239.33—Form F-3, for registration under the Securities Act of 1933 of securities of certain foreign private issuers offered pursuant to certain types of transactions.

This instruction set forth registrant requirements and transaction requirements for the use of Form F-3. Any foreign private issuer, as defined in Rule 405 ( § 230.405 of this chapter ), which meets the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section (the “Registrant Requirements”) may use this Form for the registration of securities under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) which are offered in any transaction specified in paragraph (b) of this section (the “Transaction Requirements”), provided that the requirements applicable to the specified transaction are met. With respect to majority-owned subsidiaries, see paragraph (a)(5) of this section. With respect to well-known seasoned issuers and majority-owned subsidiaries of well-known seasoned issuers, see paragraph (c) of this section.

(a) Registrant requirements. Except as set forth in this paragraph (a), all registrants must meet the following conditions in order to use this Form F-3 for registration under the Securities Act of securities offered in the transactions specified in paragraph (b) of this section:

(1) The registrant has a class of securities registered pursuant to section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) or has a class of equity securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Exchange Act or is required to file reports pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and has filed at least one annual report on Form 20-F ( § 249.220f of this chapter ), on Form 10-K ( § 249.310 of this chapter) or, in the case of registrants described in General Instruction A(2) of Form 40-F, on Form 40-F ( § 249.240f of this chapter) under the Exchange Act.

(2) The registrant:

(i) Has been subject to the requirements of section 12 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act and has filed all the material required to be filed pursuant to sections 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act for a period of at least twelve calendar months immediately preceding the filing of the registration statement on this form; and

(ii) Has filed in a timely manner all reports required to be filed during the twelve calendar months and any portion of a month immediately preceding the filing of the registration statement and, if the registrant has used (during those twelve calendar months and that portion of a month) § 240.12b-25(b) of this chapter with respect to a report or a portion of a report, that report or portion thereof has actually been filed within the time period prescribed by § 240.12b-25(b) of this Chapter.

(3) Neither the registrant nor any of its consolidated or unconsolidated subsidiaries have, since the end of their last fiscal year for which certified financial statements of the registrant and its consolidated subsidiaries were included in a report filed pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act: (i) Failed to pay any dividend or sinking fund installment on preferred stock; or (ii) defaulted (A) on any installment or installments on indebtedness for borrowed money, or (B) on any rental on one or more long term leases, which defaults in the aggregate are material to the financial position of the registrant and its consolidated and unconsolidated subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(4) If the registrant is a successor registrant, it shall be deemed to have met conditions 1, 2, 3 and 4 above if: (i) Its predecessor and it, taken together, do so, provided that the succession was primarily for the purpose of changing the state or other jurisdiction of incorporation of the predecessor or forming a holding company and that the assets and liabilities of the successor at the time of succession were substantially the same as those of the predecessor; or (ii) all predecessors met the conditions at the time of succession and the registrant has continued to do so since the succession.

(5) Majority-owned subsidiaries. If a registrant is a majority-owned subsidiary, security offerings may be registered on this form if:

(i) The registrant-subsidiary itself meets the Registrant Requirements and the applicable Transaction Requirement;

(ii) The parent of the registrant-subsidiary meets the Registrant Requirements and the conditions of the Transaction Requirement set forth in paragraph (b)(2) of this section (Offerings of Certain Debt or Preferred Securities) are met;

(iii) The parent of the registrant-subsidiary meets the Registrant Requirements and the applicable Transaction Requirement, and provides a full and unconditional guarantee, as defined in Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X ( § 210.33-10 of this chapter ), of the payment obligation on the securities being registered, and the securities being registered are non-convertible securities, other than common equity;

(iv) The parent of the registrant-subsidiary meets the Registrant Requirements and the applicable Transaction Requirement, and the securities of the registrant-subsidiary being registered are full and unconditional guarantees, as defined in Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, of the payment obligations on the parent's non-convertible securities, other than common equity, being registered; or

(v) The parent of the registrant-subsidiary meets the Registrant Requirements and the applicable Transaction Requirement, and the securities of the registrant-subsidiary being registered are guarantees of the payment obligations on the non-convertible securities, other than common equity, being registered by another majority-owned subsidiary of the parent, where the parent provides a full and unconditional guarantee, as defined in Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, of such non-convertible securities.

