Form 497

iShares^®, Inc.

Statement of Additional Information

Dated December 29, 2017
(as revised March 6, 2018)

This combined Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectuses (each, a “Prospectus” and collectively, the “Prospectuses”) for the following series of iShares, Inc. (the “Company”):

Funds	Ticker	Listing Exchange
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	IEMG	NYSE Arca
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	EEMV	Cboe BZX
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	ACWV	Cboe BZX
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	EWZ	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	BKF	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	ECH	Cboe BZX
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	ICOL	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	EEMA	NASDAQ
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	EEM	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	EEMS	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	ESGE	NASDAQ
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	FM	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	VEGI	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	FILL	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	PICK	Cboe BZX
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	EWM	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	EWY	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	EWT	NYSE Arca

The Prospectuses for the above-listed funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) are dated December 29, 2017, as amended and supplemented from time to time. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the applicable Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. The Financial Statements and Notes contained in the applicable Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report of the Company for the Funds are incorporated by reference into and are deemed to be part of this SAI. A copy of each Fund's Prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report may be obtained without charge by writing to the Company's distributor, BlackRock Investments, LLC (the “Distributor” or “BRIL”), 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or visiting www.iShares.com. Each Fund's Prospectus is incorporated by reference into this SAI.

References to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act” or the “1940 Act”), or other applicable law, will include any rules promulgated thereunder and any guidance, interpretations or modifications by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), SEC staff or other authority with appropriate jurisdiction, including court interpretations, and exemptive, no action or other relief or permission from the SEC, SEC staff or other authority.

iShares^® and BlackRock^® are registered trademarks of BlackRock Fund Advisors and its affiliates.

General Description of the Company and the Funds

The Company currently consists of more than 55 investment series or portfolios. The Company was organized as a Maryland corporation on September 1, 1994 and is authorized to have multiple series or portfolios. The Company is an open-end management investment company registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. The offering of the Company's shares is registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). This SAI relates to the following Funds:

•	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
•	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF
•	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF
•	iShares MSCI Brazil ETF¹
•	iShares MSCI BRIC ETF
•	iShares MSCI Chile ETF²
•	iShares MSCI Colombia ETF³
•	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF
•	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
•	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF
•	iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF
•	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF
•	iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF
•	iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF
•	iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF
•	iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF
•	iShares MSCI South Korea ETF⁴
•	iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF⁵

¹	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Brazil ETF.
²	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Chile Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Chile ETF.
³	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Colombia Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Colombia ETF.
⁴	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI South Korea Capped ETF to iShares MSCI South Korea ETF.
⁵	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Taiwan Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF.

Each Fund is managed by BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., and generally seeks to track the investment results of the specific benchmark index identified in the applicable Prospectus for that Fund (each, an “Underlying Index”).

Each Fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each, a “Creation Unit”), generally in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) included in its Underlying Index (the “Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on national securities exchanges such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“Cboe BZX”), The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“NASDAQ”) or NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) (each, a “Listing Exchange”). Shares of each Fund are traded in the secondary market and elsewhere at market prices that may be at, above or below the Fund's NAV. Shares are redeemable only in Creation Units by Authorized Participants (as defined in the Portfolio Holdings Information section of this SAI), and, generally, in exchange for portfolio securities and a Cash Amount (as defined in the Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI) (other than the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, which generally redeem Creation Units of their shares solely for cash). Creation Units typically are a specified number of shares, generally ranging from 50,000 to 600,000 shares or multiples thereof.

The Company reserves the right to permit or require that creations and redemptions of shares are effected fully or partially in cash and reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of cash. Shares may be issued in advance of receipt of Deposit Securities, subject to various conditions, including a requirement that the Authorized Participant maintain with the Company a cash deposit equal to at least 105% and up to 115%, which percentage BFA may change from time to time, of the market value of the omitted Deposit Securities. The Company may use such cash deposit at any time to purchase Deposit Securities. See the Creation and Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI. Transaction fees and other costs associated with creations or redemptions that include a cash portion may be higher than the transaction fees and other costs associated with in-kind creations or redemptions. In all cases, conditions with respect to creations and redemptions of shares and fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of SEC rules and regulations applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities.

Exchange Listing and Trading

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in each Fund is contained in the Shareholder Information section of each Fund's Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, that section of the applicable Prospectus.

Shares of each Fund are listed for trading, and trade throughout the day, on the applicable Listing Exchange and in other secondary markets. Shares of the Funds may also be listed on certain non-U.S. exchanges. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Listing Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of any Fund will continue to be met. The Listing Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of a Fund from listing if, among other things: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of Fund shares, there are fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial owners of shares of the Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days, (ii) the value of the Underlying Index on which a Fund is based is no longer calculated or available, or (iii) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Listing Exchange, makes further dealings on the Listing Exchange inadvisable. The Listing Exchange will also remove shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund or in the event a Fund does not comply with the continuous listing standards of the Listing Exchange, as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares of a Fund through a broker, you may incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker, as well as other charges.

In order to provide additional information regarding the indicative value of shares of the Funds, the Listing Exchange or a market data vendor disseminates information every 15 seconds through the facilities of the Consolidated Tape Association, or through other widely disseminated means, an updated indicative optimized portfolio value (“IOPV”) for the Funds as calculated by an information provider or market data vendor. The Company is not involved in or responsible for any aspect of the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the IOPV.

An IOPV has an equity securities component and a cash component. The equity securities values included in an IOPV are the values of the Deposit Securities for a Fund. While the IOPV reflects the current value of the Deposit Securities required to be deposited in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, it does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by the Fund at a particular point in time because the current portfolio of the Fund may include securities that are not a part of the current Deposit Securities. Therefore, a Fund’s IOPV disseminated during the Listing Exchange trading hours should not be viewed as a real-time update of the Fund’s NAV, which is calculated only once a day.

The cash component included in an IOPV consists of estimated accrued interest, dividends and other income, less expenses. If applicable, each IOPV also reflects changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the applicable currency.

The Company reserves the right to adjust the share prices of the Funds in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of the Funds or an investor's equity interest in the Funds.

Investment Strategies and Risks

Each of the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in securities issued by issuers that comprise its relevant Underlying Index and through transactions that provide substantially similar exposure to securities in the relevant Underlying Index.

Each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF seeks to achieve its objective by investing all its assets that are invested in Indian securities in a wholly-owned subsidiary located in the Republic of Mauritius (each, a “Subsidiary”). BFA serves as investment adviser to both the Funds and the Subsidiaries. Unless otherwise indicated, references made in this SAI to the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF refer to each Subsidiary and/or each Fund, as applicable. Each Fund operates as an index fund and is not actively managed. Adverse performance of a security in a Fund’s portfolio will ordinarily not result in the elimination of the security from the Fund’s portfolio.

Each Fund engages in representative sampling, which is investing in a sample of securities selected by BFA to have a collective investment profile similar to that of the Fund's Underlying Index. Securities selected have aggregate investment characteristics (based on market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability, earnings valuation and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. A fund that uses representative sampling generally does not hold all of the securities that are in its underlying index.

Although the Funds do not seek leveraged returns, certain instruments used by the Funds may have a leveraging effect as described below.

In order to permit investments by Chilean pension fund managers (Administradoras de Fondos de Pensions) (“Chilean fund managers”) in the iShares MSCI Chile ETF, the iShares MSCI Chile ETF expects to restrict investments in issuances by such Chilean fund managers. This may result in tracking error because the iShares MSCI Chile ETF may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the Underlying Index.

Borrowing. Each Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet payments due from redemptions or to facilitate the settlement of securities or other transactions. Under normal market conditions, any borrowing by a Fund (except for the iShares MSCI Colombia ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF) will not exceed 10% of the Fund’s net assets; however, each Fund (except for the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF and iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF) generally does not intend to borrow money. The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF and iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, along with certain other iShares funds, have entered into a line of credit with State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) that may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemption, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings.

