UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
10-K
10-K/A
(Amendment
No. 1)
(Mark
One)
☒
ANNUAL
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2025
Or
☐ TRANSITION
REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For
the transition period from ______________to ______________
Commission
file number 001-34499
Gulf
Resources Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Nevada
13-3637458
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.)
Level
11 , Vegetable Building , Industrial Park of the East Shouguang City , Shandong, China
262700
(Address
of principal executive offices)
(Zip
Code)
+86
( 536 ) 567-0008
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code
Securities
registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title
of each class
Trading
Symbol (s)
Name
of each exchange on which registered
Common
Stock, $0.0005 par value
GURE
The
Nasdaq Capital Market
Securities
registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None.
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate
by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. 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 (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant
was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting
company or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller
reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large
accelerated filer ☐
Accelerated
filer ☐
Non-accelerated
filer ☒
Smaller
reporting company ☒
Emerging
Growth Company ☐
If
an emerging growth company, 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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered
public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If
securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant
included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☒
Indicate
by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation
received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate
by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As
of June 30, 2025, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was
approximately $ 6.8 million based upon a closing sale price of $0.67 on June 30, 2025.
As of September 28, 2026, the Registrant had outstanding 1,813,531 shares of common stock, excluding 28,583 shares of common stock of treasury stock.
DOCUMENTS
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE: None .
EXPLANATORY
NOTE
This
Amendment No.1 (the “Amendment”) amends the Annual Report on From 10-K of Gulf Resources, Inc. (the “Company “)
for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 17, 2026 (the “Original
Filing”).
This
Amendment is being filed in response to comment letter dated September 17, 2026 (the “SEC Comment Letter”) received from
the staff of the SEC to correct the disclosures in Item 1. Business and Item 9A. Controls and Procedures in the Original Filing. No
other information in the Original Filing was incorrectly presented, and this Amendment should be read in conjunction with the
Original Filing.
In
accordance with Rule 12b-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this Amendment includes new certifications required by
Section 302 and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, dated as of the filing date of this Amendment.
Other
than as expressly described above, no changes have been made to the Original Filing. This Amendment does not reflect events occurring
after the Original Filing.
Table
of Contents
PART I
1
Item
1.
Business.
1
Item
1A.
Risk Factors
21
Item
1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments.
31
Item
1C.
Cybersecurity
31
Item
2.
Properties.
31
Item
3.
Legal Proceedings
38
Item
4.
Mine Safety Disclosures.
38
PART II
39
Item
5.
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity , Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
39
Item
6.
[ Reserved].
39
Item
7.
Management’s Discussion and Analy sis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
40
Item
7A.
Q uantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
49
Item
8.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
49
Item
9A.
Controls and Procedures.
50
Item
9B.
Other Information.
51
Item
9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdiction that Prevent Inspection.
51
PART III
51
Item
10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
51
Item
11.
Executive Compensation
57
Item
12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
61
Item
13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, Director Independence
62
Item
14.
Principal Accounting Fees and Services
62
PART IV
63
Item
15.
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
63
Item
16.
Form 10-K Summary.
64
SIGNATURES
65
Special
Note Regarding Forward Looking Information
This
report contains forward-looking statements that reflect management’s current views and expectations with respect to our business,
strategies, future results and events, and financial performance. All statements made in this report other than statements of historical
fact, including statements that address operating performance, events or developments that management expects or anticipates will or
may occur in the future, including statements related to future reserves, cash flows, revenues, profitability, adequacy of funds from
operations, statements expressing general optimism about future operating results and non-historical information, are forward-looking
statements. In particular, the words “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “estimate”,
“plan”, “may”, “will”, variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking
statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements and their absence does not mean that the statement is not
forward-looking. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements which are based on management’s current
expectations and projections about future events, are not guarantees of future performance are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions.
Our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from the results expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking
statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include those discussed in this report, particularly under the
caption “Risk Factors”. Except as required under the federal securities laws, we do not undertake any obligation to update
the forward-looking statements in this report.
PART
I
Item
1. Business.
Introduction
We
manufacture and trade bromine and crude salt, natural gas, manufacture and sell chemical products used in oil and gas field explorations
and papermaking chemical agents, and materials for human and animal antibiotics. To date, our products have been sold only within the
People’s Republic of China. As used in this report, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” “Company”
and “Gulf Resources” refers to Gulf Resources, Inc., a holding company and/or its consolidated wholly-owned subsidiaries,
and the terms “ton” and “tons” refers to metric tons, in each case, unless otherwise stated or the context requires
otherwise.
The
functional currency of the Company’s operating foreign subsidiaries is the Renminbi (“RMB”), which had an average exchange
rate of $0.14042 and $0.13999 during fiscal years 2024 and 2025, respectively, the reporting currency of the Company is the United States
dollar (“USD” or $”).
Our
Corporate History and Corporate Structure
We
(Gulf Resources Inc.) were originally incorporated in Delaware and subsequently re-incorporated in Nevada. From November 1993 through
August 2006, we were engaged in the business of owning, leasing and operating coin and debit card pay-per copy photocopy machines, fax
machines, microfilm reader-printers and accessory equipment under the name “Diversifax, Inc.”. Due to the increased use of
internet services, demand for our services declined sharply, and in August 2006, our Board of Directors decided to discontinue our operations.
Upper
Class Group Limited, incorporated in the British Virgin Islands in July 2006, acquired all the outstanding stock of Shouguang City Haoyuan
Chemical Company Limited (“SCHC”), a company incorporated in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, the People’s Republic
of China (the “PRC”), in May 2005. At the time of the acquisition, members of the family of Mr. Ming Yang, our president
and former chief executive officer, owned approximately 63.20% of the outstanding shares of Upper Class Group Limited. Since the ownership
of Upper Class Group Limited and SCHC was then substantially the same, the acquisition was accounted for as a transaction between entities
under common control, whereby Upper Class Group Limited recognized the assets and liabilities transferred at their carrying amounts.
1
On
December 12, 2006, our Company, then known as Diversifax, Inc., a public “shell” company, acquired Upper Class Group Limited
and SCHC. Under the terms of the agreement, the stockholders of Upper Class Group Limited received 13,250,000 (restated for the 2- for-1
stock split in 2007 and the 1-for-4 stock split in 2009) shares of our voting common stock in exchange for all outstanding shares of
Upper Class Group Limited. Members of the Yang family received approximately 62% of our common stock as a result of the acquisition.
Under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, the share exchange is considered to be a capital transaction rather
than a business combination. That is, the share exchange is equivalent to the issuance of stock by Upper Class Group Limited for the
net assets of Gulf Resources, Inc., accompanied by a recapitalization, and is accounted for as a change in capital structure. Accordingly,
the accounting for the share exchange is identical to that resulting from a reverse acquisition, except no goodwill is recorded. Under
reverse takeover accounting, the post reverse acquisition comparative historical consolidated financial statements of the legal acquirer,
Diversifax, Inc., are those of the legal acquiree, Upper Class Group Limited. Share and per share amounts stated have been retroactively
adjusted to reflect the share exchange. On February 20, 2007, we changed our corporate name to Gulf Resources, Inc.
On
February 5, 2007, we acquired Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Co., Limited (“SYCI”), a company incorporated in the People’s
Republic of China. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, the stockholders of SYCI received a total of 8,094,059 (restated for
the 2-for-1 stock split in 2007 and the 1-for-4 stock split in 2009) shares of common stock of Gulf Resources, Inc. in exchange for all
outstanding shares of SYCI’s common stock. Simultaneously with the completion of the acquisition, a dividend of
$2,550,000
was paid to the former stockholders of SYCI. At the time of the acquisition, approximately 49.1% of the outstanding shares of SYCI were
owned by Ms. Yu, Mr. Yang’s wife, and the remaining 50.9% of the outstanding shares of SYCI were owned by SCHC, all of whose outstanding
shares were owned by Mr. Yang and his wife. Since the ownership of Gulf Resources, Inc. and SYCI are substantially the same, the acquisition
was accounted for as a transaction between entities under common control, whereby Gulf Resources, Inc. recognized the assets and liabilities
of SYCI at their carrying amounts. Share and per share amounts have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the acquisition.
To
satisfy certain ministerial requirements necessary to confirm certain government approvals required in connection with the acquisition
of SCHC by Upper Class Group Limited, all of the equity interest of SCHC were transferred to a newly formed Hong Kong corporation named
Hong Kong Jiaxing Industrial Limited (“Hong Kong Jiaxing”) all of the outstanding shares of which are owned by Upper Class
Group Limited. The transfer of all of the equity interest of SCHC to Hong Kong Jiaxing received approval from the local State Administration
of Industry and Commerce on December 10, 2007.
As
a result of the transactions described above, our corporate structure is linear. That is Gulf Resources owns 100% of the outstanding
shares of Upper Class Group Limited, which owns 100% of the outstanding shares of Hong Kong Jiaxing, which owns 100% of the outstanding
shares of SCHC, which owns 100% of the outstanding shares of SYCI. Further, as a result of our acquisitions of SCHC and SYCI, our historical
consolidated financial statements, as contained in our Consolidated Financial Statements and Management’s Discussion and Analysis,
appearing elsewhere in the report, reflect the accounts of SCHC and SYCI.
On
January 12, 2015, the Company and SCHC entered into an Equity Interest Transfer Agreement with Shouguang City Rongyuan Chemical Co.,
Ltd (“SCRC”), pursuant to which SCHC agreed to acquire SCRC and all rights, title and interest in and to all assets owned
by SCRC, a leading manufacturer of materials for human and animal antibiotics in China and other parts of Asia.
On
February 4, 2015, the Company closed the transactions contemplated by the agreement between the Company, SCHC and SCRC. On the closing
Date, the Company issued 7,268,011 shares of its common stock, par value $0.0005 per share (the “Shares”), at the closing
market price of $1.84 per Share on the closing date to the four former equity owners of SCRC .The issuance of the Shares was exempt from
registration pursuant to Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. On the Closing Date, the Company entered into a lock-up
agreement with the four former equity owners of SCRC. In accordance with the terms of the lock-up agreement, the shareholders agreed
not to sell or transfer the Shares for five years from the date the stock certificates evidencing the Shares were issued.
2
The
sellers of SCRC agreed as part of the purchase price to accept the Shares, based on a valuation of $10.00 (restated for the 1-for-5 reverse
stock split in January 2020), which was a 73% premium to the price on the day the agreement was reached. For accounting purposes, the
Shares were valued at $9.20 (restated for the 1-for-5 reverse stock split in January 2020), which was the closing price of our common
stock on the closing date of the agreement. The price difference between the original sale price of $10.00 (restated for the 1-for-5
reverse stock split in January 2020) and the $9.20 (restated for the 1-for-5 reverse stock split in January 2020) closing price of our
stock on the closing date of the agreement is solely for accounting purposes. There has been no change in the number of shares issued.
On
November 24, 2015, Gulf Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation, consummated a merger with and into its wholly-owned subsidiary, Gulf
Resources, Inc., a Nevada corporation. As a result of the reincorporation, the Company is now a Nevada corporation.
On
December 15, 2015, the Company incorporated a new subsidiary in the Sichuan Province of the PRC named Daying County Haoyuan Chemical
Company Limited (“DCHC”) with registered capital of RMB50,000,000, and there was RMB14,848,730 capital contributed by SCHC
as of December 31, 2021. DCHC was established to further explore and develop natural gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude
salt) in China.
On
September 2, 2016, the Company announced the planned merger of two of its 100% owned subsidiaries, SYCI and SCRC. On March 24, 2017,
the legal process of the merger was completed and SCRC was officially deregistered on March 28, 2017. The results of these two subsidiaries
were reported under SYCI in the fiscal year 2018.
On
January 27, 2020, we completed a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of our common stock, such that for each five shares outstanding prior to
the stock split there was one share outstanding after the reverse stock split. All shares of common stock referenced in this report have
been adjusted to reflect the stock split figures. On January 28, 2020, our shares began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under
the new CUSIP # 40251W.
In
April 2022, Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Ltd, our subsidiary, was incorporated in Shandong Province, China, for crude salt production
and trading.
On
October 27, 2025, the Company completed a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of our common stock, such that for each ten shares outstanding
prior to the stock split there was one share outstanding after the reverse stock split. All shares of common stock referenced in this
report have been adjusted to reflect the stock split figures. On October 27, 2025, our shares began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select
Market under the new CUSIP # 40251W507.
On
May 6, 2025, the Company was notified by the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC that the Staff granted the Company’s
request to transfer the listing of its common stock, par value $0.0005 per share, from The Nasdaq Global Select Market tier to The Nasdaq
Capital Market tier. On October 27, 2025, our shares began trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the same symbol “GURE”.
Recent
Developments
On
November 12, 2025, the Company issued a press release providing certain updates on its hearing scheduling process with the Nasdaq Hearings
Panel. The Company has received a hearing notification letter from Nasdaq scheduling an oral hearing for December 9, 2025. As of November
10, 2025, the Company’s common stock had maintained the requisite closing bid price in compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).
In light of the above and in accordance with the instructions provided by the hearing notification letter, the Company has submitted
a request to cancel the hearing, subject to the Company’s Listing Analyst review and confirmation.
On
December 1, 2025, the Company received a letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC stating that the Company had regained compliance with
the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2).
Consequently, the hearing before the Hearings Panel scheduled to take place on December 9, 2025 has been cancelled. The Company’s
securities will continue to be listed and traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market.
On
December 2, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement
for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
On
December 10, 2025, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf Resources, Inc. (the
“Company”), entered into an equity transfer agreement to sell 100% of the equity interests in Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry
Co., Limited to Shandong Rongyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for aggregate consideration of RMB 21.2 million, payable in instalments through
2028. The Company’s board of directors reviewed and affirmed the terms of the transaction, concluding that the sale is fair to
and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. The disposition removes the operational and financial burdens associated
with the prolonged suspension of the Yuxin Chemical facility and enables the Company to reallocate resources to its other, more profitable
business segments. The transaction closed on December 22, 2025 following completion of the required governmental registration changes.
On
December 18, 2025, the Company announced that, pursuant to a notice dated December 15, 2025 from the Shouguang Municipal People’s
Government Office (the “Government of Shouguang City”), it would temporarily suspend relevant operations in Shouguang City
to comply with local regulatory requirements. The Company characterized the suspension as seasonal in nature and aligned with the Government
of Shouguang City’s objectives for the orderly extraction, effective utilization, and comprehensive development of brine resources,
as well as the protection of the ecological environment. The Company further noted that bromine demand typically declines during the
Chinese New Year holiday period and that crude salt processing becomes more difficult in winter due to lower temperatures, which mitigated
the commercial impact of the temporary shutdown. Operations in Shouguang City subsequently resumed on March 2, 2026 in compliance with
the same government notice.
On
December 22, 2025, the transaction previously announced on December 10, 2025 to sell 100% of the equity interests in Shouguang Yuxin
Chemical Industry Co., Limited by Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf Resources,
Inc. (the “Company”), to Shandong Rongyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. closed following completion of the industrial and commercial
change registration by the relevant Administration for Market Regulation (AMR), which recorded the Purchaser as the sole shareholder
of the Target Company. The Company had previously disclosed the terms of the equity transfer agreement and related matters in its Current
Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 15, 2025.
3
On
March 2, 2026, the Company announced that as previously reported on its Form 8-K filed on December 18, 2025, it had temporarily suspended
certain operations in Shouguang City in compliance with a seasonal government notice (the “Notice”) issued by the Government
of Shouguang City to support the orderly extraction, effective utilization, and comprehensive development of brine resources and the
protection of the ecological environment, and that such operations have now resumed in compliance with the Notice.
On
January 26, 2026, March 5, 2026, March 19, 2026 and March 28, 2026, respectively, the Company entered into equity financing agreements
(individually the “Private Placement Agreement”; collectively the “Private Placement Agreements”), with four
individual investors (individually the “Private Placement Purchaser”; collectively “Private Placement Purchasers”),
pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue new shares of common stock to such investors that in aggregate accounted for approximately
18% of the total shares issued and outstanding of the Company as of December 31, 2025. The purchase price per share under the Private
Placement Agreement dated January 26, 2026, was set at 90% of the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the five
trading days prior to the date of such agreement, while the purchase prices under the Private Placement Agreements executed in March
2026 were set at 85% of, or 15% off, the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the trading day immediately preceding the
respective agreement dates, as quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market. For more information, see the Current Report on Form 8-K of the Company
filed with the Securities Exchange Commission, or the SEC.
On
April 23, 2026, the Company received a notice (the “Initial Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq
Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that due to the Company’s failure to timely file its Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (the “Form 10-K”), with the SEC, the Company was not in compliance
with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule”),
which requires the timely filing of all required periodic reports with the SEC, and the Company subsequently received a notice (the “May
Notice”) from Nasdaq on May 26, 2026 due to the Company’s non-compliance with the Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule as a result
of the Company’s failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2026(the “First
Quarter Form 10-Q”, together with the Form 10-K, the “Delinquent Reports”). The May Notice states that the Company
had until June 22, 2026 to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Rule.
On
May 26, 2026, Gulf Resources (the “Company”) received a notice (the “Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications
Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”), indicating that, as a result of not having timely filed its quarterly
report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 (the “Form 10-Q”), and the Company remains delinquent in filing
its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 (the “Initial Delinquent Filing”), the Company is in
non-compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires timely filing all required periodic financial reports with the Securities
Exchange Commission.
On
June 1, 2026, Gulf Resources (the “Company”), following the Company’s ongoing dialogue with the staff of the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission, concluded that the Company will amend its fiscal year 2024 Form 10-K (the “FY2024 Form
10-K”) and Form 10-Qs for the first, second and third quarters of 2025 (collectively, the “Q1, Q2 and Q3 2025 Form 10-Qs”)
to restate the disclosures (Note 6, Note 7 and Note 12 included in the FY2024 Form 10-K and the Q1, Q2 and Q3 2025 Form 10-Qs) to revise
the previous recognition of buildings without ownership certificates as fixed assets in the balance sheets and to reclassify such buildings
as right-of-use (ROU) assets based on lease agreements and ASC 842 Leases, for each of the periods included in those filing, including
fiscal years 2023 and 2024 in the FY2024 Form 10-K and each of the quarterly and year-to-date periods included in the Q1, Q2 and Q3 FY2025
Form 10-Qs (collectively, the “Prior Filings”). The Prior Filings should no longer be relied upon because of errors identified
in such financial statements, as described above.
In
connection with the identification of the above mentioned restatement, the Company delayed the completion of its fiscal year 2025 Form
10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and filed a Form 12b-25 (Notice of Late Filing) with the
Securities and Exchange Commission to provide notice of such delay to the SEC and its shareholders.
On
June 25, 2026, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq indicating that, based on its further review and the plan of compliance submitted
by the Company on June 17, 2026, Nasdaq determined to grant an exception to enable the Company to regain compliance with the Listing
Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule. The terms of the exception were as follows: on or before August 31, 2026, the Company must file the Delinquent
Reports, as required by the Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule. In the event the Company does not satisfy the terms, Nasdaq will provide written
notification that its securities will be delisted. At that time, the Company may appeal Nasdaq’s determination to a hearings panel.
4
Corporate
Structure
Our
current corporate structure chart is set forth in the following diagram:
5
Currently,
we operate our business through our wholly-owned subsidiaries in China, including (i) Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited,
or SCHC; (ii) Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Co., Limited, or SYCI; (iii) Daying County Haoyuan Chemical Co., Ltd., or DCHC; and (iv)
Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Limited, or SHSI, each a PRC company.
On
December 10, 2025, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (the “Seller”), an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of
Gulf Resources, Inc. (the “Company”), entered into an equity transfer agreement (the “SPA”) with Shandong Rongyuan
Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (the “Purchaser”) to sell 100% of the equity interests in Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Co.,
Limited (the “Target Company”) for RMB 21.2 million, payable in instalments through 2028. The Company’s board of directors
reviewed and approved the SPA, determining that its terms, including the consideration and payment arrangements, are fair and in the
best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Given the prolonged suspension of operations at the Yuxin Chemical facility and its
adverse impact on performance, the Board believes that completing the sale will relieve the Company of related burdens and allow it to
focus on more profitable business segments.
As
previously reported, on December 10, 2025, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (the “Seller”), an indirect wholly
owned subsidiary of Gulf Resources, Inc. (the “Company”), entered into an equity transfer agreement (the “SPA”)
with Shandong Rongyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (the “Purchaser”) to sell 100% of the equity interest in Shouguang Yuxin
Chemical Industry Co., Limited (the “Target Company”). The industrial and commercial registration reflecting the Purchaser
as the sole shareholder of the Target Company was completed by the relevant governmental authority on December 22, 2025, marking the
closing of the transaction. In connection with the closing, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K on December 29, 2025, which
includes the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, and unaudited financial statements for
the nine months ended September 30, 2025, together with related notes and pro forma financial information filed as Exhibit 99.1 of the
aforementioned Form 8-K filed on December 29, 2025.
Our
executive offices are located at Level 11, Vegetable Building, Industrial Park of the East in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, P.R.C.
Our telephone number is +86 (536) 5670008. Our website address is www.gulfresourcesinc.com. The information contained on or accessed
through our website is not intended to constitute and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Form 10-K.
Enforcement
of Civil Liabilities under United States Federal Securities Laws
Although
the Company is a Nevada corporation, most of the Company’s operations are and will be located outside of the United States and
all Company directors and officers reside outside the United States. Moreover, a majority of Company assets are located outside the United
States. Since a majority of the assets owned by the Company are located outside the United States, any judgment obtained in the United
States against the Company may not be collectible within the United States. There is no treaty between the United States and China providing
for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters and a final judgment for the payment of money
rendered by any federal or state court in the United States based on civil liability, whether or not predicated solely upon the federal
securities laws, would, therefore, not be automatically enforceable in China. Under the PRC Civil Procedure Law, foreign shareholders
may originate actions based on PRC law against the Company in the PRC, if they can establish sufficient nexus to the PRC for a PRC court
to have jurisdiction, and meet other procedural requirements, including, among others, the plaintiff must have a direct interest in the
case, and there must be a concrete claim, a factual basis and a cause for the suit.
There
is uncertainty as to whether the courts of China would (1) recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against the
Company or its directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any
state in the United States, or (2) entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against the Company or its directors
or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.
The
recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedure Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce
foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedure Law based either on treaties between China and the country
where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other form of reciprocity
with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according to the
PRC Civil Procedure Law, courts in China will not enforce a foreign judgment against the Company or its directors and officers if they
decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result,
it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States. Under the PRC
Civil Procedure Law, foreign shareholders may originate actions based on PRC law against the Company in the PRC, if they can establish
sufficient nexus to the PRC for a PRC court to have jurisdiction, and meet other procedural requirements, including, among others, the
plaintiff must have a direct interest in the case, and there must be a concrete claim, a factual basis and a cause for the suit.
In
addition, it will be difficult for U.S. shareholders to originate actions against us in China in accordance with PRC laws because we
are incorporated under the laws of State of Nevada and it will be difficult for U.S. shareholders, holding our common stock, to establish
a connection to China for a PRC court to have jurisdiction as required under the PRC Civil Procedure Law.
Recent
Regulatory Developments in China
We
face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties associated with having all of our operations in China and the complex and
evolving PRC laws and regulations. The Chinese government has significant authority in regulating our operations and may intervene or
influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our securities.
The PRC government has recently indicated its intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and
foreign investment in China-based issuers. Such actions could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue
to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. For example, anti-monopoly
regulators in China have promulgated new anti- monopoly and competition laws and regulations and strengthened the enforcement under these
laws and regulations. There remain uncertainties as to how the laws, regulations and guidelines recently promulgated will be implemented
and whether these laws, regulations and guidelines will have a material impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations
and prospects. If any non-compliance is identified by relevant authorities, we may be subject to fines and other penalties. See “Item
1A. Risk Factors— Risks Related to Doing Business in China—Because all of our operations are in China, our business is subject
to the complex and rapidly evolving laws and regulations there. The Chinese government may exercise significant oversight and discretion
over the conduct of our business and may intervene in or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change
in our operations and/or the value of our common stock.”, “—if the Chinese government chooses to exert more oversight
and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, such action could significantly
limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to
significantly decline or be worthless.” and “—If the Chinese government were to impose new requirements for approval
from the PRC Authorities to issue our common stock to foreign investors or list on a foreign exchange, such action could significantly
limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to
significantly decline or be worthless.”
6
Recently,
the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and made a number of public statements on the regulation of business operations
in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over
China-based companies listed overseas using a variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity
reviews, and expanding efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. We do not believe that we are directly subject to these regulatory actions
or statements, as we do not have a variable interest entity structure and our business does not involve the collection of user data,
implicate cybersecurity, or involve any other type of restricted industry. Because these statements and regulatory actions are new, however,
it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies in China will respond to them, or what existing
or new laws or regulations will be modified or promulgated, if any, or the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations
will have on our daily business operations or our ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. exchange.
On
February 17, 2023, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (‘CSRC”) released the Trial Measures for Administration of
Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”) and five supporting guidelines, which
came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Trial Measures, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas,
both directly and indirectly, should fulfill the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC. If a domestic company
fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic
company may be subject to administrative penalties by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders,
actual controllers, the person directly in charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties,
such as warnings and fines. As a listed company, we believe that we, and all of our PRC subsidiaries are not required to fulfill filing
procedures and obtain approvals from the CSRC to continue to offer our securities or operate our business as of the date of this annual
report. In addition, to date, none of us and our PRC subsidiaries has received any filing or compliance requirements from CSRC for the
listing of the Company at Nasdaq and all of its overseas offerings. Furthermore, based on our understanding of the current PRC laws,
we believe that the CSRC’s approval is not required to be obtained for the Company’s listing on Nasdaq; however, there are
substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the Regulation on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies
by Foreign Investors (“M&A Rules”), other PRC Laws and future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance
that any governmental agency will not take a view that is contrary to or otherwise different from our belief stated herein.
On
February 24, 2023, the CSRC, the Ministry of Finance, the National Administration of State Secrets Protection and the National Archives
Administration jointly issued the Provisions on Strengthening Confidentiality and Archives Administration of Overseas Securities Offering
and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Confidentiality and Archives Provisions, which took effective from March 31, 2023. The Confidentiality
and Archives Provisions specify that during the overseas securities offering and listing activities of domestic companies, domestic companies
and securities companies and securities service institutions that provide relevant securities business shall, by strictly abiding by
the relevant laws and regulations of the PRC and this Confidentiality and Archives Provisions, institute a sound confidentiality and
archives administration systems, take necessary measures to fulfill confidentiality and archives administration obligations, and shall
not divulge any national secrets, work secrets of governmental agencies and harm national and public interests. Confidentiality and Archives
Provisions provide that it is applicable to initial public offerings as well as other types of securities listing of PRC domestic enterprises,
and any future issuance of securities and listing activities after the initial listing. Working papers generated in the PRC by securities
companies and securities service providers that provide relevant securities services for overseas issuance and listing of securities
by domestic companies shall be kept in the PRC. Confidentiality and Archives Provisions provide no explicit definition of working papers.
In practice, the securities companies’ working papers usually refer to various important information and work records related to
the securities business obtained and prepared by the securities companies and securities service providers and their representatives
in the whole process of the securities businesses, such as due diligence work. Without the approval of relevant competent authorities,
such as CSRC, MOF PRC National Administration of State Secrets Protection, and National Archives Administration of China, depending on
the nature and transmission method of secrets, it shall not be transferred overseas. Where documents or materials need to be transferred
outside of the PRC, it shall be subject to the approval procedures in accordance with relevant PRC regulations. The relevant competent
authorities, such as, CSRC, MOF, PRC National Administration of State Secrets Protection, and National Archives Administration of China
will regulate, supervise and inspect pursuant to their respective statutory mandates over matters of Confidentiality and Archives Administration
concerning overseas offering and listing by domestic companies. As Confidentiality and Archives Administration is newly promulgated,
there is substantial uncertainty regarding their specific requirements. If we fail to comply with related laws and regulations, we may
be subject to fine, confiscation, blocking transmission or criminal offense. We have taken measures to adopt management systems for the
compliance of Confidentiality and Archives Provisions. We believe our listing does not involve in national secrets, work secrets of governmental
agencies and undermine national and public interests. There is no assurance that we will be able to meet all applicable regulatory requirements
and guidelines, or comply with all applicable regulations at all times, or that we will not be subject to fines or other penalties in
the future as a result of regulatory inspections.
7
Cash
Transfers and Dividend Distribution
Our
corporate structure is a direct holding structure, that is, the overseas entity listed in the U.S., Gulf Resources, Inc., a Nevada corporation
(“Gulf Resources”), controls SCHC (the “WFOE”) and DCHC through the Hong Kong company, Hong Kong Jiaxing Industrial
Limited, or Hong Kong Jiaxing.
Within
our direct holding structure, the cross-border transfer of funds within our corporate group is legal and compliant with the laws and
regulations of the PRC. Foreign investors’ funds can be directly transferred to Hong Kong Jiaxing, and then transferred to subordinate
operating entities through SCHC, or the WFOE.
If
the Company intends to distribute dividends, the Company will transfer the dividends to Hong Kong Jiaxing in accordance with the laws
and regulations of the PRC, and then Hong Kong Jiaxing will transfer the dividends to Gulf Resources, and the dividends will be distributed
from Gulf Resources to all shareholders respectively in proportion to the shares they hold, regardless of whether the shareholders are
U.S. investors or investors in other countries or regions.
In
the reporting periods presented in this annual report, no cash and other asset transfers have occurred among the Company and its subsidiaries;
and no dividends or distributions of a subsidiary has been made to the Company or to the shareholders of the Company. For the foreseeable
future, the Company does not expect to pay any cash dividends.
Our
PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends is based upon their distributable earnings. Current PRC regulations permit our
PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to their respective shareholders only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance
with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to set aside at least 10% of its
after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a statutory reserve until such reserve reaches 50% of each of their registered capitals.
These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends.
8
To
address persistent capital outflows and the RMB’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar in the fourth quarter of 2016, the People’s
Bank of China and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, have implemented a series of capital control measures in the
subsequent months, including stricter vetting procedures for China-based companies to remit foreign currency for overseas acquisitions,
dividend payments and shareholder loan repayments. The PRC government may continue to strengthen its capital controls and our PRC subsidiaries’
dividends and other distributions may be subject to tightened scrutiny in the future. The PRC government also imposes controls on the
conversion of RMB into foreign currencies and the remittance of currencies out of the PRC. Therefore, we may experience difficulties
in completing the administrative procedures necessary to obtain and remit foreign currency for the payment of dividends from our profits,
if any. Furthermore, if our subsidiaries in the PRC incur debt on their own in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict
their ability to pay dividends or make other payments.
In
addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax at a rate of 10% will be applicable
to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless reduced under treaties or arrangements between the PRC
central government and the governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC resident enterprises are tax resident. Pursuant
to the tax agreement between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the withholding tax rate in respect to the
payment of dividends by a PRC enterprise to a Hong Kong enterprise may be reduced to 5% from a standard rate of 10%. However, if the
relevant tax authorities determine that our transactions or arrangements are for the primary purpose of enjoying a favorable tax treatment,
the relevant tax authorities may adjust the favorable withholding tax in the future. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the reduced
5% withholding rate will apply to dividends received by our Hong Kong subsidiary from our PRC subsidiaries. This withholding tax will
reduce the amount of dividends we may receive from our PRC subsidiaries.
Please
see “Item 1A. Risk Factors— Risks Related to Doing Business in China—We may rely on dividends and other distributions
on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of
our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.” and
“— PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control
of currency conversion may delay us from making loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially
and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.”
Holding
Foreign Company Accountable Act
Our
common stock may be delisted from the Nasdaq under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“HFCAA”), if the PCAOB
is unable to adequately inspect audit documentation located in China, or investigate our auditor. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the
U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which was signed into law, and amends the HFCAA and requires
the SEC to prohibit an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections
for two consecutive years instead of three. Our auditor, GGF CPA LTD., Certified Public Accountants, is a China-based accounting firm
registered with the PCAOB, and is 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 is headquartered in the China and is subject to inspection by
the PCAOB on a regular basis. On August 26, 2022, the PCAOB signed the Protocol with the CSRC and the MOF of the People’s Republic
of China, governing inspections and investigations of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong. The Protocol remains unpublished
and is subject to further explanation and implementation. Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the SEC,
the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any issuer audits for inspection or investigation and the unfettered ability to
transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB issued a report that vacated its December 16, 2021 determination and
removed mainland China and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered
public accounting firms. On December 29, 2022, legislation entitled “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023” (the “Consolidated
Appropriations Act”), was signed into law by President Joseph Biden of the United States. The Consolidated Appropriations Act contained,
among other things, an identical provision to Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which reduces the number of consecutive
non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCAA from three years to two. Each year, the PCAOB will determine
whether it can inspect and investigate completely audit firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, among other jurisdictions. We cannot assure
you that we will not be identified by the SEC under the HFCAA as an issuer that has retained an auditor that has a branch or office located
in a foreign jurisdiction that the PCAOB determines it is unable to inspect or investigate completely because of a position taken by
an authority in that foreign jurisdiction. In addition, there can be no assurance that, if we have a “non-inspection” year,
we will be able to take any remedial measures. If we were so identified for two consecutive years, trading in our common stock could
in the future be prohibited under the HFCAA and, as a result, we cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain the listing of our
securities on the Nasdaq Stock Market or that you will be allowed to trade our common stock in the United States on the “over-the-counter”
markets or otherwise. Should our common stock become not listed or tradeable in the United States, the value of our common stock could
be materially affected. See “ Risk Factors - Our common stock may be delisted from the Nasdaq under the Holding Foreign Companies
Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to adequately inspect audit documentation located in China. The delisting of our common stock,
or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment .”
9
Closure
and rectification process of our Bromine, Crude Salt and Chemical Products factories
On
September 1, 2017, the Company received letters from the People’s Government of Yangkou Town, Shouguang City to each of its subsidiaries,
Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited and Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Co., Limited, which stated that in an effort to
improve the safety and environmental protection management level of chemical enterprises, the plants are requested to immediately stop
production and perform rectification and improvements in accordance with the country’s new safety, environmental protection requirements.
