvisable or unwarranted in the opinion of Nasdaq, even though the securities meet all enumerated criteria for initial or continued listing on Nasdaq. In addition, Nasdaq has used its discretion to deny initial or continued listing or to apply additional and more stringent criteria in the instances, including but not limited to: (i) where the company engaged an auditor that has not been subject to an inspection by the PCAOB, an auditor that PCAOB cannot inspect, or an auditor that has not demonstrated sufficient resources, geographic reach, or experience to adequately perform the company’s audit; (ii) where the company planned a small public offering, which would result in insiders holding a large portion of the company’s listed securities; and (iii) where the company did not demonstrate sufficient nexus to the U.S. capital market, including having no U.S. shareholders, operations, or members of the board of directors or management. Our initial public offering was relatively small and the insiders of our Company will hold a large portion of the company’s listed securities. Nasdaq might apply the additional and more stringent criteria for our continued listing, which may affect our continued listing on Nasdaq and the trading prices and liquidity of our shares.

If we cannot continue to satisfy the continued listing requirements and other rules of Nasdaq Capital Market, although we exempt from certain corporate governance standards applicable to U.S. issuers as a Foreign Private Issuer, our securities may be delisted, which could negatively impact the price of our securities and your ability to sell them.

Even though our securities are listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we cannot assure you that our securities will continue to be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market after the initial offering.

In addition, following the initial offering, in order to maintain our listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, we will be required to comply with certain rules of Nasdaq Capital Market, including those regarding minimum shareholders’ equity, minimum share price and certain corporate governance requirements. Even if we have initially met the listing requirements and other applicable rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, we may not be able to continue to satisfy these requirements and applicable rules. If we are unable to satisfy the Nasdaq Capital Market criteria for maintaining our listing, our securities could be subject to delisting.

If the Nasdaq Capital Market subsequently delists our securities from trading, we could face significant consequences, including:

In addition, the stock markets have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have affected and continue to affect the market prices of equity securities of many companies. Stock prices of many companies have fluctuated in a manner unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of those companies. In the past, shareholders have filed securities class action litigation following periods of market volatility. If we were to become involved in securities litigation, it could subject us to substantial costs, divert resources and the attention of management from our business, and adversely affect our business.

We may experience extreme share price volatility unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our Ordinary Shares.

Recently, there have been instances of extreme stock price run-ups followed by rapid price declines and strong stock price volatility with a number of recent initial public offerings, especially among companies with relatively smaller public floats. As a relatively small-capitalization company with relatively small public float, we may experience greater share price volatility, extreme price run-ups, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies. In particular, our Ordinary Shares may be subject to rapid and substantial price volatility, low volumes of trades and large spreads in bid and ask prices. Such volatility, including any share-run up, may be unrelated to our actual or expected operating performance, financial condition or prospects, making it difficult for prospective investors to assess the rapidly changing value of our Ordinary Shares.

In addition, if the trading volumes of our Ordinary Shares are low, persons buying or selling in relatively small quantities may easily influence prices of our Ordinary Shares. This low volume of trades could also cause the price of our Ordinary Shares to fluctuate greatly, with large percentage changes in price occurring in any trading day session. Holders of our Ordinary Shares may also not be able to readily liquidate their investment or may be forced to sell at depressed prices due to low volume trading. Broad market fluctuations and general economic and political conditions may also adversely affect the market price of our Ordinary Shares. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience losses on their investment in our Ordinary Shares. A decline in the market price of our Ordinary Shares also could adversely affect our ability to issue additional shares of Ordinary Shares or other securities and our ability to obtain additional financing in the future. No assurance can be given that an active market in our Ordinary Shares will develop or be sustained. If an active market does not develop, holders of our Ordinary Shares may be unable to readily sell the shares they hold or may not be able to sell their shares at all.

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from our initial public offering and may not use them effectively.

Our management has broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds from our initial public offering and any future financing, including working capital, possible acquisitions, and other general corporate purposes, and we may spend or invest these proceeds in a way with which our shareholders disagree. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could harm our business and financial condition. Pending their use, we may invest the net proceeds from our public offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

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

We currently intend to retain any future earnings to finance the operation and expansion of the business of the PRC operating entities, and we do not expect to declare or pay any dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, you may only receive a return on your investment in our ordinary shares if the market price of our ordinary shares increases.

Shares eligible for future sale may adversely affect the market price of our ordinary shares, as the future sale of a substantial amount of outstanding ordinary shares in the public marketplace could reduce the price of our Ordinary Shares.

The market price of our shares could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur. In addition, these factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of our ordinary shares. All of the shares sold in our initial public offering are freely transferable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. The remaining shares are “restricted securities” as defined in Rule 144. These shares may be sold in the future without registration under the Securities Act to the extent permitted by Rule 144 or other exemptions under the Securities Act.

