UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Form 10-K

 

 

Commission file number 001-32312

 

Novelis Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

(404) 814-4200

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

 

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

None

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.  Yes o     No þ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ     No o

 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer þ     Accelerated filer o     Non-accelerated filer o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).  Yes o     No þ

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2006 was approximately $1,595,561,800 based on the closing price of the registrant’s common shares on the New York Stock Exchange on such date. All executive officers and directors of the registrant have been deemed, solely for the purpose of the foregoing calculation, to be “affiliates” of the registrant.

 

As of January 31, 2007, the registrant had 74,673,285 common shares outstanding. The registrant will incorporate by reference Part III. Items 10 through 14 in its proxy statement.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

This document contains forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry in which we operate, and beliefs and assumptions made by our management. Such statements include, in particular, statements about our plans, strategies and prospects under the headings “Item 1. Business”, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Words such as “expect”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “plan”, “believe”, “seek”, “estimate” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include, but are not limited to, our expectations with respect to the impact of metal price movements on our financial performance, our metal price ceiling exposure and the effectiveness of our hedging programs and controls. These statements are based on beliefs and assumptions of Novelis’ management, which in turn are based on currently available information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. We do not intend, and we disclaim any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

This document also contains information concerning our markets and products generally, which is forward-looking in nature and is based on a variety of assumptions regarding the ways in which these markets and product categories will develop. These assumptions have been derived from information currently available to us and to the third party industry analysts quoted herein. This information includes, but is not limited to, product shipments and share of production. Actual market results may differ from those predicted. While we do not know what impact any of these differences may have on our business, our results of operations, financial condition, cash flow and the market price of our securities may be materially adversely affected. Factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ from the results expressed or implied by forward-looking statements include, among other things:

 

 

 

The above list of factors is not exhaustive. These and other factors are discussed in more detail under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”.

 

In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise specified, the terms “we”, “our”, “us”, “Company”, “Novelis” and “Novelis Group” refer to Novelis Inc., a company incorporated in Canada under the Canadian Business Corporations Act (CBCA) and its subsidiaries. References to “Alcan” refer to Alcan, Inc.

 

Exchange Rate Data

 

We prepare our financial statements in United States (U.S.) dollars. The following table sets forth exchange rate information expressed in terms of Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar at the noon buying rate in New York City for cable transfers in foreign currencies as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. You should note the rates set forth below may differ from the actual rates used in our accounting processes and in the preparation of our consolidated and combined financial statements.

 

 

 

 

All dollar figures herein are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

 

Commonly Referenced Data

 

As used in this Annual Report, “total shipments” refers to shipments to third parties of aluminum rolled products as well as ingot shipments, and references to “aluminum rolled products shipments” or “shipments” do not include ingot shipments. All tonnages are stated in metric tonnes. One metric tonne is equivalent to 2,204.6 pounds. One kilotonne (kt) is 1,000 metric tonnes. The term “aluminum rolled products” is synonymous with the terms “flat rolled products” and “FRP” commonly used by manufacturers and third party analysts in our industry.

 

Overview

 

We are the world’s leading aluminum rolled products producer based on shipment volume in 2006, with total aluminum rolled products shipments of approximately 2,960kt. With operations on four continents comprised of 33 operating plants and three research facilities in 11 countries as of December 31, 2006, we are the only company of our size and scope focused solely on aluminum rolled products markets and capable of local supply of technically sophisticated aluminum products in all of these geographic regions. We had net sales of $9.85 billion in 2006.

 

We describe in this Annual Report on Form 10-K the businesses we acquired from Alcan in our spin-off from Alcan, which businesses we now operate as if they were our businesses for all historical periods described. References to our shipment totals, results of operations and cash flows prior to January 1, 2004 do not include shipments from the facilities transferred to us by Alcan that were initially acquired by Alcan as part of the acquisition of Pechiney Aluminum Engineering (Pechiney) in December 2003.

 

Our History

 

We were formed as a Canadian corporation and assets were transferred to us in connection with our spin-off from Alcan on January 6, 2005 (which we refer to as the spin-off date). On the spin-off date, we acquired substantially all of the aluminum rolled products businesses held by Alcan prior to its acquisition of Pechiney in 2003, as well as certain alumina and primary metal-related businesses in Brazil formerly owned by Alcan and four rolling facilities in Europe that Alcan acquired from Pechiney in 2003. As part of this transaction, Alcan’s capital was reorganized and our common shares were distributed to the then-existing shareholders of Alcan. The various steps pursuant to which we acquired our businesses from Alcan and distributed our shares to Alcan’s shareholders are referred to herein as the “spin-off transaction”.

 

Potential Acquisition of our Company

 

On February 10, 2007, Novelis Inc., Hindalco Industries Limited (Hindalco) and AV Aluminum Inc., an indirect subsidiary of Hindalco (Acquisition Sub), entered into an Arrangement Agreement (the Arrangement Agreement). Under the Arrangement Agreement, Acquisition Sub will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Novelis for cash at a per share price of $44.93, without interest (the Purchase Price), to be implemented by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement (the Arrangement).

 

Pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, at the effective time of the Arrangement, each common share of Novelis issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time (other than common shares held by (i) Hindalco or Acquisition Sub or any of their affiliates or (ii) any shareholders who properly exercise dissent rights under the Canada Business Corporations Act) will be automatically converted into the right to receive the Purchase Price. The acquisition of Novelis is an all-cash transaction which values Novelis at approximately $6 billion, including approximately $2.4 billion of debt. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition.

 

The consummation of the Arrangement, which is expected to occur by the end of the second quarter of 2007, is subject to various customary conditions, including Novelis shareholder approval and the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and similar antitrust laws in Canada and the European Union.

 

The Arrangement Agreement contains customary representations and warranties between Novelis and Hindalco and Acquisition Sub. The Arrangement Agreement also contains customary covenants and agreements, including covenants relating to (a) the conduct of Novelis’ business between the date of the signing of the Arrangement Agreement and the closing of the Arrangement, (b) solicitation of competing acquisition proposals and (c) the efforts of the parties to cause the Arrangement to be completed. Additionally, the Arrangement Agreement requires Novelis to use its reasonable best efforts to call and hold a meeting of its shareholders to approve the Arrangement.

 

The Arrangement Agreement contains certain termination rights and provides that, upon or following the termination of the Arrangement Agreement, under specified circumstances involving a competing acquisition proposal, Novelis may be required to pay to Acquisition Sub a termination fee of $100 million or, in certain circumstances, to reimburse costs and expenses of Hindalco and its affiliates, to a maximum of $15 million.

 

In connection with this process, Novelis has incurred or will incur fees and expenses, including a termination fee with an unsuccessful bidder. Certain fees approximating $35 million are not contingent upon closing and will be paid out over the first and second quarters of 2007.

 

Our Industry

 

The aluminum rolled products market represents the global supply of and demand for aluminum sheet, plate and foil produced either from sheet ingot or continuously cast roll-stock in rolling mills operated by independent aluminum rolled products producers and integrated aluminum companies alike.

 

Aluminum rolled products are semi-finished aluminum products that constitute the raw material for the manufacture of finished goods ranging from automotive body panels to household foil. There are two major types of manufacturing processes for aluminum rolled products differing mainly in the process used to achieve the initial stage of processing:

 

 

Both processes require subsequent rolling, which we call cold rolling, and finishing steps such as annealing, coating, levelling or slitting to achieve the desired thicknesses and metal properties. Most customers receive shipments in the form of aluminum coil, a large roll of metal, which can be fed into their fabrication processes.

 

There are two sources of input material: (1) primary aluminum, such as molten metal, re-melt ingot and sheet ingot; and (2) recycled aluminum, such as recyclable material from fabrication processes, which we refer to as recycled process material, used beverage cans (UBCs) and other post-consumer aluminum.

 

Primary aluminum can generally be purchased at prices set on the London Metal Exchange (LME), plus a premium that varies by geographic region of delivery, form (ingot or molten metal) and purity.

 

Recycled aluminum is also an important source of input material. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable and recycling it requires only approximately 5% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminum. As a result, in regions where aluminum is widely used, manufacturers and customers are active in setting up collection processes in which UBCs and other recyclable aluminum are collected for re-melting at purpose-built plants. Manufacturers may also enter into agreements with customers who return recycled process material and pay to have it re-melted and rolled into the same product again.

 

There has been a long-term industry trend towards lighter gauge (thinner) rolled products, which we refer to as downgauging, where customers request products with similar properties using less metal in order to reduce costs and weight. For example, aluminum rolled products producers and can fabricators have continuously developed thinner walled cans with similar strength as previous generation containers, resulting in a lower cost per unit. As a result of this trend, aluminum tonnage across the spectrum of aluminum rolled products, and particularly for the beverage and food cans end-use market, has declined on a per unit basis, but actual rolling machine hours per unit have increased. Because the industry has historically tracked growth based on aluminum tonnage shipped, we believe the downgauging trend may contribute to an understatement of the actual growth of revenue attributable to rolling in some end-use markets.

 

End-use Markets

 

Aluminum rolled products companies produce and sell a wide range of aluminum rolled products, which can be grouped into four end-use markets based upon similarities in end-use applications: (1) construction and industrial; (2) beverage and food cans; (3) foil products; and (4) transportation. Within each end-use market, aluminum rolled products are manufactured with a variety of alloy mixtures; a range of tempers (hardness),

gauges (thickness) and widths; and various coatings and finishes. Large customers typically have customized needs resulting in the development of close relationships with their supplying mills and close technical development relationships.

 

Construction and Industrial.  Construction is the largest application within this end-use market. Aluminum rolled products developed for the construction industry are often decorative and non-flammable, offer insulating properties, are durable and corrosion resistant, and have a high strength-to-weight ratio. Aluminum siding, gutters, and downspouts comprise a significant amount of construction volume. Other applications include doors, windows, awnings, canopies, facades, roofing and ceilings.

 

Aluminum’s ability to conduct electricity and heat and to offer corrosion resistance make it useful in a wide variety of electronic and industrial applications. Industrial applications include electronics and communications equipment, process and electrical machinery and lighting fixtures. Uses of aluminum rolled products in consumer durables include microwaves, coffee makers, flat screen televisions, air conditioners, pleasure boats and cooking utensils.

 

Another industrial application is lithographic sheet. Print shops, printing houses and publishing groups use lithographic sheet to print books, magazines, newspapers and promotional literature. In order to meet the strict quality requirements of the end-users, lithographic sheet must meet demanding metallurgical, surface and flatness specifications.

 

Beverage and Food Cans.  Beverage cans are the single largest aluminum rolled products application, accounting for approximately 23% of worldwide shipments in 2006, according to market data from Commodity Research Unit International Limited (CRU), an independent business analysis and consultancy group focused on the mining, metals, power, cables, fertilizer and chemical sectors. The recyclability of aluminum cans enables them to be used, collected, melted and returned to the original product form many times, unlike steel, paper or polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET plastic), which deteriorate with every iteration of recycling. Aluminum beverage cans also offer advantages in fabricating efficiency and product shelf life. Fabricators are able to produce and fill beverage cans at very high speeds, and non-porous aluminum cans provide longer shelf life than PET plastic containers. Aluminum cans are light, stackable and use space efficiently, making them convenient and cost efficient to ship.

 

Downgauging and changes in can design help to reduce total costs on a per can basis and contribute to making aluminum more competitive with substitute materials.

 

Beverage can sheet is sold in coil form for the production of can bodies, ends and tabs. The material can be ordered as rolled, degreased, pre-lubricated, pre-treated and/or lacquered. Typically, can makers define their own specifications for material to be delivered in terms of alloy, gauge, width and surface finish.

 

Other applications in this end-use market include food cans and screw caps for the beverage industry.

 

Foil Products.  Aluminum, because of its relatively light weight, recyclability and formability, has a wide variety of uses in packaging. Converter foil is very thin aluminum foil, plain or printed, that is typically laminated to plastic or paper to form an internal seal for a variety of packaging applications, including juice boxes, pharmaceuticals, food pouches, cigarette packaging and lid stock. Customers order coils of converter foil in a range of thicknesses from 6 microns to 60 microns.

 

Household foil includes home and institutional aluminum foil wrap sold as a branded or generic product. Known in the industry as packaging foil, it is manufactured in thicknesses from 11 microns to 23 microns. Container foil is used to produce semi-rigid containers such as pie plates and take-out food trays and is usually ordered in a range of thicknesses from 60 microns to 200 microns.

 

Transportation.  Heat exchangers, such as radiators and air conditioners, are an important application for aluminum rolled products in the truck and automobile categories of the transportation end-use market. Original equipment manufacturers also use aluminum sheet with specially treated surfaces and other specific properties for interior and exterior applications. Newly developed alloys are being used in transportation tanks and rigid containers that allow for safer and more economical transportation of hazardous and corrosive goods.

 

There has been recent growth in certain geographic markets in the use of aluminum rolled products in automotive body panel applications, including hoods, deck lids, fenders and lift gates. These uses typically result from co-operative efforts between aluminum rolled products manufacturers and their customers that yield tailor-made solutions for specific requirements in alloy selection, fabrication procedure, surface quality and joining. We believe the recent growth in automotive body panel applications is due in part to the lighter weight, better fuel economy and improved emissions performance associated with these applications.

 

Aluminum rolled products are also used in aerospace applications, a segment of the transportation market in which we are not allowed to compete until January 6, 2010, pursuant to a non-competition agreement we entered into with Alcan in connection with the spin-off, as described under the heading “Business — Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan — Non-competition.” However, aerospace-related consumption of aluminum rolled products has historically represented a relatively small portion of total aluminum rolled products market shipments.

 

Aluminum is also used in the construction of ships’ hulls and superstructures and passenger rail cars because of its strength, light weight, formability and corrosion resistance.

 

Market Structure

 

The aluminum rolled products industry is characterized by economies of scale, significant capital investments required to achieve and maintain technological capabilities and demanding customer qualification standards. The service and efficiency demands of large customers has encouraged consolidation among suppliers of aluminum rolled products. To meet these demands in small but growing markets, established Western companies have entered into joint ventures with local companies to provide necessary product and process know-how and capital.

 

While our customers tend to be increasingly global, many aluminum rolled products tend to be produced and sold on a regional basis. The regional nature of the markets is influenced in part by the fact that not all mills are equipped to produce all types of aluminum rolled products. For instance, only a few mills in North America, Europe, Asia, and only one mill in South America produce beverage can body and end stock. In addition, individual aluminum rolling mills generally supply a limited range of products for end-use applications, and seek to maximize profits by producing high volumes of the highest margin mix per mill hour given available capacity and equipment capabilities.

 

Certain multi-purpose, common alloy and plate rolled products are imported into Europe and North America from producers in emerging markets, such as Brazil, South Africa, Russia and China. However, at this time we believe that most of these producers are generally unable to produce flat rolled products that meet the quality requirements, lead times and specifications of customers with more demanding applications. In addition, high freight costs, import duties, inability to take back recycled aluminum, lack of technical service capabilities and long lead-times mean that many developing market exporters are viewed as second-tier suppliers. Therefore, many of our customers in the Americas, Europe and Asia do not look to suppliers in these emerging markets for a significant portion of their requirements.

 

Competition

 

The aluminum rolled products market is highly competitive. We face competition from a number of companies in all of the geographic regions and end-use markets in which we operate. Our primary competitors in North America are Alcoa, Inc. (Alcoa), Aleris International, Inc. (Aleris), Wise Metal Group LLC, Norandal Aluminum, Arco Aluminium, which is a subsidiary of BP plc, and Alcan. Our primary competitors in Europe are Hydro A.S.A., Alcan, Alcoa and Aleris. Our primary competitors in Asia-Pacific are Furukawa-Sky Aluminum Corp., Sumitomo Light Metal Company, Ltd., Kobe Steel Ltd. and Alcoa. Our primary competitors in South America are Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio, Alcoa and Aluar Aluminio Argentino. The factors influencing competition vary by region and end-use market, but generally we compete on the basis of our value proposition, including price, product quality, the ability to meet customers’ specifications, range of products offered, lead times, technical support and customer service. In some regions and end-use markets, competition is also affected by fabricators’ requirements that suppliers complete a qualification process to

supply their plants. This process can be rigorous and may take many months to complete. As a result, obtaining business from these customers can be a lengthy and expensive process. However, the ability to obtain and maintain these qualifications can represent a competitive advantage.

 

In addition to competition from others within the aluminum rolled products industry, we, as well as the other aluminum rolled products manufacturers, face competition from non-aluminum material producers, as fabricators and end-users have, in the past, demonstrated a willingness to substitute other materials for aluminum. In the beverage and food cans end-use market, aluminum rolled products’ primary competitors are glass, PET plastic and steel. In the transportation end-use market, aluminum rolled products compete mainly with steel. Aluminum competes with wood, plastic and steel in building products applications. Factors affecting competition with substitute materials include price, ease of manufacture, consumer preference and performance characteristics.