As a result, our facilities located in Yangkou Town were closed on September 1, 2017 to allow for rectification.
Subsequently,
the Safety Supervision and Administration Department and the Environmental Protection Departments of the local government conducted inspections
of every bromine production enterprise within its jurisdiction including our facilities, in order to improve security, environmental
protections, pollution, and safety.
On
September 21, 2018, the Company received a closing notice from the People’s Government of Yangkou Town, Shouguang City informing
it to close its three bromine factories (Number 3, Number 4, and Number 11.) and not allowed to resume production. The crude salt fields
surrounding these factories have been reclaimed as cultivated or construction land and hence did not meet the requirement for bromine
and crude salt co-production set by the relevant authority. In closing these factories, the Company wrote off net book value of these
factories’ property, plant and equipment in the amount of $18,644,473 in the loss on demolition of the factory in the consolidated
statements of loss for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, recorded an impairment loss on the related mineral rights of these three
factories of $1,284,832 included in the impairment of property, plant and equipment in the consolidated statements of loss for the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2018 and wrote off $52,926 of prepaid land lease recorded in other operating loss in the consolidated statements
of loss for fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. The Company incurred dismantling fee in the amount of $273,757 recorded in other operating
loss in the consolidated statements of loss for fiscal year ended December 31, 2018. The Company negotiated with the local villages over
compensation for the payment already made for these land leases and mineral rights in the past. This part of the cost has been used as
the resumption of land use, so the village committee will not be compensated.
In
February 2019, the Company received a notification from the local government of Yangkou County that its Factory No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and
No. 9 passed inspection and could resume operations. In April 2019, Factory No.1 and Factory No.7 resumed operation.
On
November 25, 2019, the government of Shouguang City issued a notice ordering all bromine facilities in Shouguang City, including the
Company’s bromine facilities, including Factory No. 1 and Factory No. 7, to temporarily stop production from December 16, 2019
to February 10, 2020. Subsequently, due to the coronavirus outbreak in China, the local government ordered those bromine facilities to
postpone the commencement of production. Subsequently, the Company received an approval dated February 27, 2020 issued by the local governmental
authority allowing the Company to resume production after the winter temporary closure. Further, the Company received another approval
from the Shouguang Yangkou People’s Government dated March 5, 2020 allowing the Company to resume production at its bromine factories
No. 1, No. 4, No.7 and No. 9 in order to meet the needs of bromide products for epidemic prevention and control (the “March 2020
Approval”). The Company’s Factories No. 1 and No. 7 commenced trial production in mid- March 2020 and commercial production
on April 3, 2020 and its Factories No. 4 and No. 9 commenced commercial production on May 6, 2020. The Company received verbal notification
from the government regarding Factory No. 8, allowing it to recommence production in August 2022. Factory No. 8 began contributing revenue
in the fourth quarter 2022.
Pursuant
to a notification from the government of Shouguang City, all bromine facilities in Shouguang City were temporarily closed from December
26, 2025 until February 24, 2026. In compliance with the notification, the Company ceased production at its bromine facilities during
this period and resumed operations at the bromine and crude salt factories as scheduled in February 2026.
Because
many smaller producers have not had the capital to conduct the rectification required by the government, management believes there could
be some extremely attractive acquisition opportunities in bromine. However, at the present time, all of management’s attention
is focused on getting its facilities approved and in full production. Management may consider acquisition opportunities in this segment
in the future if the prices were sufficiently attractive.
10
We
secured the land for our upcoming chemical factory and obtained the final approval regarding environmental protection assessment. Construction
of the new chemical facilities located at Bohai Marine Fine Chemical Industrial Park, commenced in June 2020. Initially, the construction
was projected to last around one year, with an additional six months for equipment installation and testing, However, due to the COVID
epidemic and electrical restrictions, the opening of the chemical factory has been postponed. The Company has received the refrigeration
and air compressor units. The estimated total cost for the relocation process is approximately $69 million. As of December 31, 2025 and
2024, the Company incurred relocation costs in the amount of $45,584,344 and $45,584,344, respectively. Additionally, the procurement
of the final equipment for our chemical factory has been postponed until we have a better understanding of the potential for derivative
bromine products. We anticipate proceeding with the completion of its chemical factory in due course. However, in the event that the
Chinese economy persists in its weakness and if we perceive this trend to be ongoing, there is a possibility that the chemical factory
could be repurposed for the production of Sodium-Ion batteries.
In
January 2017, the Company completed the construction of the first brine water and natural gas well field in Daying County, Sichuan Province,
and commenced trial production in January 2019. On May 29, 2019, the Company received verbal notice from the government of Tianbao Town,
Daying County, Sichuan Province, mandating the need for project approval for its Daying well, encompassing the entire natural gas and
brine water project. This also includes approvals for safety production inspection, environmental protection assessment, and to solve
the related land issue. Until these approvals are obtained, the Company must temporarily suspend trial production at its natural gas
well in Daying. Additionally, in compliance with the Chinese government new policies, the Company is required to obtain an exploration
license for bromine and a mining license for natural gas. Pursuant to the Opinions of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Several Issues
in Promoting the Reform of Mineral Resources Management (Trial) promulgated by the Ministry of Natural Resources of PRC on January 9,
2020, which came into effect on May 1, 2020, privately owned enterprises are allowed to participate in natural gas production. The Company
is engaged in ongoing discussions with the government of Daying County regarding the establishment of a joint venture for the exploration
and production of natural gas and brine products in Sichuan.
We
are not writing off any of the goodwill related to our chemicals business. We believe the upcoming chemical factory could produce sales
and profits. We believe there may be much less capacity in the chemical industry, as many factories may be permanently closed. In addition,
other competitor factories may reduce their production capacity. We expect to have a factory that operates efficiently. Considering the
above factors and our strength with better equipment, we expect to generate sales and earnings in this segment at a level well above
previous periods.
We
will continue to control the land and buildings where the old chemical factories are located. At this time, we have not considered how
or if we can monetize those assets.
In
April 2022, our subsidiary, Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Ltd, was incorporated in Shandong Province, China, specifically for crude
salt production and trading. This subsidiary was established in response to a new government policy mandating separate registrations
for bromine and crude salt companies.
As
of the date of this annual report, the Company is awaiting governmental approval for Factories No. 2 and No. 10.
11
Our
Business Segments
Our
business operations are conducted in four segments, bromine, crude salt, chemical products, and natural gas. We manufacture and trade
bromine, crude salt and natural gas, and manufacture and sell chemical products used in oil and gas field explorations and papermaking
chemical agents, and materials for human and animal antibiotics. We conduct all of our operations in China.
Bromine
and Crude Salt
We
manufacture and distribute bromines through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited, or SCHC. Bromine
is a halogen element. It is a red volatile liquid at standard room temperature which has reactivity between chlorine and iodine. Elemental
bromine is used to manufacture a wide variety of bromine compounds used in industry and agriculture. Bromine is also used to form intermediates
in organic synthesis, which is somewhat preferable over iodine due to its lower cost. Bromine is commonly used in brominated flame retardants,
fumigants, water purification compounds, dyes, medicines and disinfectants.
The
extraction of bromine in the Shandong Province is limited by the provincial government to licensed operations. We hold one such license.
As part of our business strategy, it is our plan to continue acquiring smaller scaled and unlicensed producers and to use our bromine
to expand our downstream chemical operations.
Permissions
Required from the PRC Authorities for Our Operations
Our
operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. We engage in the manufacturing and trading of bromine through our wholly-owned
subsidiary, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“SCHC”), which holds the necessary licenses for bromine and
crude salt mining and production. Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Ltd (“SHSI”) is responsible for trading crude salt.
No operational license is required for such business activity. Currently, operations at Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Company Limited
(“SYCI”) are suspended due to relocation and construction, which we have obtained the required construction permit. To further
explore and develop natural gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude salt) within the PRC in Sichuan Province, the Company
established Daying County Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“DCHC”). DCHC is currently in discussions with government authorities
regarding permits for mining natural gas and halogen water.
As
of the date of this annual report, we and our PRC subsidiaries have obtained all requisite licenses and permits from the PRC government
authorities needed for the business
operations
of our PRC subsidiaries in China, and no permission or approval has been denied.Given the uncertainties of interpretation and implementation
of relevant laws and regulations and the enforcement practice by relevant government authorities, we may be required to obtain additional
licenses, permits, filings or approvals for the functions and services of our platform in the future.
Furthermore,
in connection with our issuance of securities to foreign investors, under current PRC laws, regulations and regulatory rules, as of the
date of this annual report, we, and our PRC subsidiaries, (i) are not required to obtain permissions from the China Securities Regulatory
Commission, or the CSRC, (ii) are not required to go through cybersecurity review by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC,
and (iii) have not been asked to obtain such permissions by any PRC authority.
However,
the PRC government has recently indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or
foreign investment in China-based issuers. If we fail to receive or maintain the required permissions or approvals, we may be forced
to suspend or cease operations, lending to loss in revenue. Authorities may impose fines, sanctions, or initiate legal proceedings, negative
publicity would affect our Company’s image. Investors may react negatively, causing share price declines due to perceived regulatory
risk. Because of the regulatory uncertainty, which can potentially lead to valuation adjustments and increased risk premiums. Our business
plans may need to be suspended or scaled back if approvals or permits become harder to obtain.
Location
of Production Sites
Our
production sites are located in the Shandong Province in northeastern China. The productive formation (otherwise referred to as the “working
region”), extends from latitude N 36°56’ to N 37°20’ and from longitude E 118°38’ to E 119°14’,
in the north region of Shouguang city, from the Xiaoqing River of Shouguang city to the west of the Dan River, bordering on Hanting District
in the east, from the main channel of “Leading the Yellow River to Supply Qingdao City Project” in the south to the coastline
in the north. The territory is classified as coastal alluvial – marine plain with an average height two to seven meters above the
sea level. The terrain is relatively flat.
12
Geological
background of this region
The
Shandong Province working region is located to the east of Lubei Plain and on the south bank of Bohai Laizhou Bay. The geotectonic location
bestrides on the North China Platte (I) and north three-level structure units, from west to east including individually the North China
Depression, Luxi Plate, and Jiaobei Plate. Meanwhile, 4 V-level structure units including the Dongying Sag of Dongying Depression (IV)
of North China Depression, the Buried Lifting Area of Guangrao, Niutou sag and Buried Lifting Area of Shuanghe and are all on two V-level
structure units including Xiaying Buried Lifting Area of Weifang Depression (IV) of Luxi Plate and Chuangyi Sag, as well as on a V-level
structure units of Jiaobei Buried Lifting Area of Jiaobei Plate.
Processing
of Bromine
Natural
brine is a complicated salt-water system, containing many ionic compositions in which different ions have close interdependent relationships
and which can be reunited to form many dissolved soluble salts such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium sulfate, potassium
sulfate and other similar soluble salts. The goal of natural brine processing is to separate and precipitate the soluble salts or ions
away from the water. Due to the differences in the physical and chemical characteristics of brine samples, the processing methods are
varied, and can result in inconsistency of processing and varied technical performance for the different useful components from the natural
brine.
Bromine
is the first component extracted during the processing of natural brine. In natural brine, the bromine exists in the form of bromine
sodium and bromine magnesium and other soluble salts.
The
bromine production process is as follows:
1. natural
brine is pumped from underground through extraction wells by subaqueous pumps;
2. the
natural brine then passes through transmission pipelines to storage reservoirs;
3. the
natural brine is sent to the bromine refining plant where bromine is extracted from the natural
brine. In neutral or acidic water, the bromine ion is easily oxidized by adding the oxidative
of chlorine, which generates the single bromine away from the brine. Thereafter the extracted
single bromine is blown out by forced air, then absorbed by sulfur dioxide or soda by adding
acid, chlorine and sulfur. Extracted bromine is stored in containers of different sizes;
and
4. the
wastewater from this refining process is then transported by pipeline to brine pans.
Our
production feeds include (i) natural brine; (ii) vitriol; (iii) chlorine; (iv) sulfur; and (v) coal.
Crude
Salt
We
also produce crude salt, which is produced from the evaporation of the wastewater after our bromine production process. Once the brine
is returned to the surface and the bromine is removed, the remaining brine is pumped to on-site containing pools and then exposed to
natural sunshine. This causes the water to evaporate from the brine, resulting in salt being left over afterwards. Crude salt is the
principal material in alkali production as well as chlorine alkali production and is widely used in the chemical, food and beverage,
and other industries.
Chemical
Products
We
produce chemical products through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Company Limited, or SYCI. At the present
time, SYCI is closed pursuant to the letter from government dated November 24, 2017. It is being relocated to Bohai Marine Fine Chemical
Industry Park, Shouguang City. SYCI paid $9,047,232 for a 50-year lease of a piece of land for its new factories at Bohai Marine Fine
Chemical Industrial Park in December 2017 and leased another piece of land from the third party for its new chemical factory. We received
the final approval for our new chemical factory and started construction in June 2020.
13
Historically,
SYCI concentrated its efforts on the production and sale of chemical products that are used in oil and gas field exploration, oil and
gas distribution, oil field drilling, papermaking chemical agents, inorganic chemicals and materials that are used for human and animal
antibiotics. SYCI engaged in depth study of existing products and new product research and development at the same time. SYCI’s
annual production of oil and gas field exploration products and related chemicals was over 26,000 tons, and its production of papermaking-related
chemical products was over 5,000 tons. SYCI’s annual production capacity of materials that are used for human and animal antibiotics
was over 6,800 tons.
Sales
and Marketing
We
have an in-house sales staff of 7 people. Our customers send their orders to us first. Our in-house sales staff then attempts to satisfy
these orders based on our actual production schedules and inventories on hand. Many of our customers have a long-term relationship with
us. We expect this to continue due to stable demand for mineral products, however, these relationships cannot be guaranteed in the future.
Principal
Customers
We
sell a substantial portion of our products to a limited number of PRC customers. Our principal customers during 2025 were Shandong Morui
Chemical Company Limited, Shandong Shouguang God Runfa Ocean Chemical Co., Ltd, Shandong Brother Technology Limited, and Shouguang Weidong
Chemical Company Limited. We have ongoing policies in place to ensure that sales are made to customers who are credit-worthy.
During
the year ended December 31, 2025, sales to our three largest bromine customers, based on net revenue from such customers, aggregated
$9,971,820 or approximately 43% of total net revenue from sale of bromine; and sales to our largest customer represented approximately
15%, respectively, of total net revenue from the sale of bromine.
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, sales to our three largest bromine customers, based on net revenue from such customers, aggregated
$1,969,624 or approximately 35% of total net revenue from sale of bromine; and sales to our largest customer represented approximately
12%, respectively, of total net revenue from the sale of bromine.
During
each of the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, sales to our three largest crude salt customers, based on net revenue from such
customers, aggregated $2,418,032 and $2,049,988, respectively, or approximately 100% and 100% of total net revenue from sale of crude
salt; and sales to our largest customer represented approximately 40% and 38%, respectively, of total net revenue from the sale of crude
salt.
During
each of the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, the net revenue for the chemical products was $0. During each of the years ended
December 31, 2025, and 2024, the net revenue for natural gas was $0 and $61,207.
Principal
Suppliers
Our
principal external suppliers are Laizhou Shengfu Chemical Company Limited, Weifang Wanhong Chemical Company Limited, Shandong Xinlong
International Trade Company Limited, Shouguang Runfeng trading Company Limited.
During
the year ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, we purchased 100% of raw materials for our bromine and crude production from our top four
suppliers.
During
the year ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, we did not purchase any raw materials for chemical products production. This supplier’s
concentration makes us vulnerable to a near-term adverse impact, should the relationships be terminated.
14
Business
Strategy
Expansion
of Production Capacity to Meet Demand
▼
Bromine and Crude Salt
In
view of keen competition and the trend of less bromine contraction of brine water being extracted in Shouguang City, Shandong Province,
the Company intended to access more bromine and crude salt resources by finding new underground brine water resources in the Sichuan
Province. On January 30, 2015, we announced that we had found natural gas resources under our bromine well in Sichuan Province. On November
23, 2015, the Company’s subsidiary SCHC entered into an agreement with the People’s Government of Daying County in Sichuan
Province for the exploration and development of natural gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude salt). In January 2017,
the Company completed the construction of the first brine water and natural gas well field in Sichuan Province. Subsequently, the Company
found some issues related to water and other potential impurities in the natural gas during trial production. In resolving the problem,
the Company purchased customized equipment for its natural gas project. The installation of such equipment, including providing piping
and electricity, was completed in July 2018. The Company completed the test production at its first natural gas well in Sichuan Province
and commenced trial production in January 2019.
On
May 29, 2019, the Company received verbal notice from the government of Tianbao Town, Daying County, Sichuan Province, mandating the
need for project approval for its Daying well, encompassing the entire natural gas and brine water project. This also includes approvals
for safety production inspection, environmental protection assessment, and to solve the related land issue. Until these approvals are
obtained, the Company must temporarily suspend trial production at its natural gas well in Daying. Additionally, in compliance with the
Chinese government new policies, the Company is required to obtain an exploration license for bromine and a mining license for natural
gas. Pursuant to the Opinions of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Several Issues in Promoting the Reform of Mineral Resources Management
(Trial) promulgated by the Ministry of Natural Resources of PRC on January 9, 2020, which came into effect on May 1, 2020, privately
owned enterprises are allowed to participate in natural gas production. The Company is engaged in ongoing discussions with the government
of Daying County regarding the establishment of a joint venture for the exploration and production of natural gas and brine products
in Sichuan.
15
On
September 1, 2017, the Company received notification from the Government of Yangkou Town, Shouguang City of PRC that production at all
its factories must be halted immediately. This was required for the Company to perform rectification and improvement in compliance with
the new local safety and environmental protection requirements.
The
Company has worked closely with the county authorities to develop rectification plans for its bromine and crude salt businesses, reaching
an agreement on a plan in October 2017. During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, the Company incurred $16,243,677 in the rectification
and improvements of plant and equipment of the bromine and crude salt factories resulting in a cumulative amount of $34,182,329 incurred
as of December 31, 2018. The Shouguang City Bromine Association, on behalf of all the bromine producers in Shouguang, initiated negotiations
with the local government agencies. The local governmental agencies acknowledged the fact that their initial requirements for the bromine
industry did not include the project, the planning and land use rights approvals, which were later introduced by the provincial government
as new requirements. The Company understood from the local government that local government was coordinating with various government
agencies to solve these three outstanding approval issues in a timely manner and that all impacted bromine plants are not allowed to
commence production prior to obtaining those approvals. In April 2019, Factory No.1, Factory No.5 and Factory No.7 (Factory no. 5 is
considered part of Factory no.7 and both are managed as one factory since 2010) resumed operations upon receipt of verbal notification
from local government of Yangkou County. Then, on May 7, 2019, the Company renamed its Subdivision Factory No. 1 to Factory No. 4; and
Factory No. 5 (previously integrated with Factory No. 7) as the new Factory No. 7.
On
November 25, 2019, the government of Shouguang City issued a notice ordering all bromine facilities in Shouguang City, including the
Company’s all bromine facilities, including Factory No.1 and Factory No. 7, to temporarily stop production from December 16, 2019,
to February 10, 2020. Subsequently, due to the coronavirus outbreak in China, the local government ordered those bromine facilities to
postpone the commencement of production. Subsequently, the Company received approval dated February 27, 2020, issued by the local governmental
authority which allows us to resume production after the winter temporary closure. Further, the Company received another approval from
the Shouguang Yangkou People’s Government dated on March 5, 2020, to resume production at its bromine factories No.1, No. 4, No.7
and No. 9 in order to meet the needs of bromide products for epidemic prevention and control (the “March 2020 Approval”).
The Company’s factories No.7 and No.1 started trial production in middle March 2020, and commenced commercial production on April
3, 2020.
The
Company received oral notification from the government regarding Factory No. 8, allowing it to resume production in August 2022. Factory
No.8 began contributing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The
Company is awaiting governmental approval for Factories No. 2 and No. 10. To our knowledge, the government is finalizing plans for all
mining areas, including flood prevention measures. As a result, we may be required to make certain modifications to our existing wells
and aqueducts prior to commencement of operations of these factories in order to satisfy the local government’s requirements. The
Company completed its flood prevention project in December 2023. This project was implemented for safeguarding its bromine facilities.
Pursuant
to the notification from the government of Shouguang City, all bromine facilities in Shouguang City were temporarily closed from December
26, 2025, until February 24, 2026. In compliance with the notification, the Company ceased production at its bromine facilities during
this period and resumed preparation operations at the bromine and crude salt factories as scheduled in February 2026.
16
▼
Chemical Products
On
November 24, 2017, the Company received a letter from the Government of Yangkou County, Shouguang City notifying the Company to relocate
its two chemical production plants located in the second living area of the Qinghe Oil Extraction Plant to the Bohai Marine Fine Chemical
Industrial Park (the “November 2017 Letter”). Since then, our chemical factory has been shut down. We believe this is part
of the country’s efforts to improve the development of the chemical industry, facilitate safe production and curb environmental
pollution, and ensure the quality of living environment of residents. The Company expects to cost approximately $69 million in total
in connection with the relocation. The Company incurred relocation costs in the amount of $45,584,344 as of December 31, 2025.
In
January 2020, the Company received the environmental protection approval by the government of Shouguang City, Shandong Province for the
planned Yuxin Chemical factory. Construction of the new chemical facilities at Bohai Marine Fine Chemical Industrial Park commenced in
June 2020, with the bulk of the civil engineering works completed by the end of June 2021. However, due to the supply chain issues as
well as the electric restrictions in China, the delivery of some equipment, along with the equipment installation and testing and beginning
trial production at the chemical factory, was delayed. On February 22, 2022, the Company announced that discussions with the government
had led to an easing of electricity restrictions. As a result, the Company re-engaged with its suppliers to proceed with the production
and delivery of the remainder of the equipment, aiming to finish installation and begin testing and trial production. At this stage,
the Company also began preparation work for its application for safety and environmental assessment. Additionally, the procurement of
the final equipment for our chemical factory has been postponed until we have a better understanding of the potential for derivative
bromine products. We anticipate proceeding with the completion of its chemical factory in due course. However, in the event that the
Chinese economy persists in its weakness and if we perceive this trend to be ongoing, there is a possibility that the chemical factory
could be repurposed for the production of Sodium-Ion batteries.
Competition
To
date, our sales have been limited to customers within the PRC, and we expect that our sales will remain primarily domestic for the immediate
future. Our marketing strategy involves developing long-term ongoing working relationships with customers based on large multi-year agreements
which foster mutually advantageous relationships.
We
compete with PRC domestic private companies and state-owned companies. Certain state owned and state backed competitors are more established
and have more control of certain resources in terms of pricing than we do. We compete based on price, our reputation for quality, on-time
delivery, our relationship with suppliers and our geographical proximity to natural brine deposits in the PRC for bromine, crude salt
and chemical productions. Management believes that our stable quality, manufacturing processes and plant capacity for the production
of bromine, crude salt and chemical products are key considerations in awarding contracts in the PRC.
Our
principal competitors in the bromine business are Shandong Yuyuan Group Company Limited, Shandong Haihua Group Company Limited, Shandong
Dadi Salt Chemical Group Company Limited and Shandong Haiwang Chemical Company Limited, all of which produce bromine principally for
use in their chemicals businesses and sell part of the bromine produced to customers. These companies may switch to selling bromine to
the market if they no longer use bromine in their chemical businesses.
Our
principal competitors in the crude salt business are Shandong Haiwang Chemical Company Limited, Shandong Haihua Group Company Limited,
Shandong Weifang Longwei Industrial Company Limited, Shandong Yuyuan Group Company Limited and Shandong Caiyangzi Saltworks.
Our
principal competitors in the chemical business are Beijing Shiji Zhongxing Energy Technology Co., Ltd, Yanan Chaozheng Nijiang Co., Ltd,
Shandong Dacheng Pesticides Company Limited, Binhua Group Company Limited, Dongying City Dongchen (Group) Chemical Industry Company Limited,
Beijing Peikangjiaye Technologies Limited, Shouguang Fukang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Shandong Xinhua Pharmaceutical Limited by Share
Ltd, Hunan Erkang Pharmaceutical Limited by Share Ltd and Xinan Synthetic Pharmaceutical Limited by Share Ltd.
17
Government
Regulation and Permissions Required from the PRC Authorities for Our Operations
Since
all of our operations are conducted in China through our PRC subsidiaries, the Chinese government has significant authority in regulating
our operations and may intervene or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material adverse change in our operations
and the value of our common stock. see “ Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China. ”
The
following is a summary of the principal governmental laws and regulations that are or may be applicable to our operations in the PRC.
The scope and enforcement of many of the laws and regulations described below are uncertain. We cannot predict the effect of further
developments in the Chinese legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement
of laws. For more details, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to Doing Business in China — Uncertainties
with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.”
China
has been reinforcing the environmental requirements for the entire chemical industry, demanding the closure or rectification of those
factories that do not meet the emission requirements and are highly polluting. In early 2017, the government announced the closure or
relocation of those chemical industry facilities that are close to residential areas, and the new environmental law officially came into
full effect in January 2018.
In
the natural resources sector, the PRC and the various provinces have enacted a series of laws and regulations over the past 20 years,
including laws and regulations designed to improve safety and decrease environmental degradation. The “China Mineral Resources
Law” declares state ownership of all mineral resources in the PRC. However, mineral exploration rights can be purchased, sold and
transferred to foreign owned companies. Mineral resource rights are granted by the Central Government permitting recipients to conduct
mineral resource activities in a specific area during the license period. These rights entitle the licensee to undertake mineral resource
activities and infrastructure and ancillary work, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, within the specific area covered
by the license during the license period. The licensee is required to submit a proposal and feasibility studies to the relevant authority
and to pay the Central Government a natural resources tax in an amount equal to a percentage of annual crude salt sales and tones of
bromine sold. Shandong Province has determined that bromine is to be extracted only by licensed entities, and we hold one of such licenses.
Despite the Province desire to limit extraction to licensed entities, hundreds of smaller operations have continued to extract bromine
without licenses.
The
Ministry of Land and Resources (“MLR”) is the principal regulator of mineral rights in China. The Ministry has authority
to grant licenses for land-use and exploration rights, issue permits for mineral rights and leases, oversee the fees charged for them
and their transfer, and review reserve evaluations. We are required to hold a bromine and salt production license in order to operate
our bromine and salt production business in the PRC. Our bromine and salt production license is subject to a yearly audit. If we do not
successfully pass the yearly approval by relevant government authorities, our bromine and salt production operations may be suspended
until we are able to comply with the license requirements which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
In
April 2022, our subsidiary, Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Ltd, was incorporated in Shandong Province, China, specifically for crude
salt production and trading. This subsidiary was established in response to a new government policy mandating separate registrations
for bromine and crude salt companies. As of the date of this annual report, the Company is awaiting governmental approval for Factories
No. 2 and No. 10.
We
engage in the manufacturing and trading of bromine through our PRC wholly-owned subsidiary, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited
(“SCHC”), which holds the licenses for bromine and crude salt mining and production. Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Ltd
(“SHSI”) is in the business of trading crude salt. No operational license is required for such business activity. Currently,
Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Company Limited (“SYCI”) had entered into an equity transfer agreement with Shandong Rongyuan
Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (the “Purchaser”) to sell 100% of the equity interests of SYCI. To further explore and develop natural
gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude salt) within the PRC in Sichuan Province, the Company established Daying County
Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“DCHC”). DCHC is currently in discussions with government authorities regarding permits
for mining natural gas and halogen water.
Recently,
the PRC government has initiated a series of regulatory actions and made a number of public statements on offerings that are conducted
overseas and/or involved foreign investment in China-based issuers, including the “Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal
Securities Activities According to Law,” or the Opinions, (promulgated by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of China and the General Office of the State Council on July 6, 2021). The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration
over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Given the
current PRC regulatory environment, it is uncertain when and whether we or our PRC subsidiaries, will be required to obtain permission
from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied
or rescinded. We have been closely monitoring regulatory developments in China regarding any necessary approvals from the CSRC or other
PRC governmental authorities required for overseas listings. As of the date of this annual report, we have not received any inquiry,
notice, warning, sanctions or regulatory objection to listing on U.S. exchange from the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities. However,
there remains significant uncertainty as to the enactment, interpretation and implementation of regulatory requirements related to overseas
securities offerings and other capital markets activities.
On
February 17, 2023, the CSRC released the Trial Administrative Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings
by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”) and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant
to the Trial Measures, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill
the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC. If a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals
any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties
by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in
charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. As a listed company,
we believe that we and all of our PRC subsidiaries are not required to fulfill filing procedures and obtain approvals from the CSRC to
continue to offer our securities or operate our business as of the date of this annual report. In addition, to date, none of us and our
PRC subsidiaries has received any filing or compliance requirements from CSRC for the listing of the Company at Nasdaq and all of its
overseas offerings. Furthermore, based on our understanding of the current PRC laws, we believe that the CSRC’s approval is not
required to be obtained for the Company’s listing on Nasdaq; however, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation
and application of the Regulation on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Companies by Foreign Investors (“M&A Rules”),
other PRC Laws and future PRC laws and regulations, and there can be no assurance that any governmental agency will not take a view that
is contrary to or otherwise different from our belief stated herein.
18
On
February 24, 2023, the CSRC published the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the
Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration”),
which came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration require that, in the process
of overseas issuance and listing of securities by domestic entities, the domestic entities, and securities companies and securities service
institutions that provide relevant securities service shall strictly implement the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the
requirements of these provisions, establish and improve rules on confidentiality and archives administration. Where the domestic entities
provide with or publicly disclose documents, materials or other items related to the state secrets and government work secrets to the
relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, overseas regulatory authorities, or other entities or individuals, the
companies shall apply for approval of competent departments with the authority of examination and approval in accordance with law and
report the matter to the secrecy administrative departments at the same level for record filing. Where there is unclear or controversial
whether or not the concerned materials are related to state secrets, the materials shall be reported to the relevant secrecy administrative
departments for determination. However, there remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of the Provisions
on Confidentiality and Archives Administration.
As
of the date of this annual report, we and our PRC subsidiaries have obtained all requisite licenses and permits from the PRC government
authorities needed for the business operations of our PRC subsidiaries in China, and no permission or approval has been denied. Further,
the Company is awaiting governmental approval for Factories No. 2 and No. 10 as of the date of this annual report. For more details,
please see “Item 1. Business - Business Strategy- Expansion of Production Capacity to Meet Demand.”
As
of the date of this annual report, we and our PRC subsidiaries have not been involved in any investigations or review initiated by any
PRC regulatory authority, not having any of them received any inquiry, notice or sanction for the business operation, accepting foreign
investment or listing on the Nasdaq Stock Market. In addition, as of the date of this annual report, we believe that under the currently
effective PRC laws and regulations, we and our PRC subsidiaries are not required to obtain approval or permission from the CSRC or the
CAC or any other entity that is required to approve our PRC subsidiaries’ operations or required for us to offer securities to
foreign investors under any currently effective PRC laws, regulations, and regulatory rules. If it is determined that we are subject
to filing requirements imposed by the CSRC under the Overseas Listing Regulations or approvals from other PRC regulatory authorities
or other procedures, including the cybersecurity review under the revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, for our future offshore offerings,
it would be uncertain whether we can or how long it will take us to complete such procedures or obtain such approval and any such approval
could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain or delay in completing such procedures or obtaining such approval for our offshore offerings,
or a rescission of any such approval is obtained by us, would subject us to sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities
for failure to file with the CSRC or failure to seek approval from other government authorization for our offshore offerings. These regulatory
authorities may impose fines and penalties on our operations in China, limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, limit our
operating privileges in China, delay or restrict the repatriation of the proceeds from our offshore offerings into China or take other
actions that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, as well as
the trading price of our common stock. The CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities also may take actions requiring us, or making it
advisable for us, to halt our offshore offerings before settlement and delivery of the securities offered. Consequently, if investors
engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation of and prior to settlement and delivery, they do so at the risk that settlement
and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring
that we obtain their approvals or accomplish the required filing or other regulatory procedures for our prior offshore offerings, we
may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties
or negative publicity regarding such approval requirement could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition,
reputation, and the trading price of our common stock.
Given
the uncertainties of interpretation and implementation of laws and regulations and the enforcement practice by government authorities,
we may be required to obtain additional licenses, permits, filings or approvals for our business and operations in the future. We cannot
assure you that we will be able to obtain, in a timely manner or at all, or maintain such licenses, permits or approvals, and we may
also inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required. Any lack of or failure to maintain requisite approvals,
licenses or permits applicable to us or our PRC subsidiaries may have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations,
financial condition and prospects, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors,
and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless. For more details, see “ Item 1A. Risk Factors
- Risks Related to Doing Business in China - If the Chinese government were to impose new requirements for approval from the PRC Authorities
to issue our common stock to foreign investors or list on a foreign exchange, such action could significantly limit or completely hinder
our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or
be worthless.”
China
has been reinforcing the environmental requirements for the entire chemical industry, demanding the closure or rectification of those
factories that do not meet the emission requirements and are highly polluting. In early 2017, the government announced the closure or
relocation of those chemical industry facilities that are close to residential areas, and the new environmental law officially came into
full effect in January 2018.
The
following is a summary of the principal governmental laws and regulations that are or may be applicable to our operations in the PRC.
The scope and enforcement of many of the laws and regulations described below are uncertain. We cannot predict the effect of further
developments in the Chinese legal system, including the promulgation of new laws, changes to existing laws or the interpretation or enforcement
of laws.
In
the natural resources sector, the PRC and the various provinces have enacted a series of laws and regulations over the past 20 years,
including laws and regulations designed to improve safety and decrease environmental degradation. The “China Mineral Resources
Law” declares state ownership of all mineral resources in the PRC. However, mineral exploration rights can be purchased, sold and
transferred to foreign owned companies. Mineral resource rights are granted by the Central Government permitting recipients to conduct
mineral resource activities in a specific area during the license period. These rights entitle the licensee to undertake mineral resource
activities and infrastructure and ancillary work, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, within the specific area covered
by the license during the license period. The licensee is required to submit a proposal and feasibility studies to the relevant authority
and to pay the Central Government a natural resources tax in an amount equal to a percent of annual crude salt sales and tones of bromine
sold. Shandong Province has determined that bromine is to be extracted only by licensed entities, and we hold one of such licenses. Despite
the Province desire to limit extraction to licensed entities hundreds of smaller operations have continued to extract bromine without
licenses.
