3M (MMM) Risk Analysis

The Company operates globally, including in some jurisdictions that pose potentially elevated risks of fraud or corruption or increased risk of internal control issues, and is subject to risks related to international, federal, state, and local treaties, laws, and regulations, including those involving product liability; securities and corporate governance; antitrust and competition; intellectual property; environmental, health, and safety; tax; the FCPA and other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws; international import and export requirements and trade sanctions compliance; laws and regulations that apply to industries served by the Company, including the False Claims Act, anti-kickback laws, and the Sunshine Act; and other matters. The Company is also subject to compliance risks related to legal or regulatory requirements, contract requirements, policies and practices, or other matters that require or encourage the Company and its suppliers, vendors, or channel parties, to conduct business in a certain way. Legal compliance risks also include third-party risks where the Company's suppliers, vendors, or channel partners, or trade associations to which the Company belongs, have business practices that are inconsistent with 3M's Supplier Responsibility Code, 3M performance requirements, or with legal requirements. The Company is also subject to certain risks as a direct and indirect supplier to the U.S. government and other governments, such as those associated with compliance with procurement regulations, as well as the government's rights to audit and conduct investigations and to terminate contracts. There is also uncertainty as to the extent and timing of funding that may be available for U.S. federal government and other government procurement activities. Failure by the Company or one of its customers, suppliers, vendors, or channel partners to comply with provisions of government contracts or related laws, regulations, executive orders, or other government actions could result in the Company being unable to fulfill its contract commitments under a government contract or inability to realize the full value of such contract. Significant administrative, civil or criminal liabilities, including under the U.S. False Claims Act or similar enforcement legislation, and suspension or debarment from business with the U.S. or other governments, and reputational harm, could also result from the risks noted above. The failure to comply with the FCPA and other anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws and regulations could result in significant civil fines and penalties or criminal sanctions against the Company, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, operating results and financial condition. These laws and regulations prohibit corrupt payments by the Company's employees, suppliers, vendors, channel partners or agents. The Company is also required to maintain accurate books and records and adequate internal controls under the FCPA's accounting provisions. From time to time, the Company receives reports internally and externally, via various reporting channels deployed by its Ethics and Compliance function or otherwise (such as shareholder communications), about business and other activities that raise compliance or other legal or litigation issues. The Company has in the past been, and in the future could be, required to investigate such reports and cooperate with U.S. and foreign regulatory authorities in such investigations, audit, monitor compliance or alter its practices as part of such investigations, and the Company has in the past been, and in the future could be, required to pay fines or penalties related to its practices. While the Company maintains and implements U.S. and international compliance programs, including policies and procedures, training, and internal controls designed to reduce the risk of noncompliance, the Company's employees, suppliers, vendors, channel partners or agents may violate such policies and procedures and engage in practices that contravene relevant laws and regulations. The Company's results of operations could experience a material adverse effect if the costs to comply with these evolving treaties, laws, regulations, and requirements are greater than projected by the Company. In addition, the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings related to compliance with these treaties, laws, regulations, and requirements are difficult to reliably predict, may differ from the Company's expectations, and have resulted and may in the future result in, one or more of the following: criminal or civil sanctions, including fines; limitations on the extent to which the Company can conduct business; employee and business partner terminations due to policy violations; and private rights of action that result in litigation exposure, including expenses and costs incurred in connection with settlement or court proceedings, for the Company. In addition, detecting, investigating and resolving actual or alleged violations of these acts is expensive and could consume significant time and attention of our senior management. Although the Company maintains general liability insurance to mitigate monetary exposure, the amount of the liability that may result from certain of these risks is unlikely to be fully covered by applicable insurance, and to the extent covered, will exceed the applicable limits of such insurance. Various factors or developments can lead the Company to change current estimates of liabilities and related insurance receivables, or make such estimates possible for matters previously not susceptible of reasonable estimates, such as a significant judicial ruling or judgment, a significant settlement, significant regulatory developments or changes in applicable law. A future adverse ruling, settlement, or unfavorable development could result in future charges that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations or cash flows or its consolidated financial position. In addition, negative publicity related to the matters noted above or other matters involving the Company may negatively impact the Company's reputation. The Company also relies on patent and other intellectual property protection, and challenges to the Company's intellectual property rights, or claims that the Company's activities interfere with the intellectual property rights of a third party, could cause the Company to incur significant expenses to assert or defend against such claims, could result in reduced revenue, and could damage the Company's reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company. For a more detailed discussion of the legal proceedings involving the Company and the associated accounting estimates, see the discussion in Note 17, "Commitments and Contingencies," within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company's business is subject to tax-related external conditions, such as tax rates, tax laws and regulations, changing political environments in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions that impact tax examination, and assessment and enforcement approaches. In addition, changes in tax laws including further regulatory developments arising from U.S. or international tax reform legislation could result in a tax expense or benefit recorded to the Company's Consolidated Statement of Earnings. In connection with the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Integrated Framework provided by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), determination of multi-jurisdictional taxation rights and the rate of tax applicable to certain types of income may be subject to potential change. Due to the evolving nature of global tax laws and regulations and compliance approaches, it is currently not possible to assess the ultimate impact of these actions on our financial statements, but these actions could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial results.