 

Key Factors Affecting Supply and Demand

 

The following factors have historically affected the supply of aluminum rolled products:

 

Production Capacity.  As in most manufacturing industries with high fixed costs, production capacity has the largest impact on supply in the aluminum rolled products industry. In the aluminum rolled products industry, the addition of production capacity requires large capital investments and significant plant construction or expansion, and typically requires long lead-time equipment orders.

 

Alternative Technology.  Advances in technological capabilities allow aluminum rolled products producers to better align product portfolio and supply with industry demand. As an example, continuous casting offers the ability in some markets to increase capacity in smaller increments than is possible with hot mill additions. This enables production capacity to better adjust to small year-over-year increases in demand. However, the continuous casting process results in the production of a more limited range of products.

 

Trade.  Some trade flows do occur between regions despite shipping costs, import duties and the need for localized customer support. Higher value-added, specialty products such as lithographic sheet are more likely to be traded internationally, especially if demand in certain markets exceeds local supply. With respect to less technically demanding applications, emerging markets with low cost inputs may export commodity aluminum rolled products to larger, more mature markets. Accordingly, regional changes in supply, such as plant expansions, may have some effect on the worldwide supply of commodity aluminum rolled products.

 

The following factors have historically affected the demand for aluminum rolled products:

 

Economic Growth.  We believe that economic growth is currently the single largest driver of aluminum rolled products demand. In mature markets, growth in demand has typically correlated closely with growth in industrial production. In emerging markets such as China, growth in demand typically exceeds industrial production growth largely because of expanding infrastructures, capital investments and rising incomes that often accompany economic growth in these markets.

 

Substitution Trends.  Manufacturers’ willingness to substitute other materials for aluminum in their products and competition from substitution materials suppliers also affect demand. For example, in North America, competition from PET plastic containers and glass bottles, and changes in marketing channels and consumer preferences in beverage containers, have, in recent years, reduced the growth rate of aluminum can sheet in North America from the high rates experienced in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite changes in consumer preferences, North American aluminum beverage can shipments have remained at approximately 100 billion cans per year since 1994 according to the Can Manufacturers’ Institute.

 

Downgauging.  Increasing technological and asset sophistication has enabled aluminum rolling companies to offer consistent or even improved product strength using less material, providing customers with a more cost-effective product. This continuing trend reduces raw material requirements, but also effectively increases rolled products’ plant utilization rates and reduces available capacity, because to

produce the same number of units requires more rolling hours to achieve thinner gauges. As utilization rates increase, revenues rise as pricing tends to be based on machine hours used rather than on the volume of material rolled. On balance, we believe that downgauging has maintained or enhanced overall market economics for both users and producers of aluminum rolled products.

 

Seasonality.  While demand for certain aluminum rolled products is affected by seasonal factors, such as increases in consumption of beer and soft drinks packaged in aluminum cans and the use of aluminum sheet used in the construction and industrial end-use market during summer months, our presence in both the northern and southern hemispheres tends to dampen the impact of seasonality on our business.

 

Our Business Strategy

 

Our primary objective is to maximize long-term shareholder value through conversion of aluminum into flat rolled products using our world-class asset position. We intend to achieve our goal of maximizing shareholder value through the following areas of focus.

 

Generate stable and predictable earnings and cash flows

 

 

Structurally advantaged asset position

 

 

Growth through product mix innovation and opportunistic acquisitions

 

 

Grow through the development of new market applications and through the substitution of existing market applications, such as our Novelis Fusion^tm technology, where our customers benefit from superior characteristics and/or a substitution to a higher value product. Novelis Fusion^tm technology allows us to produce a high quality ingot with a core of one aluminum alloy, combined with one or more layers of different aluminum alloy(s). The ingot can then be rolled into a sheet product with different properties on the inside and the outside, allowing previously unattainable performance for flat rolled products and creating opportunity for new applications as well as improved performance and efficiency in existing operations.

 

 

Flexible capital structure

 

 

Our Operating Segments

 

Due in part to the regional nature of the supply and demand of aluminum rolled products and in order to best serve our customers, we manage our activities on the basis of geographical areas and are organized under four operating segments: North America; Europe; Asia; and South America.

 

Our chief operating decision-maker uses regional financial information in deciding how to allocate resources to an individual segment and in assessing performance of each segment. Novelis’ chief operating decision-maker is its chief executive officer.

 

We measure the profitability and financial performance of our operating segments, based on Regional Income, in accordance with FASB Statement No. 131, Disclosure About the Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information. Regional Income provides a measure of our underlying regional segment results that is in line with our portfolio approach to risk management. We define Regional Income as income before (a) interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs; (b) gains and losses on change in fair value of derivative instruments — net; (c) depreciation and amortization; (d) impairment charges on long-lived assets; (e) minority interests’ share; (f) adjustments to reconcile our proportional share of Regional Income from non-consolidated affiliates to income as determined on the equity method of accounting; (g) restructuring (charges) recoveries — net; (h) gains or losses on disposals of property, plant and equipment and businesses — net; (i) corporate selling, general and administrative expenses; (j) other corporate costs — net; (k) litigation settlement — net of insurance recoveries; (l) provision or benefit for taxes on income (loss) and (m) cumulative effect of accounting change — net of tax.

 

We do not treat all derivative instruments as hedges under FASB Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities. Accordingly, changes in fair value are recognized immediately in earnings, which results in the recognition of fair value as a gain or loss in advance of the contract settlement. In the accompanying consolidated and combined statements of operations, change in fair value of derivative instruments not accounted for as hedges under FASB Statement No. 133 are recognized in Other income — net. These gains or losses may or may not result from cash settlement. For Regional Income purposes, we only include the impact of the derivative gains or losses to the extent they are settled in cash during that period.

 

For a discussion of Regional Income and a reconciliation of Regional Income to Net income (loss), see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Note 22 — Segment, Geographical Area and Major Customer Information in the accompanying consolidated and combined financial statements.

 

The table below sets forth the contribution of each of our operating segments to our Net sales, Regional Income, Total assets, Total shipments and Rolled product shipments for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004. The net sales and shipments information presented excludes intersegment sales and shipments. Rolled products shipments include conversion of customer-owned metal (tolling).

 

 

We have highly automated, flexible and advanced manufacturing capabilities in operating facilities around the globe. In addition to the aluminum rolled products plants, our South America segment operates bauxite mining, alumina refining, hydro-electric power plants and smelting facilities. We believe our facilities have the assets required for efficient production and are well managed and maintained. For a further discussion of financial information by geographic area, refer to Note 22 — Segment, Geographical Area and Major Customer Information to our consolidated and combined financial statements.

 

North America

 

Through 12 aluminum rolled products facilities, including two fully dedicated recycling facilities as of December 31, 2006, North America manufactures aluminum sheet and light gauge products. Important end-use applications for this segment include beverage cans, containers and packaging, automotive and other transportation applications, building products and other industrial applications.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, North America had net sales of $3.7 billion, representing 37% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 1,229kt, representing 39% of our total shipments. For the year ended December 31, 2005, North America had net sales of $3.3 billion, representing 39% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 1,194kt, representing 39% of our total shipments.

 

The majority of North America’s efforts are directed towards the beverage can sheet market. The beverage can end-use application is technically demanding to supply and pricing is competitive. We believe we have a competitive advantage in this market due to our low-cost and technologically advanced manufacturing facilities and technical support capability. Recycling is important in the manufacturing process and North America has three facilities that re-melt post-consumer aluminum and recycled process material. Most of the

recycled material is from used beverage cans and the material is cast into sheet ingot for North America’s can sheet production plants (at Logan, Kentucky and Oswego, New York).

 

Europe

 

Europe produces value-added sheet and light gauge products through 14 operating plants as of December 31, 2006, including one recycling facility.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, Europe had net sales of $3.6 billion, representing 37% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 1,073kt, representing 34% of our total shipments. For the year ended December 31, 2005, Europe had net sales of $3.1 billion, representing 37% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 1,081kt, representing 35% of our total shipments.

 

Europe serves a broad range of aluminum rolled product end-use applications including: construction and industrial; beverage and food can; foil and technical products; lithographic; automotive and other. Construction and industrial represents the largest end-use market in terms of shipment volume by Europe. This segment supplies plain and painted sheet for building products such as roofing, siding, panel walls and shutters, and supplies lithographic sheet to a worldwide customer base.

 

Europe also has packaging facilities at four locations, and in addition to rolled product plants, has distribution centers in Italy and France together with sales offices in several European countries.

 

In March 2006, we closed our casting alloys facility at Borgofranco, Italy and sold our aluminum rolling mill in Annecy, France. We reorganized our plants in Ohle and Ludenscheid, Germany, including the closure of two non-core business lines located within those facilities, at the end of May 2006.

 

Asia

 

Asia operates three manufacturing facilities as of December 31, 2006 and manufactures a broad range of sheet and light gauge products.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, Asia had net sales of $1.7 billion, representing 17% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 516kt, representing 17% of our total shipments. For the year ended December 31, 2005, Asia had net sales of $1.4 billion, representing 17% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 524kt, representing 17% of our total shipments.

 

Asia production is balanced between foil, construction and industrial, and beverage and food can end-use applications. We believe that Asia is well-positioned to benefit from further economic development in China as well as other parts of Asia.

 

South America

 

South America operates two rolling plants, two primary aluminum smelters, bauxite mines, one alumina refinery, and hydro-electric power plants as of December 31, 2006, all of which are located in Brazil. South America manufactures various aluminum rolled products, including can stock, automotive and industrial sheet and light gauge for the beverage and food can, construction and industrial and transportation and packaging end-use markets.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, South America had net sales of $0.9 billion, representing 9% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 305kt, representing 10% of our total shipments. For the year ended December 31, 2005, South America had net sales of $0.6 billion, representing 8% of our total net sales, and total shipments of 288kt, representing 9% of our total shipments.

 

The primary aluminum produced by South America’s mines, refinery and smelters is used by our Brazilian aluminum rolled products operations, with any excess production being sold on the market in the form of aluminum billets. During 2006, South America shipped approximately 27kt of primary metal to third party customers. South America generates a portion of its own power requirements.

 

In November 2006, we sold our interest in our calcined coke manufacturing facility in Petrocoque, and transferred our rights to develop a power generation facility at Cacu and Barra dos Coqueiros, both located in Brazil.

 

Raw Materials and Suppliers

 

The raw materials that we use in manufacturing include primary aluminum, recycled aluminum, sheet ingot, alloying elements and grain refiners. Our smelters also use alumina, caustic soda and calcined petroleum coke and resin. These raw materials are generally available from several sources and are not generally subject to supply constraints under normal market conditions. We also consume considerable amounts of energy in the operation of our facilities.

 

Aluminum

 

We obtain aluminum from a number of sources, including the following:

 

Primary Aluminum Purchases.  We purchased approximately 2,000kt of primary aluminum in 2006 in the form of sheet ingot, standard ingot and molten metal, as quoted on the LME, approximately 49% of which we purchased from Alcan. Following our spin-off from Alcan, we have continued to purchase aluminum from Alcan pursuant to the metal supply agreements described under “— Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan.” We expect the volume of aluminum we purchase from Alcan to decline beginning in 2008.

 

Primary Aluminum Production.  We produced approximately 110kt of our own primary aluminum requirements in 2006 through our smelter and related facilities in Brazil.

 

Recycled Aluminum Products.  We operate facilities in several plants to recycle post-consumer aluminum, such as UBCs collected through recycling programs. In addition, we have agreements with several of our large customers where we take recycled processed material from their fabricating activity and re-melt, cast and roll it to re-supply them with aluminum sheet. Other sources of recycled material include lithographic plates, where over 90% of aluminum used is recycled, and products with longer lifespans, like cars and buildings, which are just starting to become high volume sources of recycled material. We purchased or tolled approximately 900kt of recycled material in 2006.

 

The majority of recycled material we re-melt is directed back through can-stock plants. The net effect of these activities is that 30% of our aluminum rolled products production in 2006 was made with recycled material.

 

Energy

 

We use several sources of energy in the manufacture and delivery of our aluminum rolled products. In 2006, natural gas and electricity represented approximately 70% of our energy consumption by cost. We also use fuel oil and transport fuel. The majority of energy usage occurs at our casting centers, at our smelters in South America and during the hot rolling of aluminum. Our cold rolling facilities require relatively less energy. We purchase our natural gas on the open market, which subjects us to market pricing fluctuations. Recent higher natural gas prices in the United States have increased our energy costs. We have in the past and may continue to seek to stabilize our future exposure to natural gas prices through the purchase of derivative instruments. Natural gas prices in Europe, Asia and South America have historically been more stable than in the United States.

 

A portion of our electricity requirements are purchased pursuant to long-term contracts in the local regions in which we operate. A number of our facilities are located in regions with regulated prices, which affords relatively stable costs. Our South America segment has its own hydroelectric facilities that meet approximately 25% of its total electricity requirements for smelting operations.

 

Others

 

We also have bauxite and alumina requirements. We will satisfy some of our alumina requirements for the near term pursuant to the alumina supply agreement we have entered into with Alcan as discussed below under “— Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan.”

 

Our Customers

 

Although we provide products to a wide variety of customers in each of the markets that we serve, we have experienced consolidation trends among our customers in many of our key end-use markets. In 2006, approximately 43% of our total net sales were to our ten largest customers, most of whom we have been supplying for more than 20 years. To address consolidation trends, we focus significant efforts at developing and maintaining close working relationships with our customers and end-users.

 

Our major customers include Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Alcan’s packaging business group, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., affiliates of Ball Corporation, Can-Pack S.A., various bottlers of the Coca-Cola system, Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Daching Holdings Limited, Ford Motor Company, Lotte Aluminum Co. Ltd., Kodak Polychrome Graphics GmbH, Pactiv Corporation, Rexam Plc, Ryerson Tull, Inc., Tetra Pak Ltd., and ThyssenKrupp AG.

 

In our single largest end-use market, beverage can sheet, we sell directly to beverage makers and bottlers as well as to can fabricators that sell the cans they produce to bottlers. In certain cases, we also operate under umbrella agreements with beverage makers and bottlers under which they direct their can fabricators to source their requirements for beverage can body, end and tab stock from us. Among these umbrella agreements is an agreement, referred to as the CC agreement, with several North American bottlers of Coca-Cola branded products, including Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales and Services. Under the CC agreement, we shipped approximately 400kt of beverage can sheet (including tolled metal) during 2006. These shipments were made to, and we received payment from, our direct customers, being the beverage can fabricators that sell beverage cans to the Coca-Cola associated bottlers. Under the CC agreement, bottlers in the Coca-Cola system may join the CC agreement by committing a specified percentage of the can sheet required by their can fabricators to us. Our agreement, which is based on arrangements that have been in place since 1997, expired at the end of 2006, but the parties entered into a new agreement with similar terms that went into effect in January 2007.

 

Purchases by Rexam Plc and its affiliates represented approximately 14.1%, 12.5% and 11.1% of our total net sales for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, respectively.

 

Distribution and Backlog

 

We have two principal distribution channels for the end-use markets in which we operate: direct sales and distributors. In 2006, 87% of our total net sales were derived from direct sales to our customers and 13% of our total net sales were derived from distributors.

 

Direct Sales

 

We supply various end-use markets all over the world through a direct sales force that operates from individual plants or sales offices, as well as from regional sales offices in 22 countries. The direct sales channel typically involves very large, sophisticated fabricators and original equipment manufacturers. Longstanding relationships are maintained with leading companies in industries that use aluminum rolled products. Supply contracts for large global customers generally range from one to five years in length and historically there has been a high degree of renewal business with these customers. Given the customized nature of products and in some cases, large order sizes, switching costs are significant, thus adding to the overall consistency of the customer base.

 

We also use third party agents or traders in some regions to complement our own sales force. They provide service to our customers in countries where we do not have local expertise. We tend to use third party agents in Asia and South America more frequently than in other regions.

 

Distributors

 

We also sell our products through aluminum distributors, particularly in North America and Europe. Customers of distributors are widely dispersed, and sales through this channel are highly fragmented. Distributors sell mostly commodity or less specialized products into many end-use markets, including the construction and industrial and transportation markets. We collaborate with our distributors to develop new end-use applications and improve the supply chain and order efficiencies.

 

Backlog

 

We believe that order backlog is not a material aspect of our business.

 

Research and Development

 

In 2006, we expensed $40 million on research and development activities in our plants and modern research facilities, which included mini-scale production lines equipped with hot mills, can lines and continuous casters. We expensed $41 million on research and development activities in 2005 and $58 million in 2004. Our 2006 and 2005 research and development spending was within the range of our expected normal annual expenditures. For 2004, research and development expenses were higher, as they were an allocation of costs to us by Alcan, and included both specific costs related to projects directly identifiable with operations of the businesses subsequently transferred to us, and an allocation of a general pool of research and development expenses.

