Kansas City Southern (KSU) 10-K2021 FY Annual report

KCS controls and owns all of the stock of The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (“KCSR”), a U.S. Class I railroad founded in 1887. KCSR serves a ten-state region in the midwest and southeast regions of the United States and has the shortest north/south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri and several key ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

KCS controls and owns all of the stock of Kansas City Southern de México, S.A. de C.V. (“KCSM”). Through its 50-year concession from the Mexican government (the “Concession”), which could expire in 2047 unless extended, KCSM operates a key commercial corridor of the Mexican railroad system and has as its core route the most strategic portion of the shortest, most direct rail passageway between Mexico City and Laredo, Texas. Laredo is a principal international gateway through which a substantial portion of rail and truck traffic between the United States and Mexico crosses the border. KCSM serves most of Mexico’s principal industrial cities and three of its major seaports. KCSM’s rail lines provide exclusive rail access to the United States and Mexico border crossing at Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Under the Concession, KCSM has the right to use and operate the southern half of the rail bridge at Laredo, Texas, which spans the Rio Grande River between the United States and Mexico. The Company owns the northern half of this bridge through its ownership of Mexrail, Inc. (“Mexrail”).

KCSM also provides exclusive rail access to the port of Lazaro Cardenas on the Pacific Ocean. The Mexican government developed the port at Lazaro Cardenas principally to serve Mexican markets and as an alternative to the U.S. west coast ports for Asian and South American traffic bound for North America.

The Company wholly owns Mexrail which, in turn, wholly owns The Texas Mexican Railway Company (“Tex-Mex”). Tex-Mex owns a 160-mile rail line extending from Laredo, Texas to the port city of Corpus Christi, Texas, which connects the operations of KCSR with KCSM.

The KCS coordinated rail network (KCSR, KCSM and Tex-Mex, including trackage rights) comprises approximately 7,100 route miles extending from the midwest and southeast portions of the United States south into Mexico and connects with all other Class I railroads, providing shippers with an effective alternative to other railroad routes and giving direct access to Mexico and the southeast and southwest United States through alternate interchange hubs.

Panama Canal Railway Company (“PCRC”), an unconsolidated joint venture company owned equally by KCS and Mi-Jack Products, Inc. (“Mi-Jack”), was awarded a concession from the Republic of Panama to reconstruct and operate the Panama Canal Railway, a 47-mile railroad located adjacent to the Panama Canal that provides international container shipping companies with a railway transportation alternative to the Panama Canal. The concession was awarded in 1998 for an initial term of 25 years with an automatic renewal for an additional 25-year term. The Panama Canal Railway is a north-south railroad traversing the isthmus of Panama between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

On September 15, 2021, KCS entered into a merger agreement (the “Merger Agreement”) for Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, a Canadian corporation (“CP”) to acquire KCS in a stock and cash transaction valued at $300 per common share. In December 2021, CP’s stockholders voted to approve the issuance of the CP common shares to KCS stockholders in connection with the proposed merger and KCS’s stockholders voted to approve the merger between KCS and CP.

On December 14, 2021, CP acquired the outstanding common and preferred stock of KCS. Each share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of KCS that was outstanding immediately prior to the merger was converted into the right to receive (1) 2.884 common shares of CP and (2) $90 in cash (together, the “Merger Consideration”), and each share of preferred stock, par value $25 per share, that was outstanding immediately prior to the merger was converted into the right to receive $37.50 in cash. The Merger Consideration value received by KCS stockholders was $301.20 per KCS common share. KCS stockholders were expected to own approximately 28% of CP’s outstanding common shares at the date of acquisition.

The merger transaction was completed through a series of mergers as outlined in the Merger Agreement. These mergers ultimately resulted in KCS being merged with and into Cygnus Merger Sub 1 Corporation (“Surviving Merger Sub”), a wholly owned subsidiary of CP, with Surviving Merger Sub continuing as the surviving entity. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Surviving Merger Sub was renamed “Kansas City Southern” and as successor company of KCS, continued to own the assets of KCS. Immediately following the consummation of the mergers, CP caused the contribution, directly and indirectly, of all of the outstanding shares of capital stock of Surviving Merger Sub, as successor to KCS, to be deposited into an independent, irrevocable voting trust (the “Voting Trust”) under a voting trust agreement (the “Voting Trust Agreement”) approved by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (“STB"), pending receipt of the final and non-appealable approval or exemption by the STB pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 11323 et seq., of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement (“STB Final Approval”). The Voting Trust prevents CP, or any affiliate of CP, from controlling or having the power to control KCS prior to STB Final Approval. Following receipt of STB Final Approval and approval from other applicable regulatory authorities, the Voting Trust will be terminated and CP will acquire control over KCS’s railroad operations. STB Final Approval is expected to be granted in the fourth quarter of 2022. The merger is further discussed within Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Information and Results of Operations — Merger Agreement.

KCS’s U.S. subsidiaries are subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental regulations. These laws cover discharges to water, air emissions, toxic substances, and the generation, handling, storage, transportation and disposal of waste and hazardous materials. These regulations have the effect of increasing the costs, risks and liabilities associated with rail operations. Environmental risks are also inherent in rail operations, which frequently involve transporting chemicals and other hazardous materials.