We have incurred and will incur additional costs as a result of becoming a public company, which could negatively impact our net income and liquidity.

We incurred professional service expenses of approximately $1,225,000 for the year ended December 31, 2023 and $444,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in professional fees was primarily due to our efforts made towards preparation of our initial public offering. As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, Sarbanes-Oxley and rules and regulations implemented by the SEC and the Nasdaq Capital Market require significantly heightened corporate governance practices for public companies. We expect that these rules and regulations will increase our legal, accounting and financial compliance costs and will make many corporate activities more time-consuming and costly.

We do not expect to incur materially greater costs as a result of becoming a public company than those incurred by similarly sized U.S. public companies. If we fail to comply with these rules and regulations, we could become the subject of a governmental enforcement action, investors may lose confidence in us and the market price of our ordinary shares could decline.

There can be no assurance that we will not be a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. holders of our Ordinary Shares.

A non-U.S. corporation will be a PFIC for any taxable year if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income; or (2) at least 50% of the value of its assets (based on an average of the quarterly values of the assets) during such year is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income, or the asset test. Based on our current and expected income and assets (taking into account the expected cash proceeds and our anticipated market capitalization following the initial offering), we do not presently expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future. However, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, will agree with our conclusion or that the IRS would not successfully challenge our position. Fluctuations in the market price of our Ordinary Shares may cause us to become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years because the value of our assets for the purpose of the asset test may be determined by reference to the market price of our Ordinary Shares. The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets and the cash raised in the initial offering. If we were to be or become a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our Ordinary Shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. Holder and such U.S. Holder may be subject to additional reporting requirements

The obligation to disclose information publicly may put us at a disadvantage to competitors that are private companies.

As a publicly listed company, we will be required to file annual reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In some cases, we will need to disclose material agreements or results of financial operations that we would not be required to disclose if we were a private company. Our competitors may have access to this information, which would otherwise be confidential. This may give them advantages in competing with our company. Similarly, as a U.S.-listed public company, we will be governed by U.S. laws that our competitors, which are mostly private Chinese companies, are not required to follow. To the extent compliance with U.S. laws increases our expenses or decreases our competitiveness against such companies, our public listing could affect our results of operations.

Item 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

A. History and Development of the Company

Our Corporate History and Structure

Hongli Cayman is an exempted company incorporated on February 9, 2021, under the laws of the Cayman Islands. We have no substantive operations other than holding all of the issued and outstanding shares of Hongli Hong Kong Limited, or Hongli HK, which was established in Hong Kong on March 5, 2021. Hongli HK is also a holding company holding all of the outstanding equity of Shandong Xiangfeng Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., or Hongli WFOE, which was established on April 8, 2021 under the laws of the PRC.

As a holding company with no material operations of our own, pursuant to certain contractual arrangements, we consolidate financial results of VIE, Shandong Hongli Special Section Tube Co., Ltd., or Hongli Shandong, a PRC company, and through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Beijing Haozhen Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing Haozhen, a PRC company and Shandong Maituo Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., or Maitou Shandong, a PRC company; and its 70% owned subsidiary Shandong Haozhen Heavy Industry Technology Co., Ltd., or Haozhen Shandong, a PRC company. The VIE commenced our operations under the name Shandong Changle Hongli Steel Tube Co., Ltd. to provide industrial pipes and tubes products. Hongli Shandong was incorporated on September 13, 1999 by Ronglan Sun and Li Liu, who originally held 40% and 60% equity interests in Hongli Shandong, respectively.

On June 20, 2001, Hongli Shandong changed its name to Changle Hongli Steel Tube Co., Ltd.

On March 28, 2005, Hongli Shandong increased its registered capital to RMB 4.8 million, or approximately $0.58 million. Yuanqing Liu, Ronglan Sun, and Li Liu contributed a 40%, 30%, 30% equity interest, respectively. Hongli Shandong changed its name to Shandong Changle Hongli Steel Tube Co., Ltd.

On November 3, 2010, Hongli Shandong increased its registered capital to RMB 5 million, or approximately $0.61 million. Yuanqing Liu, Ronglan Sun, and Jie Liu contributed a 40%, 30%, 30% equity interest, respectively.

On October 28, 2010, Hongli Shandong changed its name to Shandong Hongli Special Section Tube Co., Ltd.

On May 23, 2019, Hongli Shandong established its wholly subsidiary Maituo Shandong. Maituo Shandong engages in production of special-shaped steel pipe, construction machinery processing; mining machinery and agricultural machinery steel, stainless steel and corrosion-resistant alloy, automotive parts steel production, sales; CRF technology research and development and technical services; goods import and export (for projects subject to approval according to law, business activities may be carried out only after approval by relevant departments).