19
The
Ministry of Land and Resources (“MLR”) is the principal regulator of mineral rights in China. The Ministry has authority
to grant licenses for land-use and exploration rights, issue permits for mineral rights and leases, oversee the fees charged for them
and their transfer, and review reserve evaluations. We are required to hold a bromine and salt production license in order to operate
our bromine and salt production business in the PRC. Our bromine and salt production license is subject to a yearly audit. If we do not
successfully pass the yearly approval by relevant government authorities, our bromine and salt production operations may be suspended
until we are able to comply with the license requirements which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition
and results of operations.
Human
Capital Resources
Employee
Profiles
As
of December 31, 2025, we employed approximately 355 full-time employees, of whom approximately 79% are with SCHC, SHSI and DCHC, and
21% are with SYCI. Approximately 30% of our employees are management personnel and 5% are sales and procurement staff. None of our employees
are represented by a union.
Total
Rewards
Our
compensation program is designed to attract and reward talented individuals who possess the skills necessary to support our business
objectives, assist in the achievement of our strategic goals and create long-term value for our stockholders. Our employees in China
participate in a state pension arrangement organized by Chinese municipal and provincial governments. We are required to contribute to
the arrangement at the rate of 16% of the average monthly salary. In addition, we are required by Chinese law to cover employees in China
with other types of social insurance. We have purchased social insurance for almost all of our employees. Expense related to social insurance
was approximately $508,947 for fiscal year 2025.
Health
and Safety
The
success of our business is fundamentally connected to the well-being of our people. Accordingly, we are committed to the health, safety
and wellness of our employees. We provide our employees and their families with access to a variety of flexible and convenient health
and welfare programs, including benefits that support their physical and mental health by providing tools and resources to help them
improve or maintain their health status; and that offer choice where possible so they can customize their benefits to meet their needs
and the needs of their families. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented significant operating environment changes that
we determined were in the best interest of our employees, as well as the communities in which we operate, and which comply with government
regulations. This includes having the vast majority of our employees work from home, while implementing additional safety measures for
employees continuing critical on-site work.
Talent
A
core tenet of our talent system is to both develop talent from within and supplement with external hires. This approach has yielded loyalty
and commitment in our employee base which in turn grows our business, our products, and our customers, while adding new employees and
external ideas supports a continuous improvement mindset and our goals of a diverse and inclusive workforce. Our talent acquisition team
uses internal and external resources to recruit highly skilled and talented workers in the PRC, and we encourage employee referrals for
open positions.
Available
Information
We
make available free of charge on or through our internet website, www.gulfresourcesinc.com, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, including exhibits, and all amendments to those reports, if any, filed or furnished
pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically
filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy
and information statements, and other information regarding issuers like our Company that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov.
The information contained on our website is not intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
20
Item
1A. Risk Factors.
Pursuant
to Item 301(c) of Regulation S-K (§ 229.301(c)), the Company is not required to provide the information required by this Item as
it is a “smaller reporting company,” as defined by Rule 229.10(f)(1).
If
we cannot continue to satisfy the continued listing requirements and other rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market, our securities may be delisted,
which could negatively impact the price of our securities and your ability to sell them.
On
May 6, 2025, we was notified by the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“ Nasdaq ”) that the
Staff granted the Company’s request to transfer the listing of its common stock, par value $0.0005 per share, from The Nasdaq Global
Select Market tier to The Nasdaq Capital Market tier, and that the Staff granted the Company’s request for a second 180-calendar
day period, or until November 3, 2025, to regain compliance with the $1.00 bid price requirement, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule
5550(a)(2).
On
November 4, 2025, the Company received a delist determination letter from the staff (the “Staff”) of the Listing Qualifications
Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC advising the Company that the Staff had determined that the Company did not regain compliance
with Minimum Bid Price Requirement by the November 3, 2025, deadline. The Staff had determined that the Company’s securities will
be scheduled for delisting from The Nasdaq Capital Market on November 11, 2025.
The
Company effected a one-for-ten reverse stock split of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock (the “Reverse Stock
Split”). The Company effected the Reverse Stock Split in the market on October 27, 2025, and its common stock began trading on
The Nasdaq Capital Market on a split-adjusted basis at the market open on such date. On November 7, 2025, the Company appealed to the
Staff’s delisting determination by submitting a hearing request to the Nasdaq Hearings Panel.
On
December 1, 2025, Gulf Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) received a letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC stating that the
Company had regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, as set forth
in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). Consequently, the hearing before the Hearings Panel scheduled to take place on December 9, 2025, has
been cancelled. The Company’s securities have continued listing and trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market. On April 23, 2026, the
Company received a notice (the “Initial Notice”) from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
(“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that due to the Company’s failure to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 (the “Form 10-K”), with the SEC, the Company was not in compliance with Nasdaq’s
continued listing requirements under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule”), which requires
the timely filing of all required periodic reports with the SEC, and the Company subsequently received a notice (the “May Notice”)
from Nasdaq on May 26, 2026 due to the Company’s non-compliance with the Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule as a result of the Company’s
failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2026 (the “First Quarter Form 10-Q”,
together with the Form 10-K, the “Delinquent Reports”). The May Notice states that the Company had until June 22, 2026, to
submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Rule.
On
June 25, 2026, the Company received a letter from Nasdaq indicating that, based on its further review and the plan of compliance submitted
by the Company on June 17, 2026, Nasdaq determined to grant an exception to enable the Company to regain compliance with the Listing
Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule. The terms of the exception were as follows: on or before August 31, 2026, the Company must file the Delinquent
Reports, as required by the Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) Rule. In the event the Company does not satisfy the terms, Nasdaq will provide written
notification that its securities will be delisted. At that time, the Company may appeal Nasdaq’s determination to a hearings panel.
We
cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing standards. Our failure to continue to meet these requirements
would result in our common stock being delisted from Nasdaq. We and holders of our securities could be materially adversely impacted
if our securities are delisted from Nasdaq. In particular:
● we
may be unable to raise equity capital on acceptable terms or at all;
● we
may lose the confidence of our customers, which would jeopardize our ability to continue
our business as currently conducted;
● the
price of our common stock will likely decrease as a result of the loss of market efficiencies
associated with Nasdaq and the loss of federal preemption of state securities laws;
● holders
may be unable to sell or purchase our securities when they wish to do so;
● we
may become subject to stockholder litigation;
● we
may lose the interest of institutional investors in our common stock;
● we
may lose media and analyst coverage;
● our
common stock could be considered a “penny stock,” which would likely limit the
level of trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock; and
● we
would likely lose any active trading market for our common stock, as it may only be traded
on one of the over-the-counter markets, if at all.
As
a China-based issuer, the Company provides the following material risk factors related to doing business in China:
Risks
Related to Doing Business in China
Because
all of our operations are in China, our business is subject to the complex and rapidly evolving laws and regulations there. The Chinese
government may exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene in or influence our operations
at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our common stock.
As
a business operating in China, we are subject to the laws and regulations of the PRC, which can be complex and evolve rapidly. The PRC
government has the power to exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business, and the regulations to which
we are subject may change rapidly and with little notice to us or our shareholders. As a result, the application, interpretation, and
enforcement of new and existing laws and regulations in the PRC are often uncertain. In addition, these laws and regulations may be interpreted
and applied inconsistently by different agencies or authorities, and inconsistently with our current policies and practices. New laws,
regulations, and other government directives in the PRC may also be costly to comply with, and such compliance or any associated inquiries
or investigations or any other government actions may:
● Delay
or impede our development,
21
● Results
in negative publicity or increase our operating costs,
● Require
significant management time and attention, and
● Subject
us to remedies, administrative penalties and even criminal liabilities that may harm our
business, including fines assessed for our current or historical operations, or demands or
orders that we modify or even cease our business practices.
The
promulgation of new laws or regulations, or the new interpretation of existing laws and regulations, in each case that restrict or otherwise
unfavorably impact the ability or manner in which we conduct our business and could require us to change certain aspects of our business
to ensure compliance, which could decrease demand for our products, reduce revenues, increase costs, require us to obtain more licenses,
permits, approvals or certificates, or subject us to additional liabilities. To the extent any new or more stringent measures are required
to be implemented, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected as well as materially decrease
the value of our Common Stock.
The
Chinese government exerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities. We are currently not
required to obtain approval from Chinese authorities to list on U.S exchanges, however, if our holding company or subsidiaries were required
to obtain approval or filing in the future and were denied permission from Chinese authorities to list on U.S. exchanges, we will not
be able to continue listing on U.S. exchange, which would materially affect the interest of the investors.
The
Chinese government has exercised and can continue to exercise substantial control to intervene on virtually every sector of the Chinese
economy through regulation and state ownership, and as a result, it can influence the manner in which we must conduct our business activities
and effect material changes in our operations or the value of the common stock we are registering in this resale. Under the current government
leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing reform policies which have adversely affected China-based operating companies
whose securities are listed in the U.S., with significant policies changes being made from time to time without notice. There are substantial
uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of PRC laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the laws and regulations
governing our business, or the enforcement and performance of our contractual arrangements with borrowers in the event of the imposition
of statutory liens, death, bankruptcy or criminal proceedings. Our ability to operate in China may be harmed by changes in its laws and
regulations, including those relating to taxation, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. The central
or local governments of these jurisdictions may impose new, stricter regulations or interpretations of existing regulations that would
require additional expenditure and efforts on our part to ensure our compliance with such regulations or interpretations. Accordingly,
government actions in the future, including any decision not to continue to support recent economic reforms and to return to a more centrally
planned economy or regional or local variations in the implementation of economic policies, could have a significant effect on economic
conditions in China or particular regions thereof, and could require us to divest ourselves of any interest we then hold in Chinese properties.
Given
recent statements by the Chinese government indicating an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted
overseas and/or foreign investment in China-based issuers, any such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability
to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
Recently,
the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued
the Opinions on Severely Cracking Down on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law, or the Opinions, which was made available to
the public on July 6, 2021. The Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and
the need to strengthen the supervision over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Effective measures, such as promoting the construction
of relevant regulatory systems, will be taken to deal with the risks and incidents of China-concept overseas listed companies. As of
the date hereof, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, or sanctions from PRC government authorities in connection with the
Opinions.
On
June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, or the SCNPC, promulgated the PRC Data Security
Law, which took effect in September 2021. The PRC Data Security Law imposes data security and privacy obligations on entities and individuals
carrying out data activities, and introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the importance of data
in economic and social development, and the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights
and interests of individuals or organizations when such data is tampered with, destroyed, leaked, illegally acquired or used. The PRC
Data Security Law also provides for a national security review procedure for data activities that may affect national security and impose
export restrictions on certain data information.
In
early July 2021, regulatory authorities in China launched cybersecurity investigations with regard to several China- based companies
that are listed in the United States. The Chinese cybersecurity regulator announced on July 2 that it had begun an investigation of Didi
Global Inc. (NYSE: DIDI) and two days later ordered that the company’s app be removed from smartphone app stores. On July 5, 2021,
the Chinese cybersecurity regulator launched the same investigation on two other Internet platforms, China’s Full Truck Alliance
of Full Truck Alliance Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YMM) and Boss of KANZHUN LIMITED (Nasdaq: BZ). On July 24, 2021, the General Office of the Communist
Party of China Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly released the Guidelines for Further Easing the Burden
of Excessive Homework and Off-campus Tutoring for Students at the Stage of Compulsory Education, pursuant to which foreign investment
in such firms via mergers and acquisitions, franchise development, and variable interest entities are banned from this sector.
On
August 17, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on the Protection of the Security of Critical Information Infrastructure,
or the Regulations, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The Regulations supplement and specify the provisions on the security of
critical information infrastructure as stated in the Cybersecurity Review Measures. The Regulations provide, among others, that protection
department of certain industry or sector shall notify the operator of the critical information infrastructure in time after the identification
of certain critical information infrastructure.
22
On
August 20, 2021, the SCNPC promulgated the Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC, or the Personal Information Protection Law,
which took effect in November 2021. As the first systematic and comprehensive law specifically for the protection of personal information
in the PRC, the Personal Information Protection Law provides, among others, that (i) an individual’s consent shall be obtained
to use sensitive personal information, such as biometric characteristics and individual location tracking, (ii) personal information
operators using sensitive personal information shall notify individuals of the necessity of such use and impact on the individual’s
rights, and (iii) where personal information operators reject an individual’s request to exercise his or her rights, the individual
may file a lawsuit with a People’s Court.
As
such, the Company’s business segments may be subject to various government and regulatory interference in the provinces in which
they operate. The Company could be subject to regulation by various political and regulatory entities, including various local and municipal
agencies and government sub-divisions. The Company may incur increased costs necessary to comply with existing and newly adopted laws
and regulations or penalties for any failure to comply. Additionally, the governmental and regulatory interference could significantly
limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to
significantly decline or be worthless.
Furthermore,
it is uncertain when and whether the Company will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges
in the future, and even when such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. Although the Company is currently not
required to obtain permission from any of the PRC federal or local government to obtain such permission and has not received any denial
to list on the U.S. exchange, our operations could be adversely affected, directly or indirectly, by existing or future laws and regulations
relating to its business or industry.
On
February 17, 2023, the CSRC promulgated Trial Administrative Measures of the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies
(the “Overseas Listing Trial Measures”) and five relevant guidelines, which became effective on March 31, 2023. According
to the Overseas Listing Trial Measures, PRC domestic companies that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in
direct or indirect means, are required to fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC and report relevant information. The Overseas Listing
Trial Measures provides that an overseas listing or offering is explicitly prohibited, if any of the following: (1) such securities offering
and listing is explicitly prohibited by provisions in laws, administrative regulations and relevant state rules; (2) the intended securities
offering and listing may endanger national security as reviewed and determined by competent authorities under the State Council in accordance
with law; (3) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering and listing, or its controlling shareholder(s) and the actual
controller, have committed relevant crimes such as corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property or undermining the
order of the socialist market economy during the latest three years; (4) the domestic company intending to make the securities offering
and listing is currently under investigations for suspicion of criminal offenses or major violations of laws and regulations, and no
conclusion has yet been made thereof; or (5) there are material ownership disputes over equity held by the domestic company’s controlling
shareholder(s) or by other shareholder(s) that are controlled by the controlling shareholder(s) and/or actual controller.
The
Overseas Listing Trial Measures also provides that if the issuer meets both the following criteria, the overseas securities offering
and listing conducted by such issuer will be deemed as indirect overseas offering by PRC domestic companies: (1) 50% or more of any of
the issuer’s operating revenue, total profit, total assets or net assets as documented in its audited consolidated financial statements
for the most recent fiscal year is accounted for by domestic companies; and (2) the issuer’s main business activities are conducted
in China, or its main place(s) of business are located in China, or the majority of senior management staff in charge of its business
operations and management are PRC citizens or have their usual place(s) of residence located in China. Where an issuer submits an application
for initial public offering to competent overseas regulators, such issuer must file with the CSRC within three business days after such
application is submitted. In addition, the Overseas Listing Trial Measures provide that the direct or indirect overseas listings of the
assets of domestic companies through one or more acquisitions, share swaps, transfers or other transaction arrangements shall be subject
to filing procedures in accordance with the Overseas Listing Trial Measures. The Overseas Listing Trial Measures also requires subsequent
reports to be filed with the CSRC on material events, such as change of control or voluntary or forced delisting of the issuer(s) who
have completed overseas offerings and listings.
At
a press conference held for these new regulations (“Press Conference”), officials from the CSRC clarified that the domestic
companies that have already been listed overseas on or before March 31, 2023, shall be deemed as existing issuers (the “Existing
Issuers”). Existing Issuers are not required to complete the filling procedures immediately, and they shall be required to file
with the CSRC upon occurrences of certain subsequent matters such as follow-on offerings of securities. According to the Overseas Listing
Trial Measures and the Press Conference, the existing domestic companies that have completed overseas offering and listing before March
31, 2023, such as us, shall not be required to perform filing procedures for the completed overseas securities issuance and listing.
However, from the effective date of the regulation, any of our subsequent securities offering in the same overseas market or subsequent
securities offering and listing in other overseas markets shall be subject to the filing requirement with the CSRC within three working
days after the offering is completed or after the relevant application is submitted to the relevant overseas authorities, respectively.
If it is determined that any approval, filing or other administrative procedures from other PRC governmental authorities is required
for any future offering or listing, we cannot assure you that we can obtain the required approval or accomplish the required filings
or other regulatory procedures in a timely manner, or at all. If we fail to fulfill filing procedure as stipulated by the Trial Measures
or offer and list securities in an overseas market in violation of the Trial Measures, the CSRC may order rectification, issue warnings
to us, and impose a fine of between RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000. Persons-in-charge and other persons that are directly liable for
such failure shall be warned and each imposed a fine from RMB500,000 to RMB5,000,000. Controlling shareholders and actual controlling
persons of us that organize or instruct such violations shall be imposed a fine from RMB1,000,000 and RMB10,000,000.
On
February 24, 2023, the CSRC published the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archives Administration Related to the
Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Enterprises (the “Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration”),
which came into effect on March 31, 2023. The Provisions on Confidentiality and Archives Administration require that, in the process
of overseas issuance and listing of securities by domestic entities, the domestic entities, and securities companies and securities service
institutions that provide relevant securities service shall strictly implement the provisions of relevant laws and regulations and the
requirements of these provisions, establish and improve rules on confidentiality and archives administration. Where the domestic entities
provide with or publicly disclose documents, materials or other items related to the state secrets and government work secrets to the
relevant securities companies, securities service institutions, overseas regulatory authorities, or other entities or individuals, the
companies shall apply for approval of competent departments with the authority of examination and approval in accordance with law and
report the matter to the secrecy administrative departments at the same level for record filing. Where there is unclear or controversial
whether or not the concerned materials are related to state secrets, the materials shall be reported to the relevant secrecy administrative
departments for determination. However, there remain uncertainties regarding the further interpretation and implementation of the Provisions
on Confidentiality and Archives Administration.
23
As
of the date of this annual report, we and our PRC subsidiaries have obtained the requisite licenses and permits from the PRC government
authorities that are material for the business operations of our PRC subsidiaries. In addition, as of the date of this annual report,
we and our PRC subsidiaries are not required to obtain approval or permission from the CSRC or the CAC or any other entity that is required
to approve our PRC subsidiaries’ operations or required for us to offer securities to foreign investors under any currently effective
PRC laws, regulations, and regulatory rules. If it is determined that we are subject to filing requirements imposed by the CSRC under
the Overseas Listing Regulations or approvals from other PRC regulatory authorities or other procedures, including the cybersecurity
review under the revised Cybersecurity Review Measures, for our future offshore offerings, it would be uncertain whether we can or how
long it will take us to complete such procedures or obtain such approval and any such approval could be rescinded. Any failure to obtain
or delay in completing such procedures or obtaining such approval for our offshore offerings, or a rescission of any such approval if
obtained by us, would subject us to sanctions by the CSRC or other PRC regulatory authorities for failure to file with the CSRC or failure
to seek approval from other government authorization for our offshore offerings. These regulatory authorities may impose fines and penalties
on our operations in China, limit our ability to pay dividends outside of China, limit our operating privileges in China, delay or restrict
the repatriation of the proceeds from our offshore offerings into China or take other actions that could materially and adversely affect
our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, as well as the trading price of our common stock. The CSRC or
other PRC regulatory authorities also may take actions requiring us, or making it advisable for us, to halt our offshore offerings before
settlement and delivery of the securities offered. Consequently, if investors engage in market trading or other activities in anticipation
of and prior to settlement and delivery, they do so at the risk that settlement and delivery may not occur. In addition, if the CSRC
or other regulatory authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals or accomplish the
required filing or other regulatory procedures for our prior offshore offerings, we may be unable to obtain a waiver of such approval
requirements, if and when procedures are established to obtain such a waiver. Any uncertainties or negative publicity regarding such
approval requirement could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, reputation, and the trading
price of our common stock.
In
addition, on December 28, 2021, the CAC, the National Development and Reform Commission (“NDRC”), and several other administrations
jointly issued the revised Measures for Cybersecurity Review, or the Revised Review Measures, which became effective and has replaced
the existing Measures for Cybersecurity Review on February 15, 2022. According to the Revised Review Measures, if an “online platform
operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million users intends to list in a foreign country, it must apply
for a cybersecurity review. Based on a set of Q&A published on the official website of the State Cipher Code Administration in connection
with the issuance of the Revised Review Measures, an official of the said administration indicated that an online platform operator should
apply for a cybersecurity review prior to the submission of its listing application with non-PRC securities regulators. Given the recency
of the issuance of the Revised Review Measures and their pending effectiveness, there is a general lack of guidance and substantial uncertainties
exist with respect to their interpretation and implementation. For example, it is unclear whether the requirement of cybersecurity review
applies to follow-on offerings by an “online platform operator” that is in possession of personal data of more than one million
users where the offshore holding company of such operator is already listed overseas. Furthermore, the CAC released the draft of the
Regulations on Network Data Security Management in November 2021 for public consultation, which among other things, stipulates that a
data processor listed overseas must conduct an annual data security review by itself or by engaging a data security service provider
and submit the annual data security review report for a given year to the municipal cybersecurity department before January 31 of the
following year. If the draft Regulations on Network Data Security Management are enacted in the current form, we, as an overseas listed
company, will be required to carry out an annual data security review and comply with the relevant reporting obligations.
If
the Chinese government chooses to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment
in China-based issuers, such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities
to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Recent
statements by the Chinese government have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas
and/or foreign investments in China based issuers. PRC has recently proposed new rules that would require companies collecting or holding
large amounts of data to undergo a cybersecurity review prior to listing in foreign countries, a move that would significantly tighten
oversight over China-based internet giants. On January 4, 2022, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC, issued the revised Measures
on Cyberspace Security Review (the “Revised Measures”), which came into effect on February 15, 2022. Under the Revised Measures,
any “network platform operator” controlling personal information of no less than one million users which seeks to list in
a foreign stock exchange should also be subject to cybersecurity review. Pursuant to the Revised Measures, companies holding data on
more than 1 million users must now apply for cybersecurity approval when seeking listings in other nations due to the risk that such
data and personal information could be “affected, controlled, and maliciously exploited by foreign governments.”
Our
business belongs to the chemical industry in China, which does not involve the collection of user data, implicate cybersecurity, or involve
any other type of restricted industry. Based on the advice of PRC counsel and our understanding of currently applicable PRC laws and
regulations, listing of our common stock in the U.S. is not subject to the review or prior approval of the Cyberspace Administration
of China (the “CAC”) or the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CRSC”). Uncertainties still exist, however,
due to the possibility that laws, regulations, or policies in the PRC could change rapidly in the future. Any future action by the PRC
government expanding the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CRSC,
or the CAC could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could
cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
24
The
occurrence of security breaches and cyber-attacks could negatively impact our business.
Information
technology systems are important to our business and operations. We are subject to attempts to compromise our security and information
systems, including denial of service attacks, viruses, malicious software or ransomware, and exploitations of system flaws or weaknesses.
Error or malfeasance or other irregularities may also result in the failure of our or our third-party service providers’ cybersecurity
measures and may give rise to a cybersecurity incident. The techniques used to conduct security breaches and cyber-attacks, as well as
the sources and targets of these attacks, change frequently and may not be recognized until launched against us or our third-party service
providers. We or our third-party service providers may not have the resources or technical sophistication to anticipate or prevent rapidly
evolving types of cyber-attacks. The primary risks that could directly result from the occurrence of security breaches and cyber-attacks
include operational interruption, financial losses, personal information leakage and non- compliance. The occurrence of such incidents
could negatively impact our business operations and our relationships with customers and employees, and damage our reputation. If we
or our third-party service providers are unable to avert security breaches and cyber- attacks, we could incur significantly higher costs,
including remediation costs to repair damage caused by the breach, costs to deploy additional personnel and network protection technologies,
train employees and engage third-party experts and consultants, as well as litigation costs resulting from the incident. These costs,
which could be material, could adversely impact our results of operations in the period in which they are incurred and may not meaningfully
limit the success of future attempts to breach our information technology systems.
Uncertainties
with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.
The
PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions under the civil
law system may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.
In
1979, the PRC government began to promulgate a comprehensive system of laws and regulations governing economic matters generally. The
overall effect of legislation over the past three decades has significantly enhanced the protections afforded to various forms of foreign
investments in the PRC. However, the PRC has not developed a fully integrated legal system, and recently enacted laws and regulations
may not sufficiently cover all aspects of economic activities in the PRC. In particular, the interpretation and enforcement of these
laws and regulations involve uncertainties. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting
and implementing statutory provisions and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court
proceedings and the level of legal protection we enjoy. These uncertainties may affect our judgment on the relevance of legal requirements
and our ability to enforce our contractual rights or tort claims. In addition, these regulatory uncertainties may be exploited through
unmerited or frivolous legal actions or threats in attempts to extract payments or benefits from us.
Furthermore,
the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or
at all and may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until
some time after the violation. In addition, any administrative and court proceedings in the PRC may be protracted, resulting in substantial
costs and diversion of resources and management attention.
If
the Chinese government were to impose new requirements for approval from the PRC Authorities to issue our common stock to foreign investors
or list on a foreign exchange, such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities
to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
We
face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties associated with having our operations in China and the complex and evolving
PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government has significant authority in regulating our operations and may intervene or influence our
operations at any time, which could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our securities. The PRC government
has recently indicated its intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and foreign investment
in China-based issuers. Such actions could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities
to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. The General Office of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the “Opinions on Severely Cracking Down
on Illegal Securities Activities According to Law,” or the Opinions, which were made available to the public on July 6, 2021. The
Opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities, and the need to strengthen the supervision
over overseas listings by Chinese companies. Given the current PRC regulatory environment, it is uncertain when and whether we or our
PRC subsidiaries, will be required to obtain permission from the PRC government to list on U.S. exchanges in the future, and even when
such permission is obtained, whether it will be denied or rescinded. We have been closely monitoring regulatory developments in China
regarding any necessary approvals from the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities required for overseas listings. As of the date
of this annual report, we have not received any inquiry, notice, warning, sanctions or regulatory objection to listing on U.S. exchange
from the CSRC or other PRC governmental authorities. However, there remains significant uncertainty as to the enactment, interpretation
and implementation of regulatory requirements related to overseas securities offerings and other capital markets activities. For more
details, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors - Risks Related to Doing Business in China”
On
February 17, 2023, the CSRC released the Trial Administrative Measures for Administration of Overseas Securities Offerings and Listings
by Domestic Companies (the “Trial Measures”) and five supporting guidelines, which came into effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant
to the Trial Measures, domestic companies that seek to offer or list securities overseas, both directly and indirectly, should fulfill
the filing procedures and report relevant information to the CSRC. If a domestic company fails to complete the filing procedures or conceals
any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents, such domestic company may be subject to administrative penalties
by the CSRC, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, the person directly in
charge and other directly liable persons may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. Currently, we and
our PRC subsidiaries are not required to file for a cybersecurity review by the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, for our
past issuance of securities to investors and maintaining our listing status on the Nasdaq, since our company already listed on Nasdaq
before promulgation of the Trial Measures is not required to file for a cybersecurity review by the CAC to maintain our listing status
on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, or the Nasdaq on which our securities have been listed. Even though we are not required to complete the
filing procedures with the CSRC for our historical issuance of securities, we may be required by the Trial Measures to file with the
CSRC in connection with future securities offerings and listings outside of mainland China, including follow-on offerings, issuance of
convertible bonds, offshore relisting after going-private transactions, and other equivalent offering activities. There remain substantial
uncertainties about the interpretation, application and implementation of the laws and regulations relating to the CSRC filing and CAC
cybersecurity review. If we fail to obtain any requisite approvals with respect to future offerings of our equity securities to foreign
investors, or if we inadvertently conclude that such permissions or approvals are not required, or if the applicable laws, regulations
or interpretations thereof change and we become subject to the requirement of additional permissions or approvals in the future, our
ability to execute our financing and equity offering plans may be significantly limited or completely hindered. Any lack of or failure
to maintain requisite approvals, licenses or permits applicable to us or our PRC subsidiaries may have a material adverse impact on our
business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or
continue to offer securities to investors, and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless.
25
Our
common stock may be delisted from the Nasdaq under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to adequately
inspect audit documentation located in China. The delisting of our common stock, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially
and adversely affect the value of your investment.
The
Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or HFCAA, was enacted on December 18, 2020, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations
Act, 2023. The HFCAA states if the SEC determines that a company has filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm
that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit such ordinary
shares from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the U.S.
On
March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements
of the HFCAA. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non- inspection”
year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. Furthermore, on June 22, 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating
Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which was signed into law on December 29, 2022, amends the HFCAA and requires the SEC to prohibit
an issuer’s securities from trading on any U.S. stock exchanges if its auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive
years instead of three. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate
PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in China mainland and Hong Kong completely in 2022. The PCAOB Board vacated its
previous 2021 determinations that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered
in mainland China and Hong Kong.
As
of the date of this annual report, the PCAOB has not issued any new determination that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely
registered public accounting firms headquartered in any jurisdiction. As a result, we do not expect to be identified as a “Commission-Identified
Issuer” under the HFCAA for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, after we file our annual report on Form 10-K for such fiscal
year. On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, was signed into law, which amended the HFCAA (i) to reduce the
number of consecutive non-inspection years required for triggering the prohibitions under the HFCAA from three years to two, and (ii)
so that any foreign jurisdiction could be the reason why the PCAOB does not have complete access to inspect or investigate a company’s
auditors. As it was originally enacted, the HFCAA applied only if the PCAOB’s inability to inspect or investigate because of a
position taken by an authority in the foreign jurisdiction where the relevant public accounting firm is located. As a result of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act 2023, the HFCAA now also applies if the PCAOB’s inability to inspect or investigate the relevant accounting
firm is due to a position taken by an authority in any foreign jurisdiction. The denying jurisdiction does not need to be where the accounting
firm is located. However, whether the PCAOB will be able to continue to conduct inspections and investigations completely to its satisfaction
of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong are subject to uncertainty and depends on a
number of factors out of our, and our auditor’s, control, including positions taken by authorities of the PRC. Each year, the PCAOB
will determine whether it can inspect and investigate completely audit firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, among other jurisdictions.
If PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely accounting firms in mainland
China and Hong Kong and we continue to use an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on
our financial statements filed with the SEC, we would be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer following the filing of the annual
report on Form 10-K for the relevant fiscal year. There can be no assurance that we would not be identified as a Commission-Identified
Issuer for any future fiscal year, and if we were identified for two consecutive years, we would become subject to the prohibition on
trading under the HFCAA.
Our
auditor, GGF CPA LTD, Certified Public Accountants, the independent registered public accounting firm that issued the audit report included
in our annual report, an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a China-based accounting firm registered
with the PCAOB, is 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 is based in the China and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular
basis.
However,
our auditor’s working papers related to us, and our subsidiaries are located in China. If our auditor is not permitted to provide
requested audit work papers located in China to the PCAOB, investors would be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB’s oversight of
our auditor through such inspections which could result in limitation or restriction to our access to the U.S. capital markets, and trading
of our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA, which would result in the delisting of our securities from the Nasdaq.
Because
the majority of our operations are in mainland China and our auditor has been located in mainland China, a jurisdiction where the U.S.
Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of Chinese
authorities, there have been concerns regarding oversight of the audits of our financial statements filed with the SEC. If the PCAOB
continues to be unable to inspect our audit firm in the PRC for three consecutive years, the HFCAA requires the SEC to prohibit the trading
of our securities on a national securities exchange, including Nasdaq, or on over-the- counter markets in the United States.
In
addition, the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives have each passed bills, which, if enacted, would decrease the number of non-inspection
years from three consecutive years to two, thus reducing the time period before our securities may be prohibited from trading on a U.S.
securities exchange or delisted from Nasdaq. The foregoing could adversely affect the market price of our securities and our ability
to raise capital effectively.
Auditors
of companies that are registered with the SEC and traded publicly in the United States, including our independent registered public accounting
firm, are required to be registered with the PCAOB and to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess their compliance with the
laws of the United States and applicable professional standards. Because our current auditor is located in mainland China, a jurisdiction
where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of Chinese authorities, our auditor is not currently
inspected by the PCAOB.
PCAOB
inspections of auditors located outside of mainland China and Hong Kong have at times identified deficiencies in those auditors’
audit procedures and quality control procedures, which may be addressed as part of the PCAOB’s inspection process to improve future
audit quality. The lack of PCAOB inspections of audit work undertaken in mainland China and Hong Kong prevent the PCAOB from regularly
evaluating our auditor’s audits and its quality control procedures. As a result, investors are deprived of the benefits of PCAOB
inspections, which could result in limitations or restrictions on our access to the U.S. capital markets.
26
Furthermore,
in recent years, the U.S. Congress and regulatory authorities have continued to express concerns about challenges in their oversight
of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. As part of this continued focus on access
to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular under Chinese law, the United States enacted the HFCAA
in December 2020. The HFCAA requires the SEC to identify issuers that have filed an annual report with an audit report issued by a registered
public accounting firm that is located in a foreign jurisdiction and that the PCAOB has determined it is unable to inspect or investigate
completely because of a restriction imposed by a non-U.S. authority in the auditor’s local jurisdiction (a “Commission-Identified
Issuer”). Under the HFCAA, if the SEC conclusively identifies an issuer as a Commission-Identified Issuer for three consecutive
years, the SEC is required to prohibit the trading of the issuer’s securities on a national securities exchange or through any
other method that is within the jurisdiction of the SEC to regulate, including over-the counter markets in the United States. Our securities
may be prohibited from trading on the Nasdaq or other U.S. stock exchanges if our auditor is not inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive
years, and this ultimately could result in our securities being delisted.
Furthermore,
in June 2021, the U.S. Senate passed the Accelerating Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (“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 exchanges if its auditor
is not subject to PCAOB inspections for two consecutive years (as opposed to the three years under the HFCAA). In February 2022, the
U.S. House of Representatives passed the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre- Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength
(COMPETES) Act of 2022 (the “America COMPETES Act”), which similarly would amend the HFCAA to shorten the number of non-inspection
years from three years to two years. The America COMPETES Act, however, includes a broader range of legislation than the AHFCA Act in
response to the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act passed by the U.S. Senate in 2021. The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S.
