Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are subject to risks associated with currency fluctuations and changes in foreign currency exchange rates as well as fluctuations in the supply and price of raw materials and commodity prices.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
We operate mainly through two entities, Loop Industries, Inc., which is a Nevada corporation and has a U.S. dollar functional currency, and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Loop Canada Inc. (“Loop Canada”), which is based in Terrebonne, Québec, Canada and has a Canadian dollar functional currency. Our reporting currency is the U.S. dollar.
We mainly finance our operations through the sale and issuance of shares of common stock and debt of Loop Industries, Inc. in U.S. dollars while our operations are concentrated in our wholly-owned subsidiary, Loop Canada. Accordingly, we are exposed to foreign exchange risk as we maintain bank accounts in U.S. dollars and a significant portion of our operational costs (including payroll, site costs, costs of locally sourced supplies and income taxes) are denominated in Canadian dollars.
Significant fluctuations in the U.S. dollar to the Canadian dollar exchange rates could materially affect our result of operations, cash position and funding requirements. To the extent that fluctuations in currency exchange rates cause our results of operations to differ materially from our expectations or the expectations of our investors, the trading price of our common stock could be adversely affected.
From time to time, we may engage in exchange rate hedging activities in an effort to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations. As part of our risk management program, we may enter into foreign exchange forward contracts to lock in the exchange rates for future foreign currency transactions, which is intended to reduce the variability of our operating costs and future cash flows denominated in currencies that differs from our functional currencies. We do not enter into these contracts for trading purposes or speculation, and our management believes all such contracts are entered into as hedges of underlying transactions. Nonetheless, these instruments involve costs and have risks of their own in the form of transaction costs, credit requirements and counterparty risk. If our hedging program is not successful, or if we change our hedging activities in the future, we may experience significant unexpected expenses from fluctuations in exchange rates. Any hedging technique we implement may fail to be effective. If our hedging activities are not effective, changes in currency exchange rates may have a more significant impact on the trading price of our common stock.
Commodity Price Risk
The plastics manufacturing industry is extremely price competitive because of the commodity like nature of PET resin and its correlation to the price of crude oil. The demand for recycled PET has fluctuated with the price of crude oil. If crude oil prices decline, the cost to manufacture recycled PET may become comparatively higher than the cost to manufacture virgin PET. Our ability to penetrate the market will depend in part on the cost of manufacturing virgin PET and if we do not successfully distinguish our product from those of virgin PET manufacturers, our entry into the market and our ability to secure customer contracts can be adversely affected.
Raw Material Price Risk
We purchase raw materials and packaging supplies from several sources. While all such materials are available from independent suppliers, raw materials are subject to fluctuations in price and availability attributable to a number of factors, including general economic conditions, commodity price fluctuations, the demand by other industries for the same raw materials and the availability of complementary and substitute materials. The profitability of our business also depends on the availability and proximity of these raw materials to our factories. The choice of raw materials to be used at our facility is determined primarily by the price and availability, the yield loss of lower quality raw materials, and the capabilities of the producer’s production facility. Additionally, the high cost of transportation could favor suppliers located in close proximity to our factories. If the quality of these raw materials is lower, the quality of our product may suffer. Economic and financial factors could impact our suppliers, thereby causing supply shortages. Increases in raw material costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. Our hedging procedures may be insufficient, and our results could be materially impacted if costs of materials increase. In light of the uncertain and evolving situation relating to the global COVID-19 pandemic, our access to raw materials, the quality and proximity of such materials may be disrupted. We currently cannot predict the impact that the global COVID-19 pandemic will have on our access to raw materials.
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