UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

OR

OR

OR

Commission file number 1-14542

ASIA PACIFIC WIRE & CABLE

CORPORATION LIMITED

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Bermuda

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

15/Fl. B, No. 77, Sec. 2

Dunhua South Road

Taipei, 106, Taiwan

Republic of China

(Address of principal executive offices)

Ivan Hsia

15/Fl. B, No. 77, Sec. 2

Dunhua South Road

Taipei, 106, Taiwan

Republic of China

Tel: +886-2-27122558

Email: ivan.hsia@apwcc.com

(Name, telephone, e-mail and/or facsmilefacsimile 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.

13,819,669 Common Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021

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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T 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.

Large accelerated Filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☒ Emerging growth company ☐

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.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ishas filed a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer,  or an emerging growth company. See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”report on and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2attestation to its management’s assessment of the Exchange Act. Large accelerated Filer 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.  ☐ Accelerated filer ☐ Non-accelerated filer ☒ Emerging growth company ☐

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

U.S. GAAP ☐

International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ☒

Other ☐

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 Exchange Act).Yes .

☐ Yes ☒ No ☒

CERTAIN DEFINITIONS AND CONVENTIONS

Unless the context otherwise indicates or requires, all references to:

•the terms “dollar”, “US$” or “$” refer to U.S. dollars, the lawful currency of the United States of America.

• “Bt,” “Thai Baht”, “THB” or “Baht” refer to Baht, the legal tender currency of Thailand.

• “Sing$” or “S$” refer to Singapore dollars, the legal tender currency of Singapore.

• “A$” or “AU$” refer to Australian dollars, the legal tender currency of Australia.

•“RMB” refer to Chinese Renminbi, the legal tender currency of China

•“Thailand” refers to the Kingdom of Thailand.

•“Singapore” refers to The Republic of Singapore.

•“Taiwan” refers to Taiwan, The Republic of China.

•“Australia” refers to the Commonwealth of Australia.

•“United States” or “U.S.” refer to the United States of America.

Most measurements in this Annual Report are given according to the metric system. Standard abbreviations of metric units (e.g., “mm” for millimeter) have been employed without definitions. All references in this Annual Report to “tons” are to metric tons, which are equivalent in weight to 2,204.6 pounds.

All references to “outstanding” in respect of APWC’s Common Shares shall mean that such Common Shares have been issued by APWC and are not registered in APWC’s register of members as treasury shares.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 20-F contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U,.S.U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements give our current beliefs or expectations or forecasts of future events. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Such statements may include words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe”, “may”, “should”, “likely”, “seeks” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance.

Such statements are not promises or guarantees and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include our ability to maintain and develop market share for our products; global, regional or national economicthe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations, demands for our products, results, financial position and financial conditions,liquidity; the global dropextreme volatility in the demand for and the pricing of commodities, including copper, our principal raw material, and their individual or collective impact on demand for our products and services; the introduction of competing products or technologies; the volatility of share prices on major securities exchanges throughout the world, our inability to successfully identify, consummate and integrate acquisitions; our potential exposure to liability claims; the uncertainty and volatility of the markets in which we operate; changes in laws or regulations applicable to theour Company in the markets in which we conduct business; the availability and price of copper, our principal raw material;material, including the effects of recent and potential economic sanctions on Russia; our ability to negotiate extensions of labor agreements on acceptable terms and to successfully deal with any labor disputes; our ability to service and meet all requirements under our debt, and to maintain adequate credit facilities and credit lines; in certain markets, our ability to compete effectively with state-owned enterprises (“SOEs”), which may receive governmental subsidies to enhance results or receive preferred vendor status in state controlled projects; our ability to make payments of interest and principal under our existing and future indebtedness; our ability to increase manufacturing capacity and productivity; the fact that we have operations outside the United States that may be materially and adversely affected by acts of terrorism, war and political and social unrest, or major hostilities; exposure to political and economic developments,developments; COVID-19 and government implemented lockdowns, circuit breakers, and other mandates that may adversely affect our business and operations; crises, instability, terrorism, civil strife, expropriation and other risks of doing business in foreign markets; economic consequences arising from natural disasters and other similar catastrophes, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis; the fact that Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Limited (“APWC” or the “Company”)APWC is a holding company that depends for income upon distributions from operating subsidiaries, most of which are not wholly-owned and for which there may be restrictions on the timing and amount of distributions; price competition and other competitive pressures; the impact of climate change on our business and operations and on our customers; tax inefficiencies associated with our cross-border operations, including without limitation, limitations on our ability to utilize net losses within our group of companies for income tax purposes; fluctuations in currency, exchange and interest rates, operating results and the impact of technological changes and other factors that are discussed in this report and in our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or). Statements about the “Commission”).effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business results, financial position and liquidity are subject to the risk that the actual impact may differ, possibly materially, from what is currently expected.

In particular, these statements include, among other things, statements relating to:

We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or other information contained in this Annual Report, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. You are advised, however, to consult any additional disclosures we make in our filings with the SEC. Also note that we provide a cautionary discussion of risks and uncertainties under the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report. These are factors that we think could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected results. Other factors besides those listed there could also adversely affect us.

CERTAIN DEFINITIONS AND CONVENTIONS

Unless otherwise specified, all references in this Annual Report to “Thailand” are to the Kingdom of Thailand, all references to “Singapore” are to The Republic of Singapore, all references to “Taiwan” are to Taiwan, The Republic of China, all references to “China” or to the “PRC” are to The People’s Republic of China (for the purpose of this Annual Report, excluding Hong Kong and Macau), all references to “Australia” are to the Commonwealth of Australia and all references to the “United States” or “U.S.” are to the United States of America.

Most measurements in this Annual Report are given according to the metric system. Standard abbreviations of metric units (e.g., “mm” for millimeter) have been employed without definitions. All references in this Annual Report to “tons” are to metric tons, which are equivalent in weight to 2,204.6 pounds.

With respect to measurements relating to the manufacture of wire and cable products, references to “pkm” are to kilometers of twisted pairs of copper wires.

Dollar amounts in this Annual Report are expressed in thousands ($000), except where otherwise indicated or with respect to earnings per share.

Unless otherwise specified, all references in this Annual Report to “$,” “U.S. dollars”, “USD” or “US$” are to United States dollars, the legal tender currency of the United States; all references to “Bt,” “Thai Baht” or “Baht” are to Baht, the legal tender currency of Thailand; all references to “Sing$” or “S$” are to Singapore dollars, the legal tender currency of Singapore; all references to “A$” or “AU$” are to Australian dollars, the legal tender currency of Australia; and all references to “RMB” are to Chinese Renminbi, the legal tender currency of China.

Part I

Not applicable

Not applicable

The following selected consolidated financial data is derived from the consolidated financial statements of theour Company for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015,2017, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”).

The selected data set forth below should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by, the discussion in “Item 5:5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto referenced in “Item 18:18. Financial Statements.”

7

Exchange Rate Information

Unless otherwise noted, for the convenience of the reader, translations of amounts from Baht, Singapore dollars, Renminbi and Australian dollars to U.S. dollars have been made at the respective noon buying rates in New York City for cable transfers in those currencies as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (the “Noon Buying Rate”) on December 31, 2019. The respective Noon Buying Rates on December 31, 2019 were US$ 1.00 = Bt 29.75; S$ 1.345; RMB 6.962; and A$ 1.423. The respective Noon Buying Rates on March 31, 2020, the latest practicable date before publication of this Annual Report, were US$ 1.00 = Bt 32.70; S$ 1.422; RMB 7.081 and A$ 1.629. No representation is made that the foreign currency amounts could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars on these dates at these rates or at any other rates.

Sources: Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.10, from the website of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System at http://www.federalreserve.gov.

Thailand

The Thai Baht is convertible into foreign currencies and is subject to a managed float against a basket of foreign currencies, the most significant of which is the U.S. dollar. The composition of the basket for determining the value of the Baht is not made public by the Bank of Thailand. The following tables set forth, for the periods indicated, certain information concerning the Noon Buying Rate of the Thai Baht. No representation is made that the Baht or U.S. dollar amounts referred to herein could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Baht, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

8

The high and low exchange rates for the six months preceding the date of this Annual Report were:

Sources: Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.10, from the website of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System at http://www.federalreserve.gov.

Singapore

The Singapore dollar is convertible into foreign currencies and floats against a trade-weighted basket of foreign currencies, the composition of which is not made public by Singapore’s central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, but of which the U.S. dollar is a component. The following tables set forth, for the periods indicated, certain information concerning the Noon Buying Rate of the Singapore dollar. No representation is made that the Singapore dollar or U.S. dollar amounts referred to herein could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Singapore dollars, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

The high and low exchange rates for the six months preceding the date of this Annual Report were:

Sources: Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.10, from the website of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System at http://www.federalreserve.gov.

9

China

The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including the conversion rate limitations on capital transfers and through restrictions on foreign trade and other regulatory impediments to the free transferability of capital. The following tables set forth, for the periods indicated, certain information concerning the Noon Buying Rate of the Renminbi. No representation is made that the Renminbi or U.S. dollar amounts referred to herein 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.

The high and low exchange rates for the six months preceding the date of this Annual Report were:

Sources: Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.10, from the website of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System at http://www.federalreserve.gov.

Australia

The following tables set forth, for the periods indicated, certain information concerning the Noon Buying Rate of the Australian dollar. No representation is made that the Australian dollar or U.S. dollar amounts referred to herein could have been or could be converted into U.S. dollars or Australian dollars, as the case may be, at any particular rate or at all.

10

The high and low exchange rates for the six months preceding the date of this Annual Report were:

Sources: Federal Reserve Bulletin, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Federal Reserve Statistical Release H.10, from the website of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System at http://www.federalreserve.gov.

Not applicable

Not applicable.

You should carefully consider the following risksrisk factors set forth below in connection with any investment in the Company,APWC, including any investment in ourthe Common Shares. If any one of these risks or uncertainties occurs, ourbusiness, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties described in this Annual Report on Form 20-F are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks and uncertainties that currently are not presently known to us or that we currently believedeem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Any of these risks could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, and could result in a loss of all or part of your investment.

Summary of Risk Factors

The following is a summary of the principal risks we face, organized under relevant headings. The list below is not exhaustive, and you should read the “Risk Factors” section in full.

Risks Related to Our Business (for more detailed discussion, see “Risk Factors -- Risks related to Our Business”)

Risks Related to our Financial Activities (for more detailed discussion, see “Risk Factors -- Risks related to our Financial Activities”)

Risk Related to the Regions in which We Operate (for more detailed discussion, see “Risk Factors -- Risks related to the Regions in which We Operate”)

Risks Related to the Common Shares and APWC (for more detailed discussion, see “Risk Factors -- Risks related to the Common Shares and APWC”)

Control of APWC rests with its majority shareholder, PEWC, and APWC relies on Nasdaq’s controlled company and foreign private issuer exemptions, all of which could materially and adversely affect our corporate governance.

Risks Related to Our Business

COVID-19 could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and, results of operations.

The global spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”), including more recently the highly transmissible Delta and Omicron variants thereof, has been impacting worldwide economic activity and financial markets. We are facing significant adverse effects related to the spread of COVID-19, and the recent developments surrounding the global pandemic have had, and are expected to continue to have, significant adverse effects on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. As a result, COVID-19 could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our operation and production have been affectedand disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19. From April 7, 2020 to June 1, 2020, our Singapore operating units operated with reduced on site staff and approximately half of the employees worked from home due to a partial lockdown implemented by Singapore government. In the first half of 2020, our China production facilities had been operating below normal production levels due to the mandatory measures instituted in response to COVID-19. Starting from the third quarter of 2020 we were able to resume manufacturing activities in China and Singapore. However, our operating units were subject to temporary operation adjustments in 2020 and 2021 pursuant to local emergency regulations, with an adverse impact on our results of operations.While the overall COVID-19 situation appears to have improved in countries that have rolled out vaccination campaigns, our business and operating results may be negatively impacted if the virus worsens or mutates, if vaccination efforts are unsuccessful, or if further restrictions are implemented to contain the coronavirus. In connection with COVID-19, we may experience a new shutdown or slowdown of part or all of our manufacturing facilities.

COVID-19 has affected and disrupted our operations and the operations of our suppliers, customers, and other business partners, includingas a result of travel restrictions, business shutdowns, and other COVID-19 containment measures. A slowdown in economic activity as a result of COVID-19 has also resulted in, and could continue to result in, a reduction in demand for our products. In addition, COVID-19 has delayed the fulfillment of contracts with our customers, causing negative impacts on our liquidity and ability to generate cash flows. If we are not able to expand or extend lines of credit from banks, we may negotiate business terms with our suppliers to meet our liquidity needs, which could cause an increase in financing costs.

We are facing increased operational challenges as we take measures to support and protect employee health and safety as a result of COVID-19. For example, in order to protect the employees from COVID-19, our Company

has taken measures to protect its employees, including temperature checks before entering the workplace, mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing, and work from home. We have also implemented staggered work hours to lower the risk that our employees might get infected on public transportations if they commute during peak hours. In particular, our remote work arrangements, coupled with stay-at-home orders and quarantines, pose challenges to our employees and our IT systems, and the extension of remote work arrangements could increase operational risk, including cyber security and IT systems management risks, and impair our ability to manage our business. The increased operational challenges could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, and results of operations.

COVID-19 has also adversely impacted the recoverability of certain of our assets and resulted in the recognition of impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2021. COVID-19 is expected to continue to impact the recoverability of our Company’s assets and lead to further impairment charges in the future.

If COVID-19 continues to adversely affect our business operations and financial results, the probability of the occurrence of other risks described in this Annual Report could also increase. Further, COVID-19 may materially and adversely affect our business, operations and financial results in manners that are not presently known to us or that we currently do not anticipate. The impact of COVID-19 is constantly changing. Although we are monitoring the situation, the extent to which COVID-19 impacts our business will depend largely on future events outside of our control, including ongoing developments in the pandemic, the success of containment measures, vaccination campaigns and other actions taken by governments around the world, as well as the overall condition and outlook of the global economy. However, the effects on our business, results of operations and financial condition could be material and adverse. We will continue to closely monitor our operations.

Significant volatility in copper prices could be detrimental to our Company’s profitability.

Copper is the principal raw material we use, accounting for a majority of the cost of sales. Our prevailing practice is to purchase copper at prices based on the average prevailing international spot market prices on the London Metal Exchange (the “LME”) for copper for the one month prior to purchase. The price of copper is affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including global economic and political conditions, supply and demand, inventory levels maintained by suppliers, potential disruptions in supply of copper (including as the result of economic sanctions on copper producers such as Russia), actions of participants in the commodities markets and currency exchange rates. As with other costs of production, changes in the price of copper may affect our Company’s cost of sales. Whether this has a material impact on our operating margins and financial results depends primarily on our Company’s ability to adjust selling prices to its customers, such that increases and decreases in the price of copper are fully reflected in those selling prices and customers continue to place orders. In the cases when we enter into a long-term sales contract at fixed selling prices, rising copper prices could render such contract onerous and our Company would be required to recognize losses from this onerous contract in the income statement. Most of our sales of manufactured products reflect the cost of copper used to manufacture those products at the time the products are ordered. In the ordinary course of business we maintain inventories of raw materials and finished products reasonably necessary for the conduct of our business. These inventories typically reflect the cost of copper prevailing in the market at the time of purchase. A long-term decrease in the price of copper would require our Company to revalue its inventory at periodic intervals to the then net realizable value, which could be below cost. Copper prices have been subject to considerable volatility, and it is not always possible to manage our copper purchases and inventory so as to neutralize the impact of copper price volatility. In addition, an excessive increase in the price of copper could result in fewer orders from customers or increased cost of sales given agreed sales prices, and negatively impact our Company. Accordingly, significant volatility in copper prices could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The ability of suppliers to deliver raw materials, parts and components and energy resources could affect our Company’s ability to manufacture products without disruption and in turn negatively affect our operations.

Our Company uses a range of materials, including copper, aluminum, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride compound in the global production of our products, which come from numerous suppliers. Our operations and those of our suppliers are subject to disruption by supply chain issues due to economic, political and other factors largely beyond our Company’s control, including COVID-19 related supplier plant shutdowns or slowdowns, component shortages, supply chain disruptions and delays, work stoppages, labor shortages, financial issues such as supplier bankruptcy, information technology failures, and hazards such as fire, earthquakes, flooding, droughts or other

natural disasters, new laws or regulations, global economic or political events including terrorist attacks and war, and suppliers’ allocations to other purchasers. The effects of climate change, including extreme weather events, long-term changes in temperature levels, water availability, supply costs impacted by increasing energy costs, or energy costs impacted by carbon prices or offsets may exacerbate these risks. Any inability of suppliers to deliver parts, components and manufacturing equipment to our Company’s manufacturing facilities, and any inability to manufacture without disruption, could affect our business’s performance.

The markets in which we operate are highly competitive.

The wire and cable industry in the Asia Pacific region is highly competitive, and if we fail to successfully invest in and maintain product development, productivity improvements and customer service and support, sales of our products could be materially adversely affected. Our competitors include a large number of independent domestic and foreign suppliers. Certain competitors in each of our markets have substantially greater manufacturing, sales, research and financial resources than we do. We and other wire and cable producers compete primarily on the basis of product quality and performance, reliability of supply, customer service, and price. To the extent that one or more of our competitors are more successful with respect to the primary competitive factors, our business could be materially adversely affected. In addition, our Company’s business could be materially adversely impacted if low margin wire and cable manufacturers in China enter into the markets where we operate, like they have in Australia and Singapore. Our Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations may also be materially adversely affected in the event it must compete with State-Owned Enterprises, which are often subsidized by the government such that they are protected against the challenges of market forces confronting private enterprises. When SOE’s enter the market, it can become untenable for private enterprises in competition with SOEs to conduct profitable operations when the SOEs are being subsidized by the government and may operate in a loss position for an extended period. Certain of our products are made to common specifications and may be interchangeable with the products of certain of our competitors. Since customers could potentially substitute our products with those of our competitors, customer loyalty is an important pillar of our business’s competitive position.

In addition, in order to remain competitive in the industry, our Company must periodically make substantial investments in capital equipment to ensure that our production processes are and remain state-of-the-art. Capital expenditures are not always predictable, as they are often driven by customer requirements for enhanced products. We cannot guarantee we will have the available capital to make such capital expenditures when required, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Alternative transmission technologies, such as wireless telecommunications, could materially reduce sales of our telecommunications products.

Our telecommunications cable business is subject to competition from other transmission technologies, principally wireless-based technologies. Wireless telecommunications businesses have sometimes made substantial inroads in early emerging markets where sufficient funding may not then be available to install the infrastructure necessary for market-wide fixed line telecommunications. In addition, the ease of use of wireless telecommunications may make that medium an attractive alternative in circumstances where access to fixed line telecommunications is limited. These technologies present significant competition in the markets in which we conduct or plan to conduct business and no assurance can be given that the future development and use of such alternative technologies will not materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We operate in highly concentrated end markets.

Failure to properly execute customer projects in markets where a small number of customers are responsible for a large portion our sales could materially adversely impact our ability to obtain similar contracts from other customers in that market and may result in material financial penalties. In certain of our markets, sales of manufactured products are highly concentrated in large state-controlled entities or large private infrastructure developers. As those markets are often highly concentrated, the loss of individual customers in such markets could have a material adverse impact on our position in that market as a whole and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Pacific Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. may not perform its obligations under the Composite Services Agreement.

We engage in transactions in the ordinary course of business with our controlling shareholder, PEWC, including the purchase of certain raw materials and the distribution of PEWC’s products in various countries in the Asia Pacific region. We and PEWC have entered into a composite services agreement dated November 7, 1996, as amended and supplemented (the “Composite Services Agreement”), which contains provisions that define our relationship and the conduct of our respective businesses. The Composite Services Agreement is renewable at our option and is currently in force. Under the Composite Services Agreement, PEWC has agreed to supply APWC with copper and provides research and development for our products. Although PEWC has performed its obligations under the Composite Services Agreement to date, we are unable to ensure that PEWC will not in the future seek to limit, or be unable to perform in whole or in part, the business it conducts with our Company pursuant to the terms of the Composite Services Agreement. Given its controlling shareholder position, PEWC could in such instance seek to influence our response to any such events or occurrences. Any such limitation or inability to perform the Composite Services Agreement on PEWC’s part could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. (See “Item 10.C. Material Contracts” for a description of the Composite Services Agreement.)

