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This excerpt taken from the HAS 10-K filed Mar 9, 2005. Manufacturing and Importing During 2004, our products were manufactured in third party facilities in the Far East as well as in our two owned facilities located in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts and Waterford, Ireland. Most of our products are manufactured from basic raw materials such as plastic, paper and cardboard, although certain products also make use of electronic components. All of these materials are readily available but may be subject to significant fluctuations in price. We generally enter into agreements with suppliers at the beginning of a fiscal year that establish prices for that year. For this reason, we are generally insulated from short-term increases in the prices of raw materials. However, severe increases in the prices of any of these materials may require renegotiation with our suppliers during the year. Our manufacturing processes and those of our vendors include injection molding, blow molding, spray painting, printing, box making and assembly. We purchase most of the components and accessories used in our toys and certain of the components used in our games, as well as some finished items, from manufacturers in the United States and in other countries. However, the countries of the Far East, and particularly the People's Republic of China, constitute the largest manufacturing center of toys in the world and the substantial majority of our toy products are manufactured in China. The 1996 implementation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade reduced or eliminated customs duties on many of the products imported by us. We believe that the manufacturing capacity of our third party manufacturers, together with our own facilities, as well as the supply of components, accessories and completed products which we purchase from unaffiliated manufacturers, are adequate to meet the anticipated demand in 2005 for our products. Our reliance on designated external sources of manufacturing could be shifted, over a period of time, to alternative sources of supply for our products, should such changes be necessary or desirable. However, if we were to be prevented from obtaining products from a substantial number of our current Far East suppliers due to political, labor or other factors beyond our control, our operations and our ability to obtain products would be disrupted while alternative sources of product were secured. The imposition of trade sanctions by the United States or the European Union against a class of products imported by us from, or the loss of "normal trade relations" status by, the People's Republic of China could significantly disrupt our operations and increase the cost of our products imported into the United States or Europe. We make our own tools and fixtures for our manufacturing facilities but purchase dies and molds principally from independent United States and international sources. |
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