Primary regulatory oversight of the Company’s Mexican operations is provided by the Mexican Agencia Reguladora del Transporte Ferroviario (“Regulatory Agency of Rail Transportation” or “ARTF”). The ARTF establishes regulations concerning railway safety and operations, and is responsible for resolving disputes between railways and customers. KCSM must register its maximum rates with the ARTF and make regular reports to the ARTF and the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes (“Secretary of Communications and Transportation” or “SCT”). KCSM must provide reports on investments, traffic volumes, theft and vandalism on the general right of way, customer complaints, fuel consumption, number of locomotives, railcars and employees, and activities around maintenance of way, sidings and spurs, among other financial information and reports. The Company may freely set rates on a non-discriminatory basis up to the maximum rates registered with the ARTF. At any time, the ARTF may request additional information regarding the determination of such rates and may issue recommendations with respect to proposed rate increases. If the ARTF or another party considers there to be no effective competition, they may request an opinion from the Comisión Federal de Competencia Económica (“Mexican Antitrust Commission” or “COFECE”) regarding market conditions. If the COFECE determines that there is no effective competition for particular movements, the ARTF could set rates for those movements or grant limited trackage rights to another railroad while the condition of no effective competition remains.

KCSM holds a Concession from the Mexican government until June 2047 (exclusively through 2027, subject to certain trackage and haulage rights granted to other concessionaires), which is renewable under certain conditions for additional periods of up to 50 years. The Concession authorizes KCSM to provide freight transportation services over north-east rail lines, which are a primary commercial corridor of the Mexican railroad system. KCSM is required to provide freight railroad services to all users on a fair and non-discriminatory basis and in accordance with efficiency and safety standards approved periodically by the Mexican government. KCSM has the right to use, but does not own, all track and buildings that are necessary for the rail lines’ operation. KCSM is obligated to maintain the right of way, track structure, buildings and related maintenance facilities to the operational standards specified in the Concession agreement and to return the assets in that condition at the end of the Concession period. During the remainder of the Concession period, KCSM is required to pay the Mexican government an annual concession duty equal to 1.25% of gross revenues. The ARTF may request information to verify KCSM´s compliance with the Concession and any applicable regulatory framework.

The Company’s Mexican operations are subject to Mexican federal and state laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment through the establishment of standards for water discharge, water supply, emissions, noise pollution, hazardous substances and transportation and handling of hazardous and solid waste. The Mexican government may bring administrative and criminal proceedings and impose economic sanctions against companies that violate environmental laws, and temporarily or even permanently close non-complying facilities.

Noncompliance with applicable legal provisions may result in the imposition of fines, temporary or permanent shutdown of operations or other injunctive relief, criminal prosecution or, with respect to KCSM, the termination of the Concession. KCS maintains environmental provisions that are believed by management to be appropriate with respect to known and existing environmental contamination of its properties that KCS may be responsible to remedy.

Government regulations are further discussed within Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Information and Results of Operations — Mexico Regulatory and Legal Updates.

While deregulation of U.S. freight rates has enhanced the ability of railroads to compete with each other and with alternative modes of transportation, this increased competition has generally resulted in downward pressure on freight rates since deregulation. Competition with other railroads and other modes of transportation is generally based on the rates charged, the quality and reliability of the service provided and the quality of the carrier’s equipment for certain commodities.

The Company’s security activities range from constant due diligence to providing security awareness updates to KCS employees and including safety and security information on the Company’s internet website (which can be found under the “Corporate Responsibility” tab at www.kcsouthern.com) to its ongoing implementation of security plans for rail facilities in areas labeled by the DHS as High Threat Urban Areas (“HTUAs”). The Company’s other activities to bolster security against terrorism include, but are not limited to, the following:

In addition, the Company utilizes dedicated security personnel with extensive special operations forces, intelligence, and law enforcement backgrounds to oversee the ongoing and increasingly complex security efforts of the Company in both the United States and Mexico. While the risk of theft and vandalism is higher in Mexico, KCSM remains among the safest methods of transportation for freight shipments in Mexico. KCSM’s record in rail safety is due in large part to the implementation of a multi-layered safety and security process throughout the KCSM network. In addition to having its own internal system, the process is connected to, and supported by a high level of federal, state and local law enforcement. A primary focus of this effort involves maintaining constant diligence, intelligence and counterintelligence operations, technology-reporting applications and active vigilance while enhancing overall system velocity, which reduces the residual risk for incidents to occur.

Union labor negotiations have not historically resulted in any strike, boycott or other disruption in the Company’s business operations.

As of December 31, 2021, the Company had approximately 7,082 employees, with 57% based in Mexico and 43% based in the U.S. In 2021, approximately 75% of KCS employees were represented by a collective bargaining agreement.

KCS is subject to federal, state, and local government regulations in the U.S. and Mexico with regard to safety. These regulations direct safety practices in the placement of rail cars carrying certain commodities in the train, routes, inspection of equipment and track, security procedures, equipment design and construction, speed restrictions, and work rules.

Management strives to instill a culture of safety, providing on-the-job training and classroom instruction to employees. Many positions, such as locomotive engineers and conductors, have extensive requirements for certification and licensing, as required by federal regulation. Certification-eligibility is based on a variety of factors, including prior safety conduct of the applicant, compliance with applicable regulations, knowledge of operating rules and performance testing. The Company offers certification and training programs to operations groups as business needs require. These training programs focus on operating rules, safety rules, and procedures required for specific tasks.

KCS’s operational testing program provides processes for ongoing validation and understanding of, and adherence to operating rules and procedures by employees, and allows management to identify, monitor and manage potential safety risks in the business. This training is designed to gauge employees’ knowledge of and compliance with KCS rules and procedures and determine the need for remedial training or guidance. Testing plans are developed based upon, among other things, a particular location’s risks, recent trends, injuries or accidents and prior operational test performance.

