Microchip (MCHP) Risk Analysis

A significant portion of our sales involve export and import activities. Our U.S.-manufactured products or products based on U.S. technology or U.S. software, or products incorporating U.S. content may be subject to laws and regulations administrated by various agencies including those under the U.S. Departments of State, Commerce, and Treasury, that govern international trade, including but not limited to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations, economic embargoes and tariffs or other trade sanctions against certain countries and parties. Licenses or license exceptions are often required for the shipment of our products to certain countries as well as for releases of our technology and software to foreign nationals. Our inability to timely obtain a license for any reason, not limited to a delay in license processing due to a federal government shutdown, or changes in government policies of approval or denial of licenses, could cause a delay in scheduled shipments which could have a material adverse impact on our revenue within the quarter of a shutdown, and in following quarters depending on the extent that license processing is delayed. Further, determination by a government that we have failed to comply with trade regulations or anti-bribery regulations can result in penalties which may include denial of export privileges, fines, penalties, and seizure of products, or loss of reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, sales and earnings. A change in laws and regulations could restrict our ability to transfer products to previously permitted countries, customers, distributors or others. For example, in October 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce published a regulation that imposed restrictions on activities in or involving China, Hong Kong, and Macau related to advanced computing integrated circuits (ICs), advanced-node ICs, computers and other commodities that contain such ICs, certain semiconductor manufacturing items, and supercomputers. The regulation also expanded controls on transactions involving semiconductor manufacturing and semiconductor equipment manufacturing end-uses. Further, this regulation and others expanded the scope of foreign-produced items subject to license requirements under U.S. law. Export controls, sanctions, and trade restrictions are increasingly complex and subject to discretionary interpretation by regulatory authorities, with requirements that may change through guidance, enforcement, or licensing decisions. Even where we believe authorizations apply, differing or changing regulatory interpretations could disrupt shipments, delay revenue recognition, require product or customer changes, and adversely affect our operating results. In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Commerce added restrictions and export license requirements to end uses and product categories previously described in the October 2022 regulation. To date, the U.S. Department of Commerce has issued a number of regulations that further restrict transactions involving semiconductors and related products. In addition, the U.S. Departments of Commerce, State, and Treasury have been adding parties to the restricted parties lists, and imposing prohibitions and export licensing requirements on transactions with them and entities that are 50% or more owned by them. The BIS has temporarily suspended its 50% Affiliates Rule, until November 10, 2026. The result of these additional restrictions and the change in the U.S. administration in 2025 and increased attrition of U.S. government employees is that there has been a slow-down in the processing of export license applications by the U.S. Government and an increased burden on us to conduct additional due diligence imposed by the regulations, as well as by sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine. At this time, there has not been a material impact on our ability to obtain necessary licenses for exportation. A previous example occurred in fiscal 2020, when the U.S. Department of Commerce effectively banned U.S. companies from selling products or transferring technology to certain Chinese companies, including Huawei and their related companies worldwide. In fiscal 2020, the U.S. Federal Acquisition Regulation prohibited U.S. governmental agencies from buying equipment incorporating covered telecommunications equipment, as a substantial component or critical technology, where the technology came from certain Chinese companies. In July 2020, this was expanded to prohibit U.S. governmental agencies from entering into a contract with any company that uses covered telecommunications equipment whether or not the Chinese technology is related to the procurement. Since then, similar restrictions have been imposed under the various versions of the National Defense and Authorization Act when the supply chain includes certain Chinese entities. The EAR also effectively prohibits sales of items for a "military end use," to a "military end-user," or for a "military intelligence" end-user, or end-use to certain countries, such as Belarus, Burma, Cambodia, Cuba, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria and Venezuela. The U.S. Department of Commerce also currently imposes restrictions on importation and sale of certain Vehicle Connectivity System (VCS) hardware and covered software designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons with a nexus to China, Hong Kong, Macau, or Russia. Any of the foregoing changes to the regulatory requirements could adversely impact our operational costs due to the administrative impacts of complying with these regulations and may limit those with whom we conduct business. Any one or more of these sanctions, future sanctions, a change in laws or regulations, or a prohibition on shipment of our products or transfer of our technology to significant customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The U.S. and other countries have levied tariffs and taxes on certain goods, implemented trade restrictions, and introduced national security protection policies. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China, have continued to escalate from 2018 to present, and include the U.S. increasing tariffs on Chinese origin goods and China increasing tariffs on U.S. origin goods. Additionally, the U.S. has imposed a baseline 10% tariff on almost all imported goods globally. We continue to take steps to mitigate the costs of these tariffs on our business by adjusting our operations and supply chain but may be unable to completely mitigate the costs of such tariffs, including those imposed in recent years or in the future. On August 1, 2025, the U.S. administration implemented additional changes to its tariff policy, including the suspension of the de minimis exemption, expiration of the 10% baseline tariff, implementation of revised reciprocal tariffs tailored to each trading partner, and the imposition of tariffs on particular goods (e.g., copper). Although semiconductors remain exempt from most of the recent tariff actions, an increase in tariffs on semiconductors is expected to be imposed once the Section 232 investigation into the impact on U.S. national security by imports of semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and their derivative products is concluded. Semiconductors may also be subject to tariffs resulting from ongoing trade negotiations. Increased tariffs on our customers' products could adversely impact their sales, and increased tariffs on our products in comparison to those of our competitors could each result in lower demand for our products. Further, governments may impose restrictions on the sale to certain customers of our products, or any applications containing our products. For example, in April 2025 the Chinese government announced restrictions relating to the sale of certain raw materials and products containing certain components made by Micron, and they may direct companies within China to purchase Chinese-made products. The Chinese government may also re-initiate the suspended antidumping investigation into imports of analog chips originating in the United States and aggressively enforce the new regulation intended to combat the extraterritorial application of foreign trade controls, sanctions and other measures, which would likely have an adverse impact on our revenue if additional tariffs are imposed by the Chinese government on products subject to the investigation. Similar restrictions on our products or the products of our customers or suppliers could negatively impact our business and financial results. It is also possible that evolving U.S. export controls may encourage our non-U.S. customers to purchase from companies not subject to U.S. export controls, thereby harming our business, market position, and financial results. Excessive export controls increase the risk of investing in U.S. advanced semiconductor products, because by the time a new product is ready for market, it may be subject to new unilateral export controls restricting its sale. At the same time, such controls may increase investment in foreign competitors, which would be less likely to be restricted by U.S. controls. Further changes in trade or national security protection policy, tariffs, additional taxes, restrictions on exports or other trade barriers, including those taken against the U.S. in retaliation for U.S. policies, may limit our ability to obtain equipment,components or raw materials (including rare earth minerals), limit our ability to produce products, increase our selling and/or manufacturing costs, decrease margins, reduce the competitiveness of our products, reduce our ability to sell products, or reduce our ability to have mergers and acquisitions approved by governmental agencies, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial conditions.