Our insurance coverage does not cover all of our business risks.

Our global operations are subject to many risks including errors and omissions, infrastructure disruptions such as large-scale outages or interruptions of service from utilities or telecommunications providers, supply chain interruptions, third-party liabilities and fires or natural disasters. Our Company maintains insurance policies covering certain buildings, machinery and equipment against specified amounts of damage or loss caused by fire, flooding, other natural disasters and burglary and theft. Our Company does not carry insurance for consequential loss arising from business interruptions or political disturbances and does not carry product liability insurance. Consequently, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all potential claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from the lack of adequate insurance. No assurance can be given that we will not incur losses beyond the limits or outside the scope of coverage of our insurance policies. Accordingly, we may be subject to an uninsured or under-insured loss in such situations. Any failure to maintain adequate insurance coverage on terms favorable to us, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

A significant number of our ROW employees are members of employees’ unions.

A significant number of the employees of our Rest of World (“ROW”) segment are members of employees’ unions. Failure to successfully negotiate and/or renew collective agreements, strikes, or other labor disputes could result in a disruption of our operations. Any such labor dispute could lead to a disruption of our operations, hindering our ability to serve our customers, and could have a material adverse effect on our Company and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business could be harmed if we fail to attract and retain qualified personnel.

If we fail to retain our key employees and attract qualified personnel by investing adequate resources to develop our human capital, our business may be harmed. The loss of any of our executive officers or other key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The loss of executive officers or key employees could impair customer relationships and result in the loss of vital industry knowledge, expertise, and experience. There is also a risk of losing key employees to our competitors, which could pose a possible risk of the theft of trade secrets, with competitors then gaining valuable information about our manufacturing process. Increased costs associated with recruiting, motivating and retaining qualified personnel could have a negative impact on our profitability. Our Company’s future success depends on its continued ability to attract and retain talented and qualified personnel.

Our operations are subject to environmental protection laws and regulations, which impose compliance costs and subject us to potential liabilities should we violate any of these laws and regulations.

We are subject to certain environmental protection laws and regulations governing our operations and the use, handling, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances used by us. We could incur environmental liability from our manufacturing activities in the event of a release or discharge by us of a hazardous substance. Under certain environmental laws, we could be held responsible for the remediation of any hazardous substance contamination at our facilities and at third party waste disposal sites and could also be held liable for any

consequences arising out of human exposure to such substances or other environmental damage. There can be no assurance that the costs of complying with environmental, health and safety laws and requirements arising from our current operations, or the liabilities arising from past releases of, or exposure to, hazardous substances, will not result in future liabilities incurred, or expenditures payable, by us that would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Information systems failure or cyber security breaches could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

APWC's subsidiaries each have their respective information systems to support the operation of such subsidiary. While APWC’s operating subsidiaries vary in the degree of reliance that they place on their information systems, any failure or interruption of these systems could materially adversely affect our Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Among other things, financial data may be corrupted and financial information may not be accurately reported or presented in a timely manner, which could impair our Company’s ability to timely file periodic or annual reports with the SEC or timely disseminate material information to shareholders. Because there is no unified framework for administering information systems amongst APWC’s subsidiaries, our competitors with a unified framework for administering information systems across their subsidiaries may have a competitive advantage over us and may be able to more efficiently administer such systems and respond to incidents and minimize risk to their business.

Cyber security presents risks and threats to us because intense competition in the wire and cable sector renders the Company vulnerable to theft and copying of design specifications.  While our Company relies upon its majority shareholder, PEWC, for much of its research and development, its products are designed precisely to meet customer specifications for the applications for which they are intended. Cyber security risks create the potential for a material adverse impact on our Company’s business, financial condition and result of operations due to, but not limited to, losing intellectual property, implementing reactive measures, managing litigation or investigations, addressing reputational harm, or losing a competitive advantage. To date, none of the cyber incidents identified have had a material adverse effect on our business. However, we do not have visibility into all unauthorized incursions and our systems may be experiencing ongoing incursions of which we are not aware. Mitigating these risks requires ongoing management oversight to ensure that sufficient controls and procedures are in place for appropriate persons to receive pertinent cyber security risk information to take appropriate action. We cannot offer any assurance that those controls and procedures will be sufficient to protect against cyber security risks and that our business, financial condition and results of operations will not be materially and adversely affected as a result of any such failure.

Increased reliance on information systems requires the implementation of information technology (“IT”) security measures to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access and ensure the confidentiality, availability and integrity of Company data. Our Company employs safeguards, both technological and contractual, in order to protect its proprietary interests and those of its customers and third-party licensors, including, without limitation, certain insurance against theft and risk of loss. However, we cannot guarantee that such safeguards will protect our Company from all types of IT and cyber security threats. If our Company’s IT and cyber security measures are compromised or otherwise fail to protect systems, networks and data, or if an event of force majeure occurs and our Company’s disaster recovery plan does not operating effectively, our Company’s business may be disrupted and stand to lose assets, reputation and business, and potentially face regulatory fines and litigation as well as the cost of remediation, which could materially adversely impact our Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our multinational operations and structure subject us to potentially adverse tax consequences.

We conduct our business through operating subsidiaries and report our taxable income in multiple jurisdictions based upon our business operations in those jurisdictions. While we believe our tax positions are consistent with the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we conduct our business, it is possible that these positions may be contested or overturned by jurisdictional tax authorities, which may have a significant impact on our global provision for income taxes, which could result in one-time tax charges, higher effective tax rates, reduced cash flows and lower overall profitability of our operations.

Certain government agencies in jurisdictions where we do business have had an extended focus on issues related to the taxation of multinational companies. In addition, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development is conducting a project focused on base erosion and profit shifting in international structures, which

seeks to establish certain international standards for taxing the worldwide income of multinational companies. As a result of these developments, the tax laws of certain countries in which we do business could change on a prospective or retroactive basis, and any such changes could increase our liabilities for taxes, interest and penalties, and therefore could harm our business, cash flows, results of operations and financial position.

Pursuant to the Economic Substance Act (“ESA”) which came into force in December 2018, a registered entity other than an entity which is resident for tax purposes in certain jurisdictions outside Bermuda, which we refer to as a non-resident entity, that carries on as a business any one or more of the “relevant activities” referred to in the ESA must comply with economic substance requirements. The “relevant activities” are carrying on any one or more of the following activities: banking, insurance, fund management, financing and leasing, headquarters, shipping, distribution and service center, intellectual property and holding entity.

An in-scope entity which is engaged in any of the “relevant activities” must satisfy an economic substance test, by performing core income-generating activities in the jurisdiction, being directed and managed in the jurisdiction and, having within the jurisdiction (i) an adequate amount of operating expenditure, (ii) adequate physical presence and (iii) an adequate number of qualified full-time employees or other personnel.

Risks Related to our Financial Activities

Restrictive covenants and default provisions in our existing debt agreements may materially restrict our operations as well as adversely affect our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

If our business units do not generate sufficient cash flows from operations, we may be unable to make required payments on our debt, including on debt secured by our or our subsidiaries’ assets. Any such failure to make any such payment could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition our debt agreements contain restrictive covenants and default provisions. Covenants in the agreements governing our existing debt, and debt we may incur in the future, may materially restrict our operations, including our ability to incur debt, pay dividends, make certain investments and payments, and encumber or dispose of assets. In addition, any global economic deterioration may cause us to incur significant net losses or force us to assume considerable liabilities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to remain in compliance with our financial covenants, which, as a result, may lead to a default. This may thereby restrict our ability to access unutilized credit facilities or the global capital markets to meet our liquidity needs. Furthermore, a default under any agreement by APWC or APWC’s subsidiaries may trigger cross-defaults under our other agreements. In the event of default, we may not be able to cure the default or obtain a waiver on a timely basis. An event of default under any agreement timely governing our existing or future debt, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations. Please see Section 5.B. (“Liquidity and Capital Resources”) of this Annual Report and Note 27(c) of our consolidated financial statements referenced in Item 18 of this Annual Report for a further discussion of our secured and unsecured indebtedness.

We face uncertainties relating to the phasing out of LIBOR.

The one-week and two-month USD LIBOR ceased being published following December 31, 2021.  The ICE Benchmark Administration Limited (the “IBA”), the administrator for LIBOR, announced on March 5, 2021 that it will cease publishing the remaining USD LIBOR tenors (overnight, one-month, three-month, six-month and 12-month) after June 30, 2023.  In the United States, the Alternative Reference Rate Committee has recommended the use of a Secured Overnight Funding Rate (“SOFR”) as an alternative to LIBOR, however it is not presently known whether SOFR or any other alternative reference rates will attain market acceptance as replacements of LIBOR. Discontinuation of LIBOR and uncertainty as to the nature of such potential changes, alternative reference rates or other reforms may adversely affect the amounts of interest we pay under our debt arrangements and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Foreign exchange fluctuations could materially impact our financial performance and our financial condition.

Our principal operations and properties are located in the three regions that constitute our business segments, namely the North Asia, Thailand and Rest of the World regions. Although our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, the functional currency of our Thailand region, which accounted for 41.49% of sales in 2021, is the Thai Baht. The

functional currencies of our ROW region, which accounted for 36.05% of sales in 2021, are the Australia dollar and the Singapore dollar. The functional currencies for our North Asia operations, which, in total accounted for 22.46% of sales in 2021, are divided into two groups: (1) the PRC Subsidiaries, whose functional currency is the RMB, and (2) Crown Century, whose functional currency is the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, the functional currency accounts of these operations are all translated into U.S. dollars utilizing the reporting date exchange rate for balance sheet accounts, and an average exchange rate for the year for the income statement accounts, for reporting purposes. Any devaluation of the Baht, the Australian dollar, the Singapore dollar, or the RMB against the U.S. dollar would adversely affect our financial performance, as measured in U.S. dollars.

Our Company conducts business in many foreign currencies and is subject to exchange rate risk on cash flows related to sales, expenses, financing and investment transactions. A substantial portion of our aggregate revenues is denominated in the following currencies: RMB, Baht, Australian dollars and Singapore dollars, while our purchases of raw materials and expenditures related to equipment upgrades are largely denominated in U.S. dollars. Any devaluation of the Baht, the Australian dollar, the Singapore dollar or the RMB against foreign currencies (such as the U.S. Dollar) would increase the effective cost of transactions denominated in such other foreign currencies. This would have an adverse impact on our operations and cash flows. Likewise, an increase in U.S. dollar borrowing costs and any increase in the strength of the U.S. dollar in foreign exchange markets (which could also increase borrowing rates) could materially adversely affect our business in the markets where we have operating plants, such as Thailand, China, Singapore and Australia. Consequently, adverse movements in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, a portion of our investment properties and financial instruments are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, our investment results will be subject to possible currency rate fluctuations as well as the volatility of overseas capital markets. Our results of operations may be materially impacted by those fluctuations and volatility.

Significant impairment charges could materially adversely impact our results of operations.

In prior years, we have on occasion recognized impairment charges on certain property, plant and equipment due to lack of profitability. An impairment charge may be incurred for various reasons including, but not limited to, strategic decisions made in response to changes in economic and competitive conditions, the impact of the economic environment on our business or a material adverse change in any material relationships with our clients. If we recognize significant impairment charges, our results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Risk Related to the Regions in which We Operate

We face risks relating to our operations in Thailand.

A substantial portion of our Thai operations consists of the manufacture of telecommunications and power cables and sales of those products for use in various construction and infrastructure projects in Thailand. The performance of our Company’s Thai operations is affected by the political and economic situation in Thailand. In recent years, the level of government involvement in infrastructure development has tended to track increases or contractions in Thailand’s gross domestic product and the Thai economy has been highly cyclical and volatile, depending for economic growth in substantial part on a number of government initiatives for economic expansion. Overall, the construction industry and infrastructure projects have slowed considerably, thereby affecting local sales, placing competitive pressure on prices and prompting our Company to rationalize Thai operations and actively seek overseas markets. Political tensions remain high in Thailand and political instability in Thailand tends to diminish governmental focus on infrastructure development projects, which can materially adversely impact the volume of sales to (and payment by) our customers who are engaged in large infrastructure projects and, consequently, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.In addition, our Thai operations could be materially adversely impacted if low margin wire and cable manufacturers from China, including SOEs, were to enter into the Thailand market.

Our auditor’s China affiliate, like other independent registered public accounting firm operating in China, is not permitted to be subject to inspection by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and consequently investors are deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

Our auditor, who issued the audit report included in this Annual Report, is a Taiwan-based accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB regularly. However, our auditor’s China affiliate is located in, and organized under the laws of, the PRC, which is a jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities. If the PCAOB determines that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by the PRC government, trading in our securities could be prohibited in the U.S. and ultimately delisted.

On December 18, 2020, the United States enacted the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “HFCAA”), which requires, amongst other things, that (i) the SEC identify issuers that retain an auditor that has a branch or office that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB determines it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by foreign authority and that (ii) the SEC prohibit the securities of any issuer from being traded on any of the U.S. national securities exchanges, such as Nasdaq, or on the U.S. “over-the-counter” markets, if the auditor of the issuer’s financial statements is not subject to PCAOB inspections for three consecutive “non-inspection” years.  On April 5, 2021, the SEC’s interim final rule to implement the disclosure and submission requirements of the HFCAA was published in the U.S. Federal Register.  Regarding how the term “retain” should be interpreted, the SEC noted in the interim final rule that the HFCAA does not define the term “retain”, and requested comment on how the term “retain” should be understood for purposes of the HFCAA.

On June 22, 2021, the United States Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “AHFCAA”), which, if enacted, would amend the HFCAA and require the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchange if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive “non-inspection” years instead of three, thus reducing the time period before our securities may be prohibited from trading or delisted.

On September 22, 2021, the PCAOB adopted a final rule implementing the HFCAA, which provides a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining, as contemplated under the HFCAA, 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 2, 2021, the SEC issued amendments to finalize the interim final rules previously adopted in March 2021, and established procedures to identify issuers and prohibit the trading of the securities of certain registrants as required by the HFCAA.  

On December 16, 2021, the SEC announced that the PCAOB designated China and Hong Kong as the jurisdictions where the PCAOB is not allowed to conduct full and complete audit inspections as mandated under the HFCAA.

The auditor of our PRC-based subsidiaries is located in the PRC and is an affiliate of APWC’s Taiwan-based auditor that signs APWC’s audit report. Because how “retain” should be understood for purposes of the HFCAA remains open to interpretation and the auditor of our China affiliates is located in, and organized under the laws of, the PRC, we cannot assure you that we will not be identified by the SEC as an issuer that has retained an auditor that the PCAOB determines it is unable to inspect or investigate completely. In addition, there can be no assurance that, if we have a “non-inspection” year, we will be able to take adequate remedial measures in response thereto. If any such event were to occur, trading in our securities could be prohibited under the HFCAA (or if enacted, the AHFCAA). As such, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain the listing of the Common Shares on Nasdaq or that you will be allowed to trade the Common Shares in the United States on the “over-the-counter” markets or otherwise, which could material affect the value of the Common Shares.

The lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of our independent registered public accounting firm, depriving us and our investors of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. Such inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm’s China affiliate’s audit and quality control procedures, which could cause investors and potential investors to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information.

It remains unclear what the SEC’s implementation process related to the above rules and amendments will entail or what further actions the SEC, the PCAOB or Nasdaq will take to address these issues and what impact those actions will have on companies that have significant operations in the PRC and have securities listed on a U.S. stock exchange. The above rules and amendments and any additional actions, proceedings, or new rules resulting from these efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could create some uncertainty for investors, and the market price of our Common Shares could be adversely affected. If our auditor is unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement, we may be required to engage a new audit firm, which would require significant expense and management time. If we cannot engage a new auditor within a reasonable time under reasonable terms, our Common Shares may be delisted, and the price of our Common Shares may significantly decrease.

The PRC legal system may limit our Company’s remedies which may impact our ability to enforce agreements in the PRC with third parties.

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since the late 1970s, the PRC central government has promulgated a comprehensive system of laws, rules and regulations governing economic matters. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system. Recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities and the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations involves uncertainties and can be inconsistent and unpredictable. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, the remedies and the legal protection we enjoy may be limited in the event of any claims or disputes with third parties. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. In terms of enforcement, agreements which are governed by PRC laws may be more difficult to enforce by legal or arbitral proceedings in the PRC than in countries with more developed legal systems. Even if the agreements generally provide for arbitral proceedings for disputes arising out of the agreements to be in another jurisdiction, in practice it may be difficult for us to obtain effective enforcement in the PRC of an arbitral award obtained in that jurisdiction. Moreover, laws or regulations, particularly for local applications, may be varied and enacted without sufficient prior notice or announcement to the public on a timely basis. Consequently, we may not be aware of a violation of new or updated policies or rules until we are notified by the authority of the violation which may result in fine and/or being ordered to change or temporarily suspend the relevant production facilities. As the PRC legal system continues to evolve, we cannot predict if future developments in the PRC legal system could be detrimental to our Company and have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition, results of operations, and the value of our Common Shares.

Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions and results of operations.

Certain of our subsidiaries operate in the PRC, where the enforcement of laws, rules and regulations can change quickly with little advance notice. The PRC government may intervene or influence the operations of our PRC subsidiaries at any time, or may begin exert more control over offerings conducted overseas. Accordingly, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be affected to a significant degree by political, economic and social conditions in the PRC generally.

The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the degree of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. While the PRC government has been pursuing economic reforms to transform its economy from a planned economy to a market economy for more than three decades, a substantial part of the PRC economy is still being operated under various controls by the government. By imposing industrial policies and other economic measures, such as control of foreign exchange, taxation and foreign investment, the PRC government exerts considerable direct and indirect influence on the development of the PRC economy. Furthermore, legislative and enforcement actions and trends by the PRC authorities are not always predictable and recent focuses include, among others, strengthening enforcement actions and levying significant fines under the Anti-Monopoly Law with respect to concentration of undertakings, monopoly agreements and abusive behavior by companies with market dominance, conducting investigations and cybersecurity review against critical information infrastructure operators which holds large volume of personal information of individuals and regulating the processing of “important data” within the territory of the PRC with the promulgation of the PRC Data Security Law and the Cybersecurity Law. The

implications and applications of recent enforcement and legislative actions and guidance to us remain unclear at the moment, and as such we cannot assure you that we will not be affected, either directly or indirectly, by the changing government policies and enforcement trends.

In addition, pursuant to the Opinions on Lawfully and Severely Combating Illegal Securities Activities (the “Opinions”) issued by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the State Council on July 6, 2021, among others, the PRC government seeks to further strengthen judicial cooperation in cross-border supervision and law enforcement on securities activities. Specifically, the government intends to strengthen the data/information security and confidentiality obligation of companies that are listed overseas and proposes to establish a system of extraterritorial application of laws in the capital market. As the Opinions only provide high-level guidance on future legislative and enforcement focus and trends, we cannot assess the direct implications of the Opinions on our business, financial position and prospects until the specific regulations and rules have been released by regulators. However, our China operation may be adversely impacted by a more regulated environment due to factors such as increased cost of compliance and adjustment of our strategy. The future regulations on overseas securities issuance by China-based organizations may have an adverse impact on our financial position, particular if we seek a spin-off of and foreign listing of our Chinese entities in the future.

Furthermore, as many of the economic reforms carried out by the PRC government are unprecedented or experimental and are expected to be refined and improved over time, our business, financial position and prospects may be adversely impacted by such refining and adjustment process.

