Principal Activities, Basis of Presentation and Organization

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Principal Activities, Basis of Presentation and Organization [Text Block]

1. Principal Activities, Basis of Presentation and Organization

Principal Activities

China BAK Battery, Inc. (“China BAK”) is a corporation formed in the State of Nevada on October 4, 1999 as Medina Copy, Inc. The Company changed its name to Medina Coffee, Inc. on October 6, 1999 and subsequently changed its name to China BAK Battery, Inc. on February 14, 2005. China BAK and its subsidiaries (hereinafter, collectively referred to as the “Company”) are principally engaged in the manufacture, commercialization and distribution of a wide variety of standard and customized lithium ion (known as "Li-ion" or "Li-ion cell") rechargeable batteries for use in cellular telephones, as well as various other portable electronic applications, including high-power handset telephones, laptop computers, power tools, digital cameras, video camcorders, MP3 players, electric bicycles, hybrid/electric motors, and general industrial applications.

The shares of the Company were traded in the over-the-counter market through the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board from 2005 until May 31, 2006, when the Company obtained approval to list its common stocks on The NASDAQ Global Market, and trading commenced that same date under the symbol "CBAK".

Basis of Presentation and Organization

As of September 30, 2012, the Company’s subsidiaries consisted of: i) BAK International Limited (“BAK International”), a wholly owned limited liability company incorporated in Hong Kong on December 29, 2003 as BATCO International Limited, which changed its name to BAK International Limited on November 3, 2004; ii) Shenzhen BAK Battery Co., Ltd. (“Shenzhen BAK”), a wholly owned limited liability company established on August 3, 2001 in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”); iii) BAK Electronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (“BAK Electronics”), a wholly owned limited liability company established on August 15, 2005 in the PRC; iv) BAK International (Tianjin) Ltd. (“BAK Tianjin”), a wholly owned limited liability company established on December 12, 2006 in the PRC; v) BAK Battery Canada Ltd. (“BAK Canada”), a wholly owned limited liability company established on December 20, 2006 in Canada as BAK Canada Battery Ltd., which changed its name to BAK Battery Canada Ltd. on December 22, 2006; vi) BAK Europe GmbH (“BAK Europe”), a wholly owned limited liability company established in Germany on November 28, 2007; vii) BAK Telecom India Private Limited (“BAK India”), a wholly owned limited liability company established in India on August 14, 2008, and viii) Tianjin Meicai New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (“Tianjin Meicai”), a wholly owned limited liability company established on February 22, 2011 in the PRC. As of September 30, 2012, BAK International beneficially owned 100% of BAK India partly through a nominee agreement with one of its employees.

BAK Tianjin was established in Tianjin Technology Industrial District on December 12, 2006 as a wholly owned subsidiary of BAK International with registered capital of US$99,990,000. Pursuant to BAK Tianjin’s articles of association and relevant PRC regulations, BAK International was required to contribute US$20,000,000 to BAK Tianjin as capital (representing 20% of BAK Tianjin’s registered capital) before March 11, 2007. An extension from the Business Administration Bureau of Beichen District, Tianjin, was obtained to make this contribution no later than December 11, 2007. On November 16, 2007, BAK International contributed approximately US$20,000,000 capital to BAK Tianjin. The remaining US$79,990,000 was originally required to be fully contributed no later than December 11, 2008 and an extension from the Business Administration Bureau of Beichen District, Tianjin, was obtained to make this contribution no later than December 11, 2009. On November 16, 2009, BAK International contributed approximately US$9,000,000 capital to BAK Tianjin and as of November 16, 2009, the total contribution from BAK International was US$29,000,000. The remaining US$70,990,000 was originally required to be fully contributed no later than December 11, 2009 and an extension from the Business Administration Bureau of Beichen District, Tianjin, was obtained to make this contribution no later than December 2012. In August 2011, BAK International contributed approximately US$21,000,000 capital to BAK Tianjin and as of September 30, 2011 and September 30, 2012, the total contribution from BAK International was US$50,000,000. On September 17, 2012, BAK Tianjin issued an application with respect to the decrease of capital from US$99,990,000 to US$50,000,000. On November 27, 2012, the Business Administration Bureau of Beichen District, Tianjin, approved the request of BAK Tianjin’s capital reduction. According to the approval, the BAK Tianjin’s aggregate investment still keeps at US$99,990,000 while the registered capital was reduced to US$50,000,000. BAK Tianjin is principally engaged in the manufacture of larger lithium ion batteries for use in cordless power tools and various types of vehicles.