 

In August 2006, we announced our intention to exit the Neuhausen, Switzerland site, where we had continued to share research and development facilities with Alcan. We intend to create research and development centers of excellence at key plants throughout Europe. For beverage and food can and lithographic and painted sheet, the center of excellence is planned for Goettingen, Germany; for automotive and other specialties — in Sierre, Switzerland; and for foil and packaging — in Dudelange, Luxembourg. We expect to complete the transition from Neuhausen to our centers of excellence by mid-2008.

 

We conduct research and development activities at our mills in order to satisfy current and future customer requirements, improve our products and reduce our conversion costs. Our customers work closely with our research and development professionals to improve their production processes and market options. We have approximately 200 employees dedicated to research and development, located in many of our plants and research centers.

 

Our Executive Officers

 

The following table sets forth information for persons currently serving as executive officers of our company. Biographical details for each of our executive officers are also set forth below.

 

 

Edward A. Blechschmidt is a Director and was appointed Acting Chief Executive Officer of Novelis Inc., effective January 2, 2007, to take over the responsibilities from Interim Chief Executive Officer, William T. Monahan. Mr. Blechschmidt was Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Gentiva Health Services, Inc., a leading provider of specialty pharmaceutical and home healthcare services, from March 2000 to June 2002. From March 1999 to March 2000, Mr. Blechschmidt served as Chief Executive Officer and a director of Olsten Corporation, the conglomerate from which Gentiva Health Services was spun off and taken public. He served as President of Olsten Corporation (staffing services) from October 1998 to March 1999. He also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Nixdorf Americas and Siemens Pyramid Technologies (information technology) from July 1996 to October 1998. Prior to Siemens, he spent more than 20 years with Unisys Corporation (information technology), including serving as its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Blechschmidt serves as a director of Healthsouth Corp. (healthcare), Lionbridge Technologies, Inc. (software), Option Care, Inc. (healthcare) and Columbia Laboratories, Inc. (pharmaceuticals).

 

Martha Finn Brooks is our Chief Operating Officer.  Ms. Brooks joined Alcan as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan’s Rolled Products Americas and Asia business group in August 2002. Ms. Brooks led three of Alcan’s business units, namely North America, Asia and Latin America. Prior to joining Alcan, Ms. Brooks was the Vice President, Engine Business, Global Marketing and Sales at Cummins Inc., a global leader in the manufacture of electric power generation systems, engines and related products. She was with Cummins Inc. for 16 years, where she held a variety of positions in strategy, international business development, marketing and sales, engineering and general management. Ms. Brooks is a member of the board of directors of International Paper Company, a member of the Board of Trustees of Manufacturers Alliance, a director of Keep America Beautiful and a Trustee of the Hathaway Brown School. Ms. Brooks holds a B.A. in Economics and Political Science and a Masters of Public and Private Management specializing in international business from Yale University.

 

Rick Dobson is our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He was the Chief Financial Officer of Aquila, Inc., the Kansas City, Missouri-based operator of electricity and natural gas distribution utilities, from 2002 until mid-2006. Mr. Dobson was Vice President of Financial Management for Aquila Merchant

Services, a top five energy merchant company, from 1997 to 2002. He served as Vice President and Controller of ProEnergy, a natural gas marketing venture for Apache, from 1995 to 1997, and of Aquila Energy Corporation from 1989 to 1995. Mr. Dobson began his career in 1981 with Arthur Andersen LLP, specializing in the energy, telecommunications and homebuilding sectors and left the firm in 1989 as an audit manager. Mr. Dobson holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and an MBA from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is a certified public accountant.

 

Arnaud de Weert joined Novelis in May 2006 as Senior Vice President and the President of our European operations. Mr. de Weert was previously chief executive officer of Ontex, Europe’s largest manufacturer of private label hygienic disposables. Prior to joining Ontex in 2004, Mr. de Weert was President, Europe, Middle East and Africa, for U.S.-based tools manufacturer, Stanley Works. From 1993 to 2001, he held executive roles with GE Power Controls in Europe, reaching the position of Vice President Sales and Marketing.

 

Kevin Greenawalt is a Senior Vice President and the President of our North American operations. Mr. Greenawalt was the President of Rolled Products North America from April 2004 until January 2005. Mr. Greenawalt was with Alcan since 1983, holding various managerial positions in corporate and business planning, operations planning, manufacturing, sales and business unit management. Prior to the Rolled Products North America position, his most recent position at Alcan was Vice President, Manufacturing for Rolled Products Europe based in Zurich, Switzerland, where he was responsible for ten facilities in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom. In the late 1990s, Mr. Greenawalt led the Alcan North American Light Gauge Products business unit. Mr. Greenawalt holds an MBA and a B.S. in Industrial Administration from Carnegie-Mellon University. He participated in the International Masters Program in Practicing Management (U.K., Canada, India, Japan, and France) and was trained in Japan in Kaizen and Lean Manufacturing.

 

Antonio Tadeu Coelho Nardocci is a Senior Vice President and the President of our South American operations. Mr. Nardocci joined Alcan in 1980. Mr. Nardocci was the President of Rolled Products South America from March 2002 until January 2005. Prior to that, he was a Vice President of Rolled Products operations in Southeast Asia and Managing Director of the Aluminium Company of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Mr. Nardocci graduated from the University of São Paulo in Brazil with a degree in metallurgy. Mr. Nardocci is a member of the executive board of the Brazilian Aluminum Association.

 

Steven Fisher is our Vice President, Strategic Planning and Corporate Development. He is responsible for formulating the corporate strategy and originating and executing corporate mergers and acquisition transactions, as well as potential divestiture of non-core assets. This role includes ensuring consistent and rigorous valuation of all major portfolio management decisions and communicating the strategic vision to key stakeholders. Mr. Fisher served as Vice President and Controller for TXU Energy, the non-regulated subsidiary of TXU Corp. at its headquarters in Dallas, Texas from July 2005 to February 2006. Prior to joining TXU Energy, Mr. Fisher served in various senior finance rolls at Aquila, Inc., including Vice President, Controller and Strategic Planning, from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Fisher is a graduate of the University of Iowa in 1993, where he earned a B.B.A. in Finance and Accounting. He is a certified public accountant.

 

David Godsell is our Vice President, Human Resources and Environment, Health and Safety. In this position, he has global responsibilities for all aspects of our organization’s human resources function as well as environment, health and safety. Mr. Godsell joined Alcan in 1979. After joining Alcan, he held human resources positions of increasing responsibility within the downstream Alcan fabrication group before transferring to Alcan’s smelting company in British Columbia. From 1996 until January 2005, Mr. Godsell was the Vice President of Human Resources and Environment, Health and Safety for Alcan Rolled Products Americas and Asia. Mr. Godsell began his career with the Continental Can Company in 1978 prior to joining Alcan. Mr. Godsell holds a B.A. in Economics from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

 

Robert M. Patterson joined Novelis in March 2006 and is our Vice President and Controller. Mr. Patterson also currently serves as our principal accounting officer. From May 2001 until March of 2006, Mr. Patterson was with SPX Corporation, where he held a number of senior financial roles, most recently Vice President and Segment Chief Financial Officer. Prior to that he was with Arthur Andersen LLP from May 1996 to May 2001, most recently as an audit manager. His experience includes extensive work in Europe and China.

Mr. Patterson, a certified public accountant, earned a B.B.A. in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Michigan.

 

Orville G. Lunking is our Vice President and Treasurer. From August 2001 until January 2005, Mr. Lunking was the Corporate Treasurer of Smithfield Foods, Inc. From July 1997 to August 2001, Mr. Lunking was the Assistant Treasurer for Sara Lee Corporation. From 1991 to July 1997, Mr. Lunking was the Director of Global Finance for AlliedSignal Inc., now known as Honeywell International Inc. Mr. Lunking also worked for seven years, from 1984 to 1991, as a senior associate and then Vice President in a broad range of corporate financial service areas at Bankers Trust in New York. He began his career in the Treasurer’s Office of General Motors in New York, from 1981 to 1984. Mr. Lunking graduated with an undergraduate degree in geography from Dartmouth College and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Leslie J. Parrette, Jr. joined Novelis as General Counsel in March 2005. From July 2000 until February 2005, he served as Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Aquila, Inc., an international electric and gas utility and energy trading company. From September 2001 to February 2005, he also served as Corporate Secretary of Aquila. Prior to joining Aquila, Mr. Parrette was a partner in the Kansas City-based law firm of Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP from April 1992 through June 2000. Mr. Parrette holds an A.B., magna cum laude, in Sociology from Harvard College and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

 

Brenda D. Pulley is our Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications. She has global responsibility for our organization’s corporate affairs and communication efforts, which include branding, strategic internal and external communications and government relations. Prior to our spin-off from Alcan, Ms. Pulley was Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Government Relations of Alcan from September 2000 to 2004. Upon joining Alcan in 1998, Ms. Pulley was named Director, Government Relations. She has served as Legislative Assistant to Congressman Ike Skelton of Missouri and to the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Small Business, specializing in energy, environment, and international trade issues. She also served as Executive Director for the National Association of Chemical Recyclers, and as Director, Federal Government Relations for Safety-Kleen Corp. Ms. Pulley currently serves on the board of directors for the Junior Achievement of Georgia and is the immediate past Chairperson for America Recycles Day. Ms. Pulley earned her B.S. majoring in Social Science, with a minor in Communications from Central Missouri State University.

 

Thomas Walpole is a Senior Vice President and the President of our Asian operations. Mr. Walpole was our Vice President and General Manager, Can Products Business Unit from January 2005 until February 2006. Mr. Walpole has over twenty-five years of aluminum industry experience having worked for Alcan since 1979. Prior to his recent assignment, Mr. Walpole held international positions within Alcan in Europe and Asia until 2004. He began as Vice President, Sales, Marketing & Business Development for Alcan Taihan Aluminum Ltd. and most recently was President of the Litho/Can and Painted Products for the European region. Mr. Walpole graduated from State University of New York at Oswego with a B.S. in Accounting, and holds a Master of Business from Case Western Reserve University.

 

Nichole A. Robinson joined Novelis in June 2006 and was appointed Corporate Secretary in August 2006. From December 2003 until June 2006, Ms. Robinson was a Senior Manager with Accenture LLP, and prior to that she was Counsel for Arthur Andersen LLP from March 1999 until October 2002. Ms. Robinson previously worked as an associate for the law firm of Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP from September 1996 until February 1999, where she focused on corporate law and securities matters. Ms. Robinson graduated with a B.S. from Northwestern University and received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

 

Our Employees

 

As of December 31, 2006, we had approximately 12,900 employees. Approximately 6,000 are employed in Europe, approximately 3,100 are employed in North America, approximately 1,600 are employed in Asia and approximately 2,200 are employed in South America and other areas. Approximately three-quarters of our employees are represented by labor unions and their employment conditions governed by collective bargaining agreements. Collective bargaining agreements are negotiated on a site, regional or national level, and are of

different durations. We believe that we have good labor relations in all our operations and have not experienced a significant labor stoppage in any of our principal operations during the last decade.

 

Intellectual Property

 

In connection with our spin-off, Alcan has assigned or licensed to us a number of important patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights owned or previously owned by Alcan and required for our business. Ownership of intellectual property that is used by both us and Alcan is owned by one of us, and licensed to the other. Certain specific intellectual property rights, which have been determined to be exclusively useful to us or which were required to be transferred to us for regulatory reasons, have been assigned to us with no license back to Alcan.

 

We actively review intellectual property arising from our operations and our research and development activities and, when appropriate, we apply for patents in the appropriate jurisdictions, including the United States and Canada. We currently hold patents on approximately 190 different items of intellectual property. While these patents are important to our business on an aggregate basis, no single patent is deemed to be material to our business.

 

We have applied for or received registrations for the “Novelis” word trademark and the Novelis logo trademark in approximately 50 countries where we have significant sales or operations.

 

We have also registered the word “Novelis” and several derivations thereof as domain names in numerous top level domains around the world to protect our presence on the world wide web.

 

Environment, Health and Safety

 

We own and operate numerous manufacturing and other facilities in various countries around the world. Our operations are subject to environmental laws and regulations from various jurisdictions, which govern, among other things, air emissions, wastewater discharges, the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, the remediation of contaminated sites, natural resource damages, and employee health and safety. Future environmental regulations may be expected to impose stricter compliance requirements on the industries in which we operate. Additional equipment or process changes at some of our facilities may be needed to meet future requirements. The cost of meeting these requirements may be significant. Failure to comply with such laws and regulations could subject us to administrative, civil or criminal penalties, obligations to pay damages or other costs, and injunctions and other orders, including orders to cease operations.

 

We are involved in proceedings under the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as CERCLA or Superfund, or analogous state provisions regarding our liability arising from the usage, storage, treatment or disposal of hazardous substances and wastes at a number of sites in the United States, as well as similar proceedings under the laws and regulations of the other jurisdictions in which we have operations, including Brazil and certain countries in the European Union. Such laws impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, for the costs of environmental remediation, natural resource damages, third party claims, and other expenses, on those parties who contributed to the release of a hazardous substance into the environment. In addition, we are, from time to time, subject to environmental reviews and investigations by relevant governmental authorities.

 

We have established procedures for regularly evaluating environmental loss contingencies, including those arising from environmental reviews and investigations and any other environmental remediation or compliance matters. We believe we have a reasonable basis for evaluating these environmental loss contingencies, and we also believe we have made reasonable estimates for the costs that are likely to be ultimately borne by us for these environmental loss contingencies. Accordingly, we have established reserves based on our reasonable estimates for the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters. Management has determined that the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters will not, individually or in the aggregate, materially impair our operations or materially adversely affect our financial condition.

 

We expect that our total expenditures for capital improvements regarding environmental control facilities for 2007 and 2008 will be approximately $8 million and $14 million, respectively.

 

Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan

 

In connection with our spin-off from Alcan, we and Alcan entered into a separation agreement and several ancillary agreements to complete the transfer of the businesses contributed to us by Alcan and the distribution of our shares to Alcan common shareholders. We may in the future enter into other commercial agreements with Alcan, the terms of which will be determined at the relevant times.

 

Separation Agreement

 

The separation agreement sets forth the agreement between us and Alcan with respect to: the principal corporate transactions required to effect our spin-off from Alcan; the transfer to us of the contributed businesses; the distribution of our shares to Alcan shareholders; and other agreements governing the relationship between Alcan and us following the spin-off. Under the terms of the separation agreement, we assume and agree to perform and fulfill the liabilities and obligations of the contributed businesses and of the entities through which such businesses were contributed, including liabilities and obligations related to discontinued rolled products businesses conducted by Alcan prior to the spin-off, in accordance with their respective terms.

 

Releases and Indemnification

 

The separation agreement provides for a full and complete mutual release and discharge of all liabilities existing or arising from all acts and events occurring or failing to occur or alleged to have occurred or to have failed to occur and all conditions existing or alleged to have existed on or before the spin-off, between or among us or any of our subsidiaries, on the one hand, and Alcan or any of its subsidiaries other than us, on the other hand, except as expressly set forth in the agreement. The liabilities released or discharged include liabilities arising under any contractual agreements or arrangements existing or alleged to exist between or among any such members on or before the spin-off, other than the separation agreement, the ancillary agreements described below and the other agreements referred to in the separation agreement.

 

We have agreed to indemnify Alcan and its subsidiaries and each of their respective directors, officers and employees, against liabilities relating to, among other things:

 

 

Alcan has agreed to indemnify us and our subsidiaries and each of our respective directors, officers and employees against liabilities relating to:

 

 

The separation agreement also specifies procedures with respect to claims subject to indemnification and related matters.

 

Further Assurances

 

Both we and Alcan agreed to use our commercially reasonable efforts after the spin-off, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions, and to do, or cause to be done, all things, reasonably necessary or advisable under applicable laws and agreements to complete the transactions contemplated by the agreement and the other ancillary agreements described below.

 

Non-solicitation of Employees

 

Except with the written approval of the other party and subject to certain exceptions provided in the agreement, we and Alcan have agreed not to, for a period of two years following the spin-off, (1) directly or indirectly solicit for employment or recruit the employees of the other party or one of its subsidiaries, or induce or attempt to induce any employee of the other party or one of its subsidiaries to terminate his or her relationship with that other party or subsidiary, or (2) enter into any employment, consulting, independent contractor or similar arrangement with any employee or former employee of the other party or one of its subsidiaries, until one year after the effective date of the termination of such employee’s employment with the other party or one of its subsidiaries, as applicable.

 

Non-competition

 

We have agreed not to engage, directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever, until January 6, 2010, in the manufacturing, production and sale of certain products for the plate and aerospace markets, unless expressly permitted to do so under the terms of the agreement.