On September 18, 2020, Hongli Shandong and Shengda Technology Co. Ltd, a South Korean company, established Haozhen Shandong. Hongli Shandong owns a 70% equity interest in Haozhen Shandong. Haozhen Shandong engages in metal chain and other metal products manufacturing; metal chain and other metal products sales; metal structure manufacturing; metal structure dales; general parts manufacturing; high-quality special steel materials sales; steel calendering processing (except for items subject to approval according to law, and operating activities independently according to law with business license) permitted items: goods import and export (for items subject to approval according to law, business activities may be carried out only after approval by relevant departments, and the specific business items shall be subject to the approval result).

On February 9, 2021, Hongli Cayman was incorporated as an exempted company in the Cayman Islands. Hongli Cayman issued Ordinary Shares at $0.0001 par value per share to Hongli Development Limited, or Hongli Development, a British Virgin Islands company, owned by Yuanqing Liu, Jie Liu, and Ronglan Sun, three founders of the Company, and issued Ordinary Shares at $0.0001 par value per share to Hongli Technology Limited, or Hongli Technology, a British Virgin Islands company, 100% owned by Haining Wang. Hongli Cayman and Hongli HK were established as the holding companies of Hongli WFOE.

We were advised by our PRC counsel that our holding company, its subsidiaries, and the VIE, Hongli Shandong and its subsidiaries, are not required to obtain permission or approvals from PRC authorities or agencies to list on the U.S. exchange markets, because the PRC operating entities fall outside the sectors subject to key restrictions by the PRC government.

On March 28, 2022, we issued 17,459,903 Ordinary Shares to Hongli Development and 539,997 Ordinary Shares to Hongli Technology, at par value $0.0001 per share, the issuance of which was equivalent to a forward split at a ratio of 180,000-for-1 (the “Forward Split Issuance”). On September 13, 2022, the then current shareholders of the Company surrendered 1,500,000 Ordinary Shares in total, of which Hongli Development surrendered 1,455,000 Ordinary Shares and Hongli Technology surrendered 45,000 Ordinary Shares, respectively. On December 1, 2022, Hongli Development surrendered 6,500,000 Ordinary Shares.

On March 31, 2023, the Company consummated its initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 2,062,500 Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the Ordinary Shares sold in the IPO is hereafter referred as the “IPO Shares”). The IPO Shares were priced at a price of $4.00 per share, and the IPO was conducted on a firm commitment basis. The Ordinary Shares commenced trading under the symbol “HLP” on March 29, 2023.

On May 2, 2023, upon the underwriter’s exercise of the over-allotment option in full, the Company sold 309,375 ordinary shares at a price of $4.00 per share accordingly.

On December 13, 2023, Hongli Technology surrendered 133,125 Ordinary Shares to Hongli Cayman. Hongli Technology has sold all of its remaining Ordinary Shares on the open market and is no longer a shareholder of the Company. As of April 10, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we have 12,238,750 Ordinary Shares issued and outstanding as of the date hereof, of which Hongli Development holds 7,516,820 Ordinary Shares.

The following chart summarizes our corporate legal structure and identifies our subsidiaries and the PRC operating entities as of the date of this Annual Report.

Hongli WFOE, a wholly subsidiary of Hongli Cayman, and Hongli Shandong entered into a series of Contractual Arrangements in April 2021. Such Contractual Arrangements consist of a series of three agreements, along with shareholders’ powers of attorney (“POAs”) and irrevocable spousal consent letters. Hongli Shandong, the VIE, and its PRC subsidiaries are the entities conducting the operation in the PRC. Neither Hongli Cayman nor its subsidiaries own any equity interests in the PRC operating entities.

The Contractual Arrangements are designed to allow Hongli Cayman to consolidate Hongli Shandong’s operations and financial results in Hongli Cayman’s financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP as the primary beneficiary for accounting purposes.

Due to PRC legal restrictions on foreign ownership in certain sectors or other matters, such as telecommunications and the internet, many China-based operating companies had to list on a U.S. exchange through Contractual Arrangements, or a VIE structure, without a direct ownership in main operating entities. However, even though the business of some other China-based operating companies, including Hongli Shandong, is not within any sensitive sector that Chinese law prohibits direct foreign investment in, some China-based operating companies, as well as Hongli Shandong, at the discretion of the management, still selected to utilize such VIE structure to list overseas to avoid the substantial costs and time. If Hongli Shandong had selected to directly list on a U.S. exchange without such Contractual Arrangements, Hongli Shandong would be required to obtain certain regulatory approvals in connection with the conversion of the PRC operating entities into wholly foreign owned entities which would take the Company approximately 3-6 months to complete, without certainty when the conversion would be completed successfully. As a result, management elected to pursue the VIE structure, at which time that the PRC government did not initiate a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China including enhancing supervision over the use of variable interest entities for overseas listing.