On November 6, 2004, BAK International, a non-operating holding company that had substantially the same shareholders as Shenzhen BAK, entered into a share swap transaction with the shareholders of Shenzhen BAK for the purpose of the subsequent reverse acquisition of the Company as described below. Pursuant to the terms of the share swap transaction, BAK International acquired all of the outstanding shares of Shenzhen BAK for US$11.5 million in cash, while the shareholders of Shenzhen BAK acquired substantially all of the outstanding shares of BAK International for US$11.5 million in cash. As a result, Shenzhen BAK became a wholly-owned subsidiary of BAK International. After the share swap transaction was completed, there were 31,225,642 shares of BAK International stock outstanding, exactly the same as the number of shares of capital stock of Shenzhen BAK that had been outstanding immediately prior to the share swap, and the shareholders of BAK International were substantially the same as the shareholders of Shenzhen BAK prior to the share swap. Consequently, the share swap transaction between BAK International and the shareholders of Shenzhen BAK was accounted for as a reverse acquisition of Shenzhen BAK with no adjustment to the historical basis of the assets and liabilities of Shenzhen BAK.

On January 20, 2005, the Company completed a share swap transaction with the shareholders of BAK International. The share swap transaction, also referred to as the “reverse acquisition” of the Company, was consummated under Nevada law pursuant to the terms of a Securities Exchange Agreement entered by and among China BAK, BAK International and the shareholders of BAK International on January 20, 2005. Pursuant to the Securities Exchange Agreement, the Company issued 39,826,075 shares of common stock, par value US$0.001 per share, to the shareholders of BAK International (including 31,225,642 shares to the original shareholders and 8,600,433 shares to new investors who had purchased shares in the private placement), representing approximately 97.2% of the Company’s post-exchange issued and outstanding common stock, in exchange for 100% of the outstanding capital stock of BAK International.

The share swap transaction has been accounted for as a capital-raising transaction of the Company whereby the historical financial statements and operations of Shenzhen BAK are consolidated using historical carrying amounts. The 1,152,458 shares of China BAK outstanding prior to the stock exchange transaction were accounted for at the net book value at the time of the transaction, which was a deficit of US$1,672.

Also on January 20, 2005, immediately prior to consummating the share swap transaction, BAK International executed a private placement of its common stocks with unrelated investors whereby it issued an aggregate of 8,600,433 shares of common stock for gross proceeds of US$17,000,000. In conjunction with this financing, Mr. Xiangqian Li, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, agreed to place 2,179,550 shares of the Company's common stock owned by him into an escrow account pursuant to an Escrow Agreement dated January 20, 2005 (the “Escrow Agreement”). Pursuant to the Escrow Agreement, 50% of the escrowed shares were to be released to the investors in the private placement if audited net income of the Company for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 was not at least US$12,000,000, and the remaining 50% were to be released to investors in the private placement if audited net income of the Company for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2006 was not at least US$27,000,000. If the audited net income of the Company for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2005 and 2006 reached the above-mentioned targets, the 2,179,550 shares would be released to Mr. Xiangqian Li in the amount of 50% upon reaching the 2005 target and the remaining 50% upon reaching the 2006 target.

Under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”), escrow agreements such as the one established by Mr. Xiangqian Li generally constitute compensation if, following attainment of a performance threshold, shares are returned to a company officer. The Company determined that without consideration of the compensation charge, the performance thresholds for the year ended September 30, 2005 would be achieved. However, after consideration of a related compensation charge, the Company determined that such thresholds would not have been achieved. The Company also determined that, even without consideration of a compensation charge, the performance thresholds for the year ended September 30, 2006 would not be achieved. No compensation charge was recorded by the Company for the years ended September 30, 2005 and 2006.

While the 1,089,775 escrow shares relating to the 2005 performance threshold were previously released to Mr. Xiangqian Li, Mr. Xiangqian Li executed a further undertaking on August 21, 2006 to return those shares to the escrow agent for the distribution to the relevant investors. However, such shares were not returned to the escrow agent, but, pursuant to a Delivery of Make Good Shares, Settlement and Release Agreement between the Company, BAK International and Mr. Xiangqian Li entered into on October 22, 2007 (the “Li Settlement Agreement”), such shares were ultimately delivered to the Company as described below. Because the Company failed to satisfy the performance threshold for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2006, the remaining 1,089,775 escrow shares relating to the fiscal year 2006 performance threshold were released to the relevant investors. As Mr. Xiangqian Li has not retained any of the shares placed into escrow, and as the investors party to the Escrow Agreement are only shareholders of the Company and do not have and are not expected to have any other relationship to the Company, the Company has not recorded a compensation charge for the years ended September 30, 2005 and 2006.