KCS uses advanced technologies to help employees enhance operational safety including the use of technology to monitor, in real time the track, bridges and tunnels that KCS uses in its operations. The Company has invested $271.7 million in PTC since 2008, which aims to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive train speed, train movements through misaligned track switch and unauthorized train entry into work zones.

See Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 1, Description of the Business and Note 18, Geographic Information for more information on the description and general development of the Company’s business and financial information about geographic areas.

Public health threats or outbreaks of communicable diseases could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s operations and financial results.

The Company may face risks related to public health threats or outbreaks of communicable diseases. A widespread healthcare crisis, such as an outbreak of a communicable disease, could adversely affect the global economy and the Company’s and its business partners’ ability to conduct business in the U.S. and Mexico for an indefinite period of time. The novel coronavirus and its variants (“COVID-19”) have and continue to spread to multiple global regions, including the U.S. and Mexico where the Company operates, and has and continues to negatively impact the global economy and disrupt financial markets and international trade. These impacts have resulted in increased unemployment levels and significantly negatively impacted global supply chains, the rail transportation industry, and the Company’s business. In both the U.S. and Mexico, local, state, and federal governments have implemented various measures in an effort to halt the further spread of COVID-19, including, but not limited to, voluntary and mandatory quarantines, stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions, border closings, limitations on gatherings of people, and extended closures of nonessential businesses.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company has taken numerous measures to overcome adverse operational and financial impacts to the Company. Such measures include, but are not limited to, implementing a variety of health and safety measures (e.g. separating dispatching and crew operations and providing enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols), and permitting remote work for employees where possible. Although the Company has been able to continue with its business activities, the COVID-19 pandemic could continue to materially impact revenues and profit. In addition, the Company believes COVID-19 could continue to:

The situation surrounding COVID-19 remains fluid and for this reason, KCS cannot reasonably estimate with any degree of certainty the future impact COVID-19 may have on the Company’s results of operations, financial position, and liquidity. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic may impact the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition, or liquidity will depend on future developments, including the duration of the outbreak, travel restrictions, business and workforce disruptions, and the effectiveness of actions taken to contain and treat the disease.

The railroad industry is dominated by a few large carriers. These larger railroads could attempt to use their size and pricing power to block other railroads’ access to gateways and routing options that are currently and have historically been available. In addition, if there is future consolidation in the railroad industry in the United States or Mexico, there can be no assurance that it will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Trucking, maritime, and barge competitors provide rate and service competition to the railroad industry. These competitors are able to use public rights-of-way, require substantially smaller capital investment and maintenance expenditures than railroads and allow for more frequent and flexible scheduling. Continuing competitive pressures, any reduction in margins due to competitive pressures, developments that increase the quality or decrease the cost of alternative modes of transportation in the locations in which the Company operates, or legislation or regulations that provide motor carriers with additional advantages, such as increased size of vehicles and reduced weight restrictions, could result in downward pressure on freight rates, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. KCS may also experience operational or service difficulties related to network capacity, fluctuations in customers’ demand for rail service, or other events that could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

A key part of KCS’s growth strategy is based upon the conversion of truck traffic to rail. There can be no assurance the Company will succeed in its efforts to convert traffic from truck to rail transport or that the customers already converted will be retained. If the railroad industry in general is unable to preserve its competitive advantages vis-à-vis the trucking industry, revenue growth could be adversely affected. Additionally, revenue growth could be affected by, among other factors, an expansion in the availability, or an improvement in the quality, of the trucking services offered by carriers resulting from regulatory and administrative interpretations and implementation of certain provisions of current or future multinational trade agreements that are favorable to the trucking industry or unfavorable to the rail industry or KCS. Such actions may negatively impact KCS’s ability to grow its existing customer base and capture additional cargo transport market share because of competition from the shipping industry and other railroads.

Operation of KCS’s rail network and its plans for growth and expansion rely significantly on agreements with other railroads and third parties, including joint ventures and other strategic alliances, as well as interchange, trackage rights, haulage rights and marketing agreements with other railroads and third parties that enable KCS to exchange traffic and utilize trackage the Company does not own. KCS’s ability to provide comprehensive rail service to its customers depends in large part upon its ability to maintain these agreements with other railroads and third parties, and upon the performance of the obligations under the agreements by the other railroads and third parties. The termination of, or the failure to renew, these agreements could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements. KCS is also dependent in part upon the financial strength and efficient performance of other railroads. There can be no assurance that KCS would not be materially adversely affected by operational or financial difficulties of other railroads.

The transportation industry is highly cyclical, generally tracking the cycles of the world economy. Although transportation markets are affected by general economic conditions, there are numerous specific factors within each particular market that may influence operating results. Some of KCS’s customers do business in industries that are highly cyclical,

The Company is a party to collective bargaining agreements with various labor unions in the United States and Mexico. As of December 31, 2021, approximately 72% and 77% of KCSR and KCSM employees, respectively, were covered by labor contracts subject to collective bargaining. The Company may be subject to, among other things, strikes, work stoppages or work slowdowns as a result of disputes under these collective bargaining agreements and labor contracts or KCS’s potential inability to negotiate acceptable contracts with these unions. In the United States, because such agreements are generally negotiated on an industry-wide basis, determination of the terms and conditions of labor agreements have been and could continue to be beyond KCS’s control. KCS is, therefore, subject to terms and conditions in industry-wide labor agreements that could have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial statements. In the United States and Mexico, KCS is seeking to modernize its collective bargaining agreements and benefit from technological advancements in the industry. If the unionized workers in the United States or Mexico were to engage in a strike, work stoppage or other slowdown; if other employees were to become unionized or if KCS and its unions were unable to agree on the terms and conditions in future labor agreements, KCS could experience a significant disruption of its operations and higher ongoing labor costs. Although the U.S. Railway Labor Act imposes restrictions on the right of United States railway workers to strike, there is no law in Mexico imposing similar restrictions on the right of railway workers in that country to strike. Additionally, labor law reform adopted by Mexico introduces uncertainty into the existing union structure in Mexico, which may affect the risk of disruption in KCSM’s operations.