The State Administration for Market Regulation, the anti-monopoly enforcement agency in the PRC, has in recent years strengthened enforcement under the Anti-Monopoly Law, including conducting investigations and levying significant fines with respect to concentration of undertakings, cartel activity, monopoly agreements and abusive behavior by companies with market dominance. While the business of APWC may not fall within the industries where recent active anti-monopoly enforcement efforts have been focused on, we cannot assure you that we will not be affected, either directly or indirectly, by the strengthened enforcements actions taken by the authority. In addition, in order to comply with existing and new anti-monopoly laws, regulations and guidance which are constantly evolving, we may need to devote additional resources and efforts, including adjusting investment strategy and business arrangements, which may adversely affect our business, growth prospects, and the value of our Common Shares.

China’s privacy and data security laws have been constantly evolving and recently, the PRC’s top legislator (i.e. the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress) has released two pieces of key laws governing data: the Data Security Law (the “DSL”) and the Personal Information Protection Law (the “PIPL”). The DSL and PIPL, together with the Cybersecurity Law (the “CSL”), form the over-arching framework that governs data protection and cybersecurity in the PRC. The CSL has a focus on cybersecurity and the protection of the critical information infrastructure (“CII”). The DSL focuses on regulating “important data” and data processing activities that would have an impact on national security. The PIPL focuses on protecting personal information.

With respect to the DSL which regulates important data (which is not itself defined under the DSL but generally refers to the data that is important from the perspective of national security and public/social interest), the scope of “important data” needs to be further clarified both by central government and local/sector regulators in the subsequent catalogues to be issued pursuant to the DSL. Subject to this and related laws, there is a requirement for PRC entities to undertake a cybersecurity review before listing in a foreign capital market if such PRC entity processes the personal information of more than one million users. Whether the cybersecurity review requirement will also be triggered if the listing company’s subsidiary is a PRC entity (as is the case for APWC) is currently unknown. Based on the wording of the draft law, this does not appear to be the intent. However, to the extent that any data that APWC’s PRC subsidiaries may in the future collect and process data within the PRC that falls within the scope of “important data”, APWC will be subject to various statutory obligations, such as conducting national security review if the processing activity may affect national security and periodically carrying out requisite risk assessment. Compliance with these obligations and future rules that may be promulgated pursuant to the DSL would require us to incur additional costs and resources, including the updatingof internal procedures and hiring of external consultants to conduct assessments, which will increase of APWC’s cost of production and adversely affect its profitability.

With respect to the recent investigations by the PRC Cybersecurity Review Office against multiple companies, such enforcement actions were carried out pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures (“CRM”) and the CSL. The CSL and the CRM require CII operators to undergo a security review if the procurement of

“network products and services” implicates China’s national security. “Network products and services” that may be subject to this review include “core network equipment, high-capability computers and servers, high-capacity data storage, large databases and applications, network security equipment, cloud computing services” and other network products or services that have an important impact on CII. CII is broadly defined under the CSL and the recently enacted “Critical Information Infrastructure Security Protection Regulations”. It generally refers to critical information infrastructure in important industries and sectors such as public communications, information services, energy, transportation, water resources, financial, public services and e-government. Based on a draft national guidance on CII identification released in 2016, industrial manufacturing (raw materials, equipment, consumer goods, electronics manufacturing) is listed as an industry and key business that may have critical information infrastructure. Currently, there is no official guidance released by the PRC government on how CII may be identified. The recent enforcement trends in the cybersecurity area have generally targeted large internet and technology companies that process huge amount of personal data. Neither APWC nor its subsidiaries have been implicated by such investigations or enforcement actions. However, any changes in the interpretation of enforcement of such laws and regulations could implicate APWC’s operations in the PRC. To the extent APWC’s subsidiaries in the PRC are subject to cybersecurity review requirements under the CRM and or other applicable regulations, APWC may be unable to comply fully with the applicable requirements, and the cost of compliance may adversely affect its business and financial position. Thus, any such change in government policy could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations and the value of our Common Shares.

Uncertainties with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the PRC Foreign Investment Law and Implementation Regulations may affect our Company’s Corporate Governance.

On January 1, 2020, the PRC Foreign Investment Law (the “Foreign Investment Law”) and the Regulations for Implementation of the Foreign Investment Law (the “Implementation Regulations”), came into effect and replaced the trio of prior 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-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules. Since the Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations are relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. The Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations may affect our relevant corporate governance practices and increase our compliance costs. For instance, the Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations require that foreign-invested enterprises established before the Foreign Investment Law became effective have 5 years to complete the necessary adjustments to their organization form, governance structure and other required matters to comply with the PRC Company Law, the Partnership Enterprise Law and other laws. The PRC Company Law significantly differs from the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law. These differences include, but are not limited to, an enterprise’s highest authority, minimum number of directors, quorum, term of directors, voting mechanisms, profit distributions and equity transfer restrictions. According to the Implementation Regulations, the provisions regarding equity interest transfer and distribution of profits or remaining assets may remain the same as previously provided in the contracts among the joint venture parties of a foreign-invested enterprise. Uncertainties still exist with respect to the specific adjustments foreign-invested enterprises must make. The local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation of the PRC may, at its discretion, require our PRC subsidiaries to make necessary adjustments to their articles of association and other filing documents to comply with the PRC Company Law and the Partnership Enterprise Law, as applicable.

In addition, the Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations impose information reporting requirements on foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises. Any foreign investors or foreign-invested enterprises found to be non-compliant with these reporting obligations may be subject to fines or administrative liabilities.

The Foreign Investment Law does not address intercompany loans or the registration of profits of foreign-invested enterprises. The wire & cable industry is not within the sector where foreign investment is prohibited or restricted pursuant to the Special Administrative Measures on Access to Foreign Investment (Negative List Edition 2020). Accordingly, APWC’s PRC business is unlikely to be directly affected by the rules and enforcements actions targeting variable interest entity structures, even if APWC proposes a spin-off of its PRC entities and an offshore listing. However, it is not known whether these matters will be addressed by additional laws or regulations promulgated pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law. The Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation

Regulations could be interpreted and implemented in a manner that could have a material adverse effect on our Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from making loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business.

We conduct substantial business operations in China. We may make loans or capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries. Loans or capital contributions by APWC or any of our offshore subsidiaries to our PRC subsidiaries, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, may be subject to PRC regulations and/or foreign exchange loan registrations. Such loans to any of our PRC subsidiaries to finance their activities generally cannot exceed statutory limits and must be filed with China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”). We may also decide to finance our PRC subsidiaries by means of capital contributions, in which case the PRC subsidiary is required to register the details of the capital contribution with the relevant governmental authorities in China.

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, we cannot assure 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 or capital contributions by our Company to our PRC subsidiaries and conversion of such loans or capital contributions into RMB. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business, and could materially adversely affect or business, financial condition and results of operations.

The PRC government’s control of currency conversion and expatriation of funds may affect our liquidity.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility RMB into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of the PRC. Our PRC subsidiaries represent the majority of the sales in our North Asia segment, which segment constituted approximately 22.46% of our sales in 2021. Substantially all revenues of our subsidiaries organized under the laws of the PRC, are denominated in RMB. Shortages in the availability of foreign currency in the PRC may restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to remit sufficient foreign currency to pay dividends or to make other payments to us, or otherwise to satisfy their foreign currency-denominated obligations. Under existing Chinese foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments, and trade-related payments, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements, including, among others, submission of relevant documentary evidence of such transactions to designated foreign exchange banks in the PRC for processing of relevant payments. We are required to present relevant documentary evidence of such transactions and conduct such transactions at designated foreign exchange banks in the PRC. However, for any PRC company, dividends can be declared and paid only out of the retained earnings of that company under PRC law and may be subject to taxation. As a result, our PRC subsidiaries may be restricted in their ability to transfer cash outside of the PRC whether in the form of dividends, loans, and advances. If our PRC subsidiaries distribute dividends, these restrictions and requirements could reduce the amount of distributions that we would receive, which could in turn restrict our ability to fund our operations, generate income, pay dividends, and service our indebtedness.

Furthermore, approval from SAFE or its local branch is required where RMB are to be converted into foreign currencies and remitted out of the PRC for payments of capital account items, such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. Without a prior approval from SAFE or its local branch, cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries may not be used to repay debt in a currency other than the RMB owed by such subsidiaries to entities outside the PRC, or make other payments of capital account items outside the PRC in a currency other than the RMB. The PRC government may also at its discretion, restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions. In the current regime of stringent regulation of outflow of capital, RMB outflow may face the same level of scrutiny by the PRC government as the outflow of foreign currencies.

Additionally, because repatriation of funds of our PRC subsidiaries requires the prior approval of SAFE and/or its authorized bank and/or compliance with certain procedural requirements, such repatriation could be delayed, restricted, or limited. There can be no assurance that the rules and regulations pursuant to which SAFE grants or denies such approval or stipulates the procedural requirements will not change in a way that adversely

affects the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to expatriate funds out of the PRC, thereby negatively affecting our liquidity, our results of operations and the value of our Common Shares.

Political or social instability, including tensions between PRC and Taiwan, may materially adversely affect our Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Political or social instability in China could also materially adversely affect our business operations or financial condition. Lack of political or social certainty exposes our operations to increased risk of adverse or unpredictable actions by PRC government officials. For example, APWC’s principal office is located in Taipei, Taiwan, and any escalation in political tensions between the PRC and the government of Taiwan could materially adversely impact our ability to manage our operations in the PRC efficiently or without third party interference. The PRC government has long advocated a one-China policy with regard to the Republic of China. Any overtly aggressive actions by the PRC towards Taiwan could have a materially destabilizing impact on Taiwan generally, and on our business in particular, and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

PRC State-Owned Enterprises have competitive advantages and our business and operations may be materially and adversely affected in the event we must compete with such SOEs.

Much of the PRC's manufacturing output is still conducted through SOEs, which are often subsidized by the government such that they are protected against the challenges of market forces confronting private enterprises. As a consequence, it can become untenable for private enterprises in competition with SOEs to conduct profitable operations when the SOEs are being subsidized by the government and may operate in a loss position for an extended period. Our Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected in the event it must compete with such SOEs.

Risks Related to the Common Shares and the CompanyAPWC

OurThe Common Shares may be delisted from Nasdaq, which could affect their market price and liquidity. If our

The Common Shares are delisted, investors may have difficulty disposing of their shares.

On November 21, 2019,currently listed on Nasdaq under the Company received written notification (the "Market Value Notification Letter") from The Nasdaq Stocksymbol “APWC” on the Capital Market LLC ("Nasdaq") notifyingtier. In order for the Company that it was not in compliance withCommon Shares to remain the $5 million minimum market value of publicly held shares requirement set forth in the Nasdaq rules for listinglisted on the Nasdaq GlobalCapital Market tier. In accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company was provided 180 calendar days, or until May 19, 2020 (the "Compliance Period"),tier, we must continue to regain compliance. On April 16, 2020, Nasdaq announced  that, as of April 16, 2020, Nasdaq was tolling the compliance periods formeet certain minimum financial and other requirements including, without limitation, maintaining a closing bid price and market value of publicly held shares (“MVPHS”) requirements (collectively,for the “Price-based Requirements”) for all listed companies through June 30, 2020.    As a result, companies presently in compliance periods for any Price-based Requirements will remain at that same stage of the process through June 30, 2020, and, commencing on July 1, 2020, companies will receive the balance of any pending compliance period in effect at the start of the tolling period to regain compliance.

Accordingly, since the Company had 33 calendar days remaining in its MVPHS compliance period as of April 16, 2020, it will, upon reinstatement of the Price-based Requirements, still have 33 calendar days from July 1, 2020, or until August 3, 2020, to regain compliance Nasdaq has informed us that the Company can regain compliance, either during the suspension or during the compliance period resuming after the suspension, by evidencing compliance with the Price-based Requirements for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days. For the Company to regain compliance, the market value of our publicly held shares has to equal or exceed $5 million for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days. On April 22, 2020, the minimum market value of our publicly held Common Shares was $3,592,234. Ifof at least $1.00 per share. Nasdaq’s rules provide for the Company does not regain compliance by August 3, 2020, Nasdaq has informed us that Nasdaq will delist the Company's Common Shares from Nasdaq unless the Company requests a hearing before the

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Nasdaq Hearings Panel or unless the Company transfers its listingdelisting of the Common Shares if the closing bid price for the Common Shares falls below $1.00 per share for 30 consecutive business days and we are unable to regain compliance with the Capital Market tier, which transfer would require thatapplicable requirements in the Company then meet thetime permitted by Nasdaq.

In addition to Nasdaq’s enumerated criteria for transfer to the Capital Market tier.  Amongst the requirements for continued listing on the Capital Market tier, is that the minimum market value of publicly held Common Shares of the Company equal or exceed $1 million and that the minimum closing bid price of the Common Shares equal or exceed $1 per share. On April 22, 2020, the closing bid price for our Common Shares was $1.01.

In addition to the specified criteria for continued listing, Nasdaq also has broad discretionary public interest authority that it can exercise to apply additional or more stringent criteria for the continued listing of the Common Shares, or suspend or delist securities even though the securities met all enumerated criteria for continued listing on Nasdaq. We cannot assure you that Nasdaq will not exercise such discretionary authority.

In addition, in accordance with the provisions of the Exchange Control Act 1972, as amended, and related regulations of Bermuda, the permission of the Bermuda Monetary Authority (the “BMA”“BMA”) is required for all issuances and transfers of shares (which includes ourthe Common Shares) of Bermuda companies to or from a non-resident of Bermuda for exchange control purposes, other than in cases where the BMA has granted a general permission. The BMA, in its notice to the public dated June 1, 2005, has granted a general permission for the issue and subsequent transfer of any securities of a Bermuda company from and/or to a non-resident of Bermuda for exchange control purposes for so long as any “Equity Securities” of the companyAPWC (which include ourthe Common Shares) are listed on an “Appointed Stock Exchange” (which would include Nasdaq). In granting the general permission the BMA accepts no responsibility for ourAPWC’s financial soundness or the correctness of any of the statements made or opinions expressed herein. Consequently, if ourthe Common Shares are delisted from Nasdaq, it will be necessary to obtain the prior permission of the BMA to transfer such Common Shares to any transferee, subject to any applicable general permissions issued by the BMA.

There can be no assurance that ourthe Common Shares will remain listed on Nasdaq on any tier. Any delisting of ourthe Common Shares could materially adversely affect a shareholder's ability to dispose, or obtain quotations as totheir market price and liquidity. If the market value, of such shares. If our Common Shares are

delisted, we expect ourAPWC expects its Common Shares would be quoted on an over-the-counter market. If this were to occur, ourAPWC’s shareholders could face significant material adverse consequences, including the need to receive permission from the BMA to transfer ourthe Common Shares, limited availability of market quotations for ourthe Common Shares and reduced liquidity for the trading of ourthe Common Shares. In addition, weAPWC could experience a decreased ability to issue additional securities and obtain additional financing in the future.

As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from a number of rules under the U.S. securities laws and are permitted to filethere is less publicly available information with the SECconcerning our Company than there would be if APWC was a U.S. public company.

We areAPWC is a “foreign private issuer”, as defined in the SEC’s rules and regulations and, consequently, we areAPWC is not subject to all of the disclosure requirements applicable to public companies organized within the United States. For example, we areAPWC is exempt from certain rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”“Exchange Act”) that regulate disclosure obligations and procedural requirements related to the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations applicable to a security registered under the Exchange Act, including the U.S. proxy rules under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. In addition, ourAPWC’s senior management and directors are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and related rules with respect to their purchases and sales of ourAPWC’s securities. Moreover, we areAPWC is not required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. public companies, and areis not required to file quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K under the Exchange Act.  Accordingly, there is less publicly available information concerning theour Company than there would be if we wereAPWC was a U.S. public company.

Future sales of ourAPWC’s Securities may cause the prevailing market price of ourthe Common Shares to decreasedecrease.

There may be future sales or other dilution of ourAPWC’s equity, which could materially adversely affect the market price of ourthe Common Shares. The CompanyAPWC may, from time to time, issue equity securities, including Common Shares or securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Shares. The market price of ourthe Common Shares could decline as a result of issuances of any such equity securities

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or any such securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Common Shares, or as a result of the perception that such issuances could occur.

The Marketmarket for Ourthe Common Shares May Not Be Liquidmay not be liquid, which could cause volatility and adversely affect our prevailing market price.

Active, liquid trading markets generally result in lower price volatility and more efficient execution of buy and sell orders for investors, compared to less active and less liquid markets. Thinly-traded equity securities can be more volatile than equity securities for which there is significant trading volume. In addition, APWC’s share price may be volatile and could be subject to fluctuations in response to various factors, most of which are beyond our control. Liquidity of a securities market is often a function of the volume of the underlying shares that are publicly held by unrelated parties. Approximately 75.417%As of ourDecember 31, 2021, approximately 75.5% of APWC’s issued and outstanding Common Shares were directly or beneficially owned by PEWC, a Taiwanese company. Following the completion of APWC’s rights offering in February 2022 (as further described in Item 7 in this Annual Report) and as of the date of this Annual Report, approximately 80.9% of APWC’s issued and outstanding Common Shares are directly or beneficially owned by Pacific Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. (“PEWC”), a Taiwanese company, whichPEWC, with such Common Shares are subject to certain restrictions on trading. In addition, although ourthe Common Shares are currently remain traded on the Nasdaq GlobalCapital Market tier, the trading and demand for ourthe Common Shares has been historically limited. As a consequence, shareholders may find that the value of their Common Shares and/or their ability to sell their Common Shares quickly or in substantial amounts may be materially adversely affected by the limited public trading market. Thinly-traded securities equity can be more volatile than equity securities for which there is significant trading volume. The high and low daily closing prices for ourmarket of the Common Shares during the past 24 months (April 11, 2018 – April 09,2020) were $2.77 and $0.89, respectively.Shares. In the future, ourthe Common Shares may experience significant price fluctuations which could materially adversely affect that the value of your ownership interest in the Company.APWC.

Our Common Shares have a limited public float and are subject to price volatility, which could adversely affect our prevailing market price.

Given PEWC’s sizable ownership of our outstanding Common Shares, we have a limited public float, which adversely affects trading volumes and liquidity in our Common Shares. We May Not Be Ablehave experienced significant share price and volume fluctuations and could be subject to Resume Paying a Dividend and Any Dividends Paidcontinuing fluctuations in the Future Couldfuture. The trading price of our Common Shares may fluctuate widely due to various factors, including the level of purchases or sales in our

Common Shares relative to total volume of trading in our Common Shares, actual or anticipated actions by PEWC, our controlling shareholder, including purchases or sales of our Common Shares by PEWC, actual or anticipated changes in our financial conditions and operating results, changes in our capital structure or liquidity including issuance of additional debt or equity to the public, changes in our dividend policy, news regarding our products or geographic markets, and broad market and industry fluctuations. This volatility in our share price, and limited trading volume in our Common Shares, could adversely affect our business and financing opportunities.

Being the subject of an activist investor campaign could cause us to incur substantial costs, divert management’s attention and resources, and have an adverse effect on our business. We have been in the past, and may continue to be, Reducedsubject to proposals by activist investors urging us to take certain actions. Responding to activist campaigns is generally costly and time-consuming, as we may need to retain the services of legal, financial and communications advisors to assist APWC in responding to the activist investor’s concerns, he costs of which could negatively impact our future financial results. A campaign could also divert the attention of our directors and officers away from our business and operations, which could adversely impact our business. In addition, perceived uncertainties as to our future direction, strategy or Eliminatedleadership arising from an activist campaign could cause our stock price to experience periods of enhanced volatility or harm our ability to raise capital.  

WeAPWC may not be able to resume paying a dividend and any dividends paid in the future could be reduced or eliminated, which could adversely affect our prevailing market price.