Senate will need to agree on amendments to these respective bills to allow the legislature to pass their amended bills before the President
can sign the bill into law. It is unclear if or when either of these bills will be signed into law.
In
September 2021, the PCAOB adopted PCAOB Rule 6100, Board Determinations Under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, which provides
a framework for the PCAOB to use when determining whether the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely a registered public
accounting firm located in a foreign jurisdiction because of a position taken by one or more authorities in that jurisdiction for the
purposes of the HFCAA. PCAOB Rule 6100 establishes the manner of the PCAOB’s determinations; the factors the PCAOB will evaluate
and the documents and information it will consider when assessing whether a determination is warranted; the form, public availability,
effective date, and duration of such determinations; and the process by which the PCAOB will reaffirm, modify or vacate any such determinations.
In November 2021, the SEC announced that it had approved Rule 6100. In December 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to finalize rules implementing
the submission and disclosure requirements in the HFCAA for Commission-Identified Issuers, which became effective on January 10, 2022.
In addition, the PCAOB issued a Determination Report, pursuant to PCAOB Rule 6100, which found that the PCAOB is unable to inspect or
investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong because of positions taken by
Chinese authorities in those jurisdictions. The SEC began to identify Commission- Identified Issuers for fiscal years beginning after
December 18, 2020. A Commission-Identified Issuer will be required to comply with the submission and disclosure requirements in the annual
report for each year in which it was so identified. If an issuer is identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer based on its annual
report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, the issuer will be required to comply with the submission or disclosure requirements
in its annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022. If we are identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer that uses an
auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection for three consecutive years, or, if the AHFCAA or the America COMPETES Act is passed, two consecutive
years, our securities may be delisted from Nasdaq as a result. Delisting of our securities would force holders of our securities to sell
their securities. Further, we may be prohibited from listing our securities on another U.S. securities exchange, making our shares harder
to trade for the investors, potentially reducing demand and lowering our share price. The market price of our securities could be adversely
affected as a result of anticipated negative impacts of such legislative or executive actions upon, as well as negative investor sentiment
toward, companies with significant operations in mainland China and Hong Kong that are listed in the United States, regardless of whether
such actions are implemented and regardless of our actual operating performance.
Our
auditor, GGF CPA LTD., Certified Public Accountants, is a China-based accounting firm registered with the PCAOB, and is 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 is headquartered in the China and is subject to inspection by the PCAOB on a regular basis. On August 26, 2022,
the PCAOB signed the Protocol with the CSRC and the MOF of the People’s Republic of China, governing inspections and investigations
of audit firms based in mainland China and Hong Kong. The Protocol remains unpublished and is subject to further explanation and implementation.
Pursuant to the fact sheet with respect to the Protocol disclosed by the SEC, the PCAOB shall have independent discretion to select any
issuer audits for inspection or investigation and the unfettered ability to transfer information to the SEC. On December 15, 2022, the
PCAOB announced that it was able to secure complete access to inspect and investigate PCAOB registered public accounting firms headquartered
in China mainland and Hong Kong completely in 2022. The PCAOB Board vacated its previous 2021 determinations that the PCAOB was unable
to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in China mainland and Hong Kong. However, whether
the PCAOB will continue to be able to satisfactorily conduct inspections of PCAOB-registered public accounting firms headquartered in
China mainland and Hong Kong is subject to uncertainty and depends on a number of factors out of our, and our auditor’s control.
The PCAOB is continuing to demand complete access in China mainland and Hong Kong moving forward and was already making plans to resume
regular inspections in early 2023 and beyond, as well as to continue pursuing ongoing investigations and initiate new investigations
as needed. The PCAOB has indicated that it will act immediately to consider the need to issue new determinations with the HFCAA if needed.
Therefore, the PCAOB in the future may determine that it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting
firms in mainland China and Hong Kong. Our auditor’s working papers related to us and our subsidiaries are located in China. If
our auditor is not permitted to provide requested audit work papers located in China to the PCAOB, investors would be deprived of the
benefits of PCAOB’s oversight of our auditor through such inspections which could result in limitation or restriction to our access
to the U.S. capital markets and trading of our securities may be prohibited under the HFCAA, which would result in the delisting of our
securities from the Nasdaq.
For
a detailed description of risks related to our doing business in China, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors - Risks Related To Doing Business
In China”
27
Changes
in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material adverse effect on our business
and operations.
Substantially
all of our assets and operations are located in the PRC. Accordingly, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects
may be influenced 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 level of government involvement, development, growth rate,
control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the Chinese government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization
of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate
governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in the PRC is still owned by the government. In addition,
the Chinese government continues to play a significant role in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The Chinese
government also exercises significant control over the PRC’s economic growth through allocating resources, controlling payment
of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or
companies.
While
the Chinese economy has experienced significant growth over past decades, growth has been uneven, both geographically and among various
sectors of the economy. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in the PRC, in the policies of the Chinese government or in the laws
and regulations in the PRC could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of the PRC. Such developments could adversely
affect our business and operating results, lead to a reduction in demand for our services and adversely affect our competitive position.
The Chinese government has implemented various measures to encourage economic growth and guide the allocation of resources. Some of these
measures may benefit the overall Chinese economy but may have a negative effect on us. For example, our financial condition and results
of operations may be adversely affected by government control over capital investments or changes in tax regulations. In addition, in
the past the Chinese government has implemented certain measures, including interest rate adjustment, to control the pace of economic
growth. These measures may cause decreased economic activity in the PRC, which may adversely affect our business and operating results.
China’s
economic, political and social conditions, as well as changes in any government policies, laws and regulations, could have a material
adverse effect on our business.
All
of our operations are located in China and substantially of our net revenues are derived from customers located in China. Accordingly,
our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and certain transactions we may undertake may be subject, to a significant
extent, to economic, political and legal developments in China.
China’s
economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the amount of government involvement, level
of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although China’s economy has been transitioning
from a planned economy to a more market-oriented economy since the late 1970s, the PRC government continues to play a significant role
in regulating industry development by imposing industrial policies. The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s
economic growth through allocating resources, controlling the incurrence and payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting
monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. Changes in any of these policies, laws and
regulations could adversely affect the economy in China and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The
PRC government has implemented various measures to encourage foreign investment and sustainable economic growth and to guide the allocation
of financial and other resources. However, we cannot assure you that the PRC government will not repeal or alter these measures or introduce
new measures that will have a negative effect on us. China’s social and political conditions may change and become unstable. Any
sudden changes to China’s political system or the occurrence of widespread social unrest could have a material adverse effect on
our business and results of operations.
28
If
the Company becomes directly subject to the recent scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity involving U.S.-listed Chinese companies,
we may have to expend significant resources to investigate and resolve the matters. Any unfavorable results from the investigations could
harm our business operations and our reputation.
Recently,
U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been subjects of intense scrutiny, criticism and
negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and
negative publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities, lack of effective internal control over financial reporting,
inadequate corporate governance and ineffective implementation thereof and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result of enhanced
scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stocks of many U.S.-listed Chinese companies have sharply decreased in
value and, in some cases, have become virtually worthless or illiquid. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits
and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effects
the sector-wide investigations will have on the Company. If the Company becomes the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such
allegations are proven to be true or untrue, the Company will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and
defend the Company. If such allegations were not proven to be baseless, the Company would be severely hampered and the price of the stock
of the Company could decline substantially. If such allegations were proven to be groundless, the investigation might have significantly
distracted the attention of the Company’s management.
It
may be difficult to serve the Company with legal process or enforce judgments against the Company or its management.
Most
of the Company’s assets are located in China, all of its directors and officers are non-residents of the United States and located
in China, and all or substantial portions of the assets of such non-residents are located outside the United States. As a result, it
may not be possible to effect service of process within the United States upon such persons to originate an action in the United States.
Moreover, there is uncertainty that the courts of China would enforce judgments of U.S. courts against the Company, its directors or
officers based on the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state, or an original action brought
in China based upon the securities laws of the United States or any state.
The
recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce
foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedure Law based either on treaties between China and the country
where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other forms of
reciprocity with the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. In addition, according
to the PRC Civil Procedure Law, the PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide
that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC laws or national sovereignty, security or public interest. As a result, it is
uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States.
You
may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us
or our management based on foreign laws.
We
conduct substantially all of our operations in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, our current
officers reside within China and are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process
upon us or those persons inside the PRC. In addition, the PRC does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement
of judgments of courts with the U.S. and many other countries and regions. Therefore, recognition and enforcement in the PRC of judgments
of a court in any of these non-PRC jurisdictions in relation to any matter not subject to a binding arbitration provision may be difficult
or impossible.
We
may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may
have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our
ability to conduct our business.
We
rely principally on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiaries for our cash requirements, including for services
of any debt we may incur.
Our
PRC subsidiaries’ ability to distribute dividends is based upon their distributable earnings. Current PRC regulations permit our
PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to their respective shareholders only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance
with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our PRC subsidiaries, as a Foreign Invested Enterprise, or FIE, are
required to draw 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund a common reserve, which may stop drawing its after tax profits
if the aggregate balance of the common reserve has already accounted for over 50 percent of its registered capital. These reserves are
not distributable as cash dividends. If our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing
the debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries
to distribute dividends or other payments to their respective shareholders could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow,
make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends or otherwise fund and conduct our business.
In
addition, the Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules provide that a withholding tax rate of up to 10% will be applicable
to dividends payable by Chinese companies to non-PRC-resident enterprises unless otherwise exempted or reduced according to treaties
or arrangements between the PRC central government and governments of other countries or regions where the non-PRC resident enterprises
are incorporated.
29
PRC
regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies and governmental control of currency conversion
may delay us from making loans or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect
our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
Any
funds we transfer to our PRC subsidiaries, either as a shareholder loan or as an increase in registered capital, are subject to approval
by or registration with relevant governmental authorities in China. According to the relevant PRC regulations on foreign- invested enterprises,
or FIEs, in China, capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries are subject to the approval of or filing with the Ministry of Commerce,
or MOFCOM or its local branches and registration with a local bank authorized by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE.
In addition, (i) a foreign loan of less one year duration procured by our PRC subsidiaries is required to be registered with SAFE or
its local branches and (ii) a foreign loan of one year duration or more procured by our PRC subsidiaries is required to be applied to
the National Development and Reform Commission, or NDRC, in advance for undergoing recordation registration formalities. Any medium or
long-term loan to be provided by us to our PRC operating subsidiaries, must be registered with the NDRC and the SAFE or its local branches.
We may not be able to complete such registrations on a timely basis, with respect to future capital contributions or foreign loans by
us to our PRC Subsidiary. If we fail to complete such registrations, our ability to capitalize our PRC operations may be negatively affected,
which could adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.
On
March 30, 2015, the SAFE promulgated the Circular on Reforming the Management Approach Regarding the Foreign Exchange Capital Settlement
of Foreign-Invested Enterprises, or SAFE Circular 19, which took effect as of June 1, 2015. SAFE Circular 19 launched a nationwide reform
of the administration of the settlement of the foreign exchange capitals of FIEs and allows FIEs to settle their foreign exchange capital
at their discretion, but continues to prohibit FIEs from using the Renminbi fund converted from their foreign exchange capital for expenditure
beyond their business scopes, providing entrusted loans or repaying loans between nonfinancial enterprises. The SAFE issued the Circular
on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts, or SAFE Circular 16, effective
in June 2016. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 16, enterprises registered in China may also convert their foreign debts from foreign currency
to Renminbi on a self-discretionary basis. SAFE Circular 16 provides an integrated standard for conversion of foreign exchange under
capital account items (including but not limited to foreign currency capital and foreign debts) on a self-discretionary basis which applies
to all enterprises registered in China. SAFE Circular 16 reiterates the principle that Renminbi converted from foreign currency- denominated
capital of a company may not be directly or indirectly used for purposes beyond its business scope or prohibited by PRC laws or regulations,
while such converted Renminbi shall not be provided as loans to its non-affiliated entities. As this circular is relatively new, there
remains uncertainty as to its interpretation and application and any other future foreign exchange-related rules. Violations of these
Circulars could result in severe monetary or other penalties. SAFE Circular 19 and SAFE Circular 16 may significantly limit our ability
to use Renminbi converted from the net proceeds of this offering to fund our PRC operating subsidiary, to invest in or acquire any other
PRC companies through our PRC Subsidiary, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Fluctuations
in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.
The
value of the Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political
and economic conditions and the foreign exchange policy adopted by the PRC government. It is difficult to predict how long such appreciation
of RMB against the U.S. dollar may last and when and how the relationship between the RMB and the U.S. dollar may change again. All of
our revenues and substantially all of our costs are denominated in Renminbi. We rely on dividends paid by our operating subsidiaries
in China for our cash needs. Any significant revaluation of Renminbi may materially and adversely affect our results of operations and
financial position reported in Renminbi when translated into U.S. dollars, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, the common
stock in U.S. dollars. To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of the Renminbi
against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive. Conversely, if we decide to convert our
Renminbi into U.S. dollars for the purpose of making payments for dividends on our common stock or for other business purposes, appreciation
of the U.S. dollar against the Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amount.
30
Governmental
control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.
The
PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of the Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of
currency out of China. We receive substantially all of our revenues in Renminbi. Under our current corporate structure, we primarily
rely on dividend payments from our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have. Under existing PRC foreign
exchange regulations, payments of current account items, including profit distributions, interest payments and trade and service-related
foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval of SAFE by complying with certain procedural
requirements. Specifically, under the existing exchange restrictions, without prior approval of SAFE, cash generated from the operations
of our PRC subsidiaries in China may be used to pay dividends to our company. However, approval from or registration with appropriate
government authorities is required, in principle, where RMB is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay
capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use
cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owed to
entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi. The PRC government
may at its discretion restrict access to foreign currencies for current account transactions in the future. If the foreign exchange control
system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends
in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of the Common stock.
U.S.
regulatory bodies may be limited in their ability to conduct investigations or inspections of our operations in China.
Any
disclosure of documents or information located in China by foreign agencies may be subject to jurisdiction constraints and must comply
with China’s state secrecy laws, which broadly define the scope of “state secrets” to include matters involving economic
interests and technologies. There is no guarantee that requests from U.S. federal or state regulators or agencies to investigate or inspect
our operations will be honored by us, by entities who provide services to us or with whom we associate, without violating PRC legal requirements,
especially as those entities are located in China. Furthermore, under the current PRC laws, an on-site inspection of our facilities by
any of these regulators may be limited or prohibited.
Item
1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
Not
applicable.
Item
1C. Cybersecurity.
We
face risks associated with cybersecurity. For additional details on risks from cybersecurity threats, please refer to “Item 1A.
Risk Factors - The occurrence of security breaches and cyber-attacks could negatively impact our business .” and “-
If the Chinese government chooses to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment
in China-based issuers, such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities
to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. ”
The
purpose of our cybersecurity program is to assess, identify, manage and mitigate cybersecurity risk while supporting the achievement
of our business objectives. Under our comprehensive risk management program, the Board of Directors of the Company maintains oversight
of the most significant risks facing the Company, including cybersecurity risks, while senior management is responsible for the identification
and prioritization of risks that are material to our business, corresponding risk-mitigation efforts and day-to-day management of our
risk management program. The full Board of Directors retains oversight over management’s cybersecurity efforts. At least annually,
and often more frequently, our Board of Directors receives cybersecurity briefings from senior executives, including, when appropriate,
executives focused on cybersecurity matters.
Our
companywide cybersecurity policy sets the framework for our approach to cybersecurity. Each business unit and our corporate headquarters
designate individuals with appropriate qualifications and experience to be responsible for addressing cybersecurity matters, including
assessing, identifying and managing risks from cybersecurity threats, with a direct reporting line to senior management. Under our approach
to cybersecurity, each business unit designs and operates its own information and cybersecurity program tailored to its market, customer
requirements, regulatory requirements and threats. Our cybersecurity policy and procedures are designed to ensure senior management receives
timely and adequate information regarding cybersecurity matters, including threats and incident response, as appropriate to the matter.
Our policies and procedures are also designed to oversee and identify material cybersecurity risks related to third-party vendors and
service providers.
As
part of our approach to cyber risk management, we regularly perform internal audits of internal processes and controls relating to cybersecurity.
From time to time, as appropriate under our overall cybersecurity program, we engage third-party experts to support the assessment of
cyber related risks, including to conduct cyber penetration testing.
To
its knowledge, the Company has not experienced a material cybersecurity breach within the last three years, nor identified any risks
from cybersecurity threats that have materially affected us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition.
Item
2. Properties.
FIGURE
2.1 - REGIONAL MAP OF MINING PROPERTIES
31
FIGURE
2.2 – DETAILED MAP OF MINING PROPERTIES
We
do not own any land, although we do own some of the buildings on land we lease. Our executive offices are located at Level 11, Vegetable
Building, Industrial Park of the East in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, P.R.C, which also is the headquarters of SCHC, SHSI and SYCI
(it had been sold in December, 2025). These offices were purchased from Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Seed industry Group Co., Ltd.
32
SYCI
concentrates its efforts on the production and sale of chemical products that are used in oil and gas field exploration, oil and gas
distribution, oil field drilling, papermaking chemical agents, and manufacture and sell materials that are used for human and animal
antibiotics in China. Currently, SYCI is closed according to the November 2017 Letter and currently under construction at Bohai Marine
Fine Chemical Industry Park, Shouguang City, Shandong Province, China, where SYCI will be relocated to.
DCHC
is a registered company exploring and developing natural gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude salt) in China located
in No.14 team, Liguanggou Village, Tianbao Township, Daying County, Suining City, Sichuan Province, China.
In
the first quarter of 2018, six out of its ten bromine factories completed their rectification process within factory areas (i.e. excluding
crude salt field area) and were approved and scheduled for production commencement by April 2018 as verbally indicated by the local government.
The remaining four factories were still undergoing rectification at that time. Three factories (Factory No. 3, Factory No. 4 and Factory
No. 11) had to be demolished in September 2018 as required by the government and rectification for Factory No. 10 was completed in November
2018.
The
Company operates its bromine and crude salt production facilities through its wholly-owned subsidiary SCHC. SCHC has land use rights
to one property (10,790 square meters, or approximately 3 acre) as bromine production area for Factory No. 1 and land lease contracts
to seven properties (approximately 17,816 acre), totaling nearly 17,819 acres, located on the south bank of Laizhou Bay on the Shandong
Peninsula of the People’s Republic of China. Each of the properties is accessible by road. The Yiyang railway line is within 50
kilometers and the Yangkou port is five kilometers away.
Each
of the seven properties contains natural brine deposits which are extracted through wells and are used to extract bromine and produce
crude salt. Bromine is a simple molecular element which is produced by extracting the bromine ion from natural brine. Crude salt is sodium
chloride. Bromine is an important chemical raw material in flame retardants, fire extinguishing agents, refrigerants, photographic materials,
pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and oil and other industries. Crude salt, also known as industrial salt, is used in a wide range of chemical
industries, is the major raw material in the soda and chlor-alkali industries and can be widely used in agricultural, animal husbandry,
fisheries and food processing industries. Crude salt is also the main raw material for edible salt.
Nature
of Ownership Interest in the Properties
All
of the land in the PRC is owned by the state. Individuals and companies are permitted to acquire rights to use land or land use rights
for specific purposes at no cost. In the case of land used for industrial purposes, the land use rights are granted for a period of 50
years. This period may be renewed at the expiration of the initial and any subsequent terms. Granted land use rights are transferable
and may be used as security for borrowings and other obligations. The Company does not own any land but has entered into contracts with
the local government and original owners of the land use rights to acquire their rights for a period of 50 years. The contracts required
us to pay a one-time fee plus an annual rent.
Mineral
Rights
The
Chinese and provincial governments have enacted a series of laws and regulations relating to the natural resources sector over the past
20 years, including laws and regulations designed to improve safety and decrease environmental degradation. The “China Mineral
Resources Law” declares state ownership of all mineral resources in China. However, mineral exploration rights can be purchased,
sold and transferred to both domestic and foreign owned companies. Mineral resource rights are granted by the central government permitting
recipients to conduct mineral resource activities in a specific area during the license period. These rights entitle the licensee to
undertake mineral resource activities and infrastructure and ancillary work, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, within
the specific area covered by the license during the license period. The licensee is required to submit a proposal and feasibility studies
to the relevant authority and to pay the central government a natural resources tax levied at 8% of sales. The Company was exempt from
paying the fee prior to January 1, 2008. Shandong province has determined that bromine is to be extracted only by licensed entities.
33
Our
mineral rights are issued by the local government and allow for a one-year period of mining. The rights provide us with the exclusive
rights to explore and extract natural brine under the leased land and produce bromine and crude salt. The government performs an annual
inspection of the company’s previous year’s state of production & operations at beginning of each year. The annual inspection
reviews: (1) whether the production is safe and if any accidents occurred during the previous year; (2) whether the natural resources
tax and other taxes were timely paid; (3) whether employees’ salary and welfare benefits were timely paid; and (4) whether the
Company meets environment protection standards. Only those companies who pass the inspection receive mineral rights for another one-year
term. For those companies who do not pass the inspection, additional mineral rights are not allocated until they can meet the requirements.
If there is major safety accident, the government may revoke the mining permit.
The
mining certificate was renewed in July 2021 with production limit of 24,000 tons of bromine production per year.
On
September 21, 2018, we received a closing notice from the People’s Government of Yangkou Town, Shouguang City informing us that
we had to shut down our three bromine factories (Factory No. 3, No. 4, and No. 11.).
The
following is a description of the land use and mineral rights related to each of the nine properties held by SCHC as of December 31,
2025. All of the bromine factories are under rectification process without production.
Property
Factory
No. 1 – Haoyuan General Factory
Area
6,442
acres
Date
of Acquisition
February
5, 2007
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2054
(for mining areas only)
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
28.25
Years
Prior
fees paid for land use rights
RMB8.6
million
Annual
Rent
RMB186,633
Mining
Permit No.:
C3707002009056220022340
Date
of Permission:
July
2018, subject to renewal per three years
Period
of Permission:
Three
years
Property
Factory
No. 4 ( originally named as Subdivision of Factory No. 1 ) – State-owned Shouguang
Qinshuibo Farm
Area
0.79
acres
Date
of Factory lease
January
1, 2011
Factory
Lease Term
Twenty
Years
Factory
lease Expiration Date
2030
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the factory lease as of December 31, 2025
5
Years
Prior
Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not
applicable
Annual
Rent
RMB5,000,000
Mining
Permit No.:
Under
application
34
Property
Factory
No. 2 – Yuwenbo
Area
1,846
acres
Date
of Acquisition
April
7, 2007
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2052
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
27
Years
Prior
Fees Paid For Land Use Rights
RMB7.5
million
Annual
Rent
RMB162,560
Mining
Permit No.:
C3707002009056220022340
Date
of Permission:
July
2021, subject to renewal per three years
Period
of Permission:
Three
years
Property
Factory
No. 2 – State Operated Shouguang Qingshuibo Farm
Area
568
acres
Date
of Acquisition
December
30, 2010
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Thirty
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2040
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
15.7
Years
Prior
Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not
applicable
Annual
Rent
RMB172,500
(increase 5% per year)
Mining
Permit No.:
Under
application
Property
Factory
No. 7 (originally named as No. 5)– Wangjiancai
Area
2,165
acres
Date
of Acquisition
October
25, 2007
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2054
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
29
Years
Annual
Rent
RMB176,441
Prior
Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
RMB8.3
million
Mining
Permit No.:
Under
application, written consent obtained from local land and resources departments
Property
Factory
No. 7 – Qiufen Yuan
Area
1,611
acres
Date
of Acquisition
January
7, 2009
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2059
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
33.17
Years
Prior
Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not
applicable
Annual
Rent
RMB171,150
(increase 5% per two years)
Mining
Permit No.:
C3707002009056220022340
Date
of Permission:
July
2018, subject to renewal per three years
Period
of Permission:
Three
years
35
Property
Factory
No. 8 – Fengxia Yuan
Area
2,723
acres
Date
of Acquisition
September
7, 2009
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2059
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
33.66
Years
Prior
Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not
applicable
Annual
Rent
RMB347,130
(increase 5% per two years)
Mining
Permit No.:
Under
application, written consent obtained from local land and resources departments
Property
Factory
No. 9 – Jinjin Li
Area
759
acres
Date
of Acquisition
June
7, 2010
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Fifty
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2060
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
34.5
Years
Prior
Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not
applicable
Annual
Rent
RMB184,200
(increase 5% per two years)
Mining
Permit No.:
Under
application, written consent obtained from local land and resources departments
Property
Factory
No. 10 – Liangcai Zhang
Area
1,700
acres
Date
of Acquisition
December
13, 2021
Land
Use Rights Lease Term
Ten
Years
Land
Use Rights Expiration Date
2031
The
number of remaining years to expiration of the of the land lease as of December 31, 2025
6.0
Years
Prior
Fees Paid for Land Use Rights
Not
applicable
Annual
Rent
RMB1,376,000
Mining
Permit No.:
Under
application
Leased
Facility
On
November 5, 2010, SCHC entered into a Lease Contract with State-Operated Shouguang Qingshuibo Farm. Pursuant to the Lease Contract, SCHC
shall lease certain property with an area of 3,192 square meters (or 0.8 acres) and buildings adjacent to the Company’s Factory
No. 1. There are currently non-operating bromine production facilities on the property which have not been in production for more than
12 months. The annual lease payment for the property is RMB 5.0 million, approximately $705,950, per year and shall be paid by SCHC no
later than June 30th of each year. The term of the Lease Contract is for twenty years commencing January 1, 2011. The Lease Contract
may be renewed by SCHC for an additional twenty-year period on the same terms. The Lessor has agreed to permit SCHC to reconstruct and
renovate the existing bromine production facilities on the property.
36
The
chart below represents the annual production capacity and annualized utilization ratios for our bromine producing properties currently
leased by the Company, which are all located in Shouguang City, Shandong Province, China. There are no proven and probable reserves located
on our properties.
Bromine Property
Facility
Acquisition Date
Acres
Annual
Production Capacity # (in tons)
2025
Utilization Ratio
2024
Utilization Ratio
Factory No.
1
—
6,442
6,681
25 %
11 %
Factory No. 2
April 7, 2007
1,846
4,844
—
—
Factory No. 7* (originally named as No. 5
and No. 7)
October 25, 2007/ January
7, 2009
3,776
6,986
25 %
11 %
Factory No. 8
September 7, 2009
2,723
4,016
25 %
4 %
Factory No. 9
June 7, 2010
759
2,793
31 %
16 %
Factory No.4 (originally named as Subdivision
of Factory No. 1)
January 1, 2011
1
3,186
24 %
3 %
Factory No. 10
December 22, 2011
1,700
3,000
—
—
*
Bromine production
for Factory No. 5 and Factory No. 7 were combined in early 2010 as both factories are located adjacent to each other, and renamed Factory
No. 5 (which was previously considered part of Factory No. 7) as Factory No. 7 on May 2019.
The
following table shows the annual bromine produced and sold for each of our production facilities and the weighted average price received
for all products sold for the last two years.
2025
2024
Bromine
Produced
Sold
Selling price
Produced
Sold
Selling price
Facility
(in
tons)
(in
tons)
(RMB/ton)
(in
tons)
(in
tons)
(RMB/ton)
Factory No.
1
1,663
1,664
27,481
721
728
17,633
Factory No. 2
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory No. 3**
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory No. 4**
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory No. 7* (originally
named as No. 5 and No. 7) *
1,741
1,743
27,343
791
792
17,640
Factory No. 8
1,008
988
27,180
145
168
16,906
Factory No. 9
874
876
27,211
459
465
17,571
Factory No. 4 (originally
know Subdivision of Factory No. 1)
753
753
26,752
80
97
17,462
Factory No. 10
—
—
—
—
—
—
Factory
No. 11**
—
—
—
—
—
—
Total
6,039
6,024
2,196
2,250
* Bromine
production for Factory No. 5 and Factory No. 7 were combined in early 2010 as both factories
are located adjacent to each other, and renamed Factory No. 5 (which was previously considered
part of Factory No. 7) as Factory No. 7 on May 2019.
** Factory
No. 3, 4 and 11 were demolished in September 2018.
37
The
following table shows the annual crude salt produced and sold for each of our production facilities and the weighted average price received
for all products sold for the last two years.
2025
2024
Crude
Salt
Produced
Sold
Selling
price
Produced
Sold
Selling
price
Facility
(in
tons)
(in
tons)
(RMB/ton)
(in
tons)
(in
tons)
(RMB/ton)
Factory
No. 1
1,910
1,910
186
1,090
1,090
214
Factory
No. 2
6,420
5,847
184
3,850
6,153
194
Factory
No. 7* (Originally Named as No. 5 and
No. 7) *
32,060
34,866
184
28,960
31,694
185
Factory
No. 8
32,040
32,040
183
20,000
20,000
200
Factory
No. 9
17,610
19,253
184
15,380
18,353
181
Total
90,040
93,916
69,280
77,290
*
Bromine
production for Factory No. 5 and Factory No. 7 were combined in early 2010 as both factories are located adjacent to each other, and
renamed Factory No. 5 (which was previously considered part of Factory No. 7) as Factory No. 7 on May 2019 Our SYCI’s production
facilities did not produce or sold any chemical products for the last two years.
Item
3. Legal Proceedings.
We
are currently not a party to any legal or administrative proceedings and are not aware of any pending or threatened legal or administrative
proceedings against us in all material aspects other than the legal proceeding disclosed below. We may from time to time become a party
to various legal or administrative proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business, other than the following:
On
or about August 3, 2018, written decisions of administration penalty captioned Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 291, Shou Guo Tu Zi
Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 292, Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 293, Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 294, Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi
[2018] No. 295 and Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 296 (together, the “Written Decisions”) were served on Shouguang City
Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“SCHC”) by the Shouguang City Natural Resources and Planning Bureau (the “Bureau”),
naming SCHC as respondent. For more details and information related to the Written Decisions, please see “Note 24 – Loss
Contingencies, Notes to Consolidated Financial Statement” contained in this annual report.
Shandong
Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Seed Group Co., Ltd. owe RMB15.0 million (Approximate $2.12
million) and RMB10.0 million (Approximate $1.41 million) to Shandong Deepin City Investment Emergency Lending Fund, respectively. A total
of nine companies and individuals provided guarantee to these loans, including Shouguang Haoyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. and Shouguang Yuxin
Chemical Co., LTD. However, considering the number of guarantors, the total amount of available fund indicated by Shandong Shouguang
Vegetable Industry Group Co., Ltd. and legal advice, Gulf Resources believes that this guaranteed loan has limited impact on the company.
Shouguang
People’s Court on March 17, 2025, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“SCHC”) owes Shouguang Chengyu Trading
Co., Ltd. a sum of RMB 226,825.44 for goods. Moreover, it is required that Shouguang Haoyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. pay RMB 50,000 to Shouguang
Chengyu Trading Co., Ltd. every month before 15th starting from April 2025, until the debt is fully repaid.
According
to the Enforcement Ruling issued by the Intermediate People’s Court of Weifang, Shandong Province on December 31, 2025, the enforcement
of the Arbitration Mediation Document issued by the Linyi Arbitration Commission in case No. (2003) temporary arbitration judgment No.
1358 is terminated. The court found that, during enforcement, it had already carried out inquiries into, freezes of, deductions from,
and judicial auction of the respondents’ assets, and that no additional property available for enforcement had been found. The
applicant may apply for reinstatement of enforcement once enforceable conditions arise.
Item
4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not
applicable.
38
PART
II
Item
5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market
for Our Common Stock
As
of the date of this annual report, our common stock is listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, or NASDAQ, under the symbol “GURE”.
Holders
As
of April 12, 2026, there were 77 record holders of our common stock.
Securities
Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
See
“Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters” for the aggregate
information regarding our equity compensation plans in effect on December 31, 2025.
holders
security
holders
Purchases
of Equity Securities by the Company and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Recent
Sales of Unregistered Securities
Any
previous sales of unregistered securities by the Company have been previously disclosed in our reports on Form 10-Q or Form 8-K, as applicable,
filed with the SEC.
Item
6. [Reserved]
39
Item
7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Overview
We
are a Nevada holding company which conducts operations through our wholly-owned China-based subsidiaries. Our business is conducted and
reported in four segments, namely, bromine, crude salt, chemical products and natural gas.
Through
our wholly-owned subsidiary, SCHC, we produce and trade bromine and SHSI for crude salt production and trading. crude salt. We are one
of the largest producers of bromine in China, as measured by production output. Elemental bromine is used to manufacture a wide variety
of bromine compounds used in industry and agriculture. Bromine also is used to form intermediary chemical compounds such as Tetramethylbenzidine.
Bromine is commonly used in brominated flame retardants, fumigants, water purification compounds, dyes, medicines and disinfectants.
Crude salt is the principal material in alkali production as well as chlorine alkali production and is widely used in the chemical, food
and beverage, and other industries.
Through
our wholly-owned subsidiary, SYCI, we manufacture and sell chemical products used in oil and gas field exploration, oil and gas distribution,
oil field drilling, papermaking chemical agents, inorganic chemicals and materials that are used for human and animal antibiotics.
Our
wholly-owned subsidiary, DCHC, was established to explore and develop natural gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude salt)
in Sichuan Province, China.
Bromine
and Crude Salt
As
disclosed in the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 8, 2017, the Company received, on September 1, 2017, letters
from the Yangkou County, Shouguang City government addressed to each of its subsidiaries, SCHC and SYCI, which stated that in an effort
to improve the safety and environmental protection management level of chemical enterprises, the plants are requested to immediately
stop production and perform rectification and improvements in accordance with the country’s new safety and environmental protection
requirements. In the Company’s press release of August 11, 2017 and on its conference call of August 14, 2017, the Company addressed
concerns that increased government enforcement of stringent environmental rules that were adopted in early 2017 to insure corporations
bring their facilities up to necessary standards so that pollution and other negative environmental issues are limited and remediated,
could have an impact on our business in both the short and long-term. The Company also expressed that although it believed its facilities
were fully compliant at the time, the Company did not know how its facilities would fare under the new rules. Teams of inspectors from
the government were sent to many provinces to inspect all mining and manufacturing facilities. The local government requested that facilities
be closed, so that the facilities could undergo the inspection and analysis in the most efficient manner by inspectors’ team. As
a result, our facilities were closed on September 1, 2017.
