Table of Contents protectionism, U.S. relations with the governments of the foreign countries in which we operate, foreign regulatory requirements or changes in such requirements, changes in local health care payment systems and health care delivery systems, local product preferences and requirements, longer payment terms for account receivables than we experience in the U.S., difficulty in establishing, staffing and managing foreign operations, changes to international trade agreements and treaties, changes in tax laws, weakening or loss of the protection of intellectual property rights in some countries, and import or export licensing requirements. The success of our operations outside the United States also depends, in part, on our ability to make necessary infrastructure enhancements to, among other things, our production facilities and sales and distribution networks. These and other factors may adversely impact our ability to pursue our growth strategy in these markets. In addition, our international operations are governed by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-corruption laws outside the U.S. Global enforcement of anti-corruption laws has increased substantially in recent years, with more enforcement proceedings by U.S. and foreign governmental agencies and the imposition of significant fines and penalties. While we have implemented policies and procedures to enhance compliance with these laws, our international operations, which often involve customer relationships with foreign governments, create the risk that there may be unauthorized payments or offers of payments made by employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors. Any alleged or actual violations of these laws may subject us to government investigations and significant criminal or civil sanctions and other liabilities, and negatively affect our reputation. Changes in U.S. policy regarding international trade, including import and export regulation and international trade agreements, could also negatively impact our business. The U.S. has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as on goods imported from China and certain other countries, which has resulted in retaliatory tariffs by China and other countries. Additional tariffs imposed by the U.S. on a broader range of imports, or further retaliatory trade measures taken by China or other countries in response, could result in an increase in supply chain costs that we may not be able to offset or that otherwise adversely impact our results of operations. The United Kingdom’s (“UK”) departure from the European Union (“EU”) (commonly known as “Brexit”) has created uncertainties affecting business operations in the UK, the EU and a number of other countries, including with respect to compliance with the regulatory regimes regarding the labeling and registration of the products we sell in these markets. The UK formally left the EU on January 31, 2020. Pursuant to the withdrawal arrangement agreed between the UK and the EU, there is a transition period through December 31, 2020 for the parties to negotiate their future trading relationship. During this transition period, the UK continues to follow the EU’s rules and its trading relationship with the EU remains the same. While we have taken proactive steps to mitigate any disruption to our operations, we could face increased costs, volatility in exchange rates, market instability and other risks, depending on the outcome of the negotiations regarding the future EU/UK trading relationship. We sell products to researchers at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, government laboratories and private foundations. Research and development spending of our customers can fluctuate based on spending priorities and general economic conditions. A number of these customers are also dependent for their funding upon grants from U.S. government agencies, such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) and agencies in other countries. The level of government funding of research and development is unpredictable. For instance, there have been instances where NIH grants have been frozen or otherwise unavailable for extended periods. The availability of governmental research funding may be adversely affected by economic conditions and governmental spending reductions. Any reduction or delay in governmental funding could cause our customers to delay or forego purchases of our products. Our ability to compete effectively depends upon our ability to attract and retain executives and other key employees. Competition for experienced employees, particularly for persons with specialized skills, can be Reductions in customers’ research budgets or government funding may adversely affect our business. We need to attract and retain key employees to be competitive. 13