KCS relies on a limited number of suppliers of core rail equipment (including locomotives, rolling stock equipment, rail and ties). The capital intensive nature and complexity of such equipment creates high barriers of entry for any potential new suppliers. If any of KCS’s suppliers discontinue production or experience capacity or supply shortages, this could result in increased costs or difficulty in obtaining rail equipment and materials, which could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

KCS incurs substantial fuel costs in its railroad operations and these costs represent a significant portion of its transportation expenses. Significant price increases for fuel may have a material adverse effect on operating results. If KCS is unable to recapture its costs of fuel from its customers, operating results could be materially adversely affected. In addition, a severe disruption of fuel supplies resulting from supply shortages, political unrest, a disruption of oil imports, weather events, war, or otherwise, and the resulting impact on fuel prices could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

KCS U.S. and Mexico rail common carrier subsidiaries are required by United States and Mexican laws, respectively, to transport hazardous materials, which could expose KCS to significant costs and claims.

Under United States federal statutes and applicable Mexican laws, KCS’s common carrier responsibility requires it to transport hazardous materials. Any rail accident or other incident or accident on KCS’s network, facilities, or at the facilities of KCS’s customers involving the release of hazardous materials, including toxic inhalation hazard materials, could involve significant costs and claims for personal injury, property or natural resource damage, and environmental penalties and remediation in excess of the Company’s insurance coverage for these risks, which could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements. KCS is also required to comply with rules and regulations regarding the handling of hazardous materials. Noncompliance with these rules and regulations could subject KCS to significant penalties or other costs and exposure to litigation. Changes to these rules and regulations could also increase operating costs and negatively impact KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

KCS rail subsidiaries are subject to legislation and regulation enacted by federal, state and local legislatures and agencies in the U.S. and Mexico with respect to commercial terms with its customers and railroad operations, including with respect to health, safety, labor, environmental and other areas. Government regulation of the railroad industry is a significant determinant of the competitiveness and profitability of railroads. Changes in legislation or regulation could have a negative impact on KCS’s ability to negotiate prices for rail services, could negatively affect competition among rail carriers, or could negatively impact operating practices, resulting in reduced efficiency, increased operating costs or increased capital investment, all of which could result in a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

New economic regulation in the U.S. or Mexico in current or future proceedings could change the regulatory framework within which the Company operates which could materially change the Company's business and have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements. For example, in Mexico, the Company implemented changes to several processes and systems to ensure compliance with new regulations and enforcement of existing regulations during 2021, including labor reform, the hydrocarbons law, inspections related to imports and terminals, value-added tax law changes, and new bill of lading requirements. Ensuring compliance with these requirements resulted in increased operating expense and reduced revenue. See Mexico Regulatory and Legal Updates in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

KCS’s failure or inability to comply with applicable laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and operations, including fines, penalties, or limitations on operating activities

KCS subsidiaries’ operations are subject to environmental regulation enacted by federal, state and local legislatures in the U.S. and Mexico. Environmental liability under federal and state law in the United States can also extend to previously owned or operated properties, leased properties and properties owned by third parties, as well as to properties currently owned and used by the Company. Environmental liabilities may also arise from claims asserted by adjacent landowners or other third parties. Given the nature of its business, the Company incurs, and expects to continue to incur, environmental compliance costs, including, in particular, costs necessary to maintain compliance with requirements governing chemical and hazardous material shipping operations, refueling operations and repair facilities. KCS presently has environmental investigation and remediation obligations at certain sites, and will likely incur such obligations at additional sites in the future.

The Company’s Mexican subsidiaries’ operations are subject to Mexican federal and state laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, including standards for, among other things, water discharge, water supply, emissions, noise pollution, hazardous substances and transportation and handling of hazardous and solid waste. Under applicable Mexican law and regulations, administrative and criminal proceedings may be brought and economic sanctions imposed against companies that violate environmental laws, and non-complying facilities may be temporarily or permanently closed. KCSM is also subject to the laws of various jurisdictions with respect to the discharge of materials into the environment and to environmental laws and regulations issued by the governments of each of the Mexican states in which KCSM’s facilities are located. The terms of KCSM’s Concession from the Mexican government also impose environmental compliance obligations on KCSM. Failure to comply with any environmental laws or regulations may result in the termination of KCSM’s Concession or in fines or penalties that may affect profitability.

Liabilities accrued for environmental costs represent the Company’s best estimate of the probable future obligation for the remediation and settlement of matters related to these sites. However, remediation costs may exceed such estimates, due to various factors such as evolving environmental laws and regulations, changes in technology, the extent of other parties’ participation, discovery of unidentified environmental conditions and matters, developments in environmental surveys and studies, and the extent of corrective action that may ultimately be required. The Company cannot predict the effect, if any, that unidentified environmental matters or the adoption of unknown additional or more stringent environmental laws and regulations would have on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

KCS’s failure or inability to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and operations, including fines, penalties, or limitations on operating activities until compliance with applicable requirements is achieved. Government entities may change the legislative or regulatory framework within which the Company operates that could result in adverse effects on the Company’s business that occur as a result of such change. Additionally, some of the regulations require KCS to obtain and maintain various licenses, permits and other authorizations. Any failure to obtain or maintain these licenses, permits, and other authorizations could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s business operations.