The purchase of securities while borrowings are outstanding may have the effect of leveraging a Fund. The incurrence of leverage increases a Fund’s exposure to risk, and borrowed funds are subject to interest costs that will reduce net income. Purchasing securities while borrowings are outstanding creates special risks, such as the potential for greater volatility in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the yield on a Fund’s portfolio. In addition, the interest expenses from borrowings may exceed the income generated by a Fund’s portfolio and, therefore, the amount available (if any) for distribution to shareholders as dividends may be reduced. BFA may determine to maintain outstanding borrowings if it expects that the benefits to a Fund’s shareholders will outweigh the current reduced return.

Certain types of borrowings by a Fund must be made from a bank or may result in a Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements relating to asset coverage, portfolio composition requirements and other matters. It is not anticipated that observance of such covenants would impede BFA’s management of a Fund’s portfolio in accordance with a Fund’s investment objectives and policies. However, a breach of any such covenants not cured within the specified cure period may result in acceleration of outstanding indebtedness and require a Fund to dispose of portfolio investments at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

Currency Transactions. A foreign currency forward contract is an over-the-counter (“OTC”) obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days greater than two days from the date on which the contract is agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. A non-deliverable currency forward is an OTC currency forward settled in a specified currency, on a specified date, based on the difference between the agreed-upon exchange rate and the market exchange rate. A currency futures contract is a contract that trades on an organized futures exchange involving an obligation to deliver or acquire a specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Currency futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency. To the extent required by law, liquid assets committed to futures contracts will be maintained. The Funds do not expect to engage in currency transactions for the purpose of hedging against declines in the value of the Funds' assets that are denominated in a non-U.S. currency. A Fund may enter into non-U.S. currency forward and non-U.S. currency futures transactions to facilitate local securities settlements or to protect against currency exposure in connection with its distributions to shareholders, but may not enter into such contracts for speculative purposes.

Foreign exchange transactions involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which foreign exchange transactions are effected may be highly volatile, highly specialized and highly technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Foreign exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, counterparty risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in non-U.S. currency. If BFA utilizes foreign exchange transactions at an inappropriate time or judges market conditions, trends or correlations incorrectly, foreign exchange transactions may not serve their intended purpose of improving the correlation of a Fund's return with the performance of its Underlying Index and may lower the Fund’s return. Each Fund could experience losses if the value of its currency forwards, options or futures positions were poorly correlated with its other investments or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market or otherwise. In addition, a Fund could incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with certain non-U.S. currency transactions.

Diversification Status. The following table sets forth the diversification status of each Fund:

Diversified Funds		Non-Diversified Funds
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF		iShares MSCI Brazil ETF
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF		iShares MSCI Chile ETF
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF		iShares MSCI Colombia ETF
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF		iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF		iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF		iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF		iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF		iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF
		iShares MSCI South Korea ETF
		iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

A fund classified as “diversified” under the 1940 Act may not purchase securities of an issuer (other than (i) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities and (ii) securities of other investment companies) if, with respect to 75% of its total assets, (a) more than 5% of the fund’s total assets would be invested in securities of that issuer or (b) the fund would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer. With respect to the remaining 25% of its total assets, the fund may invest more than 5% of its assets in one issuer. Under the 1940 Act, a fund cannot change its classification from diversified to non-diversified without shareholder approval.

A “non-diversified” fund is a fund that is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. The securities of a particular issuer (or securities of issuers in particular industries) may constitute a significant percentage of the underlying index of such a fund and, consequently, the fund’s investment portfolio. This may adversely affect a fund’s performance or subject the fund’s shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by more diversified investment companies.

Each Fund (whether diversified or non-diversified) intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) for purposes of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and to relieve the Fund of any liability for U.S. federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders, provided that the Fund satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code may limit the investment flexibility of the Funds and may make it less likely that the Funds will meet their respective investment objectives.

Futures, Options on Futures and Securities Options. Futures contracts, options on futures and securities options may be used by a Fund to simulate investment in its Underlying Index, to facilitate trading or to reduce transaction costs. Each Fund may enter into futures contracts and options on futures that are traded on a U.S. or non-U.S. futures exchange. Each Fund will not use futures, options on futures or securities options for speculative purposes. Each Fund intends to use futures and options on futures in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) promulgated under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). BFA, with respect to certain Funds, has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that BFA, in respect of such Funds, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA. See the Regulation Regarding Derivatives section of this SAI for more information.

Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific instrument or index at a specified future time and at a specified price. Stock index contracts are based on investments that reflect the market value of common stock of the firms included in the investments. Each Fund may enter into futures contracts to purchase securities indexes when BFA anticipates purchasing the underlying securities and believes prices will rise before the purchase will be made. Upon entering into a futures contract, a Fund will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents known as “initial margin,” which is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to the Fund upon termination of the futures contract if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” will be made to and from the broker daily as the price of the instrument or index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, each Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract. To the extent required by law, each Fund will segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to its delivery obligations under the futures contracts. An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with a direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, but no obligation, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of each Fund. The potential for loss related to writing call options is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited to the agreed-upon price per share, also known as the “strike price,” less the premium received from writing the put. Certain of the Funds may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on an exchange as a hedge against changes in value of their portfolio securities or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

option pays the “writer” a premium, which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. Each Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. Each Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities it holds or is committed to purchase. Each Fund may purchase or sell securities options on a U.S. or non-U.S. securities exchange or in the OTC market through a transaction with a dealer. Options on a securities index are typically settled on a net basis based on the appreciation or depreciation of the index level over the strike price. Options on single name securities may be cash- or physically-settled, depending upon the market in which they are traded. Options may be structured so as to be exercisable only on certain dates or on a daily basis. Options may also be structured to have conditions to exercise (i.e., “Knock-in Events”) or conditions that trigger termination (i.e., “Knock-out Events”). Investments in futures contracts and other investments that contain leverage may require each Fund to maintain liquid assets in an amount equal to its delivery obligations under these contracts and other investments. Generally, each Fund maintains an amount of liquid assets equal to its obligations relative to the position involved, adjusted daily on a marked-to-market basis. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” each Fund maintains liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market obligation (i.e., each Fund’s daily net liability, if any), rather than the contracts’ notional value (i.e., the value of the underlying asset). By maintaining assets equal to its net obligation under cash-settled futures contracts, each Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to set aside assets equal to the futures contracts’ full notional value. Each Fund bases its asset maintenance policies on methods permitted by the SEC and its staff and may modify these policies in the future to comply with any changes in the guidance articulated from time to time by the SEC or its staff. Changes in SEC guidance regarding the use of derivatives by registered investment companies may adversely impact a Fund’s ability to invest in futures, options or other derivatives or make investments in such instruments more expensive.

Illiquid Securities. Each Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). Illiquid securities may include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets, as determined in accordance with SEC staff guidance. The liquidity of a security relates to the ability to readily dispose of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be lower than the price that would be obtained for a comparable, more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid securities and a Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

Lending Portfolio Securities. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain borrowers that BFA determines to be creditworthy, including borrowers affiliated with BFA. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. No securities loan shall be made on behalf of a Fund if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loaned by the particular Fund exceeds one-third of the value of such Fund's total assets (including the value of the collateral received). A Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. Each Fund receives, by way of substitute payment, the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities that it would have received if the securities were not on loan.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower may be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Funds are typically compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, a Fund is typically compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of each lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, including those affiliated with BFA; such investments are subject to investment risk.

Each Fund conducts its securities lending pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC permitting it to lend portfolio securities to borrowers affiliated with the Fund and to retain an affiliate of the Fund to act as securities lending agent. To the extent that a Fund engages in securities lending, BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”) acts as securities lending agent for the Fund, subject to the overall supervision of BFA. BTC administers the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the Company's Board of Directors (the “Board” or the “Directors”).

or in recovering the loaned securities, or to a possible loss of rights in the collateral. In the event a borrower does not return a Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated, plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities. This event could trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund. A Fund could lose money if its short-term investment of the collateral declines in value over the period of the loan. Substitute payments for dividends received by a Fund for securities loaned out by the Fund will not be considered qualified dividend income. BTC will take into account the tax effects on shareholders caused by this difference in connection with a Fund’s securities lending program. Substitute payments received on tax-exempt securities loaned out will not be tax-exempt income.

