6-K

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 6-K

 

 

REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER

PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 or 15d-16

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the month of November, 2023

Commission File Number: 001-14946

 

 

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V.

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

 

 

Avenida Ricardo Margáin Zozaya #325, Colonia Valle del Campestre

San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, 66265, México

(Address of principal executive office)

 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

Form 20-F  ☒            Form 40-F  ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):  ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):  ☐

 

 

 


Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (“Cemex”) (NYSE: CX), in connection with the previously disclosed tax assessment for the years 2006 to 2009 in Spain, informs that its subsidiary in Spain, Cemex España, S.A. (“Cemex España”), has been formally notified that the cassation appeal filed before the Spanish Supreme Court on March 27, 2023, has not been resolved in Cemex España’s favor. As a result, Cemex España will have to pay fines in the aggregate amount of approximately €456 million (approximately U.S.$498 million as of November 17 2023, based on an exchange rate of €0.9157 to U.S.$1.00). These fines result from a tax audit process in Spain that started on July 7, 2011, covering the tax years from and including 2006 to 2009. The tax authorities in Spain had challenged part of the tax losses reported by Cemex España for such years. These losses were not utilized by Cemex España and since 2012, were not carried in the financial statements of Cemex España. At this stage, Cemex España strongly disagrees with the resolution and is evaluating next steps, including the potential filing of an appeal to the Constitutional Court in Spain. Cemex currently expects to record an income tax expense charge and accrue a liability of approximately U.S.$498 million in the 4th quarter of 2023 and to pay the fines in the first half of 2024 for the 2006-2009 tax assessment. Cemex has liquidity sources available to pay the fines. In light of the unfavorable ruling discussed above, Cemex also expects to record an additional tax expense charge and accrue a liability of U.S. $111 million in the 4th quarter of 2023 in connection with the other previously disclosed tax assessment by the Spanish authorities relating to the years 2010 to 2014. Notwithstanding these financial effects, this development is not expected to adversely affect Cemex’s operations and commercial relationships with clients or suppliers or its ability to meet its financial obligations.

Except as the context otherwise may require, references in this report to “Cemex,” “we,” “us,” or “our,” refer to Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) and its consolidated entities. The information included in this report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements and information are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including but not limited to statements related to Cemex’s plans, objectives, expectations (financial or otherwise), and typically can be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “assume,” “might,” “should,” “could,” “continue,” “would,” “can,” “consider,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “envision,” “plan,” “believe,” “foresee,” “predict,” “potential,” “target,” “strategy,” “intend,” “aimed”, or other similar terms. Although Cemex believes that its expectations are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these expectations will prove to be correct, and actual results may vary materially from historical results or results anticipated by forward-looking statements due to various factors. These forward-looking statements reflect, as of the date on which such forward-looking statements are made, or unless otherwise indicated, our current expectations and projections about future events based on our knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events. These statements necessarily involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated in this report. Among others, such risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause results to differ, or that otherwise could have an impact on us, include those discussed in Cemex’s most recent annual report and those detailed from time to time in Cemex’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores), which factors are incorporated herein by reference, including, but not limited to: impact of pandemics, epidemics or outbreaks of infectious diseases and the response of governments and other third parties, which could adversely affect, among other matters, the ability of our operating facilities to operate at full or any capacity, supply chains, international operations, availability of liquidity, investor confidence and consumer spending, as well as the availability of, and demand for, our products and services; the cyclical activity of the construction sector; our exposure to other sectors that impact our and our clients’ businesses, such as, but not limited to, the energy sector; availability of raw materials and related fluctuating prices of raw materials, as well as of goods and services in general, in particular increases in prices as a result of inflation; volatility in pension plan asset values and liabilities, which may require cash contributions to the pension plans; the impact of environmental cleanup costs and other remedial actions, and other liabilities relating to existing and/or divested businesses; our ability to secure and permit aggregates reserves in strategically located areas; the timing and amount of federal, state and local funding for infrastructure; changes in the level of spending for private residential and private nonresidential construction; changes in our effective tax rate; competition in the markets in which we offer our products and services; general political, social, health, economic and business conditions in the markets in which we operate or that affect our operations and any significant economic, health, political or social developments in those markets, as well as any inherent risks to international operations; the regulatory environment, including environmental, energy, tax, labor, antitrust, and acquisition-related rules and regulations; our ability to satisfy our obligations under our material debt agreements, the indentures that govern our outstanding notes, and other debt instruments and financial obligations, including our subordinated notes with no fixed maturity and other financial obligations; the availability of short-term credit lines or working capital facilities, which can assist us in connection with market cycles; the impact of our below investment grade debt rating on our cost of capital and on the cost of the products and services we purchase; loss of reputation of our brands; our ability to consummate asset sales, fully integrate newly acquired businesses, achieve cost-savings from our cost-reduction initiatives, implement our pricing initiatives for our products and generally meet our business strategy goals; the increasing reliance on information technology infrastructure for our sales, invoicing, procurement, financial statements and other processes that can adversely affect our sales and operations in the event that the infrastructure does not work as intended, experiences technical difficulties or is subjected to cyber-attacks; changes in the economy that affect the demand for consumer goods, consequently affecting demand for our products and services; climate change, in particular reflected in weather conditions, including but not limited to, excessive rain and snow, and disasters such as earthquakes and floods, that could affect our facilities or the markets in which we offer our products and services or from where we source our raw materials; trade barriers, including tariffs or import taxes and changes in existing trade policies or changes to, or withdrawals from, free trade agreements, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement; availability and cost of trucks, railcars, barges and ships, as well as their licensed operators and drivers, for transport of our materials; labor shortages and constraints; terrorist and organized criminal activities, as well as geopolitical events, such as war and armed conflicts, including the current war between Russia and Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East; declarations of insolvency or bankruptcy, or becoming subject to similar proceedings; and, natural disasters and other unforeseen events (including global health hazards such as COVID-19). Many factors could cause Cemex’s expectations, expected results, and/or projections expressed in this report not being reached and/or not producing the expected benefits and/or results, as any such benefits or results are subject to uncertainties, costs, performance, and rate of implementation of technologies, some of which are yet not proven. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from historical results, performance or achievements and/or results, performance or achievements expressly or implicitly anticipated by the forward-looking statements, or otherwise could have an impact on us or our consolidated entities. Forward-looking statements should not be considered guarantees of future performance, nor the results or developments are indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. Actual results of Cemex’s operations and the development of market conditions in which Cemex operates, or other circumstances or assumptions suggested by such statements may differ materially from those described in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements contained herein. Any or all of Cemex’s forward-looking statements may turn out to be inaccurate and the factors identified above are not exhaustive. Accordingly, undue reliance on forward-looking statements should not be placed, as such forward-looking statements speak only as of the dates on which they are made. These factors may be revised or supplemented and the information contained in this report is subject to change without notice, but Cemex is not under, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to update or correct the information contained in this report or revise any forward-looking statement that it may make from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances. Readers should review future reports filed by us with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Mexican Stock Exchange (Bolsa Mexicana de Valores).


SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

     

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V.

      (Registrant)
Date: November 20, 2023    
    By:  

/s/ Rafael Garza Lozano

      Name: Rafael Garza Lozano
      Title: Chief Comptroller