Aptiv (APTV) Risk Factors

We have taken, are taking, and may take future restructuring actions to realign and resize our production capacity and cost structure to meet current and projected operational and market requirements. Charges related to these actions or any further restructuring actions may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. We cannot ensure that any current or future restructuring actions will be completed as planned or achieve the desired results. Additionally, from time to time, we have recorded asset impairment losses relating to specific plants and operations. Generally, we record asset impairment losses when we determine that our estimates of the future undiscounted cash flows from an operation will not be sufficient to recover the carrying value of that facility's building, fixed assets and production tooling. For goodwill, we perform a qualitative assessment of whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit's value is less than its carrying amount. If the qualitative assessment is not met, the Company then performs a quantitative assessment by comparing the estimated fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in an amount equal to the excess, not to exceed the amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. It is possible that we could incur such charges in the future as changes in economic or operating conditions impacting the estimates and assumptions could result in additional impairment.

Cost-cutting initiatives adopted by our customers result in increased downward pressure on pricing. Our customer supply agreements generally require step-downs in component pricing over the period of production, typically one to three percent per year. In addition, our customers often reserve the right to terminate their supply contracts for convenience, which enhances their ability to obtain price reductions. OEMs have also possessed significant leverage over their suppliers, including us, because the automotive technology and component supply industry is highly competitive, serves a limited number of customers, has a high fixed cost base and historically has had excess capacity. Based on these factors, and the fact that our customers' product programs typically last a number of years and are anticipated to encompass large volumes, our customers are able to negotiate favorable pricing. Accordingly, as a Tier I supplier, we are subject to substantial continuing pressure from OEMs to reduce the price of our products. For example, our customer supply agreements generally provide for annual reductions in pricing of our products over the period of production. It is possible that pricing pressures beyond our expectations could intensify as OEMs pursue restructuring and cost-cutting initiatives. If we are unable to generate sufficient production cost savings in the future to offset price reductions, our gross margin and profitability would be adversely affected. See Item 1. Supply Relationships with Our Customers for a detailed discussion of our supply agreements with our customers.

We are involved in legal proceedings and commercial or contractual disputes that, from time to time, are significant. These are typically claims that arise in the normal course of business including, without limitation, commercial or contractual disputes, including warranty claims and other disputes with customers and suppliers; intellectual property matters; personal injury claims; environmental, health and safety issues; tax matters; and employment matters. While we believe our reserves are adequate, the final amounts required to resolve these matters could differ materially from our recorded estimates and our results of operations could be materially affected. For further information regarding our legal matters, see Item 3. Legal Proceedings. No assurance can be given that such proceedings and claims will not have a material adverse effect on our profitability and consolidated financial position.

Our future effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory rates and changes in tax laws, or their interpretation, including the Organisation for Economic Co-operation's ("OECD") Pillar Two Directive, and changes related to tax holidays or tax incentives. Our taxes could increase if certain tax holidays or incentives are not renewed upon expiration, or if tax rates or regimes applicable to us in such jurisdictions are otherwise increased. Existing income tax laws, regulations and related international agreements provide guidance and direction on the allocations of income and applicable taxing rights among the countries in which we operate. Changes in these guidelines are being contemplated at the local, national, regional (particularly in the European Union), and global levels (through organizations like the G20 and the OECD). Any changes, especially if made inconsistently, could have a materially adverse impact on our financial results. The amount of tax we pay is subject to our interpretation of applicable tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we file. We have taken and will continue to take tax positions based on our interpretation of such tax laws. Additionally, in determining the adequacy of our provision for income taxes, we regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from tax examinations. While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of the resolution of a tax examination, our reserves for uncertain tax benefits reflect the outcome of tax positions that are more likely than not to occur. While we believe that we have complied with all applicable tax laws, there can be no assurance that a taxing authority will not have a different interpretation of the law and assess us with additional taxes. Should additional taxes be assessed, this may result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

As we sell, close and/or demolish facilities around the world, environmental investigations and assessments will need to be performed. We may identify previously unknown environmental conditions or further delineate known conditions that may require remediation or incur additional costs related to demolition or decommissioning activities, such as abatement of asbestos containing materials or removal of storage tanks. Such costs could exceed our reserves.