Code of Federal Regulations

Note to paragraph (a)(5): In the situations described in paragraphs (a)(5)(iii), (a)(5)(iv); and (a)(5)(v) of this section, the parent or majority-owned subsidiary guarantor is the issuer of a separate security consisting of the guarantee, which must be concurrently registered, but may be registered on the same registration statement as are the guaranteed non-convertible securities. Both the parent and majority-owned subsidiary shall each disclose the information required by this Form as if each were the only registrant except that if the majority-owned subsidiary will not be eligible to file annual reports on Form 20-F or Form 40-F (§ 249.220f or § 249.240f of this chapter) after the effective date of the registration statement, then is shall disclose the information specified in Form S-3 (§ 239.13 ). Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X specifies the financial statements required.

(6) Electronic filings. In addition to satisfying the foregoing conditions, a registrant subject to the electronic filing requirements of Rule 101 of Regulation S-T ( § 232.101 of this chapter) shall have:

(i) Filed with the Commission all required electronic filings, including electronic copies of documents submitted in paper pursuant to a hardship exemption as provided by Rule 201 or Rule 202(d) of Regulation S-T ( § 232.201 or § 232.202(d) of this chapter ); and

(ii) Submitted electronically to the Commission and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, all Interactive Data Files required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( § 232.405 of this chapter) during the twelve calendar months and any portion of a month immediately preceding the filing of the registration statement on this Form (or for such shorter period of time that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

(b) Transaction requirements. Security offerings meeting any of the following conditions and made by registrants meeting the Registrant Requirements above may be registered on this Form:

(1) Primary offerings by certain registrants. Securities to be offered for cash by or on behalf of a registrant, provided that the aggregate market value worldwide of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant is the equivalent of $75 million or more. In the case of securities registered pursuant to this paragraph, the financial statements included in this registration statement must comply with Item 18 of Form 20-F ( § 249.220f of this chapter ).

Instruction to paragraph (b)(1): The aggregate market value of the registrant's outstanding voting stock shall be computed by use of the price at which the stock was last sold, or the average of the bid and asked prices of such stock, in the principal market for such stock as of a date within 60 days prior to the date of filing. See the definition of “affiliate” in Securities Act Rule 405 (§ 230.405 of this chapter).

(2) Primary offerings of non-convertible investment grade securities. Non-convertible securities to be offered for cash if such securities are investment grade securities. A non-convertible security is an investment grade security if, at the time of sale, at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization (as that term is used in § 240.15c3-1(c)(2)(vi)(F) of this chapter) has rated the security in one of its generic rating categories that signifies investment grade; typically, the four highest rating categories (within which there may be subcategories or gradations indicating relative standing) signify investment grade. In the case of securities registered pursuant to this paragraph, the financial statements included in this registration statement may comply with Item 17 or 18 of Form 20-F ( § 249.220f of this chapter ).

(3) Transactions involving secondary offerings. Outstanding securities to be offered for the account of any person other than the issuer, including securities acquired by standby underwriters in connection with the call or redemption by the issuer of warrants or a class of convertible securities. In the case of such securities, the financial statements included in this registration statement may comply with Item 17 or 18 of Form 20-F ( § 249.220f of this chapter ). In addition, Form F-3 ( § 239.33) may be used by affiliates to register securities for resale pursuant to the conditions specified in General Instruction C to Form S-8 ( § 239.16b ). In the case of such securities, the financial statements included in this registration statement must comply with Item 18 of Form 20-F ( § 249.220f of this chapter ).

(4) Rights offerings, dividend or interest reinvestment plans, and conversions or warrants. Securities to be offered:

(i) Upon the exercise of outstanding rights granted by the issuer of the securities to be offered, if such rights are granted pro rata to all existing security holders of the class of securities to which the rights attach; or

(ii) Pursuant to a dividend or interest reinvestment plan; or

(iii) Upon the conversion of outstanding convertible securities or upon the exercise of outstanding transferable warrants issued by the issuer of the securities to be offered, or by an affiliate of such issuer. In the case of securities registered pursuant to this paragraph, the financial statements included in this registration statement may comply with Item 17 or 18 of Form 20-F ( § 249.220f of this chapter ). The registration of securities to be offered or sold in a standby underwriting in the United States or similar arrangement is not permitted pursuant to this paragraph. See paragraphs (b) (1), (2) and (3) of this section.

