A number of companies have filed IRANNOTICEs on EDGAR with the SEC (thanks to Broc Romanek for pointing this out). The notices reference disclosures made in annual reports pursuant to Section 219 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 and Section 13(r) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. What sorts of disclosures are being made?
Delphi Automotive PLC
The Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (“ITRSHRA”), which was signed into law on August 10, 2012, includes a provision requiring issuers to disclose information relating to certain transactions with Iran or with persons or entities designated under certain executive orders. Prior to the enactment of ITRSHRA, we had a longstanding policy of reviewing and determining that any matter relating to possible transactions involving Iran did not violate applicable U.S. export controls and sanctions laws, and we do not believe that we have conducted any transactions that violated applicable laws. During 2012, certain of our non-U.S. affiliates engaged in transactions involving Iran in accordance with applicable law. Our non-U.S. affiliates have ceased transactions involving Iran as of October 9, 2012, as required by ITRSHRA.
Prior to October 9, 2012, some of our non-U.S. affiliates sold items out of general inventory to non-U.S. distributors outside of Iran, who sold those items to retail or automotive assembly, service, or repair establishments in Iran. The sales made to these non-U.S. distributors of items that were subsequently resold into Iran totaled approximately $3.7 million and generated operating income of approximately $0.7 million. In 2012, our non-U.S. affiliates received payments of approximately $2.7 million related to these sales. The items were all non-U.S. origin automotive components which, if exported from the United States, would not have required a U.S. export license (except for direct export to Iran and certain other very limited destinations or entities).
Our non-U.S. affiliates received payments from the distributors through banks outside of Iran. However, some of those transactions may have involved transfers of funds to the distributors through Iranian Government-owned banks, and we are not certain of the exact path of such transfers, and whether those transactions are therefore required to be disclosed under Section 13(r)(1)(D)(iii) or otherwise of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The transactions disclosed herein were not prohibited under any U.S. export controls and sanctions laws at the time the transactions were undertaken because they were not conducted by U.S. persons or entities, did not involve ten percent (10%) or more U.S.-origin content, and were not otherwise prohibited.
AllianceBernstein L.P.
AllianceBernstein, Holding and their global subsidiaries had no transactions or activities requiring disclosure under the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act (“Iran Act”), nor were they involved in the AXA Group insurance policies described immediately below.
The non-U.S. based subsidiaries of AXA, our parent company, operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations of the various jurisdictions where they operate, including applicable international (United Nations and European Union) laws and regulations. While AXA Group companies based and operating outside the United States generally are not subject to U.S. law, as an international group, AXA has in place policies and standards (including the AXA Group International Sanctions Policy) that apply to all AXA Group companies worldwide and often impose requirements that go well beyond local law. For additional information regarding AXA, see “History and Structure” in this Item 1.
AXA has reported to us that 16 insurance policies underwritten by two of AXA’s European insurance subsidiaries, AXA France IARD and AXA Winterthur, that were in-force during 2012 potentially come within the scope of the disclosure requirements of the Iran Act. Of these insurance policies, 15 policies were written by AXA France IARD and relate to property and casualty insurance (homeowners, auto, accident, liability and/or fraud policies) covering property located in France where the insured is a company or other entity that may have, direct or indirect, ties to the Government of Iran (the “French Policies”), including Iranian entities designated under Executive Orders 13224 and 13382. AXA France IARD is a French company, based in Paris, which is licensed to operate in France. The other policy, described below, was written by AXA Winterthur and provides global coverage to a Swiss-based non-governmental organization based in Geneva that was initially established by the United Nations to facilitate international transport (the “Swiss Policy”). AXA Winterthur is a Swiss company, based in Winterthur, Switzerland, which is licensed to operate in Switzerland.
With respect to these policies, as of the date of this report: (1) AXA France IARD has taken actions necessary to terminate coverage under all 15 of the French Policies; and (2) AXA Winterthur has restructured coverage under the Swiss Policy to specifically exclude Iran. The aggregate premium for these 16 policies was less than $1 million (approximately $105,000 for the 15 French Policies and approximately $884,000 for the relevant premium amount under the Swiss Policy), representing less than 0.001% of AXA’s consolidated revenues, which are in excess of $100 billion. The net profit attributable to these 16 insurance policies is difficult to calculate with precision, but AXA estimates its net profit attributable to all 16 of these policies, in the aggregate, was less than $300,000, representing less than 0.006% of AXA’s aggregate net profit . . .