 

Change of Control

 

We have agreed, in the event of a change of control (including a change of control achieved in an indirect manner) during the four-year period beginning January 6, 2006 and ending January 6, 2010, to provide Alcan, within 30 days thereafter with a written undertaking of the acquirer that such acquirer shall be bound by the non-compete covenants set forth in the separation agreement during the remainder of the four-year period, to the same extent as if it had been an original party to the agreement.

 

If a change of control event occurs at any time during the four-year period following the first anniversary of the spin-off and the person or group of persons who acquired control of our company fails to execute and deliver the undertaking mentioned above or refuses, neglects or fails to comply with any of its obligations pursuant to such undertaking, Alcan will have a number of remedies, including terminating any or all of the metal supply agreements, the technical services agreements, or the intellectual property licenses granted to us or any of our subsidiaries in the intellectual property agreements, or the transitional services agreement.

 

Ancillary Agreements

 

In connection with our spin-off from Alcan, we entered into a number of ancillary agreements with Alcan governing certain terms of our spin-off as well as various aspects of our relationship with Alcan following the spin-off. These ancillary agreements include:

 

Transitional Services and Similar Agreements.  Pursuant to a collection of approximately 130 individual transitional services agreements, Alcan has provided to us and we have provided to Alcan, as applicable, on an interim, transitional basis, various services, including, but not limited to, treasury administration, selected benefits administration functions, employee compensation and information technology services. The agreed upon charges for these services generally allow us or Alcan, as applicable, to recover fully the allocated costs of providing the services, plus all out-of-pocket costs and expenses plus a margin of five percent. No margin is added to the cost of services supplied by external suppliers. The majority of the individual service agreements, which began on the spin-off date, terminated on or prior to December 31, 2005. However, we have continuing agreements with Alcan through 2007 to use certain information technology services to support our metal management and through 2008 to use certain information technology hosting services to support our financial accounting systems for the Nachterstedt and Goettingen plants.

 

Metal Supply Agreements.  We and Alcan have entered into four multi-year metal supply agreements pursuant to which Alcan supplies us with specified quantities of re-melt ingot, molten metal and sheet ingot in North America and Europe on terms and conditions determined primarily by Alcan. We believe these agreements provide us with the ability to cover some metal requirements through a pricing formula pursuant to our spin-off agreement with Alcan. In addition, an ingot supply agreement in effect between Alcan and Novelis Korea Ltd. prior to the spin-off remains in effect following the spin-off.

 

Foil Supply Agreements.  In 2005, we entered into foil supply agreements with Alcan for the supply of foil from our facilities located in Norf, Ludenscheid and Ohle, Germany to Alcan’s packaging facility located in Rorschach, Switzerland as well as from our facilities located in Utinga, Brazil to Alcan’s packaging facility located in Maua, Brazil. These agreements are for five-year terms during the course of which we will supply specified percentages of Alcan’s requirements for its facilities described above (in the case of Alcan’s Rorschach facility, 94% in 2006, 93% in 2007, 92% in 2008 and 90% in 2009, and in the case of Alcan’s Maua facility, 70%). In addition, we will continue to supply certain of Alcan’s European operations with foil under the terms of two agreements that were in effect prior to the spin-off.

 

Alumina Supply Agreements.  We have entered into a ten-year alumina supply agreement with Alcan pursuant to which we purchase from Alcan, and Alcan supplies to us, alumina for our primary aluminum smelter located in Aratu, Brazil. The annual quantity of alumina to be supplied under this agreement is between 85kt and 126kt. In addition, an alumina supply agreement between Alcan and Novelis Deutschland GmbH that was in effect prior to the spin-off remains in effect following the spin-off.

 

Intellectual Property Agreements.  We and Alcan have entered into intellectual property agreements pursuant to which Alcan has assigned or licensed to us a number of important patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights owned by Alcan and required for our business. Ownership of intellectual property that is used by both us and Alcan is owned by one of us and licensed to the other. Certain specific intellectual property rights which were determined to be exclusively useful to us or which were required to be transferred to us for regulatory reasons have been assigned to us with no license back to Alcan.

 

Sierre Agreements.  We and Alcan entered into a number of agreements pursuant to which:

 

 

 

With respect to the use of the machinery or equipment in the Sierre North Building, we have agreed to refrain from making or authorizing any use of it which may benefit any business relating to the sale, marketing, manufacturing, development or distribution of plate or aerospace products.

 

Neuhausen Agreements.  We have entered into an agreement with Alcan pursuant to which (1) Alcan transferred to us various laboratory and testing equipment used in the aluminum rolling sheet business located in Neuhausen, Switzerland and (2) approximately 35 employees transferred from Alcan to us at the Neuhausen facility. In addition, we have assumed certain obligations in connection with the operations of the Neuhausen facility, including (1) the obligation to reimburse Alcan for 100% of its actual and direct costs incurred in terminating employees, cancelling third party agreements, and discontinuing the use of assets in the event we request Alcan to discontinue or terminate services under the services agreement, (2) the obligation to reimburse Alcan for 20% of the costs to close the Neuhausen facility in certain circumstances, and (3) the obligation to indemnify Alcan for (a) all liabilities arising from the ownership, operation, maintenance, use, or occupancy of the Neuhausen facility and/or the equipment at any time after the spin-off date and resulting from our acts or omissions or our violation of applicable laws, including environmental laws, (b) all liabilities relating to the employees who transfer from Alcan to us after the spin-off date, and (c) an amount equal to 20% of all environmental legacy costs related to the Neuhausen facility that occurred on or before December 31, 2004.

 

Tax Sharing and Disaffiliation Agreement.  The tax sharing and disaffiliation agreement provides an indemnification if certain factual representations are breached or if certain transactions are undertaken or certain actions are taken that have the effect of negatively affecting the tax treatment of the spin-off. It further governs the disaffiliation of the tax matters of Alcan and its subsidiaries or affiliates other than us, on the one hand, and us and our subsidiaries or affiliates, on the other hand. In this respect it allocates taxes accrued prior to and after the spin-off, as well as transfer taxes resulting from the spin-off. It also allocates obligations for filing tax returns and the management of certain pending or future tax contests and creates mutual collaboration obligations with respect to tax matters.

 

Employee Matters Agreement.  Pursuant to the employee matters agreement, assets, liabilities and responsibilities with respect to certain employee compensation, pension and benefit plans, programs and arrangements and certain employment matters were allocated between Novelis and Alcan. The employee matters agreement also sets out the terms and conditions pertaining to the transfer to us of certain Alcan employees. As of the spin-off date, we hired or employed all of the employees of Alcan and its affiliates who were then involved in the businesses transferred to us by Alcan. Employees who transferred to us from Alcan received credit for their years of service with Alcan prior to the spin-off. Effective as of the spin-off date, we generally assumed all employment compensation and employee benefit liabilities relating to our employees.

 

Technical Services Agreements.  We have entered into technical services agreements with Alcan pursuant to which (1) Alcan provides technical support and related services to certain of our facilities in Canada, and (2) we provide similar services to certain Alcan facilities in Canada. These agreements are not long-term agreements. In addition, we have entered into a technical services agreement with Alcan pursuant to which (1) Alcan provides us with materials characterization, chemical analysis, mechanical testing and formability evaluation and other general support services at the Neuhausen facility, (2) Alcan provides us and our employees with access to and use of those portions of the Neuhausen facility where the laboratory and testing equipment mentioned above is located, and office space suitable for our technical and administrative personnel,

and (3) we provide Alcan with access to specific technical equipment and additional services upon request from Alcan, in consideration for agreed upon service fees for a period of two years.

 

Ohle Agreement.  We and Alcan have entered into an agreement pursuant to which we supply pet food containers to Alcan, which Alcan markets in connection with its related packaging activities. We have agreed for a period of five years not to, directly or indirectly, for ourselves or others, in any way work in or for, or have an interest in, any company or person or organization within the European market which conducts activities competing with the activities of Alcan Packaging Zutphen B.V., a subsidiary of Alcan, related to its pet food containers business.

 

Foil Supply and Distribution Agreement.  Pursuant to the two year foil supply and distribution agreement, we (1) manufacture and supply to, or on behalf of, Alcan certain retail and industrial packages of Alcan brand aluminum foil and (2) provide certain services to Alcan in respect of the foil we supply to Alcan under this agreement, such as marketing and payment collection. We receive a service fee based on a percentage of the foil sales under the agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, we have agreed we will not market retail packages of foil in Canada under a brand name that competes directly with the Alcan brand during the term of the agreement.

 

Metal Hedging Agreement.  We have also entered into an agreement pursuant to which Alcan provides metal price hedging services to us. These hedging arrangements help us to reduce the risk of metal price fluctuations when we enter into agreements with customers that provide for fixed metal price arrangements. Alcan charges us fees based on the amount of metal covered by each hedge.

 

Available Information

 

We are subject to the reporting and information requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act) and, as a result, we file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We make these filings available on our website free of charge, the URL of which is http://www.novelis.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. The SEC maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains our annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy and information statements, and other information we file electronically with the SEC. You can read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1850, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Information on our website does not constitute part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Risks Related to our Business and the Market Environment

 

Certain of our customers are significant to our revenues, and we could be adversely affected by changes in the business or financial condition of these significant customers or by the loss of their business.

 

Our ten largest customers accounted for approximately 43% of our total net sales in 2006, with Rexam Plc and its affiliates representing approximately 14% of our total net sales in that year. A significant downturn in the business or financial condition of our significant customers could materially adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, if our existing relationships with significant customers materially deteriorate or are terminated in the future, and we are not successful in replacing business lost from such customers, our results of operations could be adversely affected. Some of the longer term contracts under which we supply our customers, including under umbrella agreements such as those described under “Business — Our Customers,” are subject to renewal, renegotiation or re-pricing at periodic intervals or upon changes in competitive supply conditions. Our failure to successfully renew, renegotiate or re-price such agreements could result in a reduction or loss in customer purchase volume or revenue, and if we are not successful in replacing business lost from such customers, our results of operations could be adversely affected. The markets in which we operate are competitive and customers may seek to consolidate supplier relationships or change suppliers to obtain cost savings and other benefits.

 

Our profitability could be adversely affected by our inability to pass through metal price increases due to metal price ceilings in certain of our sales contracts.

 

Prices for metal are volatile, have recently been impacted by structural changes in the market, and may increase from time to time. Nearly all of our products have a price structure with two components: (i) a pass-through aluminum price based on the LME plus local market premiums and (ii) a “margin over metal” price based on the conversion cost to produce the rolled product and the competitive market conditions for that product. Sales contracts representing approximately 20% of our total 2006 shipments provide for a ceiling over which metal prices cannot contractually be passed through to our customers, unless adjusted. When applicable, these price ceilings prevent us from passing through the complete increase in metal prices under these contracts and, consequently, we absorb those losses. Without regard to internal or external hedges, we were unable to pass through approximately $475 million of metal price increases associated with sales under these contracts during 2006. Depending on the fluctuations in metal prices for 2007 and other factors, we may continue to incur these costs. Based on a December 31, 2006 aluminum price of $2,850 per tonne, and our best estimate of a range of shipment volumes, we estimate that we will be unable to pass through aluminum purchase costs of approximately $295 — $335 million in 2007 and $485 — $550 million in the aggregate thereafter. Under these scenarios, and ignoring working capital timing, we expect that cash flows from operations will be impacted negatively by these same amounts, offset partially by reduced income taxes.

 

Our efforts to mitigate risk from our contracts with metal price ceilings may not be effective.

 

We employ three strategies to mitigate our risk of rising metal prices that we cannot pass through to certain customers due to metal price ceilings. First, we maximize the amount of our internally supplied metal inputs from our smelting, refining and mining operations in Brazil. Second, we rely on the output from our recycling operations which utilize used beverage cans (UBCs). Both of these sources of aluminum supply have historically provided a benefit as these sources of metal are typically less expensive than purchasing aluminum from third party suppliers. We refer to these two sources as our internal hedges. While we believe that our primary aluminum production continues to provide the expected benefits during this sustained period of high LME prices, the recycling operations are providing less internal hedge benefit than they have historically. LME metal prices and other market issues have resulted in higher than expected prices of UBCs, thus compressing the internal hedge benefit we receive from UBCs.

 

Beyond our internal hedges described above, our third strategy to mitigate the risk of loss or reduced profitability associated with the metal price ceilings is to purchase call options and/or synthetic call options on projected aluminum volume requirements above our assumed internal hedge position. To hedge our exposure in 2006, we previously purchased call options at various strike prices. In September of 2006, we began purchasing synthetic call options, which are purchases of both fixed forward derivative instruments and put options, to hedge our exposure to further metal price increases in 2007. We have not entered into any synthetic call options beyond 2007.

 

Our results can be negatively impacted by timing differences between the prices we pay under purchase contracts and metal prices we charge our customers.

 

In some of our contracts there is a timing difference between the metal prices we pay under our purchase contracts and the metal prices we charge our customers. As a result, changes in metal prices impact our results, since during such periods we bear the additional cost or benefit of metal price changes, which could have a material effect on our profitability.

 

Our operations consume energy and our profitability may decline if energy costs were to rise, or if our energy supplies were interrupted.

 

We consume substantial amounts of energy in our rolling operations, our cast house operations and our Brazilian smelting operations. The factors that affect our energy costs and supply reliability tend to be specific to each of our facilities. A number of factors could materially adversely affect our energy position including:

 

 

 

If energy costs were to rise, or if energy supplies or supply arrangements were disrupted, our profitability could decline.

 

We may not have sufficient cash to pay future dividends and repay indebtedness and we may be limited in our ability to access financing for future capital requirements, which may prevent us from increasing our manufacturing capability, improving our technology or addressing any gaps in our product offerings.

 

Although historically our cash flow from operations has been sufficient to pay dividends, repay indebtedness, satisfy working capital requirements and fund capital expenditure and research and development requirements, in the future we may need to incur additional debt or issue equity in order to fund these requirements as well as to make acquisitions and other investments. To the extent we are unable to raise new capital, we may be unable to increase our manufacturing capability, improve our technology or address any gaps in our product offerings. If we raise funds through the issuance of debt or equity, any debt securities or preferred shares issued will have rights and preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common shares. The terms of the debt securities may impose restrictions on our operations that have an adverse impact on our financial condition. If we raise funds through the issuance of equity, the proportional ownership interests of our shareholders could be diluted.

 

Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our business and therefore make it more difficult for us to fulfill our obligations under our senior secured credit facilities and our Senior Notes.

 

As of December 31, 2006, we had total indebtedness of $2.4 billion, including the $857 million of debt outstanding under the senior secured credit facilities that we and certain of our subsidiaries entered into in connection with the spin-off transaction. Following the spin-off transaction, our businesses are operating with significantly more indebtedness and higher interest expense than they did when they were part of Alcan.

 

Our substantial indebtedness and interest expense could have important consequences to our company and holders of our Senior Notes, including:

 

 

Although we are highly leveraged, the indenture relating to our Senior Notes and our senior secured credit facilities will permit us to incur substantial additional indebtedness in the future, including up to an additional $351 million as of December 21, 2006 that we or certain of our subsidiaries may borrow under the revolving credit facilities that are part of the senior secured credit facilities. If we or our subsidiaries incur additional debt, the risks we now face as a result of our leverage could intensify.

 

The covenants in our senior secured credit facilities and the indenture governing our Senior Notes impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us.

 

The senior secured credit facilities and the indenture governing the Senior Notes impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions limit our ability and the ability of our restricted subsidiaries, among other things, to:

 

 

The senior secured credit facility also contains various affirmative covenants, including financial covenants, with which we are required to comply.

 

Although we currently expect to be able to comply with these covenants, operating results substantially below our business plan or other adverse factors, including a significant increase in metal prices and/or interest rates, could result in our being unable to comply with our financial covenants. If we do not comply with these covenants and are unable to obtain waivers from our lenders, we would be unable to make additional borrowings under these facilities, our indebtedness under these agreements would be in default and could be accelerated by our lenders and could cause a cross-default under our other indebtedness, including our Senior Notes. If our indebtedness is accelerated, we may not be able to repay our indebtedness or borrow sufficient funds to refinance it. In addition, if we incur additional debt in the future, we may be subject to additional covenants, which may be more restrictive than those that we are subject to now.

 

A deterioration of our financial position or a downgrade of our ratings by a credit rating agency could increase our borrowing costs and our business relationships could be adversely affected.

 

A deterioration of our financial position or a downgrade of our ratings for any reason could increase our borrowing costs and have an adverse effect on our business relationships. From time to time, we enter into various forms of hedging activities against currency or metal price fluctuations and trade metal contracts on the LME. Financial strength and credit ratings are important to the pricing of these hedging and trading activities. As a result, any downgrade of our credit ratings may make it more costly for us to engage in these activities, and changes to our level of indebtedness may make it more costly for us to engage in these activities in the future.