The
Company believes that this is another step by the government to improve the environment. It further believes the goal of the government
is not to close all plants, but rather to codify the regulations related to project approval, land use, planning approval and environmental
protection assessment approval so that illegal plants are not able to open in the future and so that plants close to population centers
do not cause serious environmental damage. In addition, the Company believes that the Shandong provincial government wants to assure
that each of its regional and county governments has applied the Notice in a consistent manner.
The
Shouguang City Bromine Association, on behalf of all the bromine producers in Shouguang, initiated negotiations with the local government
agencies. The local governmental agencies acknowledged the fact that their initial requirements for the bromine industry did not include
the project, the planning and the land use rights approvals, which were later introduced by the provincial government as new requirements.
The Company understood from the local government that local government was coordinating with various government agencies to solve these
three outstanding approval issues in a timely manner and that all impacted bromine plants will not be allowed to commence production
prior to obtaining those approvals. In February 2019, the Company received a notification from the local government of Yangkou County
that its Factories No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 9 passed inspection and were allowed to resume operations. In April 2019, Factory No.
1 and No. 7 resumed operations.
Subsequently,
the Company received approval dated February 27, 2020, issued by the local governmental authority which allows us to resume production
after the winter temporary closure. Further, the Company received another approval from the Shouguang Yangkou People’s Government
dated on March 5, 2020, to resume production at its bromine factories No.1, No. 4, No.7 and No. 9 in order to meet the needs of bromide
products for epidemic prevention and control (the “March 2020 Approval”). The Company’s factories No.7 and No.1 started
trial production in middle-March 2020, and commenced commercial production on April 3, 2020.
The
Company received oral notification from the government regarding Factory No. 8, allowing it to resume production in August 2022. Factory
No.8 began contributing revenue in the fourth quarter of 2022.
40
The
Company is awaiting governmental approval for Factories No. 2 and No. 10. To our knowledge, the government is finalizing plans for all
mining areas, including flood prevention measures. As a result, we may be required to make certain modifications to our existing wells
and aqueducts prior to commencement of operations of these factories in order to satisfy the local government’s requirements. The
Company completed its flood prevention project in December 2023. This project was implemented for safeguarding its bromine facilities.
Pursuant
to the notification from the government of Shouguang City, all bromine facilities in Shouguang City were temporarily closed from December
15, 2024, until February 12, 2025. In compliance with the notification, the Company ceased production at its bromine facilities during
this period and resumed preparation operations at the bromine and crude salt factories as scheduled in February 2025.
Chemical
Products
On
November 24, 2017, the Company received a letter from the People’s Government of Yangkou County, Shouguang City notifying the Company
that due to the new standards and regulations relating to safety production and environmental pollution, from certain local governmental
departments, such as the municipal environmental protection department, the security supervision department and the fire department,
its chemical enterprises would have to be relocated to a new industrial park called Bohai Marine Fine Chemical Industry Park. Although
our chemical companies were in compliance with regulations, they were also close to a residential area. As a result, the government determined
we should relocate to the Bohai park. Chemical companies that are not being asked to move into the park are being permanently closed.
Since our factories closed, the Company has secured from the government the land use rights for its chemical plant. On January 6, 2020,
the Company received the environmental protection approval by the government of Shouguang City, Shandong Province for the proposed Yuxin
Chemical factory. Construction of the new chemical facilities at Bohai Marine Fine Chemical Industrial Park commenced in June 2020. Initially,
the construction was projected to last around one year, with an additional six months for equipment installation and testing. However,
due to the COVID epidemic and electrical restrictions, the opening of the chemical factory has been postponed. The Company has received
the refrigeration and air compressor units. Additionally, the procurement of the final equipment for our chemical factory has been postponed
until we have a better understanding of the potential for derivative bromine products. We anticipate proceeding with the completion of
its chemical factory in due course. However, in the event that the Chinese economy persists in its weakness and if we perceive this trend
to be ongoing, there is a possibility that the chemical factory could be repurposed for the production of Sodium-Ion batteries.
Natural
Gas
In
January 2017, the Company completed the construction of the first brine water and natural gas well field in Daying County, Sichuan Province,
and commenced trial production in January 2019. On May 29, 2019, the Company received verbal notice from the government of Tianbao Town,
Daying County, Sichuan Province, mandating the need for project approval for its Daying well, encompassing the entire natural gas and
brine water project. This also includes approvals for safety production inspection, environmental protection assessment, and to solve
the related land issue. Until these approvals are obtained, the Company must temporarily suspend trial production at its natural gas
well in Daying. Additionally, in compliance with the Chinese government new policies, the Company is required to obtain an exploration
license for bromine and a mining license for natural gas. Pursuant to the Opinions of the Ministry of Natural Resources on Several Issues
in Promoting the Reform of Mineral Resources Management (Trial) promulgated by the Ministry of Natural Resources of PRC on January 9,
2020, which came into effect on May 1, 2020, privately owned enterprises are allowed to participate in natural gas production. The Company
is engaged in ongoing discussions with the government of Daying County regarding the establishment of a joint venture for the exploration
and production of natural gas and brine products in Sichuan.
As
a result of our acquisitions of SCHC and SYCI, our historical consolidated financial statements and the information presented below reflects
the accounts of SCHC、SYCI and DCHC, the consolidated financial statements and the information presented below as of and for the
year ended December 31, 2025. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes
thereto appearing elsewhere in this report.
41
RESULTS
OF OPERATIONS.
Year
ended December 31, 2025, as compared to year ended December 31, 2024
Years
ended
December
31,
2025
December
31, 2024
(Restated)
Percent
Change
Increase/
(Decrease)
Net
Revenue
$ 25,418,335
$ 7,661,010
232 %
Cost
of Revenue
$ (23,257,971 )
$ (14,746,741 )
58 %
Gross
Profit
$ 2,160,364
$ (7,085,731 )
(130 %)
Sales
and Marketing Expense
$ (49,927 )
$ (46,264 )
8 %
Direct
labor and factory overheads incurred during plant shutdown
$ (5,098,990 )
$ (8,880,643 )
(43 %)
General
and Administrative Expenses
$ (5,580,071 )
$ (6,235,931 )
(11 %)
Loss
from Operations
$ (8,568,624 )
$ (22,248,569 )
(61 %)
Other
Expense, Net
$ (3,948,736 )
$ (62,113 )
6257 %
Loss
on disposal of long-lived assets
$ (2,008,853 )
$ (29,169,008 )
(93 %)
Impairment
of long-lived assets
$ (30,068,794 )
$ (6,772,500 )
344 %
Gain
on disposal of subsidiary
$ 674,776
$ —
100 %
Loss
before Taxes
$ (43,920,231 )
$ (58,252,190 )
(25 %)
Income
Tax Expense (Benefit)
$ —
$ (1,648,182 )
(100 %)
Net
Loss
$ (43,920,231 )
$ (59,900,372 )
(27 %)
Net
Loss for fiscal year 2025 decreased to $43,920,231 from $59,900,372 in 2024, mainly due to increased sales and margins, a $17,757,325
increase in net revenue and a $27,160,155 reduction in loss on disposal of long-lived assets. These positive factors were partially offset
by a sharp rise in impairment of long-lived assets to $30,068,794.
Net
Loss of $59,900,372 for fiscal year 2024 was mainly attributable to decreased sales and reduced margins. The company also suffered a
loss of $29,169,008 and $6,772,500 on retirement of fixed assets and impairment of fixed assets. Additionally, the compensation expenses
amounted to $194,700 for shares issued to company employees, officers and consultant for the year 2024 .
Net
Revenue The table below shows the changes in net revenue in the respective segment of the Company for the fiscal year 2025 compared
to the same period in 2024:
Net
Revenue by Segment
Year
Ended
December
31, 2025
Year
Ended
December
31, 2024
Percent
Increase
(Decrease)
of
Net Revenue
Segment
%
of total
%
of total
Bromine
$ 23,000,303
90.5 %
$ 5,549,815
72.4%
314.4%
Crude
Salt
2,418,032
9.5 %
2,049,988
26.8%
18.0%
Chemical
Products
—
—
—
—
—
Natural
Gas
—
—
61,207
0.8%
(100%)
Total
sales
$ 25,418,335
100.0 %
$ 7,661,010
100.0%
231.8%
Years
Ended
December
31
Percent
Increase
Bromine
and crude salt segments product sold in tonnes
2025
2024
(Decrease)
Bromine
6,024
2,250
168%
Crude
Salt
93,916
77,289
22%
Bromine
segment
Net
revenue from our bromine segment increased by 314.4% to $23,000,303 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $5,549,815 for
the year ended December 31, 2024. This increase was due to an increase in bromine unit price of 55% and an increase in volume of 168%.
Crude
salt segment
Net
revenue from our crude salt segment increased by 18.0% to $2,418,032 for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $2,049,988 for
the last year. This increase was due to an increase in volume of 22%.
Chemical
products segment
For
the years ended December 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, the net revenue for the chemical products segment was $0 due to the closure
of our chemical factories since September 1, 2017.
42
Natural
gas segment
For
the years ended December 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, the net revenue for natural gas production was nil and $61,207. This decrease
was due to the expiration of contracts.
Cost
of Revenue
Cost
of Revenue by Segment
%
Change
Year
Ended
December
31, 2025
Year
Ended
December
31, 2024
of
Cost of
Revenue
Segment
%
of total
%
of total
Bromine
$ 22,221,144
96 %
13,750,051
$ 93 %
62 %
Crude
Salt
1,036,827
4 %
996,396
7 %
4 %
Chemical
Products
—
—
—
—
—
Natural
Gas
—
—
294
—
—
Total
$ 23,257,971
100 %
$ 14,746,741
100 %
58 %
Cost
of revenue primarily includes costs of the raw materials consumed, the direct salaries and benefits for production staff, electricity
costs, depreciation and amortization of manufacturing plants and machinery, and other manufacturing-related costs. Our cost of revenue
was $23,257,971 for the year ended December 31, 2025, representing a $8,511,230 (or 58%) increase compared to the preceding year. The
increase in costs was mainly due to a significant increase in sales volume.
Bromine
production capaci ty and utilization of our factories
The
table below represents the annual capacity and utilization ratios for all of our bromine producing properties:
Annual
Production Capacity
(in
tonnes)
Utilization
Ratio
(i)
Fiscal
year 2025
31,506
19 %
Fiscal
year 2024
31,506
7 %
Variance
of the fiscal year 2025 and 2024
0
12 %
(i) Utilization
ratio is calculated based on the annualized actual production volume in tonnes for the periods
divided by the annual production capacity in tonnes.
Bromine
segment
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, the cost of revenue for the bromine segment was $22,221,144. For the year ended December 31, 2024,
the cost of revenue for the bromine segment was $13,750,051.
Crude
salt segment
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, the cost of revenue for the crude salt segment was $1,036,827. The cost of revenue for our crude salt
segment for the year ended December 31, 2024, was $996,396.
Chemical
products segment
Cost
of revenue for our chemical products segment for the fiscal year 2025 and 2024 was nil.
Natural
g as segment
Cost
of revenue for our natural gas segment for the year ended December 31, 2025, and 2024 was nil and $294.
43
Gross
Profit/(Loss). Gross profit was $2,160,364 or 8%, of net revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the gross
loss of $7,085,731 or 93%, of net revenue for the same period in 2024.
Gross
Profit (Loss) by Segment
Year
Ended
December
31, 2025
Year
Ended
December
31, 2024
%
Point Change
of
Gross Profit Margin
Segment
Gross
Profit (loss) Margin
Gross
Profit (loss) Margin
Bromine
$ 779,159
3 %
$ (8,200,236 )
(147 %)
150 %
Crude
Salt
1,381,205
57 %
1,053,592
51 %
6 %
Chemical
Products
—
—
—
—
Natural
Gas
—
—
60,913
100 %
(100 %)
Total
Gross Profit/(Loss)
$ 2,160,364
8 %
$ (7,085,731 )
(93 %)
101 %
Bromine
segment
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, the gross profit margin for our bromine segment was 3% compared to the gross loss of 147% in the previous
year. This increase was due to an increase in bromine unit price of 55% and an increase in volume of 168%.
Crude
salt segment
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, the gross profit margin for our crude salt segment was 57%, compared to 51% in the preceding year,
representing a 6 percentage point increase.
Natural
g as segment
For
the year ended December 31, 2025, the gross profit margin for our natural gas segment was nil, compared to 100% in the preceding year.
The decrease was due to the expiration of contracts.
Direct
labor and factory overheads were incurred during plant shutdown. On September 1, 2017, the Company received notification from
the government of Yangkou County, Shouguang City of PRC stating that production at all its bromine and crude salt and chemical factories
should be halted with immediate effect in order for the Company to perform rectification and improvement in accordance with the county’s
new safety and environmental protection requirements. On November 24, 2017, the Company received a letter from the Government of Yangkou
County, Shouguang City notifying the Company to relocate its two chemical production plants located in the second living area of the
Qinghe Oil Extraction Plant to Bohai Park. As such, direct labor and factory overhead costs (including depreciation of plant and machinery)
amounted to $5,098,990 and $8,880,643 for fiscal years 2025 and 2024, which were presented as operating expenses instead of in cost of
revenue. The decrease in direct labor and factory overhead costs was primarily attributable to the factories operation status during
the fiscal year 2025 and year 2024. These five factories (including No.1, No.4, No.7, No.8 and No.9) were in production during the year
2025.
44
General
and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses were $5,580,071 for the year ended December 31, 2025, representing
a decrease of $655,860 (or 11%) as compared to $6,235,931 for the same period in 2024. The decrease was mainly contributed by a decrease
in bad debt expenses.
Loss from Operations. Operating loss
was $8,568,624 for the fiscal year 2025, compared to a loss of $22,248,569 in the same period in 2024.
Income
(loss) from Operations by Segment
Year
ended
December
31, 2025
Year
ended
December
31, 2024 (Restated)
Segment:
%
of total
%
of total
Bromine
$ (4,658,726 )
65.4 %
$ (17,455,130 )
81.2 %
Crude
Salt
$ (908,680 )
12.8 %
$ (668,110 )
3.1 %
Chemical
Products
$ (1,393,175 )
19.6 %
$ (3,185,472 )
14.8 %
Natural
Gas
$ (157,913 )
2.2 %
$ (195,364 )
0.9 %
Loss
from operations before corporate costs
$ (7,118,494 )
100 %
$ (21,504,076 )
100 %
Corporate
costs
$ (1,450,130 )
$ (744,493 )
Loss
from operations before taxes
$ (8,568,624 )
$ (22,248,569 )
Bromine
segment
Loss
from operations from our bromine segment was $4,658,726 for the fiscal year 2025, compared to a loss of $17,455,130 in the same period
in 2024. This decrease was due to an increase in bromine unit price of 55% and an increase in volume of 168%.
Crude
salt segment
Loss
from operations from our crude salt segment was $908,680 for fiscal year 2025 compared to a loss of $668,110 in the same period in 2024.
The main reason for the increase in loss in crude salt in 2025 compared with 2024 is due to the increase in depreciation expenses.
Chemical
products segment
Loss
from operations from our chemical products segment was $1,393,175 for the fiscal year 2025, compared to a loss of $3,185,472 in the same
period in 2024. The main reason for the changes was due to the decrease in the bad debt for the fiscal year 2025 compared to the fiscal
year 2024.
Natural
g as segment
Loss
from operations from our natural gas segment was $157,913 for the fiscal year 2025, compared to a loss of $195,364 in the same period
in 2024.
Other
Expense, Net . Other expenses, net was $4,003,497 for the fiscal year 2025, representing an increase of $3,953,027 as compared
to the preceding year. It represents provision for guaranteed litigation for the fiscal year 2025.
Loss
on Disposal of Long-lived Assets
Loss
on disposal of long-lived assets was $2,008,853 in the fiscal year 2025. As the company was the joint responsible party for the debts
of the Vegetable Group, the court auctioned the land and the attached properties on it of SYCI.
Loss
on disposal of long-lived assets was $29,169,008 in the fiscal year 2024. In June 2024, considering the bromide well and transmission
channel have been in use for many years, the Company conducted a site inspection and found that some wells and channels were seriously
damaged by water seepage which in turn required write-off or new construction, and the write-off amount is $29,169,008.
Impairment
of Long-lived Assets
The
court engaged a third-party valuer for evaluation of the land at xiangjiang road, yangkou town, shouguang city and its attached properties;
The Company engaged an independent third-party valuer for evaluation of the fixed assets of Daying County. The valuation reports returned
a total fair value of $ 5,066,558. The Company recognized a total impairment loss of $30,068,794 accordingly.
Gain
on disposal of subsidiary
The
sale of SYCI was completed in December 2025, and the gain on disposal of subsidiary amounted to $674,776.
Net
Loss. Net loss was $43,920,231 for the fiscal year 2025, compared to net loss of $59,900,372 in the preceding year.
Net
Loss Per Share
For
the fiscal year 2025, net loss per share was $32.95 compared to net loss per share of $54.88 in the preceding year. There were 1,332,954
shares outstanding compared to 1,091,562 shares.
Foreign
Currency Translation Adjustment
For
the fiscal year 2025, the Company had a positive foreign currency translation adjustment of $2,677,801 versus a negative adjustment of
$2,730,049 in the previous year. This adjustment impacts all balance sheet translations into U.S. dollars.
45
LIQUIDITY
AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
As
of December 31, 2025, cash and cash equivalents were $3,793 as compared to $10,075,162 as of December 31, 2024. The components of this
decrease of $10,071,369 are reflected below.
Statement
of Cash Flows
Years
Ended December 31
2025
2024
(Restated)
Net
cash provided by operating activities
$ 7,802,497
$ 675,826
Net
cash used in investing activities
$ (22,571,837 )
$ (28,948,917 )
Net
cash provided by/(used in) financing activities
$ 4,844,391
$ (31,851,811 )
Effects
of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
$ (146,420 )
$ (2,023,830 )
Net
decrease in cash and cash equipment
$ (10,071,369 )
$ (62,148,732 )
For
the fiscal years 2025 and 2024, we met our working capital and capital investment requirements by using cash flows from operations and
cash on hand.
Net
Cash Provided by Operating Activities
During
the year ended December 31, 2025, cash flow provided by operating activities of approximately $7.8 million was mainly due to a non-cash
adjustment related to depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment of $13.1 million, amortization of finance lease
right-of-use asset of $3.1 million, accrued liabilities of $4 million, a loss on disposal of long-lived assets of $2 million, an impairment
of long-lived assets of $30.1 million, and offset by a net loss of $43.9 million.
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, cash flow provided by operating activities of approximately $0.68 million was mainly due to a net loss
of $59.9 million, offset by a non-cash adjustment related to depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment of $15.82
million, impairment of long-lived assets of $6.8 million, loss on disposal of equipment of $29 million, and a decrease in account receivable
of $4.26 million.
Accounts
receivable
Cash
collections on our accounts receivable had a major impact on our overall liquidity. The following table presents the aging analysis of
our accounts receivable as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
%
of total
%
of total
Aged
1-30 days
$ 1,409,269
43 %
$ 419,581
74 %
Aged
31-60 days
1,860,151
57 %
144,942
26 %
Aged
61-90 days
—
—
—
—
Aged
91-120 days
—
—
—
—
Aged
121-150 days
—
—
—
—
Aged
151-180 days
—
—
—
—
Aged
181-210 days
—
—
—
—
Aged
211-240 days
—
—
—
—
Total
$ 3,269,420
100 %
$ 564,523
100 %
The
overall accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2025 increased by $2,704,897, compared to those of December 31, 2024. The increase
was mainly due to an increase in the amount of accounts receivable in the current period as a result of the increase in sales revenue.
We have policies in place to ensure that sales are made to customers with an appropriate credit history. We perform ongoing credit evaluations
on the financial condition of our customers.
46
Inventory
Our
inventory consists of the following:
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
%
of total
%
of total
Raw
materials
$ 20,079
4 %
$ 10,610
3 %
Finished
goods
542,738
96 %
304,761
97 %
Total
$ 562,817
100 %
$ 315,371
100 %
The
net inventory level as of December 31, 2025 increased by $247,446, as compared to the net inventory level as of December 31, 2024, one
of the main reasons for the increase in inventories was the rise in sales.
Raw
materials increased by $9,469 as of December 31, 2025, as compared to December 31, 2024.
Finished
goods increased by $237,977 as of December 31, 2025, as compared to December 31, 2024.
Net
Cash Used In Investing Activities
For
the fiscal year 2025, net cash used in investing activities was $22.57 million. This was driven by $8.85 million for purchase of fixed
assets and $13.93 million of loans to third parties.
For
the fiscal year 2024, net cash used in investing activities was $28.95 million. This was driven by $28.92 million for purchase of fixed
assets.
Net
Cash Provided By / (Used In) Financing Activities
For
the fiscal year 2025, net cash provided by financing activities was $4.84 million. This was driven by cash inflows from borrowings, including
$2.31 million from long-term borrowing and $2.80 million from short-term borrowing, offset by $0.26 million of principal payments for
obligations under finance leases.
For
the fiscal year 2024, net cash used in financing activities was $31.85 million, which was almost entirely used for the principal payment
for obligations under finance leases.
We believe that our available funds and cash flows generated from operations will be sufficient
to meet our anticipated ongoing operating needs for the next twelve months.
As
of December 31, 2025, we had approximately $3,793 in available cash, all of which is in highly liquid current deposits yielding minimal
or no interest. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We
intend to continue to focus our efforts on the activities of SCHC, SHSI and DCHC as these segments continue to expand within the Chinese
market.
We
may not be able to identify, successfully integrate or profitably manage any business or business segment we may acquire, or any expansion
of our business. An expansion may involve a number of risks, including possible adverse effects on our operating results, diversion of
management’s attention, inability to retain key personnel, risks associated with unanticipated events and the financial statement
effect of potential impairment of acquired intangible assets, any of which could have a materially adverse effect on our condition and
results of operations. In addition, if competition for acquisition candidates or operations were to increase, the cost of acquiring businesses
could increase materially. We may effect an acquisition with a target business which may be financially unstable, under-managed, or in
its early stages of development or growth. Our inability to implement and manage our expansion strategy successfully may have a material
adverse effect on our business and future prospects.
Contractual
Obligations and Commitments
We
have no significant contractual obligations not fully recorded on our consolidated balance sheets or fully disclosed in the notes to
our consolidated financial statements. Additional information regarding our contractual obligations and commitments on December 31, 2025
is provided in the notes to our consolidated financial statements.
47
Material
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We
do not currently have any off-balance sheet arrangements falling within the definition of Item 303(a) of Regulation S-K.
Critical
Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our
Consolidated Financial Statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
(U.S. GAAP), which requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions. See “Note 1 – Nature of Business and Summary
of Significant Accounting Policies,” in Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, which is included in “Item 8. Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data,” which describes our significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of
our Consolidated Financial Statements. The methods, estimates and judgments that we use in applying our accounting policies require us
to make difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates regarding matters that are inherently uncertain.
Our
most critical estimates include:
●
allowance
for doubtful accounts;
●
the
valuation of inventory, which impacts gross margins;
●
impairment
of long-lived assets;
●
the
valuation and recognition of share-based compensation, which impacts operating expenses; and
●
the
recognition and measurement of deferred income taxes, which impact our provision for taxes.
Allowance
f or Doub tf ul Accounts
We
make estimates of the uncollectibility of accounts receivable, especially analyzing accounts receivable and historical bad debts, customer
concentrations, customer creditworthiness, current economic trends and changes in customer payment terms, when evaluating the adequacy
of the allowance for doubtful accounts. Credit evaluations are undertaken for all major sale transactions before shipment is authorized.
On a quarterly basis, we evaluate aged items in the accounts receivable aging report and provide an allowance in an amount we deem adequate
for doubtful accounts. If management were to make different judgments or utilize different estimates, material differences in the amount
of our reported operating expenses could result.
Inventory
Valuation
Inventory
is stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined on a first-in first-out basis. The carrying value of inventory is reduced
for estimated obsolescence by the difference between its cost and the estimated market value based upon assumptions about future demand.
We evaluate the inventory carrying value for potential excess and obsolete inventory exposures by analyzing historical and anticipated
demand. If actual future demand or market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write-downs
may be required in the future, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
Depreciation
of Property, Plant and Equipment
Property,
plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses. Expenditures for new facilities or equipment,
and major expenditures for betterment of existing facilities or equipment are capitalized and depreciated using the straight-line method
at rates sufficient to depreciate such costs over the estimated productive lives. All other ordinary repair and maintenance costs are
expensed as incurred. Mineral rights are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses. Mineral rights are
amortized ratably over the term of the lease, or the equivalent term under the units of production method, whichever is shorter. In some
situations, the life of the asset may be extended or shortened if circumstances arose that would lead us to believe that the estimated
life of the asset has changed. The life of leasehold improvements may change based on the extension of lease contracts with our landlords.
Changes in the estimated lives of assets will result in an increase or decrease in the amount of depreciation recognized in future periods.
48
Impairment
of Long-Lived Assets
We
periodically evaluate whether events or circumstances have occurred that indicate long-lived assets may not be recoverable or that the
remaining useful life may warrant revision. When such events or circumstances are present, we assess the recoverability of long- lived
assets by determining whether the carrying value will be recovered through the expected undiscounted future cash flows resulting from
the use of the asset. In the event the sum of the expected undiscounted future cash flows is less than the carrying value of the asset,
an impairment loss equal to the excess of the asset’s carrying value over its fair value is recorded.
Allowance
on D ef erred Tax Assets
We
evaluate our deferred income tax assets to determine if valuation allowances are required or should be adjusted. A valuation allowance
is established against our deferred tax assets based on consideration of all available evidence, both positive and negative, using a
“more likely than not” standard. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of recent
losses, forecasts of future profitability, the duration of statutory carry forward periods, our experience with expiring unused tax attributes
and tax planning alternatives. In making such judgments, significant weight is given to evidence that can be objectively verified.
Stock-based
compensation
We
account for stock-based compensation in accordance with the fair value recognition provisions of U.S. GAAP. We use the Black- Scholes
model which requires the input of highly subjective assumptions. These assumptions include estimating the length of time employees will
retain their vested stock options before exercising them, the estimated volatility of our common stock price over the expected term and
the number of options that will ultimately not complete their vesting requirements. The assumptions for expected volatility and expected
term are the two assumptions that significantly affect the grant date fair value. Changes in expected risk-free rate of return do not
significantly impact the calculation of fair value, and determining this input is not highly subjective.
We
use annualized historical stock price volatility, which is deemed to be appropriate to serve as the expected volatility of our stock
price and is assumed to be constant and prevailing. The expected term represents the weighted-average period that our stock options are
expected to be outstanding. The expected life is based on historical option exercise pattern.
Recent
Accounting Pronouncements
See
“Note 1 – Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial
Statements in Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for a full description of recent accounting pronouncements including
the respective expected dates of adoption and effects on the consolidated financial statements.
Item
7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
Pursuant
to Item 305(e) of Regulation S-K (§ 229.305(e)), the Company is not required to provide the information required by this Item as
it is a “smaller reporting company,” as defined by Rule 229.10(f)(1).
Item
8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
The
financial statements and supplementary data required by this item are included in a separate section of this Report. See “Index
to Consolidated Financial Statements” on Page F-1.
49
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025, and 2024
C
O N T E N T S
PAGE
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM (PCAOB ID # 2729 )
F-2
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
F-3
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
F-4
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
F-5
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
F6
– F-7
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
F-8
– F-31
FINANCIAL
STATEMENT SCHEDULE:
SCHEDULE I – PARENT ONLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION
S-1
– S-3
F- 1
REPORT
OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To
the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Gulf Resources, Inc.
Opinion
on the Financial Statements
We
have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Gulf Resources, Inc. and subsidiaries (collectively the “Company”)
as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss), stockholders’ equity,
and cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the related notes, and financial statement schedule (collectively referred
to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in
all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and
its cash flows for each of the years in the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, in conformity with accounting principles generally
accepted in the United States of America.
Restatement
to Correct Previously Issued Consolidated Financial Statements
As
discussed in Note 26 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, the consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31,
2024 have been restated.
Basis
for Opinion
These
consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion
on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public
Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance
with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We
conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain
reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.
The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part
of our audit, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, but not for the purpose of expressing
an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our
audit included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due
to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence
regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audit also included evaluating the accounting principles
used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements.
We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical
Audit Matters
Critical
audit matters are matters arising from the current year audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required
to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements
and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. We determined that there were no critical audit matters.
/s/ GGF
CPA LTD
We
have served as the Company’s auditor since 2024.
Guangzhou,
Guangdong, China
PCAOB
NO: 2729
August
17, 2026
F- 2
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
BALANCE SHEETS
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
December
31,
December
31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
Current
Assets
Cash
$ 3,793
$ 10,075,162
Accounts
receivable, net
3,269,420
564,523
Inventories,
net
562,817
315,371
Prepayments
and deposits
3,940,045
6,376,656
Amount
due from related parties
22,763
25,040
Other
receivables
16,771,928
94,074
Total
current assets
24,570,766
17,450,826
Non-Current
Assets
Property,
plant and equipment, net
61,944,100
89,431,050
Finance
lease right-of use assets
41,140,331
45,155,288
Operating
lease right-of-use assets
5,669,794
6,169,855
Prepaid
land leases, net of current portion
406,819
9,615,269
Deferred
tax assets, net
—
—
Total
non-current assets
109,161,044
150,371,462
Total
Assets
133,731,810
167,822,288
Liabilities
and Stockholders’ Equity
Current
Liabilities
Short-term
bank borrowing
$ 2,845,400
$ —
Accounts
payable and accrued expenses
1,882,367
6,445,277
Accrued
liabilities
499,688
—
Taxes
payable-current
365,499
113,999
Amount
due to related parties
1,896,831
2,584,808
Finance
lease liability, current portion
228,918
3,342,293
Operating
lease liabilities, current portion
523,847
491,850
Total
current liabilities
8,242,550
12,978,227
Non-Current
Liabilities
Finance
lease liability, net of current portion
5,175,628
5,089,884
Operating
lease liabilities, net of current portion
6,491,100
6,941,602
Long-term
bank borrowing
2,344,610
—
Total
non-current liabilities
14,011,338
12,031,486
Total
Liabilities
22,253,888
25,009,713
Stockholders’
Equity
PREFERRED
STOCK; $ 0.001 par value; 1,000,000 shares authorized; none outstanding
—
—
COMMON
STOCK; $ 0.0005 par
value; 80,000,000 shares
authorized; 1,568,114 and
1,120,145 shares
issued; and 1,539,531 and
1,091,562 shares
outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 (1)
784
560
Treasury stock; 28,583
shares as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 at cost
( 1,372,673 )
( 1,372,673 )
Additional
paid-in capital (1)
105,927,142
101,712,325
Share
to be issued
—
194,700
Retained
earnings unappropriated
( 7,526,347 )
36,393,884
Retained
earnings appropriated
26,667,097
26,667,097
Accumulated
other comprehensive loss
( 12,218,081 )
( 20,783,318 )
Total
Stockholders’ Equity
111,477,922
142,812,575
Total
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
$ 133,731,810
$ 167,822,288
(1) The
shares and per share data are presented on a retroactive basis to reflect the stock split.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 3
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
2025
2024
(Restated)
Years
Ended December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
NET
REVENUE
$ 25,418,335
$ 7,661,010
OPERATING
COSTS AND EXPENSE
Cost of revenues
( 23,257,971 )
( 14,746,741 )
Sales
and marketing expenses
( 49,927 )
( 46,264 )
Direct
labor and factory overheads incurred during plant shutdown
( 5,098,990 )
( 8,880,643 )
General
and administrative expenses
( 5,580,071 )
( 6,235,931 )
TOTAL
OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSE
( 33,986,959 )
( 29,909,579 )
LOSS
FROM OPERATIONS
( 8,568,624 )
( 22,248,569 )
OTHER
INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest
expense
( 372,642 )
( 91,901 )
Interest
income
427,403
80,258
Other
expenses, net
( 4,003,497 )
( 50,470 )
Impairment
of long-lived assets
( 30,068,794 )
( 6,772,500 )
Loss
on disposal of long-lived assets
( 2,008,853 )
( 29,169,008 )
Gain
on disposal of subsidiary
674,776
—
INCOME
BEFORE INCOME TAXES
( 43,920,231 )
( 58,252,190 )
INCOME
TAX EXPENSE
—
( 1,648,182 )
NET
LOSS
$ ( 43,920,231 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
COMPREHENSIVE
INCOME (LOSS):
NET
LOSS
$ ( 43,920,231 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
OTHER
COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
-
Foreign currency translation adjustments
2,677,801
( 2,730,049 )
TOTAL
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
$ ( 41,242,430 )
$ ( 62,630,421 )
BASIC
AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE(1)
$ ( 32.95 )
$ ( 54.88 )
BASIC
AND DILUTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES(1):
1,332,954
1,091,562
(1) The
shares and per share data are presented on a retroactive basis to reflect the stock split.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 4
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
YEARS
ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2025, AND 2024
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
Number
of shares
issued(1)
Number
of shares
outstanding(1)
Number
of treasury
stock (1)
Amount(1)
Treasury
stock
Share
to be
issued
Additional
paid-in
capital (1)
Retained
Earnings
unappropriated
Retained
Earnings
appropriated
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
Income(loss)
Total
Common
stock
Number
of shares
issued(1)
Number
of shares
outstanding(1)
Number
of treasury
stock(1)
Amount(1)
Treasury
stock
Share
to be
issued
Additional
paid-in
capital(1)
Retained
Earnings
unappropriated
Retained
Earnings
appropriated
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
Income(loss)
Total
BALANCE
AT JANUARY 1, 2024 (Restated)
1,120,145
1,091,562
28,583
$ 560
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ —
$ 101,712,325
$ 96,294,256
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 18,053,269 )
$ 205,248,296
Restricted
shares to be issued for service
—
—
—
—
—
194,700
—
—
—
—
194,700
Currency
translation adjustment
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 2,730,049 )
( 2,730,049 )
Net
loss for year ended December 31, 2024
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 59,900,372 )
—
—
( 59,900,372 )
BALANCE
AT DECEMBER 31, 2024 (Restated)
1,120,145
1,091,562
28,583
$ 560
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ 194,700
$ 101,712,325
$ 36,393,884
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 20,783,318 )
$ 142,812,575
Common
stock
Number
of shares
issued(1)
Number
of shares
outstanding(1)
Number
of treasury
stock(1)
Amount(1)
Treasury
stock
Share
to be
issued
Additional
paid-in
capital(1)
Retained
Earnings
unappropriated
Retained
Earnings
appropriated
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
Income(loss)
Total
BALANCE
AT JANUARY 1, 2025
1,120,145
1,091,562
28,583
$ 560
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ 194,700
$ 101,712,325
$ 36,393,884
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 20,783,318 )
$ 142,812,575
BALANCE
1,120,145
1,091,562
28,583
$ 560
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ 194,700
101,712,325
$ 36,393,884
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 20,783,318 )
$ 142,812,575
Restricted
shares to be issued for service
242,000
242,000
—
121
—
( 194,700 )
1,125,379
—
—
—
930,800
Acquisition
of Assets
205,969
205,969
—
103
—
—
3,089,438
—
—
—
3,089,541
Currency
translation adjustment
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
2,677,801
2,677,801
Disposal
of subsidiary
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
5,887,436
5,887,436
Net
loss for year ended December 31, 2025
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 43,920,231 )
—
—
( 43,920,231 )
Net
loss
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 43,920,231 )
—
—
( 43,920,231 )
BALANCE
AT DECEMBER 31, 2025
1,568,114
1,539,531
28,583
$ 784
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ —
$ 105,927,142
$ ( 7,526,347 )
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 12,218,081 )
$ 111,477,922
BALANCE
1,568,114
1,539,531
28,583
$ 784
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ —
$ 105,927,142
$ ( 7,526,347 )
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 12,218,081 )
$ 111,477,922
(1) The
shares and per share data are presented on a retroactive basis to reflect the stock split.