At the time the escrow shares relating to the 2006 performance threshold were transferred to the investors in fiscal year 2007, the Company should have recognized a credit to donated shares and a debit to additional paid-in capital, both of which are elements of shareholders’ equity. This entry is not material because total ordinary shares issued and outstanding, total shareholders’ equity and total assets do not change; nor is there any impact on income or earnings per share. Therefore, previously filed consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2007 will not be restated. This share transfer has been reflected in these financial statements by reclassifying the balances of certain items as of October 1, 2007. The balances of donated shares and additional paid-in capital as of October 1, 2007 were credited and debited by US$7,955,358 respectively.

In November 2007, Mr. Xiangqian Li delivered the 1,089,775 shares related to the 2005 performance threshold to BAK International pursuant to the Li Settlement Agreement; BAK International in turn delivered the shares to the Company. Such shares (other than those issued to investors pursuant to the 2008 Settlement Agreements, as described below) are now held by the Company. Upon receipt of these shares, the Company and BAK International released all claims and causes of action against Mr. Xiangqian Li regarding the shares, and Mr. Xiangqian Li released all claims and causes of action against the Company and BAK International regarding the shares. Under the terms of the Li Settlement Agreement, the Company commenced negotiations with the investors who participated in the Company’s January 2005 private placement in order to achieve a complete settlement of BAK International’s obligations (and the Company’s obligations to the extent it has any) under the applicable agreements with such investors.

Beginning on March 13, 2008, the Company has entered into settlement agreements (the “2008 Settlement Agreements”) with certain investors in the January 2005 private placement.

Pursuant to the 2008 Settlement Agreements, the Company and the settling investors have agreed, without any admission of liability, to a settlement and mutual release from all claims relating to the January 2005 private placement, including all claims relating to the escrow shares related to the 2005 performance threshold that had been placed into escrow by Mr. Xiangqian Li, as well as all claims, including claims for liquidated damages relating to registration rights granted in connection with the January 2005 private placement. Under the 2008 Settlement Agreement, the Company has made settlement payments to each of the settling investors of the number of shares of the Company’s common stock equivalent to 50% of the number of the escrow shares related to the 2005 performance threshold these investors had claimed; aggregate settlement payments as of September 30, 2012 amounted to 368,745 shares. Share payments to date have been made in reliance upon the exemptions from registration provided by Section 4(2) and/or other applicable provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In accordance with the 2008 Settlement Agreements, the Company filed a registration statement covering the resale of such shares which was declared effective by the SEC on June 26, 2008.

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”).

This basis of accounting differs in certain material respects from that used for the preparation of the books of account of the Company’s principal subsidiaries, which are prepared in accordance with the accounting principles and the relevant financial regulations applicable to enterprises with limited liabilities established in the PRC (“PRC GAAP”), Hong Kong, Germany, India or Canada, the accounting standards used in the places of their domicile. The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect necessary adjustments not recorded in the books of account of the Company's subsidiaries to present them in conformity with US GAAP.

The Company has a working capital deficiency and accumulated deficit from net losses incurred for the year ended September 30, 2012 and prior periods. These factors raise substantial doubts about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustment that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern.

The Company accordingly has continued to develop a strategic plan to generate a positive cash flow from operating activities for the fiscal years ending September 30, 2013 and 2014 (the “FY2013&2014 Turnaround Plan”). Under the FY2013&2014 Turnaround Plan, the Company will expand OEM market with new marketing strategies to increase revenue. At the same time, the Company will continue implementing cost reductions on both manufacturing costs and operating expenses to improve profit margins as well as reducing receivables outstanding through stronger credit controls. Under the FY2013&2014 Turnaround Plan, the Company will obtain government grant income with respect to the R&D project “key materials, Battery and Battery Pack for use in Electric Vehicles” which was selected into the National Support List for the New-Energy Vehicle Industry Innovation Program. Also, the Company will receive rental income from the R&D centre building from quarter 3 of FY2013, which will generate a positive cash flow to the Company’s operating activities.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming the Company will continue to operate as a going concern, which contemplates the realization of assets and the settlement of liabilities in the normal course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classification of liabilities that may result from the outcome of this uncertainty related to the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.