Our sensitivity to economic cycles and any related fluctuation in the businesses of our customers or potential customers may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Global automotive vehicle production increased 9% (10% on an Aptiv weighted market basis, which represents global vehicle production weighted to the geographic regions in which the Company generates its revenue) from 2022 to 2023, reflecting increased vehicle production of 13% in Europe, 10% in China, 9% in North America and flat production in South America, our smallest region. Uncertainty relating to global or regional economic conditions may have an adverse impact on our business. A prolonged downturn in the global or regional automotive industry, or a significant change in product mix due to consumer demand, could require us to shut down plants or result in impairment charges, restructuring actions or changes in our valuation allowances against deferred tax assets, which could be material to our financial condition and results of operations. If global economic conditions deteriorate or economic uncertainty increases, our customers and potential customers may experience deterioration of their businesses, which may result in the delay or cancellation of plans to purchase our products. If vehicle production were to remain at low levels for an extended period of time or if cash losses for customer defaults rise, our cash flow could be adversely impacted, which could result in our needing to seek additional financing to continue our operations. There can be no assurance that we would be able to secure such financing on terms acceptable to us, or at all.

The majority of our manufacturing and distribution facilities are in Mexico, China and other countries in Asia Pacific, Eastern and Western Europe, South America and Northern Africa. We also purchase raw materials and other supplies from many different countries around the world. For the year ended December 31, 2023, approximately 65% of our net revenue came from sales outside the U.S. International operations are subject to certain risks inherent in doing business globally, including: - exposure to local economic, political and labor conditions;- unexpected changes in laws, regulations, economic and trade sanctions, trade or monetary or fiscal policy, including interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and changes in the rate of inflation in the U.S. and other countries;- tariffs, quotas, customs and other import or export restrictions and other trade barriers;- expropriation and nationalization;- difficulty of enforcing agreements, collecting receivables and protecting assets through certain non-U.S. legal systems;- reduced technology, data or intellectual property protections;- limitations on repatriation of earnings;- withholding and other taxes on remittances and other payments by subsidiaries;- investment restrictions or requirements;- violence and civil unrest in local countries, including the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the conflicts in the Middle East; and - compliance with the requirements of an increasing body of applicable anti-bribery laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.K. Bribery Act and similar laws of various other countries. Additionally, our global operations may also be adversely affected by political events, terrorist events and hostilities, complications due to natural, nuclear or other disasters or the spread of an infectious disease, virus or other widespread illness. For instance, the outbreak of armed conflicts in the Middle East beginning in October 2023 has created numerous uncertainties, including the risk that the conflicts spread to the broader region, and their impact on the global economy and supply chains. In addition, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which began in February 2022, has had, and is expected to continue to have, negative economic impacts to both countries and to the European and global economies. In response to the conflict, the European Union ("the E.U."), the U.S. and other nations implemented broad economic sanctions against Russia. These countries may impose further sanctions and take other actions as the situation continues. While the sanctions announced to date have not had a material adverse impact on us, any further sanctions imposed or actions taken by these countries, and any retaliatory measures by Russia in response, including restrictions on energy supplies from Russia to countries in the region and asset expropriations, could increase our costs, reduce our sales and earnings or otherwise have an adverse effect on our operations. Ukraine and Russia are significant global producers of raw materials used in our supply