Non-U.S. Securities. Each Fund intends to purchase publicly-traded common stocks of non-U.S. issuers. To the extent a Fund invests in stocks of non-U.S. issuers, the Fund's investments in such stocks may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) (collectively, “depositary receipts”). Depositary receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust issuer, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. ADRs typically are issued by an American bank or trust company and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs, which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts, are receipts issued in Europe, typically by foreign banks and trust companies, that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic underlying securities. GDRs are depositary receipts structured like global debt issues to facilitate trading on an international basis. Generally, ADRs, issued in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, issued in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the U.S. and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.

The Funds will not invest in any unlisted depositary receipt or any depositary receipt that BFA deems illiquid at the time of purchase or for which pricing information is not readily available. In general, depositary receipts must be sponsored, but a Fund may invest in unsponsored depositary receipts under certain limited circumstances.

Depositary receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into which they may be converted. In addition to investment risks associated with the underlying issuer, depository receipts expose a Fund to additional risks associated with the non-uniform terms that apply to depository receipt programs, credit exposure to the depository bank and to the sponsors and other parties with whom the depository bank establishes the programs, currency risk and liquidity risk. Unsponsored programs, which are not sanctioned by the issuer of the underlying common stock, generally expose investors to greater risks than sponsored programs and do not provide holders with many of the shareholder benefits that come from investing in a sponsored depository receipts.

Investing in the securities of non-U.S. issuers involves special risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. issuers. These include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations; political instability, which could affect U.S. investments in non-U.S. countries; and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital. Non-U.S. issuers may be subject to less governmental regulation than U.S. issuers. Moreover, individual non-U.S. economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product (“GDP”), rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payment positions.

Regulation Regarding Derivatives. The CFTC subjects advisors to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if a fund that is advised by the advisor either (i) invests, directly or indirectly, more than a prescribed level of its liquidation value in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps (“CFTC Derivatives”), or (ii) markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The CFTC also subjects advisors to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if the registered investment company invests in one or more commodity pools. To the extent a Fund uses CFTC Derivatives, it intends to do so below such prescribed levels and intends not to market itself as a “commodity pool” or a vehicle for trading such instruments.

BFA has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA with respect to the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF. BFA is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA with respect to the Funds.

The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF and iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF (the “No-Action Letter Funds”) may also have investments in “underlying funds” (and such underlying funds themselves may invest in underlying funds) not advised by BFA (which for purposes of the no-action letter referenced below may include certain securitized vehicles, mortgage real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and/or investment companies that may invest in CFTC Derivatives), and therefore may be viewed by the CFTC as commodity pools. BFA has no transparency into the holdings of these underlying funds because they are not advised by BFA. To address this issue of lack of transparency, the CFTC staff issued a no-action letter on November 29, 2012 permitting the adviser of a fund that invests in such underlying funds and that would otherwise have filed a claim of exclusion pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 to delay registration as a “commodity pool operator” until six months from the date on which the CFTC issues additional guidance on the treatment of CFTC Derivatives held by underlying funds. BFA, the adviser of the No-Action Letter Funds, has filed a claim with the CFTC for such Funds to rely on this no-action relief. Accordingly, BFA is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of such Funds.

Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards, and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Swaps, non-deliverable forwards and certain other derivatives traded in the OTC market are subject to variation margin requirements, and initial margining requirements will be phased in through 2020. Implementation of the margining and other provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading, reporting and documentation of swaps and other derivatives have impacted and may continue to impact the costs to a Fund of trading these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in such Fund.

As a result of regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act, each Fund is required to maintain an amount of liquid assets, accrued on a daily basis, having an aggregate value at least equal to the value of a Fund’s obligations under the applicable derivatives contract. To the extent that derivatives contracts are settled on a physical basis, a Fund will generally be required to maintain an amount of liquid assets equal to the notional value of the contract. On the other hand, in connection with derivatives contracts that are performed on a net basis, a Fund will generally be required to maintain liquid assets, accrued daily, equal only to the accrued excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over those of its counterparty under the contract. Accordingly, reliance by a Fund on physically-settled derivatives contracts may adversely impact investors by requiring a Fund to set aside a greater amount of liquid assets than would generally be required if a Fund were relying on cash-settled derivatives contracts.

Repurchase Agreements. A repurchase agreement is an instrument under which the purchaser (i.e., a Fund) acquires the security and the seller agrees, at the time of the sale, to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed-upon time and price, thereby determining the yield during the purchaser’s holding period. Repurchase agreements may be construed to be collateralized loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser. If a repurchase agreement is construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities will not be considered to be owned by a Fund but only to constitute collateral for the seller’s obligation to pay the repurchase price, and, in the event of a default by the seller, the Fund may suffer time delays and incur costs or losses in connection with the disposition of the collateral.

In any repurchase transaction, the collateral for a repurchase agreement may include: (i) cash items; (ii) obligations issued by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities; or (iii) obligations that, at the time the repurchase agreement is entered into, are determined to (A) have exceptionally strong capacity to meet their financial obligations and (B) are sufficiently liquid such that they can be sold at approximately their carrying value in the ordinary course of business within seven days.

Repurchase agreements pose certain risks for a Fund that utilizes them. Such risks are not unique to the Funds, but are inherent in repurchase agreements. The Funds seek to minimize such risks, but because of the inherent legal uncertainties involved in repurchase agreements, such risks cannot be eliminated. Lower quality collateral and collateral with a longer maturity may be subject to greater price fluctuations than higher quality collateral and collateral with a shorter maturity. If the repurchase agreement counterparty were to default, lower quality collateral may be more difficult to liquidate than higher quality collateral. Should the counterparty default and the amount of collateral not be sufficient to cover the counterparty’s repurchase obligation, a Fund would likely retain the status of an unsecured creditor of the counterparty (i.e., the position a Fund would normally be in if it were to hold, pursuant to its investment policies, other unsecured debt securities of the defaulting counterparty) with respect to the amount of the shortfall. As an unsecured creditor, a Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of securities with an agreement to repurchase the securities at an agreed-upon price, date and interest payment and have the characteristics of borrowing. Generally, the effect of such transactions is that a Fund can recover all or most of the cash invested in the portfolio securities involved during the term of the reverse repurchase agreement, while in many cases the Fund is able to keep some of the interest income associated with those securities. Such transactions are advantageous only if a Fund has an opportunity to earn a rate of interest on the cash derived from these transactions that is greater than the interest cost of obtaining the same amount of cash. Opportunities to realize earnings from the use of the proceeds equal to or greater than the interest required to be paid may not always be available, and a Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when BFA believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any increase or decrease in the value of a Fund’s assets. A Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than the Fund’s obligations under such commitments. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form of leverage, and the proceeds obtained by a Fund through reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in additional securities.

Securities of Investment Companies. Each Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds) and REITs to the extent permitted by law. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund’s investment in registered investment companies is generally limited to, subject to certain exceptions: (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company; (ii) 5% of a Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company; and (iii) 10% of a Fund’s total assets with respect to investment companies in the aggregate. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, each Fund intends from time to time to invest its assets in the securities of investment companies, including, but not limited to, money market funds, including those advised by or otherwise affiliated with BFA, in excess of the general limits discussed above. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, in order to improve its portfolio liquidity and its ability to track the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, may invest up to 10% of its assets in shares of other iShares funds that invest in securities in the MSCI Emerging Markets ETF. BFA will not charge advisory fees on that portion of the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF's assets invested in shares of other iShares funds. Other investment companies in which a Fund may invest can be expected to incur fees and expenses for operations, such as investment advisory and administration fees, which would be in addition to those incurred by the Fund. Pursuant to guidance issued by the SEC staff, fees and expenses of money market funds used for cash collateral received in connection with loans of securities are not treated as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which reflect a Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred by investing in other investment companies (as disclosed in the Prospectus, as applicable).