(c) Automatic shelf offerings by well-known seasoned issuers. Any registrant that is a well-known seasoned issuer as defined in Rule 405 ( § 230.405 of this chapter) at the most recent eligibility determination date specified in paragraph (2) of such definition may use this Form for registration under the Securities Act of securities offerings, other then pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(vii) or (viii) ( § 230.415(a)(1)(vii) or (viii) of this chapter ), as follows:

(1) The securities to be offered are:

(i) Any securities to be offered pursuant to Rule 415, Rule 430A, or Rule 430B ( § 230.415, § 230.430A, or § 230.430B of this chapter) by:

(A) A registrant that is a well-known seasoned issuer by reason of paragraph (1)(i)(A) of the definition in rule 405; or

(B) A registrant that is a well-known seasoned issuer only by reason of paragraph (1)(i)(B) of the definition in Rule 405 if the registrant also is eligible to register a primary offering of its securities pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) of this section;

(ii) Non-convertible securities, other than common equity, to be offered pursuant to Rule 415, Rule 430A, or Rule 430B by a registrant that is a well-known seasoned issuer only by reason of paragraph (1)(i)(B) of the definition in Rule 405 and does not fall within paragraph (b)(1) of this section;

(iii) Securities of majority-owned subsidiaries of the parent registrant to be offered pursuant to Rule 415, Rule 430A, or Rule 430B if the parent registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer and the securities of the majority-owned subsidiary being registered meet the following requirements:

(A) Securities of a majority-owned subsidiary that is a well-known seasoned issuer at the time it becomes a registrant, other than by virtue of paragraph (1)(ii) of the definition of well-known seasoned issuer in Rule 405;

(B) Securities of a majority-owned subsidiary that are non-convertible securities, other than common equity, and the parent registrant provides a full and unconditional guarantee, as defined in Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, of the payment obligations on the non-convertible securities;

(1) Non-convertible securities, other than common equity, of the parent registrant being registered;

(2) Non-convertible securities, other than common equity, of another majority-owned subsidiary being registered and the parent registrant has provided a full and unconditional guarantee, as defined in Rule 3-10 of Regulation S-X, of the payment obligations on such non-convertible securities; or

(D) Securities of a majority-owned subsidiary that meet the conditions of the Transaction Requirement set forth in paragraph (b)(2) of this section (Primary offerings of non-convertible investment grade securities).

(iv) Securities to be offered for the account of any person other than the issuer (“selling security holders”), provided that the registration statement and the prospectus are not required to separately identify the selling security holders or the securities to be sold by such persons until the filing of a prospectus, prospectus supplement, post-effective amendment to the registration statement, or report under the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference into the registration statement and prospectus, identifying the selling security holders and the amount of securities to be sold by each of them and, if included in a report under the Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference, a prospectus or prospectus supplement is filed, as required by Rule 430B, pursuant to Rule 424(b)(7) ( § 230.424(b)(7) of this chapter ).

(2) The registrant pays the registration fee pursuant to Rules 456(b) and 457(r) ( § 230.456(b) and § 230.457(r) of this chapter) or in accordance with Rule 456(a) ( § 230.456(a) of this chapter );

(3) If the registrant is a majority-owned subsidiary, it is required to file and has filed reports pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78m or 78o(d)) and satisfies the requirements of this Form with regard to incorporation by reference or information about the majority-owned subsidiary is included in the registration statement (or a post-effective amendment to the registration statement);

(4) The registrant may register additional securities or classes of its or its subsidiaries' securities on a post-effective amendment pursuant to Rule 413(b) ( § 230.413(b) of this chapter ); and

(5) An automatic shelf registration statement and post-effective amendment will become effective immediately pursuant to Rule 462(e) and (f) ( § 230.462(e) and (f) of this chapter) upon filing. All filings made on or in connection with automatic shelf registration statements on this Form become public upon filing with the Commission.

Code of Federal Regulations

[47 FR 54776, Dec. 6, 1982, as amended at 56 FR 30055, 30057, July 1, 1991; 58 FR 14681, Mar. 18, 1993; 59 FR 21652, Apr. 26, 1994; 62 FR 26388, May 14, 1997; 70 FR 1620, Jan. 7, 2005; 70 FR 44825, Aug. 3, 2005; 74 FR 6817, Feb. 10, 2009]

Code of Federal Regulations

Editorial Note: For Federal Register citations affecting Form F-3, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.fdsys.gov.