Climate change could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s operations and KCS’s consolidated financial statements. Restrictions, caps, taxes, or other controls on emissions of greenhouse gases, including diesel exhaust, could significantly impact operations and increase operating costs. Restrictions on emissions could also affect KCS’s customers that use commodities that KCS transports to produce energy, use significant amounts of energy in producing or delivering the commodities KCS transports, or manufacture or produce goods that consume significant amounts of energy or burn fossil fuels, including coal-fired power plants, chemical producers, farmers and food producers, and automakers and other manufacturers. Significant cost increases, government regulation, or changes of consumer preferences for goods or services relating to alternative sources of energy or emissions reductions could materially affect the markets for the commodities KCS transports, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements. Government incentives encouraging the use of alternative sources of energy could also affect certain customers and their respective markets for certain commodities KCS transports in an unpredictable manner that could alter traffic patterns, including, for example, the impacts of ethanol incentives on farming and ethanol producers. Moreover, increasing frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events such as flooding, storms and fires may result in substantial costs, including costs associated with KCS’s response during the event, KCS’s recovery from the event and preventive measures. Any of these factors, individually or in conjunction with one or more of the other aforementioned factors, or other unforeseen impacts of climate change could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

Uncertainty about the effect of the transaction on KCS and CP employees may have an adverse effect on KCS and consequently the combined company. This uncertainty may impair KCS’s ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel. Employee retention may be particularly challenging during the pendency of the Voting Trust, as employees of KCS may experience uncertainty about their future roles in the combined company. No assurance can be given that the combined company will be able to attract or retain key employees to the same extent that KCS has been able to attract or retain employees in the past.

As a result of the combination of KCS and CP following receipt of STB Final Approval, significant demands will be placed on the managerial, operational and financial personnel and systems of KCS. KCS cannot provide assurance that its systems, procedures and controls will be adequate to support the expansion of operations following and resulting from the combination of the two companies. The future operating results of the combined company will be affected by the ability of its officers and key employees to manage changing business conditions and to implement and expand the Company’s operational and financial controls and reporting systems in response to the transaction.

KCSM operates under the Concession granted by the Mexican government until June 2047, which is renewable for an additional period of up to 50 years, subject to certain conditions. The Concession gives KCSM exclusive rights to provide freight transportation services over its rail lines through 2027 (the first 30 years of the 50-year Concession), subject to certain trackage and haulage rights granted to other concessionaires. The SCT and ARTF, which are principally responsible for regulating railroad services in Mexico, have broad powers to monitor KCSM’s compliance with the Concession, and they can require KCSM to supply them with any technical, administrative and financial information they request. Among other obligations, KCSM must comply with the investment commitments established in its business plan, which forms an integral part of the Concession, and must update the plan every three years. The SCT treats KCSM’s business plans confidentially. The SCT and ARTF also monitor KCSM’s compliance with efficiency and safety standards established in the Concession. The SCT and ARTF review, and may amend, these standards from time to time.

Under the Concession, KCSM has the right to operate its rail lines, but it does not own the land, roadway or associated structures. If the Mexican government legally terminates the Concession, it would own, control, and manage such public domain assets used in the operation of KCSM’s rail lines. All other property not covered by the Concession, including all locomotives and railcars otherwise acquired, would remain KCSM’s property. In the event of early termination, or total or partial revocation of the Concession, the Mexican government would have the right to cause the Company to lease all service-related assets to it for a term of at least one year, automatically renewable for additional one-year terms for up to five years. The amount of rent would be determined by experts appointed by KCSM and the Mexican government. The Mexican government must exercise this right within four months after early termination or revocation of the Concession. In addition, the Mexican government would also have a right of first refusal with respect to certain transfers by KCSM of railroad equipment within 90 days after revocation of the Concession.

The Mexican government may also temporarily seize control of KCSM’s rail lines and its assets in the event of a natural disaster, war, significant public disturbance or imminent danger to the domestic peace or economy. In such a case, the SCT may restrict KCSM’s ability to operate under the Concession in such manner as the SCT deems necessary under the circumstances, but only for the duration of any of the foregoing events. Mexican law requires that the Mexican government pay compensation if it effects a statutory appropriation for reasons of the public interest. With respect to a temporary seizure due to any cause other than international war, the Mexican Regulatory Railroad Service Law and regulations provide that the Mexican government will indemnify an affected concessionaire for an amount equal to damages caused and losses suffered. However, these payments may not be sufficient to compensate KCSM for its losses and may not be made timely.

The SCT may revoke the Concession if KCSM is sanctioned for the same cause at least three times within a period of five years for any of the following: unjustly interrupting the operation of its rail lines or for charging rates higher than those it has registered with the ARTF; unlawfully restricting the ability of other Mexican rail operators to use its rail lines; failing to make payments for damages caused during the performance of services; failing to comply with any term or condition of the Mexican Regulatory Railroad Service Law and regulations or the Concession; failing to make the capital investments required under its three-year business plan filed with the SCT; or failing to maintain an obligations compliance bond and insurance coverage as specified in the Mexican Regulatory Railroad Service Law and regulations. In addition, the Concession would terminate automatically if KCSM changes its nationality or assigns or creates any lien on the Concession, or if there is a change in control of KCSM without the SCT’s approval. The SCT may also terminate the Concession as a result of KCSM’s surrender

KCS’s ownership of KCSM and operations in Mexico subject it to Mexican economic and political risks.