 

Adverse changes in currency exchange rates could negatively affect our financial results and the competitiveness of our aluminum rolled products relative to other materials.

 

Our businesses and operations are exposed to the effects of changes in the exchange rates of the U.S. dollar, the euro, the British pound, the Brazilian real, the Canadian dollar, the Korean won and other currencies. We have implemented a hedging policy that attempts to manage currency exchange rate risks to an acceptable level based on our management’s judgment of the appropriate trade-off between risk, opportunity

and cost; however, this hedging policy may not successfully or completely eliminate the effects of currency exchange rate fluctuations which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

We prepare our consolidated and combined financial statements in U.S. dollars, but a portion of our earnings and expenditures are denominated in other currencies, primarily the euro, the Korean won and the Brazilian real. Changes in exchange rates will result in increases or decreases in our reported costs and earnings, and may also affect the book value of our assets located outside the United States and the amount of our equity.

 

Most of our facilities are staffed by a unionized workforce, and union disputes and other employee relations issues could materially adversely affect our financial results.

 

Approximately three-quarters of our employees are represented by labor unions under a large number of collective bargaining agreements with varying durations and expiration dates. We may not be able to satisfactorily renegotiate our collective bargaining agreements when they expire. In addition, existing collective bargaining agreements may not prevent a strike or work stoppage at our facilities in the future, and any such work stoppage could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

Our operations have been and will continue to be exposed to various business and other risks, changes in conditions and events beyond our control in countries where we have operations or sell products.

 

We are, and will continue to be, subject to financial, political, economic and business risks in connection with our global operations. We have made investments and carry on production activities in various emerging markets, including Brazil, Korea and Malaysia, and we market our products in these countries, as well as China and certain other countries in Asia. While we anticipate higher growth or attractive production opportunities from these emerging markets, they also present a higher degree of risk than more developed markets. In addition to the business risks inherent in developing and servicing new markets, economic conditions may be more volatile, legal and regulatory systems less developed and predictable, and the possibility of various types of adverse governmental action more pronounced. In addition, inflation, fluctuations in currency and interest rates, competitive factors, civil unrest and labor problems could affect our revenues, expenses and results of operations. Our operations could also be adversely affected by acts of war, terrorism or the threat of any of these events as well as government actions such as controls on imports, exports and prices, tariffs, new forms of taxation, or changes in fiscal regimes and increased government regulation in the countries in which we operate or service customers. Unexpected or uncontrollable events or circumstances in any of these markets could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

We could be adversely affected by disruptions of our operations.

 

Breakdown of equipment or other events, including catastrophic events such as war or natural disasters, leading to production interruptions in our plants could have a material adverse effect on our financial results. Further, because many of our customers are, to varying degrees, dependent on planned deliveries from our plants, those customers that have to reschedule their own production due to our missed deliveries could pursue financial claims against us. We may incur costs to correct any of these problems, in addition to facing claims from customers. Further, our reputation among actual and potential customers may be harmed, resulting in a loss of business. While we maintain insurance policies covering, among other things, physical damage, business interruptions and product liability, these policies may not cover all of our losses and we could incur uninsured losses and liabilities arising from such events, including damage to our reputation, loss of customers and suffer substantial losses in operational capacity, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

We may not be able to successfully develop and implement new technology initiatives in a timely manner.

 

We have invested in, and are involved with, a number of technology and process initiatives. Several technical aspects of these initiatives are still unproven and the eventual commercial outcomes cannot be assessed with any certainty. Even if we are successful with these initiatives, we may not be able to deploy

them in a timely fashion. Accordingly, the costs and benefits from our investments in new technologies and the consequent effects on our financial results may vary from present expectations.

 

Loss of our key management and other personnel, or an inability to attract such management and other personnel, could impact our business.

 

We depend on our senior executive officers and other key personnel to run our business. The loss of any of these officers or other key personnel could materially adversely affect our operations. Competition for qualified employees among companies that rely heavily on engineering and technology is intense, and the loss of qualified employees or an inability to attract, retain and motivate additional highly skilled employees required for the operation and expansion of our business could hinder our ability to improve manufacturing operations, conduct research activities successfully and develop marketable products.

 

Past and future acquisitions or divestitures may adversely affect our financial condition.

 

We have grown partly through the acquisition of other businesses including businesses acquired by Alcan in its 2000 acquisition of the Alusuisse Group Ltd. and its 2003 acquisition of Pechiney, both of which were integrated aluminum companies. As part of our strategy for growth, we may continue to pursue acquisitions, divestitures or strategic alliances, which may not be completed or, if completed, may not be ultimately beneficial to us. There are numerous risks commonly encountered in business combinations, including the risk that we may not be able to complete a transaction that has been announced, effectively integrate businesses acquired or generate the cost savings and synergies anticipated. Failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

We could be required to make unexpected contributions to our defined benefit pension plans as a result of adverse changes in interest rates and the capital markets.

 

Most of our pension obligations relate to funded defined benefit pension plans for our employees in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, unfunded pension benefits in Germany, and lump sum indemnities payable to our employees in France, Italy, Korea and Malaysia upon retirement or termination. Our pension plan assets consist primarily of listed stocks and bonds. Our estimates of liabilities and expenses for pensions and other postretirement benefits incorporate a number of assumptions, including expected long-term rates of return on plan assets and interest rates used to discount future benefits. Our results of operations, liquidity or shareholders’ equity in a particular period could be adversely affected by capital market returns that are less than their assumed long-term rate of return or a decline of the rate used to discount future benefits.

 

If the assets of our pension plans do not achieve assumed investment returns for any period, such deficiency could result in one or more charges against our earnings for that period. In addition, changing economic conditions, poor pension investment returns or other factors may require us to make unexpected cash contributions to the pension plans in the future, preventing the use of such cash for other purposes.

 

In addition to existing defined benefit pension plans, we have elected in the spin-off agreements in 2005 to assume certain pension liabilities from the United States, United Kingdom and Canadian pension plans that we currently share with Alcan. On November 8, 2006, we executed a settlement agreement with Alcan resolving the material working capital and cash balance adjustments to the opening balance sheet and issues relating to the transfer of U.S. pension assets and liabilities from Alcan to Novelis. Excluding pension assets and liability transfers, the net impact of the settlement was a payment to Novelis of approximately $5 million. The pension asset and liability transfer resulted in Novelis assuming approximately $50 million in accrued pension costs. We also contributed $7 million to an Alcan sponsored plan in the U.K. from which we exited. Additionally, we recorded non-cash adjustments relating to our opening balance sheet of $5 million. The net impact of recording all of the transactions was a $57 million ($38 million net of tax) reduction to Additional paid-in capital during the fourth quarter of 2006.

 

We have yet to transition the pension plan assets and liabilities from Alcan for two pension plans for those employees who elected to transfer their past service to Novelis, one in Canada and one in the U.K. We

expect this transfer will take place during the first quarter of 2007, and we expect that the plan assets transferred will approximate the liabilities assumed. To the extent that they are different, we will record an adjustment to Additional paid-in capital as a post-transaction adjustment.

 

We could face additional adverse consequences as a result of our late SEC filings.

 

While we are now current with our SEC filings, we were late with certain filings in 2006 and as a result, we will not be eligible to use a “short form” registration statement on Form S-3 and we may not be eligible to use a short form registration statement in the future if we fail to satisfy the conditions required to use short form registration. Our inability to use a short form registration statement may impair our ability or increase the costs and complexity of our efforts to raise funds in the public markets or use our stock as consideration in acquisitions should we desire to do so during this one year period.

 

We face risks relating to certain joint ventures and subsidiaries that we do not entirely control. Our ability to generate cash from these entities may be more restricted than if such entities were wholly-owned subsidiaries.

 

Some of our activities are, and will in the future be, conducted through entities that we do not entirely control or wholly own. These entities include our Norf, Germany and Logan, Kentucky joint ventures, as well as our majority-owned Korean and Malaysian subsidiaries. Our Malaysian subsidiary is a public company whose shares are listed for trading on the Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad. Under the governing documents or agreements of, securities laws applicable to or stock exchange listing rules relative to certain of these joint ventures and subsidiaries, our ability to fully control certain operational matters may be limited. In addition, we do not solely determine certain key matters, such as the timing and amount of cash distributions from these entities. As a result, our ability to generate cash from these entities may be more restricted than if they were wholly-owned entities.

 

Risks Related to Operating Our Business Following Our Spin-off from Alcan

 

Our agreements with Alcan do not reflect the same terms and conditions to which two unaffiliated parties might have agreed.

 

The allocation of assets, liabilities, rights, indemnifications and other obligations between Alcan and us under the separation and ancillary agreements we entered into with Alcan do not reflect what two unaffiliated parties might have otherwise agreed. Had these agreements been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties, their terms may have been more favorable, or less favorable, to us.

 

We have supply agreements with Alcan for a portion of our raw materials requirements. If Alcan is unable to deliver sufficient quantities of these materials or if it terminates these agreements, our ability to manufacture products on a timely basis could be adversely affected.

 

The manufacture of our products requires sheet ingot that has historically been, in part, supplied by Alcan. In 2006, we purchased the majority of our third party sheet ingot requirements from Alcan’s primary metal group. In connection with the spin-off, we entered into metal supply agreements with Alcan upon terms and conditions substantially similar to market terms and conditions for the continued purchase of sheet ingot from Alcan. If Alcan is unable to deliver sufficient quantities of this material on a timely basis or if Alcan terminates one or more of these agreements, our production may be disrupted and our net sales and profitability could be materially adversely affected. Although aluminum is traded on the world markets, developing alternative suppliers for that portion of our raw material requirements we expect to be supplied by Alcan could be time consuming and expensive.

 

Our continuous casting operations at our Saguenay Works, Canada facility depend upon a local supply of molten aluminum from Alcan. In 2006, Alcan’s primary metal group supplied approximately 188kt of such material to us, representing all of the molten aluminum used at Saguenay Works in 2006. In connection with the spin-off, we entered into a metal supply agreement on terms determined primarily by Alcan for the

continued purchase of molten aluminum from Alcan. If this supply were to be disrupted, our Saguenay Works production could be interrupted and our net sales and profitability materially adversely affected.

 

We may lose key rights if a change in control of our voting shares were to occur.

 

Our separation agreement with Alcan provides that if we experience a change in control in our voting shares during the five years following the spin-off and if the entity acquiring control does not agree with Alcan not to compete in the plate and aerospace products markets, Alcan may terminate any or all of certain agreements we currently have with Alcan. The termination of any of these agreements could deprive any potential acquirer of certain services, resources or rights necessary to the conduct of our business. Replacement of these assets could be difficult or impossible, resulting in a material adverse effect on our business operations, net sales and profitability. In addition, the potential termination of these agreements could prevent us from entering into future business transactions such as acquisitions or joint ventures at terms favorable to us or at all.

 

We could incur significant tax liability, or be liable to Alcan, if certain transactions occur which violate tax-free spin-off rules.

 

Under Section 55 of the Income Tax Act (Canada), we and/or Alcan will recognize a taxable gain on our spin-off from Alcan if, among other specified circumstances, (1) within three years of our spin-off from Alcan, we engage in a subsequent spin-off or split-up transaction under Section 55, (2) a shareholder who (together with non-arm’s length persons and certain other persons) owns 10% or more of our common shares or Alcan common shares, disposes to a person unrelated to such shareholder of any such shares (or property that derives 10% or more of its value from such shares or property substituted therefor) as part of the series of transactions which includes our spin-off from Alcan, (3) there is a change of control of us or of Alcan that is part of the series of transactions that includes our spin-off from Alcan, (4) we sell to a person unrelated to us (otherwise than in the ordinary course of operations) as part of the series of transactions that includes our spin-off from Alcan, property acquired in our spin-off from Alcan that has a value greater than 10% of the value of all property received in the spin-off from Alcan, (5) within three years of our spin-off from Alcan, Alcan completes a split-up (but not spin-off) transaction under Section 55, (6) Alcan made certain acquisitions of property before and in contemplation of our spin-off from Alcan, (7) certain shareholders of Alcan and certain other persons acquired shares of Alcan (other than in specified permitted transactions) in contemplation of our spin-off from Alcan, or (8) Alcan sells to a person unrelated to it (otherwise than in the ordinary course of operations) as part of the series of transactions or events which includes our spin-off from Alcan, property retained by Alcan on the spin-off that has value greater than 10% of the value of all property retained by Alcan on our spin-off from Alcan. We would generally be required to indemnify Alcan for tax liabilities incurred by Alcan under the tax sharing and disaffiliation agreement if Alcan’s tax liability arose because of (i) a breach of our representations, warranties or covenants in the tax sharing and disaffiliation agreement, (ii) certain acts or omissions by us (such as a transaction described in (1) above), or (iii) an acquisition of control of us. Alcan would generally be required to indemnify us for tax under the tax sharing and disaffiliation agreement if our tax liability arose because of (i) a breach of Alcan’s representations, warranties or covenants in the tax sharing and disaffiliation agreement, or (ii) certain acts or omissions by Alcan (such as a transaction described in (5) above). These liabilities and the related indemnity payments could be significant and could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

We may be required to satisfy certain indemnification obligations to Alcan, or may not be able to collect on indemnification rights from Alcan.

 

In connection with the spin-off, we and Alcan agreed to indemnify each other for certain liabilities and obligations related to, in the case of our indemnity, the business transferred to us, and in the case of Alcan’s indemnity, the business retained by Alcan. These indemnification obligations could be significant. We cannot determine whether we will have to indemnify Alcan for any substantial obligations in the future or the outcome of any disputes over spin-off matters. We also cannot be assured that if Alcan has to indemnify us for any substantial obligations, Alcan will be able to satisfy those obligations.

 

We may have potential business conflicts of interest with Alcan with respect to our past and ongoing relationships that could harm our business operations.

 

A number of our commercial arrangements with Alcan that existed prior to the spin-off transaction, our spin-off arrangements and our post-spin-off commercial agreements with Alcan could be the subject of differing interpretation and disagreement in the future. These agreements may be resolved in a manner different from the manner in which disputes were resolved when we were part of the Alcan group. This could in turn affect our relationship with Alcan and ultimately harm our business operations.

 

Our agreement not to compete with Alcan in certain end-use markets may hinder our ability to take advantage of new business opportunities.

 

In connection with the spin-off, we agreed not to compete with Alcan for a period of five years from the spin-off date in the manufacture, production and sale of certain products for use in the plate and aerospace markets. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to pursue successfully new business opportunities, which could limit our potential sources of revenue and growth. See “Business — Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan — Separation Agreement.”

 

Our historical financial information may not be representative of results we would have achieved as an independent company or our future results.

 

The historical financial information in our combined financial statements prior to January 6, 2005 has been derived from Alcan’s consolidated financial statements and does not necessarily reflect what our results of operations, financial position or cash flows would have been had we been an independent company during the periods presented. For this reason, as well as the inherent uncertainties of our business, the historical financial information does not necessarily indicate what our results of operations, financial position and cash flows will be in the future.

 

Risks Related to Our Industry

 

We face significant price and other forms of competition from other aluminum rolled products producers, which could hurt our results of operations.

 

Generally, the markets in which we operate are highly competitive. We compete primarily on the basis of our value proposition, including price, product quality, ability to meet customers’ specifications, range of products offered, lead times, technical support and customer service. Some of our competitors may benefit from greater capital resources, have more efficient technologies, or have lower raw material and energy costs and may be able to sustain longer periods of price competition.

 

In addition, our competitive position within the global aluminum rolled products industry may be affected by, among other things, the recent trend toward consolidation among our competitors, exchange rate fluctuations that may make our products less competitive in relation to the products of companies based in other countries (despite the U.S. dollar based input cost and the marginal costs of shipping) and economies of scale in purchasing, production and sales, which accrue to the benefit of some of our competitors.

 

Increased competition could cause a reduction in our shipment volumes and profitability or increase our expenditures, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

The end-use markets for certain of our products are highly competitive and customers are willing to accept substitutes for our products.

 

The end-use markets for certain aluminum rolled products are highly competitive. Aluminum competes with other materials, such as steel, plastics, composite materials and glass, among others, for various applications, including in beverage and food cans and automotive end-use applications. In the past, customers have demonstrated a willingness to substitute other materials for aluminum. For example, changes in consumer preferences in beverage containers have increased the use of polyethylene terephthalate plastic (PET plastic)

containers and glass bottles in recent years. These trends may continue. The willingness of customers to accept substitutes for aluminum products could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

A downturn in the economy could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

Certain end-use applications for aluminum rolled products, such as construction and industrial and transportation applications, experience demand cycles that are highly correlated to the general economic environment, which is sensitive to a number of factors outside our control. A recession or a slowing of the economy in any of the geographic segments in which we operate, including China where significant economic growth is expected, or a decrease in manufacturing activity in industries such as automotive, construction and packaging and consumer goods, could have a material adverse effect on our financial results. We are not able to predict the timing, extent and duration of the economic cycles in the markets in which we operate.