The PRC government has initiated a series of regulatory actions and statements to regulate business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over the use of variable interest entities for overseas listing, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding the efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. As we chose such VIE structure, we understand that we are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may not otherwise exist if we had direct equity ownership in the operating entities. The VIE structure has inherent risks that may affect your investment, including less effectiveness and certainties than direct ownership and potential substantial costs to enforce the terms of the Contractual Arrangements. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — We rely on Contractual Arrangements with the VIE and the shareholders of the VIE to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities. We do not have an equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control of, through such ownership or investment, the VIE.” We, as a Cayman Islands holding company, may have difficulty in enforcing any rights we may have under the Contractual Arrangements with Hongli Shandong, its founders and owners, in PRC because all of our Contractual Arrangements are governed by the mainland China laws and provide for the resolution of disputes through arbitration in the PRC, where the legal environment is not as developed as in the United States. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our Contractual Arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our results of operation.” Furthermore, these Contractual Arrangements may not be enforceable in China if PRC government authorities or courts take a view that such Contractual Arrangements contravene applicable PRC laws and regulations or are otherwise not enforceable for public policy reasons. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we and the PRC operating entities must conduct business activities. We or the PRC operating entities are currently not required to obtain permissions or approval from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges nor for the execution of Contractual Arrangements, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval and were denied permission from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange or continue to offer securities to investors, which could materially affect the interest of the investors and cause the value of our Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.” In the event we are unable to enforce these Contractual Arrangements, we may not be able to consolidate the financial results of Hongli Shandong, and our results of operation may be materially and adversely affected. For more information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China.”.

The significant terms of the Contractual Arrangements are as follows:

Exclusive Business Cooperation and Management Agreement

Pursuant to the exclusive business cooperation and management agreement between Hongli WFOE and Hongli Shandong dated as of April 12, 2021, Hongli WFOE has the exclusive right to provide Hongli Shandong with complete business support, operational management, and technical and consulting services, including all services within the business scope of Hongli Shandong as may be determined from time to time by Hongli WFOE, such as but not limited to technical services, business consultations, and marketing consultancy. Additionally, Hongli WFOE has the full and exclusive right to manage and direct all cash flow and assets of Hongli Shandong and to direct and administrate the financial affairs and daily operation of Hongli Shandong. In exchange, Hongli WFOE is entitled to an annual service fee that equals the audited total amount of the net income of such fiscal year of Hongli Shandong. If Hongli Shandong’s annual net income is zero, Hongli Shandong is not required to pay the service fee. If Hongli Shandong sustained losses in any fiscal year, all such losses will be carried over to the next year and deducted from the service fee of the next year.

The exclusive business cooperation agreement remains in effect, unless terminated pursuant to the agreement or upon the mutual consent of the parties thereto. Hongli Shandong may not unilaterally terminate this agreement unless Hongli WFOE commits gross negligence or a fraudulent act against Hongli Shandong. However, Hongli WFOE has the right to terminate this agreement upon giving 30 days’ prior written notice to Hongli Shandong at any time.

Exclusive Option Agreements

Pursuant to the exclusive option agreement among Hongli HK, Hongli Shandong and the shareholders who collectively own all of Hongli Shandong dated as of April 12, 2021, such shareholders have jointly and severally granted Hongli HK an option to purchase their equity interests in Hongli Shandong. The purchase price shall be equal to the actual capital contributions paid in the registered capital of Hongli Shandong by the shareholders for the portion of equity interests to be purchased by Hongli HK or the lowest price allowed by the applicable PRC laws and regulations. Hongli HK or its designated person may exercise such option at any time to purchase all or part of the equity interests in Hongli Shandong until it has acquired all equity interests of Hongli Shandong, which is irrevocable during the term of the agreements.

The exclusive call option agreement remains in effect for 10 years, and Hongli HK has the right to extend it for an additional 10 years.

Equity Interest Pledge Agreement

Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreement among the shareholders who collectively own all of Hongli Shandong dated as of April 12, 2021, such shareholders have pledged all of the equity interests in Hongli Shandong to Hongli WFOE as collateral to secure the obligations of Hongli Shandong under the exclusive business cooperation and management agreement and the exclusive option agreement. These shareholders are prohibited or may not transfer the pledged equity interests without prior written consent of Hongli WFOE unless transferring the equity interests in accordance with the performance of the exclusive option agreement.