APWC did not declare or pay any dividends for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019. There are a dividendnumber of factors that can affect APWC’s ability to pay dividends and there is no guarantee that APWC will pay dividends in 2019. Weany given year or pay any specific amount of dividends. APWC may not be able, or may choose not to reinstate ourits dividend program and pay future dividends, and if reinstated any future dividend could again be eliminated or reduced. The declaration, amount and payment of future dividends are at the discretion of our boardAPWC’s Board of directorsDirectors (the “Board”) and will be dependent on our Company’s future operating results and the cash requirements of our Company’s business. There are a number of factors that can affect our ability to pay dividends and there is no guarantee that we will pay dividends in any given year or pay any specific amount of dividends. In addition, weAPWC will not pay dividends in the event we areit is not allowed to do so under Bermuda law. Furthermore, since APWC is a holding company, nearly all of the assets shown on its consolidated balance sheet are held by its subsidiaries. Accordingly, APWC’s cash flow and its ability to pay dividends are dependent upon distributions from its subsidiaries. The reduction, suspension or elimination of dividends may negatively affect the market price of ourthe Common Shares. Furthermore, since we are

Our holding company structure and potential restrictions on the payment of dividends could materially adversely affect our market price.

APWC is a holding company nearly allwith no direct business operations other than its ownership of the capital stock of its subsidiaries and equity investees. APWC’s principal assets shown on our consolidated balance sheet are held by ourthe equity interests it directly or indirectly holds in its operating subsidiaries. Accordingly, our earnings and cash flow and ourAs a holding company, APWC’s ability to pay dividends and meet its other obligations depends upon the amount of distributions, if any, received from its operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments. APWC’s operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments, from time to time, may be subject to restrictions on their ability to make distributions to APWC, including, but not limited to, as a result of restrictive covenants contained in loan agreements, restrictions on the conversion of local currency earnings into U.S. dollars or other currency, and other regulatory restrictions. For example, PRC legal restrictions permit payments of dividends by our business entities in the PRC only out of their retained earnings, if any, determined in accordance with relevant PRC accounting standards and regulations. Under PRC law, such entities are dependentalso required to set aside a portion of their net income each year to fund certain reserve funds. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. The foregoing restrictions may also affect APWC’s ability to fund operations of one subsidiary with dividends and other payments received from another subsidiary. Distributions may also be limited from time to time by reason of restrictions protective of the rights of minority shareholders of APWC’s subsidiaries and by reason of the current cash requirements of APWC’s operating subsidiaries. Such restrictions on payments involving entities organized in PRC could adversely affect our liquidity, our business results and thus, the price of our Common Shares.

APWC is incorporated in Bermuda, and investors may face limited recourse and enforceability against APWC as well as its directors and officers as compared to corporations incorporated in the U.S.

APWC is incorporated in and organized pursuant to the laws of Bermuda with its principal office located in Taiwan. All of APWC’s directors and officers reside outside the United States and our Company’s material assets

are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon distributions fromsuch persons or to realize judgements against them in courts of the United States predicated upon civil liabilities under the United States federal securities laws. Even if investors are successful in realizing judgments against such persons in courts of the United States, the laws of Taiwan may render such investors unable to enforce the judgment against our subsidiaries.Company’s assets or the assets of APWC’s officers and directors. Also, investors may have difficulty in bringing an original action based upon the United States federal securities law against such persons in the Taiwan courts. Additionally, there is doubt as to the enforcement in Bermuda, in original actions or in actions for enforcement of judgments of United States courts, of liabilities predicated upon U.S. federal securities laws. As a result, shareholders may encounter more difficulties in enforcing their rights and protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, the Board or controlling shareholders than they would if APWC was organized under the laws of the United States or one of the states therein, or if our Company had material assets located within the United States, or some of the directors and officers resided within the United States.

Control of the Company RestsAPWC rests with Majority Shareholder; Controlled Companyits majority shareholder, PEWC, and Foreign Private Issuer Exemptions; Risks Related to PEWCAPWC relies on Nasdaq’s controlled company and foreign private issuer exemptions, all of which could materially and adversely affect our corporate governance.

Our Common Shares currently remain traded on Nasdaq. However, as the Company has aPEWC holds more than fifty percent (50%) shareholder, the Company relies upon50% of our issued and outstanding Common Shares. Accordingly, we are a “controlled company exemption”company” within the meaning of Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards, and may elect to utilize exemptions from certain corporate governance standards, including the requirement (1) that a company have a board of directors comprised of a majority of independent directors in order to be listed on Nasdaq. At present, a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors, (2) to have a nominating committee that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the Companycommittee’s purpose and responsibilities and (3) to have a compensation committee that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities. We utilize the controlled company exemption for (1) the requirement to have a majority of our Board consist of independent directors, and (2) the requirement to have a nominating committee that is comprised entirely of independent directors with a written charter addressing such committee’s purpose and responsibilities. While we rely on the controlled company exemption for (2), our independent directors oversee our process for identifying director nominees and review the qualifications of such nominees.

At present, a majority of our Board is affiliated with PEWC.  The Company also reliesPEWC, and we rely on Nasdaq’s allowance for foreign private issuers to follow home country practices in lieu of the requirement that listed companies have regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present (“executive sessions”). TheNonetheless, our independent directors of the Company meet periodically in executive session in their capacity as members of theour Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company  (“Board of Directors”) without other directors present, but on occasion meet with theCommittee. Our independent auditors and management occasionally join such meetings in the interest of the Company present in such executive session, and on occasion meet with members of management present in order to understand more fullyunderstanding management’s analysis of the Company’s financial performance and compliance with relevant corporate governance requirements.

Because we have fewer independent directors (i.e. those who do not meet Nasdaq’s independence standards) on our board than issuers that comply with all of Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards, you are not provided the same level of protection afforded to investors in issuers that comply with all of Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards.

As ourAPWC’s majority shareholder, PEWC has sufficient votes to control the outcome of any matter presented for a shareholder vote, including the election of each member of the Board of Directors of the Company.our Board. PEWC may vote its shares in the CompanyAPWC in the manner that it sees fit. In addition, subject to applicable securities laws, PEWC may sell, convey or encumber all or a portion of its ownership interest in the CompanyAPWC without regard to the best interests of theAPWC’s other shareholders of the Company except to the extent that it is prohibited from engaging in conduct

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oppressive to non-controlling interests under applicable law. The interests of PEWC may conflict with our interests or the interests of our other shareholders. As a result, PEWC may take actions with respect to us or our business that may not be in our or our other shareholders’ best interest.

Due to executive malfeasance at PEWC that was uncovered in 2003, PEWC was delisted from the Taipei Stock Exchange and remains subject to ongoing regulatory review by Taiwan securities regulators as a public company in Taiwan.  Financial or corporate governance issues at PEWC may affect PEWC’s attention to and actions with respect to APWC, including with respect to its performance of its obligations under, or increase uncertainty regarding its ability to perform its obligations under, the Composite Services Agreement between PEWCAPWC and the Company.PEWC. (See “PEWC“Item 3.D. Risk Factors – PEWC may not perform its obligations under the Composite Services Agreement” below and see Item 10.3 – “Material“Item 10.C. Material Contracts” – for a description of the Composite Services Agreement.).

Potential Conflictconflict of Certain Officerscertain officers and Directorsdirectors could adversely affect our corporate governance.

We haveAPWC has three independent directors. The other six members of theour Board of Directors are also directors or officers of, or otherwise affiliated with, PEWC, ourAPWC’s majority shareholder. Certain of ourAPWC’s officers are also affiliated with PEWC. In each case, they may be subject to potential conflicts of interest. In addition, certain of ourAPWC’s officers and directors who are also officers and/or directors of PEWC may be subject to conflicts of interest in connection with, for example, pursuing corporate opportunities in which weour Company and PEWC or one of its affiliates have competing interests, and in the performance by usAPWC and PEWC of ourtheir respective obligations under existing agreements, including the Composite Services Agreement. In addition, some of these persons devote time to the business and affairs of PEWC and its affiliates, which could reduce the amount of time available for overseeing or managing our Company’s business and affairs.

General Risk Factors

Any failure to achieve and maintain effective internal controls could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, financial conditions, and results of operations and the market price of ourthe Common Shares.

Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reasonable assurance with respect to our financial reports and to prevent fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. The design of any system of controls also is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions; over time, a control may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected. As a result, even effective internal controls are able to provide only reasonable assurance with respect to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements. Any failure in our internal control over financial reporting could result in a material adverse effect on our business and a decline of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which could materially adversely affect the market price of our Common Shares.

Our auditor’ China affiliate, like other independent registered public accounting firm operating in China, are not permitted to be subject to inspection by Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and consequently investors are deprived of the benefits of such inspection.

Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report included elsewhere in this annual report, as auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), or PCAOB, are subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor’s China affiliate is located in, and organized under the laws of, the PRC, which is a jurisdiction where the PCAOB has been unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the Chinese authorities. In May 2013, the PCAOB announced that it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on Enforcement Cooperation with the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and the PRC Ministry of Finance, which established a cooperative framework between the parties for the production and exchange of audit documents relevant to investigations undertaken by PCAOB, the CSRC or the PRC Ministry of Finance in the

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United States and the PRC, respectively. PCAOB continues to be in discussions with the CSRC, and the PRC Ministry of Finance to permit joint inspections in the PRC of audit firm that are registered with PCAOB and audit Chinese companies that trade on U.S. exchanges.

On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. However, it remains unclear what further actions, if any, the SEC and PCAOB will take to address the problem.

This lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from fully evaluating audits and quality control procedures of our independent registered public accounting firm. As a result, we and investors in our Common Shares are deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditor in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm’s China affiliate’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditor outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections, which could cause investors and potential investors in our Common Shares to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

Holding Company Structure; Potential Restrictions on the Payment of Dividends

We are a holding company with no direct business operations other than our ownership of the capital stock of our subsidiaries and equity investees. Our principal assets are the equity interests we directly or indirectly hold in our operating subsidiaries. As a holding company, our ability to pay dividends and meet our other obligations depends upon the amount of distributions, if any, received from our operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments. Our operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments, from time to time, may be subject to restrictions on their ability to make distributions to us, including, but not limited to, as a result of restrictive covenants contained in loan agreements, restrictions on the conversion of local currency earnings into U.S. dollars or other currency, and other regulatory restrictions. For example, PRC legal restrictions permit payments of dividends by our business entities in the PRC only out of their retained earnings, if any, determined in accordance with relevant PRC accounting standards and regulations. Under PRC law, such entities are also required to set aside a portion of their net income each year to fund certain reserve funds. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. The foregoing restrictions may also affect our ability to fund operations of one subsidiary with dividends and other payments received from another subsidiary.  Distributions may also be limited from time to time by reason of restrictions protective of the rights of minority shareholders of our subsidiaries and by reason of the current cash requirements of our operating subsidiaries.

Corporate Matters; Limited Recourse; Limited Enforceability

We are incorporated in and organized pursuant to the laws of Bermuda. In addition, all of our directors and officers reside outside the United States and our material assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon such persons or to realize judgements against them in courts of the United States predicated upon civil liabilities under the United States federal securities laws. Even if investors are successful in realizing judgments against such persons in courts of the United States, the laws of Taiwan may render such investors unable to enforce the judgment against the Company’s assets or the assets of its officers and directors. Also, investors may have difficulty in bringing an original action based upon the United States federal securities law against such persons in the Taiwan courts. Additionally, there is doubt as to the enforcement in Bermuda, in original actions or in actions for enforcement of judgments of United States courts, of liabilities predicated upon U.S. federal securities laws. As a result, shareholders may encounter more difficulties in enforcing their rights and protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, the Board of Directors or controlling shareholders than they would if the Company were organized under the laws of the United States or one of the states therein, or if the Company had material assets located within the United States, or some of the directors and officers resided within the United States.

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If we lose control of Charoong Thai, Charoong Thai’s financial results would not be consolidated with ours.

As of December 31, 2019, the Company effectively owned 50.93% of the issued and outstanding shares of Charoong Thai Wire and Cable Public Company Limited (“Charoong Thai” or “CTW”). While the Company holds preemptive rights that would permit it to maintain majority ownership of CTW, there may be circumstances under which the Company cannot maintain majority ownership of Charoong Thai. In the event Charoong Thai were to make a further offering of voting securities, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for voting securities, and the Company decided not to, or was not in a position to, fund or finance its participation in the offering, the ownership interest of the Company in Charoong Thai could fall below a level necessary for consolidated treatment, and the Company may lose the controlling interest in Charoong Thai. If that were the case, the accounts of the Charoong Thai group, which includes all of the Company’s Thailand operations, would not be consolidated under IFRS, but instead would be accounted for under the equity method. In such an event, the Company’s accounts would show a significant decrease in revenue and most categories of assets and liabilities, which could materially adversely affect the Company and the value of the Common Shares.

Risks Relating to Our Business

COVID-19 Could Have a Material Adverse Effect on Our Business, Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The recent outbreak in China of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (“COVID-19”), which has been declared by the World Health Organization to be a “public health emergency of international concern,” has spread across the globe and is impacting worldwide economic activity and financial markets.  Our manufacturing and production have been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19. COVID-19 has disrupted our operations and the operations of our suppliers, customers, and other business partners andInternational trade policies may continue to do so for an indefinite period of time, including as a result of travel restrictions and/or business shutdowns. A slowdown in economic activity as a result of COVID-19 can be expected to result in a reduction in demand for our products. The outbreak of COVID-19 has also resulted in a decline in the price of copper, which has had the effect of reducing the market value of our inventory of copper.

Due to the measures instituted in China in response to COVID-19, our China production facilities have been  operating below normal production levels and our production levels have not yet fully recovered to normal levels. We do not know when our production levels will recover to normal levels.

In addition, the Singapore Government has ordered most businesses to close from April 7, 2020 until June 1, 2020.  We have been permitted to continue to operate during this period with reduced on site staff. Since April 7, 2020, approximately half of the employees of our Singapore operation have been working from home while the remaining employees have continued to work on site. We do not know if the Singapore Government will extend (or otherwise alter the terms of) its order requiring most business to close or whether our employees who continue to work on site will continue to be permitted to do so.

In order to protect the employees from COVID-19, the Company had enforced everyone to check the body temperature twice a day, and the employees of Singapore subsidiary took turns to work from home.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy and our business is uncertain at this time. While it is not possible at this time to estimate the impact that COVID-19 could have on worldwide economic activity and our business, the continued spread of COVID-19 and the measures taken by governments, businesses and other organizations in response to COVID-19 are expected to reduce our revenues and could have a material adversenegatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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PEWC May not Perform Its Obligations under the Composite Services Agreement

We engage in transactions in the ordinary course of business with PEWC, including the purchase of certain raw materials and the distribution of PEWC products in various countries in the Asia Pacific region.  We and PEWC have entered into a composite services agreement dated November 7, 1996, as amended and supplemented (the “Composite Services Agreement”), which contains provisions that define our relationship and the conduct of our respective businesses. The Composite Services Agreement is renewable at our option and is currently in force. Under the Composite Services Agreement, PEWC supplies copper and provides research and development for our products. However, we are unable to ensure that PEWC will not in the future seek to limit, or be unable to perform in whole or in part, the business it conducts with the Company pursuant to the terms of the Composite Services Agreement.  Any such limitation or inability to perform the Composite Services Agreement on PEWC’s part could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. (See Item 10.3 - Material Contracts – for a description of the Composite Services Agreement.)

Risks Relating to Copper

Copper is the principal raw material we use, accounting for a majority of the cost of sales. Our prevailing practice is to purchase copper at prices based on the average prevailing international spot market prices on the London Metal Exchange (the “LME”) for copper for the one month prior to purchase. The price of copper is affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including global economic and political conditions, supply and demand, inventory levels maintained by suppliers, actions of participants in the commodities markets and currency exchange rates. As with other costs of production, changes in the price of copper may affect the Company’s cost of sales. Whether this has a material impact on our operating margins and financial results depends primarily on the Company’s ability to adjust selling prices to its customers, such that increases and decreases in the price of copper are fully reflected in those selling prices and customers continue to place orders. Most of our sales of manufactured products reflect the cost of copper used to manufacture those products at the time the products are ordered. In the ordinary course of business we maintain inventories of raw materials and finished products reasonably necessary for the conduct of our business. These inventories typically reflect the cost of copper prevailing in the market at the time of purchase. A long-term decrease in the price of copper would require the Company to revalue its inventory at periodic intervals to the then net realizable value, which could be below cost. Copper prices have been subject to considerable volatility, and it is not always possible to manage our copper purchases and inventory so as to neutralize the impact of copper price volatility. In addition, an excessive increase in the price of copper could result in fewer orders from customers and negatively impact the Company. Accordingly, significant volatility in copper prices could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Restrictive covenants and default provisions in our existing debt agreements may materially restrict our operations as well as adversely affect our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a total of $287.0 million in credit available to itself, or one or more of its operating subsidiaries. Out of total available credit, $207.9 million was unused and available for borrowing. The weighted average borrowing rate, for all the outstanding loans combined, was 3.72% for 2019. If our business units do not generate sufficient cash flows from operations, we may be unable to make required payments on our debt. Any such failure to make any such payment could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition our debt agreements contain restrictive covenants and default provisions. Covenants in the agreements governing our existing debt, and debt we may incur in the future, may materially restrict our operations, including our ability to incur debt, pay dividends, make certain investments and payments, and encumber or dispose of assets. In addition, any global economic deterioration may cause us to incur significant net losses or force us to assume considerable liabilities. We cannot assure you that we will be able to remain in compliance with our financial covenants, which, as a result, may lead to a default. This may thereby restrict our ability to access unutilized credit facilities or the global capital markets to meet our liquidity needs. Furthermore, a default under any agreement by us or our subsidiaries may trigger cross-defaults under our other agreements. In the event of default, we may not be able to cure the default or obtain a waiver on a timely basis. An event of default under any agreement timely governing our existing or future debt, if not cured or waived, could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

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We Face Uncertainties Relating to the Phasing Out of LIBOR

In July 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR), announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. Discontinuation of LIBOR and uncertainty as to the nature of such potential changes, alternative reference rates or other reforms may adversely affect the amounts of interest we pay under our debt arrangements and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Our Customer Base and Our Geographic Markets

Our sales of products are made primarily to customers that use our products as components in their own products or in construction or infrastructure projects in which they participate. The volume of our sales is significantly correlated with overall economic conditions in the markets in which we operate, including how much our customers invest in their own product manufacturing or project development. Increases or decreases in economic activity and investment in the markets where we operate generally will result in higher or lower sales volume and higher or lower net income for the Company. Any such decrease could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Business Disruptions Could Affect Our Operating Results

Operations and other business conducted at our plants and other facilities are at risk to uncontrollable natural and climatic events (often referred to as force majeure events).  We cannot predict with any certainty whether we will be affected by a force majeure event in the future. Flooding, earthquakes, weather event, fire or other catastrophic events that results in the destruction or disruption of any of our facilities, or our suppliers’ or customers’ facilities, could severely affect our ability to conduct normal business operations and, as a result, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Our Insurance Coverage Does Not Cover All of Our Business Risks

Our global operations are subject to many risks including errors and omissions, infrastructure disruptions, including large-scale outages or interruptions of service from utilities or telecommunications providers, supply chain interruptions, third-party liabilities and fires or natural disasters. The Company maintains insurance policies covering certain buildings, machinery and equipment against specified amounts of damage or loss caused by fire, flooding, other natural disasters and burglary and theft. The Company does not carry insurance for consequential loss arising from business interruptions or political disturbances and does not carry product liability insurance. In addition, the Company does not have business liability or disruption insurance for its operations in China and the Company does not have coverage for flood damage or business interruption for its operations in Thailand. Consequently, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all potential claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from the lack of adequate insurance.  No assurance can be given that we will not incur losses beyond the limits or outside the scope of coverage of our insurance policies.  Accordingly, we may be subject to an uninsured or under-insured loss in such situations.  Any failure to maintain adequate insurance coverage on terms favorable to us, or at all, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we were to lose control of Charoong Thai, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected

As of December 31, 2019, the Company effectively owned 50.93% of the issued and outstanding shares of Charoong Thai Wire and Cable Public Company Limited (“Charoong Thai” or “CTW”).  All of the Company’s operations in Thailand are conducted through Charoong Thai and its subsidiaries and accounted  for approximately 50.98% of our total net sales in 2019. While the Company holds preemptive rights that would permit it to maintain majority ownership of CTW, there may be circumstances under which the Company cannot maintain majority ownership of Charoong Thai. In the event Charoong Thai were to make a further offering of voting securities, or securities convertible into or exchangeable for voting securities, and the Company decided not to, or was not in a position to, fund or finance its participation in the offering, the ownership interest of the Company in Charoong Thai

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could fall below a level necessary for the Company to control Charoong Thai. If the Company were to lose control of Charoon Thai, such loss of control could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Thailand

A substantial portion of our Thai operations, whose sales accounted for approximately 50.98% of our net sales in 2019, consists of the manufacture of telecommunications and power cables and sales of those products for use in large-scale telecommunications projects and various construction projects in Thailand.  As a result, the performance of the Company’s Thai operations are affected by the political situation in Thailand and the general state of the Thai economy. The volume of sales of our products tends to correlate with the general level of economic activity in Thailand. In recent years, the level of government involvement in infrastructure development has tended to track increases or contractions in Thailand’s gross domestic product and the Thai economy has been highly cyclical and volatile, depending for economic growth in substantial part on a number of government initiatives for economic expansion. In addition, the Baht has been volatile and subject to significant fluctuations in relation to the U.S. dollar, which fluctuations can materially adversely affect us. Overall, the construction industry and infrastructure projects have slowed considerably, thereby affecting local sales, placing competitive pressure on prices and prompting the Company to rationalize Thai operations and actively seek overseas export markets. Political tensions remain high in Thailand and political instability in Thailand tends to diminish governmental focus on infrastructure development projects, which can materially adversely impact the volume of sales to (and payment by) our customers who are engaged in large infrastructure projects and, consequently, also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.  