 

The seasonal nature of some of our customers’ industries could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

The construction industry and the consumption of beer and soda are sensitive to weather conditions and as a result, demand for aluminum rolled products in the construction industry and for can feedstock can be seasonal. Our quarterly financial results could fluctuate as a result of climatic changes, and a prolonged series of cold summers in the different regions in which we conduct our business could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

 

We are subject to a broad range of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and we may be exposed to substantial environmental, health and safety costs and liabilities.

 

We are subject to a broad range of environmental, health and safety laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate. These laws and regulations impose increasingly stringent environmental, health and safety protection standards and permitting requirements regarding, among other things, air emissions, wastewater storage, treatment and discharges, the use and handling of hazardous or toxic materials, waste disposal practices, and the remediation of environmental contamination and working conditions for our employees. Some environmental laws, such as Superfund and comparable laws in U.S. states and other jurisdictions world-wide, impose joint and several liability for the cost of environmental remediation, natural resource damages, third party claims, and other expenses, without regard to the fault or the legality of the original conduct, on those persons who contributed to the release of a hazardous substance into the environment.

 

The costs of complying with these laws and regulations, including participation in assessments and remediation of contaminated sites and installation of pollution control facilities, have been, and in the future could be, significant. In addition, these laws and regulations may also result in substantial environmental liabilities associated with divested assets, third party locations and past activities. In certain instances, these costs and liabilities, as well as related action to be taken by us, could be accelerated or increased if we were to close, divest of or change the principal use of certain facilities with respect to which we may have environmental liabilities or remediation obligations. Currently, we are involved in a number of compliance efforts, remediation activities and legal proceedings concerning environmental matters, including certain activities and proceedings arising under Superfund and comparable laws in U.S. states and other jurisdictions world-wide.

 

We have established reserves for environmental remediation activities and liabilities where appropriate. However, the cost of addressing environmental matters (including the timing of any charges related thereto) cannot be predicted with certainty, and these reserves may not ultimately be adequate, especially in light of potential changes in environmental conditions, changing interpretations of laws and regulations by regulators and courts, the discovery of previously unknown environmental conditions, the risk of governmental orders to carry out additional compliance on certain sites not initially included in remediation in progress, our potential liability to remediate sites for which provisions have not been previously established and the adoption of more

stringent environmental laws. Such future developments could result in increased environmental costs and liabilities and could require significant capital expenditures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results. Furthermore, the failure to comply with our obligations under the environmental laws and regulations could subject us to administrative, civil or criminal penalties, obligations to pay damages or other costs, and injunctions or other orders, including orders to cease operations. In addition, the presence of environmental contamination at our properties could adversely affect our ability to sell property, receive full value for a property or use a property as collateral for a loan.

 

Some of our current and potential operations are located or could be located in or near communities that may regard such operations as having a detrimental effect on their social and economic circumstances. Environmental laws typically provide for participation in permitting decisions, site remediation decisions and other matters. Concern about environmental justice issues may affect our operations. Should such community objections be presented to government officials, the consequences of such a development may have a material adverse impact upon the profitability or, in extreme cases, the viability of an operation. In addition, such developments may adversely affect our ability to expand or enter into new operations in such location or elsewhere and may also have an effect on the cost of our environmental remediation projects.

 

We use a variety of hazardous materials and chemicals in our rolling processes, as well as in our smelting operations in Brazil and in connection with maintenance work on our manufacturing facilities. Because of the nature of these substances or related residues, we may be liable for certain costs, including, among others, costs for health-related claims or removal or re-treatment of such substances. Certain of our current and former facilities incorporate asbestos-containing materials, a hazardous substance that has been the subject of health-related claims for occupation exposure. In addition, although we have developed environmental, health and safety programs for our employees, including measures to reduce employee exposure to hazardous substances, and conduct regular assessments at our facilities, we are currently, and in the future may be, involved in claims and litigation filed on behalf of persons alleging injury predominantly as a result of occupational exposure to substances or other hazards at our current or former facilities. It is not possible to predict the ultimate outcome of these claims and lawsuits due to the unpredictable nature of personal injury litigation. If these claims and lawsuits, individually or in the aggregate, were finally resolved against us, our results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected.

 

We may be exposed to significant legal proceedings or investigations.

 

From time to time, we are involved in, or the subject of, disputes, proceedings and investigations with respect to a variety of matters, including environmental, health and safety, product liability, employee, tax, personal injury, contractual and other matters as well as other disputes and proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. Certain of these matters are discussed in the preceding risk factor and certain others are discussed below under “Business — Legal Proceedings.” Any claims against us or any investigations involving us, whether meritorious or not, could be costly to defend or comply with and could divert management’s attention as well as operational resources. Any such dispute, litigation or investigation, whether currently pending or threatened or in the future, may have a material adverse effect on our financial results and cash flows.

 

Product liability claims against us could result in significant costs or negatively impact our reputation and could adversely affect our business results and financial condition.

 

We are sometimes exposed to warranty and product liability claims. There can be no assurance that we will not experience material product liability losses arising from such claims in the future and that these will not have a negative impact on our net sales and profitability. We generally maintain insurance against many product liability risks, but there can be no assurance that this coverage will be adequate for any liabilities ultimately incurred. In addition, there is no assurance that insurance will continue to be available on terms acceptable to us. A successful claim that exceeds our available insurance coverage could have a material adverse effect on our financial results and cash flows.

 

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Shares

 

The market price and trading volume of our shares may be volatile.

 

The market price of our common shares could fluctuate significantly for many reasons, including for reasons unrelated to our specific performance, such as reports by industry analysts, investor perceptions, or negative announcements by our customers, competitors or suppliers regarding their own performance, as well as general economic and industry conditions. For example, to the extent that other large companies within our industry experience declines in their share price, our share price may decline as well. In addition, when the market price of a company’s shares drops significantly, shareholders often institute securities class action lawsuits against the company. A lawsuit against us could cause us to incur substantial costs and could divert the time and attention of our management and other resources.

 

The terms of our spin-off from Alcan and our shareholder rights plan could delay or prevent a change of control that shareholders may consider favorable.

 

We could incur significant tax liability, or be liable to Alcan for the resulting tax, if certain events described under “— Risks Related to Operating Our Business Following Our Spin-off from Alcan” occur. We could, for example, incur significant tax liability, or be liable to Alcan, if certain transactions occur which violate tax-free spin-off rules and cause the spin-off to be taxable to Alcan. This indemnity obligation, or our potential tax liability, either of which could be significant, might discourage, delay or prevent a change of control that shareholders may consider favorable.

 

The rights of Alcan to terminate certain of our agreements in circumstances relating to a change in control of our voting shares also might discourage, delay or prevent a change of control that shareholders may consider favorable.

 

See “Business — Arrangements Between Novelis and Alcan” for a more detailed description of these agreements and provisions. In addition, our shareholder rights plan also may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or other change of control that shareholders may consider favorable.

 

We may not pay dividends in the future.

 

Each quarter our board of directors determines whether to pay a quarterly dividend. There can be no assurance that we will pay dividends in the future. The decision to continue paying dividends will depend on, among other things, our financial resources, cash flows generated by our business, our cash requirements, restrictions under the instruments governing our indebtedness and other relevant factors.

 

Risks Related to the Sale of Our Company

 

The pending transaction, pursuant to which Hindalco would acquire us, may be delayed or may not close.

 

We have announced that the pending transaction with Hindalco is expected to close in the second quarter of 2007. The transaction is structured as a plan of arrangement under Canadian law and will require the approval of 662/3% of the votes cast by our shareholders at a special meeting, followed by court approval. The transaction is also subject to other customary closing conditions, including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and similar antitrust laws in Canada and the European Union. The timing of such events and the completion of the transaction are subject to factors beyond our control. In addition, while our board of directors has recommended that shareholders approve the transaction, we cannot predict the outcome of the shareholder vote.

 

None.

 

Our executive offices are located in Atlanta, Georgia. We have 33 operating facilities and three research facilities in 11 countries as of December 31, 2006. In March 2006, we closed our operations at Borgofranco, Italy and we sold our aluminum rolling mill in Annecy, France to a third party. In November 2006, we sold our 25% interest in our calcined coke manufacturing facility in Petrocoque, Brazil. We believe our facilities are generally well-maintained and in good operating condition and have adequate capacity to meet our current business needs. Our principal properties and assets have been pledged to banks pursuant to our senior secured credit facilities, as described in “Description of Material Indebtedness”.

 

In 2006, we had total shipments (including tolled products) of 1,229 kilotonnes (kt) from our operations in North America, 1,073kt from our operations in Europe, 516kt from our operations in Asia and 305kt from our operations in South America. Our production for each of these operating segments was approximately equal to our shipments for each region for 2006.

 

The following tables provide information, by operating segment, about the plant locations, processes and major end-use markets / applications for the aluminum rolled products, recycling and primary metal facilities we operated during all or part of 2006.

 

North America

 

 

 

 

Our Oswego, New York facility operates modern equipment for used beverage can recycling, ingot casting, hot rolling, cold rolling and finishing. In March 2006, we commenced commercial production using our Novelis Fusion^tm technology — able to produce a high quality ingot with a core of one aluminum alloy, combined with one or more layers of different aluminum alloy(s). The ingot can then be rolled into a sheet product with different properties on the inside and the outside, allowing previously unattainable performance for flat rolled products and creating opportunity for new, premium applications. Oswego produces can stock as well as building and industrial products. Oswego also provides feedstock to our Kingston, Ontario facility, which produces heat-treated automotive sheet, and to our Fairmont, West Virginia facility, which produces light gauge sheet.

 

The Logan, Kentucky facility is a processing joint venture between us and Arco Aluminum (Arco), a subsidiary of BP plc. Our original equity investment in the joint venture was 40%, while Arco held the remaining 60% interest. Subsequent equipment investments have resulted in us now having access to approximately 65% of Logan’s total production capacity. Logan, which was built in 1985, is the newest and

largest hot mill in North America. Logan operates modern and high-speed equipment for ingot casting, hot-rolling, cold-rolling and finishing. Logan is a dedicated manufacturer of aluminum sheet products for the can stock market with modern equipment, efficient workforce and product focus. A portion of the can end stock is coated at North America’s Warren, Ohio facility, in addition to Logan’s on-site coating assets. Together with Arco, we operate Logan as a production cooperative, with each party supplying its own primary metal inputs for transformation at the facility. The transformed product is then returned to the supplying party at cost. Logan does not own any of the primary metal inputs or any of the transformed products. All of the fixed assets at Logan are directly owned by us and Arco in varying ownership percentages or solely by us. As discussed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”, our consolidated balance sheets include the assets and liabilities of Logan.

 

We share control of the management of Logan with Arco through a seven-member board of directors on which we appoint four members and Arco appoints three members. Management of Logan is led jointly by two executive officers who are subject to approval by at least five members of the board of directors.

 

Our Saguenay, Quebec facility operates the world’s largest continuous caster, which produces feedstock for our three foil rolling plants located in Terre Haute, Indiana; Fairmont, West Virginia and Louisville, Kentucky. The continuous caster was developed through internal research and development and we own the process technology. Our Saguenay facility produces aluminum rolled products directly from molten metal, which are sourced under long-term supply arrangements we have with Alcan.

 

Our Burnaby, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario facilities spool and package household foil products and report to our foil business unit based in Toronto, Ontario.

 

Along with our recycling center in Oswego, New York, we own two other fully dedicated recycling facilities in North America, located in Berea, Kentucky and Greensboro, Georgia. Each offers a modern, cost-efficient process to recycle used beverage cans and other recycled aluminum into sheet ingot to supply our hot mills in Logan and Oswego. Berea is the largest used beverage can recycling facility in the world.

 

Europe

 

 

 

Aluminium Norf GmbH (Norf) in Germany, a 50/50 production-sharing joint venture between us and Hydro, is a large scale, modern manufacturing hub for several of our operations in Europe, and is the largest aluminum rolling mill in the world. Norf supplies hot coil for further processing through cold rolling to some of our other plants including Göttingen and Nachterstedt in Germany and provides foilstock to our plants in Ohle and Ludenscheid in Germany and Rugles in France. Together with Hydro, we operate Norf as a production cooperative, with each party supplying its own primary metal inputs for transformation at the facility. The transformed product is then transferred back to the supplying party on a pre-determined cost-plus basis. The facility’s capacity is shared 50/50. We own 50% of the equity interest in Norf and Hydro owns the other 50%. We share control of the management of Norf with Hydro through a jointly-controlled shareholders’ committee. Management of Norf is led jointly by two managing executives, one nominated by us and one nominated by Hydro.

 

The Rogerstone mill in the United Kingdom supplies Bridgnorth and other foil plants with foilstock and produces hot coil for Nachterstedt and Pieve. In addition, Rogerstone produces standard sheet and coil for the European distributor market. The Pieve plant, located near Milan, Italy, mainly produces continuous cast coil that is cold rolled into paintstock and sent to the Bresso plant for painting, also located near Milan.

 

The Dudelange and Rugles foil plants in Luxembourg and France utilize continuous twin roll casting equipment and are two of the few foil plants in the world capable of producing 6 micron foil for aseptic packaging applications from continuous cast material. The Sierre hot rolling plant in Switzerland, along with Nachterstedt in Germany, are Europe’s leading producers of automotive sheet in terms of shipments. Sierre also supplies plate stock to Alcan.

 

Our recycling operations in Latchford, United Kingdom is the only major recycling plant in Europe dedicated to used beverage cans.

 

European operations also include Novelis PAE in Voreppe, France, which sells casthouse technology, including liquid metal treatment devices, such as degassers and filters, chill sheet ingot casters and twin roll continuous casters, in many parts of the world.

 

Asia

 

 

 

 

Our Korean subsidiary, in which we hold a 68% interest, was formed through acquisitions in 1999 and 2000. Since our acquisitions, product capability has been developed to address higher value and more technically advanced markets such as can sheet.

 

We hold a 58% equity interest in the Aluminium Company of Malaysia Berhad, a publicly traded company that wholly owns and controls the Bukit Raja, Selangor light gauge rolling facility.

 

Unlike our production sharing joint ventures at Norf, Germany and Logan, Kentucky, our Korean partners are financial partners and we market 100% of the plants’ output.

 

Asia also operates a recycling furnace in Ulsan, Korea for the conversion of customer and third party recycled aluminum, including used beverage cans. Metal from recycled aluminum purchases represented 10% of Asia’s total shipments in 2006.

 

South America

 

 

 

 

Our Pindamonhangaba (Pinda) rolling and recycling facility in Brazil has an integrated process that includes recycling, sheet ingot casting, hot mill and cold mill operations. A leased coating line produces painted products, including can end stock. Pinda supplies foilstock to our Utinga foil plant, which produces converter, household and container foil.

 

Pinda is the largest aluminum rolling and recycling facility in South America in terms of shipments and the only facility in South America capable of producing can body and end stock. Pinda recycles primarily used beverage cans, and is engaged in tolling recycled metal for our customers.

 

Total production capacity at our primary metal facilities in Ouro Preto and Aratu, Brazil was 111kt in 2006.

 

We conduct bauxite mining, alumina refining, primary aluminum smelting and hydro-electric power generation operations at our Ouro Preto, Brazil facility. Our owned power generation supplied approximately 25% of our smelter needs. In the Ouro Preto region, we own the mining rights to approximately 6.0 million tonnes of bauxite reserves. There are additional reserves in the Cataguases and Carangola regions sufficient to meet our requirements in the foreseeable future.

 

We also conduct primary aluminum smelting operations at our Aratu facility in Candeias, Brazil.

 

In connection with our spin-off from Alcan, we assumed a number of liabilities, commitments and contingencies mainly related to our historical rolled products operations, including liabilities in respect of legal claims and environmental matters. As a result, we may be required to indemnify Alcan for claims successfully brought against Alcan or for the defense of, or defend, legal actions that arise from time to time in the normal course of our rolled products business including commercial and contract disputes, employee-related claims

and tax disputes (including several disputes with Brazil’s Ministry of Treasury regarding various forms of taxes and social security contributions). In addition to these assumed liabilities and contingencies, we may, in the future, be involved in, or subject to, other disputes, claims and proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business, including some that we assert against others, such as environmental, health and safety, product liability, employee, tax, personal injury and other matters. Where appropriate, we have established reserves in respect of these matters (or, if required, we have posted cash guarantees). While the ultimate resolution of, and liability and costs related to, these matters cannot be determined with certainty due to the considerable uncertainties that exist, we do not believe that any of these pending actions, individually or in the aggregate, will materially impair our operations or materially affect our financial condition or liquidity. The following describes certain environmental matters relating to our business, including those for which we assumed liability as a result of our spin-off from Alcan. None of the environmental matters include government sanctions of $100,000 or more.

