PPG INDUSTRIES INC

Previous wording

As a global manufacturer of paints, coatings and specialty materials, we operate in a business environment that includes risks. Each of the risks described in this section could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and liquidity. While the factors listed here are considered to be the more significant factors, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles which may adversely affect our businesses and our results of operations, financial position and liquidity.

Current wording

As a global manufacturer of paints, coatings and specialty products, we operate in a business environment that includes risks. Each of the risks described in this section could adversely affect our results of operations, financial position and liquidity. While the factors listed here are considered to be the more significant factors, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles which may adversely affect our businesses and our results of operations, financial position and liquidity.

Previous wording

PPG continues to undertake actions to maintain supply arrangements adequate to meet planned operating requirements. However, raw material supply chain disruptions, including logistical and transportation challenges, could adversely impact our ability to procure raw materials. An inability to obtain certain critical raw materials has adversely impacted our ability to produce certain products in the past and could do so in the future. If raw material costs increase and we are unable to offset these higher costs in a timely manner, this would adversely impact Income from continuing operations and Cash from operating activities.

Current wording

PPG continues to undertake actions to maintain supply arrangements adequate to meet planned operating requirements. However, raw material supply chain disruptions, including logistical and transportation challenges, could adversely impact our ability to procure raw materials. An inability to obtain certain critical raw materials has adversely impacted our ability to produce certain products in the past and could do so in the future. Additionally, the cost of raw materials fluctuates due to a number of factors, including changes in supplier feedstock costs and inventories, global industry activity levels, foreign currency exchange rates, government regulation, tariffs, and global supply and demand factors, any of which could drive an increase in raw material costs. If raw material costs increase and we are unable to offset these higher costs in a timely manner, this would adversely impact Income from continuing operations and Cash from operating activities.

Previous wording

Demand for our products and services depends, in part, on the general economic conditions affecting the countries and markets in which we do business. Weak economic conditions in certain geographies and changing supply and demand balances in the markets we serve have negatively impacted demand for our products and services in the past and may do so in the future. There is a high level of uncertainty surrounding future global economic conditions due to a number of factors, including the impact of higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty, including the international impacts of the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel and increasing tensions between China and the United States, commodity market volatility, potential changes to international trade agreements, the imposition of tariffs and the threat of additional tariffs, and labor shortages in certain regions of the world. PPG provides products and services to a variety of end-use markets in many geographies. This broad end-use market exposure and expanded geographic presence lessens the significance of any individual decrease in activity levels; nonetheless, lower demand levels may result in lower sales, which would adversely impact Income from continuing operations and Cash from operating activities.

Current wording

Demand for our products and services depends, in part, on the general economic conditions affecting the countries and markets in which we do business. Weak economic conditions in certain geographies and changing supply and demand balances in the markets we serve have negatively impacted demand for our products and services in the past and may do so in the future. There is a high level of uncertainty surrounding future global economic conditions due to a number of factors, including the impact of higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty, including the international impacts of the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel and increasing tensions between China and the United States, commodity market volatility, potential changes to international trade agreements, the imposition of tariffs and the threat of additional tariffs,

Previous wording

Public health crises, including pandemics and the measures taken by public health and government authorities to address them, have adversely impacted and could continue to adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

Public health crises, including pandemics and the measures taken by public health and government authorities to address them, have adversely impacted our financial condition and results of operations in the past, and could adversely impact us in the future.

Previous wording

Our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts from efforts by public health officials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The effects of this public health crisis interfered with the ability of PPG, our suppliers, our customers, and others to conduct business and negatively affected consumer confidence and the global economy. Preventative and protective actions taken by public health officials, governments and PPG with respect to the public health crises have and may continue to adversely impact our business, suppliers, distribution channels, and customers, including business shutdowns, reduced workforce availability, reduced ability to supply products, or reduced demand for our products. While we cannot reasonably predict the duration or scope of current and future public health crises, our results of operations, financial position and liquidity have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic or any other future health-related crises.

Current wording

Our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations were adversely impacted by public health crises in the past, including impacts from efforts by public health officials to contain the public health crises. The effects of public health crises could interfere with the ability of PPG, our suppliers, our customers, and others to conduct business and negatively affect consumer confidence and the global economy. Preventative and protective actions taken by public health officials, governments and PPG in response to public health crises could adversely impact our business, suppliers, distribution channels, and customers, due to business shutdowns, reduced workforce availability, reduced ability to supply products, or reduced demand for our products.

