Kimball Electronics (KE) Risk Analysis

Legislation and regulations promulgated by the U.S. federal and foreign governments could significantly impact our profitability by burdening us with forced cost choices that either cannot be recovered by increased pricing or, if we increase our pricing, could negatively impact demand for our products. For example: - Changes in policies by the U.S. or other governments could negatively affect our operating results due to changes in duties, tariffs or taxes, or limitations on currency or fund transfers, as well as government-imposed restrictions on producing certain products in, or shipping them to, specific countries. For example, our facility in Mexico operates under the Mexican Maquiladora ("IMMEX") program. This program provides for reduced tariffs and eased import regulations. We could be adversely affected by changes in the IMMEX program or our failure to comply with its requirements. As another example, the U.S. government has imposed tariffs on certain products imported from China. China has imposed tariffs on certain U.S. products in retaliation. These tariffs could force our customers or us to consider various strategic options including, but not limited to, looking for different suppliers, shifting production to facilities in different geographic regions, absorbing the additional costs, or passing the cost on to customers. Ultimately, these tariffs could adversely affect the competitiveness of our domestic operations, which could lead to the reduction or exit of certain U.S. manufacturing capacity. Depending on the types of changes made, demand for our foreign manufacturing facilities could be reduced, or operating costs in our manufacturing facilities could be increased, which could negatively impact our financial performance. Moreover, any retaliatory actions by other countries where we operate could also negatively impact our financial performance. - The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act contains provisions to improve transparency and accountability concerning the supply of certain minerals, known as "conflict minerals," originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo ("DRC") and adjoining countries. These rules could adversely affect the sourcing, supply, and pricing of materials used in our products, as the number of suppliers who provide conflict-free minerals may be limited. We may also suffer reputational harm if we determine that certain of our products contain minerals not determined to be conflict-free or if we are unable to modify our products to avoid the use of such materials. We may also face challenges in satisfying customers who may require that our products be certified as containing conflict-free minerals or that we adopt more stringent guidelines like those fostered by the Responsible Materials Initiative ("RMI"). - We are subject to a variety of federal, state, local and foreign environmental, health and safety, product stewardship and producer responsibility laws and regulations, including those arising from global pandemics or relating to the use, generation, storage, discharge and disposal of hazardous chemicals used during our manufacturing process, those governing worker health and safety, those requiring design changes, supply chain investigation or conformity assessments, and those relating to the recycling or reuse of products we manufacture. These include EU regulations and directives, such as the Restrictions on Hazardous Substances ("RoHS"), the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment ("WEEE") directives, and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals ("REACH") regulation, and similar regulations in China (the Management Methods for Controlling Pollution for Electronic Information Products or "China RoHS"). In addition, new technical classifications of e-Waste being discussed in the Basel Convention technical working group could affect both our customers' abilities and obligations in electronics repair and refurbishment. If we fail to comply with any present or future regulations or timely obtain any needed permits, we could become subject to liabilities, and we could face fines or penalties, the suspension of production, or prohibitions on sales of products we manufacture. In addition, such regulations could restrict our ability to expand our facilities or could require us to acquire costly equipment, or to incur other significant expenses, including expenses associated with the recall of any non-compliant product or with changes in our operational, procurement and inventory management activities.

Customers, consumers, investors, and other stakeholders, particularly in the EMS industry, are increasingly focusing on environmental issues, including climate change, water use, deforestation, waste, and other sustainability concerns. Along with our stakeholders and our broader industry, we have increased our focus on sustainability and measurement of our progress against sustainability criteria, but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to achieve relevant criteria with our current focus. Our ability to successfully execute relevant initiatives and accurately report our progress presents numerous operational, financial, legal, reputational and other risks, many of which are outside our control, and all of which could have a material negative impact on our business. New disclosures, along with the evolving global regulatory landscape, may present increased compliance costs and regulatory or enforcement risks, as well as increased competition from market participants who may adopt more robust sustainability/ESG reporting and sustainable business practices. If our sustainability initiatives fail to satisfy investors, current or potential customers, consumers, and our other stakeholders, our reputation, our ability to sell products and services to customers, our ability to attract or retain employees, and our attractiveness as an investment or business partner could be negatively impacted. Similarly, our failure or perceived failure to pursue or fulfill our goals, targets, and objectives, or to satisfy various reporting standards within the timelines we announce, or at all, could also have similar negative impacts and expose us to government enforcement actions and private litigation. In addition, our customers have adopted, and may continue to adopt, procurement policies that require us to comply with governance, social, and environmental responsibility provisions. Our customers have also adopted, and may continue to adopt, goals and policies that serve to increase their demand for goods or services that do not produce significant greenhouse gas emissions and are not related to carbon-based energy sources. Furthermore, an increasing number of investors have adopted, and may continue to adopt, ESG policies for their portfolio companies, and various voluntarily sustainability initiatives and organizations have promulgated different social and environmental responsibility and sustainability guidelines. These practices, policies, provisions, and initiatives are under active development, subject to change, can be unpredictable and conflicting, and may prove difficult and expensive for us to comply with and could negatively affect our reputation, business, or financial condition.

Regardless of whether our agreements with our customers, including our significant customers, have a definite term, our customers typically do not commit to firm production schedules for more than one quarter. Our customers generally have the right to cancel a particular product, subject to contractual provisions governing the final product runs, excess or obsolete inventory, recovery of dedicated investments, and end-of-life pricing. Accordingly, our relative ability (or inability) to forecast customer demand levels can make it difficult to schedule production and maximize the efficient use of our manufacturing capacity and supply chain capabilities. Many factors outside of our control impact our customers and their ordering behavior, including global pandemics, recessions in end markets, changing technologies and industry standards, commercial acceptance for products, shifting market demand, product obsolescence, changing sourcing strategies, and our customers' loss of business. New customer relationships also present risk because we do not have an extensive product or customer relationship history. We cannot assure you that our current or future customers will not terminate their manufacturing service arrangements with us or significantly change, reduce, cancel, or delay the amount of services ordered. Such changes, delays and cancellations have led to, and may lead in the future to declines in our production, increases in excess or obsolete inventory that we may not be able to sell to customers or third parties, and reductions in the efficient use of our manufacturing facilities. In the past, we have also been required to increase staffing and other expenses in order to meet anticipated demand. On occasion, customers have required rapid increases in production for one or more of their products, which stresses our resources and may have an adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

In 2022, the relative value of the U.S. dollar reached its highest levels since 2000 and has appreciated sharply against many foreign currencies. Fluctuations in exchange rates could impact our operating results. Our risk management strategy includes the use of derivative financial instruments to hedge certain foreign currency exposures. Any hedging techniques we implement contain risks and may not be entirely effective. Exchange rate fluctuations could also make our products more expensive than competitors' products not subject to these fluctuations, which could adversely affect our revenues and profitability in international markets.