Note 3. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate our estimates, including those related to the allowance for credit losses, useful lives of property, plant and equipment, incremental borrowing rates for lease liability measurement, fair values of forward purchase and sales contracts, green coffee associated with forward contracts, share-based compensation, contingencies, and income taxes, among others. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from the estimates and assumptions used in preparing the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

Going Concern

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In accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40), the Company has the responsibility to evaluate whether conditions and/or events raise substantial doubt about its ability to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the date that the financial statements are available to be issued. The Company is dependent on borrowings under its Credit Agreement (as defined herein) and cash generated from operations to finance its operations, service its debt requirements, maintain compliance with its covenants, and to fund capital requirements. The Company believes that projected cash flow from operations, including current projections of the timing and amount of cash flows to be generated from our Conway, Arkansas extract and ready-to-drink manufacturing facility (the “Conway Facility”), and available borrowings under its Credit Agreement, as amended, as described in Note 10, will be sufficient to fund operations and to maintain covenant compliance for at least the next twelve months. However, during the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company incurred net losses of $27.2 million and net cash outflows from operating activities of $22.1 million. If we are unable to achieve our profitability growth projections and maintain our covenant leverage ratio and minimum liquidity requirements, as a result of, for example, experiencing any adverse impact of changes or further delays in the estimated timing and volume of products to be commercialized in our Conway Facility over the next twelve months, and generate sufficient cash flows from operations, it may restrict our liquidity and capital resources and our ability to maintain compliance with our financial covenants.

As further discussed in Note 10, on January 15, 2025, the Company entered into an Incremental Assumption Agreement and Amendment No. 4 to its Credit Agreement (as defined in Note 10), which increased available borrowings under the Credit Agreement by $25.0 million and modified certain financial covenants. However, as management’s ability to amend its financial covenants cannot be assured, if necessary, management has committed to delay growth capital expenditures and/or reduce operating expenses, including headcount, salary and/or bonus reductions, all of which are in the Company’s control, as necessary, in order to have adequate liquidity and to remain in compliance with its debt covenants. As further discussed in Restructuring Activities below, the Company recently consolidated its manufacturing operations, completed the sale of its West Winds facility, and executed a targeted reduction in excess workforce capacity, which were designed to improve operational efficiency. If required, the Company will further reduce operating costs to ensure compliance with its financial covenants. The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business.

Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses

Accounts receivable consist principally of amounts billed and currently due from customers and are generally unsecured and due within 30 to 60 days. A portion of our accounts receivable is not expected to be collected due to non-payment, bankruptcies and deductions. Our accounting policy for the allowance for credit losses requires us to reserve an amount based on the evaluation of the aging of accounts receivable, detailed analysis of high-risk customers’ accounts, and the overall market and economic conditions of our customers. This evaluation considers the customer demographic, such as

large commercial customers as compared to small businesses or individual customers. We consider our accounts receivable delinquent or past due based on payment terms established with each customer. Accounts receivable are written off when the account is determined to be uncollectible.

Activity in the allowance for credit losses was as follows:

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Inventories

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Inventories are stated at the lower of cost, determined on the average cost method, or net realizable value. Finished goods and work-in-process include the inventory costs of raw materials, direct labor and manufacturing overhead costs.

Within our Sustainable Sourcing & Traceability segment, green coffee associated with our forward contracts is recorded at net realizable value, which approximates market price, consistent with our forward purchase contracts recorded at fair value in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”). Green coffee is a commodity with quoted market prices in active markets, may be sold without significant further processing, has predictable and insignificant disposal costs and is available for immediate delivery. We estimate the fair value of green coffee based on the quoted market price at the end of each reporting period, with changes in fair value being reported as a component of costs of sales in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, we recognized $1.5 million of net unrealized losses and $0.7 million of net unrealized losses, respectively, on green coffee inventory associated with our forward sales and purchase contracts.

Capitalized Interest

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We capitalize a portion of interest costs incurred related to assets that require a period of time to get them ready for their intended use. The amount of interest capitalized is based on eligible expenditures incurred during the period involved in bringing the assets to their intended use and the Company’s weighted-average interest rate during the period. For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, we capitalized $0.2 million and $2.8 million of interest costs, respectively.