The Mexican government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over the Mexican economy. Accordingly, Mexican governmental actions concerning the economy and state-owned enterprises could have a significant impact on Mexican private sector entities in general and on KCSM’s operations in particular. For example, KCSM operations could be impacted with the introduction of new legislation or policies to regulate the railway industry, the energy market, or labor and tax conditions. KCS cannot predict the impact that the political landscape, including multiparty rule, social unrest and civil disobedience, will have on the Mexican economy or KCSM’s operations. For example, from time to time, social unrest in Mexico has resulted in service interruptions on KCSM’s right of ways due to blockages from teachers’ protests. KCS’s consolidated financial statements and prospects may be adversely affected by currency fluctuations, inflation, interest rates, regulation, taxation and other political, social and economic developments in or affecting Mexico. For example, the Company has several tax contingencies including, multiple tax periods subject to current examination, audit assessments for the KCSM 2009 and 2010 Mexico tax returns, and a receivable for refundable VAT. Tax contingencies are further discussed with Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplemental Data.

The social and political situation in Mexico could adversely affect the Mexican economy and KCSM’s operations, and changes in laws, public policies and government programs could be enacted, each of which could also have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

The Mexican economy in the past has suffered balance of payment deficits and shortages in foreign exchange reserves. Although Mexico has imposed foreign exchange controls in the past, there are currently no exchange controls in Mexico. Any restrictive exchange control policy could adversely affect KCS’s ability to obtain U.S. dollars or to convert Mexican pesos into dollars for purposes of making payments. This could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

The level and timing of KCS’s Mexican business activity is heavily dependent upon the level of United States-Mexican trade and the effects of current or future multinational trade agreements on such trade. The Mexican operations depend on the United States and Mexican markets for the products KCSM transports, the relative position of Mexico and the United States in these markets at any given time, and tariffs or other barriers to trade. Failure to preserve trade provisions conducive to trade, or any other action imposing import duties or border taxes, could negatively impact KCS customers and the volume of rail shipments, and could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

Downturns in the United States or Mexican economies or in trade between the United States and Mexico could have material adverse effects on KCS’s consolidated financial statements and the Company’s ability to meet debt service obligations. In addition, KCS has invested significant amounts in developing its intermodal operations, including the Port of Lazaro Cardenas, in part to provide Asian importers with an alternative to the west coast ports of the United States, and the level of intermodal traffic depends, to an extent, on the volume of Asian shipments routed through Lazaro Cardenas. Reductions in trading volumes, which may be caused by factors beyond KCS’s control, including increased government regulations regarding the safety and quality of Asian-manufactured products, could have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

Additionally, fluctuations in the peso-dollar exchange rates could lead to shifts in the types and volumes of Mexican imports and exports. Although a decrease in the level of exports of some of the commodities that KCSM transports to the United States may be offset by a subsequent increase in imports of other commodities KCSM hauls into Mexico and vice versa, any offsetting increase might not occur on a timely basis, if at all. Future developments in United States-Mexican trade beyond the Company’s control may result in a reduction of freight volumes or in an unfavorable shift in the mix of products and commodities KCSM carries.

Extreme volatility in the peso-dollar exchange rate may result in disruption of the international foreign exchange markets and may limit the ability to transfer or convert Mexican pesos into U.S. dollars. Although the Mexican government currently does not restrict, and for many years has not restricted, the right or ability of Mexican or foreign persons or entities to convert pesos into U.S. dollars or to transfer foreign currencies out of Mexico, the Mexican government could, as in the past, institute restrictive exchange rate policies that could limit the ability to transfer or convert pesos into U.S. dollars or other currencies for the purpose of making timely payments and meeting contractual commitments.

Fluctuations in the peso-dollar exchange rates also have an effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements. A weakening of the peso against the U.S. dollar would cause reported peso-denominated revenues and expenses to decrease, and could increase reported foreign exchange loss due to the Company’s net monetary assets that are peso-denominated. Exchange rate variations also affect the calculation of taxes under Mexican income tax law, and a strengthening of the peso against the U.S. dollar could cause an increase in the Company’s cash tax obligation and effective income tax rate.

Changes in demographics, training requirements and the unavailability of qualified personnel could negatively affect KCS’s ability to meet demand for rail service. Unforeseen increases in demand for rail services may exacerbate such risks, which could have a negative impact on KCS’s operational efficiency and otherwise have a material adverse effect on KCS’s consolidated financial statements.

Track Configuration

has taken numerous measures to overcome adverse operational and financial impacts to the Company related to the COVID-19 pandemic including, but not limited to, implementing a variety of health and safety measures (e.g. separating dispatching and crew operations and providing enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols), restricting administrative employee business travel and permitting remote work for employees where possible. In 2021, the Company strongly encouraged employees to get vaccinated and offered incentives to do so.

For the year ended December 31, 2021, revenue per carload/unit increased by 7%, compared to the prior year, due to higher fuel surcharge, positive pricing, mix, and the strengthening of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar. The average exchange rate of Mexican pesos per U.S. dollar was Ps.20.3 for 2021, compared to Ps.21.5 for 2020, which resulted in an increase to revenues of approximately $26.0 million.