The equity interest pledge agreement shall be terminated upon the full payment of the consulting and service fees under the business cooperation and management agreement and upon the fulfillment of Hongli Shandong’s obligation under the business cooperation and management agreement. Additionally, Hongli WFOE shall cancel or terminate this equity interest pledge agreement as soon as reasonably practicable.

Shareholders’ POAs

Pursuant to the shareholders’ POAs dated as of April 12, 2021, the shareholders of Hongli Shandong have given Hongli HK or its subsidiary an irrevocable proxy to act on their behalf on all matters pertaining to Hongli Shandong and to exercise all of their rights as shareholders of Hongli Shandong, including the right to attend shareholders meetings, to exercise voting rights and all of the other rights, and to designate and appoint the legal representative, the executive directors and/or director, supervisor, the chief executive officer and other senior management members of Hongli Shandong, and to sign and execute transfer documents and any other documents pursuant to the exclusive option agreement and the equity interest pledge agreement. The POAs shall remain in effect while the shareholders of Hongli Shandong hold the equity interests in Hongli Shandong.

Irrevocable Spousal Consent Letters

Pursuant to the irrevocable spousal consent letters dated as of April 12, 2021, the spouses of all the shareholders of Hongli Shandong consent to the execution of the exclusive business cooperation and management agreement, equity interest pledge agreement, exclusive option agreement, and the power of attorneys signed by their spouse. The spouses of the shareholders of Hongli Shandong further undertake not to make any assertions in connection with the equity interests of Hongli Shandong held by the shareholders and confirm no authorization or consent will be required from them for the shareholders’ performance of any transaction documents in connection with these agreements. However, if the spouse of any shareholder obtains any equity interest held by the shareholders for any reason, they commit to be bound by these agreements and comply with the obligation of the shareholders of Hongli Shandong thereunder.

Based on the foregoing contractual arrangements, Hongli Cayman is allowed to consolidate Hongli Shandong’s operations and financial results in Hongli Cayman’s financial statements for the periods presented herein as if the current corporate structure (“restructuring” or “reorganization”) had been in existence throughout the periods presented under common control in accordance with Regulation S-X-3A-02 promulgated by the SEC and Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810-10, Consolidation.

Because we do not hold equity interests in Hongli Shandong, we are subject to risks due to uncertainty of the interpretation and the application of the PRC laws and regulations, including but not limited to regulatory review of overseas listing of mainland China companies through a special purpose vehicle and the validity and enforcement of the Contractual Arrangements. As of the date hereof, the agreements under the Contractual Arrangements have not been tested in any courts of law. We are also subject to the risks of uncertainty about any future actions of the mainland China government in this regard that could disallow the VIE structure, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and cause the value of Ordinary Shares to decrease significantly or become worthless.

Neither we nor our subsidiaries own any equity interests in the PRC operating entities. Instead, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of the PRC operating entities for accounting purposes, and, therefore, we are able to consolidate financial results of Hongli Shandong through the Contractual Arrangements. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — We rely on Contractual Arrangements with the VIE and the shareholders of the VIE to consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities. We do not have an equity ownership in, direct foreign investment in, or control of, through such ownership or investment, the VIE;” “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Any failure by the VIE or its shareholders to perform their obligations under our Contractual Arrangements with them would have a material adverse effect on our results of operation;” “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — If the VIE goes bankrupt or becomes subject to a dissolution or liquidation proceeding, its ability to operate its business might be materially and adversely hindered, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations;” “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Because we are a Cayman Islands corporation and consolidate the financial results of the PRC operating entities through the Contractual Arrangements, which have a substantial majority of their business conducted in the PRC, you may be unable to bring an action against us, our officers and directors, the PRC operating entities or their officers and directors or to enforce any judgment you may obtain. It may also be difficult for you or overseas regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — The Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we and the PRC operating entities must conduct business activities. We or the PRC operating entities are currently not required to obtain permissions or approval from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges nor for the execution of Contractual Arrangements, however, if the VIE or the holding company were required to obtain approval and were denied permission from Chinese authorities or agencies to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange or continue to offer securities to investors, which could materially affect the interest of the investors and cause the value of our Ordinary Shares to significantly decline or be worthless.” We may also be subject to sanctions imposed by PRC regulatory agencies including Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission, or CSRC, if we fail to comply with their rules and regulations.

Controlled Company

As long as our officers and directors, either individually or in the aggregate, own at least 50% of the voting power of our Company, we are a “controlled company” as defined under Nasdaq Marketplace Rules.