Short-Term Instruments and Temporary Investments. Each Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include, but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds (including those advised by BFA or otherwise affiliated with BFA); (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, fixed-time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks (including non-U.S. branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated, at the date of purchase, “Prime-1” by Moody's^® Investors Service, Inc., “F-1” by Fitch Ratings, Inc., or “A-1” by Standard & Poor's^® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global, Inc., or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by BFA; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; (vi) repurchase agreements; and (vii) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of non-U.S. banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of BFA, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks that may be purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

Swap Agreements. Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make periodic payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements will usually be performed on a net basis, with a Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of liquid assets having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained by the Fund.

The Funds may enter into currency, interest rate or index swaps. The use of currency, interest rate and index swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets.

Tracking Stocks. A tracking stock is a separate class of common stock whose value is linked to a specific business unit or operating division within a larger company and is designed to “track” the performance of such business unit or division. The tracking stock may pay dividends to shareholders independent of the parent company. The parent company, rather than the business unit or division, generally is the issuer of tracking stock. However, holders of the tracking stock may not have the same rights as holders of the company’s common stock.

Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize each Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments, other than those listed in this SAI and in the applicable Prospectuses, provided they are consistent with each Fund's investment objective and do not violate any of its investment restrictions or policies.

General Considerations and Risks

A discussion of some of the principal risks associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the applicable Prospectus.

An investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of stocks in general, and other factors that affect the market.

Assets Under Management (AUM) Risk. From time to time, an Authorized Participant, a third-party investor, a Fund’s adviser or an affiliate of a Fund’s adviser, or a fund may invest in the Fund and hold its investment for a specific period of time in order to facilitate commencement of a Fund’s operations or to allow a Fund to achieve size or scale. There can be no assurance that any such entity would not redeem its investment or that the size of a Fund would be maintained at such levels, which could negatively impact a Fund.

Borrowing Risk. Borrowing may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Fund shares and in the return on a Fund’s portfolio. Borrowing will cost a Fund interest expense and other fees. The costs of borrowing may reduce a Fund’s return. Borrowing may cause a Fund to liquidate positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations.

Commodities Investment Risk. Exposure to commodities markets may subject a Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The commodities markets have experienced periods of extreme volatility. Similar future market conditions may result in rapid and substantial valuation increases or decreases in a Fund’s holdings.

The commodities markets may fluctuate widely based on a variety of factors. Movements in commodity investment prices are outside of a Fund's control and may not be anticipated by BFA. Price movements may be influenced by, among other things: governmental, agricultural, trade, fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs and policies; changing market and economic conditions; market liquidity; weather and climate conditions, including droughts and floods; livestock disease; changing supply and demand relationships and levels of domestic production and imported commodities; changes in storage costs; the availability of local, intrastate and interstate transportation systems; energy conservation; the success of exploration projects; changes in international balances of payments and trade; domestic and foreign rates of inflation; currency devaluations and revaluations; domestic and foreign political and economic events; domestic and foreign interest rates and/or investor expectations concerning interest rates; foreign currency/exchange rates; domestic and foreign governmental regulation and taxation; war, acts of terrorism and other political upheaval and conflicts; governmental expropriation; investment and trading activities of mutual funds, hedge funds and commodities funds; and changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted.

The prices of commodities can also fluctuate widely due to supply and demand disruptions in major producing or consuming regions. Certain commodities or natural resources may be produced in a limited number of countries and may be controlled by a small number of producers or groups of producers. As a result, political, economic, regulatory and supply-related events in such countries could have a disproportionate impact on the prices of such commodities.

or commodity-related company that devotes a portion of its business to that commodity. Production declines and volume decreases could be caused by various factors, including catastrophic events affecting production, depletion of resources, labor difficulties, environmental proceedings, increased regulations, equipment failures and unexpected maintenance problems, import supply disruption, governmental expropriation, political upheaval or conflicts or increased competition from alternative energy sources or commodity prices. Agricultural commodities may be adversely affected by weather or other natural phenomena, such as drought, floods and pests.

A sustained decline in demand for such commodities could also adversely affect the financial performance of commodity-related companies. Factors that could lead to a decline in demand include economic recession or other adverse economic conditions, higher taxes on commodities or increased governmental regulations, increases in fuel economy, consumer shifts to the use of alternative commodities or fuel sources, changes in commodity prices, or weather.

The commodity markets are subject to temporary distortions and other disruptions due to, among other factors, lack of liquidity, the participation of speculators, and government regulation and other actions. U.S. futures exchanges and some foreign exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation in futures contract prices which may occur in a single business day (generally referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits”). The maximum or minimum price of a contract as a result of these limits is referred to as a “limit price.” If the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made beyond the limit price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices.

Custody Risk. Custody risk refers to the risks inherent in the process of clearing and settling trades and to the holding of securities, cash and other assets by local banks, agents and depositories. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets make trades harder to complete and settle, and governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that may not be subject to independent evaluation. Local agents are held only to the standards of care of their local markets, and thus may be subject to limited or no government oversight. Communications between the U.S. and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. In general, the less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of custody problems. Practices in relation to the settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because of the use of brokers and counterparties that are often less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence or undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being lost. In addition, the laws of certain countries may put limits on a Fund’s ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or an agent of any of the foregoing goes bankrupt. A Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such custody problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.

Dividend Risk. There is no guarantee that issuers of the stocks held by a Fund will declare dividends in the future or that, if declared, they will either remain at current levels or increase over time.

Liquidity Risk Management Rule Risk. In October 2016, the SEC adopted a liquidity risk management rule requiring open-end funds, including exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) such as the Funds, to establish a liquidity risk management program and enhance disclosures regarding fund liquidity. There are exclusions from certain portions of the liquidity risk management program requirements for “in-kind” ETFs . The Funds will be required to comply with the rule by December 1, 2018. The effect the rule will have on the Funds, including a Fund’s ability to rely on the exclusions, is not yet known, but the rule may impact a Fund’s performance and ability to achieve its investment objective.

National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that the underlying securities held by a Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the securities exchange on which a Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security (i.e., a Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market). These deviations may result in premiums or discounts to a Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other ETFs.

service providers, seeks to ensure that service providers take appropriate precautions to avoid and mitigate risks that could lead to disruptions and operating errors. However, it is not possible for BFA or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

Risk of Derivatives. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, such as a security, a commodity (such as gold or silver), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500^® or the prime lending rate). A Fund may invest in stock index futures contracts, securities options and other derivatives. Compared to conventional securities, derivatives can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices and thus a Fund’s losses may be greater if it invests in derivatives than if it invests only in conventional securities. Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. Derivatives generally involve the incurrence of leverage. To address such leverage and to prevent a Fund from being deemed to have issued senior securities as a result of an investment in derivatives, such Fund will segregate liquid assets equal to its obligations under the derivatives throughout the life of the investment.

Risk of Equity Securities. An investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding of the risks inherent in an investment in equity securities, including the risk that the financial condition of issuers may become impaired or that the general condition of stock markets may deteriorate (either of which may cause a decrease in the value of the portfolio securities and thus in the value of shares of the Fund). Common stocks are susceptible to general stock market fluctuations and to increases and decreases in value as market confidence and perceptions of their issuers change. These investor perceptions are based on various and unpredictable factors, including expectations regarding government, economic, monetary and fiscal policies, inflation and interest rates, economic expansion or contraction, and global or regional political, economic or banking crises. Holders of common stocks incur more risks than holders of preferred stocks and debt obligations because common stockholders generally have rights to receive payments from stock issuers that are inferior to the rights of creditors, or holders of debt obligations or preferred stocks. Further, unlike debt securities, which typically have a stated principal amount payable at maturity (the value of which, however, is subject to market fluctuations prior to maturity), or preferred stocks, which typically have a liquidation preference and which may have stated optional or mandatory redemption provisions, common stocks have neither a fixed principal amount nor a maturity date. In addition, issuers may, in times of distress or at their own discretion, decide to reduce or eliminate dividends, which may also cause their stock price to decline.