Carload/unit volumes increased due to strength in utility coal shipments, recovery from COVID-19 impacts on the industrial and consumer and intermodal business units, increased grain shipments, and strength in refined fuel product shipments into Mexico during the first half of the year, partially offset by refined fuel terminal shutdowns and import inspections delays as a result of increased Mexico regulation.

KCS’s fuel surcharges are a mechanism to adjust revenue based upon changes in fuel prices above fuel price thresholds set in KCS’s tariffs or contracts. Fuel surcharge revenue is calculated using a fuel price from a prior time period that can be up to 60 days earlier. In a period of volatile fuel prices or changing customer business mix, changes in fuel expense and fuel surcharge revenue may differ.

The following discussion provides an analysis of revenues by commodity group:

For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the re-measurement and settlement of net monetary assets and liabilities denominated in Mexican pesos resulted in a foreign exchange loss of $5.3 million and $7.1 million, respectively.

The Company enters into foreign currency derivative contracts to hedge its net exposure to fluctuations in the Mexican cash tax obligation due to changes in the value of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar. For the year ended December 31, 2021, foreign exchange loss on foreign currency derivative contracts was $3.7 million, compared to a loss of $22.5 million in 2020.

The fluctuations of the Mexican peso decreased the Company’s Mexican cash tax obligation by $3.1 million and $13.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

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The Company focuses its cash and capital resources on investing in the business, shareholder returns and optimizing its capital structure.

The Company believes, based on current expectations, that cash and other liquid assets, operating cash flows, and other available financing resources will be sufficient to fund anticipated operating expenses, capital expenditures, debt service costs, dividends, and other commitments for the foreseeable future.

During the first quarter of 2021, KCS received 233,402 shares of common stock as final settlement of the forward contracts totaling $75.0 million under the accelerated share repurchase (“ASR”) agreements entered into during October 2020 under the 2019 share repurchase program. The final weighted-average price per share of the shares repurchased under these ASR agreements was $191.75. The Company terminated its share repurchase program upon entering into its initial merger agreement with CP in March 2021. Refer to Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data — Note 14, Stockholder(s)’ Equity for additional detail on the Company’s common share repurchase program and ASR agreements.

In the normal course of business, the Company enters into long-term contractual commitments for future goods and services needed for the operations of the business. Such commitments are not in excess of expected requirements and are not reasonably likely to result in performance penalties or payments that would have a material adverse effect on the Company’s liquidity. Such commitments are not included in the above table.

The SCT requires KCSM to submit a three-year capital expenditures plan every three years. The most recent three-year plan was submitted in 2020 for the years 2021 — 2023. KCSM expects to continue capital spending at current levels in future years and will continue to have capital expenditure obligations past 2023, which are not included in the table above.

Generally, the Company’s capital program consists of capital replacement and equipment. For 2022, internally generated cash flows are expected to fund cash capital expenditures, which are currently estimated to be approximately 16.5% of revenue in 2022, assuming constant currency and fuel price.

The following table summarizes certain property statistics as of December 31:

The following is a description of the terms and conditions of the guarantees with respect to senior notes for which KCS is an issuer or provides full and unconditional guarantee.

As of December 31, 2021, KCS had outstanding $3,736.2 million principal amount of senior notes due through 2069. The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (“KCSR”) had outstanding $2.7 million principal amount of senior notes due through 2045 (together, the “Senior Notes”). The senior notes for which KCS is the issuer are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on an unsecured senior basis, by each of KCS’s current and future domestic consolidated subsidiaries that from time to time guarantees certain of KCS’s credit agreements, or any other debt of KCS, or any of KCS’s significant subsidiaries that is a guarantor (each, a “Guarantor Subsidiary,” and collectively, the “Guarantor Subsidiaries”). In addition, the senior notes for which KCSR is the issuer are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on an unsecured senior basis, by KCS and each of its current and future domestic consolidated subsidiaries that from time to time guarantees KCSR’s credit agreement, or any other debt of KCSR or any of KCSR’s significant subsidiaries that is a Guarantor Subsidiary. The obligations of each Guarantor Subsidiary under its note guarantee are limited as necessary to prevent such note guarantee from constituting a fraudulent conveyance under applicable law. A guarantee of the Senior Notes by KCS or a Guarantor Subsidiary is subject to release in the following circumstances: (i) the sale, disposition, exchange or other transfer (including through merger, consolidation, amalgamation or otherwise) of the capital stock of the Guarantor Subsidiary made in a manner not in violation of the indenture;

KCSM and any other foreign subsidiaries of KCS do not, and will not, guarantee the Senior Notes (“Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries”).

The following tables present summarized financial information for KCS and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a combined basis after intercompany transactions have been eliminated, including adjustments to remove the receivable and payable balances, investment in, and equity in earnings from the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries.

The Senior Notes are structurally subordinated to the indebtedness and other liabilities of the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. The Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have no obligation, contingent or otherwise, to pay any amounts due pursuant to the Senior Notes or the indentures, or to make any funds available therefor, whether by dividends, loans, distributions or other payments. Any right that KCS or the Guarantor Subsidiaries have to receive any assets of any of the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries upon the liquidation or reorganization of any Non-Guarantor Subsidiary, and the consequent rights of holders of Senior Notes to realize proceeds from the sale of any of a Non-Guarantor Subsidiary’s assets, would be effectively subordinated to the claims of such Non-Guarantor Subsidiary’s creditors, including trade creditors

If a Guarantor Subsidiary were to become a debtor in a case under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code or encounter other financial difficulty, under federal or state fraudulent transfer or conveyance law, a court may avoid, subordinate or otherwise decline to enforce its guarantee of the Senior Notes. A court might do so if it is found that when such Guarantor Subsidiary entered into its guarantee of the Senior Notes, or in some states when payments became due under the Senior Notes, such Guarantor Subsidiary received less than reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration and either:

• was insolvent or rendered insolvent by reason of such incurrence;

• was left with unreasonably small or otherwise inadequate capital to conduct its business; or

• believed or reasonably should have believed that it would incur debts beyond its ability to pay.