As previously reported, governments in the United States and internationally have increasingly been regulating a broad group of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as "PFAS," including some produced by the Company prior to the end of 2025. The PFAS group of substances contains several categories and classes of durable chemicals and materials with properties that include oil, water, temperature, chemical, and fire resistance, as well as electrical insulating properties. The strength of the carbon-fluorine bond also means that these compounds do not easily degrade. These characteristics have made PFAS substances critical to the manufacture of a wide range of products, including electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets, and semi-conductors. They are also used to help prevent contamination of medical products like surgical gowns and drapes. Commercial aircraft and low-emissions vehicles also rely on PFAS technology. 3M is just one of a number of companies that manufactured PFAS compounds prior to the end of 2025. As science and technology evolve and advance, and in response to evolving knowledge and the understanding that certain PFAS compounds had the potential to build up over time, 3M announced in 2000 that it would voluntarily phase out production of two PFAS substances, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) globally as a precautionary measure. Most of the phase out activities in the United States were completed by the end of 2002. The phase out included materials used to produce certain repellents and surfactant products, and products including Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) and certain coatings for food packaging, for example. Following the phase out of PFOA and PFOS production, the Company has continued to review, control, or eliminate the presence of certain PFAS in purchased materials, as intended substances in products, or as byproducts of some of 3M's current manufacturing processes, products, and waste streams. 3M announced in December 2022 it would take two further actions with respect to PFAS (2022 PFAS Announcement): exiting all PFAS manufacturing by the end of 2025, and working to discontinue the use of PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025. 3M completed its exit of PFAS manufacturing at the end of 2025. 3M will continue to take actions to address PFAS manufactured prior to the exit. For example, the Company's water treatment assets at facilities that manufactured PFAS will continue to treat PFAS from historical manufacturing activities and remediate residual PFAS in waste streams from the Company's operations. 3M also will continue to work through the disposition of its assets and its interests in manufacturing facilities, which may include dismantling, cleaning and repurposing, and other dispositions of facilities or equipment. 3M remains in ongoing discussions with customers, government authorities, and other stakeholders and interested parties about customer agreements and the Company's interests in assets and facilities, which may be owned or leased from other parties that have interests and rights related to those facilities. The Company recognized a $0.8 billion pre-tax charge in the fourth quarter of 2022 associated with the 2022 PFAS Announcement related to asset impairments, and will incur additional expenses in connection with the 2022 PFAS Announcement. In addition, the 2022 PFAS Announcement involves risks, including: the actual costs and financial impact of such exit; potential governmental or regulatory actions relating to PFAS or the Company's exit; the Company's ability to identify and manufacture, or procure from third parties if possible, acceptable substitutes for PFAS-containing materials in 3M's supply chain; the possibility that such non-PFAS options are not available or that such substitutes may not achieve the anticipated or desired commercial, financial or operational results; potential litigation relating to the Company's exit or to any products that include third-party manufactured materials containing PFAS that are incorporated into the products the Company sells; and the possibility that the exit will involve greater costs than anticipated, or may otherwise have negative impacts on the Company's relationships with its customers and other parties. As also noted, 3M has been working to discontinue the use of PFAS across its product portfolio and has made substantial progress in eliminating such use in the Company's products. With respect to PFAS-containing products not manufactured by 3M in the Company's supply chains, the Company continues to evaluate the availability and feasibility of adopting and incorporating third-party products into its product portfolio that do not contain PFAS. Depending on the availability and feasibility of such third-party products not containing PFAS, the Company continues to evaluate circumstances in which the use of PFAS-containing products manufactured by third parties and used in certain applications in 3M's product portfolios will continue beyond the end of 2025. Examples of PFAS-containing third-party products include lithium ion batteries, printed circuit boards, certain seals and gaskets, and other products widely used in commerce across a variety of industries, and in some cases required by regulatory or industry standards. In certain cases, sales and use of products manufactured before the end of 2025, and sales of products through customer transitions to new products, regulatory approvals, or customer re-certifications or re-qualifications of substitutes or replacements to eliminate the use of PFAS, were not completed by the end of 2025 and transitional efforts are ongoing. 