Previous wording

PPG is involved in a number of lawsuits and claims, both actual and potential, in which substantial monetary damages are sought. Those lawsuits and claims may relate to contract, patent, environmental, product liability, asbestos exposure, antitrust, employment, securities and other matters arising out of the conduct of PPG’s current and past business activities. Any such claims, whether with or without merit, could be time consuming and expensive to defend and could divert management’s attention and resources. We maintain insurance against some, but not all, of these potential claims, and the levels of insurance we maintain may not be adequate to fully cover any and all losses. We believe that, in the aggregate, the outcome of all current lawsuits and claims involving PPG, including those described in Note 15, “Commitments and Contingent Liabilities” in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, will not have a material effect on PPG’s consolidated financial position or liquidity; however, such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. Nonetheless, the results of any future litigation or claims are inherently unpredictable, and such outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, Cash from operating activities or financial condition.

Current wording

PPG is involved in a number of lawsuits and claims, both actual and potential, in which substantial monetary damages are sought. Those lawsuits and claims may relate to contract, patent, environmental, product liability, asbestos exposure, antitrust, employment, securities and other matters arising out of the conduct of PPG’s current and past business activities. Any such claims, whether with or without merit, could be time consuming and expensive to defend and could divert management’s attention and resources. We maintain insurance against some, but not all, of these potential claims, and the levels of insurance we maintain may not be adequate to fully cover any and all losses. We believe that, in the aggregate, the outcome of all current lawsuits and claims involving PPG, including those described in Note 15, “Commitments and Contingent Liabilities” in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, will not have a material effect on PPG’s consolidated financial position or liquidity; however, such outcome may be material to the results of operations of any particular period in which costs, if any, are recognized. Nonetheless, the results of any future litigation or claims are

Previous wording

Further, although we believe that we have appropriate risk management and compliance programs in place, we cannot guarantee that our internal controls and compliance systems will always protect us from improper acts committed by employees, agents, business partners or businesses that we acquire. Any non-compliance or such improper actions or allegations could damage our reputation and subject us to civil or criminal investigations and shareholder lawsuits, could lead to substantial civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties, and could cause us to incur significant legal and investigatory costs.

Current wording

Further, although we believe that we have appropriate risk management and compliance programs in place, we cannot guarantee that our internal controls and compliance systems will always protect us from improper acts committed by employees, agents, business partners or businesses that we acquire. Any non-compliance, improper actions or allegations of such could damage our reputation and subject us to civil or criminal investigations and shareholder lawsuits, could lead to substantial civil and criminal, monetary and non-monetary penalties, and could cause us to incur significant legal and investigatory costs.

Previous wording

As a multinational corporation, we are subject to various taxes in both the U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in these various jurisdictions may be subject to significant changes. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has proposed modernizing international tax rules, including global minimum tax standards, which could cause an increase to our effective tax rate or result in higher cash tax liabilities. Our effective income tax rate is also affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets, the introduction of new taxes and changes in tax laws or their interpretation. If our effective income tax rate were to increase, our Cash from operating activities, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected. Although we believe that our tax filing positions are appropriate, the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes may be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals. If future audits find that additional taxes are due, we may be subject to incremental tax liabilities, possibly including interest and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our Cash from operating activities, financial condition and results of operations.

Current wording

As a multinational corporation, we are subject to various taxes in both the U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in these various jurisdictions may be subject to significant changes. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has proposed modernizing international tax rules, including global minimum tax standards (referred to as Pillar 2), which has caused an increase to our effective tax rate. Our effective income tax rate is also affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets, the introduction of new taxes and changes in tax laws or their interpretation. If our effective income tax rate were to increase, our Cash from operating activities, financial condition and results of operations would be adversely affected. Although we believe that our tax filing positions are appropriate, the final determination of tax audits or tax disputes may be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions and accruals. If future audits find that additional taxes are due, we may be subject to incremental tax liabilities, possibly including interest and penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our Cash from operating activities, financial condition and results of operations.

