GULF RESOURCES, INC. 10-Q

Item 1A. Risk Factors Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before you invest you should carefully review our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations set forth in Item 2 of Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 1 of Part I of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our consolidated financial statements and related notes, as well as our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the other information in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025. Readers should carefully review risks described in other documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Our failure to timely file periodic reports has resulted in non-compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), and our common stock may be subject to delisting. We failed to timely file our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. As a result, Nasdaq notified us that we were not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), which requires the timely filing of periodic financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We filed our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 on August 17, 2026 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 on August 28, 2026. However, because we had not filed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Nasdaq notified us that we had incurred an additional delinquency. Nasdaq granted us an exception period requiring us to file this Quarterly Report on or before October 12, 2026. Although we filed this Quarterly Report within the exception period granted by Nasdaq, there can be no assurance that Nasdaq will determine that we have regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1), or that we will satisfy all other applicable Nasdaq continued listing requirements. If Nasdaq determines that our securities are subject to delisting, we may be required to appeal the determination to a Nasdaq Hearings Panel. There can be no assurance that any appeal would be successful or that Nasdaq would continue the listing of our common stock during the appeal process. A delisting of our common stock from Nasdaq could materially reduce the liquidity and market price of our common stock, limit the availability of market quotations, result in our common stock being treated as a “penny stock,” increase transaction costs for investors, limit our ability to raise capital and adversely affect our business and financial condition. 46 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; ● result in negative publicity or increase our operating costs; ● required 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 imposes export restrictions on certain data an 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. 47 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. 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. 48 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 unaudited 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 requires 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. 49 As of the date of this 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 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. 50 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. 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. 51 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 ofour 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. 52 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. 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. 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, 2024, after we filed 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 Act2023, 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. 53 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 prevents 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. 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. 54 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 Rule6100. In December 2021, the SEC adopted amendments to finalize rules implementing the submission and disclosure requirements int he 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. 55 Item 2. Unregistered Sale of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds None. Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities None. Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures Not applicable.