Economic Reform Measures in the PRC May Materially Adversely Affect the Company’s Operations or Financial Condition

The PRC government has gradually moved away from a planned economic model and implemented economic reform measures emphasizing decentralization, utilization of market forces in the development of the economy and a high level of management autonomy. The government has decreased its focus on export-oriented activities and placed greater emphasis on building up rural areas in China, including integrating a number of primitive, largely inaccessible agricultural areas into the national economy. However, many of the reforms are unprecedented and may be subject to revision, modification or termination based on the outcomes of the reform efforts and other considerations, including their impact on societal stability. There is not sufficient administrative or judicial precedent to allow the Company to determine with any degree of certainty how the reforms will impact our business in China.

Any Decrease in Real Estate Development and Construction Activities in China May Materially Adversely Affect the Company’s Business, Operations or Financial Condition

Our wire and cable products manufactured and sold in China are used in the commercial and residential real estate industry and in infrastructure development. Therefore, the demand for our wire and cable products is affected by the pace of modernization and the growth of the real estate industry in China, which could in turn be affected by a number of factors, such as the level of governmental investment in infrastructure development, the strength of the commercial and residential real estate markets, the level of disposable income, consumer confidence, unemployment rate, interest rates, credit availability and volatility in the stock markets.

To dampen an over-heated real estate market, the PRC government implemented a series of measures in the real estate market. The real estate market in China may also be negatively affected by the reform of the real estate tax system in respect of levying real estate tax on individually owned real estate which is not used for a business purpose, which has already been implemented by certain local government authorities and may be expanded nationwide sometime in the future.

Any decrease in commercial and residential real estate development and construction activities would adversely affect demand for our manufactured products and could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition.

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The PRC Legal System May Limit the Company’s Remedies

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. Since the late 1970s, the PRC central government has promulgated a large volume of laws and regulations governing economic matters such as foreign investment, corporate organization and governance, commerce, taxation and trade. In particular, since reforms were first introduced in 1979, the PRC’s legislation and regulations have enhanced the protections provided to various forms of foreign investment in China. However, China has not developed a fully integrated legal system. Recently enacted laws and regulations may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities since they are relatively new, there is a limited volume of published decisions which are nonbinding and the interpretation and enforcement of these laws and regulations is not always uniform, which may limit the remedies available to us in the event of any claims or disputes with third parties. In addition, any litigation in China may be protracted and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. As the PRC legal system continues to evolve, we cannot predict future developments in the PRC legal system, including promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation and enforcement thereof that may be detrimental to the Company and have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.

Uncertainties Exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the newly enacted PRC Foreign Investment Law and how it may affect the Company’s Corporate Governance

On January 1, 2020, the PRC Foreign Investment Law (the “Foreign Investment Law”) and the Regulations for Implementation of the Foreign Investment Law (the “Implementation Regulations”), came into effect and replaced the trio of prior 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-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules. The Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations embody 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. The Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations establish the basic framework for the access, promotion, protection and administration of foreign investments in view of investment protection and fair competition.

Since the Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations are relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. The Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations may affect our relevant corporate governance practices and increase our compliance costs. For instance, the Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations requires that foreign-invested enterprises established before the Foreign Investment Law became effective have 5 years to complete the necessary adjustments to their organization form, governance structure and other required matters to comply with the PRC Company Law, the Partnership Enterprise Law and other laws. The PRC Company Law significantly differs from the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law and the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law. These differences include, but are not limited to, an enterprise’s highest authority, minimum number of directors, quorum, term of directors, voting mechanisms, profit distributions and equity transfer restrictions. According to the Implementation Regulations, the provisions regarding equity interest transfer and distribution of profits or remaining assets may remain the same as previously provided in the contracts among the joint venture parties of a foreign-invested enterprise. Uncertainties still exist with respect to the specific adjustments foreign-invested enterprises must make.  The local branch of the State Administration for Market Regulation of the PRC (the “SAMR”) may, at its discretion, require our PRC subsidiaries to make necessary adjustments to their articles of association and other filing documents to comply with the PRC Company Law and the Partnership Enterprise Law.

In addition, the Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations impose information reporting requirements on foreign investors and foreign-invested enterprises. Any foreign investors or foreign-invested enterprises found to be non-compliant with these reporting obligations may be subject to fines or administrative liabilities.

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The Foreign Investment Law does not address intercompany loans or the registration of profits of foreign-invested enterprises. It is not known whether these matters will be addressed by additional laws or regulations promulgated pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law. The Foreign Investment Law and the Implementation Regulations could be interpreted and implemented in a manner that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

PRC Regulations of Loans to and Direct Investment in PRC Entities by Offshore Holding Companies may delay or prevent us from making Loans or additional Capital Contributions to our PRC Subsidiaries, which could materially adversely affect our ability to fund and expand our business

We conduct substantial business operations in China. We may make loans or capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries. Loans or capital contributions by APWC or any of our offshore subsidiaries to our PRC subsidiaries, which are treated as foreign-invested enterprises under PRC law, may be subject to PRC regulations and/or foreign exchange loan registrations. Such loans to any of our PRC subsidiaries to finance their activities generally cannot exceed statutory limits and must be filed with the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (the “SAFE”) through the online filing system of SAFE. The statutory limit for the total amount of foreign debts of a foreign-invested enterprise is the greater of (i) the difference between the amount of total investment and the amount of registered capital of such foreign-invested enterprise and (ii) 2.5 times the amount of such foreign-invested enterprise’s net assets. We may also decide to finance our PRC subsidiaries by means of capital contributions, in which case the PRC subsidiary is required to register the details of the capital contribution with the SAMR and submit a report on the capital contribution via the online enterprise registration system to the PRC Ministry of Commerce.

According to the Circular of the SAFE on Reforming the Management Approach regarding the Settlement of Foreign Exchange Capital of Foreign Invested Enterprises promulgated on March 30, 2015 and the Circular of the SAFE on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts promulgated on June 9, 2016, the RMB capital converted from foreign exchange capital, foreign debt funds, and proceeds remitted from foreign listings of a foreign-invested enterprise may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond the business scope of such foreign-invested enterprise.  On October 23, 2019, the SAFE issued the Circular on Further Promoting Cross-border Trade and Investment Facilitation, or SAFE Circular 28.  Among other things, SAFE Circular 28 relaxes prior restrictions and allows foreign-invested enterprises that do not have equity investments in their approved business scope to use their capital obtained from foreign exchange settlement to make domestic equity investments as long as the investments are real and in compliance with the foreign investment-related laws and regulations.

In light of the various requirements imposed by PRC regulations on loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies, including the SAFE circulars referred to above, we cannot assure 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 or capital contributions by APWC to our PRC subsidiaries and conversion of such loans or capital contributions into RMB. If we fail to complete such registrations or obtain such approvals, our ability to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Political or Social Instability, Health Epidemics and Environmental Issues in the PRC May Materially Adversely Affect the Company’s Operations or Financial Condition

Political or social instability in China could also materially adversely affect our business operations or financial condition. Our corporate headquarters are located in Taipei, Taiwan. Any escalation in political tensions between the PRC and the government of Taiwan could materially adversely impact our ability to manage our operations in the PRC efficiently or without third party interference. The PRC government has long advocated a one-China policy with regard to the Republic of China. Any overtly aggressive actions by the PRC towards Taiwan could have a materially destabilizing impact on Taiwan generally, and on our business in particular. In addition, adverse public health epidemics or pandemics in China could not only interfere with our ability to operate our PRC subsidiaries, but could also affect the country’s overall economic growth, which could in turn affect the sales of our products in China. Growing environmental awareness and concern over the deterioration of the quality of the environment in China, including air and water quality, could dampen domestic industrial growth and reduce foreign investor interest in PRC investment.

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PRC State-Owned Enterprises (“SOEs”) May Have Competitive Advantages that We May Not Be Able to Overcome

Much of the PRC's manufacturing output is still conducted through SOEs, which are often subsidized by the government such that they are protected against the challenges of market forces confronting private enterprises. As a consequence, it can become untenable for private enterprises in competition with SOEs to conduct profitable operations when the SOEs are being subsidized by the government and may operate in a loss position for an extended period. APWC’s ’s business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected in the event it must compete with such SOEs.

Inflation in the PRC May Materially Adversely Affect the Company’s Business, Results of Operations and Financial Condition

The rapid growth of the PRC economy has historically resulted in high levels of inflation. If inflation is significant, our costs would likely increase, and there can be no assurance that we would be able to increase our prices to an extent that would offset the increase in our expenses.

PRC Power Shortages May Materially Adversely Affect Our Operations or Financial Condition

We consume substantial amounts of electricity in our manufacturing processes at our production facilities in China. Certain parts of China have been subject to power shortages in recent years. We have experienced a number of power shortages at our production facilities in China to date, particularly in Shenzhen where numerous clusters of factories are situated. We are sometimes given advance notice of power shortages, but often power shortages or outages occur unexpectedly for various periods of time. We currently have a backup power system at certain of our production facilities in China. However, there can be no assurance that in the future our backup power system will be completely effective in the event of a power shortage, particularly if that power shortage is over a sustained period of time and/or we are not given advance notice thereof. Any power shortage, brownout or blackout for a significant period of time may disrupt our manufacturing, and as a result, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Dividends Payable by Our PRC Subsidiaries to Their Respective Offshore Investors Are Subject to PRC Withholding Taxes

Under Chinese tax law and related regulations, dividends, interests, rent or royalties payable by a foreign-invested enterprise, such as our PRC subsidiaries, to any of its foreign non-resident enterprise investors, and proceeds from any such foreign enterprise investor’s disposition of assets (after deducting the net value of such assets) are subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless the foreign enterprise investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for a reduced rate of withholding tax. Undistributed profits earned by foreign-invested enterprises prior to January 1, 2008 are exempted from any withholding tax. Bermuda, where APWC, the ultimate owner of our PRC subsidiaries and investments, is incorporated, does not have such a tax treaty with China. Hong Kong, where Crown Century Holdings Limited (“CCH HK”), the sole shareholder in Pacific Electric Wire and Cable (Shenzhen) (“PEWSC”), is incorporated, has a tax arrangement with China that currently provides for a 5% withholding tax on dividends subject to certain conditions and requirements, such as the requirement that the Hong Kong resident enterprise owns at least 25% of the PRC enterprise distributing the dividend at all times within the 12-month period immediately preceding the distribution of dividends and be a “beneficial owner” of the dividends. However, if CCH HK is not considered to be the beneficial owner of the dividends paid to it by PEWSC under the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Relating to “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties promulgated on February 3, 2018, such dividends would be subject to withholding tax at a rate of 10%. Consequently, if our PRC subsidiaries declare a dividend or distribution and distribute profits earned after January 1, 2008 to their respective offshore investors, such payments will be subject to withholding tax.

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Labor Law Legislation in the PRC May Materially Adversely Affect the Company’s Operations or Financial Condition

The PRC Labor Contract Law formalizes workers’ rights concerning overtime hours, pensions, layoffs, employment contracts and the role of labor unions. Considered one of the strictest labor laws in the world, this law requires, among other things, an employer to conclude an “open-ended employment contract” with any employee who either has worked for the employer for ten years or more or has had two consecutive fixed-term contracts. An “open-ended employment contract” is in effect a lifetime, permanent contract, which is terminable only in specified circumstances, such as a material breach of the employer’s rules and regulations, or for a serious dereliction of duty. Such employment contracts with qualifying workers would not be terminable if, for example, the Company determined to downsize its workforce in the event of an economic downturn. Under the Labor Contract Law, downsizing by 10% or more (or more than 20 persons) may occur only under specified circumstances, such as a restructuring undertaken pursuant to the PRC Enterprise Bankruptcy Law, or where a company suffers serious difficulties in production and/or business operations. Any of the Company’s staff employed to work exclusively within the PRC are covered by the Labor Contract Law and thus, the Company’s ability to adjust the size of its operations when necessary in periods of recession or less severe economic downturns is limited. Accordingly, if the Company faces future periods of decline in business activity, the Labor Contract Law can be expected to exacerbate the adverse effect of the economic environment on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, the Labor Contract Law has affected the labor costs of our customers, which could adversely affect such customers’ business and result in a corresponding decrease in their purchase of our products.  Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, under the PRC Social Insurance Law and the Regulation on the Administration of Housing Accumulation Funds, an employer is required to pay various statutory employee benefits, including social insurance (namely pension insurance, work-related injury insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, and maternity insurance) and housing funds to relevant government authorities for the benefit of its employees. If we fail to make adequate social insurance and housing fund contributions, we may be subject to late payment fees, fines and/or other penalties, and our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Risks Relating to Our Exposure to Foreign Exchange Fluctuations

Although our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar, the functional currency of our Thailand region, which accounted for 50.98% of sales in 2019, is the Thai Baht. The functional currencies of our ROW region, which accounted for 26.38% of sales in 2019, are the Australia dollar and the Singapore dollar. The functional currencies for our North Asia operations, which, in total accounted for 22.64% of sales in 2019, are divided into two groups: (i) Shandong Pacific Rubber Cable Company, Ltd. (“SPRC”), equity investee with 25% equity owned by APWC, (accounting under equity method), Shanghai Asia Pacific Electric Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Yayang”), and PEWSC, whose functional currency is the Renminbi, and (ii) CCH HK, whose functional currency is the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, the functional currency accounts of these operations are all translated into U.S. dollars utilizing the reporting date exchange rate for balance sheet accounts, and an average exchange rate for the year for the income statement accounts, for reporting purposes. Any devaluation of the Baht, the Australian dollar, the Singapore dollar, or the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would adversely affect our financial performance, as measured in U.S. dollars.

Fluctuations in foreign exchange rates affect our results of operations. Our principal operations and properties are located in the three regions that constitute our business segments, namely the North Asia, Thailand and Rest of the World (“ROW”) regions. A substantial portion of our aggregate revenues is denominated in the following currencies: Renminbi, Baht, Australian dollars and Singapore dollars. Significant proportions of raw materials are in U.S. dollars, and consequently are directly affected by foreign currencies and exchange rates. Ongoing equipment upgrade and maintenance programs are also significantly impacted by foreign exchange rates. Any devaluation of the Baht, the Australian dollar, the Singapore dollar or the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would increase the effective cost of foreign manufacturing equipment and the amount of our foreign currency denominated expenses and liabilities. This would have an adverse impact on our operations. An increase in U.S dollar borrowing costs and any increase in the strength of the US$ in foreign exchange markets (which could also increase borrowing rates) could materially adversely affect our business in the markets where we have operating plants (Thailand, China, Singapore and Australia). Our financial statements for our operating subsidiaries in those markets are reported and denominated in local currencies (referred to as our “functional currencies”) and, when translated into U.S. dollars (our reporting currency), these operating subsidiaries suffer a decrease in reported

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revenue and operating profits by reason of increased U.S. dollar borrowing costs or an increase in the value of the US$ as against one or more of our functional currencies. Moreover, our purchases of materials are based on U.S. dollar quotations, which mean that our operating subsidiaries have to pay more in local currency in order to meet their trade payable obligations in the case of such an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar.  Consequently, adverse movements in exchange rates could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition to our operating revenues being generated in local currencies, a portion of our investment properties and financial instruments are also denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, our investment results will be subject to possible currency rate fluctuations as well as the volatility of overseas capital markets. Our results of operations may be materially impacted by those fluctuations and volatility.

Competition

The wire and cable industry in the Asia Pacific region is highly competitive, and if we fail to successfully invest in and maintain product development, productivity improvements and customer service and support, sales of our products could be materially adversely affected. Our competitors include a large number of independent domestic and foreign suppliers. Certain competitors in each of our markets have substantially greater manufacturing, sales, research and financial resources than we do. We and other wire and cable producers compete primarily on the basis of product quality and performance, reliability of supply, customer service, and price. To the extent that one or more of our competitors are more successful with respect to the primary competitive factors, our business could be materially adversely affected. In addition, the Company’s business could be materially adversely impacted if low margin wire and cable manufacturers in China enter into the markets where we operate. Certain of our products are made to common specifications and may be interchangeable with the products of certain of our competitors. Since customers could potentially substitute our products with those of our competitors, customer loyalty is an important pillar of our business’s competitive position.

In addition, in order to remain competitive in the industry, the Company must periodically make substantial investments in capital equipment to ensure that our production processes are and remain state-of-the-art. Capital expenditures are not always predictable, as they are often driven by customer requirements for enhanced products. We cannot guarantee we will have the available capital to make such capital expenditures when required, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

International Trade Policies May Negatively Impact Our Business, Results of Operations and Financial Condition

Government policies on international trade and investment such as import quotas, tariffs, and capital controls, whether adopted by individual governments or addressed by regional trade blocs, can affect the demand for our products and services and those of our customers and impact the competitive position of our products or services or those of our customers. For example, the business of our customers in China may be adversely impacted by the continuing trade friction between the United States and China. We cannot predict future trade policy or the terms of any renegotiated trade agreements and their impact on our business. The adoption and expansion of trade restrictions, the occurrence of a trade war, or other governmental action related to tariffs or trade agreements or policies has the potential to adversely impact demand for our products, our costs, our customers, and our suppliers, which in turn could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Alternative Transmission Technologies

Our telecommunications cableinternational business isoperations subject us to competition from other transmission technologies, principally wireless-based technologies. Wireless telecommunications businesses have sometimes made substantial inroads in early emerging markets where sufficient fundingcertain risks which may not then be available to install the infrastructure necessary for market-wide fixed line telecommunications. In addition, the ease of use of wireless telecommunications may make that medium an attractive alternative in circumstances where access to fixed line telecommunications is limited. These technologies present significant competition in the markets in which we conduct or plan to conduct businessmaterially and no assurance can be given that the future development and use of such alternative technologies will not materially adversely affect our business financial condition and results of operations.