For so as we are a controlled company under that definition, we are permitted to elect to rely, and may rely, on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules, including:

As a result, you will not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

Although we do not intend to rely on the “controlled company” exemption under the Nasdaq listing rules, we could elect to rely on this exemption in the future. If we elect to rely on the “controlled company” exemption, a majority of the members of our board of directors might not be independent directors and our nominating and corporate governance and compensation committees might not consist entirely of independent directors. (See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Corporate Structure — As a “controlled company” under the rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, we may choose to exempt our company from certain corporate governance requirements that could have an adverse effect on our public shareholders.”)

Emerging Growth Company Status

As a company with less than $1.235 billion in revenue during our last fiscal year, we qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act, enacted in April 2012, and may take advantage of reduced reporting requirements that are otherwise applicable to public companies. These provisions include, but are not limited to:

We may take advantage of these provisions until the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of our common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. However, if certain events occur before the end of such five-year period, including if we become a “large accelerated filer,” our annual gross revenues exceed $1.235 billion or we issue more than $1.00 billion of non-convertible debt in any three-year period, we will cease to be an emerging growth company before the end of such five-year period.

In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards.

Foreign Private Issuer Status

We are incorporated and registered in the Cayman Islands, and more than 50 percent of our outstanding voting securities are not directly or indirectly held by residents of the United States. Therefore, we are a “foreign private issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act and Rule 3b-4(c) under the Exchange Act. As a result, we are not subject to the same requirements as U.S. domestic issuers. Under the Exchange Act, we will be subject to reporting obligations that, to some extent, are more lenient and less frequent than those of U.S. domestic reporting companies. For example, we will not be required to issue quarterly reports or proxy statements. We will not be required to disclose detailed individual executive compensation information. Furthermore, our directors and executive officers will not be required to report equity holdings under Section 16 of the Exchange Act and will not be subject to the insider short-swing profit disclosure and recovery regime.

In addition, as a holding company with no material operations, we consolidate financial results of the PRC operating entities through the Contractual Arrangements. Furthermore, our Ordinary Shares may be prohibited to trade on a national exchange or “over-the-counter” markets under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCA Act”) if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors for two consecutive years.

On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in: (1) mainland China, and (2) Hong Kong. Our auditor, RBSM LLP, headquartered in New York, NY, is an independent registered public accounting firm with the PCAOB and has been inspected by the PCAOB on a regular basis. The PCAOB currently has access to inspect the working papers of our auditor. RBSM LLP is not identified in the PCAOB’s Determination Report. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the future, if either there is any regulatory change or step taken by PRC regulators that does not permit RBSM LLP to provide audit documentation located in mainland China or Hong Kong to the PCAOB for inspection or investigation or the PCAOB expands the scope of the Determination Report so that we are subject to the HFCA Act, as the same may be amended, you may be deprived of the benefits of such inspection which could result in limitation or restriction to our access to the U.S. capital markets and trading of our securities, including on a national exchange and on “over-the-counter” markets, may be prohibited under the HFCA Act. On August 26, 2022, the CSRC, the Ministry of Finance of the PRC, and PCAOB signed a Statement of Protocol, or the Protocol, governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in China and Hong Kong. Pursuant to the Protocol, the PCAOB has independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and has the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. The PCAOB was required to reassess these determinations by the end of 2022. Under the PCAOB’s rules, a reassessment of a determination under the HFCA Act may result in the PCAOB reaffirming, modifying or vacating the determination. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB determined that the PCAOB was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and voted to vacate its previous determinations to the contrary. However, whether the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor’s, control. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors — Our Ordinary Shares may be prohibited from being traded on a national exchange under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors for three consecutive years beginning in 2021. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which, if enacted, would amend the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges or market if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years instead of three. The delisting of our Ordinary Shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment” for more information.

The Initial Public Offering

On March 31, 2023, the Company consummated its initial public offering (the “IPO”) of 2,062,500 Ordinary Shares, par value $0.0001 per share (the “IPO Shares”). The IPO Shares were priced at a price of $4.00 per share, and the IPO was conducted on a firm commitment basis. The Ordinary Shares commenced trading under the symbol “HLP” on March 29, 2023.

On May 2, 2023, upon the underwriter’s exercise of the over-allotment option in full, the Company sold 309,375 ordinary shares at a price of $4.00 per share accordingly.

B. Business Overview

Overview

Hongli Cayman is an offshore holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability. As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we consolidate financial results of Hongli Shandong, the VIE and its subsidiaries through Contractual Arrangements. Neither we nor our subsidiaries own any equity interests in the PRC operating entities. Instead, we consolidate financial results of Hongli Shandong through a series of Contractual Arrangements dated April 12, 2021.

The PRC operating entities are one of the leading cold roll formed steel profile manufacturers in China with respect to function innovation, performance improvement, and customized manufacturing of their products, according to China Sub-Association for Cold Formed Steel Industries, a professional industrial association. The PRC operating entities’ main business operation focuses on the design, production, deep processing, and sales of custom-made profile for machinery and equipment in a variety of sectors including but not limited in mining and excavation, construction, agriculture, and transportation industries.