 

Environmental Matters

 

We are involved in proceedings under the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, also known as CERCLA or Superfund, or analogous state provisions regarding liability arising from the usage, storage, treatment or disposal of hazardous substances and wastes at a number of sites in the United States, as well as similar proceedings under the laws and regulations of the other jurisdictions in which we have operations, including Brazil and certain countries in the European Union. Such laws typically impose joint and several liability, without regard to fault or the legality of the original conduct, for the costs of environmental remediation, natural resource damages, third party claims, and other expenses, on those persons who contributed to the release of a hazardous substance into the environment. In addition, we are, from time to time, subject to environmental reviews and investigations by relevant governmental authorities.

 

As described further in the following paragraph, we have established procedures for regularly evaluating environmental loss contingencies, including those arising from such environmental reviews and investigations and any other environmental remediation or compliance matters. We believe we have a reasonable basis for evaluating these environmental loss contingencies, and we believe we have made reasonable estimates of the costs that are likely to be borne by us for these environmental loss contingencies. Accordingly, we have established reserves based on our reasonable estimates for the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters. We estimate that the undiscounted remaining clean-up costs related to all of our known environmental matters as of December 31, 2006 will be approximately $50 million. Management has reviewed the environmental matters that we have previously reported for which we assumed liability as a result of our spin-off from Alcan. As a result of this review, management has determined that the currently anticipated costs associated with these environmental matters will not, individually or in the aggregate, materially impair our operations or materially adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

 

With respect to environmental loss contingencies, we record a loss contingency on a non-discounted basis whenever such contingency is probable and reasonably estimable. The evaluation model includes all asserted and unasserted claims that can be reasonably identified. Under this evaluation model, the liability and the related costs are quantified based upon the best available evidence regarding actual liability loss and cost estimates. Except for those loss contingencies where no estimate can reasonably be made, the evaluation model is fact-driven and attempts to estimate the full costs of each claim. Management reviews the status of, and estimated liability related to, pending claims and civil actions on a quarterly basis. The estimated costs in respect of such reported liabilities are not offset by amounts related to cost-sharing between parties, insurance, indemnification arrangements or contribution from other potentially responsible parties unless otherwise noted.

 

Oswego North Ponds.  As previously disclosed, Oswego North Ponds is currently our largest known single environmental loss contingency. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Novelis Corporation (a wholly-owned subsidiary of ours and formerly known as Alcan Aluminum Corporation, or Alcancorp) in Oswego, New York used an oil containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in its re-melt operations. At the time, Novelis Corporation utilized a once-through cooling water system that discharged through a series of constructed ponds and wetlands, collectively referred to as the North Ponds. In the early 1980s, low levels of PCBs were detected in the cooling water system discharge and Novelis Corporation performed several

subsequent investigations. The PCB-containing hydraulic oil, Pydraul, which was eliminated from use by Novelis Corporation in the early 1970s, was identified as the source of contamination. In the mid-1980s, the Oswego North Ponds site was classified as an “inactive hazardous waste disposal site” and added to the New York State Registry. Novelis Corporation ceased discharge through the North Ponds in mid-2002.

 

In cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and the New York State Department of Health, Novelis Corporation entered into a consent decree in August 2000 to develop and implement a remedial program to address the PCB contamination at the Oswego North Ponds site. A remedial investigation report was submitted in January 2004. The current estimated cost associated with this remediation is in the range of $12 million to $26 million. Based upon the report and other factors, we accrued $19 million as our estimated cost, which is included in the total liability for undiscounted remaining clean-up costs of $50 million described above. In addition, NYSDEC held a public hearing on the remediation plan on March 13, 2006 and a Consent Order for implementation of the remediation plan was executed by NYSDEC and Novelis Corporation, effective January 1, 2007. We believe that our estimate of $19 million is reasonable, and that the remediation plan will be designed and implemented in 2007 or 2008.

 

Other Legal Proceedings

 

Reynolds Boat Case.  As previously disclosed, we and Alcan were defendants in a case in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, in Tacoma, Washington, case number C04-0175RJB. Plaintiffs were Reynolds Metals Company, Alcoa, Inc. and National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh PA. The case was tried before a jury beginning on May 1, 2006 under implied warranty theories, based on allegations that from 1998 to 2001 we and Alcan sold certain aluminum products that were ultimately used for marine applications and were unsuitable for such applications. The jury reached a verdict on May 22, 2006 against us and Alcan for approximately $60 million, and the court later awarded Reynolds and Alcoa approximately $16 million in prejudgment interest and court costs.

 

The case was settled during July 2006 as among us, Alcan, Reynolds, Alcoa and their insurers for $71 million. We contributed approximately $1 million toward the settlement, and the remaining $70 million was funded by our insurers. Although the settlement was substantially funded by our insurance carriers, certain of them have reserved the right to request a refund from us, after reviewing details of the plaintiffs’ damages to determine if they include costs of a nature not covered under the insurance contracts. Of the $70 million funded, $39 million is in dispute with and under further review by certain of our insurance carriers, who have until April 20, 2007 to complete their review, unless that review time is extended by mutual agreement. In the third quarter of 2006, we posted a letter of credit in the amount of approximately $10 million in favor of one of those insurance carriers, while we resolve the questions, if any, about the extent of coverage of the costs included in the settlement.

 

As of December 31, 2005, we recognized a liability for the full amount of the settlement, included in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet of $71 million, with a corresponding charge against earnings. We also recognized an insurance receivable included in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on our consolidated balance sheet of $31 million, with a corresponding increase to earnings. Although $70 million of the settlement was funded by our insurers, we only recognized an insurance receivable to the extent that coverage was not in dispute. We recognized a net charge of $40 million during the fourth quarter of 2005.

 

In July 2006, we contributed and paid $1 million to our insurers who subsequently paid the entire settlement amount of $71 million to the plaintiffs. Accordingly, during the third quarter of 2006 we reversed the previously recorded insurance receivable of $31 million and reduced our recorded liability by the same amount plus the $1 million contributed by us. The remaining liability of $39 million represents the amount of the settlement claim that was funded by our insurers but is still in dispute with and under further review by certain of our insurance carriers, who have yet to complete their review as described above. The $39 million liability is included in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2006.

 

While the ultimate resolution of the nature and extent of any costs not covered under our insurance contracts cannot be determined with certainty or reasonably estimated at this time, if there is an adverse outcome with respect to insurance coverage, and we are required to reimburse our insurers, it could have a material impact on cash flows in the period of resolution. Alternatively, the ultimate resolution could be favorable such that insurance coverage is in excess of what we have recognized to date. This would result in our recording a non-cash gain in the period of resolution, and this non-cash gain could have a material impact on our results of operations during the period in which such a determination is made.

 

Our 2006 annual meeting of shareholders was held on October 26, 2006. At the annual meeting, our shareholders voted on:

 

 

The results for the election of directors were as follows:

 

 

The results for the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2006, and to authorize the directors to fix the independent registered public accounting firm’s remuneration, were as follows:

 

 

The results for the approval of the Novelis Inc. 2006 Incentive Plan were as follows:

 

 

Market Information

 

Our common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NVL”. Our common shares began trading on a “when-issued” basis on the Toronto Stock Exchange on January 6, 2005 and on a “regular way” basis on January 7, 2005. The following tables set forth the intra-day high and low sales prices of our common shares as reported by the Toronto Stock Exchange for the periods indicated (beginning January 6, 2005).

 

 

 

Our common shares began trading on a “when-issued” basis on the New York Stock Exchange on January 6, 2005 and on a “regular way” basis on January 19, 2005. The following tables set forth the intra-day high and low sales prices of our common shares as reported by the New York Stock Exchange for the periods indicated (beginning January 6, 2005).

 

 

Company Performance

 

The following graph and tables show a comparison of cumulative total returns, annual return percentages and indexed returns for Novelis Inc. and the S&P Industrial Composite Index from January 6, 2005 to December 31, 2006. The graph and tables assume an initial investment of $100 on January 6, 2005 and the reinvestment of dividends. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

 

COMPARISON OF CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURNS

 

 

ANNUAL RETURN PERCENTAGE

 

 

INDEXED RETURNS

 

Trading Price and Volume

 

Shown below are the high and low prices and volume of shares traded for our common shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange during 2006.

 

 

Shown below are the high and low prices and volume of shares traded for our common shares on the New York Stock Exchange during 2006.

 

 

Holders

 

As of January 31, 2007, there were 9,648 holders of record of our common shares.

 

Dividends

 

On March 1, 2005, our board of directors approved the first quarterly dividend payment on our common shares. Since then, our board of directors declared the following dividends during 2005 and 2006:

 

 

Future dividends are at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on, among other things, our financial resources, cash flows generated by our business, our cash requirements, restrictions under the instruments governing our indebtedness and other relevant factors. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Dividends and Note 10 — Long-Term Debt to our consolidated and combined financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information about restrictions on dividends.

 

Canadian Federal Income Tax Considerations — Non-Residents of Canada

 

The discussion below is a summary of the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations relating to an investment in our common shares. The discussion does not take into account the individual circumstances of any particular investor. Therefore, prospective investors in our common shares should consult their own tax advisors for advice concerning the tax consequences of an investment in our common shares based on their particular circumstances, including any consequences of an investment in our common shares arising under state, provincial or local tax laws or the tax laws of any jurisdiction other than Canada.

 

Canada and the United States are parties to an income tax treaty and accompanying protocols (Canada-United States Income Tax Convention). In general, the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention does not have an adverse effect on holders of our common shares.

 

The following is a summary of the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our common shares acquired by persons who, at all relevant times and for purposes of the Income Tax Act (Canada) (Tax Act), deal at arm’s length with us, are not affiliated with us and who hold or will hold our common shares as capital property. The Tax Act contains provisions relating to securities held by certain financial institutions, registered securities dealers and corporations controlled by one or more of the foregoing (Mark-to-Market Rules). This summary does not take into account the Mark-to-Market Rules and taxpayers that are “financial institutions” as defined for the purpose of the Mark-to-Market Rules should consult their own tax advisors. In addition, this summary assumes that our common shares will, at all relevant times, be listed on a “prescribed stock exchange” for purposes of the Tax Act, which is currently defined to include both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

 

This summary is based upon the current provisions of the Tax Act and regulations thereunder (Regulations) in force as of the date hereof, all specific proposals to amend the Tax Act and Regulations that have been publicly announced by the Minister of Finance (Canada) prior to the date hereof (Proposed Amendments) and our understanding of the current published administrative policies and practices of the Canada Revenue Agency. Except as otherwise indicated, this summary does not take into account or anticipate any changes in the applicable law or administrative practices or policies whether by judicial, regulatory, administrative or legislative action, nor does it take into account provincial, territorial or foreign tax laws or considerations, which may differ significantly from those discussed herein. No assurance can be given that the Proposed Amendments will be enacted or that they will be enacted in the form announced.

 

This summary is of a general nature only and is not intended to be, nor should it be relied upon or construed to be, legal or tax advice to any particular prospective purchaser. This summary is not exhaustive of all possible income tax considerations under the Tax Act that may affect a holder. Accordingly, prospective purchasers of our common shares should consult their own tax advisors with respect to their own particular circumstances.

 

All amounts relevant in computing the Canadian federal income tax liability of a holder are to be reported in Canadian currency at the rate of exchange prevailing at the relevant time.

 

The following part of the summary is generally applicable to persons who, at all relevant times for the purposes of the Tax Act and any applicable income tax treaty in force between Canada and another country, are not, or are not deemed to be, a resident of Canada.

 

Taxation of Dividends

 

Dividends, including deemed dividends and share dividends, paid or credited, or deemed to be paid or credited, to a non-resident of Canada on our common shares are subject to Canadian withholding tax under the Tax Act at a rate of 25% of the gross amount of such dividends, subject to reduction under the provisions of any applicable income tax treaty. The Canada-United States Income Tax Convention generally reduces the rate of withholding tax to 15% of any dividends paid or credited, or deemed to be paid or credited, to holders who are residents of the United States for the purposes of the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention (or 5% in the case of corporate U.S. shareholders who are the beneficial owners of at least 10% of our voting shares).

 

Disposition of Shares

 

Capital gains realized on the disposition of our common shares by a non-resident of Canada will not be subject to tax under the Tax Act unless such common shares are “taxable Canadian property” for purposes of the Tax Act. Our common shares will generally not be taxable Canadian property of a holder unless, at any time during the five-year period immediately preceding a disposition, the holder, persons with whom the holder did not deal at arm’s length or the holder together with such persons owned, had an interest in or had the right to acquire 25% or more of our issued shares of any class or series. Even if our common shares constitute taxable Canadian property to a particular holder, an exemption from tax under the Tax Act may be available under the provisions of any applicable income tax treaty, including the Canada-United States Income Tax Convention.

 

Sales of Unregistered Equity Securities

 

On the spin-off date and pursuant to the spin-off transaction, we issued special shares to Alcan in consideration for common shares of Arcustarget Inc., a Canadian corporation. The special shares were redeemed shortly after their issuance and cancelled. The issuance of our special shares to Alcan was exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Section 4(2) thereof because such issuance did not involve any public offering of securities.

 

You should read the following selected consolidated and combined financial data in conjunction with “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated and combined financial statements.

 

The data presented below is derived from our consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2006, our consolidated and combined statements of operations for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2005, and our consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2006 and 2005, all of which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, along with:

 

 

The consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2006 include the financial position and results of Novelis Inc. as a stand-alone entity.

 

The consolidated and combined financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2005 include the results for the period from January 1 to January 5, 2005 prior to our spin-off from Alcan, in addition to the results for the period from January 6 to December 31, 2005. The combined financial results for the period from January 1 to January 5, 2005 present our operations on a carve-out accounting basis. The consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2006 and 2005 and the consolidated results for the period from January 6 (the date of the spin-off from Alcan) to December 31, 2005 present our financial position, results of operations and cash flows as a stand-alone entity.

 

All income earned and cash flows generated by us as well as the risks and rewards of these businesses from January 1 to January 5, 2005 were primarily attributed to us and are included in our consolidated and combined results for the year ended December 31, 2005, with the exception of losses of $43 million ($29 million net of tax) arising from the change in fair market value of derivative contracts, primarily with Alcan. These mark-to-market losses for the period from January 1 to January 5, 2005 were recorded in the consolidated and combined statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2005 and are recognized as a decrease in Owner’s net investment.

 

Our historical combined financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002 have been derived from the accounting records of Alcan using the historical results of operations and historical basis of assets and liabilities of the businesses subsequently transferred to us. Management believes the assumptions underlying the historical combined financial statements are reasonable. However, the historical combined financial statements included herein may not necessarily reflect what our results of operations, financial position and cash flows would have been had we been a stand-alone company during the periods presented. Alcan’s investment in the Novelis businesses, presented as Owner’s net investment in the historical combined financial statements, includes the accumulated earnings of the businesses as well as cash transfers related to cash management functions performed by Alcan.

 

As a result of our adoption of FASB Interpretation No. 47, Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations as of December 31, 2005, we identified conditional asset retirement obligations primarily related to environmental contamination of equipment and buildings at certain of our plants and administrative sites. Upon adoption, we recognized assets of $6 million with offsetting accumulated depreciation of $4 million, and an asset retirement obligation of $11 million. We also recognized a charge in 2005 of $9 million ($6 million after tax), which is classified as a Cumulative effect of accounting change — net of tax in the accompanying statement of operations.

 

In December 2003, Alcan acquired Pechiney. A portion of the acquisition cost relating to four plants that are included in our company was allocated to us and accounted for as additional invested equity. The net assets of the Pechiney plants are included in the combined financial statements as of December 31, 2003 and forward, and the results of operations and cash flows are included in the consolidated and combined financial statements beginning January 1, 2004.

 

On January 1, 2002, we adopted FASB Statement No. 142, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.  Under this statement, goodwill and other intangible assets with an indefinite life are no longer amortized but are carried at the lower of their carrying value or fair value and are tested for impairment on an annual basis. An impairment of $84 million was identified in the goodwill balance as of January 1, 2002, and was charged against income as a cumulative effect of accounting change in 2002 upon adoption of the new accounting statement.

 

We implemented restructuring programs that included certain businesses we acquired from Alcan in the spin-off transaction. Restructuring charges related to those programs and impairment charges on long-lived assets, included in our results of operations for the years presented are as follows (in millions).

 

 

OVERVIEW

 

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) is provided as a supplement to, and should be read in conjunction with, our consolidated and combined financial statements and the accompanying notes contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a more complete understanding of our financial condition and results of operations. The MD&A includes the following sections:

 

 

 

 

The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly in “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Market Data” and “Risk Factors.”