The court might also avoid the guarantee of the Senior Notes without regard to the above factors, if the court found that a Guarantor Subsidiary entered into its guarantee with actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud its creditors.

A court would likely find that a Guarantor Subsidiary did not receive reasonably equivalent value or fair consideration for its guarantee of the Senior Notes, if such Guarantor Subsidiary did not substantially benefit directly or indirectly from the funding made available by the issuance of the Senior Notes. If a court were to avoid a guarantee of the Senior Notes provided by a Guarantor Subsidiary, holders of the Senior Notes would no longer have any claim against such Guarantor Subsidiary. The measures of insolvency for purposes of these fraudulent transfer or conveyance laws will vary depending upon the law applied in any proceeding to determine whether a fraudulent transfer or conveyance has occurred, such that the Company cannot predict what standards a court would use to determine whether or not a Guarantor Subsidiary was solvent at the relevant time or, regardless of the standard that a court uses, that the guarantee of a Guarantor Subsidiary would not be subordinated to such Guarantor Subsidiary’s other debt. As noted above, each guarantee provided by a Guarantor Subsidiary includes a provision intended to limit the Guarantor Subsidiary’s liability to the maximum amount that it could incur without causing the incurrence of obligations under its guarantee to be a fraudulent transfer or conveyance. This provision may not be effective to protect those guarantees from being avoided under fraudulent transfer or conveyance law, or it may reduce that Guarantor Subsidiary’s obligation to an amount that effectively makes its guarantee worthless, and the Company cannot predict whether a court will ultimately find it to be effective.

On the basis of historical financial information, operating history and other factors, the Company believes that each of the Guarantor Subsidiaries, after giving effect to the issuance of its guarantee of the Senior Notes when such guarantee was issued, was not insolvent, did not have unreasonably small capital for the business in which it engaged and did not and has not incurred debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they mature. The Company cannot predict, however, as to what standard a court would apply in making these determinations or that a court would agree with the Company’s conclusions in this regard.

Income tax expense related to Mexican operations has additional complexities such as the impact of exchange rate variations, which can have a significant impact on the effective income tax rate.

Management believes that the assumptions and estimates related to the provision for income taxes are critical to the Company’s results of operations. For the year ended December 31, 2021, income tax expense totaled $211.1 million. For every 1% change in the 2021 effective rate, income tax expense would have changed by approximately $7.4 million. For further information on the impact of foreign exchange fluctuation on income taxes, refer to Item 7A, Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk — Foreign Exchange Sensitivity.

The Company has exposure to fluctuations in the value of the Mexican peso against the U.S. dollar due to its monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in Mexican pesos. Monetary assets and liabilities include cash, accounts receivable and payable and other items that will convert to cash in the future and are remeasured into dollars using the current exchange rate. The remeasurement and settlement of monetary assets and liabilities is recognized in the consolidated statements of income as foreign exchange gains and losses. At December 31, 2021, the Company had Ps.3,837.3 million of net monetary assets denominated in Mexican pesos, as monetary assets exceeded monetary liabilities.

The following table presents the potential impacts to the consolidated statements of income that would result from a hypothetical change in the exchange rate of one Mexican peso per U.S. dollar at December 31, 2021:

The following table presents the potential impacts to the effective income tax rate and income tax expense that would result from a hypothetical change in the exchange rate of one Mexican peso at December 31, 2021:

At December 31, 2021, the Company had outstanding foreign currency forward contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $270.0 million, which matured during January 2022 and obligated the Company to sell a total of Ps.5,583.3 million at a weighted-average rate of Ps.20.7 to each U.S. dollar. During January 2022, the Company entered into offsetting contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $271.7 million, which matured during January 2022 and obligated the Company to purchase a total of Ps.5,583.3 million at a weighted-average exchange rate of Ps.20.6 to each U.S. dollar, resulting in cash paid of $1.7 million. Given the settlement during January 2022, the Company believes there was minimal market risk associated with these contracts at December 31, 2021.

During January 2022, the Company entered into several foreign currency forward contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $110.0 million, maturing in January of 2023. These contracts obligated the Company to sell a total of Ps.2,426.2 million at a weighted-average exchange rate of Ps.22.1 to each U.S. dollar. During January 2022, as a result of a change in the Company’s currency exposure, the Company entered into offsetting contracts with an aggregate notional amount of $50.5 million, which were settled during January 2022 and obligated the Company to purchase a total of Ps.1,105.3 million at a weighted-average exchange rate of Ps.21.9 to each U.S. dollar, resulting in cash paid of $0.5 million. As of the date of this filing, there were $60.0 million aggregate notional amount of contracts outstanding, which obligate the Company to sell a total of Ps.1,320.9 million at a weighted-average exchange rate of Ps.22.0 to each U.S. dollar.

The management of Kansas City Southern is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. KCS’s internal control over financial reporting was designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect material misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which immediately follows this report.

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Kansas City, Missouri

February 1, 2022

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2017.