Although most of the securities in each Underlying Index are listed on a securities exchange, the principal trading market for some of the securities may be in the OTC market. The existence of a liquid trading market for certain securities may depend on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of a Fund’s shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

Risk of Futures and Options on Futures Transactions. There are several risks accompanying the utilization of futures contracts and options on futures contracts. A position in futures contracts and options on futures contracts may be closed only on the exchange on which the contract was made (or a linked exchange). While each Fund plans to utilize futures contracts only if an active market exists for such contracts, there is no guarantee that a liquid market will exist for the contract at a specified time. Futures contracts, by definition, project price levels in the future and not current levels of valuation; therefore, market circumstances may result in a discrepancy between the price of the stock index future and the movement in a Fund's Underlying Index. In the event of adverse price movements, a Fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, a Fund may be required to deliver the instruments underlying the futures contracts it has sold.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Funds do not plan to use futures and options contracts in this way. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The Funds, however, intend to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit their risk exposure to levels comparable to a direct investment in the types of stocks in which they invest.

Utilization of futures and options on futures by a Fund involves the risk of imperfect or even negative correlation to its Underlying Index if the index underlying the futures contract differs from the Underlying Index. There is also the risk of loss of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom a Fund has an open position in the futures contract or option. The purchase of put or call options will be based upon predictions by BFA as to anticipated trends, which predictions could prove to be incorrect.

Because the futures market generally imposes less burdensome margin requirements than the securities market, an increased amount of participation by speculators in the futures market could result in price fluctuations. Certain financial futures exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in futures contract prices during a single trading day. The daily limit establishes the maximum amount by which the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day’s settlement price at the end of a trading session. Once the daily limit has been reached in a particular type of contract, no trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. It is possible that futures contract prices could move to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of futures positions and subjecting each Fund to substantial losses. In the event of adverse price movements, each Fund would be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin.

Risk of Investing in Non-U.S. Equity Securities. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in portfolios of equity securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments in those foreign countries, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by issuers domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor’s local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country’s currency. These considerations include favorable or unfavorable changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations and the costs that may be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. Investing in any of the Funds also involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in a fund whose portfolio contains exclusively securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets; generally greater price volatility; less publicly available information about issuers; the imposition of withholding or other taxes; the imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of funds or other assets of the Funds; restrictions on ownership of Indian and other foreign countries' securities by foreign entities; higher transaction and custody costs; delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures; difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; lower liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization; different accounting and disclosure standards; lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; more substantial government interference with the economy and businesses; higher rates of inflation; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty; the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets; and the risk of war.

Risk of Swap Agreements. The risk of loss with respect to swaps is generally limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund is contractually obligated to make. Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, a Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect such Fund’s rights as a creditor (e.g., a Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive).

A Fund is required to post and collect variation margin (comprised of specified liquid securities subject to haircuts) in connection with trading of OTC swaps. Implementation of regulations requiring posting of initial margin is being phased in through 2020. These requirements may raise the costs for a Fund’s investment in swaps.

Securities Lending Risk. A Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that a Fund may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. A Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund.

Treaty/Tax Risk. Each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF operate, in part, through the Subsidiaries, which in turn invest in securities of Indian issuers. The Subsidiaries should be eligible to take advantage of the benefits of the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement between India and Mauritius (“DTAA”) in relation to investments in shares made until March 31, 2017. Numerous investors have relied on the benefits of the DTAA to invest in India through Mauritius in the past.

An investor is required to submit the tax residency certificate (“TRC”) as issued in the country of residence and provide other documents and information as prescribed by the Government of India to claim benefits under the DTAA.

India and Mauritius signed a protocol (“Protocol”) amending the double tax avoidance arrangement between the two countries (India Mauritius DTAA) on May 10, 2016. The Protocol gives India the right to tax capital gains that arise from alienation of shares of an Indian company acquired by a Mauritian tax resident. However, the Protocol provides for grandfathering of investments in shares made before April 1, 2017. Returns from investments in shares made on or after April 1, 2017 are subject to capital gains tax in India, although the Protocol introduces a limitation of benefits provision which shall be a prerequisite for a reduced rate of tax (50% of domestic tax rate) on capital gains arising during a two year transition period from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019. The Protocol is now in effect, which could result in the imposition of withholding and capital gains taxes and/or other taxes on the Subsidiaries by tax authorities in India. This could significantly reduce the return to each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF on its investments in shares and the return received by each Fund’s shareholders.

Criteria for Residence of Companies in India.

A foreign company will be considered a resident in India if its place of effective management (“POEM”) (defined as a place where key management and commercial decisions that are necessary for the conduct of the business of an entity as a whole are in substance made) is in India in the relevant financial year. This test is to be applied taking the relevant financial year as a whole into consideration. The POEM test is introduced as the criteria for determining tax residence of companies established outside India. The POEM test is presently in effect starting April 1, 2016 (FY 2016-17). The CBDT has also issued final guidelines for determination of POEM of a company established outside India through Circular No. 6 of 2017 (“Guidelines”). Guidelines provide that the test will be fact-based, and also provide separate tests for companies engaged in active business outside India, and other companies. CBDT vide circular issued on February 23, 2017 clarified that the provisions of POEM shall not apply to a company having turnover of INR 500 million or less in a year.

Indirect Transfers.

The Income Tax Act, 1961 (“IT Act”) imposes Indian tax and withholding obligations with respect to the transfer of shares and interest in an overseas company that derives its value substantially from assets situated in India (“indirect transfers”). It has been clarified that Indian tax authorities will not reopen any assessment proceedings that were completed before April 1, 2012 and where no notice for reassessment has been issued prior to that date. It has also been clarified that any assessment or any other order which stands validated due to the amendments in the Finance Act would be enforced. Given this clarification issued by the CBDT, the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF do not expect that their respective shareholders or each Fund will become subject to tax or to withholding obligations with respect to completed assessments.

It has been clarified that the share or interest of the foreign entity shall be deemed to derive its value substantially from the assets located in India, if the value of such Indian assets exceeds INR 100 million, and represents at least 50% of the value of all the assets owned by the foreign entity. The value of an asset shall be the fair market value as of the specified date, of such an asset without reduction of liabilities. The fair market value will be determined in accordance with the final rules ratified on June 28, 2016. It has also been provided that where all the assets of the foreign entity are not located in India, only such part of the income as is reasonably attributable to the Indian assets shall be subject to capital gains tax in India. The indirect transfer shall not be applicable in following cases:

•

With respect to a foreign entity that holds the Indian assets directly, if the transferor of share or interest in such a foreign entity (along with its associated enterprises), at any time in the twelve months preceding the year of transfer neither holds the right of control or management in the foreign entity, nor holds voting power or share capital or interest exceeding 5% of the total voting power or total share capital or total interest in such foreign entity.

•

power or share capital or interest exceeding 5% of the total voting power or total share capital or total interest in the foreign entity, which results in holding the same share capital or voting power in the entity which directly holds the Indian assets.

If the gains arising from transfer of share or interest in a foreign entity are taxable in India in accordance with the aforementioned provisions of indirect transfer, the purchaser of the securities will be required to withhold applicable Indian taxes.

Gains realized when a non-resident acquires shares of a foreign company from another non-resident and the foreign company derives “substantial value” from Indian assets, (meaning that the value of Indian assets (i) exceeds INR 100 million, and (ii) represents at least 50% of the value of the company’s assets), such gains are taxable in India and subject to withholding, to the extent that they are reasonably attributable to the Indian assets.

Because the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF invest in Indian securities through the Subsidiaries, the Subsidiaries or the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF may be considered to derive “substantial value” from Indian assets. Accordingly, shareholder redemptions of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF shares and sales of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF shares may have been subject to Indian tax and withholding obligations. However, through Finance Act 2017 (“FA 2017”), the government had introduced an exemption to shareholders in Category I and Category II foreign portfolio investors (“FPI”) from the applicability of indirect transfer taxation. The Subsidiary is a Category II FPI. Therefore, any redemptions or transfers by the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF or the shareholders in the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF should not be subject to Indian indirect transfer tax.

FA 2017 provides that aforesaid indirect transfer provisions will not apply to foreign investors making an investment directly or indirectly in a Securities and Exchange Board of India (“SEBI”) registered Category I and Category II foreign portfolio investor. This provision is applicable from April 1, 2014 (FY 2014-15).

General Anti-Avoidance Rules.

The current legislation provides for the general anti-avoidance rules (“GAAR”) to curb aggressive tax planning with the use of sophisticated structures. GAAR became applicable with effect from April 1, 2017. Further, transactions undertaken and investments in shares made up until March 31, 2017 are exempted from the applicability of GAAR. CBDT issued Circular No. 7 of 2017 (“GAAR Circular”) providing clarifications on implementation of GAAR by way of responses to queries raised by various stakeholders in the context of its applicability. The GAAR Circular specifically provides where a FPI (such as the Subsidiaries) is located in a particular jurisdiction based on non-tax commercial reasons and the main purpose of the choice of location/residence of the FPI is not to obtain a treaty benefit, the GAAR provisions will not be resorted to by the tax authorities.

As per the provisions of GAAR, an arrangement entered into by a taxpayer may be declared to be an impermissible avoidance arrangement, if the “main purpose” of the arrangement is to obtain a “tax benefit” and the arrangement:

•	creates rights, or obligations, which are not ordinarily created between persons dealing at arm's length;
•	results, directly or indirectly, in the misuse, or abuse, of the provisions of IT Act;
•	lacks commercial substance; or
•	is entered into, or carried out, by means, or in a manner, which are not ordinarily employed for bona fide purposes.

Once an arrangement is declared to be an impermissible avoidance arrangement, wide powers have been granted to tax authorities to deny tax treaty benefits, disregard or re-characterize transactions, re-characterize equity into debt and vice versa.

As per the provisions of Indian Income Tax Rules, 1962 (“IT Rules”), GAAR shall not apply in the following circumstances:

•	any arrangement where the aggregate tax benefit to all the parties of the arrangement in the relevant financial year does not exceed INR 30 Million;
•	foreign institutional investors (“FIIs”) that choose not to take any benefit under any tax treaty entered with India and has invested in listed or unlisted securities with prior permission of the competent authority in accordance with the applicable regulations;
•	non-resident investor in an FII who has invested in an FII, directly or indirectly, by way of an offshore derivative instrument or otherwise; or
•	any income derived from the transfer of shares or interests made prior to April 1, 2017.

GAAR may, irrespective of existing treaty provisions, lead to the imposition of tax liabilities and withholding obligations, and may lead each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF to modify the structure.

Indian Minimum Alternate Tax.

The FA 2016 inserted a provision in the IT Act which states that Minimum Alternate Tax (“MAT”) is not applicable on foreign company where the foreign company is a resident of a country with which India has signed a DTAA and the foreign company does not have a permanent establishment in India in accordance with such DTAA. This provision is applicable in case of foreign company with retrospective effect from April 1, 2001.

Recent amendments to the DTAA and GAAR could change the manner in which Subsidiaries are currently taxed in India and could adversely impact the returns to each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF/Subsidiaries and their shareholders. Each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF will continue to monitor developments in India with respect to these matters. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to their own tax situations and the tax consequences of an investment in each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF.

Volatility Risk. The value of the securities in each Fund's portfolio may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The value of a security may fluctuate due to factors affecting markets generally or particular industries. This volatility may affect the Funds' NAV. Although certain of the Underlying Indexes were created to seek lower absolute volatility, there is no guarantee that these strategies will be successful. The Index Provider may be unsuccessful in creating an index that minimizes volatility, and there is a risk that the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF and iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF may experience more than minimum volatility. Securities in the Funds' portfolios may be subject to price volatility and their prices may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. Events or financial circumstances affecting individual securities or sectors may increase the volatility of the Funds.

Risk of Investing in Large-Capitalization Companies. Large-capitalization companies may be less able than smaller capitalization companies to adapt to changing market conditions. Large-capitalization companies may be more mature and subject to more limited growth potential compared with smaller capitalization companies. Over certain periods, the performance of large-capitalization companies has trailed the performance of overall markets.

turns or rising credit costs than larger, more established companies. Share prices of micro-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies and therefore a Fund’s share price may be more volatile than the share prices of funds that invest a larger percentage of assets in shares issued by small-, mid-, or large-capitalization companies. The shares of micro-capitalization companies may be thinly traded and may be at risk for delisting from a securities exchange, making it difficult for a Fund to buy and sell shares of a particular micro-capitalization company. In addition, there may be less public information available about these companies.

Risk of Investing in Mid-Capitalization Companies. Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of large-capitalization companies, and, therefore, a Fund’s share price may be more volatile than that of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large-capitalization companies. Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies are also more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization companies to adverse business or economic developments, and the stocks of mid-capitalization companies may be less liquid, making it more difficult for the Funds to buy and sell them. In addition, mid-capitalization companies generally have less diverse product lines than large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products.

Risk of Investing in Small-Capitalization Companies. Stock prices of small-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies, and, therefore, a Fund's share price may be more volatile than that of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies. Stock prices of small-capitalization companies are generally more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization or mid-capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments. The stocks of small-capitalization companies may be thinly traded, making it difficult for the Funds to buy and sell them. In addition, small-capitalization companies are typically less financially stable than larger, more established companies and may depend on a small number of essential personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of personnel. Small-capitalization companies also normally have less diverse product lines than large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments concerning their products.

Risk of Investing in Africa. Investments in securities of issuers in certain African countries involve heightened risks including, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict, civil war, and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socio-economic unrest and, in certain countries, genocidal warfare.

Certain countries in Africa generally have less developed capital markets than traditional emerging market countries, and, consequently, the risks of investing in foreign securities are magnified in such countries. Because securities markets of countries in Africa are generally underdeveloped and are generally less correlated to global economic cycles than those markets located in more developed countries, securities markets in African countries are subject to greater risks associated with market volatility, lower market capitalization, lower trading volume, illiquidity, inflation, greater price fluctuations and uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets. Moreover, trading on African securities markets may be suspended altogether.

Market volatility may also be heightened by the actions of a small number of investors. Brokerage firms in certain countries in Africa may be fewer in number and less established than brokerage firms in more developed markets. Since a Fund may need to effect securities transactions through these brokerage firms, the Fund is subject to the risk that these brokerage firms will not be able to fulfill their obligations to the Fund (i.e., counterparty risk). This risk is magnified to the extent that a Fund effects securities transactions through a single brokerage firm or a small number of brokerage firms.

Certain governments in African countries restrict or control to varying degrees the ability of foreign investors to invest in securities of issuers located or operating in those countries. Moreover, certain countries in Africa require governmental approval or special licenses prior to investment by foreign investors and may limit the amount of investment by foreign investors in a particular industry and/or issuer, and may limit such foreign investment to a certain class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domestic investors of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. A delay in obtaining a government approval or a license would delay investments in a particular country, and, as a result, a Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities while approval is pending. The government of a particular country may also withdraw or decline to renew a license that enables a Fund to invest in such country. These factors make investing in issuers located or operating in countries in Africa significantly riskier than investing in issuers located or operating in more developed countries, and any one of these factors could cause a decline in the value of a Fund’s investments. Issuers located or operating in countries in Africa are generally not subject to the same rules and regulations as issuers located or operating in more developed countries. Therefore, there may be less

financial and other information publicly available with regard to issuers located or operating in countries in Africa and such issuers are generally not subject to the uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards applicable to issuers located or operating in more developed countries.