chain, including copper, aluminum, palladium and neon gases. Disruptions in the supply and volatility in the price of these materials and other inputs produced by Ukraine or Russia, including increased logistics costs and longer transit times, could adversely impact our business and results of operations. The conflict has also increased the possibility of cyberattacks occurring, which could either directly or indirectly impact our operations. Furthermore, the conflict has caused our customers to analyze their and their suppliers' continued presence in the region and future customer production plans in the region remain uncertain. We do not have a material physical presence in either Ukraine or Russia, with less than 1% of our workforce located in the countries as of December 31, 2023 and less than 1% of our net sales for the year ended December 31, 2023 generated from manufacturing facilities in those countries. However, the impacts of the conflict have adversely impacted, and may continue to adversely impact, global economies, and in particular, the European economy, a region which accounted for approximately 34% of our net sales for the year ended December 31, 2023. As a result of the conflict, the Company ceased using certain long-lived assets in Ukraine and consequently recorded non-cash impairment charges of $11 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. These charges were recorded within cost of sales in the statement of operations. We continue to monitor the situation and will seek to minimize its impact to our business, while prioritizing the safety and well-being of our employees located in both countries and our compliance with applicable laws and regulations in the locations where we operate. Any of the impacts mentioned above, among others, could adversely affect our business, business opportunities, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. In addition, the global spread of COVID-19, which originated in late 2019 and was later declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, caused certain governmental authorities worldwide to initiate "lockdown" orders for all non-essential activities, which at times, included extended shutdowns of businesses in the impacted regions. This includes the lockdowns in China that occurred in 2022, as discussed further above. This or any further widespread public health crises in China or any other country in which we operate could result in social, economic and labor instability. These uncertainties could have a material adverse effect on the continuity of our business and our results of operations and financial condition. Effective January 1, 2024, the government of Mexico implemented a country-wide statutory minimum wage increase of 20%. Additionally, the government of Mexico has indicated it may implement other labor reforms, such as a bill to shorten the work week from 48 to 40 hours. While management has implemented measures to mitigate the impact of these labor reforms on our cost structure, we cannot predict the ultimate future impact on our business. Existing free trade laws and regulations, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, provide certain beneficial duties and tariffs for qualifying imports and exports, subject to compliance with the applicable classification and other requirements. Changes in laws or policies governing the terms of trade, and in particular increased trade restrictions, tariffs or taxes on imports from countries where we manufacture products, such as China and Mexico, could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial results. For example, in October 2022, the U.S. government imposed additional export control restrictions targeting the export, re-export or transfer of, among other products, certain advanced computing semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing items and related technology to China, which could further disrupt supply chains and adversely impact our business. Furthermore, management continues to monitor the volatile geopolitical environment to identify, quantify and assess proposed or threatened duties, taxes or other business restrictions which could adversely affect our business and financial results. Increasing our manufacturing footprint in Asian markets, including China, and our business relationships with Asian automotive manufacturers are important elements of our long-term strategy. In addition, our strategy includes increasing revenue and expanding our manufacturing footprint in lower-cost regions. As a result, our exposure to the risks described above may be greater in the future. The likelihood of such occurrences and their potential impact on us vary from country to country and are unpredictable.