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We Operate in Highly Concentrated Markets

Failure to properly execute customer projects in markets where a small number of customers are responsible for a large portion our sales could materially adversely impact our ability to obtain similar contracts from other customers in that market and may result in material financial penalties. In certain of our markets, sales of manufactured products are highly concentrated in large state-controlled entities or large private infrastructure developers. As those markets are often highly concentrated, the loss of individual customers in such markets could have a material adverse impact on our position in that market as a whole and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Associated With Required Productivity Increases

Our business strategy includes a focus on improving our financial results through increased efficiency and productivity. In the event we are not able to implement measures to increase efficiencies and productivity, we may be limited in achieving improved financial results or our financial results may worsen. Moreover, productivity increases are linked to capacity utilization rates. A drop in the utilization rate of our manufacturing capacity would adversely impact productivity and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Employees’ Unions

Some of the operating subsidiaries of the Company have a large number of employees that are members of employees’ unions. Failure to successfully negotiate and/or renew collective agreements, strikes, or other labor disputes could result in a disruption of our operations. Any such labor dispute could lead to a disruption of our operations, hindering our ability to serve our customers, and could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Information Systems

The Company's subsidiaries each have their respective information systems to support the operation of such subsidiary. Some of the Company’s subsidiaries have implemented systems upon which they place great reliance for efficient operations. Most business operations, including sales, procurement, production, inventory and accounting, are processed by our internal information systems. While our operating subsidiaries vary in the degree of reliance that they place on their information systems, they all may be materially adversely affected by the failure or breakdown of their information system. A disruption of a subsidiary’s information system could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Among other things, financial data may be corrupted and financial information may not be accurately reported or presented in a timely manner, which could impair the Company’s ability to timely file periodic or annual reports with the SEC or timely disseminate material information to shareholders.  A system failure could also result in a decrease in customer satisfaction because of a delay in the delivery of goods or order processing. Intellectual property, company reputation, and competitive advantages could also be harmed with an information system failure.

Increased reliance on information systems requires the implementation of IT security measures to protect networks, computers, programs and data from attack, damage or unauthorized access and ensure the confidentiality, availability and integrity of Company data. If the Company’s IT security measures are compromised or otherwise fail to protect systems, networks and data, or if an event of force majeure occurs and the Company’s disaster recovery plan does not operating effectively, the Company’s business may be disrupted and stand to lose assets, reputation and business, and potentially face regulatory fines and litigation as well as the cost of remediation, which could materially adversely impact the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Cyber Security Breaches Could Have A Material Adverse Effect on Our Business And Operations

Intense competition in the wire and cable sector renders APWC vulnerable to theft and copying of design specifications. While the Company relies upon its majority shareholder, PEWC, for much of its research and development, APWC’s products are designed precisely to meet customer specifications for the applications for which they are intended. Our cybersecurity systems are intended to protect not only our manufacturing and assembling methodologies, but also the proprietary data and operating systems of our customers and of third-party

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licensors who may make their intellectual property available for use by us or by our customers in the development of our customers’ end product.

Cybersecurity risks create potential for a material adverse impact on the Company’s business, financial condition and result of operations due to, but not limited to, losing intellectual property, implementing reactive measures, managing litigation or investigations, addressing reputational harm, or losing a competitive advantage. Mitigating these risks requires ongoing management oversight to ensure that sufficient controls and procedures are in place for appropriate persons to receive pertinent cybersecurity risk information to take appropriate action. The Company cannot offer any assurances that those controls and procedures will be sufficient to protect against cybersecurity risks.

APWC employs safeguards, both technological and contractual, in order to protect its proprietary interests and those of its customers and third-party licensors, including, without limitation, certain insurance  against theft and risk of loss, and in order to preserve the APWC’s reputation as a reliable manufacturer and distributor of finished goods for which good and clean title may pass. However, we cannot guarantee that such safeguards will protect the Company from all types of cybersecurity threats which could result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Employees and Personnel

If we fail to retain our key employees and attract qualified personnel, our business may be harmed. The loss of any of our executive officers or other key employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The loss of executive officers or key employees could impair customer relationships and result in the loss of vital industry knowledge, expertise, and experience. There is also a risk of losing key employees to our competitors, which could pose a possible risk of the theft of trade secrets, with competitors then gaining valuable information about our manufacturing process. The Company’s future success depends on its continued ability to attract and retain talented and qualified personnel.

Impairment Charges

In prior years, we have on occasion recognized impairment charges on certain property, plant and equipment due to lack of profitability. We recognized impairment charges of $546 thousand for 2019.

An impairment charge may be incurred for various reasons including, but not limited to, strategic decisions made in response to changes in economic and competitive conditions, the impact of the economic environment on our business or a material adverse change in any material relationships with our clients. If we recognize significant impairment charges, our results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Environmental Liabilities

We are subject to certain environmental protection laws and regulations governing our operations and the use, handling, disposal and remediation of hazardous substances used by us. We could incur environmental liability from our manufacturing activities in the event of a release or discharge by us of a hazardous substance. Under certain environmental laws, we could be held responsible for the remediation of any hazardous substance contamination at our facilities and at third party waste disposal sites and could also be held liable for any consequences arising out of human exposure to such substances or other environmental damage. There can be no assurance that the costs of complying with environmental, health and safety laws and requirements arising from our current operations, or the liabilities arising from past releases of, or exposure to, hazardous substances, will not result in future liabilities incurred, or expenditures payable, by us that would materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

International Business Risks

We are subject to risks specific to our international business operations, including: the risk of supply disruption; production disruption or other disruption arising from events of force majeure, such as severe weather and climatic events; the outbreak of highly infectious or communicable diseases such as COVID-19, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, swine influenza or pandemics of a similar nature; the risk of potential conflict and further instability in the relationship between Taiwan and the PRC; risks related to national and international political instability, such as disruptions to business activities and investment arising out of the political unrest and turmoil in Thailand; risks related to the recent global economic turbulence and adverse economic developments in

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a number of Asian markets; risks associated with the possible interest rate increases, which could result in increases in the cost of borrowing and reduced liquidity for us and our customers; risks related to changes in governmental or private sector policies and priorities with respect to infrastructure investment and development; unpredictable consequences on the economic conditions in the U.S. and the rest of the world arising from terrorist attacks, and other military or security operations;

unexpected changes in regulatory requirements or legal uncertainties regarding tax regimes; tariffs and other trade barriers, including current and future import and export restrictions; difficulties in staffing and managing international operations in countries such as Australia, Singapore, the PRC, Thailand and Taiwan; risks that changes in foreign currency exchange rates will make our products comparatively more expensive; limited ability to enforce agreements and other rights in foreign countries; changes in labor conditions; longer payment cycles and greater difficulty in collecting accounts receivable; burdens and costs of compliance with a variety of foreign laws; limitation on imports or exports and the possible expropriation of private enterprises; and reversal of the current policies (including favorable tax and lending policies) encouraging foreign investment or foreign trade by our host countries.

Climate change, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address climate change, may materially adversely affect our Company’s financial condition and business operations.

Climate change resulting from increased concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere could present risks to our Company’s future operations due to natural disasters and extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, droughts or flooding. Such extreme weather conditions could pose physical risks to our Company’s suppliers and facilities, disrupt operation of our Company’s supply chain, including availability of raw materials and transportation, and impact operational costs.

Concern over climate change has resulted in both existing and pending legal and regulatory requirements designed to mitigate its effects. Our Company is therefore subject to environmental, health and safety regulations in connection with its global business operations, including but not limited to: regulations related to the development, manufacture, shipping and use of its products, handling, discharge, recycling and disposal of hazardous materials used in its products or in producing its products, and the operation of its facilities. Such measures subject us to additional costs and restrictions and require operating and capital expenditures, which could impact our Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. For example, any pollutants and waste generated during our Company’s manufacturing process need to be disposed of and/or mitigated in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, a lack of consistent climate legislation across the regions in which we operate may create economic and regulatory uncertainty. Any failure or inability to comply with existing or future environmental, health and safety regulations, including those relating to climate change, could result in significant remediation or other legal liabilities, the imposition of penalties and fines, restrictions on the development, manufacture, sale, shipping or use of certain of its products and limitations on the operation of its facilities.

In addition to regulatory compliance, growing customer sustainability requirements and shareholder sentiment in respect of environmental and sustainability standards could cause our Company to incur substantial expense from time to time to alter its manufacturing, operations or equipment designs to meet these regulatory and sustainability requirements as well as investor expectations. Moreover, we may not be able to timely meet these requirements due to the required level of capital investment or technological advancement. Any failure to comply with these regulations, or meet these customer requirements or sustainability targets, could adversely impact the demand for our Company’s products and subject our business to significant costs and liabilities and reputational risks that could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Inflationary price pressures of raw materials or other inputs used by our business could negatively impact the profitability of our business.

Increases in the price of commodities, raw materials, utilities, labor or other inputs that our operations or our Company’s suppliers use in manufacturing and supplying products, components and parts, along with logistics and other related costs, may lead to higher costs for our Company’s products and services. In addition, new laws or regulations adopted in response to climate change could increase energy and transportation costs, as well as the costs of certain raw materials and components. Any increase in the cost of inputs to our Company’s production could lead to higher costs for our Company’s products and could negatively impact our Company’s operating results, future profitability and ability to successfully deliver on our Company’s strategy.

Asia Pacific Wire & Cable Corporation Limited was formedincorporated on September 19, 1996 as a Bermuda exempted company limited by shares and incorporated under the Bermuda Companies Act 1981, as amended (the “Companies Act”). The address of the Company’sAPWC’s principal place of businessoffice is Room B, 15th Floor, No. 77, Sec. 2, Dunhua South Road, Taipei, 106, Taiwan, and its telephone number is +(886)+886 2-2712-2558. Our Company’s registered agent (and agent for service of process) in the United States is Puglisi & Associates, locatedwith an address at 850 Library Avenue, Suite 204, Newark, Delaware 19711, is the Company’s agent for service of process in the United States.

The Company is principally engaged in the manufacture and distribution of telecommunications (primarily copper, but also fiber optic) and power cable, enameled wire and electronic wire products in the Asia Pacific region, primarily in Thailand, China, Singapore and Australia. The Company also provides project engineering services to certain customers.

Shanghai Yayang, which had previously produced enameled wires, ceased production by end of October of 2019 and has been restructured as a trading company in Shanghai that supplies mainly transformer, motor and coil manufacturers in the eastern part of China, locally in the Shanghai market and to certain Taiwanese-based manufacturers.19711.

Principal capital expenditures consisted of purchases of property, plant and equipment totaling $8.5 million in 2021, $14.5 million in 2020 and $5.4 million in 2019, $4.4 million in 2018 and $4.9 million in 2017, mostly for the purchase of production machinery and equipment for the CTW group in Thailand.

In 2017, Ningbo Pacific Cable Co., Ltd. (“Ningbo” or “NPC”), sold real estate and land use rights, which yielded $4.4 million in operating profit.

The Company is currently planning2022, we expect our business’ principal capital expenditures to launchinclude the following CAPEX projects: to purchase of new equipment to expand the production capacity in China and Thailand, to buildand the construction of new factory buildings in ThailandThailand. We expect total capital expenditures in 2022 to be $0.8 million based on current assumptions, although this number could change based on market conditions and other relevant factors. Our Company intends to purchase a new warehouse in Australia.pay for these expenditures with funds generated from its operations.

TheOur Company’s present plans also include seeking to developthe development of an alternative energy business in Taiwan by availing itself of new tax-driven development incentives provided by the Taiwan government for the expansion of “green” energy alternatives. This project remains at a development-stage and has not generated any revenues to date.

Please see Note 29 (Subsequent Events) to the consolidated financial statements referenced in Item 18 hereof for information on recent material events, which Note contains information regarding recent development in respect of the risk of the delisting of our Common Shares from Nasdaq and in respect of the material adverse effects of COVID-19 on the Company, its business, operations, financial condition, employees and customers.

Our website is located at www.apwcc.com. The information contained or linked to on our website is not included in, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 20-F. Our filings with the SEC, including reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding us that is filed electronically with the SEC are available on the SEC’s websiteswebsite at www.sec.gov.

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The CompanyOur Company’s Operations and Principal Activities

APWC is a holding company (incorporated in Bermuda with principal executive offices in Taiwan) that operates itsour business through operating subsidiaries. Through our subsidiaries, and associates, principally located in Thailand, China, Singapore and Australia.

Theour Company is principally engaged in the manufacture and distribution of telecommunications (primarily copper, but also fiber optic) andenameled wire, power cable, enameled wire and electronic wiretelecommunications products in Thailand, Singapore, Australia, PRC, Hong Kong and certain other markets in the Asia Pacific region, primarily in Thailand, China, Singapore and Australia. Theregion. Our Company also provides project engineering services in supply, delivery and installation of power cable (“SDI”). Our Company’s major customers include appliance component manufacturers, electrical contracting firms, state owned entities, wire and cable dealers and factories.

APWC has no direct business operations other than its direct and indirect ownership of the capital stock of its subsidiaries and equity investee holdings. Although APWC has not paid a dividend to certain customers.holders of our Common Shares since 2019, APWC’s ability to pay any dividends in the future, as well as to meet its other obligations and to fund operations, depends upon the amount of distributions, if any, received from its direct and indirect operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments. APWC’s operating subsidiaries and other holdings and investments, from time to time, may be subject to restrictions on their ability to make distributions to APWC, including as a result of restrictive covenants contained in loan agreements, restrictions on the conversion of local currency earnings into U.S. dollars or other hard currency and other regulatory restrictions applicable to the countries in which our subsidiaries are formed and conduct their business. For further discussion of the risks created by these restrictions and limitations, see “Risk Factors-Risks Related to our Financial Activities” and “Risk Factors-Risks Relating to the Regions in which We Operate.”

Reporting Segments and Geographic Regions

The Company’s present plans include seeking to develop an alternative energy

We operate our business in Taiwanthree reporting segments: Thailand, North Asia, and Rest of World. Our Company’s power cable and telecommunications cable products are primarily sold in the domestic markets of the countries where they are manufactured, whereas a portion of the enameled wires manufactured by availing itself of new tax-driven development incentives provided by the Taiwan governmentour Company in Thailand are exported, primarily to customers throughout Southeast Asia. The following table sets forth our Company’s sales revenues for the expansionperiods indicated in its three reporting segments for its principal product lines.

* include revenues from  fabrication service contracts, and sale of “green” energy alternatives. This project remains at a development-stageother wires and has not generated anycables products.

*include revenues from SDI service contracts (which amounted to date.US$15.6 million in 2020), and sale of other wires and cables products.

* include revenues from SDI service contracts (which amounted to US$7.6 million in 2019), fabrication service contracts, and sale of other wires and cables products.

The following chart showssets forth the organizational structure of the Company as of December 31, 20192021 of APWC and its principal operating subsidiaries, including affiliate ownerships, andas well as the percentage of ownership interest and voting power in each case. The location of the headquarters of each company is indicated in parentheses underabove the company’s name (“T” for Thailand, “C” for China or Hong Kong, “S” for Singapore and “A” for Australia).

In Thailand, RegionAPWC has the following subsidiaries:

Our Company Ltd. (“DD”)produces and Siam Fiber Optics Co. Ltd. (“Siam Fiber Optics”). Charoong Thaisells enameled wires, power cables, and Siam Pacific are the Company’s principal entitiestelecommunication cables in Thailand.

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Charoong Thai is a publicly-traded Thai corporation,one of the shares of which are listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (“SET”). It manufactures aluminumleading cable manufacturers in Thailand. Our distribution channels include both direct sales to state owned entities and copper electric wire, medium and high voltage power cables and telecommunications cables. It has subsidiaries and affiliatesprivate sector participants in the businesses of optic fiber cable manufacturinginfrastructure sector, and telecommunication and network services. Charoong Thai was established insales to agents for state owned entities. Sales within the Thailand in 1967 as a limited public company. As of December 31, 2019,region are made directly by the Company effectively owned 50.93%sales department of the issuedAPWC’s operating subsidiaries in accordance with terms and outstanding sharespricing set by the local subsidiaries. The major customers of Charoong Thai. The Company’s present intention is to maintain majority ownership ofour Company include clients working with the voting securities of Charoong Thai. The board of directors of Charoong Thai may authorize the issuance of additional shares of common stock of Charoong Thai. Thegovernment and its contractors.

In North Asia, APWC has four principal subsidiaries:

Our Company has preemptive rights to purchase its pro rata share of any additional authorized shares, less amounts reserved for directors, officers or employees. In the event the board of Charoong Thai decides to cause it to issue additional shares, the Company may decide not to exercise its preemptive rights, in which case the Company’s interest may be diluted.

Siam Pacific was established in 1988 as a joint venture between PEWCproduces and Italian-Thai Development Plc. Siam Pacific is now a 100%-owned subsidiary of Charoong Thai and focuses on the manufacture of telecommunications cables, andsells enameled wires for the domestic Thai market.

North Asia Region

During 2019, the Company’s China (and North Asia) principal operations were conducted through five business entities – Shanghai Asia Pacific Electric Co., Ltd. (“Shanghai Yayang”), Crown Century Holdings Limited (“CCH HK”), Pacific Electric Wire and Cable (Shenzhen) (“PEWSC”), Shandong Pacific Rubber Cablein China. Our Company Ltd. (“SPRC”), and Asia Pacific New Energy Corp. Ltd. (“APNEC”). The operating entities include Shanghai Yayang, formerly known as Shanghai Pacific Electric Co., Ltd., a subsidiary in Shanghai incorporated in June 1998 to manufacture enameled wires. The Company’s effective holding in Shanghai Yayang is 68.75%. Shanghai Yayang manufacturedgenerally sells enameled wires with a diameter between 0.05mm and 2.5mmdirectly to manufacturers of electric motors for sale and distributionuse in the eastern part of China, and to Chinese and Taiwanese based end-users up to end of October 2019, then it has been restructured as a trading company.

The Company has an effective holding of 97.93% of the capital stock of CCH HK, a Hong Kong registered company, and its wholly-owned subsidiary company, PEWSC. various consumer appliances.PEWSC manufactures enameled wires for electric, video and audio products for both domestic and export sales.

The Company holds a 25.0% interest in SPRC, which manufactures rubber cables for the South China market. The remaining 75%Shanghai Yayang, which had previously produced enameled wires, ceased production at the end of October of 2019 and has been restructured as a trading company in Shanghai that supplies mainly transformer, motor and coil manufacturers in the eastern part of China. Ningbo is owned by Shandong Yanggu Wire & Cable Corp. Ltd. (“Shandong Yanggu”), an established cable manufacturer in Shandong Province that producescurrently a wide range of cable products.

Thedormant entity. Our Company continues to indirectly own the equity of Ningbo, which still holds its government-granted business license. TheOur Company has disposed of all of the buildings and most of the equipment and the land use rights for the property where the NingboNingbo’s operations werehad been situated. The principal machinery utilized at the Ningbo facility has either been sold or stored at other operating facilities of APWC.our Company.

The

In the ROW, APWC has three principal subsidiaries:

Our Company produces and sells low voltage power cables in Singapore and Australia. In addition, our Company sells a wide range of wire and cable products produced by third party suppliers in addition to PEWC. Our Company also offers SDI project engineering services for medium and high voltage power cables to power transmission projects in Singapore. SP Power Assets Ltd. has historically been the principal customer for our Company’s SDI services, accounting for nearly all of our SDI sales. Sales to SP Power Assets Ltd. are under a comprehensive contract, with purchase orders placed from time to time.

In addition to these principal subsidiaries in our reportable segments, we established Asia Pacific New Energy Co. Ltd. (“APNEC”), a new entity, APNEC,Taiwanese company, in Taipei City on October 26, 2018 for thea new renewable energy business. APNEC seeks to develop an alternative energy business in Taiwan by availing itself of incentives provided by the Taiwan energy authority for the expansion of “green” energy alternatives. This project remains at a development-stage and APNEC has not generated any revenuesmaterial revenue to date.

Rest

Dividends received from our operating subsidiaries and equity investees may be subjected to withholding taxes. Under the Corporate Income Tax Law of the World (“ROW”) Region

The Company’s ROW region currently consistsPRC, dividend distribution of its Singapore and Australian operations.

The Company’s Singapore operations are principally conducted through Sigma Cable Company (Private) Limited (“Sigma Cable”), an indirect, 98.3%-owned subsidiaryprofits to foreign investor(s) is subject to a withholding tax of the Company. The Company believes that Sigma Cable10%.There is one of the major suppliers of power cable products in Singapore. Sigma Cable manufactures and sellsno withholding tax on dividend distributions from a range of low voltage power cable products, used mainly in infrastructure projects and commercial and residential developments. Sigma Cable is the exclusive distributor in Singapore of medium and high voltage wire and cable products manufactured by PEWC. It is also the distributor for general wires manufacturedHong Kong entity to either residents or non-residents. In Thailand, dividends paid by a third-party supplier.company to any individual or corporate payee overseas are subject to a withholding tax of 10%. Under the current Singapore corporate tax system, dividends paid by a Singapore resident company are tax exempt, and are not subject to withholding taxes. In Australia, dividends paid to non-residents are exempt from dividend withholding taxes except when dividends are paid out of profit that is not taxed by Australian income tax.

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Sigma CableAPWC’s operating subsidiaries are also hasresponsible for sales planning, marketing strategy and customer liaison. Our Company’s sales staff is knowledgeable about our Company’s products and also renders technical assistance, consulting services and repair and maintenance services to our Company’s customers. Our Company does not conduct sales through independent sales agents on a commission basis but uses its own sales employees located at APWC’s operating subsidiaries.

Payment methods for our Company’s products vary with markets and customers. The majority of sales by our Company requires payment within 90 days, but may vary depending on the customer and payment record. Sales pursuant to a successful project engineering operationstender or sales to governmental or public utilities are conducted in Singapore to supply, deliver and install (referred to as “SDI”) primarily medium and high voltage cables to power transmission projects. Whileaccordance with the Company currently obtains its supplytender or other applicable regulations. In connection with the distribution of medium and high voltage power cables manufactured by PEWC, our Company is required to pay PEWC 90% of the cost of the products either within 30 days of receipt of the product or, in the case of SDI products, upon installation, with the remaining 10% in either case to be paid within one year. In connection with a purchase of copper rod, our Company is required to pay PEWC the cost of the copper rod within 30 days from obtaining the products from PEWC. For the export market, payment is usually made by prior delivery of an irrevocable letter of credit. Neither APWC nor its operating subsidiaries offers financing for its SDI operations from PEWC, other supplierspurchases of our Company’s products. Company employees engaged in sales and marketing are paid a salary and may also available if necessary.receive a bonus based on performance.

Products are marketed under the respective names of the operating subsidiaries in each geography. For instance, products manufactured by Siam Pacific are marketed under the “Siam Pacific” trade name. Products manufactured by Sigma Cable owns 100% ofare sold under the capital stock of Epan Industries Pte. Ltd. (“Epan”) a Singaporean Company. Currently, Epan is acting as the distributor of Sigma Cable products“Sigma Cable” brand.

Products and those of other third party suppliers.

The Company’s business in Australia is conducted by Australia Pacific Electric Cable Pty. Ltd. (“APEC”). The Company’s indirect, beneficial ownership interest in APEC is 98.06%. APEC is located near Brisbane and is one of three major wire and cable manufacturers in Australia. APEC produces a range of power cables supplemented by imports from overseas sister companies. APEC possesses a substantial marketing and distribution infrastructure with a network of sales offices and warehouses in the cities of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Across theour Company’s three reporting segments, the Company engages in three principal business lines that consist of manufacturing and distributing wire and cable products, such as power cables and enameled wires, and providing project engineering services to certain customers. Theour Company manufactures and sells a wide variety of wire and cable products in primarily fourthree general categories: enameled wire, power cable, and telecommunications cables, power transmission cables, enameled wires, and electronic wires. The Company’s telecommunications and power cables are used in a range of infrastructure projects and in commercial and residential developments. Thecable. Our Company’s enameled wires are used in the manufacturing of components and sub-components of a number of household appliances and small machinery. The electronic wire productsOur Company’s telecommunications and power cables are used in the electronics, computer, building automation, audioa range of infrastructure projects and communication industries.in commercial and residential developments. In addition, theour Company acts as a distributor in Singapore of wire and cable products manufactured by PEWC and other third party suppliers in Singapore. ThePEWC. Our Company also offers SDI project engineering services of medium and high voltage cables for power transmission projects in Singapore.

Services

Fabrication

The Company performs fabrication services for its customers, converting raw materials to wire and cable products. Raw materials, such as copper, aluminum, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and optic fibers, are commodities traded on global markets with anticipated price fluctuations and currency risk. Given these risks, the Company provides fabrication services using customer-owned materials to pass exposure to the customer.

SDI Project Engineering Services

Given government and private sector infrastructure projects and residential and commercial buildings activity in Singapore, the Company anticipates modest demand for medium and high voltage power and for value added services in the power supply industry.  To take advantage of these opportunities, the Company has developed an SDI project engineering capability. This SDI project engineering involves supply, delivery and installation of primarily medium and high voltage cables to power transmission projects in Singapore. Through entering into a contract to supply, deliver and install cables for a power transmission project, the Company delivers medium and high voltage cables and enters into subcontracting agreements with local companies to install the cables as required by the project.

Products

Copper rod is the base component for most of theour Company’s products. The manufacturing processes for these products require that the rod be “drawn” and insulated. In the “drawing” process, copper rod is drawn through a series of dies to reduce the copper to a specific diameter. For certain applications, the drawn copper conductor is then plated with tin. Copper used in cables is covered with various insulating materials that are applied in an extrusion process. The insulated wires are then combined, or “cabled” to produce the desired electrical properties and transmission capabilities. Then, depending upon the cable, some form of protective cover is placed over the cabled wires. A summary of the manufacturing process used for theour Company’s primary wire and cable products is set forth below.

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Telecommunications Cable

The Company produces a wide range of bundled telecommunications cables for telephone and data transmissions with different capacities and insulations designed for use in various internal and external environments. The principal use of these cables is as access cables to connect buildings and residents to trunk cables. Telecommunications cables produced by the Company include copper-based and fiber optic cables.

Production of copper-based telecommunications cables begins by drawing a copper rod until it has reached the desired diameter, after which the drawn wires are subjected to a process called “annealing” in which the wires are heated in order to make the wires softer and more pliable. Utilizing an extrusion process, which involves the feeding, melting and pumping of a compound through a die to shape it in final form as it is applied to insulate the wire, the wires are then covered by a polyethylene (“PE”) or polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) compound and foam skin, suitable for different installations and environmental conditions. In order to reduce the cross-talk between pairs of communication wires, the insulated wires are then “twinned” or twisted so that two insulated single wires are combined to create a color-coded twisted pair. The twisted pairs of wires are then “cabled” or “stranded” into units of 25 twisted pairs for combination with other 25 pair units to form cable of various widths and capacities. The appropriate number of units is cabled together after stranding to form a round cables core. Depending upon the planned environment, a petroleum jelly compound may then be added to fill the cable core to seal out moisture and water vapor. Aluminum or copper tape is used to “shield” the cables and, finally, the shielded cable core is covered by plastic outer sheathing. The Company manufactures telecommunications cables with capacities and sizes ranging from 25 to 3,000 pairs of 0.4 mm-diameter wires to 10 to 600 pairs of 0.9 mm-diameter wires.

Power Cable

The Company produces a range of armored and unarmored low voltage power transmission cables. Low voltage power cables, generally considered to be cable with a capacity of 1 to 3.3 kilovolts, is typically used to transmit electricity to and within commercial and residential buildings, as well as to outdoor installations such as street lights, traffic signals and other signs. Armored low-voltage power cables are usually used for public lighting and power transmission running to buildings and installed either above or below ground. Unarmored low voltage cables are mainly used as lighting and power supply cables inside and outside of buildings. The voltage capacity of the Company’s power cables ranges from 300 volts to 1 kilovolt.

Production of unarmored cables begins by drawing and annealing of copper rods. The drawn copper wires are then stranded or “bunched” into round or sector-shaped conductors in sizes ranging from 1.5 square millimeters to 1000 square millimeters. The copper conductors are then covered in an extrusion process with a plastic insulator such as PVC, after which 2-5 conductors are twisted into a circular cable core in a cabling process and covered by a plastic outer cover.

Unarmored cables are composed of one or more cores of copper wire, insulated by substances such as PVC. Armored cables are produced in the same manner and the same range of configurations as unarmored cables, but with the addition of an outer layer of galvanized steel or iron wires to protect the cables from damage.

Enameled Wire

TheOur Company also produces several varieties of enameled wires. Enameled wires are copper wires varnished, in an enameling process, by insulating materials. The enameling process makes the wires more resistant to oil, heat, friction and fusion, and therefore suitable for use in machinery and components and sub-components of manufactured goods. TheOur Company manufactures enameled wires in sizes that range from 0.02 mm to 4.00 mm in diameter, varnished by various types of petroleum insulation materials including polyvinyl formal, polyurethane wires and polyester. Enameled wire products are used in the assembly of a wide range of electrical products, including oil-filled transformers, refrigerator motors, telephones, radios, televisions, fan motors, air conditioner compressors and other electric appliances.

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CopperPower Cable

Our Company also produces a range of armored and unarmored low voltage power transmission cables. Low voltage power cables, generally considered to be cable with a capacity of 1 to 3.3 kilovolts, are typically used to transmit electricity to and within commercial and residential buildings, as well as to outdoor installations such as street lights, traffic signals and other signs. Armored low-voltage power cables are usually used for public lighting and power transmission running to buildings and installed either above or below ground. Unarmored low voltage cables are mainly used as lighting and power supply cables inside and outside of buildings. The voltage capacity of our Company’s power cables ranges from 300 volts to 1 kilovolt.

Production of unarmored cables begins by drawing and annealing of copper rods. The drawn copper wires are then stranded or “bunched” into round or sector-shaped conductors in sizes ranging from 1.5 square millimeters to 1000 square millimeters. The copper conductors are then covered in an extrusion process with a plastic insulator such as PVC, after which 2-5 conductors are twisted into a circular cable core in a cabling process and covered by a plastic outer cover.

Unarmored cables are composed of one or more cores of copper wire, insulated by substances such as PVC. Armored cables are produced in the same manner and the same range of configurations as unarmored cables, but with the addition of an outer layer of galvanized steel or iron wires to protect the cables from damage.

Telecommunications Cable

Our Company produces a wide range of bundled telecommunications cables for telephone and data transmissions with different capacities and insulations designed for use in various internal and external environments. The principal use of these cables is as access cables to connect buildings and residents to trunk cables. Telecommunications cables produced by our Company include copper-based and fiber optic cables.

Production of copper-based telecommunications cables begins by drawing a copper rod until it has reached the principaldesired diameter, after which the drawn wires are subjected to a process called “annealing” in which the wires are heated in order to make the wires softer and more pliable. Utilizing an extrusion process, which involves the feeding, melting and pumping of a compound through a die to shape it in final form as it is applied to insulate the wire, the wires are then covered by a polyethylene (“PE”) or polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) compound and foam skin, suitable for different installations and environmental conditions. In order to reduce the cross-talk between pairs of communication wires, the insulated wires are then “twinned” or twisted so that two insulated single wires are combined to create a color-coded twisted pair. The twisted pairs of wires are then “cabled” or “stranded” into units of 25 twisted pairs for combination with other 25 pair units to form cable of various widths and capacities. The appropriate number of units is cabled together after stranding to form a round cables core. Depending upon the planned environment, a petroleum jelly compound may then be added to fill the cable core to seal out moisture and water vapor. Aluminum or copper tape is used to “shield” the cables and, finally, the shielded cable core is covered by plastic outer sheathing. Our Company manufactures telecommunications cables with capacities and sizes ranging from 25 to 3,000 pairs of 0.4 mm-diameter wires to 10 to 600 pairs of 0.9 mm-diameter wires.

Services

Fabrication

Our Company performs fabrication services for its customers, converting raw material usedmaterials to wire and cable products. Raw materials, such as copper, aluminum, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene and optic fibers, are commodities traded on global markets with anticipated price fluctuations and currency risk. Given these risks, our Company provides fabrication services using customer-owned materialsin order to limit exposure to these risks.

SDI Project Engineering Services

Given government and private sector infrastructure projects and residential and commercial buildings activity in Singapore, our Company anticipates modest demand for medium and high voltage power and for value added services in the power supply industry. To take advantage of these opportunities, our Company has developed an SDI project engineering capability. This SDI project engineering involves supply, delivery and installation of primarily medium and high voltage cables to power transmission projects in Singapore. In entering into a contract to supply, deliver and install cables for a power transmission project, our Company delivers medium and high voltage cables and enters into subcontracting agreements with local companies to install the cables as required by the Company for copper-based products. Theproject.

Raw Materials

As copper constitutes the most significant component of our Company’s wire and cable products, the price of our Company’s products depends primarily upon the price of copper. In order to minimize the impact of copper price fluctuations, our Company typically purchases copper at prices based on the average prevailing international spot market prices on the LME for copper for the one month prior to purchase. The price of copper is influenced heavily by global supply and demand as well as speculative trading. As with other costs of production, changes in the price of copper can affect theour Company’s cost of sales. Whether this has a material impact on theour Company’s operating margins and financial results depends primarily on theour Company’s ability to adjust selling prices to its customers, such that increases and decreases in the price of copper are reflected in those selling prices. In the cases when we enter into a long-term sales contract at fixed selling prices, rising copper prices could render this contract onerous and our Company would be required to recognize losses from this onerous contract in the income statement. Most sales of theour Company’s manufactured products reflect copper prices prevailing at the time the products are ordered. A long-term decrease in the price of copper would require theour Company to revalue the value of its inventory at periodic intervals to the then net realizable value, which could be below cost.

TheOur Company purchases copper in the form of rods and cathodes. Copper cathodes are thin sheets of copper purified from copper ore. The Company presently utilizes the services of Thai Metal Processing Co., Ltd. to process its copper cathodes into copper rods in Thailand although the Company has a variety of processing companies from which it may obtain these services. Copper rods are drawn into copper wires for the production of telecommunications cables,enameled wires, power cables and enameled wires.

Thetelecommunications cables. Copper purchased by our Company has historically purchased a substantial portionin the form of itscathodes must be sent to subcontractors to be melted and cast into the copper rods from PEWC. Under the Composite Services Agreement between the Company and PEWC, PEWC has agreed to supply to the Company on a priority basis with its copper rod requirements at prices at least as favorable as prices charged to other purchasers in the same markets purchasing similar quantities. However, the Company has diversified its copper purchases from among a number of preferred copper suppliers to ensure that we are consistently getting the most advantageous pricing on our copper purchases. Under the Company’s copper rod supply arrangements, orders are typically placed between eight to ten weeks before the desired delivery date, with prices “pegged” to the average spot price of copper on the LMEnecessary for the one month prior to delivery plus a premium.

The Company imports bothmanufacturing processes. For example, our Company’s operating subsidiaries in Thailand may import copper cathodes and utilizes services from their business partners, including Thai Metal Processing Co., Ltd., to process the copper rods in Thailand, with copper cathodes subjected to lower import duty than copper rods. Thecathodes.

Our Company’s key suppliers areinclude PT. Karya Sumiden Indonesia - Indonesia, PEWC-Taiwan, Walsin Lihwa Corporation.-Corporation - Taiwan, Mitsubishi Corporation RtM International Ptd.- Singapore, Glencore International AG.-Switzerland, and Marubeni Corporation-Japan. TheOur Company attempts to maintain approximately a three to five weekfew weeks supply of copper rods and cathodes for its Thai operations and approximately a two to four week supply in Singapore. In PEWSC, the Company generally maintains one to two weeks of supply of copper rods and cathodes. In APEC, the copper supply is generally maintained at one to two weeks of anticipated requirements.Theoperations. Our Company has regularly signed one-year contracts with each of the copper suppliers, pursuant to which theour Company agrees to purchase a set quantity of copper each month. Under the terms of such contracts, the price of copper is typically pegged to the monthly average of the spot price of copper on the LME for the delivery month (M-0), or 1 month before delivery month (M-1) plus a premium. TheOur Company has not had and does not anticipate any material supply interruption or difficulty in obtaining a sufficient supply of copper rod or cathode. Thecathode, although the recent delays in shipping could increase our cost of acquiring copper. Our Company anticipates that its copper suppliers will be capable of providing an adequate supply of copper to meet theour Company’s requirements and theour Company does not anticipate any change in relations with its copper suppliers in the near term. (See Item 3D: Risk Factors-Risks Relating to our Business: “The ability of suppliers to deliver raw materials, parts and components and energy resources could affect our Company’s ability to manufacture products without disruption and in turn negatively affect our operations.”).

Our Company has historically purchased a small portion of its copper rods from PEWC. Under the Composite Services Agreement between our Company and PEWC, PEWC has agreed to supply to our Company on a priority basis with its copper rod requirements at prices at least as favorable as prices charged to other purchasers in the same markets purchasing similar quantities. However, our Company has diversified its copper purchases from among a number of preferred copper suppliers to ensure that our Company receives the most advantageous pricing on its copper purchases. Our Company does not currently purchase copper rods from PEWC.  

Other raw materials used by theour Company include aluminum, which is used as a conductor in power cables and petroleum-based insulation materials such as PE, PVC and jelly compounds for insulating covers on cables and varnishes on enameled wires; aluminum foils for sheathing of communication cables; and galvanized steel wires for the production of armored wires. TheOur Company has not had and does not anticipate any difficulty in maintaining adequate supplies of these raw materials and expects to continue to be able to purchase such raw materials at prevailing market prices.

Other than import tariffs in Thailand, theour Company does not face any restriction or control on the purchase or import of its raw materials. TheOur Company may freely choose its suppliers and negotiate the price and quantity of material with its suppliers. TheOur Company formulates consumption plans for raw materials regularly and continually monitors market conditions in respect of the supply, price and quality of raw materials.

Inflation would increaseincreases the cost of raw materials and operating expenses for theour Company. If inflation increases, theinflationary pressure persists, our Company would trymay not be able to maintain its operating margins by increasingraising the prices of its products.

32Quality Control

In order to maintain product quality, theour Company has implemented a range of quality control procedures under the supervision of dedicated quality control staff. Quality control procedures are implemented from the raw material to the finished product stages at each of theour Company’s major production facilities. Raw materials are inspected to ensure they meet the necessary level of quality before production begins. During the manufacturing process, quality control procedures are performed at several stages of production. Upon completion, finished goods are brought to quality control centers set up in the factoryproduction facilities for inspection and testing of different electrical and physical properties.

Depending on the requirements of its customers, theour Company has the capability to manufacture its products to meet a variety of different quality and production standards. These include local standards and certifications, such as the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research Quality Mark and the Thailand Industrial Standard, as well as other standards, includingsuch as the National Electrical Manufacturers Association Standard, the British Standard, the Japan Industrial Standard and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Standard, as applicable.Standard.

All major companies in the APWC groupof our Company’s principal operating entities have attained International Standards Organization (“ISO”) 90029001 certification for quality management and assurance standards in the manufacture of electric wires and cables and have maintained that certification for at least the last ten years. TheThese certifications mean that the companiesthese entities have in place quality assurance systems and the capability to consistently manufacture products of quality.

The Company’s telecommunications cable and power cable products are primarily sold in the domestic markets of the countries where they are manufactured, whereas most of the enameled wires manufactured by the Company in Thailand are exported, primarily to customers throughout Southeast Asia. The following table sets forth the Company’s sales revenues for the periods indicated in its three reporting segments – North Asia region, Thailand region and ROW region for its three principal product lines, i.e., power, enameled and others together with their respective percentage share of total sales by reporting segment for such periods.

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* Includes revenues from SDI service contracts, fabrications service contracts, and sales of other wires and cable products.

(a) The Company’s disaggregated revenues transitioned from reporting of Manufactured Products, Distributed Products and SDI segments in 2017 to reporting of Power, Enamel and Others product lines in 2018. Reported results of Power, Enamel and Others product lines provide improved understanding and insight to the performance of the Company and its products and services.

Our operating subsidiaries are also responsible for sales planning, marketing strategy and customer liaison. The Company’s sales staff is knowledgeable about the Company’s products and also renders technical assistance, consulting services and repair and maintenance services to the Company’s customers. The Company does not conduct sales through independent sales agents on a commission basis but uses its own sales employees located at the operating subsidiaries.