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 5
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
2025
2024
(Restated)
Years
Ended December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
CASH
FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net
loss
$ ( 43,920,231 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
Adjustments
to reconcile net income to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Amortization
on capital lease
239,508
200,025
Depreciation
and amortization
13,137,016
15,819,827
Deferred
tax asset
—
1,632,978
Stock-based
compensation expense
930,800
194,700
Bad
debt expense
( 13,735 )
1,669,002
Impairment of inventory
293,586
989,035
Impairment
of property plant and equipment
30,068,794
6,772,500
Amortization
of operating lease right-of-use asset
875,201
877,809
Amortization
of finance lease right-of-use asset
3,124,602
3,045,602
Accrued
liabilities
4,017,859
—
Loss
on disposal of long-lived assets
2,008,853
29,169,008
Gain
on disposal of subsidiary
( 674,776 )
—
Accrued
interest receivable
( 192,066 )
—
Changes
in assets and liabilities
Accounts
receivable
( 2,635,370 )
4,264,140
Inventories
( 530,033 )
( 733,302 )
Prepayment
and deposits
1,042,593
248,817
Advance
from customers
—
( 42,471 )
Other
receivables
93,518
( 87,515 )
Accounts
and Other payable and accrued expenses
460,716
( 2,191,652 )
Taxes
payable
302,423
( 357,954 )
Lease
liabilities
( 826,761 )
( 894,351 )
Net
cash provided by operating activities
7,802,497
675,826
CASH
FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchase
of property, plant and equipment
( 8,848,156 )
( 28,923,642 )
Interest-free
loan repaid by related parties
2,800
—
Interest-free
loan lent to related parties
—
( 25,275 )
Proceeds
from disposal of subsidiary
207,604
—
Loans
to third parties
( 13,934,085 )
—
Net
cash used in investing activities
( 22,571,837 )
( 28,948,917 )
CASH
FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds
from long-term borrowing
2,307,186
—
Proceeds
from short-term borrowing
2,799,983
—
Repayment
of finance leases obligation
( 262,778 )
( 31,866,665 )
Proceeds
from interest-free loan from a related party
—
14,854
Net
cash provided by / (used in) financing activities
4,844,391
( 31,851,811 )
EFFECTS
OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
( 146,420 )
( 2,023,830 )
NET
DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
( 10,071,369 )
( 62,148,732 )
CASH
AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - BEGINNING OF YEAR
10,075,162
72,223,894
CASH
AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - END OF YEAR
$ 3,793
$ 10,075,162
F- 6
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED
STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
Years
Ended December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
SUPPLEMENTAL
DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
Cash
paid during the year for:
Paid
for taxes
$ 2,343,895
$ 1,520,292
Interest
paid
$ 466,720
$ 200,025
SUPPLEMENTAL
DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES
The
accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F- 7
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – NATURE OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
(a) Basis
of Presentation and Consolidation
The
accompanying audited consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Gulf Resources, Inc. (“Gulf Resources”). a Nevada
corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”).
The
consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Gulf Resources, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Upper Class Group Limited,
a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, which owns 100 % of Hong Kong Jiaxing Industrial Limited, a company incorporated
in Hong Kong (“HKJI”). HKJI owns 100 % of Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“SCHC”) which owns
100 % of Shouguang Yuxin Chemical Industry Co., Limited (“SYCI”) ,Daying County Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“DCHC”)
and Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Ltd. (“SHSI”). All material intercompany transactions have been eliminated on consolidation.
(b) Nature
of Business
The
Company manufactures and trades bromine through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Shouguang City Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“SCHC”);
manufactures and trades crude salt through its wholly owned subsidiary, SHSI; and manufactures chemical products for use in the oil industry,
pesticides, paper manufacturing industry and for human and animal antibiotics through its wholly- owned subsidiary, Shouguang Yuxin Chemical
Industry Co., Limited (“SYCI”) in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). DCHC was established to further
explore and develop natural gas and brine resources (including bromine and crude salt) in the PRC. DCHC’s business commenced trial
operation in January 2019 but suspended production temporarily in May 2019 as required by the government to obtain project approval (see
Note 1 (c)(iii)).
(i) Bromine
and Crude Salt Segments
In
February 2019, the Company received a notification from the local government of Yangkou County that its Factory No. 1, No. 4, No. 7 and
No. 9 passed inspection and could resume operations. In April 2019, Factory No.1, and Factory No.7 resumed operation.
On
November 25, 2019, the government of Shouguang City issued a notice ordering all bromine facilities in Shouguang City, including the
Company’s bromine facilities, including Factory No. 1 and Factory No. 7, to temporarily stop production from December 16, 2019
to February 10, 2020. Subsequently, due to the coronavirus outbreak in China, the local government ordered those bromine facilities to
postpone the commencement of production. Subsequently, the Company received an approval dated February 27, 2020 issued by the local governmental
authority allowing the Company to resume production after the winter temporary closure. Further, the Company received another approval
from the Shouguang Yangkou People’s Government dated March 5, 2020 allowing the Company to resume production at its bromine factories
No. 1, No. 4, No.7 and No. 9 in order to meet the needs of bromide products for epidemic prevention and control (the “March 2020
Approval”). The Company’s Factories No. 1 and No. 7 commenced trial production in mid-March 2020 and commercial production
on April 3, 2020 and its Factories No. 4 and No. 9 commenced commercial production on May 6, 2020. The Company received verbal notification
from the government regarding Factory No. 8, allowing it to recommence production in August 2022. Factory No. 8 began contributing revenue
in the fourth quarter 2022.
The
Company is awaiting governmental approval for Factories No. 2 and No. 10. To our knowledge, the government is finalizing plans for all
mining areas, including flood prevention measures. As a result, we may be required to make certain modifications to our existing wells
and aqueducts prior to commencement of operations of these factories in order to satisfy the local government’s requirements.
Pursuant
to the notification from the government of Shouguang City, all bromine facilities in Shouguang City were temporarily closed from December
10, 2022 until February 1, 2023 8:00 AM China Time. To comply with such notification, the Company had temporarily stopped production
at its bromine facilities during the aforesaid period and reopened the operating bromine and crude salt factories in February, 2023 as
planned.
In
April 2022, Shouguang Hengde Salt Industry Co. Ltd, our subsidiary, was incorporated in Shandong Province, China, for crude salt production
and trading. This subsidiary was created in response to a new government policy that required bromine and crude salt companies to have
separate registrations. The creation of this subsidiary and the separation of bromine and crude salt does not impact sales or overall
profits. However, the establishment of this subsidiary has resulting in a reallocation of costs between bromine and crude salt.
F- 8
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued
(ii)
Chemical Segment
On
November 24, 2017, the Company received a letter from the Government of Yangkou County, Shouguang City notifying the Company to relocate
its two chemical production plants located in the second living area of the Qinghe Oil Extraction to the Bohai Marine Fine Chemical Industrial
Park (“Bohai Park”). This is because the two plants are located in a residential area and their production activities will
impact the living environment of the residents. This is as a result of the country’s effort to improve the development of the chemical
industry, manage safe production and curb environmental pollution accidents effectively, and ensure the quality of the living environment
of residents. All chemical enterprises which do not comply with the requirements of the safety and environmental protection regulations
will be ordered to shut down.
In
December 2017, the Company secured from the government the land use rights for its chemical plants located at the Bohai Park and in June
2018, the Company presented a completed construction design draft and other related documents to the local authorities for approval.
In January 2020, the Company received the environmental protection approval by the government of Shouguang City, Shandong Province for
the proposed Yuxin Chemical factory. The Company began the construction on its new chemical facilities located at Bohai Marine Fine Chemical
Industrial Park in June 2020 and basically completed the civil works by the end of June 2021. On November 15, 2021, the Company announced
that due to the supply chain issues as well as the electric restrictions in China, the delivery of some equipment, the equipment installation
and testing and beginning trial production at the chemical factory had been delayed. On February 22, 2022, the Company announced that
discussions with the government have convinced management that the electricity restrictions are being eased. Accordingly, the Company
has contacted its suppliers and will have the remainder of the equipment produced and delivered, so the Company can complete installation
and begin testing and trial production.
The
Company believes this relocation process will cost approximately $ 69 million
in total. The Company incurred relocation costs comprising prepaid land lease, professional fees related to the design of the new
chemical factory, and progress payments and deposits for the construction of the new factory building in the amount of $ 45,584,344 and
$ 45,584,344 ,
which were recorded in the prepaid land leases, prepayments and deposits and property, plant and equipment in the consolidated
balance sheets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
On
December 10, 2025, SCHC entered into an equity transfer agreement with Shandong Rongyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and SYCI. Pursuant
to the agreement, Shandong Rongyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. agreed to purchase 100 % of the equity interest in SYCI for an aggregate
consideration of RMB 21.2 million (US$ 2,999,304 ). The transaction was completed on December 22, 2025.
(iii) Natural
Gas Segment
In
January 2017, the Company completed the first brine water and natural gas well field construction in Daying located in Sichuan Province,
China, and commenced trial production in January 2019. On May 29, 2019, the Company received a verbal notice from the government of Tianbao
Town, Daying County, Sichuan Province, whereby the Company is required to obtain project approval for its well located in Daying, including
the whole natural gas and brine water project, and approvals for safety production inspection, environmental protection assessment, and
to solve the related land issue. Until these approvals have been received, the Company has to temporarily halt trial production at its
natural gas well in Daying. In compliance with the Chinese government new policies, the Company is also required to obtain an exploration
license and a mining license for bromine and natural gas, respectively. Pursuant to the Opinions of the Ministry of Natural Resources
on Several Issues in Promoting the Reform of Mineral Resources Management (Trial) promulgated by the Ministry of Natural Resources of
PRC on January 9, 2020, which came into effect on May 1, 2020, privately owned enterprises are allowed to participate in the natural
gas production. The Company plans to proceed with its applications for the natural gas and brine project approvals with related government
departments until the governmental planning has been finalized.
(c) Use
of Estimates
The
Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America and this requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting
period. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable
under the circumstances. The most significant accounting estimates with regard to these consolidated financial statements that require
the most significant and subjective judgments include, but are not limited to, useful lives of property, plant and equipment, recoverability
of long-lived assets, determination of impairment losses, assessment of market value of inventories and provision for inventory obsolescence,
allowance for doubtful accounts, recognition and measurement of deferred income taxes, valuation allowance for deferred tax assets, and
assumptions used for the valuation of share based payments. Accordingly, actual results may differ significantly from these estimates
under different assumptions or conditions.
F- 9
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued
(d) Cash
and Cash Equivalents
Cash
and cash equivalents consist of all cash balances and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Because
of short maturity of these investments, the carrying amounts approximate their fair values.
(e) Accounts
receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
Accounts
receivable is stated at cost, net of allowance for doubtful accounts. The normal credit term extended to customers ranges between 90
and 180 days. The company reviews all receivables that exceed the term. The Company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts based
on management’s assessment of the collectability of trade and other receivables. A considerable amount of judgment is required
in assessing the amount of allowance and the Company considers the historical level of credit losses. The Company makes judgments about
the credit worthiness of each customer based on ongoing credit evaluations, and monitors current economic trends that might impact the
level of credit losses in the future. If the financial condition of the customer begins to deteriorate, resulting in their inability
to make payments within credit term provided, an allowance may be required.
As
of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the provision for doubtful debts was $ 16,430 and $ 29,711 . The reversal for doubtful accounts
in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2025 was $ 13,375 .
(f) Concentration
of Credit Risk
The
Company is exposed to credit risk in the normal course of business, primarily related to accounts receivable and cash and cash equivalents.
Substantially all of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents are maintained with financial institutions in the PRC, namely, Industrial
and Commercial Bank of China Limited, China Merchants Bank Company Limited, Sichuan Rural Credit Union, Bank of China Limited and Shandong
Shouguang Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd., which are not insured or otherwise protected. The Company placed $ 3,793 and $ 10,075,162 with
these institutions as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts in the
PRC.
Concentrations
of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable exists as the Company sells a substantial portion of its products to a limited number
of customers. However, such concentrations of credit risks are limited since the Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’
financial condition and extends credit terms as and when appropriate.
(g) Inventories
Inventories
are stated at the lower of cost, determined on a first-in first-out cost basis, or net realizable value. Costs of work-in-progress and
finished goods comprise direct materials, direct labor and an attributable portion of manufacturing overhead. Net realizable value is
based on estimated selling price less costs to complete and selling expenses.
F- 10
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued
(h) Advances
to suppliers, net
Advances
to suppliers are stated at the original amount less an allowance for doubtful account.
Advances
to suppliers primarily consists of prepayments for purchase of raw materials and equipment for production purposes. The Company reviews
its advances to suppliers on a periodic basis and determines the adequacy of provision when amounts outstanding are not likely to be
collected in cash or utilized against receive of products. An allowance for doubtful is recorded in the period in which the Company cash
collection or receipts of products is remote.
(i) Property,
Plant and Equipment
Property,
plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses. Expenditures for new facilities or equipment,
and major expenditures for betterment of existing facilities or equipment are capitalized and depreciated, when available for intended
use, using the straight-line method at rates sufficient to depreciate such costs less 5% residual value over the estimated productive
lives. All other ordinary repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.
Mineral
rights are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and any impairment losses. Mineral rights are amortized ratably over the term
of the lease, or the equivalent term under the units of production method, whichever is shorter.
Construction
in process primarily represents direct costs of construction of property, plant and equipment. Costs incurred are capitalized and transferred
to property, plant and equipment upon completion and depreciation will commence when the completed assets are placed in service.
The
Company’s depreciation and amortization policies on property, plant and equipment, other than mineral rights and construction in
process, are as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF PROPERTY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
Useful
life
(in
years)
Mineral rights
50
Leasehold Improvements
8
- 20
Plant and machinery (including protective shells,
transmission channels and ducts)
3
- 8
Motor vehicles
5
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
3
- 8
Producing
oil and gas properties are depreciated on a unit-of-production basis over the proved developed reserves. Common facilities that are built
specifically to service production directly attributed to designated oil and gas properties are depreciated based on the proved developed
reserves of the respective oil and gas properties on a pro-rata basis. Common facilities that are not built specifically to service identified
oil and gas properties are depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. Costs associated with significant
development projects are not depreciated until commercial production commences and the reserves related to those costs are excluded from
the calculation of depreciation.
(j) Asset
Retirement Obligation
The
Company follows Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification (“FASB ASC”), which established a
uniform methodology for accounting for estimated reclamation and abandonment costs. FASB ASC 410 requires the fair value of a liability
for an asset retirement obligation to be recognized in the period in which the legal obligation associated with the retirement of the
long-lived asset is incurred. When the liability is initially recorded, the offset is capitalized by increasing the carrying amount of
the related long-lived asset. Over time, the liability is accreted to its present value each period, and the capitalized cost is depreciated
over the useful life of the related asset. To settle the liability, the obligation is paid, and to the extent there is a difference between
the liability and the amount of cash paid, a gain or loss upon settlement is recorded.
F- 11
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued
Currently,
there are no reclamation or abandonment obligations associated with the land being utilized for exploitation by the bromine and crude
salt factories. Also, for the two chemical plants that are to be relocated, currently, there are no obligations to restore the land to
its original condition.
(k) Recoverability
of Long-lived Assets
In
accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360-10-35 ”
Impairment or Disposal of Long-lived Assets” , long-lived assets to be held and used are analyzed for impairment whenever events
or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable or that the useful lives of those
assets are no longer appropriate. The Company evaluates at each balance sheet date whether events and circumstances have occurred that
indicate possible impairment.
The
Company determines the existence of such impairment by measuring the expected future cash flows (undiscounted and without interest charges)
and comparing such amount to the carrying amount of the assets. An impairment loss, if one exists, is then measured as the amount by
which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the discounted estimated future cash flows. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the
lower of the carrying amount or fair value of such assets less costs to sell. Asset impairment charges are recorded to reduce the carrying
amount of the long-lived asset that will be sold or disposed of to their estimated fair values. Charges for the asset impairment reduce
the carrying amount of the long-lived assets to their estimated salvage value in connection with the decision to dispose of such assets.
For
the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recognized impairment of long-lived assets of $ 30,068,794 and $ 6,772,500 , respectively.
(l) Retirement
Benefits
Pursuant
to the relevant laws and regulations in the PRC, the Company participates in a defined contribution retirement plan for its employees
arranged by a governmental organization. The Company makes contributions to the retirement plan at the applicable rate based on the employees’
salaries. The required contributions under the retirement plans are charged to the consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss)
on an accrual basis when they are due. The Company’s contributions totaled $ 508,947 and $ 535,475
for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
F- 12
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued
(m) Mineral
Rights
The
Company follows FASB ASC 805 “Business Combinations” that certain mineral rights are considered tangible assets and that
mineral rights should be accounted for based on their substance. Mineral rights are included in property, plant and equipment.
(n) Leases
The
Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”)
assets and operating lease liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Finance leases are included in finance lease ROU assets and
finance lease liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.
ROU
assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s
obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease and finance lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized
at January 1, 2019 based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term discounted using the rate implicit in the lease.
In cases where the implicit rate is not readily determinable, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information
available at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on
a straight-line basis over the lease term.
The
Company has elected not to recognize operating lease ROU assets and liabilities arising from short-term lease.
Finance
leases are initially recorded at the net present value of future minimum lease payments, which includes certain lease and non- lease
components. Finance leases generally have one of these five attributes: 1) ownership of the underlying asset transfers to the Company
at the end of the lease term, 2) the lease agreement contains a purchase option that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise, 3)
the lease term represents the major part of the asset’s economic life, 4) the present value of lease payments over the lease term
equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the asset, and 5) the underlying asset is so specialized in nature that it provides
no alternative use to the lessor after the lease term. Finance Lease Assets are presented on separately on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(o) Basic
and Diluted Earnings per Share of Common Stock
Basic
earnings per common stock are based on the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the periods presented. Diluted earnings
per share are computed using weighted average number of common stocks plus dilutive common stock equivalents outstanding during the period.
Potential common stocks that would have the effect of increasing diluted earnings per stock are considered to be anti- dilutive, i.e.
the exercise prices of the outstanding stock options were greater than the market price of the common share. Anti-dilutive common stock
equivalents which were excluded from the calculation of number of dilutive common stock equivalents amounted to 0 share for the years
ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. These awards could be dilutive in the future if the market price of the common stock increases and
is greater than the exercise price of these awards.
(p) Reporting
Currency and Translation
The
financial statements of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries are measured using the local currency, Renminbi (“RMB”),
as the functional currency; whereas the functional currency and reporting currency of the Company is the United States dollar (“USD”
or “$”).
F- 13
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued
As
such, the Company uses the “current rate method” to translate its PRC operations from RMB into USD, as required under FASB
ASC 830 “Foreign Currency Matters”. The assets and liabilities of its PRC operations are translated into USD using the rate
of exchange prevailing at the balance sheet date. The capital accounts are translated at the historical rate. Adjustments resulting from
the translation of the balance sheets of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries are recorded in stockholders’ equity as part of accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss). The statement of comprehensive income (loss) is translated at average rate during the reporting period.
Gains or losses resulting from transactions in currencies other than the functional currencies are recognized in net loss for the reporting
periods as part of general and administrative expense. The statement of cash flows is translated at average rate during the reporting
period, with the exception of the consideration paid for the acquisition of business which is translated at historical rates.
(q) Revenue
Recognition
Net
revenue is net of discount and value added tax and comprises the sale of bromine, crude salt and chemical products. Revenue is recognized
at a point time when the control of the promised goods is transferred to the customers in an amount that reflects the consideration that
the Company expects to receive from the customers in exchange for those goods. The acknowledgement of receipt of goods by the customers
is when control of the product is deemed to be transferred. Invoicing occurs upon acknowledgement of receipt of the goods by the customers.
Customers have no rights to return the goods upon acknowledgement of receipt of goods. Customers typically pay after the Company delivers
and transfers the products to them in accordance to terms set forth in their contract. Revenue from contracts with customers is disaggregated
in Note 21.
(r) Income
Taxes
The
Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the Income Taxes Topic of the FASB ASC, which requires the use of the liability
method of accounting for deferred income taxes. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recorded to reflect the tax consequences
on future years of temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts at each period end.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using tax rates that are expected to apply to taxable income for the years in which
those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. The deferred income tax effects of a change in tax rates are
recognized in the period of enactment. If it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized,
a valuation allowance is recognized. The guidance also provides criteria for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosures
of uncertain tax positions. A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized if it is “more likely than not”
that the position is sustainable based solely on its technical merits. Interests and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits
are included within the (benefit from) provision for income tax in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income (loss).
F- 14
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES – Continued
(s) Exploration
Costs
Exploration
costs, which included the cost of researching for appropriate places to drill wells and the cost of well drilling in search of potential
natural brine or other resources, are charged to the income statement as incurred. Once the commercial viability of a project has been
confirmed, all subsequent costs are capitalized.
For
oil and gas properties, the successful efforts method of accounting is adopted. The Company carries exploratory well costs as an asset
when the well has found a sufficient quantity of reserves to justify its completion as a producing well and where the Company is making
sufficient progress assessing the reserves and the economic and operating viability of the project. Exploratory well costs not meeting
these criteria are charged to expenses. Exploratory wells that discover potentially economic reserves in areas where major capital expenditure
will be required before production would begin and when the major capital expenditure depends upon the successful completion of further
exploratory work remain capitalized and are reviewed periodically for impairment.
(t) Fair
Value Measurement
The
Company applies Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures which defines
fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and expands financial statement disclosure requirements for fair value measurements.
ASC
Topic 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price)
on the measurement date in an orderly transaction between market participants in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset
or liability.
ASC
Topic 820 specifies a hierarchy of valuation techniques, which is based on whether the inputs into the valuation technique are observable
or unobservable. The hierarchy is as follows:
Level
1 inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets.
Level
2 inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in active markets or in inactive
markets, and inputs that are observable for the assets or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of
the financial instruments.
Level
3 inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value.
The
carrying amounts of the Company’s financial instruments approximate their fair values because of their short-term nature. The Company’s
financial instruments include cash, accounts receivable, amounts due to related parties, short-term borrowing, long-term borrowing, other
receivables, accounts payable and other current payables. There were no material unrecognized financial assets and liabilities as of
December 31, 2025 and 2024.
The
Company determines the fair value with the help from independent third-party professional valuation specialists, and the assumptions
used in estimating fair value require significant judgment. The use of different assumptions and judgments could result in a materially
different estimate of fair value. Market valuation method was applied to land and cost method was applied to property and equipment,
all of which are classified as Level 3 within the valuation hierarchy.
The
following table presents the Company’s assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis for the years ended December 31,
2024:
SCHEDULE
OF ASSETS MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE ON A NON-RECURRING
Fair
Value
as
of December 31,
Quoted
Prices in Active
Markets
for
Identical
Assets
Significant
Other Observable
Inputs
Significant
Unobservable Inputs
Total
Gain (Loss) for the Year Ended
December
Years Ended
2024
(Level 1)
(Level 2)
(Level 3)
31, 2024
December
31,
Description
$
$
$
$
$
2024
Property, Plant and
Equipment
27,149,774
—
—
27,149,774
( 6,772,500 )
The
following table presents the Company’s assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis for the years ended December 31,
2025:
Fair
Value
as
of December 31,
Quoted
Prices in Active Markets for
Identical
Assets
Significant
Other Observable Inputs
Significant
Unobservable
Total Gain
(Loss) for the Year Ended
Years Ended
2025
(Level 1)
(Level 2)
Inputs (Level
3)
December 31,
2025
December
31,
Description
$
$
$
$
$
2025
Property, Plant and
Equipment
2,781,597
—
—
2,781,597
( 23,076,873 )
2025
Prepaid Land Leases
2,284,961
—
—
2,284,961
( 6,991,921 )
(u) Loss
Contingencies
The
Company accrues for loss contingencies relating to legal matters, including litigation defense costs, claims and other contingent matters,
including liquidated damage liabilities, when such liabilities become probable and reasonably able to be estimated. Such estimates may
be based on advice from third parties or on management’s judgment, as appropriate. Revisions to accruals are reflected in income
(loss) in the period in which different facts or information become known or circumstances change that affect the Company’s previous
assumptions with respect to the likelihood or amount of loss. Amounts paid upon the ultimate resolution of such liabilities may be materially
different from previous estimates.
(v) Stock-based
Compensation
The
Company accounts for stock-based compensation under the provisions of FASB ASC 718, Compensation Stock Compensation, which requires
the measurement and recognition of compensation expense for all stock-based awards made to employees and directors based on estimated
fair values on the grant date. The Company estimates the fair value of stock-based awards on the date of grant using the Black- Scholes
model. The value of the portion of the award that is ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense over the requisite service
periods using the straight-line method. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 201807, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic
7 I8), Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The amendments in this Update expand the scope of Topic
718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from non-employees. Prior to this Update, Topic 718
applied only to share-based transactions to employees. Consistent with the accounting requirement for employee share-based payment awards,
nonemployee share-based payment awards within the scope of Topic 718 are measured at grant-date fair value of the equity instruments
that an entity is obligated to issue when the good has been delivered or the service has been rendered and any other conditions necessary
to earn the right to benefit from the instruments have been satisfied. The Company has elected to account for the forfeiture of stock-based
awards as they occur.
(w)
New Accounting Pronouncements
Recent
accounting pronouncements adopted
There
was no recent accounting pronouncements adopted for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Recently
Issued Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In
November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation
Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40), which requires disaggregated disclosure of income statement expenses for public business entities.
The objective of ASU 2024-03 is to “address requests from investors for more detailed information about the types of expenses .
. . in commonly presented expense captions (such as cost of sales, selling, general, and administrative expenses, and research and development).”
Investors advised the FASB that “disclosure of disaggregated information about expenses is critically important in understanding
an entity’s performance, assessing an entity’s prospects for future cash flows, and comparing an entity’s performance
over time and with that of other entities.” ASU 2024-03 adds ASC 220-40 to require a footnote disclosure about specific expenses
by requiring public entities to disaggregate, in a tabular presentation, each relevant expense caption on the face of the income statement
that includes any of the following natural expenses: (1) purchases of inventory, (2) employee compensation, (3) depreciation, (4) intangible
asset amortization, and (5) depreciation, depletion, and amortization (DD&A) recognized as part of oil- and gas-producing activities
or other types of depletion expenses. The tabular disclosure would also include certain other expenses, when applicable. The ASU does
not change or remove existing expense disclosure requirements; however, it may affect where that information appears in the footnotes
to the financial statements. ASU 2024-03 is effective for all public entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, and
interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption
to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.
In
July 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-05, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326) Measurement of Credit Losses for Accounts
Receivable and Contract Assets. The ASU addresses challenges encountered when applying the guidance in Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit
Losses, to current accounts receivable and current contract assets arising from transactions accounted for under Topic 606, Revenue from
Contracts with Customers. The amendments will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2025, and interim
reporting periods within those annual reporting periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is in the process of assessing the
impact of the amendments on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
NOTE
2 – DISPOSAL OF SUBSIDIARY
On
December 10, 2025, SCHC entered into an equity transfer agreement with Shandong Rongyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and SYCI. Pursuant
to the agreement, Shandong Rngyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. agreed to purchase 100 % of the equity interest in SYCI for an aggregate consideration
of RMB 21.2 million (US$ 2,999,304 ). The transaction was completed on December 22, 2025. The Company recognized a disposal gain of $ 674,776 ,
calculated as the difference between consideration received and the carrying value of the subsidiaries’ net assets after adjusting
for foreign currency translation.
As
a result of the disposal, the Company recognized a gain from the disposal of subsidiary amounted of $ 674,776 during the years ended December
31, 2025. The following table summarizes the total consideration received and assets disposed in the current period:
SCHEDULE
OF TOTAL CONSIDERATION RECEIVED AND ASSETS DISPOSED
Total consideration (sale price)
$ 2,999,304
Total assets
3,991,526
Total liabilities
7,554,434
Total net assets
( 3,562,908 )
Less:Total foreign exchange
difference
5,887,436
Subtotal
2,324,528
Total gain on disposal
of subsidiary
$ 674,776
F- 15
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
3 – ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET
Accounts
receivable consist of the following:
SCHEDULE
OF ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE, NET
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Accounts receivable
$ 3,285,850
$ 594,234
Allowance for doubtful
debt
( 16,430 )
( 29,711 )
Accounts receivable,
net
3,269,420
564,523
The
overall accounts receivable balance as of December 31, 2025 increased by $ 2,704,897 compared to those of December 31, 2024. The increase
in accounts receivable is due to the increase in sales revenue. We have policies in place to ensure that sales are made to customers
with an appropriate credit history. We perform ongoing credit evaluation on the financial condition of our customer.
NOTE
4 – INVENTORIES
Inventories
consist of the following:
SCHEDULE
OF INVENTORIES
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Raw materials
$ 20,079
$ 10,610
Finished goods
838,360
1,545,521
Less: impairment
( 295,622 )
( 1,240,760 )
Inventory, net
$ 562,817
$ 315,371
The
Company recorded impairment charges for slow moving inventory in the amounts of $ 293,586 and $ 989,035 for the years ended December 31,
2025 and 2024.
NOTE
5 – PREPAYMENTS AND DEPOSITS, NET
Prepayments
and deposits consist of the following:
SCHEDULE
OF PREPAYMENTS AND DEPOSITS, NET
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Prepayments
and deposits
$ 5,625,945
$ 8,025,110
Provision
for impairment
( 1,685,900 )
( 1,648,454 )
Prepayments
and deposits, net
$ 3,940,045
$ 6,376,656
For
the year December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recognized provision of nil and $ 1,663,933 for the prepayments and deposits.
NOTE
6 – OTHER RECEIVABLES,NET
Other
receivables consisted of the following:
SCHEDULE OF OTHER RECEIVABLE
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Loan receivable (1)
$ 14,355,283
$ —
Proceeds receivable from sale of subsidiary (2)
2,416,086
—
Other
559
94,074
Other receivables, net
$ 16,771,928
$ 94,074
(1) During
the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company entered into five borrowing arrangements with
a third party for an aggregate principal amount of $ 14,160,101 , bearing interest at 9 % per
annum. Certain borrowings were guaranteed by individuals or entities or secured by certain
assets. As of December 31, 2025, the aggregate accrued and unpaid interest related to these
borrowings was $ 195,182 .
To
date, all of the above borrowings, including the related accrued interest, had been fully repaid.
(2) There
was $ 2,416,086 receivable from the sale of the Company’s subsidiary, SYCI, which is
due in 2026 from Shandong Rongyuan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
NOTE
7 – PREPAID LAND LEASES
The
Company has the rights to use certain parcels of land located in Shouguang, Shandong, PRC, through lease agreements signed with local
townships or the government authority. The production facilities and warehouses of the Company are located on these parcels of land.
The lease term ranges from 10 ten
to fifty
years . Some of the lease contracts were paid
in one lump sum upfront and some are paid annually at the beginning of each anniversary date. These leases have no purchase option at
the end of the lease term and were classified as operating leases prior to and as of January 1, 2019 when the new lease standard was
adopted. Prior to January 2019, the prepaid land lease was amortized on a straight line basis. As of January 1, 2019, all the leases
in which term has commenced and were in use were classified as operating lease right-of-use assets (“ROU”). See Note 10.
In
December 2017, the Company paid a one lump sum upfront amount of $ 9,047,232 for a 50-year lease of a parcel of land at Bohai Marine Fine
Chemical Industrial Park (“Bohai”) for the new chemical factory to be built. There is no purchase option at the end of the
lease term. This was classified as an operating lease prior to and as of January 1, 2019. The land use certificate was issued on October
25, 2019. The lease term expires on August 12, 2069. The leased land was impaired by $ 6,991,921 based on an independent third-party valuation
report and was subsequently auctioned by the court.