With more than twenty years of operating history, the PRC operating entities have developed customers in more than 30 cities in China and a global network covering South Korea, Japan, the U.S., and Sweden. The customers of the PRC operating entities include large corporations and international enterprises such as Weichai LOVOL Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (“LOVOL”), SUNGJIN TECH CO., LTD (“South Korean VOLVO”), Shandong Lingong Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (“SDLG”), and some new customers associated with Katsushiro Machinery Co., Ltd. (“Japan Katsushiro”). The majority of the customers of our PRC operating entities have maintained business with us for an average of 10 years. As the date of year ended December 31, 2023, our principal customers increased orders with the PRC operating entities. Given the recent trend of increased new contracts, we anticipate a continued increase in orders over the next two or three years.  

Innovations of the PRC Operating Entities

The PRC operating entities employ a broad array of manufacturing techniques, most importantly cold roll forming (“CRF”) which is the technique used for manufacturing all their products that differentiates the PRC operating entities from other steel pipe manufacturers that employ alternative forming techniques such as extrusion or pull-trusion. Cold roll formed steel pipe/tubing is widely used for applications where precise dimension and mechanical tolerances are required.

CRF reduces the cost of the material and improves the quality of the product in terms of its surface and size, and allows the PRC operating entities to both customize their products in accordance with customers’ request and deliver products with high quality, increase mechanical properties and strength. CRF expands their product applications to a variety of industries that have demands for roll forming profiles with high precision and low processing cost.

In addition to the manufacturing techniques, the PRC operating entities employ deformed flower designing in their product design which enables visualization of the formation process of the materials, and further ensures the high success rate of their research, development, and design. Currently, the PRC operating entities have applied for more than 68 patents for this technique, 49 of which have been approved, including 42 registered utility patents and 7 invention patents. Among these approved patents, there are especially two patents that the management of the PRC operating entities believes are material to the operations and business of the PRC operating entities.   One is a repair treatment method of CRF profiles, providing solutions to fix H-shaped profiles during polish process. This patented technology requires less labor and increases the polish efficiency, and the management of Hongli Shandong has not seen other similar patents in the market as of the date of this report. The other one is a fine machining method for reducing profile production and manufacturing, which realizes the automatic and fine machining of customized profiles, reduces the labor requirements, and decreases the cost. These approved patents have been applied to the PRC operating entities’ productions.

Currently, the PRC operating entities are designing and developing a certain type of cross section profile with unequal thickness. Through the changes of thickness of the profile, such cross section profile will be stronger with lighter weight compared to a typical cross section profile. The PRC operating entities are preparing the patent application for such technique, which is expected to be widely used in different applications in five years, including but not limited to, lightweight processing of cabs, high-strength fireproof doors, and window and curtain walls.

Facilities and Products of the PRC Operating Entities

The PRC operating entities have a total of 8 facilities well-equipped with advanced manufacturing equipment, complex production lines, and experienced in-house R&D teams, enable them to facilitate their customers’ orders as a “custom-made profile shop” including designing, customizing, manufacturing, and delivery.

The PRC operating entities currently have 11 lines of CRF production lines, 3 units of laser welding coupled with inspection equipment, 3 units for high frequency welding coupled with inspection equipment, 5 units for welding robots, 5 units for 3D laser cutting machines, 3 units for 3D CNC bending machines, a hydraulic press, 2 units of CNC machining and 2D laser cutting machines. In May 2022, the PRC operating entities started to provide CRF profiles with additional electrocoating services to meet their customers’ additional demands. Electrocoating is a method of painting that uses electrical current to deposit paint on a part surface, which is widely used for products, including but not limited to, hardware, sporting equipment, business appliance, and automotive. In connection with the electrocoating services, the PRC operating entities purchased relevant equipment through leasing financing, including 1 unit of dust removal machine, 1 unit of pipe system, 1 unit of electrocoating machine, and 1 unit of Zeolite runner and regenerative catalytic oxidation machine. As of the date of this Annual Report, the PRC operating entities have produced various electrocoated products, among excavator cabs, safety frames for tractors, and weld-on brackets, generating a total revenue of approximately $1.22 (RMB 8.6 million). As of the date hereof, the PRC operating entities have received approximately 37,268 new orders of different types of electrocoated products with an estimated revenue of $1.23 million (RMB 8.7 million). Additionally, as the management is in negotiation with other existing and potential customers, the management of the PRC operating entities estimates that this newly added electrocoating service could generate additional income of the PRC operating entities in the future.