 

References herein to “Novelis”, the “Company”, “we”, “our”, or “us” refer to Novelis Inc. and its subsidiaries unless the context specifically indicates otherwise. References herein to “Alcan” refer to Alcan, Inc.

 

GENERAL

 

Novelis is the world’s leading aluminum rolled products producer based on shipment volume. We produce aluminum sheet and light gauge products for the construction and industrial, beverage and food cans, foil products and transportation markets. As of December 31, 2006, we had operations on four continents: North America; South America; Asia; and Europe, through 33 operating plants and three research facilities in 11 countries. In addition to aluminum rolled products plants, our South American businesses include bauxite mining, alumina refining, primary aluminum smelting and power generation facilities that are integrated with our rolling plants in Brazil. We are the only company of our size and scope focused solely on aluminum rolled products markets and capable of local supply of technologically sophisticated products in all of these geographic regions.

HIGHLIGHTS

 

Significant highlights, events and factors impacting our business during 2006 and 2005 are presented briefly below. Each is discussed in further detail throughout MD&A.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OUR BUSINESS

 

Potential Acquisition of our Company

 

On February 10, 2007, Novelis Inc., Hindalco Industries Limited (Hindalco) and AV Aluminum Inc., an indirect subsidiary of Hindalco (Acquisition Sub), entered into an Arrangement Agreement (the Arrangement Agreement). Under the Arrangement Agreement, Acquisition Sub will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Novelis for cash at a per share price of $44.93, without interest (the Purchase Price), to be implemented by way of a court-approved plan of arrangement (the Arrangement).

 

Pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, at the effective time of the Arrangement, each common share of Novelis issued and outstanding immediately prior to the effective time (other than common shares held by (i) Hindalco or Acquisition Sub or any of their affiliates or (ii) any shareholders who properly exercise dissent rights under the Canada Business Corporations Act) will be automatically converted into the right to receive the Purchase Price. The acquisition of Novelis is an all-cash transaction which values Novelis at approximately $6 billion, including approximately $2.4 billion of debt. The transaction is not subject to a financing condition.

 

The consummation of the Arrangement, which is expected to occur by the end of the second quarter of 2007, is subject to various customary conditions, including Novelis shareholder approval and the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting periods under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 and similar antitrust laws in Canada and the European Union.

 

The Arrangement Agreement contains customary representations and warranties between Novelis and Hindalco and Acquisition Sub. The Arrangement Agreement also contains customary covenants and agreements, including covenants relating to (a) the conduct of Novelis’ business between the date of the signing of the Arrangement Agreement and the closing of the Arrangement, (b) solicitation of competing acquisition proposals and (c) the efforts of the parties to cause the Arrangement to be completed. Additionally, the Arrangement Agreement requires Novelis to use its reasonable best efforts to call and hold a meeting of its shareholders to approve the Arrangement.

 

The Arrangement Agreement contains certain termination rights and provides that, upon or following the termination of the Arrangement Agreement, under specified circumstances involving a competing acquisition proposal, Novelis may be required to pay Acquisition Sub a termination fee of $100 million or, in certain circumstances, to reimburse costs and expenses of Hindalco and its affiliates, to a maximum of $15 million.

 

In connection with this process, Novelis has incurred or will incur fees and expenses, including a termination fee with an unsuccessful bidder. Certain fees approximating $35 million are not contingent upon closing and will be paid out over the first and second quarters of 2007.

 

Business Model and Key Concepts

 

Most of our business is conducted under a conversion model, which allows us to pass through increases or decreases in the price of aluminum to our customers. Nearly all of our products have a price structure with two components: (i) a pass-through aluminum price based on the LME plus local market premiums and (ii) a

“margin over metal” price based on the conversion cost to produce the rolled product and the competitive market conditions for that product.

 

Metal Price Ceilings

 

Sales contracts representing approximately 20% of our total 2006 annual shipments provide for a ceiling over which metal prices cannot contractually be passed through to certain customers, unless adjusted. As a result, we are unable to pass through the complete increase in metal prices for sales under these contracts, and this negatively impacts our margins when the metal price is above the ceiling price. During the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 we were unable to pass through approximately $475 million and $75 million, respectively, of metal price increases associated with sales under theses contracts. We calculate and report this difference to be approximately the difference between the quoted purchase price on the LME (adjusted for any local premiums and for any price lag associated with purchasing or processing time), and the metal price ceiling in our contracts. Cash flows from operations are negatively impacted by the same amounts, adjusted for any timing difference between customer receipts and vendor payments.

 

The contracts with metal price ceilings expire at varying times and our estimated remaining exposure approximates 10% of estimated shipments in 2007. Based on a December 31, 2006 aluminum price of $2,850 per tonne, and our best estimate of a range of shipment volumes, we estimate that we will be unable to pass through aluminum purchase costs of approximately $295 — $335 million in 2007 and $485 — $550 million in the aggregate thereafter. Under these scenarios, and ignoring working capital timing, we expect that cash flows from operations will be impacted negatively by these same amounts, offset partially by reduced income taxes.

 

Metal Price Lag

 

On certain sales contracts we experience timing differences on the pass through of changing aluminum prices based on the difference in the price we pay for aluminum and the price we ultimately charge our customers after the aluminum is processed. Generally, and in the short-term, in periods of rising prices our earnings benefit from this timing difference while the opposite is true in periods of declining prices. We refer to this timing difference as metal price lag. Compared to the prior year, during the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 we have benefited from metal price lag by approximately $46 million and $27 million, respectively.

 

Generally, and in the short-term, metal price lag impacts cash flows negatively in periods of rising metal prices due primarily to inventory processing time, while the opposite is true in periods of declining prices.

 

In Europe, certain of our sales contracts contain fixed metal prices for periods of time such as four to thirty-six months. In some cases, this can result in a negative (positive) impact on sales as metal prices increase (decrease) because the prices are fixed at historical levels. The positive or negative impact on sales under these contracts has been included in the metal price lag effect quantified above, without regard to fixed forward instruments purchased to offset this risk as described below.

 

Risk Mitigation

 

We employ three strategies to mitigate our risk of rising metal prices that we cannot pass through to certain customers due to metal price ceilings. First, we maximize the amount of our internally supplied metal inputs from our smelting, refining and mining operations in Brazil. Second, we rely on the output from our recycling operations which utilize used beverage cans (UBCs). Both of these sources of aluminum supply have historically provided a benefit as these sources of metal are typically less expensive than purchasing aluminum from third party suppliers. We refer to these two sources as our internal hedges. While we believe that our primary aluminum production continues to provide the expected benefits during this sustained period of high LME prices, the recycling operations are providing less internal hedge benefit than they have historically. LME metal prices and other market issues have resulted in higher than expected prices of UBCs thus compressing the internal hedge benefit we receive from UBCs.

 

Beyond our internal hedges described above, our third strategy to mitigate the risk of loss or reduced profitability associated with the metal price ceilings is to purchase call options and/or synthetic call options on projected aluminum volume requirements above our assumed internal hedge position. To hedge our exposure in 2006, we previously purchased call options at various strike prices. In September of 2006, we began purchasing both fixed forward derivative instruments and put options, thereby creating synthetic call options, to hedge our exposure to further metal price increases in 2007. We have not entered into any synthetic call options beyond 2007.

 

During the third quarter of 2006, we began selling short-term LME forward contracts to reduce the cash flow volatility of fluctuating metal prices associated with metal price lag. In Europe, we enter into forward metal purchases simultaneous with the contracts that contain fixed metal prices. These forward metal purchases directly hedge the economic risk of future metal price fluctuation associated with these contracts. The positive or negative impact on sales under these contracts has been included in the metal price lag effect described above, without regard to the fixed forward instruments purchased to offset this risk. The net sales and Regional Income impacts are described more fully in the Operations and Segment Review for our Europe operating segment.

 

For accounting purposes, we do not treat all derivative instruments as hedges under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Statement No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.  In those cases, changes in fair value are recognized immediately in earnings, which results in the recognition of fair value as a gain or loss in advance of the contract settlement, and we expect further earnings volatility as a result. In the accompanying consolidated and combined statements of operations, changes in fair value of derivative instruments not accounted for as hedges under FASB Statement No. 133 are recognized in Other (income) expenses — net. These gains or losses may or may not result from cash settlement. For Regional Income purposes we only include the impact of the derivative gains or losses to the extent they are settled in cash during that period.

 

Challenges

 

We face many challenges in our business and industry, but we believe that the following are the most significant.

 

First, we have not fully covered our exposure relative to the metal price ceilings with the three hedging strategies described above. This is primarily a result of (i) not being able to purchase affordable call options with strike prices that directly coincide with the metal price ceilings, and (ii) our recycling operations are providing less internal hedge benefit than we previously expected, as the spread between UBC prices and LME prices has compressed.

 

Second, we are concerned about further strengthening of the Brazilian real, which strengthened 10% and 17% against the U.S. dollar in 2006 and 2005, respectively. In Brazil, where we have predominantly U.S. dollar selling prices and local currency operating costs, we benefit as the Brazilian real weakens, but are adversely affected as it strengthens. In 2006, we began hedging this risk with derivative instruments in the short-term, but we are still exposed to long-term fluctuations in the Brazilian real.

 

Third, energy prices have increased substantially in the recent past and rising energy costs worldwide expose us to reduced operating profits as changes cannot immediately be recovered under existing contracts and sales agreements, and may only be mitigated in future periods under future pricing arrangements. Energy prices are impacted by several factors, including the volatility of supply and geopolitical events, both of which have created uncertainty in the oil, natural gas and electricity markets, which drive the majority of our manufacturing and transportation energy costs. The majority of energy usage occurs at our casting centers, at our smelters in South America and during the hot rolling of aluminum. Our cold rolling facilities require relatively less energy.

 

A portion of our electricity requirements is purchased pursuant to long-term contracts in the local regions in which we operate, and a number of our facilities are located in regions with regulated prices, which affords relatively stable costs. In South America, we have our own hydroelectric facilities that meet approximately

25% of that region’s total electricity requirements, and in North America we have an existing long-term contract for certain electricity costs at fixed rates. As of December 31, 2006, we have a nominal amount of forward purchases outstanding relating to natural gas. While these arrangements help to minimize the impact of near-term energy price increases we have not fully mitigated our exposure to rising energy prices on a global basis.

 

Finally, the financial restatement and review that we commenced in the fourth quarter of 2005 and completed in May 2006 identified the need for substantial improvement in our financial control personnel, processes and reporting. In order to improve our disclosure controls and procedures, remediate material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting and ensure that we are able to timely prepare our financial statements and SEC reports, we have implemented significant process improvements and added to our permanent financial and accounting staff. We continue to rely on third party consultants for certain assistance such as the preparation and review of our provision for income taxes, consolidation and other financial reporting matters. We expect to continue to hire additional full-time personnel as well as invest in a new consolidation software package in 2007, which will assist us in preparing accurate and complete financial statements more efficiently.

 

Key Trends and Business Outlook

 

The use of aluminum continues to increase in the markets we serve. The principal drivers of this increase include, among others, improving per capita gross domestic product in the regions where we operate, increases in disposable income, and increases in the use of aluminum due, in part, to a focus on lightweight products for better fuel economy, compliance with regulatory requirements and cost-effective benefits of recycling. In addition, global demand has been further fueled by growth in China and emerging markets.

 

In the recent past, we have observed a structural shift in aluminum prices, which have risen to unprecedented, sustained levels and reacted suddenly upward and downward based on market events. Before this recent rise in prices, the long-term historical average price for aluminum was approximately $1,500 per tonne. We do not try to predict aluminum prices, but market consensus indicates that it is unlikely that they will return to this level in the short-term. In the long-term, we use the LME forward curve model as a reasonable approximation of what aluminum prices may be in the future; however, the LME is a marketplace and there can be considerable deviation of actual prices from forward prices. As we migrate away from the contracts with metal price ceilings and toward a pure conversion model, the price of aluminum should not influence our bottom-line results in the long-run, other than its effect on ultimate customer demand, although there are short-term implications of sudden increases or decreases in price as a result of our internal processing time.

 

As described above in Metal Price Ceilings, we have successfully reduced our exposure to contracts with price ceilings to approximately 10% of estimated shipments in 2007. However, to the extent that metal prices stay at current levels we expect that operating margins and cash flows from operations will be negatively impacted by the amount of metal purchase price that we are unable to pass through to our customers. Based on a December 31, 2006 aluminum price of $2,850 per tonne, and our best estimate of a range of shipment volumes, we estimate that we will be unable to pass through aluminum purchase costs of approximately $295 — $335 million in 2007 and $485 — $550 million in the aggregate thereafter. Under these scenarios, and ignoring working capital timing, we expect that cash flows from operations will be impacted negatively by these same amounts, offset partially by reduced income taxes. For 2007, we have partially mitigated this impact by purchasing fixed forward contracts priced at $2,500 per tonne. At a market price of $2,850 per tonne we would expect to generate positive cash flows of approximately $15 million from these derivative instruments, which would increase cash flows from investing activities. While we have not entered into any fixed forward derivative contracts beyond 2007, we are partially protected against further increases in metal prices due to our smelting operations in South America and global recycling operations.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2006, we incurred a net loss of $275 million due primarily to the impact of the metal price ceilings and as a result of our restatement and review process, delayed filings and reliance on third party consultants, which caused us to incur higher than normal corporate costs and interest

expense. We believe that our operating results will improve in 2007 primarily because (1) we have reduced our exposure to metal price ceilings as described above, (2) we are no longer incurring penalty interest on our Notes and (3) we have considerably reduced our third party consultant costs incurred as a result of the restatement and review process.

 

Spin-off from Alcan

 

On May 18, 2004, Alcan announced its intention to transfer its rolled products businesses into a separate company and to pursue a spin-off of that company to its shareholders. The rolled products businesses were managed under two separate operating segments within Alcan — Rolled Products Americas and Asia; and Rolled Products Europe. On January 6, 2005, Alcan and its subsidiaries contributed and transferred to Novelis substantially all of the aluminum rolled products businesses operated by Alcan, together with some of Alcan’s alumina and primary metal-related businesses in Brazil, which are fully integrated with the rolled products operations there, as well as four rolling facilities in Europe whose end-use markets and customers were similar to ours.

 

Post-Transaction Adjustments

 

The agreements giving effect to the spin-off provide for various post-transaction adjustments and the resolution of outstanding matters. On November 8, 2006, Alcan and we executed a settlement agreement resolving the working capital and cash balance adjustments to the opening balance sheet and issues relating to the transfer of U.S. pension assets and liabilities from Alcan to Novelis. Excluding pension assets and liability transfers, the net impact of the settlement was a payment to Novelis of $5 million. The pension asset and liability transfer resulted in Novelis assuming approximately $50 million in accrued pension costs. We also contributed $7 million to an Alcan sponsored plan in the U.K. from which we exited. Additionally, we recorded non-cash adjustments related to our opening balance sheet of $5 million. The net impact of recording all of the aforementioned items was a $57 million ($38 million net of tax) reduction to Additional paid-in capital during the fourth quarter of 2006.

 

We have yet to transition the pension plan assets and liabilities from Alcan for two pension plans for those employees who elected to transfer their past service to Novelis, one in Canada and one in the U.K. We expect this transfer will take place during the first quarter of 2007, and we expect that the plan assets transferred will approximate the liabilities assumed. To the extent that they are different, we will record an adjustment to Additional paid-in capital as a post-transaction adjustment.

 

Agreements between Novelis and Alcan

 

At the spin-off, we entered into various agreements with Alcan including the use of transitional and technical services, the supply from Alcan of metal and alumina, the licensing of certain of Alcan’s patents, trademarks and other intellectual property rights, and the use of certain buildings, machinery and equipment, technology and employees at certain facilities retained by Alcan, but required in our business. The terms and conditions of the agreements were determined primarily by Alcan and may not reflect what two unaffiliated parties might have agreed to. Had these agreements been negotiated with unaffiliated third parties, their terms may have been more favorable, or less favorable, to us. See Item 1. Business in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Basis of Presentation

 

Our combined financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2004 and all prior reporting periods were prepared on a carve-out accounting basis, and represented an allocation by Alcan of the assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses, cash flows and changes in the components of invested equity of the businesses to be transferred to us on January 6, 2005. See Note 1 — Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated and combined financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

OPERATIONS AND SEGMENT REVIEW

 

The following discussion and analysis is based on our consolidated and combined statements of operations, which reflect our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, as prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP).

 

The following tables present our shipments, our results of operations and prices for aluminum, oil and natural gas prices and key currency exchange rates for the three years ended December 31, 2006, 2005 and 2004, as well as the percentage changes from year to year.