F- 16
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
NOTE
8 – PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, NET
Property,
plant and equipment, net consist of the following:
SCHEDULE OF PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
December
31, 2025
December 31, 2024
(Restated)
At cost:
Mineral rights
$ 2,743,826
$ 2,682,882
Leasehold Improvements
13,053,292
3,507,367
Plant and machinery
125,170,996
143,839,420
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment
833,046
1,435,090
Motor vehicles
29,603
124,215
Construction in process
—
10,155,642
Total
141,830,763
161,744,616
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization
( 79,598,798 )
( 65,569,186 )
Less: Impairment
( 287,865 )
( 6,744,380 )
Net book value
$ 61,944,100
$ 89,431,050
The
rollforward of property, plant and equipment, net were as follows:
SCHEDULE OF ROLLFORWARD OF PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
December
31, 2024
Renovating Salt
Pan(a)
Remodel chlorine
shed(b)
Impairment(c)
Disposal of fixed
asse(d)
Depreciation(e)
Disposal of
subsidiary(f)
Foreign currency
translation(g)
December
31,2025
At
cost:
Mineral
rights
$ 2,682,882
—
—
—
—
—
—
60,944
$ 2,743,826
Leasehold
Improvements
3,507,367
9,129,878
204,775
—
—
—
—
211,272
13,053,292
Plant
and machinery
143,839,420
—
—
—
( 21,627,487 )
—
—
2,959,063
125,170,996
Furniture,
fixtures and office equipment
1,435,090
—
—
—
—
—
( 630,271 )
28,227
833,046
Motor
vehicles
124,215
—
—
—
—
—
( 96,762 )
2,150
29,603
Construction
in process
10,155,642
—
—
—
( 10,240,327 )
—
—
84,685
—
Total
161,744,616
9,129,878
204,775
—
( 31,867,814 )
—
( 727,033 )
3,346,341
141,830,763
Less:
Accumulated depreciation and amortization
( 65,569,186 )
—
9,986
—
—
( 13,065,486 )
722,195
( 1,696,307 )
( 79,598,798 )
Less:
Impairment
( 6,744,380 )
-
-
( 23,076,873 )
29,591,610
—
—
( 58,222 )
( 287,865 )
Net
book value
$ 89,431,050
9,129,878
214,761
( 23,076,873 )
( 2,276,204 )
( 13,065,486 )
( 4,838 )
1,591,812
$ 61,944,100
(a) For those crude
salt pans acquired in fiscal year 2024, the Company completed renovation and upgrade activities during fiscal year 2025, with a total
cost of $ 9,129,878 .
(b) The Company completed
renovation and upgrade work on the chlorine shed during fiscal year 2025, with a total cost of $ 214,761 .
(c) The Company recognized
the impairment of $ 23,076,873 based on independent valuation reports.
(d) During the year
ended December 31, 2025, a piece of land with a value of $ 2,276,204 was disposed due to court-ordered auction.
(e) During the year
ended December 31, 2025, depreciation and amortization expense totaled $ 13,065,486 were recorded in direct labor and factory overheads
incurred during plant shutdown, cost of revenue, and general & administrative expenses.
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, depreciation and amortization expense totaled $ 15,819,827 were recorded in direct labor and factory
overheads incurred during plant shutdown, cost of revenue, and general & administrative expenses.
(f) On December 22,
2025, the SYCI was sold. The net value of transferred fixed assets was $ 727,033 , including furniture, fixtures and office equipment of
$ 630,271 , motor vehicles of $ 96,762 and accumulated depreciation and amortization of $ 722,195 .
See
Note 26- Restatement, for discussion regarding the impact of the Restatement.
NOTE
9 – FINANCE LEASE RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS
Property,
plant and equipment under finance leases, net consist of the following:
SCHEDULE
OF PROPERTY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024 (Restated)
At cost:
Buildings
$ 60,531,168
$ 64,398,063
Total
60,531,168
64,398,063
Less: Accumulated depreciation
and amortization
( 19,390,837 )
( 19,242,775 )
Net book value
$ 41,140,331
45,155,288
F- 17
The
above buildings erected on parcels of land located in Shouguang, PRC, are collectively owned by local townships. The Company has not
been able to obtain property ownership certificates over these buildings as the Company could not obtain land use rights certificates
on the underlying parcels of land.
During
the year ended December 31, 2025, depreciation and amortization expense totaled $ 3,124,602 , which was recorded in direct labor and factory
overheads incurred during plant shutdown, cost of revenue, and general & administrative expenses.
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, depreciation and amortization expense totaled $ 3,045,602 , which was recorded in direct labor and factory
overheads incurred during plant shutdown, cost of revenue, and general & administrative expenses.
On
June 26, 2024, SHSI entered into a Crude Salt Assets Acquisition Agreement with the total transfer price of $ 18,010,850 . On June 27,
2024, SHSI entered into four Crude Salt Field Acquisition Agreements with 4 sellers, with the total transfer prices of $ 5,644,388 , $ 6,140,260 ,
$ 2,892,097 , and $ 6,369,207 , respectively. Company has not been able to obtain property ownership certificates over these salt pans. In
2024, Company purchased crude salt pans at a total cost of $ 39,056,802 .
See
Note 26- Restatement, for discussion regarding the impact of the Restatement.
NOTE
10 – OPERATING LEASE RIGHT–OF-USE ASSETS
The
Company has the rights to use certain parcels of land located in Shouguang, the PRC, through lease agreements signed with local townships
or the government authority. For parcels of land that are collectively owned by local townships, the Company cannot obtain land use rights
certificates. The parcels of land of which the Company cannot obtain land use rights certificates covers a total of approximately 34.95
square kilometers at December 31, 2025.
As
of December 31, 2025, the total operating lease right-of-use assets was $ 5,669,794 .
The
total operating lease cost for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024 was $ 875,201 and $ 877,809 .
NOTE
11 – BORROWINGS
The
Company entered into a loan agreement with Shandong Shouguang Industrial and Commercial Bank Co., Ltd. for a principal amount of $ 2,845,400 ,
bearing interest at 6.375 % per annum, with a maturity date of December 26, 2025 . The borrowing was guaranteed by Yang Ming, Yu Wenxiang,
and Shouguang Broadcasting and Television Group Col, Ltd. The borrowing was also secured by land and buildings owned by Shandong Shouguang
Vegetable Seed Industry Group Co., Ltd. The Company paid interest on a monthly basis, however, the principal balance became past due
and remained unpaid as of December 31, 2025 due to disputes between the Company and the bank.
The
Company entered into a loan agreement with Shandong Shouguang Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd. for a principal amount of $ 2,344,610 , bearing
interest at 6.35 % per annum, with a maturity date of March 26, 2027 . The borrowing was guaranteed by Yang Ming and Yu Wenxiang secured
by the 15th and 16th floors of Meilin Building, located in Shouguang, Shandong China, which are owned by Shandong Shouguang Hongye Economic
and Trade Co., Ltd. The company pays interest monthly and the principal is due at maturity.
NOTE
12 – PAYABLE AND ACCRUED EXPENSES
Payable and accrued expenses consist of
the following:
SCHEDULE
OF PAYABLE AND ACCRUED EXPENSES
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024 (Restated)
Accounts payable
$ 146,148
$ 30,003
Salary payable
155,257
323,655
Social security insurance contribution payable
240,079
169,858
Accrued expense for construction
526,298
5,310,040
Accrued expense-others
(1)
814,585
611,721
Total
$ 1,882,367
$ 6,445,277
(1)
Accrued expense-others mainly
included accrued professional fees and accrued interest payable that is disputed by the Company in connection with its borrowing from
Shouguang Industrial and Commercial Bank Co., Ltd.
See
Note 26 - Restatement for discussion regarding the impact of the restatement.
NOTE
13 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
On
September 25, 2012, the Company purchased five floors of a commercial building in the PRC, through SYCI, from Shandong Shouguang Vegetable
Seed Industry Group Co., Ltd. (the “Seller”) at a cost of approximately $ 5.7 million in cash, of which Mr. Ming Yang, the
Chairman of the Company, had a 99 % equity interest in the Seller that time. During the first quarter of 2018, the Company entered into
an agreement with the Seller, a related party, to provide property management services for an annual amount of approximately $ 86,911
for five years from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2027 . The expense associated with this agreement for the year ended December 31,
2025 and 2024 was $ 87,655 and $ 87,821 , respectively.
F- 18
NOTE
13 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS – Continued
a)
Related parties
Name
of related parties
Position
Ming
Yang
Shareholder
XiaoBin
Liu
Chief
Executive Officer
Min
Li
Chief
Financial Officer
NaiHui
Miao
Chief
Operating Officer
Chengdu
Dianjinshi Culture media Co., LTD
Affiliated
with company officers
b)
SCHEDULE
OF RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
December 31, 2025
December 31, 2024
Amount due to related parties:
Ming Yang
$ 419,671
$ 410,350
XiaoBin Liu
887,214
887,214
Min Li
302,498
636,264
NaiHui Miao
287,448
650,980
Total
$ 1,896,831
$ 2,584,808
Amount
due to related parties
$ 1,896,831
$ 2,584,808
c)
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Amount due from related parties:
Chengdu Dianjinshi
Culture media Co., LTD
$ 22,763
$ 25,040
Total
$ 22,763
$ 25,040
NOTE
14 – TAXES PAYABLE
SCHEDULE
OF TAXES PAYABLE
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Land use tax
payable
$ —
$ 19,318
Value added tax and other
taxes payable
365,499
94,681
Total
$ 365,499
$ 113,999
Of
the remaining balance as of December 31, 2025, $ 259,171 was overdue, as notified by the Tax Bureau in a Tax Matters Notice. The overdue
amount was attributable to certain value-added tax invoices issued by the Company’s upstream suppliers during 2018 and 2019 that
were subsequently identified as abnormal deductions in the tax authorities’ system.
NOTE
15 – LEASE LIABILITIES - FINANCE AND OPERATING LEASE
The
components of finance lease liabilities were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF FINANCE LEASE LIABILITIES
December
31, 2025
December 31, 2024
(Restated)
Total finance lease liability
$ 5,404,546
$ 8,432,177
Less: Current portion
( 228,918 )
( 3,342,293 )
Finance lease liability,
net of current portion
$ 5,175,628
$ 5,089,884
The
financing lease includes one contract with a lease term from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2030, and five contracts with the lease
term from June 29, 2024 to June 28, 2044. All contracts have a non-cancellable lease period of 20 years, and the company has the right
to preferentially renew the lease contract under the same conditions upon the contact expires. However, the company will decide whether
to renew the lease based on the market operation situation upon the expiration.
The
components of operating lease liabilities are as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF OPERATING LEASE LIABILITIES
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Total Operating lease liabilities
$ 7,014,947
$ 7,433,452
Less: Current portion
( 523,847 )
( 491,850 )
Operating lease liabilities,
net of current portion
$ 6,491,100
$ 6,941,602
The
components of lease cost were as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF LEASE COST
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024 (Restated)
Finance lease cost:
- Amortization of right-of-use
assets
$ 3,124,602
$ 3,045,602
- Interest on lease liabilities
239,508
200,025
Operating lease cost
875,201
877,809
Total lease cost
$ 4,239,311
$ 4,123,436
Maturities of lease liabilities were as
follows:
SCHEDULE
OF MATURITIES OF FINANCE AND OPERATING LEASE LIABILITIES
Finance
Lease
Operating
Lease
the next 12 months
$ 267,041
$ 833,565
the next 13 to 24 months
267,041
841,304
the next 25 to 36 months
5,060,315
845,918
the next 37 to 48 months
267,041
854,178
the next 49 to 60 months
267,041
859,163
thereafter
—
7,522,241
Total
6,128,479
11,756,369
Less: Amount representing
interest
( 723,933 )
( 4,741,422 )
Present value of net
minimum lease payments
$ 5,404,546
$ 7,014,947
A summary of supplemental information
related to leases is listed as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION RELATED TO LEASES
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Weighted average remaining lease term:
Finance leases
15.7
years
16.2
years
Operating leases
19.6
years
19.6
years
Weighted average discount rate:
Finance leases
4.53 %
4.62 %
Operating leases
4.90 %
4.90 %
Supplemental cash
flow information related to leases was as follows:
SCHEDULE
OF SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW INFORMATION
December
31, 2025
December
31, 2024
Cash paid for amounts included in measurement
of lease liabilities :
-Operating cash flows from operating
leases
$ 826,761
$ 894,351
-Financing cash flows from finance leases
$ 262,778
$ 31,866,665
Non-cash information on lease liabilities arising
from obtaining right-of-use assets:
-Finance leases
$ —
$ 38,636,330
-Operating leases
$ —
$ —
F- 19
NOTE
16 –– EQUITY
Stock
Issued For The Acquisition
In
June 2024, SHSI entered into crude salt field acquisition agreements with five sellers. On February 28, 2025 (“closing date”),
the transactions as contemplated by the acquisition agreements were closed. On the closing date, the Company issued an aggregate of 2,059,694
(post reverse share split 205,969 shares) shares of its common stock to the sellers at an agreed price of $ 1.50 per share, pursuant to
the acquisition agreements.
Reverse
Stock Split and Authorized Shares
On
October 27, 2025, the Company completed a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of the Company’s common stock, such that for each ten shares
outstanding prior to the stock split there was one share outstanding after the reverse stock split. All shares of common stock referenced
in this report have been adjusted to reflect the stock split figures.
Restricted
Shares
A
restricted stock award (“RSA”) is an award of common stocks that is subject to certain restrictions during a specified period.
Restricted
stock awards are independent of option grants and are generally subject to forfeiture if employment terminates prior to the release of
the restrictions. The grantee cannot transfer the shares before the restricted shares vest. Shares of nonvested restricted stock have
the same voting rights as common stock, are entitled to receive dividends and other distributions thereon and are considered to be currently
issued and outstanding. The Company expenses the cost of the restricted stock awards, which is determined to be the fair market value
of the shares at the date of grant, straight-line over the period during which the restrictions lapse. For these purposes, the fair market
value of the restricted stock is determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date.
The
Company granted an aggregate of 295,000 (post reverse share split 29,500 shares) restricted shares of common stock in January 25, 2025
to a consultant, the Company’s directors, officers, and an employee as compensation for services rendered in the year ended December
31, 2024. The restricted shares award was granted under the 2019 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan (See Note 18) and vested immediately.
The fair value of the award on the date of grant was $ 194,700 (post reverse share split 19,470 shares) which was expensed in full during
the year ended December 31, 2024.
The
Company granted in the aggregate, 265,000 (post reverse share split 26,500 shares) restricted shares of common stock on March 21, 2025
to a consultant, the company’s directors, officers and an employee as compensation for services rendered. The restricted shares
award were granted under the 2019 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan and vested immediately. The fair value of the award on the date of grant
was $ 196,100 (post reverse share split 19,610 shares) which was expensed in full during the year ended December 31, 2025.
The
Company granted in the aggregate, 186,000 restricted shares of common stock on November 21, 2025 to a consultant, the company’s
directors, officers and an employee as compensation for services rendered. The restricted shares award were granted under the 2025 Omnibus
Equity Incentive Plan and vested immediately. The fair value of the award on the date of grant was $ 734,700 which was expensed in full
during the year ended December 31, 2025.
Retained
Earnings - Appropriated
In
accordance with the relevant PRC regulations and the PRC subsidiaries’ Articles of Association, the Company’s PRC subsidiaries
are required to allocate its profit after tax to the following reserve:
Statutory
Reserve
The
Company’s PRC subsidiaries are required each year to transfer at least 10% of the profit after tax as reported under the PRC statutory
financial statements to the Statutory Reserve until the balance reaches 50% of the registered share capital. This reserve can be used
to make up any loss incurred or to increase share capital. Except for the reduction of losses incurred, any other application should
not result in this reserve balance falling below 25% of the registered capital. As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s statutory
provident fund stood at $26.67 million.
NOTE
17 – TREASURY STOCK
As
of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the number of treasury stock of the Company was 28,583 and 28,583 , respectively.
NOTE
18 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
Pursuant
to the Company’s 2025 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan adopted and approved in 2025 (“2025 Plan”), awards under the 2025
Plan is limited in the aggregate to 2,000,000 shares of our common stock, inclusive of the awards that were previously issued and outstanding
under the Company’s 2019 Omnibus Equity Incentive Plan,, as amended (the “2019 Plan”). Upon adoption and approval of
the 2025 Plan, the 2019 Plan was frozen, no new awards will be granted under the 2019 Plan, and outstanding awards under the 2019 Plan
will continue to be governed by the terms and condition of the 2019 Plan and applicable award agreement. As of December 31, 2025, the
number of shares of the Company’s common stock available for grant of stock options and issuance under the 2025 Plan is 14,000
shares.
The
fair value of each option award is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The risk free rate is
based on the yield-to-maturity in continuous compounding of the US Government Bonds with the time-to-maturity similar to the expected
tenor of the option granted, volatility is based on the annualized historical stock price volatility of the Company, and the expected
life is based on the historical option exercise pattern.
For
the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, total compensation costs for options issued recorded in the consolidated statement of comprehensive
income (loss) were nil . There were no related tax benefits as a full valuation allowance was recorded in the years ended December 31,
2025 and 2024.
F- 20
NOTE
18 – STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION – Continued
The
following table summarizes all Company stock option transactions between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.
SCHEDULE
OF STOCK OPTION ACTIVITY
Number
of Option and
Warrants
Outstanding and
exercisable
Weighted-
Average Exercise
price
of Option and
Warrants
Range
of Exercise Price per
Common
Stock
Balance, January 1, 2025
$ —
$ —
—
Exercised
$ —
$ —
—
Expired
—
—
—
Balance, December 31, 2025
—
—
—
Stock
and Warrants Options Exercisable and Outstanding
Outstanding
at December 31, 2025
Range
of Exercise Prices
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Contractual Life
(Years)
Exercisable
and Outstanding
—
—
—
All
options exercisable and outstanding at December 31, 2025 are fully vested. As of December 31, 2025, there was no unrecognized compensation
cost related to outstanding stock options,
The
aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $ 0 and $ 0 .
NOTE
19 – ACCRUED LIABILITIES
On
September 18, 2023, Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Seed Group Co., Ltd. entered
into loan agreements with Shandong Deepin City Emergency Loan Fund Co., Ltd.. A total of nine companies and individuals providing guarantee
to these loans, including SCHC and SYCI. As of July 2024, Shangdong Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Shandong Shouguang
Vegetable Seed Group Co., Ltd. owed a principal of $ 2,104,050 and $ 1,402,700 to Shandong Deepin City Emergency Loan Fund Co., Ltd., respectively.
Mediated
by the Local Arbitration Commission and documented in mediation documents No. 1358 and 1357, Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group
Co., Ltd. and Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Seed Industry Group Co., Ltd. were to repay $ 2,104,050 and $ 1,402,700 to Shandong Deepin City
Emergency Loan Fund Co., Ltd. before May 8, 2024, respectively. In addition, they were required to pay interests every ten days starting
from January 1, 2024. SCHC and SYCI are jointly and severally liable for both the principal and interests.
Shandong
Deepin City Emergency Loan Fund Co., Ltd. sought court action as Shandong Shouguang Vegetable Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Shandong Shouguang
Vegetable Seed Industry Group Co., Ltd. were unable to pay principal before deadline or interests as scheduled. Pursuant to court orders
(2024) Lu 07 Exec 640 and (2024) Lu 07 Exec 641, SCHC and SYCI, as guarantors, are required to repay the principal and interests. The
Shandong Weifang Intermediate People’s Court ruled to auction the land at Xiangjiang road, Yangkou town, Shouguang City and the
attached properties on it, and the auction proceeds would be used to repay Shandong Deepin City Emergency Loan Fund Co., Ltd.
The
court engaged a third-party valuer for evaluation of the land at Xiangjiang road, Yangkou town ,Shouguang city and its attached properties.
The valuation report returned a fair value of $ 4,580,892 . The Company recognized an impairment loss of $ 29,782,912 accordingly.
The
court imposed a forced auction of the land and its attached properties in July, 2025 however the auction was filed. A second auction
was held on August 15, 2025. The land and its attached properties were sold at $ 2,556,733 . As the selling price was lower than the fair
value, the Company recognized a loss on disposal of long-term assets of
$ 2,008,853 .
As
of December 31, 2025, as SCHC was liable for a sum of principal and interests of $ 499,688 , net of auction proceeds, the Company recognized
accrued liabilities of $ 499,688 accordingly.
F- 21
NOTE
20 – INCOME TAXES
The
Company utilizes the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC 740-10. If it is more likely
than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recognized.
(a) United
States (“US”)
Gulf
Resources, Inc. may be subject to the United States of America Tax laws at a tax rate of 21 %. No provision for the US federal income
taxes has been made as the Company had no US taxable income for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, and management believes that
its earnings are permanently invested in the PRC.
(b) British
Virgin Islands (“BVI”)
Upper
Class Group Limited, a subsidiary of Gulf Resources, Inc., was incorporated in the BVI and, under the current laws of the BVI, it is
not subject to tax on income or capital gain in the BVI. Upper Class Group Limited did not generate assessable profit for the years ended
December 31, 2025 and 2024.
(c) Hong
Kong
HKJI,
a subsidiary of Upper Class Group Limited, was incorporated in Hong Kong and is subject to Hong Kong taxation on its activities conducted
in Hong Kong and income arising in or derived from Hong Kong. No provision for income tax has been made as it has no taxable income for
the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. The applicable statutory tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 are 16.5 %.
There is no dividend withholding tax in Hong Kong.
(d) PRC
Enterprise
income tax (“EIT”) for SCHC, SYCI, SHSI and DCHC in the PRC is charged at 25 % of the assessable profits.
The
operating subsidiaries SCHC is a wholly foreign-owned enterprises (“FIE”), SYCI, DCHC, and SHSI are incorporated in the PRC
and are subject to PRC Local Income Tax Law. The PRC tax losses may be carried forward to be utilized against future taxable profit for
ten years for High-tech enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises of science and technology and for five years for other companies.
Tax losses of the operating subsidiaries of the Company may be carried forward for five years .
On
February 22, 2008, the Ministry of Finance (“MOF”) and the State Administration of Taxation (“SAT”) jointly issued
CaiShui [2008] Circular 1 (“Circular 1”). According to Article 4 of Circular 1, distributions of accumulated profits earned
by a FIE prior to January 1, 2008 to foreign investor(s) in 2008 will be exempted from withholding tax (“WHT”) while distribution
of the profit earned by an FIE after January 1, 2008 to its foreign investor(s) shall be subject to WHT at 5% effective tax rate.
As
of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the accumulated distributable earnings under the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(“GAAP”) of PRC that are subject to WHT are $ 35,595,921 and
$ 40,524,183 ,
respectively. Since the Company intends to reinvest its earnings to further expand its businesses in mainland China, its foreign
invested enterprises do not intend to declare dividends to their immediate foreign holding companies in the foreseeable future.
Accordingly, as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company has not recorded any WHT on the cumulative amount of
distributable retained earnings of its foreign invested enterprises that are subject to WHT in China. As of December 31, 2025 and
December 31, 2024, the unrecognized WHT are $ 2,521,128 and
$ 1,078,743 ,
respectively.
The
Company’s income tax returns are subject to the various tax authorities’ examination. The federal, state and local authorities
of the United States may examine the Company’s income tax returns filed in the United States for three years from the date of filing.
The Company’s US income tax returns since 2017 are currently subject to examination.
Inland
Revenue Department of Hong Kong (“IRD”) may examine the Company’s income tax returns filed in Hong Kong for seven years
from date of filing. For the years 2012 through 2018, HKJI did not report any taxable income. It did not file any income tax returns
during these years except for 2014 and 2018. For companies which do not have taxable income, IRD typically issues notification to companies
requiring them to file income tax returns once in every four years. The tax returns for 2014 and 2018 are currently subject to examination.
F- 22
The
components of the provision for income tax benefit (expense) from continuing operations are:
SCHEDULE OF COMPONENTS OF INCOME TAX EXPENSE BENEFIT
2025
2024
Years
Ended December 31,
2025
2024
Current taxes
– PRC
$ —
$ ( 15,204 )
Deferred
taxes – PRC entities
—
( 1,632,978 )
Total
Income tax (expenses) benefits
$ —
$ ( 1,648,182 )
Significant
components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 are as follows:
SCHEDULE OF DEFERRED
TAX ASSETS AND LIABILITIES
December
31, 2025
December
31,2024
Deferred tax liabilities
$ —
$ —
Deferred tax assets:
Exploration costs
$ 1,771,262
$ 1,731,920
Allowance
78,013
729,731
Impairment of long-lived assets
71,966
1,686,095
PRC tax losses
7,485,619
9,125,871
Accrued liabilities
124,922
—
US federal net operating
loss
1,965,991
1,661,464
Total deferred tax assets
11,497,773
14,935,081
Valuation allowance
( 11,497,773 )
( 14,935,081 )
Net deferred tax asset
$ —
$ —
Deferred
tax assets consist of future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and adequate future taxable income, exclusive of reversing
deductible temporary differences. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, valuation allowances were mainly provided against deferred tax assets
caused by exploration costs, impairment of long-lived assets, allowance and net operating loss where it was determined it was more likely
than not that the benefits of the deferred tax assets will not be realized due to their continuous losses.
The
decrease in valuation allowance for the year ended December 31, 2025 is $ 3,437,308 .
The
increase in valuation allowance for the year ended December 31, 2024 is $ 1,401,232 .
There
were no unrecognized tax benefits and accrual for uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
There
were no amounts accrued for penalties and interest for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
There
were no change in unrecognized tax benefits during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
F- 23
NOTE
21 – BUSINESS SEGMENTS
ASC
280, Disclosures about Segments, of an Enterprise and Related Information, establishes standards for reporting information about operating
segments. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise engaging in business activities from which they may earn revenues
and incurred expenses, and about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating
decision-marker, or decision-making group( the “CODM”), in deciding how to allocate resources and assessing performance.
The
Company’s Chief Executive Officer (Mr. Xiaobin Liu) is determined as the CODM of the Company, Mr Liu measures the performance of
each segment based on metrics of revenue and profit before taxes from operations and uses these results to evaluate the performance of,
and to allocate resources to each of the segments. The Company has organized operations into four different business segments: (1) bromine,
(2) crude salt, (3) chemical products, (4) natural gas.
As
of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the detailed income statements of each of our divisions are presented below:
SCHEDULE
OF SEGMENT REPORTING BY SEGMENT
Year
Ended
December
31, 2025
Operating
Segment
Bromine *
Crude
Salt *
Chemical
Products
Natural
Gas
Segment
Total
Corporate
Total
Net revenue
(external customers)
$ 23,000,303
$ 2,418,032
$ —
$ —
$ 25,418,335
$ —
$ 25,418,335
Net revenue
(intersegment)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Loss from operations before
income tax
expense
( 4,658,726 )
( 908,680 )
( 1,393,175 )
( 157,913 )
( 7,118,494 )
( 1,450,130 )
( 8,568,624 )
Income tax (expense) benefit
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Loss from operations after
income tax (expense)
benefit
( 4,658,726 )
( 908,680 )
( 1,393,175 )
( 157,913 )
( 7,118,494 )
( 1,450,130 )
( 8,568,624 )
Total assets
83,080,154
50,107,530
—
543,530
133,731,214
596
133,731,810
Depreciation and
amortization
13,146,992
2,710,846
275,517
128,263
16,261,618
—
16,261,618
Capital expenditures
214,761
9,129,878
—
—
9,344,639
—
9,344,639
Year
Ended
December
31, 2024
Bromine*
Crude
Salt*
Chemical
Products
Natural
Gas
Segment
Total
Corporate
Total
Net revenue
(external customers)
$ 5,549,815
$ 2,049,988
$ —
$ 61,207
$ 7,661,010
$ —
$ 7,661,010
Net revenue
(intersegment)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Loss from operations before
income tax
expense
( 17,455,130 )
( 668,110 )
( 3,185,472 )
( 195,364 )
( 21,504,076 )
( 744,493 )
( 22,248,569 )
Income tax (expense) benefit
( 1,632,978 )
( 15,204 )
—
—
( 1,648,182 )
—
( 1,648,182 )
Loss from operations after
income tax (expense)
benefit
( 19,088,108 )
( 683,314 )
( 3,185,472 )
( 195,364 )
( 23,152,258 )
( 744,493 )
( 23,896,751 )
Total assets
72,922,299
45,581,718
45,864,635
1,698,575
166,067,227
1,755,061
167,822,288
Depreciation and
amortization
16,798,768
1,659,865
272,716
134,080
18,865,429
—
18,865,429
Capital expenditures
28,923,642
31,602,571
—
—
60,526,213
—
60,526,213
* Certain common
production overheads, operating and administrative expenses and asset items (mainly cash and certain office equipment) of bromine and
crude salt segments in SCHC were split by reference to the average selling price and production volume of the respective segment.
SCHEDULE
OF SEGMENT COST
Reconciliations
2025
2024
(Restated)
Years
Ended December 31,
Reconciliations
2025
2024
(Restated)
Total segment operating loss
$ ( 7,118,494 )
$ ( 21,504,076 )
Corporate costs
( 1,450,130 )
( 744,493 )
Unrealized gain (loss)
on translation of intercompany balance
—
—
Loss from operations
( 8,568,624 )
( 22,248,569 )
Interest income, net of expense
54,761
( 62,113 )
Other expense, net
( 4,003,497 )
—
Gain on disposal of subsidiary
674,776
—
Loss on disposal of long-lived assets
( 2,008,853 )
( 29,169,008 )
Impairment of long-lived
assets
( 30,068,794 )
( 6,772,500 )
Loss before taxes
$ ( 43,920,231 )
$ ( 58,252,190 )
The
following table shows the major customers (10% or more) for the year ended December 31, 2025:
BUSINESS SEGMENTS - SCHEDULE OF
REVENUE BY MAJOR CUSTOMERS
Bromine
Crude Salt
Chemical
Products
Total Revenue
Percentage
of
Total
Revenue
Number
Customer
(000’s)
(000’s)
(000’s)
(000’s)
(%)
1
Shandong Morui Chemical Company Limited
$ 3,331
$ 853
$ —
$ 4,184
16.5 %
2
Shandong Brother Technology Limited
$ 3,219
$ 955
$ —
$ 4,174
16.4 %
3
Shandong Shouguang Shenrunfa Marine Chemical
Company Limited
$ 3,422
$ —
$ —
$ 3,422
13.5 %
4
Shouguang Weidong Chemical Company Limited
$ 2,717
$ 609
$ —
$ 3,326
13.1 %
The
following table shows the major customers (10% or more) for the year ended December 31, 2024:
Bromine
Crude Salt
Chemical Products
Total Revenue
Percentage of
Total Revenue
Number
Customer
(000’s)
(000’s)
(000’s)
(000’s)
(%)
1
Shandong Morui Chemical Company Limited
$ 677
$ 770
$ —
$ 1,447
18.9 %
2
Shandong Brother Technology Limited
$ 646
$ 702
$ —
$ 1,348
17.6 %
3
Shouguang Weidong Chemical Company Limited
$ 646
$ 578
$ —
$ 1,224
16.0 %
NOTE
22 – CUSTOMER CONCENTRATION
The
Company sells a substantial portion of its products to a limited number of customers. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company
sold 67.6 % of its products to its top five customers. As of December 31, 2025, amounts due from these customers were $ 2,347,943 .
The
Company sells a substantial portion of its products to a limited number of customers. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company
sold 66.05 % of its products to its top five customers. As of December 31, 2024, amounts due from these customers were $ 594,234 .
NOTE
23 – MAJOR SUPPLIERS
During
the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company purchased 100 % of its raw materials from its top four suppliers. As of December 31, 2025,
amounts due to those suppliers were $ 146,148 .
During
the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company purchased 100 % of its raw materials from its top four suppliers. As of December 31, 2024,
amounts due to those suppliers were $ 30,003 .
F- 24
NOTE
24 – LOSS CONTINGENCIES
On
or about August 3, 2018, written decisions of administration penalty captioned Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 291, Shou Guo Tu Zi
Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 292, Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 293, Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 294, Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi
[2018] No. 295 and Shou Guo Tu Zi Fa Gao Zi [2018] No. 296 (together, the “Written Decisions”) were served on Shouguang City
Haoyuan Chemical Company Limited (“SCHC”) by Shouguang City Natural Resources and Planning Bureau (the “Bureau”),
naming SCHC as respondent respectively thereof. The Decisions challenged the land use of Factory nos. 2, 9, 7, 4, 8 and 10, respectively,
and alleged, among other things, that SCHC had illegally occupied and used the land in the total area of approximately 52,674 square
meter, on which Factory nos. 2, 9, 7, 4, 8 and 10 were built, respectively. The Written Decisions ordered SCHC, among other things, to
return the land subject to the Written Decisions to its respective legal owner, restore the land to its original state, and demolish
or confiscate all the buildings and facilities thereon and pay monetary penalty of approximately RMB 1.3 million ($184,000) in the aggregate.
Each of the Written Decisions shall be executed within 15 days upon serving on SCHC. Additional interest penalty shall be imposed at
a daily rate of 3% in the event that SCHC does not make the monetary penalty payment in a timely manner. Subsequently, the Bureau filed
enforcement actions to the People’s Court of Shouguang City, Shandong Province (the “Court”), naming SCHC as enforcement
respondent and alleged, among other things, that SCHC failed to perform its obligations under each of the Written Decisions within the
specified timeframe. The enforcement proceedings sought court orders to enforce the Written Decisions. On May 5, 2019, written decisions
of administrative ruling captioned (2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 384, (2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 385, (2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 389,
(2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 390, (2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 393, and (2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 394, respectively (together, the
“Court Rulings”) were made by the Court in favor of the Bureau. The Court orders, among other relief, to enforce each of
the Written Decisions, to return each subject land to its legal owners and demolish or confiscate the buildings and facilities thereon
and restore the land to its original state within 10 days from the service of the Court Rulings on SCHC. The Court Rulings became enforceable
immediately upon service on SCHC on May 5, 2019.
In
the last twenty years, to the Company’s knowledge, there were no government regulations requiring bromine manufacturers to obtain
land use and planning approval document. As such, the Company believes most of the bromine manufacturers in Shouguang City do not have
land use and planning approval documents and lease their land parcels from the village associations. They are facing the same issues
in connection with land use and planning as the Company. To the Company’s knowledge, the local government has submitted its plan
to solve the issues to higher authority and are waiting for approval from the higher authority.