Product Applications

The PRC operating entities produce a comprehensive range of well-designed and customized profile products applied to different kinds of machineries and equipment that are widely used in a variety of sectors, including but not limited to, mining and excavation, construction, agriculture, and transportation industries.

Products of the PRC Operating Entities

The PRC operating entities currently produce over 2,000 distinct profile products in a broad range of materials, sizes and shapes. Their outstanding CRF experience and technics enable them to design and produce different shapes and dimensions of profile products based on each specific project demand from different customers. The PRC operating entities have always striven to provide product offerings with high quality, precise manufacturing, and on-time delivery.

Below are the selective profile products the PRC operating entities have produced for their customers:

The PRC operating entities’ cold roll formed steel profile products have various forms of shapes, including but not limited to, angles, bows, beams, brackets, channels, cross-members, flanges, hats, panels, plates, posts, rails, stakes, tracks. Below are the cross-sections of the selective profile products they have produced for their customers:

Sales and Marketing

Domestic and International Footprint of the PRC Operating Entities

The PRC operating entities’ customers are mainly concentrated in the Chinese market. The customers of the PRC operating entities cover more than 30 cities in China, covering the major heavy industry machinery and agricultural machinery industry enterprises. The PRC operating entities provide their products directly to, or indirectly to suppliers of, some of the world’s leading original equipment manufacturers, such as XCMG, Caterpillar Inc., and Komatsu Ltd. Enterprises like LOVOL and SDLG are the main customers of the PRC operating entities in China. The 3 major customers of the PRC operating entities, LOVOL, South Korean VOLVO and SDLG, in aggregate accounted for approximately $12.0 million, or 75%, $15 million, or 74% and $15.6 million, or 72% of sales for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Additionally, the PRC operating entities started to directly and indirectly provide their products to XCMG from 2017. The revenue from XCMG amounted to $1.1 million, $0.6 million and $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As a supplier of XCMG, we have established long-term cooperative relationships with four business units under XCMG Group. Currently, this is one of our key focus areas for the marketing and brand-building efforts of our operating entities in China. Due to the pandemic’s impact, we ceased supplying products to Caterpillar in 2023. Nonetheless, as a supplier for international clients, maintaining strong long-term relationships remains a central focus of our business strategy. 

Hongli Shandong has been devoting to its international expansion opportunities. As a part of their international expansion and to facilitate the relationship with the existing South Korean customers, Hongli Shandong designated two employees who speak Korean to constantly visit customers in South Korea to assist with logistics, advertisement, collecting or furnishing of information of the services and products of Hongli Shandong. Hongli Shandong also plans to open a new sales office in Wisconsin, U.S. to be supported with two local salesmen to develop local business in the U.S. However, this plan has been delayed or might even be postponed due to the impact of COVID-19, travel restrictions, and the potential market opportunities in the U.S. Management of Hongli Shandong are currently evaluating the feasibility to open a sales office in the U.S. pending the development of COVID-19, travel restrictions, and the potential market opportunities in the U.S. Hongli Shandong currently has one independent contractor who works closely with Hongli Shandong to conduct market research and development in the U.S. market and respond to inquiry and quotes from potential U.S. customers. In May 2021, Hongli Shandong received an order from a customer in the U.S., for 600 units of D-shaped cold roll formed tubes which were delivered to such customer in November 2021. Hongli Shandong also explored the market in Japan in collaboration with Japan Katsushiro who later purchased from the PRC operating entities through its PRC affiliated entities. In addition, in November 2021, Hongli Shandong has entered into a one-year cooperation agreement with Shengdai Shandong to produce and supply S-shaped plates and C-shaped profiles, the accessories of Shengdai Shandong products to be exported to Japan. Such cooperation agreement automatically extended to an additional one-year term after the expiration of the initial one-year term pursuant to the agreement. As of the date of this Annual Report, Hongli Shandong has provided 44,044 pieces of products, an increase of 27,318 pieces from 16,726 pieces in 2022, to Shengdai Shandong.  

During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, approximately $12.1 million, or 76% of the sales of the PRC operating entities were sourced from the China market where their manufacturing facilities are located, and approximately $3.9 million or 24% sales of the PRC operating entities were generated by international customers. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, approximately $15.3 million, or 75% of the sales were sourced from the China market where their manufacturing facilities are located, and approximately $5.0 million, or 25% of the sales of the PRC operating entities were generated by international customers.   During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, approximately 78% of the sales of the PRC operating entities were sourced from the China market where their manufacturing facilities are located, and approximately 22% of the sales of the PRC operating entities were generated by international customers, respectively.

The below chart details our revenue by percentage generated from top five international markets.

The following table set forth the top customers each of which we generated more than 10% of sales from during the fiscal years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021: