SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

9 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2021

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Note 2.  Net income per unit is based on 13,120,010 units outstanding during the period.

The Trust accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. All revenue is recognized as the performance obligations are satisfied. In accordance with its agreement, the Trust recognizes revenue upon providing access to the lands and minerals only after the consideration that is entitled to be received is determinable. Prior to the arbitration outcome, the Trust was not entitled to consideration for base and bonus royalties until product was shipped from Northshore. After the outcome of the arbitration and consistent with Cliffs’ payment and pricing practices, the Trust is entitled to payment upon production of pellets to be sold for internal use by facilities owned by Cliffs or its subsidiaries. As a result, the Trust recognizes revenue for internal use pellets upon production of those pellets, which are deemed to be shipped under the royalty agreement, regardless of pellet grade. Pellets that are not designated for internal use by Cliffs, or its subsidiaries, continues to be recognized as revenue upon shipment from Silver Bay, Minnesota.

Disaggregation of Revenues

The following tables represent a disaggregation of revenue for the three and nine months ended October 31, 2021 and October 31, 2020.

	Three Months Ended October 31,
	2021		2020
Base overriding royalties	$	9,644,501	$	3,142,465
Bonus royalties		5,981,907		2,448,652
Fee royalties		209,772		145,034
Total royalty income	$	15,836,180	$	5,736,151

	Nine Months Ended October 31,
	2021		2020
Base overriding royalties	$	31,929,119	$	8,499,261
Bonus royalties		20,465,070		6,271,940
Fee royalties		588,194		318,805
Total royalty income	$	52,982,383	$	15,090,006

Base overriding royalties

The performance obligation for the base overriding royalty consists of providing Northshore access to the Peters Lands, Cloquet Lands, and Mesabi Lands and the right to mine on these lands. The consideration to be received from this access relates to the volume of iron ore actually shipped to third parties, or deemed shipped upon production for internal use, by Northshore. Pellets designated for internal use by Cliffs are “deemed shipped” upon production, which is when the Trust is entitled to payment under the provisions of the royalty agreement. Mesabi Trust receives royalties at the greater of (i) the aggregate quantity of iron ore products shipped, or deemed shipped, that were mined from Mesabi Trust Lands, and (ii) a portion of the aggregate quantity of all iron ore products shipped, or deemed shipped, that were mined from any lands, such portion being 90% of the first four million tons shipped, or deemed shipped, during such year, 85% of the next two million tons shipped, or deemed shipped, during such year, and 25% of all tonnage shipped, or deemed shipped, during such year in excess of six million tons. The royalty percentage paid to the Trust increases as the aggregate tonnage of iron ore products shipped, or deemed shipped, attributable to the Trust, in any calendar year increases past each of the first four one-million ton volume thresholds. The base overriding royalties contain variable consideration, as the transaction price is based on a percentage that varies based on the total cumulative tons of iron ore shipped, or deemed shipped, for the calendar year. The Trust estimates the variable consideration it expects to be entitled to receive over the contractual period associated with the royalty agreement. Under the royalty agreement, measuring the total cumulative volumes of iron ore shipped, or deemed shipped, and the applicable royalty percentages, are reset at the beginning of each calendar year. The Trust evaluates the estimate of the variable consideration to determine whether the estimate needs to be constrained; therefore, the Trust includes the variable consideration in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. For the base overriding royalties, the Trust estimates the base overriding royalty percentage using the expected value method, which calculates the estimate based off the historical, current, and forecasted shipments. The Trust recognizes base overriding royalties on a quarterly basis based on the actual third party shipments and deemed shipments for internal use, for the fiscal quarter at the estimated royalty percentage as described above and based on the estimated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts.

Bonus royalties

The performance obligation for the bonus royalties consists of providing Northshore access to the Peters Lands, Cloquet Lands, and Mesabi Lands and the right to mine on these lands and the consideration to be received from this access relates to the volume of iron ore shipped, or deemed shipped, by Northshore. The Trust recognizes bonus royalties on a quarterly basis based on the actual third party shipments and deemed shipments for internal use, of the fiscal quarter at the actual royalty percentage for those shipments and based on the anticipated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts.

Arbitration award proceeds

As discussed in Note 1, the Trust was awarded damages in the amount of $2,312,106 for the resolution of royalties on DR grade pellets in 2019 and 2020 and interest in the amount of $430,710, calculated through June 30, 2021, and continuing to accrue until paid. On October 29, 2021 the Trust received total proceeds of $2,833,687 which included $2,312,106 for

damages and $521,581 for interest through October 29, 2021. The arbitration award proceeds are included in the respective base and bonus royalties in the table above.

Fee royalties

The fee royalties consists of the volume of crude ore mined on a quarterly basis. The Trust recognizes fee royalties on a quarterly basis based on the actual crude ore mined during the fiscal quarter.

Accrued income receivable

The accrued income receivable is included in net income per unit. The Trust recorded $8,491,074 of accrued income receivable as reflected on the Condensed Balance Sheet as of October 31, 2021 (unaudited). As of January 31, 2021, the Trust recorded accrued income receivable of $249,477.

Contract asset and contract liability

The contract asset and contract liability are presented net in the accompanying condensed balance sheets as both the contract asset and contract liability are derived from one customer contract. A net contract asset in the amount of $551,370 is reflected on the Condensed Balance Sheet as of October 31, 2021 (unaudited). The net contract asset is made up of a contract asset in the amount of $551,370 and a contract liability in the amount of $0. As of January 31, 2021 the Trust recorded a net contract asset of $177,251, made up of a contract asset in the amount of $239,132 and a contract liability in the amount of $61,881. The contract asset is based on the revenue recognized on the base overriding royalties, at the estimated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts that will be collected in subsequent quarters as the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. The contract asset is not available for distribution to the Unitholders until the applicable royalties are actually received by the Trust. The Trust includes estimated future royalty rates on current contracted volumes within contract asset. The contract liability represents iron ore that has not been shipped by Northshore, but for which the Trust has received a royalty payment based on an initial estimated price, or in certain instances, quarterly payment of minimum advance royalties. Upon the outcome of the arbitration in the third fiscal quarter, and consistent with Cliffs payment and pricing practices, the Trust is entitled to payment upon production of pellets to be sold for internal use by facilities owned by Cliffs or its subsidiaries, and no longer defers recognition of payments by Cliffs on pellets produced. The Trust recognized revenue on all tons of iron ore products that were recorded as a contract liability as of July 31, 2021 in the amount of $5,966,182. Revenue will be recognized in accordance with the Trust’s revenue recognition policy at the estimated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts as actual third party shipments and deemed shipments for internal use, of these products are made.