In addition, governments of certain countries in Africa in which a Fund may invest may levy withholding or other taxes on income such as dividends, interest and realized capital gains. Although in certain countries in Africa a portion of these taxes are recoverable, the non-recovered portion of foreign withholding taxes will reduce the income received from investments in such countries.

Investment in countries in Africa may be subject to a greater degree of risk associated with governmental approval in connection with the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. In addition, there is the risk that if an African country’s balance of payments declines, such African country may impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. Consequently, a Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. Additionally, investments in countries in Africa may require a Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local government approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.

Securities laws in many countries in Africa are relatively new and unsettled and, consequently, there is a risk of rapid and unpredictable change in laws regarding foreign investment, securities regulation, title to securities and shareholder rights. Accordingly, foreign investors may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. In addition, there may be no single centralized securities exchange on which securities are traded in certain countries in Africa and the systems of corporate governance to which issuers located in countries in Africa are subject may be less advanced than those systems to which issuers located in more developed countries are subject, and, therefore, shareholders of issuers located in such countries may not receive many of the protections available to shareholders of issuers located in more developed countries. Even in circumstances where adequate laws and shareholder rights exist, it may not be possible to obtain swift and equitable enforcement of the law. In addition, the enforcement of systems of taxation at federal, regional and local levels in countries in Africa may be inconsistent and subject to sudden change.

Certain countries in Africa may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely affected by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. Certain countries in Africa depend to a significant extent upon exports of primary commodities such as gold, silver, copper and diamonds. These countries therefore are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices, which may be affected by a variety of factors. In addition, certain issuers located in countries in Africa in which a Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

The governments of certain countries in Africa may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in such countries, which could have a negative impact on private sector companies. There is also the possibility of diplomatic developments that could adversely affect investments in certain countries in Africa. Some countries in Africa may be affected by a greater degree of public corruption and crime, including organized crime.

Recent political instability and protests in North Africa and the Middle East have caused significant disruptions to many industries. In addition, the outbreak of Ebola in Western Africa severely challenged health care industries in those countries and adversely impacted the region’s economy due to quarantines and disruptions of trade, which has further increased instability in the region. This instability has demonstrated that political and social unrest can spread quickly through the region, and that developments in one country can influence the political events in neighboring countries. Some protests have turned violent, and civil war and political reconstruction in certain countries such as Libya, Iraq and Syria pose a risk to investments in the region. Continued political and social unrest in these regions, including the ongoing warfare and terrorist activities in the Middle East and Africa, may negatively affect the value of an investment in a Fund.

Risk of Investing in Argentina. Investments in Argentinian issuers and companies that have significant linkage to and/or economic exposure to Argentina involve risks that are specific to Argentina, including legal, regulatory, political and economic risks. Argentina has experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, inflation, currency devaluations, political instability and high unemployment rates. The Argentinian economy depends heavily on commodity exports, making it vulnerable to commodity prices. Argentina’s key trading and foreign investment partners are Brazil, China and the United States. Reduction in spending on Argentinian products and services, changes to the economies of its trading partners, trade regulations or currency exchange rates may adversely affect the Argentinian economy.

Argentina has experienced a high level of debt and public spending. Argentina defaulted on its debt in 2001 and nationalized private pensions in 2008. In 2014, minority bondholders of Argentina’s previously defaulted debt sought, and won, an injunction that prohibited Argentina from repaying bonds that had been renegotiated, unless they simultaneously paid the holdout minority bondholders their full amount due as well. As a result, the Argentinian government, in 2014, subsequently entered a technical default on its debt. In 2016, after a series of court appeals and negotiations, the government and minority bondholders entered into a settlement to resolve the dispute. Further defaults and related actions by Argentina may continue to impact the confidence of investors in Argentina, which could limit the government’s ability to borrow in the future.

Argentina has experienced periods of significant political instability and certain sectors and regions of Argentina experience high unemployment, which may cause downturns in the Argentinian market and adversely impact investments in a Fund. Heavy regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive in Argentina and may stifle Argentinian economic growth or contribute to prolonged periods of recession. For example, in 2012, Argentina’s government made the decision to nationalize YPF S.A., the country’s largest energy company.

In addition, Argentina has previously imposed capital controls that affected the inflow and repatriation of capital and the free transfer of securities. Such capital controls, if reinstituted, could disrupt the creation/redemption process, which could affect the trading of Fund shares, resulting in Fund shares trading at a price that is materially different from NAV.

Risk of Investing in Asia. Investments in securities of issuers in certain Asian countries involve risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in other regions. Such heightened risks include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, piracy of intellectual property, data and other security breaches (especially of data stored electronically), political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision-making, armed conflict and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socio-economic unrest. Certain Asian economies have experienced rapid rates of economic growth and industrialization in recent years, and there is no assurance that these rates of economic growth and industrialization will be maintained.

Certain Asian countries have democracies with relatively short histories, which may increase the risk of political instability. These countries have faced political and military unrest, and further unrest could present a risk to their local economies and securities markets. Indonesia and the Philippines have each experienced violence and terrorism, which has negatively impacted their economies. North Korea and South Korea each have substantial military capabilities, and historical tensions between the two countries present the risk of war; in the recent past, these tensions have escalated. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries could have a severe adverse effect on the South Korean economy and securities market. Political, religious, and border disputes persist in India. India has recently experienced and may continue to experience civil unrest and hostilities with certain of its neighboring countries. Increased political and social unrest in these geographic areas could adversely affect the performance of investments in this region.

Certain governments in this region administer prices on several basic goods, including fuel and electricity, within their respective countries. Certain governments may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector in their respective countries and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in this region, which in turn could have a negative impact on private sector companies. There is also the possibility of diplomatic developments adversely affecting investments in the region.

Corruption and the perceived lack of a rule of law in dealings with international companies in certain Asian countries may discourage foreign investment and could negatively impact the long-term growth of certain economies in this region. In addition, certain countries in the region are experiencing high unemployment and corruption, and have fragile banking sectors.

for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Adverse economic conditions or developments in neighboring countries may increase investors' perception of the risk of investing in the region as a whole, which may adversely impact the market value of the securities issued by companies in the region.

Risk of Investing in Australasia. The economies of Australasia, which include Australia and New Zealand, are dependent on exports from the agricultural and mining sectors. This makes Australasian economies susceptible to fluctuations in the commodity markets. Australasian economies are also increasingly dependent on their growing service industries. Australia and New Zealand are located in a part of the world that has historically been prone to natural disasters, such as drought and flooding. Any such event in the future could have a significant adverse impact on the economies of Australia and New Zealand and affect the value of securities held by a relevant Fund. The economies of Australia and New Zealand are dependent on trading with certain key trading partners, including Asia, Europe and the U.S. The Australia–U.S. Free Trade Agreement has significantly expanded the trading relationship between the United States and Australia. Economic events in the United States, Asia, or in other key trading countries can have a significant economic effect on the Australian economy. The economies of Australia and New Zealand are heavily dependent on the mining sector. Passage of new regulations limiting foreign ownership of companies in the mining sector or imposition of new taxes on profits of mining companies may dissuade foreign investment, and as a result, have a negative impact on companies to which a Fund has exposure.

Risk of Investing in Brazil. Investment in securities of companies domiciled in Brazil involves a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the U.S. securities markets. Such heightened risks include, among others, a high level of price volatility in the Brazilian equity and currency markets, chronic structural public sector deficits, a rising unemployment rate and disparities of wealth.