The
Company is in the process of resolving the issues in connection with SCHC’s land use and planning diligently. The Company has been
in discussions closely with the local government authorities with the help from Shouguang City Bromine Association to seek reliefs and,
based on verbal confirmation by local government authorities, believes the administrative penalties imposed by the Bureau according to
the Written Decisions are being re-assessed by local government authorities and may be revoked. Pursuant to a Written Application dated
October 28, 2019 addressed to the Court by the Bureau, the Bureau withdrew its application for the enforcement proceedings regarding
the administrative penalty imposed on Factory No. 7, Factory No. 8 and Factory No.10. Pursuant to a written decisions of administrative
ruling captioned (2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 389 Zhi Yi, dated November 25, 2020, the Court orders to terminate the enforcement of the
case captioned (2019) Lu 0783 Xing Shen No. 389. Production of Factory No. 7 was allowed to resume in April 2019. The Company received
a notification from the Shouguang City Government in February 2019 informing the Company that Factory No. 1, No.4, No. 7 and No. 9 have
passed inspection and were approved to resume operation
In
addition, on August 28, 2019, the People’s Government of Shandong Province, issued a regulation titled “Investment Project
Management Requirements of Chemical Companies in Shandong Province” permitting the construction of facilities on existing sites
or infrastructure of bromine manufacturing and other chemical industry-related types of projects (clause 11 of section 3). The Company
believes that the goal of the government is to standardize and regulate the industry and not to demolish the facilities or penalize the
manufacturers. As of the date of this report, the Company has not been notified by the local government that it will take any measure
to enforce the administrative penalties. Based on information known to date, the Company believes that it is remote that the Written
Decisions or Court Rulings will be enforced within the expected timeframe and a material penalty or costs and expenses against the Company
will result. However, there can be no assurance that there will not be any further enforcement action, the occurrence of which may result
in further liabilities, penalties and operational disruption.
In
view of the above facts and circumstances, the Company believes that it is not necessary to accrue for any estimated losses or impairment
as of December 31, 2025.
NOTE
25 - SUBSEQUENT EVENT
Pursuant
to the notification from the government of Shouguang City, all bromine facilities in Shouguang City were temporarily closed from December
26, 2025 until February 24, 2026. In compliance with the notification, the Company ceased production at its bromine facilities during
this period and resumed preparation operations at the bromine and crude salt factories as scheduled in February 2026.
On
January 9, 2026, the Company filed a registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) is filed by the
Registrant for the purpose of registering (i) 103,378 common
stocks of the Company, par value 0.0005 per
share (the “Common Stocks”) issued under the Company’s 2019 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”),
after giving effect of the 10-to-1 reserve stock split as previously announced on Form 8-K filed with SEC on October 22, 2025 and
(ii) 200,000 Common
Stocks issuable pursuant to the Company’s 2025 Stock incentive plan (the “2025 Plan”). Pursuant to Rule 416(a)
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), this registration statement also covers an
indeterminate number of additional shares which may be offered and issued to prevent dilution from share splits, share dividends or
similar transactions as provided in the Plan. Any common stocks covered by an award granted under the Plan (or portion of an award)
that terminates, expires, lapses or repurchased for any reason will be deemed not to have been issued for purposes of determining
the maximum aggregate number of common stocks that may be issued under the Plan.
On
January 26, 2026, March 5, 2026, March 19, 2026 and March 28, 2026, respectively, the Company entered into equity financing agreements
(individually the “Private Placement Agreement”; collectively the “Private Placement Agreements”), with four
individual investors (individually the “Private Placement Purchaser”; collectively “Private Placement Purchasers”),
pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue new shares of common stock to such investors that in aggregate accounted for approximately
18 % of the total shares issued and outstanding of the Company as of December 31, 2025. The purchase price per share under the Private
Placement Agreement dated January 26, 2026, was set at 90% of the average closing price of the Company’s common stock for the five
trading days prior to the date of such agreement, while the purchase prices under the Private Placement Agreements executed in March
2026 were set at 85% of, or 15% off, the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the trading day immediately preceding the
respective agreement dates, as quoted on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
On
June 25, 2026, Company received a written notice from Nasdaq (the “Extension Letter”) stating that it had accepted the Company’s
plan to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) (the “Rule”). Nasdaq granted the Company a plan period to regain
compliance with the Rule. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used in this current report on Form 8-K have the meanings
given to them in the Previous Announcements (as defined below). (I) As previously reported in the current report on Forms 8- K (the “Previous
Announcements”) filed on April 27, 2026 and May 29, 2026 with the Securities Exchange Commission by the Company, the Company announced
that it received delinquency notifications from Nasdaq on April 23, 2026 and May 26, 2026 (the “Deficiency Letters”), due
to the Company’s non-compliance with the Rule as a result of the Company’s failure to timely file its annual report on Form
10-K (the “Form 10-K”) for the period ended December 31, 2025 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended
March 31, 2026 (the “Form 10-Q” and together with the “Form 10-K”, the “Delinquent Reports”), respectively.
As of the date of this Form 8-K, the Company remains delinquent in filing its Delinquent Reports. (II) The Company submitted a plan to
the Nasdaq Listing Qualification (the “Staff”) to regain compliance (the “Compliance Plan”) with the Nasdaq Requirements
on June 17, 2026. Under the Extension Letter, the Company is required to file its delinquent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q by the applicable
extended deadline to evidence compliance with the relevant Nasdaq requirements.The Extension Letter further provides that if the Company
fails to evidence compliance upon filing the Delinquent Reports, Staff will notify the Company that its securities will be subject to
delisting. (III)The previously received Deficiency Letters and the Extension Letter have no immediate effect on the listing or trading
of the Company’s common stock on Nasdaq, subject to the Company’s continued compliance with the other applicable listing
requirements. (IV)The Company is committed to taking the actions set forth in the plan and intends to use all reasonable efforts to regain
compliance with the initiatives and conditions set forth in the Compliance Plan within the plan period. However, there is no assurance
that the Company will be successful in regaining compliance with the Nasdaq Requirements within the planned period.
F- 25
NOTE 26 – RESTATEMENT
The
Company restates its previously released audited consolidated financial statements for the year ending 2024, and incorporate them into
the 2024 Annual Report “10-K Form Report” (the “Restatement”). This restatement is due to the discovery of errors
related to the reclassification of buildings without property ownership certificates in fixed assets. The impacts for the periods prior
to 2024 have been accumulated and presented as an initial balance adjustment item for the retained earnings as of December 31, 2023.
As
the Company does not have property ownership certificates, the acquisition of the 20 -year usage rights for this land, buildings, and
salt pan conforms to the definition of a lease as stated in ASC 842. The Company revised the financial statements and accounted for these
usage rights as leases in accordance with the provisions of ASC 842.
The
effects of the restatement on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2024, are summarized in the following table:
SCHEDULE
OF CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
December
31, 2024
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
Current Assets
Cash
$ 10,075,162
—
$ 10,075,162
Accounts receivable, net
564,523
—
564,523
Inventories, net
315,371
—
315,371
Prepayments and deposits
6,376,656
—
6,376,656
Amount due from related parties
25,040
—
25,040
Other receivables
94,074
—
94,074
Total current assets
17,450,826
—
17,450,826
Non-Current Assets
Property, plant and equipment, net
136,143,177
( 46,712,127 )
(b)
89,431,050
Finance lease right-of-use assets
76,868
45,078,420
(b)
45,155,288
Operating lease right-of-use assets
6,169,855
—
6,169,855
Prepaid land leases, net of current portion
9,615,269
—
9,615,269
Deferred tax assets, net
—
—
—
Total non-current assets
152,005,169
( 1,633,707 )
150,371,462
Total Assets
169,455,995
( 1,633,707 )
167,822,288
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
$ 14,323,458
( 7,878,181 )
(c)
$ 6,445,277
Taxes payable-current
113,999
—
113,999
Amount due to related parties
2,584,808
—
2,584,808
Finance lease liability, current portion
217,743
3,124,550
(c)
3,342,293
Operating lease liabilities,
current portion
491,850
—
491,850
Total current liabilities
17,731,858
( 4,753,631 )
12,978,227
Non-Current Liabilities
Finance lease liability, net of current portion
1,075,865
4,014,019
(c)
5,089,884
Operating lease liabilities,
net of current portion
6,941,602
—
6,941,602
Total non-current liabilities
8,017,467
4,014,019
12,031,486
Total Liabilities
25,749,325
( 739,612 )
25,009,713
Commitment and Contingencies
—
—
—
Stockholders’ Equity
PREFERRED STOCK; $ 0.001 par
value; 1,000,000 shares
authorized; none outstanding
—
—
—
COMMON STOCK; $ 0.0005 par
value; 80,000,000 shares
authorized; 1,120,145 shares
issued; and 1,091,562 shares
outstanding as of December 31, 2024, and 2023
24,623
( 24,063 )
(a)
560
Treasury stock; 28,583 shares as of December 31, 2024 at cost
( 1,372,673 )
—
( 1,372,673 )
Additional paid-in capital
101,688,262
24,063
(a)
101,712,325
Share to be issued
194,700
—
194,700
Retained earnings unappropriated
37,358,804
( 964,920 )
(d)
36,393,884
Retained earnings appropriated
26,667,097
—
26,667,097
Accumulated other comprehensive
loss
( 20,854,143 )
70,825
(e)
( 20,783,318 )
Total Stockholders’
Equity
143,706,670
( 894,095 )
142,812,575
Total Liabilities and
Stockholders’ Equity
$ 169,455,995
( 1,633,707 )
$ 167,822,288
The
following descriptions of the restatement adjustments to the balance sheet excludes a description of adjustments previously identified
and concluded as immaterial that were also corrected as part of the restatement.
(a) The change in common
stock and additional paid-in capital is due to the company’s 1-for-10 reverse stock split on October 27, 2025.
(b) As of December
31, 2024, in the fixed assets, the original value of the buildings subject to reclassification amounted to $ 68,476,868 , The Company reclassified
them based on their acquisition methods. The self-built portion was reclassified as “leasehold improvements” in the property,
plant and equipment, with an original value of $ 3,507,367 . The leased portion was reclassified as finance lease right-of use assets,
with an original value of $ 64,189,590 , accumulated amortization of $ 19,111,170 , and a net value of $ 45,078,420 .
(c) The amount of $ 7,878,181
in accounts payable and accrued expenses was reclassified as finance lease liability relating to the salt pans. The finance lease liabilities
including the current portion of $ 3,124,550 and the non-current portion of $ 4,014,019 .
(d) Regarding the decrease
in retained earnings unappropriated, the main reason was that general and administrative expenses increased by $ 964,920 . The increase
in general and administrative expenses was due to the reclassification of finance lease right-of-use asset. Previously, depreciation
was calculated after deducting 5% residual value from the fixed assets, but now there is no residual value for amortization of finance
lease right-of-use asset calculation.
(e) The change in the
accumulated other comprehensive loss represents the foreign currency translation differences in the financial statements.
F- 26
The effects of the restatement on the consolidated statement of operations
income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2024, are summarized in the following table:
SCHEDULE
OF STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
December
31, 2024
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
NET REVENUE
$ 7,661,010
—
$ 7,661,010
OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSE
Cost of revenues
( 14,746,741 )
—
( 14,746,741 )
Sales and marketing expenses
( 46,264 )
—
( 46,264 )
Direct labor and factory overheads incurred
during plant shutdown
( 8,880,643 )
—
( 8,880,643 )
General and administrative
expenses
( 5,271,011 )
( 964,920 )
(a)
( 6,235,931 )
TOTAL OPERATING COSTS AND EXPENSE
( 28,944,659 )
( 964,920 )
( 29,909,579 )
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS
( 21,283,649 )
( 964,920 )
( 22,248,569 )
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest expense
( 91,901 )
—
( 91,901 )
Interest income
80,258
—
80,258
Other expenses, net
( 50,470 )
—
( 50,470 )
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment
( 29,169,008 )
—
( 29,169,008 )
Impairment of property,
plant and equipment
( 6,772,500 )
—
( 6,772,500 )
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES
( 57,287,270 )
( 964,920 )
( 58,252,190 )
INCOME TAX EXPENSE
( 1,648,182 )
—
( 1,648,182 )
NET LOSS
$ ( 58,935,452 )
( 964,920 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS:
NET LOSS
$ ( 58,935,452 )
( 964,920 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
OTHER COMPREHENSIVE (LOSS) INCOME
- Foreign currency translation
adjustments
( 2,800,874 )
70,825
(b)
( 2,730,049 )
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE
LOSS
$ ( 61,736,326 )
( 894,095 )
$ ( 62,630,421 )
BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE
$ ( 5.49 )
( 49.39 )
(c)
$ ( 54.88 )
BASIC AND DILUTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES:
10,726,924
( 9,635,362 )
(c)
1,091,562
The
following descriptions of the restatement adjustments to the statement of operations exclude a description of adjustments previously
identified and concluded as immaterial they were also corrected as part of the restatement.
(a) The increase of
$ 964,920 in general and administrative expenses was due to the reclassification of finance lease right-of-use asset. Previously, depreciation
was calculated after deducting 5% residual value from the fixed assets, but now there is no residual value for amortization of finance
lease right-of-use asset calculation.
(b) The change in the
accumulated other comprehensive loss represents the foreign currency translation differences in the financial statements.
(c) The change in basic
and diluted loss per share is due to the company’s 1-for-10 reverse stock split on October 27, 2025.
F- 27
The effects of the restatement on the consolidated statement of stockholders’ deficit for the year ended December 31, 2024 are summarized
in the following table:
SCHEDULE
OF CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
Reference
issued
outstanding
stock
Amount
stock
issued
capital
unappropriated
appropriated
Income(loss)
Total
Common
stock
Restatement
Number
of shares
Number
of shares
Number
of treasury
Treasury
Share
to be
Additional
paid-in
Retained
earnings
Retained
earnings
Accumulated
other comprehensive
Reference
issued
outstanding
stock
Amount
stock
issued
capital
unappropriated
appropriated
Income(loss)
Total
YEAR
ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024 (As Previously Reported)
Total
BALANCE AT JANUARY 1, 2024
11,012,754
10,726,924
285,830
$ 24,623
$ ( 1,372,673 )
—
$ 101,688,262
$ 96,294,256
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 18,053,269 )
$ 205,248,296
Restricted
shares to be issued for service
—
—
—
—
—
194,700
—
—
—
—
194,700
Currency
translation adjustment
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 2,800,874 )
( 2,800,874 )
Net
loss for year ended December 31, 2024
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 58,935,452 )
—
—
( 58,935,452 )
BALANCE
AT DECEMBER 31, 2024
11,012,754
10,726,924
285,830
$ 24,623
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ 194,700
$ 101,688,262
$ 37,358,804
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 20,854,143 )
$ 143,706,670
YEAR
ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024 (Restatement Impact)
BALANCE
AT JANUARY 1, 2024
(a)
( 9,892,609 )
( 9,635,362 )
( 257,247 )
$ ( 24,063 )
—
—
$ 24,063
—
—
—
—
Restricted
shares to be issued for service
Currency
translation adjustment
(c)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
70,825
70,825
Net
loss for year ended December 31, 2024
(b)
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 964,920 )
—
—
( 964,920 )
BALANCE
AT DECEMBER 31, 2024
(a)
( 9,892,609 )
( 9,635,362 )
( 257,247 )
$ ( 24,063 )
—
—
$ 24,063
$ ( 964,920 )
—
$ 70,825
$ ( 894,095 )
YEAR
ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2024 (As Restated)
BALANCE
AT JANUARY 1, 2024
1,120,145
1,091,562
28,583
$ 560
$ ( 1,372,673 )
—
$ 101,712,325
$ 96,294,256
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 18,053,269 )
$ 205,248,296
Restricted
shares to be issued for service
—
—
—
—
—
194,700
—
—
—
—
194,700
Currency
translation adjustment
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 2,730,049 )
( 2,730,049 )
Net
loss for year ended December 31, 2024
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
( 59,900,372 )
—
—
( 59,900,372 )
BALANCE
AT DECEMBER 31, 2024
1,120,145
1,091,562
28,583
$ 560
$ ( 1,372,673 )
$ 194,700
$ 101,712,325
$ 36,393,884
$ 26,667,097
$ ( 20,783,318 )
$ 142,812,575
The
following descriptions of the restatement adjustments to the consolidated statement of stockholders’ deficit excludes a description
of adjustments previously identified and concluded as immaterial the were also corrected as part of the restatement.
(a) The change in common
stock and additional paid-in capital is due to the company’s 1-for-10 reverse stock split on October 27, 2025.
(b) Regarding the decrease
in retained earnings unappropriated, the main reason was that general and administrative expenses increased by $ 964,920 . The increase
of general and administrative expenses was due to the reclassification of finance lease right-of-use asset. Previously, depreciation
was calculated after deducting 5% residual value from the fixed assets, but now there is no residual value for amortization of finance
lease right-of-use asset calculation.
(c) The change in the
accumulated other comprehensive loss represents the foreign currency translation differences in the financial statements.
F- 28
The
effects of the restatement on the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2024, are summarized in the following
table:
SCHEDULE
OF CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
December
31, 2024
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net loss
$ ( 58,935,452 )
( 964,920 )
(b)
$ ( 59,900,372 )
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net
cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
Amortization on capital lease
91,901
108,124
(a)
200,025
Depreciation and amortization
18,007,875
( 2,188,048 )
(a)
15,819,827
Deferred tax asset
1,632,978
—
1,632,978
Stock-based compensation expense
194,700
—
194,700
Bad debt expense
1,669,002
—
1,669,002
Impairment of inventory
989,035
—
989,035
Impairment of property plant and equipment
6,772,500
—
6,772,500
Amortization of operating lease right-of-use
asset
877,809
—
877,809
Amortization of finance lease right-of-use
asset
—
3,045,602
(a)
3,045,602
Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment
29,169,008
—
29,169,008
Changes in assets and liabilities
Accounts receivable
4,264,140
—
4,264,140
Inventories
( 733,302 )
—
( 733,302 )
Prepayment and deposits
248,817
—
248,817
Advance from customers
( 42,471 )
—
( 42,471 )
Other receivables
( 87,515 )
—
( 87,515 )
Accounts and Other payable and accrued expenses
( 2,191,652 )
—
( 2,191,652 )
Taxes payable
( 357,954 )
—
( 357,954 )
Lease liabilities
( 894,351 )
—
( 894,351 )
Net
cash provided by operating activities
675,068
758
675,826
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Purchase of property, plant and equipment
( 60,526,213 )
31,602,571
(c)
( 28,923,642 )
Interest-free loan lent
to related parties
( 25,275 )
—
( 25,275 )
Net
cash used in investing activities
( 60,551,488 )
31,602,571
(c)
( 28,948,917 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of finance leases obligation
( 264,094 )
( 31,602,571 )
(c)
( 31,866,665 )
Proceeds from interest-free
loan from a related party
14,854
—
14,854
Net
cash used in financing activities
( 249,240 )
( 31,602,571 )
(c)
( 31,851,811 )
EFFECTS OF EXCHANGE
RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
( 2,023,072 )
( 758 )
(d)
( 2,023,830 )
NET DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH
EQUIVALENTS
( 62,148,732 )
—
( 62,148,732 )
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
- BEGINNING OF YEAR
72,223,894
—
72,223,894
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
- END OF YEAR
$ 10,075,162
—
$ 10,075,162
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
December
31, 2024
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
Cash paid during the year for:
Paid for taxes
$ 1,520,292
—
$ 1,520,292
Interest on finance lease obligation
$ 91,901
108,124
(a)
$ 200,025
SUPPLEMENTAL
DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES
The
following descriptions of the restatement adjustments to the statement of cash flows excludes a description of adjustments previously
identified and concluded as immaterial that were also corrected as part of the restatement.
(a) This restatement
is due to the reclassification of buildings without property ownership certificates in fixed assets. The Company reclassified them based
on their acquisition methods. The self-built portion was reclassified as “leasehold improvements” in the property, plant
and equipment. The leased portion was reclassified as finance lease right-of-use assets.
(b) Regarding the increase
in net loss, the main reason was that general and administrative expenses increased by $ 964,920 . The increase in general and administrative
expenses was due to the reclassification of finance lease right-of-use asset. Previously, depreciation was calculated after deducting
5% residual value from the fixed assets, but now there is no residual value for amortization of finance lease right-of-use asset calculation.
(c) Fixed assets without
property ownership certificates have been reclassified as finance lease right-of use assets, resulting in an amount of $ 31,602,571 .
(d) The change in the
accumulated other comprehensive loss represents the foreign currency translation differences in the financial statements.
F- 29
The
effects of the restatement on the parent company only balance sheet as of December 31, 2024, are summarized in the following
table:
SCHEDULE
OF RESTATEMENT OF PARENT COMPANY BALANCE SHEET
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
December
31, 2024
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
Current Assets
Prepayments and deposits
$ —
—
$ —
Total Current Assets
—
—
—
Non-Current Assets
Interests in subsidiaries
83,755,560
( 894,095 )
(c) (d)
82,861,465
Amounts due from group companies
69,821,271
( 7,878,181 )
(a)
61,943,090
Deferred tax assets, net
—
—
—
Total non-current assets
153,576,831
( 8,772,276 )
144,804,555
Total Assets
153,576,831
( 8,772,276 )
144,804,555
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current Liabilities
Other payables and accrued expenses
$ 8,265,349
( 7,878,181 )
(a)
$ 387,168
Amounts due to related parties
1,462,110
—
1,462,110
Amounts due to group companies
142,702
—
142,702
Total Current Liabilities
9,870,161
( 7,878,181 )
1,991,980
Total Liabilities
9,870,161
( 7,878,181 )
1,991,980
Stockholders’ Equity
PREFERRED STOCK; $ 0.001 par value; 1,000,000
shares authorized; none
outstanding
—
—
—
COMMON STOCK; $ 0.0005 par
value; 80,000,000 shares
authorized; 1,120,145 shares
issued; and 1,091,562 shares
outstanding as of December 31, 2024
24,623
( 24,063 )
(b)
560
Treasury stock; 28,583 shares as of December
31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 at
cost
( 1,372,673 )
—
( 1,372,673 )
Additional paid-in capital
101,688,262
24,063
(b)
101,712,325
Share to be issued
194,700
—
194,700
Retained earnings unappropriated
37,358,804
( 964,920 )
(c)
36,393,884
Retained earnings appropriated
26,667,097
—
26,667,097
Accumulated other comprehensive
loss
( 20,854,143 )
70,825
(d)
( 20,783,318 )
Total Stockholders’
Equity
143,706,670
( 894,095 )
142,812,575
Total Liabilities and
Stockholders’ Equity
$ 153,576,831
( 8,772,276 )
$ 144,804,555
(a) The amount of $ 7,878,181
in accounts payable and accrued expenses was reclassified as finance lease liability relating to salt pans. The finance lease liabilities
including the current portion of $ 3,124,550 and the non-current portion of $ 4,014,019 .
(b) The change in common
stock and additional paid-in capital is due to the company’s 1-for-10 reverse stock split on October 27, 2025.
(c) Regarding the decrease
in retained earnings unappropriated, the main reason was that general and administrative expenses increased by $ 964,920 . The increase
of general and administrative expenses was due to the reclassification of finance lease right- of-use asset. Previously, depreciation
was calculated after deducting 5% residual value from the fixed assets, but now there is no residual value for amortization of finance
lease right-of-use asset calculation.
(d) The change in the
accumulated other comprehensive loss represents the foreign currency translation differences in the financial statements.
F- 30
The
effects of the restatement on the parent company only statement of comprehensive income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2024,
are summarized in the following table:
SCHEDULE
OF RESTATEMENT OF PARENT COMPANY STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
December
31, 2024
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
OPERATING EXPENSES
General and
administrative expenses
$ ( 742,480 )
—
$ ( 742,480 )
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES
( 742,480 )
—
( 742,480 )
OTHER EXPENSES
Interest expense
—
—
—
TOTAL OTHER EXPENSES
—
—
—
TOTAL EXPENSES
( 742,480 )
—
( 742,480 )
Equity in net loss of
subsidiaries
( 58,192,972 )
( 964,920 )
(a)
( 59,157,892 )
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES
( 58,935,452 )
( 964,920 )
(a)
( 59,900,372 )
INCOME TAXES
—
—
—
NET LOSS
$ ( 58,935,452 )
( 964,920 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
(a) The increase of
$ 964,920 in equity in net loss of subsidiaries relating to general and administrative expenses was due to the reclassification of finance
lease right-of- use asset. Previously, depreciation was calculated after deducting 5% residual value from the fixed assets, but now there
is no residual value for amortization of finance lease right-of-use asset calculation.
The
effects of the restatement on the parent company only statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2024, are summarized in
the following table:
SCHEDULE
OF RESTATEMENT OF PARENT COMPANY STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
December
31, 2024
As
Previously
Reported
Restatement
Note
As
Restated
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net Loss
$ ( 58,935,452 )
( 964,920 )
(a)
$ ( 59,900,372 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net
cash provided by (used in) operating
activities:
Equity loss in unconsolidated subsidiaries
58,192,972
964,920
(a)
59,157,892
Stock-based compensation expense-options
—
—
—
Shares issued from treasury stock for services
—
—
—
Changes in assets and liabilities:
—
—
—
Other payables and accrued
expenses
396,825
—
396,825
Net cash used in operating
activities
( 345,655 )
—
( 345,655 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Advances from group companies
345,655
—
345,655
Net cash provided by financing
activities
345,655
—
345,655
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
—
—
—
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - BEGINNING OF YEAR
—
—
—
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
- END OF YEAR
$ —
—
$ —
(a) The increase of
$ 964,920 in general and administrative expenses was due to the reclassification of finance lease right-of-use asset. Previously, depreciation
was calculated after deducting 5% residual value from the fixed assets, but now there is no residual value for amortization of finance
lease right-of-use asset calculation.
F- 31
GULF
RESOURCES, INC.
AND
SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES
TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
DECEMBER
31, 2025
(Expressed
in U.S. dollars)
SCHEDULE
I – PARENT ONLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The
following presents condensed parent company only financial information of Gulf Resources, Inc.
Condensed
Balance Sheets
SCHEDULE OF CONDENSED PARENT COMPANY BALANCE SHEETS
2025
2024
(Restated)
As
of December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
Prepayments and deposits
$ —
$ —
Total Current Assets
—
—
Non-Current Assets
Interests in subsidiaries
48,950,428
82,861,465
Amounts due from group companies
64,632,281
61,943,090
Deferred tax assets, net
—
—
Total non-current assets
113,582,709
144,804,555
Total Assets
113,582,709
144,804,555
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current Liabilities
Other payables and accrued expenses
$ 642,677
$ 387,168
Amounts due to related parties
1,462,110
1,462,110
Amounts due to group companies
—
142,702
Total Current Liabilities
2,104,787
1,991,980
Total Liabilities
2,104,787
1,991,980
Stockholders’ Equity
PREFERRED STOCK; $ 0.001 par value; 1,000,000
shares authorized; none outstanding
—
—
COMMON STOCK; $ 0.0005 par value; 80,000,000
shares authorized; 1,568,114 and 1,120,145 shares issued; and
1,539,531 and 1,091,562 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2025
and December 31, 2024
784
560
Treasury stock; 28,583 shares as of December 31, 2025 and December 31,
2024 at cost
( 1,372,673 )
( 1,372,673 )
Additional paid-in capital
105,927,142
101,712,325
Share to be issued
—
194,700
Retained earnings unappropriated
( 7,526,347 )
36,393,884
Retained earnings appropriated
26,667,097
26,667,097
Currency translation adjustment
( 12,218,081 )
( 20,783,318 )
Total Stockholders’
Equity
111,477,922
142,812,575
Total Liabilities and
Stockholders’ Equity
$ 113,582,709
$ 144,804,555
S- 1
Condensed
Statements of Loss
SCHEDULE
OF CONDENSED PARENT COMPANY STATEMENT OF LOSS
2025
2024
(Restated)
Years
Ended December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
OPERATING EXPENSES
General
and administrative expenses
$ ( 1,443,957 )
$ ( 742,480 )
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES
( 1,443,957 )
( 742,480 )
OTHER EXPENSES
Interest expense
—
—
TOTAL OTHER EXPENSES
—
—
TOTAL EXPENSES
( 1,443,957 )
( 742,480 )
Equity in net loss of
subsidiaries
( 42,476,274 )
( 59,157,892 )
LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXES
( 43,920,231 )
( 59,900,372 )
INCOME TAXES
—
—
NET LOSS
$ ( 43,920,231 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
Condensed
Statements of Cash Flows
SCHEDULE
OF CONDENSED PARENT COMPANY CONDENSED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
2025
2024
(Restated)
Years
Ended December 31,
2025
2024
(Restated)
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net Loss
$ ( 43,920,231 )
$ ( 59,900,372 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash
provided by (used in) operating activities:
Equity loss in unconsolidated
subsidiaries
42,476,274
59,157,892
Stock-based compensation
expense-options
—
—
Shares issued from treasury
stock for services
—
—
Changes in assets and liabilities:
—
—
Other payables and accrued
expenses
255,509
396,825
Net cash used in operating
activities
( 1,188,448 )
( 345,655 )
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Advances from group companies
1,188,448
345,655
Net cash provided by financing
activities
1,188,448
345,655
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
—
—
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS - BEGINNING OF YEAR
—
—
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
- END OF YEAR
$ —
$ —
S- 2
(i) Basis
of presentation
In
the condensed parent-company-only financial statements, the Company’s investment in subsidiaries is stated at cost plus equity
in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries since the date of acquisition. The Company’s share of net loss of its subsidiaries is
included in condensed statements of comprehensive loss using the equity method. These condensed parent- company-only financial statements
should be read in connection with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto.
As
of December 31, 2025, the Company itself has no purchase commitment, capital commitment and operating lease commitment.
(ii) Restricted
Net Assets
Schedule
I of Rule 5-04 of Regulation S-X requires the condensed financial information of registrant shall be filed when the restricted net assets
of consolidated subsidiaries exceed 25 percent of consolidated net assets as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal year. For
purposes of the above test, restricted net assets of consolidated subsidiaries shall mean that amount of the registrant’s proportionate
share of net assets of consolidated subsidiaries (after intercompany eliminations) which as of the end of the most recent fiscal year
may not be transferred to the parent company by subsidiaries in the form of loans, advances or cash dividends without the consent of
a third party (i.e., lender, regulatory agency, foreign government, etc.).
The
condensed parent company financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Rule 12-04, Schedule I of Regulation S-X as the restricted
net assets of the subsidiaries of Gulf Resources, Inc. exceed 25% of the consolidated net assets of Gulf Resources, Inc. The ability
of the Company’s Chinese operating subsidiaries to pay dividends may be restricted due to the foreign exchange control policies
and availability of cash balances of the Chinese operating subsidiaries. Because a significant portion of the Company’s operations
and revenues are conducted and generated in China, a significant portion of the revenues being earned and currency received are denominated
in RMB. RMB is subject to the exchange control regulation in China, and, as a result, the Company may be unable to distribute any dividends
outside of China due to PRC exchange control regulations that restrict the Company’s ability to convert RMB into US Dollars.
S- 3
Item
9A. Controls and Procedures
The
four paragraphs below constitute the complete amended Item 9A and may be substituted directly for the corresponding disclosure in the
Original Report.
(a)
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We
maintain “disclosure controls and procedures,” as such term is defined under Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e), that are designed
to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within
the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms,and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management,
including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.In
designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter
how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives and, in reaching a
reasonable level of assurance, our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship
of possible controls and procedures.
We
have carried out an evaluation, as required by Rule 13a-15(d) under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including
our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls
and procedures as of December 31, 2025.
Based
upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2025, our disclosure
controls and procedures were not effective at the reasonable assurance level because the material weaknesses in our internal control
over financial reporting described in Item 9A(b) below had not been remediated as of December 31, 2025. As described in Item 9A(b), those
material weaknesses relate to (i) insufficient personnel with appropriate levels of accounting knowledge and experience to address complex
U.S. GAAP accounting issues and to prepare and review financial statements and related disclosures under U.S. GAAP, (ii) ineffective
oversight of our financial reporting and internal control by those charged with governance, and (iii) inadequate design of internal control
over the preparation of the financial statements being audited. Those deficiencies affected our ability to accumulate and communicate
information to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, on a timely basis so as to permit timely
decisions regarding required disclosure.
Notwithstanding
the conclusion described above, our management believes, based on the procedures described below and the additional procedures we performed
in connection with the preparation of this Amendment, that the consolidated financial statements and other financial information included
in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 fairly present, in all material respects, our financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows as of and for the periods presented.
Since
the material weaknesses described above were identified, our management has implemented, and continues to implement, the compensating
measures and remediation actions described in Item 9A(b) below. These measures are designed to provide additional assurance regarding
the accuracy and completeness of our disclosures while the material weaknesses remain unresolved. These measures do not, and are not
intended to, constitute a remediation of the material weaknesses, and management does not expect that they will prevent or detect all
errors or all instances of fraud.
(b)
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our
management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined
in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). Internal control over financial reporting refers to the process designed by, or under
the supervision of, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, and effected by our Board of Directors, management
and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and includes those policies and procedures
that:
(1)
Pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our
assets;
(2)
Provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance
with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorization
of our management and directors; and
(3)
Provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that
could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Internal
control over financial reporting cannot provide absolute assurance of achieving financial reporting objectives because of its inherent
limitations. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that involves human diligence and compliance and is subject to lapses
in judgment and breakdowns resulting from human failures. Internal control over financial reporting also can be circumvented by collusion
or improper management override. Because of such limitations, there is a risk that material misstatements may not be prevented or detected
on a timely basis by internal control over financial reporting. However, these inherent limitations are known features of the financial
reporting process. Therefore, it is possible to design safeguards into the process to reduce, though not eliminate, this risk.
Management
is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting for the Company.
Management
has used the framework set forth in the report entitled “Internal Control — Integrated Framework” published by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), known as COSO, to evaluate the effectiveness of our
internal control over financial reporting.
Based
on that evaluation, management has concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective as
of December 31, 2025, due to the material weaknesses described below.
In
preparing our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, our management identified material weaknesses
in our internal control over financial reporting, as defined in the standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board of the United States, and other significant deficiencies.A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of
deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of
the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
The
material weaknesses identified are as follows: (i) insufficient personnel with appropriate levels of accounting knowledge and experience
to address complex U.S. GAAP accounting issues and to prepare and review financial statements and related disclosures under U.S. GAAP;
(ii) ineffective oversight of our financial reporting and internal control by those charged
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