Supply Chain Finance Program

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The Company is party to a supply chain finance program (the “Program”) with a third-party financing provider to provide better working capital usage by deferring payments for certain raw materials of up to $100.0 million. Under the Program, the financing provider remits payment to the Company’s suppliers for approved invoices, and the Company repays the financing provider the amount of the approved invoices, plus a financing charge, on 180-day terms. The Program is uncommitted and the financing provider may, at its sole discretion, cancel the Program at any time. The Company may request cancellation of the Program in whole or in respect of one or more approved suppliers. Due to the extension of payment terms beyond the original due date of approved invoices, obligations under the Program are recorded outside of accounts payable, within our supply chain finance program, on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Amounts paid by the financing provider to suppliers are reported as cash inflows from financing activities and a corresponding cash outflow from operating activities in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Amounts paid to the financing provider are reflected as cash outflows from financing activities in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. At March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, there were $95.4 million and $78.8 million of obligations outstanding under the Program, respectively.

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Green Coffee Repurchase Program

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On March 28, 2025, the Company entered into a master commodity purchase and sale agreement (the “Commodity Program”) with a third-party financing provider whereby the Company may enter into commodities purchase and sales, including transactions in which the Company sells green coffee to the financing provider, but retains a right, or obligation, to re-purchase the green coffee at the original sales price, plus a finance charge (“Repo Transactions”). The Commodity Program is uncommitted and may be canceled by the financing provider at any time. At March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company had a right, or obligation, to repurchase $13.6 million and $0, respectively, of green coffee from the financing provider. The liability for Repo Transactions is recorded within accrued expenses and other current liabilities on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Cash flows related to Repo Transactions are recorded within financing activities in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

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Restructuring Activities

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The Company accounts for exit or disposal activities in accordance with ASC 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations (“ASC 420”). Restructuring charges may include one-time termination benefits related to employee separations, contract termination costs, long-lived asset impairments, and other related costs with exit or disposal activities.

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The recognition of restructuring charges requires the Company to make certain judgements and estimates regarding the nature, timing and amount of costs associated with the planned exit activity. To the extent the Company’s actual results differ from its estimates and assumptions, the Company may be required to revise the estimates of future liabilities, require the recognition of additional restructuring charges or the reduction of liabilities already recognized. Such changes to previously estimated amounts may be material to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Restructuring charges are not included in the Company’s measurement of segment profitability as discussed in Note 18.

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During the second quarter of 2024, the Company committed to a plan to consolidate its manufacturing operations in its Beverage Solutions segment, which resulted in the closure and sale of its West Winds manufacturing facility in Concord, North Carolina, and the closure of its manufacturing facility in Richmond, California. All production from the impacted facilities was consolidated into other facilities operated by the Company in Concord, North Carolina and Conway, Arkansas.

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The closure of the West Winds facility was completed as of June 30, 2024, and the Company completed the sale of the associated land and buildings during the fourth quarter of 2024. Production in our Richmond, California facility ceased during the third quarter of 2024. The Company estimates total charges related to the plant consolidations of $4.0 million, of which $3.2 million was incurred during the year ended December 31, 2024 and $0.9 million have been incurred during the three months ended March 31, 2025. These charges primarily relate to costs to remove and re-install production equipment into other manufacturing facilities.

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In addition, during the second quarter of 2024, the Company committed to targeted restructuring activities to improve operational efficiency by reducing excess workforce capacity. As a result of this reduction, and the impacts of the consolidation of manufacturing facilities noted above, the Company recognized approximately $4.7 million of one-time employee severance costs during the year ended December 31, 2024. At March 31, 2025, approximately $0.3 million of such termination benefits were accrued for within accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The following table summarizes the changes in the Company’s accrual for employee termination benefits:

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On February 12, 2024, following the completion of the Conway Facility, the Company entered into a lease termination agreement for its distribution center located in North Little Rock, AR (the “Gregory Distribution Center”). The Gregory Distribution Center lease terminated, by mutual agreement, on June 30, 2024. No costs were incurred as a result of the lease termination. During the first quarter of 2024, the Company remeasured the Gregory Distribution Center lease liability, and related right-of-use asset, in accordance with ASC 842, Leases, resulting in a reduction of the lease liability and right-of-use asset of approximately $3.0 million. As of June 30, 2024, there was no remaining lease liability or right-of-use assets related to the Gregory Distribution Center recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

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Assets and Liabilities Held-for-Sale