As copper constitutes the most significant component of the Company’s wire and cable products,industry in the priceAsia Pacific region is highly competitive. Our Company’s competitors include a large number of theindependent domestic and foreign suppliers. Certain competitors in each of our Company’s products dependsmarkets have substantially greater manufacturing, sales, research and financial resources than our Company. Our Company and other wire and cable producers primarily upon the price of copper. In order to minimize the impact of copper price fluctuations, the Company attempts to determine the prices of its products basedcompete on the prevailing market pricebasis of copper. The Company may be affected, to a degree, in the short term by significant fluctuations in the priceproduct quality and performance, reliability of copper.

Payment methods for the Company’s products vary with marketssupply, customer service, and customers. The majority of sales by the Company requires payment within 90 days, but may vary depending on the customer and payment record. Sales pursuant to a successful project tender or sales to governmental or public utilities are conducted in accordance with the tender or other applicable regulations. In connection with the distribution of medium and high voltage power cables manufactured by PEWC, the Company is required to pay PEWC 90% of the cost of the products either within 30 days of receipt of the product or, in the case of SDI products, upon installation, with the remaining 10% in either case to be paid within one year. In connection with the purchase of copper rod, the Company is required to pay PEWC the cost of the copper rod within 30 days from obtaining the products from PEWC. For the export market, payment is usually made by prior delivery of an irrevocable letter of credit. Neither the Company nor its operating subsidiaries offers financing for purchases of the Company’s products. Company employees engaged in sales and marketing are paid a salary and may also receive a bonus based on performance.price.

Products are marketed under the respective names of the operating subsidiaries. For instance, products manufactured by Siam Pacific are marketed under the “Siam Pacific” trade name. Products manufactured by Sigma Cable are sold under the “Sigma Cable” brand.

North Asia

The Company produces and sellsPEWSC manufactures enameled wires in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in Guangdong Province for electronic, video and electronic wiresaudio products in the south China market. It supplies mainly to transformer, motor and coil manufacturers. It faces competition principally from overseas imports and local manufacturers.

Shanghai Yayang has been restructured as a trading company in Shanghai and it supplies mainly transformer, motor and coil manufacturers in the eastern part of China. It faces competition principally from overseas imports and manufacturers in China. The Company’s principal China operations are conducted through China business entities. The Company generally sells enameled wires directly to manufacturers of electric motors for use in various consumer appliances.

Thailand

The Company produces and sells telecommunication cables, enameled wires and power cables in Thailand. Charoong Thai is one of the leading cable manufacturers in Thailand. Our distribution channels include both direct sales to government entities and private sector participants in the infrastructure sector, and sales to agents for governmental entities. Sales within the Thailand region are made directly by the sales department of the Company’s operating subsidiaries in accordance with terms and pricing set by the local subsidiaries. The major customers of the Company include clients working with the government and its contractors.

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ROW

The Company produces and sells low voltage power cables in Singapore and Australia. In addition, the Company sells a wide range of wire and cable products produced by third party suppliers and PEWC. The Company also offers SDI project engineering services for medium and high voltage power cables to power transmission projects in Singapore.

In 2019, sales of wire and cable products accounted for 86% of the total net sales in Singapore, with the remaining 14% of sales in Singapore representing SDI project engineering services. SP Power Assets Ltd. has historically been the principal customer for the Company’s SDI services, accounting for nearly all of our SDI sales. Sales to SP Power Assets Ltd. are under a comprehensive contract, with purchase orders placed from time to time.

The wire and cable industry in the Asia Pacific region is highly competitive. The Company’s competitors include a large number of independent domestic and foreign suppliers. Certain competitors in each of the Company’s markets have substantially greater manufacturing, sales, research and financial resources than the Company. The Company and other wire and cable producers primarily compete on the basis of product quality and performance, reliability of supply, customer service and price.

Thailand

The wire and cable industry in Thailand is highly competitive. In its various product lines, theour Company competes with a total of approximately thirty local wire and cable manufacturers and, to a lesser extent, with foreign producers for sales in Thailand of telecommunications cables, power cables, enameled wires, and enameled wires. Thetelecommunications cables. Our Company is one of the five largest producers in the Thai market. These five largest producers are the only producers of telecommunications cables approved by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute and, therefore, the only cable producers whose products may be used in government-commissioned projects. Governmental approval processes, tariffs and other import restrictions have limited competition in the Thailand market from foreign wire and cable producers. TheOur Company also experiences significant competition from a number of smaller producers with regard to sales of enameled wire products.

Singapore

ROW

Although the Company believeswe believe that Sigma Cable is one of the major suppliers of power cable products in Singapore based on available data, it is subject to significant competition from producers within the region. There isare no tariff or other barrierbarriers against foreign competition in the local Singapore market, and potential competitors are free to enter the industry. Because of high capital costs, theour Company does not presently anticipate that it is likely there will be new domestic entrants to the wire and cable industry in Singapore in the near future that would present material competition to theour Company or be in a position to capture a material percentage of theour Company's share of the market. However, the performance of Sigma Cable in 20192021 was adversely impacted adversely by increased intense competition from Chineseother manufacturers seeking to capture a greater share of the Singaporean market.

Australia

Currently, besidesIn addition to APEC, there are two major wire and cable producers with operations located in Australia: Olex Cables (owned by Nexans) and Prysmian Cables, with factories in the States of Victoria and New South Wales, respectively. A significant portion of Australian market is serviced by two importers: (i) Electra Cables which reportedly imports cables from China factories; and (ii) World Wire Cables, which reportedly also sources cables from its Chinese partners to sell in Australian market. These companies are APEC’s principal competitors. APEC is the only power cable producer in the State of Queensland and therefore seeks to take advantage of its comparative proximity to Queensland-based customers in contrast to competitors that are required to transport their products into Queensland from other states in Australia. APEC has sales offices with warehousing facilities in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth in order to attract and serve the customers in those regions. APEC also has a distribution agreement with one of the regional suppliers with the goal of generating additional business for the Australia operations.

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China

PEWSC manufactures enameled wires in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in Guangdong Province for electronic, video and audio products for the South China market and for export. It supplies mainly to overseas transformer, motor and coil manufacturers.  It faces competition principally from overseas imports and local manufacturers.

Shanghai Yayang has been restructured as a trading company in Shanghai and it supplies mainly transformer, motor and coil manufacturers in the eastern part of China, locally in the Shanghai market and certain Taiwanese-based manufacturers. It faces competition principally from overseas imports and manufacturers from other provinces in China.

The principal Asian markets in which we do business have displayed higher overall economic growth in recent years compared to the United States and a number of other more developed markets, subject to occasional episodes of economic and currency exchange volatility attributable to various factors including the increased risks of emerging market investment, actual or potential political instability, and occasional pandemics.

North Asia

Our Company’s North Asia operations are conducted principally in China. The economy of China differs from that of most developed free-market economies in a number of respects, including structure, degree of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, capital reinvestment, allocation of resources, rate of inflation, and balance of payments position. In some countries,recent years, the International Monetary Fund (the “IMF”) exerts considerable influence overgovernment of China has implemented economic policy and provides support to stabilizereform measures which emphasize decentralization, expansion of consumption in the domestic economy. In general,market, residential and commercial real estate development, infrastructure development, utilization of market forces and the Asian markets in which we do business have been export-driven in recent years and have, in the casedevelopment of China and Singapore, for example, accumulated considerable capital reserves, which contributes to a more stable business environment.foreign investment projects.

Thailand Region

A substantial portion of the Company’s Thai operations, whose sales accounted for approximately 50.98% of the Company’s net sales in 2019, consists of the manufacture and sale of telecommunications and power cable for use in large-scale telecommunications projects and various construction projects in Thailand. The volume of sales of theseour Company’s products in Thailand tends to correlate with the general level of economic activity in Thailand. As a result, the performance of theour Company’s Thai operations depends in significant part on the general state of the Thai economy. Infrastructure development and related construction projects in Thailand depend significantly upon government sponsored initiatives. In recent years, the level of government involvement in infrastructure development has tended to track increases or contractions in Thailand’s gross domestic product (“GDP”).product. Overall, the construction industry and infrastructure projects have slowed considerably, thereby affecting local sales, placing competitive pressure on prices and prompting theour Company to rationalize Thai operations and actively seek overseas export markets. Political instability in Thailand tends to diminish governmental focus on infrastructure development projects, which can adversely impact the volume of sales to our customers who are engaged in large infrastructure projects.

TelecommunicationInsurance

Our Company maintains insurance policies covering certain buildings, machinery and Enameled Wiresequipment against specified amounts of damage or loss caused by fire, flooding, other natural disasters and burglary and theft. Our Company does not carry insurance for consequential loss arising from business interruptions or political disturbances and does not carry product liability insurance. Consequently, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all potential claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from the lack of adequate insurance.  No assurance can be given that we will not incur losses beyond the limits or outside the scope of coverage of our insurance policies. Please see “Our insurance coverage does not cover all of our business risks” is Section 3.d. above for more information regarding insurance coverage risks.

Sales of the Company’s telecommunication products in Thailand have dependedEnvironmental Regulations

Our Company is subject to a significant degree onvariety of laws and regulations covering the substantial investment instorage, handling, emission and developmentdischarge of materials into the telecommunications sector by the Thai government. In particular, the Company’s sales of products are affected by the value of contracts awarded by the government for telecommunications and other infrastructure projects.

The Company produces and sells copper core telecommunications cables, enameled copper wires and enameled aluminum wires in the Thai market and exports enameled wires to overseas markets. Sales of telecommunications cables, one of the Company’s leading products in Thailand, are conducted either by tender for participation in large scale telecommunications projects of the Telephone Organization of Thailand Corporation Plc. (“TOT”), or by sales directly to subcontractors of Triple T and True, the two private telephone line contractors licensed by TOT for particular projects. The Company generally sells enameled wires directly to electrical appliance manufacturers or to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) for both the local and export markets, and in smaller units that are sold to local dealers.

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Power

In Thailand, the prevailing historical trend has been that economic growth stimulates rapid growth in the demand for electric power, and annual rates of growth in electricity demand outpace annual economic growth rates. Despite the rapid growth in electricity demand, electricity consumption in Thailand remains low by international standards. Theenvironment. Our Company believes that all of its operations are in the mediummaterial compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. Our Company has not been subjected to longer term, there will be an increased demand for power supply which should lead to increased demand for the Company’s power cable products from both developersany material legal, regulatory or other action alleging violations or breaches of power production facilities and contractors installing power supply lines.environmental standards.

Singapore

The Company’s distribution and project engineering business segments operate only in the Singapore market. In 2019, the Company realized $7.6 million in revenues from SDI projects, compared to $16.7 million in 2018 and $21.4 million in 2017.4.C.Organizational Structure

Future revenue is expected to mirror population and residential growth while the Company continues to seek alternative ways to increase business volume in its project engineering business segment.

China

The economy of China differs from that of most developed free-market economies in a number of respects, including structure, degree of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, capital reinvestment, allocation of resources, rate of inflation and balance of payments position. In recent years, the PRC government has implemented economic reform measures which emphasize decentralization, expansion of consumption in the domestic market, residential and commercial real estate development, infrastructure development, utilization of market forces and the development of foreign investment projects of which Shanghai Yayang is an example.

Please refer to Business Overview in Item 4.B4.B. above.

The4.D.Property, Plants and Equipment

Our Company’s manufactured products are produced at facilities located on premises owned or leased by Siam Pacific, Charoong Thai, Sigma Cable, APEC, Shanghai Yayang and PEWSC. The following is a summary of theour Company’s material facilities and operations.

Siam Pacific owns a 7.45 acre production facility near Bangkok, Thailand, located on a 26.79 acre site that it also owns. Telecommunications cables and enameled wires are manufactured at this facility. The production facility constitutes a portion of certain property and assets which are pledged to financial institutions.

Charoong Thai owns a 34 acre production facility in Chachoengsao province, near Bangkok, Thailand, where telecommunications cables and power cables are manufactured. The production facility is located on a 65 acre site which Charoong Thai also owns. Neither the production facility nor the land is mortgaged.

Sigma Cable produces power cables on a 19,373 square meter site in Singapore leased from the Jurong Town Corporation (“JTC”) for 30 years from September 16, 2000 to September 16, 2030. JTC is a government-linked corporation and is Singapore’s largest industrial landlord. Building assets are pledged to United Overseas Bank.

APEC owns a 6,735 square meter power cable manufacturing facility on a 39,000 square meter land parcel in Brisbane, Australia. The manufacturing facility and land are secured over a bank loan facility of APEC.

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Shanghai Yayang ceased production by end of October of 2019 and has been restructured as a trading company, located in an area of approximately 27,839 square meters of state-owned land in an industrial district in Fengxian, Shanghai. The land and building arebuildings were pledged to Industrial and Commercial Bank of China as security for a $1.8$1.2 million bank loan.loan in 2020. Neither the land nor the building has been mortgaged since the repayment of the secured bank loan in 2021.

PEWSC manufactures enameled wires in a facility on 36,000 square meters of state-owned land with a built-up area of 20,367 square meters in Long Gang, Shenzhen, China. A leasehold right of industrial land use for the land has been granted for 49 years. The land and building are pledged to Agricultural Bank of China as security for a $1.1$2 million bank loan.

AllMost of theour Company’s facilities in Thailand, Singapore, Australia and China use production processes and equipment imported from Europe, the United States, Taiwan, or Japan.

The production capacity and extent of utilization of theour Company’s facilities varies from time to time, and such information is considered to be commercially sensitive and proprietary information.

The Company maintains insurance policies covering certain buildings, machinery and equipment against specified amounts of damage or loss caused by fire, flooding, other natural disasters and burglary and theft. The Company does not carry insurance for consequential loss arising from business interruptions or political disturbances and does not carry product liability insurance. In addition, the Company does not have business liability or disruption insurance for its operations in China and the Company does not have coverage for flood damage or business interruption for its operations in Thailand. Consequently, the amount of our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover all potential claims or liabilities, and we may be forced to bear substantial costs resulting from the lack of adequate insurance.  No assurance can be given that we will not incur losses beyond the limits or outside the scope of coverage of our insurance policies.  Accordingly, we may be subject to an uninsured or under-insured loss in such situations.

The Company is subject to a variety of laws and regulations covering the storage, handling, emission and discharge of materials into the environment. The Company believes that all of its operations are in material compliance with, and in certain circumstances exceed the requirements of, all applicable environmental laws and regulations. The Company has not been subjected to any material legal, regulatory or other action alleging violations or breaches of environmental standards.

Not applicable

5.A.Operating  Results

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto (the “Financial Statements”) referenced in Item 18 of this Annual Report.

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5.1Disclosures of Critical Accounting Policies

Summarized below are our accounting policies that we believe are important to the presentation of our financial results and require us to make estimates about the effect of matters that are uncertain in nature. Actual results may differ from these estimates, judgments and assumptions. CertainSelected accounting policies are particularly critical because of their significance to our reported financial results and the possibility that future events may differ significantly from the conditions and assumptions underlying the estimates used and judgments made by our managementset out in preparing our financial statements. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes, which are included in this annual report.

Impairment of non-financial assets

At each reporting date or whenever events indicate that the asset’s value has declined or significant changes in the market with an adverse effect have taken place, the Company assesses whether there is an indication that an asset in the scope of IAS 36 may be impaired. If any indication exists, the Company completes impairment testing for the cash generating unit (“CGU”) to which the individual assets belong. Where the carrying amount of an asset or CGU exceeds its recoverable amount, the asset is considered impaired and is written down to its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount of an individual asset or CGU is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. The fair value less costs of disposal calculation is based on available data from binding sale arrangements, conducted at arm’s length, for similar assets or observable market prices less incremental costs for disposal of the assets. The value in use is measured at the net present value of the future cash flows the entity expects to derive from the asset or CGU. Cash flow projection involves subjective judgments and estimates which include the estimated useful lives of property, plant and equipment, capacity that generates future cash flows, capacity of physical output, potential fluctuations of economic cycle in the industry and the Company’s operating situation. See Note 15 – Property, Plant and Equipment –3 of our consolidated financial statements presented herewith.

Fair value of financial instruments

Where the fair values of financial assets and financial liabilities recorded in the balance sheet cannot be derived from active markets, they are determined using valuation techniques including income approach (for example, the discounted cash flows model) or the market approach. Changes in assumptions about these factors could affect the reported fair value of the financial instruments. Please refer to Note 11 of our consolidated financial statements presented herewith.

Measurement of ECL allowance for trade receivables

The Company applies the IFRS 9 simplified approach to measure lifetime expected loss allowance for trade receivables. To measure the expected credit losses, trade receivables have been grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics and the days past due. The expected loss rates are based on the payment profiles of the sales over a period of 36 month before December 31, 2019 and the historical credit loss experience within this period. The historical loss rates are adjusted to reflect current and forward-looking information on general economic conditions affecting the ability of customers to settle receivables. The Company has identified the default rate of the countries where it sells goods and services as the most relevant factor and adjusts the historical loss rates based on expected changes accordingly.

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Taxes

Uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation of complex tax regulations, changes in tax laws, and the amount and timing of future taxable income. Given the wide range of international business relationships and the long-term nature and complexity of existing contractual agreements, differences arising between the actual results and the assumptions made, or future changes to such assumptions, could necessitate future adjustments to tax income and expense already recorded. The Company establishes provisions, based on reasonable estimates, for possible consequences of audits by the tax authorities of the respective countries in which it operates. The amount of such provisions is based on various factors, such as experience of previous tax audits and differing interpretations of tax regulations by the taxable entity and the taxing authority. Such differences of interpretation may arise on a wide variety of issues depending on the conditions prevailing in the respective domicile of the companies.

Deferred tax assets are recognized for unused tax losses to the extent that it is probable that taxable profit will be available against which the losses can be utilized. Significant management judgement is required to determine the amount of deferred tax assets that can be recognized, based upon the likely timing and the level of future taxable profits together with future tax planning strategies.

Post-employment benefits under defined benefit plans

In accordance with the Thailand labor law, Charoong Thai and its subsidiaries are obliged to make payment to retiring employees, at rate of 1 to 13 times of their monthly salary rate, depending on the length of service.  In addition, Charoong Thai also has the extra benefit plan to make payment to qualified retiring employees at rates of 1 to 26 times of their final monthly salary.

The cost of the defined benefit pension plan and the present value of the pension obligation are determined using actuarial valuations. An actuarial valuation involves making various assumptions that may differ from actual developments in the future. These include the determination of the discount rate, future salary increases and mortality rates. Due to the complexity of the valuation and its long-term nature, a defined benefit obligation is highly sensitive to changes in these assumptions. All assumptions are reviewed at each reporting date.

In determining the appropriate discount rate, management considers the inactive corporate bond trading  in Thailand, taking into account the yields on Thai Government Bonds and extrapolated maturity corresponding to the expected duration of the defined benefit obligation.

The mortality rate is based on most recent mortality investigation on policyholders of life insurance companies in Thailand. Future salary increases and pension increases are based on expected future inflation rates derived from external economic data, together with historical experience of Charoong Thai.

Revenue recognition of SDI projects

Changes in percentage of completion result in changes in contract revenue and costs recognized in the statement of comprehensive income during the year. Significant estimation by management is also required in assessing the recoverability of contracts based on estimated total contract revenue and contract costs.  In making such estimation, management’s evaluation is based on the actual level of work performed and past experience.

5.2Selected Operating Data

This discussion should be read in conjunction with the information contained in our Consolidated Financial Statements referenced in Item 18 of this Annual Report.Report, which are prepared in accordance with IFRS as issued by the IASB.

Selected Operating Data

Results are analyzed and reported along the lines of our three principal business segments, consisting of the North Asia region, the Thailand region, and the ROW region. Included in the summary table below are certain results within our 3three business segments with regard to net sales, operating profit, and operating profit margin for the periods covered. The following table sets forth selected summary data for the periods indicated (dollar ($) amounts in thousands of US$)U.S. dollars).

40Operating Results