3M has noticed several global regulatory trends related to PFAS, including decreasing emission standards and limits set for the presence of certain PFAS in various media, and the inclusion in regulatory activity of a broadening group of PFAS. Developments in these and other global regulatory trends may require additional actions by 3M, including investigation, remediation and compliance actions, and may result in additional litigation and enforcement action-related costs. Under certain environmental laws, including the United States Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 ("CERCLA") and similar state laws, the Company may be jointly and severally liable, sometimes with other potentially responsible parties, for the costs of investigation and remediation of environmental contamination at current or former facilities and at off-site locations where substances designated as "hazardous substances" have been released or disposed of. The Company has identified numerous locations, many of which are in the United States, at which it may have some liability for remediation of contamination under applicable environmental laws. As a result of the CERCLA designation of PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances in 2024, and to the extent EPA finalizes additional proposals related to PFAS, 3M may be required to undertake additional investigative or remediation activities, including where 3M conducts operations or where 3M has disposed of waste. 3M may also face additional litigation from other entities that have liability under these laws for claims seeking contribution for clean-up costs other entities might have. The Company has been voluntarily cooperating with various local, state, federal (primarily the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)), and international agencies in their reviews of the environmental and health effects of certain PFAS produced by the Company prior to the end of 2025. 3M currently is defending lawsuits concerning various PFAS-related products and chemistries, and is subject to unasserted and asserted claims and governmental regulatory proceedings and inquiries related to the production and use of PFAS in a variety of jurisdictions, as discussed in Note 17, "Commitments and Contingencies," within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 3M has seen increased public and private lawsuits being filed on behalf of states, counties, cities, and utilities alleging, among other things, harm to the general public and damages to natural resources, some of which are pending in the AFFF multi-district litigation and some of which are pending in other jurisdictions, including internationally. Various factors or developments in these and other disclosed actions could result in future charges that could have a material adverse effect on 3M. For example, as described in greater detail in Note 17, "Commitments and Contingencies," within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, in June 2023, the Company entered into a class-action settlement ("PWS Settlement") to resolve a wide range of drinking water claims by public water suppliers in the United States regarding PFAS. The court approved that settlement in March 2024. 3M will pay $10.5 billion to $12.5 billion in total to resolve the claims released by the PWS Settlement, with payments to be made from 2024 through 2036, in exchange for a release of certain claims, as described further in Note 17. Unexpected events related to the PWS Settlement, including the potential impact of the PWS Settlement on other PFAS-related matters, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations, cash flows or consolidated financial position. In addition, as previously disclosed, in connection with the separation of Solventum, the Company agreed to retain liabilities related to PFAS for certain products sold by the Company's health care businesses prior to the separation and by Solventum for a limited period of time following the separation. Governmental inquiries, lawsuits, or laws and regulations involving PFAS could lead to the Company incurring liability for damages or other costs, civil or criminal proceedings, the imposition of fines and penalties, or other remedies, including orders to conduct remediation, as well as restrictions on or added costs for business operations going forward, including in the form of restrictions on discharges at manufacturing facilities, requiring the installation of control technologies, suspension or shutdown of facility operations, switching costs in seeking alternative sources of supply, potential customer damage claims due to supply disruptions or otherwise, restoration of and/or compensation for damages to natural resources, personal injury and property damages, and reporting requirements or bans on PFAS and PFAS-containing products manufactured by the Company. The Company may also record charges relating to ongoing asset use, retirement or disposition, some of which may be material, depending in part on how the Company manages related assets in connection with these activities. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations, cash flows or consolidated financial position.

The performance of financial markets and discount rates impact the Company's funding obligations under its defined benefit plans. Significant changes in market interest rates, decreases in the fair value of plan assets and investment losses on plan assets, and legislative or regulatory changes relating to defined benefit plan funding may increase the Company's funding obligations and could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations and cash flows.