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On April 1, 2025, the Company entered into a joint venture with ETC Holdings SA (“ECOM”) that combines Westrock’s and ECOM’s Rwandan export operations. At March 31, 2025, the assets and liabilities of the Company’s Rwandan operations, which are reported within the Company’s Sustainable Sourcing & Traceability segment, met the criteria to be presented as held-for-sale. As such, the Company reported approximately $9.3 million of assets and $10.3 million of liabilities as held-for-sale in prepaid expenses and other current assets and accrued expenses and other current liabilities, respectively, in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The $9.3 million of assets held-for-sale include approximately $2.9 million of cash and cash equivalents, $1.8 million of accounts receivable, $1.7 million of inventories, and $2.5 million of property, plant and equipment, net. The $10.3 million of liabilities held-for-sale includes $9.4 million of short-term debt.

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Income Taxes

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We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the differences between the financial statement carrying amount of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases, using enacted income tax rates expected to apply when the deferred tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. The Company’s foreign subsidiaries file income tax returns and are subject to tax provisions in their respective foreign tax jurisdictions.

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A valuation allowance is established to reduce deferred income tax assets if, on the basis of available evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of any deferred tax assets will not be realized. The consideration of available evidence requires significant management judgment including an assessment of the future periods in which the deferred tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized and projections of future taxable income. Specifically, in assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider the reversal of taxable temporary differences, future taxable income, the ability to carryback certain attributes and tax-planning strategies. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets, including net operating losses, is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods prior to their expiration. If our estimates and assumptions about future taxable income are not appropriate, the value of our deferred tax assets may not be recoverable, which may result in an increase to our valuation allowance that will impact current earnings. We re-evaluate our need for a valuation allowance on a quarterly basis.

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The effective income tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024 were (7.2)% and (32.6)%, respectively.  The Company’s effective tax rate for the current period differs from the federal statutory rate primarily due to an increase in the valuation allowance against domestic deferred tax assets.  The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2025 differs from the effective tax rate for the same period in 2024 primarily due to the Company’s full year forecasted ordinary income (loss) in the periods and the change in the valuation allowance.

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On December 20, 2021, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ("OECD") released Pillar Two Model Rules, which provide for a global minimum tax of 15% on multinational entities. Although the United States has not yet adopted the Pillar Two Model Rules, several foreign countries have enacted Pillar Two legislation since 2023. The impact of Pillar Two on the Company's 2025 effective tax rate is expected to be minimal. Management will continue to monitor future Pillar Two legislation in relevant jurisdictions for any impacts to the Company's effective tax rate.

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Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

ASU 2023-05 – Business Combinations – Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement

In August 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-05, “Business Combinations – Joint Venture Formations (Subtopic 805-60): Recognition and Initial Measurement”. The amendments in this update require that a joint venture recognize and initially measure assets contributed and liabilities assumed at fair value upon its formation in the joint venture’s separate financial statements. The amendments in this update are effective prospectively for all joint venture formations with a formation date on or after January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the amendments within ASU 2023-05 effective January 1, 2025. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

ASU 2023-07 – Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures”. The amendments in the update are intended to improve reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through enhanced disclosures about significant expenses. ASU 2023-07 requires disclosure to include significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker and a description of other segment items by reportable segment. The amendments in the update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The amendments in the update require retrospective application to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company adopted the amendments within ASU 2023-07 when it became effective, in our 2024 annual reporting, on a retrospective basis. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

ASU 2023-09 – Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures

In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures”. The amendments in the update relate to the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disclosure and are intended to improve transparency of income tax disclosures by requiring (1) consistent categories and greater disaggregation of information in the tax reconciliation and (2) income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The other amendments in the update are intended to improve comparability of disclosures by (1) adding disclosures of pretax income (or loss) and income tax expense (or benefit) and (2) removing disclosures that no longer are considered cost beneficial or relevant. ASU 2023-09 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The amendments in the update should be applied on a prospective basis, with retrospective application permitted. The adoption of ASU 2023-09 will result in additional annual tax disclosures but does not otherwise have a material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Recently issued accounting pronouncements

ASU 2024-03 – Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Expense Disaggregation Disclosures

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, “Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Expense Disaggregation Disclosures”.  The amendments in this update include requirements for public business entities to provide disclosure, in the notes to the financial statements, of specified information about certain costs and expenses. The amendments in this update are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027, with early adoption permitted.  The amendments in this update may be applied either prospectively or retrospectively.  The Company is currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2024-03 will have on our consolidated financial statements.