Previous wording

PPG has a significant investment in global operations. This broad geographic footprint serves to lessen the significance of economic impacts occurring in any one region. Notwithstanding the benefits of geographic diversification, our ability to achieve and maintain profitable growth in international markets is subject to risks related to the differing legal, political, social and regulatory requirements and economic conditions of many countries. As a result of our operations outside the U.S., we are subject to certain inherent risks, including political and economic uncertainty, inflation rates, exchange rates, trade protection measures, local labor conditions and laws, restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of

Current wording

PPG has a significant investment in global operations. This broad geographic footprint serves to lessen the significance of economic impacts occurring in any one region. Notwithstanding the benefits of geographic diversification, our ability to achieve and maintain profitable growth in international markets is subject to risks related to the differing legal, political, social and regulatory requirements and economic conditions of many countries. As a result of our operations outside the U.S., we are subject to certain inherent risks, including political and economic uncertainty, inflation rates, exchange rates, trade protection measures, local labor conditions and laws, restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of earnings, and weak intellectual property protection. Recently, there has been an increase in global geopolitical uncertainty due to a number of factors, including the international impacts of the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel and increasing tensions between China and the United States. In 2024, PPG completed the divestiture of its U.S. and Canada Architectural Coatings business, which further increases the percentage of sales recognized outside the U.S. During 2024, approximately 68% of the Company’s total net sales were recognized outside of the United States.

Previous wording

Unexpected events, including supply disruptions, temporary plant and/or power outages, work stoppages, natural disasters and severe weather events, including those potentially due to climate change, significant public health issues, computer system disruptions, challenges implementing, upgrading or transitioning enterprise resource planning systems, fires, war or terrorist activities, could increase the cost of doing business or otherwise harm the operations of PPG, our customers and our suppliers. It is not possible for us to predict the occurrence or consequence of any such events. However, such events could reduce our ability to supply products, reduce demand for our products or make it difficult or impossible for us to receive raw materials from suppliers or to deliver products to customers.

Current wording

Unexpected events, including supply disruptions, temporary plant and/or power outages, work stoppages, natural disasters and severe weather events, significant public health issues, computer system disruptions, challenges implementing, upgrading or transitioning enterprise resource planning systems, fires, war or terrorist activities, could increase the cost of doing business or otherwise harm the operations of PPG, our customers and our suppliers. It is not possible for us to predict the occurrence or consequence of any such events. However, such events could reduce our

Previous wording

Numerous and evolving information security threats, including advanced persistent threats and ransomware, pose a risk to the security of our systems, networks and services, as well as to the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data and of our critical business operations. In addition, because the techniques, tools and tactics used in cyber-attacks frequently change and may be difficult to detect for periods of time, we may face difficulties in anticipating and implementing adequate preventative measures or fully mitigating harms after such an attack. Our information technology systems, networks and services have been, and will likely continue to be, subject to cybersecurity attacks. We have implemented and operate a cybersecurity program designed to protect and preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our networks and systems as well as information that we own or is in our care. Notwithstanding our cybersecurity preparedness activities, we cannot guarantee that our security efforts or the security efforts of our third-party service providers will prevent all cybersecurity events. A material cybersecurity event could result in negative publicity, theft or other financial loss, modification or destruction of proprietary information or key information, manufacture of defective products, theft of personally identifiable information, and/or production downtimes and operational disruptions, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Current wording

Numerous and evolving information security threats, including advanced persistent threats and ransomware, pose a risk to the security of our systems, networks and services, as well as to the confidentiality, availability and integrity of our data and of our critical business operations. The techniques, tools and tactics used in cyber-attacks evolve rapidly, including from emerging technologies such as advanced automation or artificial intelligence and may be difficult to detect for periods of time. As a result we may face difficulties in anticipating and implementing adequate preventative measures or fully mitigating harms after such an attack. Our information technology systems, networks and services have been, and will likely continue to be, subject to cybersecurity attacks. We have implemented and operate a cybersecurity program designed to protect and preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our networks and systems as well as information that we own or is in our care. Notwithstanding our cybersecurity preparedness activities, we cannot guarantee that our security efforts or the security efforts of our third-party service providers will prevent all cybersecurity events. A material cybersecurity event could result in negative publicity, theft or other financial loss, modification or destruction of proprietary information or key information, manufacture of defective products, theft of personally identifiable information, and/or production downtimes and operational disruptions, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

Previous wording

We believe the automotive industry will experience significant and continued change in the coming years, including an increase in the production of electric vehicles. Vehicle manufacturers continue to develop new safety features such as collision avoidance technology and self-driving vehicles that may reduce vehicle collisions in the future, potentially lowering demand for our automotive refinish coatings. In addition, through the introduction of new technologies, new business models or new methods of travel, such as ridesharing, the number of automotive OEM new-builds may decline, potentially reducing demand for our automotive OEM coatings and related automotive parts.

Current wording

We believe the automotive industry will experience significant and continued change in the coming years, including an increase in the production of electric vehicles. Vehicle manufacturers continue to develop new safety features such as collision avoidance technology and self-driving vehicles that may reduce vehicle collisions in the future, potentially lowering demand for our automotive refinish coatings. In addition, through the introduction of new technologies, new