The Company depends on various components, compounds, raw materials, and energy (including oil and natural gas and their derivatives) supplied by others for the manufacturing of its products. Supplier relationships have been and could be interrupted or terminated in the future due to events such as supplier material shortages, climate impacts and severe weather events, natural and other disasters, and other disruptive events such as those noted in the first risk factor above. In addition, some of our suppliers are limited- or sole-source suppliers, and our ability to meet our obligations to customers depends on the performance, product quality, and stability of such suppliers and the Company's ability to source adequate alternatives in a cost-effective manner. Any sustained interruption in the Company's receipt of adequate supplies, supply chain disruptions impacting the distribution of products, or disruption to key manufacturing sites' operations due to natural and other disasters or events, such as government actions relating to discharge or emission permits, strikes or other labor disruptions, or other legal or regulatory requirements, could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its ability to fulfill supply obligations to its customers. The Company could incur contractual penalties, experience a deterioration in customer relationships, or suffer harm to its reputation if the Company is unable to fulfill its obligations to customers, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company. In addition, there can be no assurance that the Company's processes to minimize volatility in component and material pricing will be successful or that future price fluctuations or shortages will not have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Demand for the Company's products, which impacts revenue and profit margins, is affected by, among other things: (i) the development and timing of the introduction of competitive products; (ii) the Company's pricing strategies; (iii) changes in customer order patterns, such as changes in the levels of inventory maintained by customers, vendors, or channel partners; (iv) changes in customers' preferences for our products, including preferences for products that do not contain third-party manufactured PFAS, the success of products offered by our competitors, and changes in customer designs for their products that can affect the demand for some of the Company's products; and (v) changes in the business environment related to disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, block-chain, expanded analytics, and other enhanced learnings from increasing volume of available data. Tariffs and other trade restrictions may also: increase the cost of raw materials and components imported from other countries, leading to higher production costs and product pricing to the extent those increased costs are offset through pricing actions; disrupt established supply chains, forcing the Company to find new suppliers or relocate production, which can be time-consuming and costly; limit the Company's access to end markets and, in turn, result in reduced sales and revenue; lower profitability; result in uncertainty related to planning long-term investments and strategies; and have other competitive effects. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The ability to successfully bring new products to market is subject to difficulties or delays in product development, such as the inability to identify viable new products, obtain adequate intellectual property protection, or gain market acceptance of new products. There are no guarantees that new products will prove to be commercially successful.

During 2025, the Company derived approximately 56 percent of its revenues from outside the United States. Accordingly, the Company's operations and the execution of its business strategies and plans are subject to global competition and economic and geopolitical risks that are beyond its control, such as, among other things, disruptions in financial markets, economic downturns, military conflicts, terrorism, public health emergencies, political changes and trends such as protectionism, economic nationalism resulting in government actions impacting international trade agreements or imposing trade restrictions such as tariffs and retaliatory counter measures, and government deficit reduction and other austerity measures in locations or industries in which the Company operates. Further escalation of specific trade tensions, including those between the U.S. and China, or more broadly in global trade conflict, could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and operations around the world. The Company's business is also impacted by social, political, and labor conditions in locations in which the Company or its suppliers or customers operate; adverse changes in the availability and cost of capital; monetary policy; interest rates; inflation; recession; commodity prices; currency volatility or exchange control; ability to expatriate earnings; and other laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which the Company or its suppliers or customers operate. For example, changes in local economic condition or outlooks, such as lower economic growth rates in China, Europe, or other key markets, impact the demand or profitability of the Company's products. The global economy has been impacted by geopolitical tensions. The U.S. and other governments have imposed, and propose to impose additional, export controls and tariffs on certain products, and financial and economic sanctions on certain industry sectors and parties. These geopolitical tensions could result in, among other things, cyberattacks, supply chain disruptions (including limitations on access to rare earth minerals and other raw materials), higher energy and other commodity costs, lower consumer demand, and changes to foreign exchange rates and financial markets, and tariffs and trade restrictions may result in increased production costs and product pricing, further supply chain disruptions, limited access to end markets, lower profitability, and uncertainty related to planning long-term investments and strategies, and may have other competitive effects. Compliance with rapidly changing tariffs and trade restrictions may require significant time and resources, and in turn increase our cost of doing business, and could result in fines and penalties or reputational harm if we are found to not be in compliance. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, and results of operations. Climate change and severe weather events, including related environmental and social regulations, as well as natural disasters, may negatively impact the Company or its customers and suppliers, in terms of availability and cost of natural resources, sources and supply of energy, product demand and manufacturing, compliance costs, and the health and well-being of individuals and communities in which we or our suppliers or customers operate.

The Company's financial statements are denominated in U.S. dollars and, as noted above, the Company derives a significant percentage of its revenues from outside the United States. As a result, the Company's results of operations and its ability to realize projected growth rates in sales and earnings could be materially adversely impacted if the U.S. dollar strengthens significantly against foreign currencies, and the Company's results of operations may experience volatility related to changes in exchange rates. For a discussion of the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on the Company, see Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."