Sales to customers outside the United States approximated 73% of the Company's consolidated net sales for fiscal 2024. The Company has international manufacturing operations in Belgium, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In addition, the Company has international distribution operations in Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, China, Italy, Japan, and Singapore. The Company's international sales and operations are subject to a number of risks, including:
political and social attitudes, laws, rules, regulations, and policies within countries that favor local companies over US companies, including government-supported efforts to promote local competitors;currency exchange rate fluctuations;global trade issues and uncertainties with respect to trade policies, including tariffs, trade sanctions, and international trade disputes, and the ability to obtain required import and export licenses;differing legal systems and standards of trade which may not honor our intellectual property rights, and which may place us at a competitive disadvantage;multiple conflicting and changing governmental laws and regulations, including varying labor laws and tax regulations;reliance on various information systems and information technology to conduct our business, making us vulnerable to cyberattacks by third parties or breaches due to employee error, misuse, or other causes, that could result in business disruptions, loss of or damage to our intellectual property and confidential information (and that of our customers and other business partners), reputational harm, transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, or other adverse consequences;regional or global economic downturns or recessions, varying foreign government support, unstable political environments, and other changes in foreign economic conditions;difficulties in managing a global enterprise, including staffing, managing distributors and representatives, and repatriating cash and dividends;longer sales cycles and difficulties in collecting accounts receivable; and different customs and ways of doing business.
To date, our operations have not been materially adversely affected by global conflicts including Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the current Israel/Palestine conflict, or the recent attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. However, further escalation of these or other conflicts could result in, among other negative consequences, a disruption to the global economy and supply chain leading to a shortage of parts, materials and services needed to manufacture and timely deliver our products. Any such shortages could negatively impact our suppliers' ability to meet our demand requirements and, in turn, our ability to satisfy our customer demand. These challenges, together with other challenges associated with operating an international business, may adversely affect our ability to recognize revenue and our other operating results.