United Technologies Corporation
Section 219 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (ITRA) added a new subsection (r) to section 13 of the Exchange Act, requiring a public reporting issuer to disclose in its annual or quarterly reports whether it or any of its affiliates have knowingly engaged in specified activities or transactions relating to Iran, including activities not prohibited by U.S. law and conducted outside the U.S. by non-U.S. affiliates in compliance with local law. Issuers must also file a notice with the SEC if any disclosable activities under ITRA have been included in the annual or quarterly report. Upon receiving such a notice, the SEC is required under ITRA to transmit the notice to the President, the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services and the Senate Committees on Foreign Relations and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and is required to make these separate notices publicly available on its website.
The following activities are disclosed as required by Section 13(r)(1)(D)(iii) of the Exchange Act as transactions or dealings with the government of Iran that have not been specifically authorized by a U.S. federal department or agency:
UTC Climate, Controls & Security. In 2009, UTC adopted a corporate policy prohibiting new business in or with Iran. In 2012, two of our non-U.S. affiliates engaged in activities related to the orderly winding down of legacy business involving the sale of fire safety equipment through procurement agents to entities owned by the government of Iran. This business was pursuant to contracts entered into by Simtronics AS (Simtronics), a Norwegian company and its subsidiary Water Mist Engineering AS (WME) prior to UTC Climate, Controls & Security’s acquisition of these two entities in April 2011. Both companies were acquired following the adoption by UTC in 2009 of the corporate policy prohibiting all new business in or with Iran, and both companies became subject to that policy upon acquisition.
During 2012 and pursuant to five legacy contracts, Simtronics and WME received payments and provided certain fire detection and fire suppression equipment for end-use by the Pars Oil & Gas Company, which has been designated by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) as an entity owned or controlled by the government of Iran. These legacy contracts were not prohibited by applicable law when they were executed, nor was the wind down of these contractual arrangements prohibited by UTC’s policy at the time of acquisition. Simtronics and WME have halted all fulfillment activities related to these legacy contracts, but may seek clearance from OFAC in order to resolve a dispute over termination of a third-party agency agreement associated with these contracts and to complete certain remaining wind-down activities. Simtronics and WME do not otherwise intend to continue or enter into any Iran-related activity. The fire suppression products WME supplied incorporated a small amount of U.S.-origin springs, which are non-critical components, and an appropriate disclosure has been filed with OFAC.
The gross revenue and net profits attributable to these activities in 2012 for Simtronics were $960,000 and $70,000, respectively, and for WME were $2,550,000 and $560,000, respectively.
Otis. In 2012, non-U.S. affiliates of Otis conducted service, maintenance and/or modernization activities on elevators previously installed at Iranian diplomatic premises in France, Kuwait and Hungary under pre-existing contracts. The Hungarian contract was undertaken with a local construction company (not the Iranian Government). All of the contracts in question have been terminated by these Otis affiliates.
The following activities are disclosed as required by Section 13(r)(1)(D)(i) and (ii) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by ITRA, as transactions or dealings with certain designated parties:
One of the payments received in 2012 by the French affiliate of Otis for work at the Iranian embassy in Paris was drawn on a local office of Bank Melli of Iran, which was previously designated as subject to sanctions under Executive Order 13382. In 2012, an Otis affiliate in Germany performed elevator maintenance and repair services to support the Frankfurt premises of Bank Saderat of Iran, which was designated as subject to sanctions in October 2007 under Executive Order 13224.
All of these elevator service and modernization contracts were permissible under applicable law when they were executed. These Otis affiliates have ceased performance under these contracts and do not intend to continue or enter into any new Iran-related activity. An Otis employee who is a U.S. person (for OFAC purposes) stationed outside the U.S. provided unauthorized advice to the Otis affiliate in Kuwait with respect to ending its contract for services at Iranian diplomatic premises in Kuwait, and an appropriate disclosure has been filed with OFAC.
The gross revenues and net profits attributable to the activities of these Otis affiliates in 2012 with respect to the Iranian diplomatic premises in France, Kuwait and Hungary were approximately $70,000 (including the single payment of approximately $1,500 drawn on Bank Melli) and $4,000, respectively, and were $4,500 and $1,500, respectively, with respect to Bank Saderat.
Check dodd-frank.com frequently for updated information on the JOBS Act, the Dodd-Frank Act and other important securities law matters.