A significant public health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely impact our business as well as those of our suppliers and customers. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic caused extended work stoppages, travel restrictions at our facilities and those of our customers and suppliers, decreases and volatility in consumer demand and vehicle production schedules, disruptions to our supply chain and other adverse global economic impacts. Any future significant public health crisis could adversely impact the global economy, our industry and the overall demand for our products. In addition, preventative or reactionary measures taken by governmental authorities may disrupt the ability of our employees, suppliers and other business partners to perform their respective functions and obligations relative to the conduct of our business. Our ability to predict and respond to future changes resulting from potential health crises is uncertain as are the ultimate potential impacts on our business. In 2023, our manufacturing facilities were not impacted by prolonged shutdowns directly resulting from any public health crises. In 2022, certain of our operations in China were impacted by lockdowns imposed by governmental authorities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, resulting in total indirect and direct adverse impacts to revenue of approximately $270 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic or similar significant health crises will impact our business in the future is uncertain. In addition, to the extent such significant health crises may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, they may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risk factors in this section.

We have currency exposures related to buying, selling and financing in currencies other than the local currencies of the countries in which we operate. Approximately 65% of our net revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 came from sales outside the U.S., which were primarily invoiced in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, and we expect net revenue from non-U.S. markets to continue to represent a significant portion of our net revenue. Accordingly, significant changes in currency exchange rates, particularly the Euro and Chinese Yuan (Renminbi), could cause fluctuations in the reported results of our businesses' operations that could negatively affect our results of operations. Price increases caused by currency exchange rate fluctuations may make our products less competitive or have an adverse effect on our margins. Currency exchange rate fluctuations may also disrupt the business of our suppliers by making their purchases of raw materials more expensive and more difficult to finance. Historically, we have reduced our currency exposure by aligning our costs in the same currency as our revenues or, if that is impracticable, through financial instruments that provide offsets or limits to our exposures, which are opposite to the underlying transactions. However, any measures that we may implement to reduce the effect of volatile currencies and other risks of our global operations may not be effective.

Although we receive purchase orders from our customers, these purchase orders generally provide for the supply of a customer's requirements for a particular vehicle model and assembly plant, rather than for the purchase of a specific quantity of products. The loss of business with respect to, or the lack of commercial success of, a vehicle model for which we are a significant supplier could reduce our sales and thereby adversely affect our financial condition, operating results and cash flows.

We own significant intellectual property, including a large number of patents and trade names, and are involved in numerous licensing arrangements. Our intellectual property plays an important role in maintaining our competitive position in a number of the markets we serve. Developments or assertions by or against us relating to intellectual property rights could negatively impact our business. Significant technological developments by others also could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations and financial condition.

Our ability to keep our business operating effectively depends on the functional and efficient operation of information technology capabilities, both internally and externally. Our capabilities, as well as those of our customers, suppliers, partners and service providers, are crucial to our operations and may contain confidential personal information, business-related information or intellectual property. These capabilities are also susceptible to interruptions (including those caused by systems failures, cyber-attacks and other natural or man-made incidents or disasters), which may be prolonged or go undetected. Cyber-attacks are continually increasing in their frequency, sophistication and intensity. Additionally, some actors are using artificial intelligence technology to launch more automated, targeted and coordinated attacks which further heightens these risks. Although we have and continue to employ capabilities, processes and other security and privacy measures designed to prevent, detect and mitigate the risk of such events, including but not limited to geographically diverse and resilient infrastructure, third-party risk management and the implementation of proactive security and privacy measures, a significant or large-scale interruption of our information technology capabilities could result in a confidentiality, integrity or availability data breach, and adversely affect our ability to manage and keep operations running efficiently and effectively, and could result in significant costs, regulatory investigations, fines or litigation. Incidents that result in a wider or sustained disruption to our business or products, or result in a personal data breach, could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, some of our employees work from home on a full-time or part-time basis, which may increase our vulnerability to cyber and other information technology risks. Some of our products, including but not limited to safety-critical products, contain complex digital technologies designed to support today's increasingly connected vehicles. Although we continue to employ capabilities, processes and other security and privacy measures designed to reduce risks of cyber-attacks against our products, such measures may not provide absolute security (and, in turn, privacy) and may not sufficiently mitigate all potential risks under all scenarios. Failure of such products to effectively protect against attacks targeted at our products can negatively affect our brand and harm our business, prospects, customers, financial condition and operating results. Further, engineering and maintaining security for our systems and products may require significant costs. However, failing to properly respond to and invest in information technology and cybersecurity advancements may limit our ability to attract and retain customers, prevent us from offering similar products and services as those offered by our competitors or inhibit our ability to meet regulatory, industry or other compliance requirements. To date, we have not experienced a system failure, cyber-attack or security breach that has resulted in a material interruption in our operations or material adverse effect on our financial condition. Our Board of Directors regularly reviews relevant information technology and cybersecurity matters and receives periodic updates from information technology and cybersecurity subject matter experts as part of its risk assessment procedures, including analysis of existing and emerging risks, as well as plans and strategies to address those risks. While we continuously seek to expand and improve our information technology systems and maintain adequate disclosure controls and procedures, there can be no assurance that we can adequately anticipate all trends of the market, technology landscapes and threat landscapes, and there can be no assurance that such measures will prevent interruptions or security breaches that could adversely affect our business. Refer to Item 1C. Cybersecurity of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the Company's risk management, strategy and governance over cybersecurity matters.