Brazil has historically experienced high rates of inflation and may continue to do so in the future. An increase in prices for commodities, the depreciation of the Brazilian currency (the real) and potential future governmental measures seeking to maintain the value of the real in relation to the U.S. dollar, may trigger increases in inflation in Brazil and may slow the rate of growth of the Brazilian economy. Inflationary pressures also may limit the ability of certain Brazilian issuers to access foreign financial markets and may lead to further government intervention in the economy, including the introduction of government policies that may adversely affect the overall performance of the Brazilian economy, which in turn could adversely affect a Fund's investments.

The Brazilian government has exercised, and continues to exercise, significant influence over the Brazilian economy, which may have significant effects on Brazilian companies and on market conditions and prices of Brazilian securities. The Brazilian economy has been characterized by frequent, and occasionally drastic, intervention by the Brazilian government. The Brazilian government has often changed monetary, taxation, credit, tariff and other policies to influence the core of Brazil’s economy. The Brazilian government’s actions to control inflation and affect other economic policies have involved, among others, the setting of wage and price controls, blocking access to bank accounts, fluctuation of the base interest rates, imposing exchange controls and limiting imports into Brazil. In the past, the Brazilian government has maintained domestic price controls, and no assurances can be given that price controls will not be re-imposed in the future.

Investments in Brazilian securities may be subject to certain restrictions on foreign investment. Brazilian law provides that whenever a serious imbalance in Brazil’s balance of payments exists or is anticipated, the Brazilian government may impose temporary restrictions on the remittance to foreign investors of the proceeds of their investment in Brazil and on the conversion of Brazilian currency into foreign currency. The likelihood of such restrictions may be affected by the extent of Brazil’s foreign currency reserves, the size of Brazil’s debt service burden relative to the economy as a whole, and political constraints to which Brazil may be subject. There can be no assurance that the Brazilian government will not impose restrictions or restrictive exchange control policies in the future, which could have the effect of preventing or restricting access to foreign currency.

The market for Brazilian securities is directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and economic and market conditions of certain countries, especially other emerging market countries in Central and South America. Adverse economic conditions or developments in other emerging market countries have at times significantly affected the availability of credit in the Brazilian economy and resulted in considerable outflows of funds and declines in the amount of foreign currency invested in Brazil. Crises in neighboring emerging market countries also may increase investors’ risk aversion, which may adversely impact the market value of the securities issued by Brazilian companies, including securities in which a Fund may invest.

Risk of Investing in Central and South America. The economies of certain Central and South American countries have experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, inflation, currency devaluations, government defaults, high unemployment rates and political instability which can adversely affect issuers in these countries. In addition, commodities (such as oil, gas and minerals) represent a significant percentage of the region's exports and many economies in this region are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. Adverse economic events in one country may have a significant adverse effect on other countries of this region.

The governments of certain countries in Central and South America may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in such countries, which could have a negative impact on the securities in which a Fund invests. Diplomatic developments may also adversely affect investments in certain countries in Central and South America. Some countries in Central and South America may be affected by public corruption and crime, including organized crime.

Certain countries in Central and South America may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely affected by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. In addition, certain issuers located in countries in Central and South America in which a Fund invests may have dealings with countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. An issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer that has dealings with such countries. A Fund may be adversely affected if it invests in such issuers.

Risk of Investing in Chile. Investment in Chilean issuers involves risks that are specific to Chile, including, legal, regulatory, political, environmental and economic risks. Chile’s economy is export-dependent and relies heavily on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including China, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, the U.S. and Netherlands. Future changes in the price or the demand for Chilean exported products by China, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, the U.S. and Netherlands, changes in these countries’ economies, trade regulations or currency exchange rates could adversely impact the Chilean economy and the issuer’s to which the Fund has exposure.

Risk of Investing in China. Investments in securities of companies domiciled in China involve a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the U.S. securities markets. Such heightened risks include, among others, an authoritarian government, popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions, the impact of regional conflict on the economy and hostile relations with neighboring countries.

Military conflicts, either in response to internal social unrest or conflicts with other countries, could disrupt economic development. The Chinese economy is vulnerable to the long-running disagreements with Hong Kong related to integration and religious and nationalist disputes with Tibet and the Xinjiang region. China has a complex territorial dispute regarding the sovereignty of Taiwan that has included threats of invasion; Taiwan-based companies and individuals are significant investors in China. Military conflict between China and Taiwan may adversely affect securities of Chinese issuers. In addition, China has strained international relations with Japan, India, Russia and other neighbors due to territorial disputes, historical animosities and other defense concerns. China could be affected by military events on the Korean peninsula or internal instability within North Korea. These situations may cause uncertainty in the Chinese market and may adversely affect performance of the Chinese economy.

and further development. This may lead to trading volatility, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulation. The iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF and the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF may invest in H-Shares (securities of companies incorporated in the People's Republic of China (“PRC”) that are denominated in Hong Kong dollars and listed on the Hong Kong Exchange) and B-Shares (securities of companies incorporated in the PRC and listed for foreign investment on stock exchanges in the PRC). The iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF and the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF may also invest in certain Hong Kong listed securities known as Red-Chips (securities issued by companies incorporated in certain foreign jurisdictions, which are controlled, directly or indirectly, by entities owned by the national government or local governments in the PRC and derive substantial revenues or allocate substantial assets in the PRC) and P-Chips (securities issued by companies incorporated in certain foreign jurisdictions, which are controlled, directly or indirectly, by individuals in the PRC and derive substantial revenues or allocate substantial assets in the PRC). Securities listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchanges are divided into two classes: A-Shares, which are mostly limited to domestic investors and denominated in renminbi, and B-Shares, which are allocated for both international and domestic investors and denominated in U.S. dollars on the Shanghai exchange and Hong Kong dollars on the Shenzhen exchange. The B-Shares market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the A-Shares market, which may lead to significant price volatility. B-Shares, H-Shares, P-Chips or Red-Chips of issuers that also issue A-Shares may trade at significant discounts to their A-Shares counterparts. The issuance of B-Shares and H-Shares by Chinese companies and the ability to obtain a “back-door listing” through Red-Chips or P-Chips is still regarded by the Chinese authorities as an experiment in economic reform. “Back-door listing” is a means by which a mainland Chinese company issues Red-Chips or P-Chips to obtain quick access to international listing and international capital. All of these share mechanisms are relatively untested and subject to political and economic policy in China. Chinese securities have recently experienced substantial volatility, which is expected to continue in the future.

While the Chinese economy has experienced past periods of rapid growth, there is no assurance that such growth rates will recur. China may experience substantial rates of inflation or economic recessions, causing a negative effect on the economy and securities market. China’s economy is heavily dependent on export growth. Reduction in spending on Chinese products and services, institution of tariffs or other trade barriers or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the securities of Chinese issuers.

The tax laws and regulations in the PRC are subject to change, including the issuance of authoritative guidance or enforcement, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, applicability and enforcement of such laws by PRC tax authorities are not as consistent and transparent as those of more developed nations, and may vary over time and from region to region. The application and enforcement of PRC tax rules could have a significant adverse effect on a Fund and its investors, particularly in relation to capital gains withholding tax imposed upon non-residents.

Risk of Investing in Colombia. Investments in Colombian issuers and companies that have significant operations in Colombia subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks specific to Colombia. Economic reforms, including tax, pension and budget reforms, and the aggressive promotion of free trade agreements with a number of countries, including the United States, Canada, Chile, Mexico, Switzerland, the European Union (the “EU”) countries, Venezuela, South Korea, Turkey, Japan and Israel, have led to recent economic growth in the Colombian economy. There can be no assurance that these economic reforms will continue or that they will be effective. There can also be no assurance that the economic growth rate will be maintained. The Colombian economy depends heavily on oil, coal and other commodity exports, making it vulnerable to commodity prices. High unemployment and underemployment, income disparity, currency devaluations and high levels of debt and public spending remain significant challenges to the Colombian economy. The level of violence associated with internal conflicts and drug trafficking has fallen but remains high by international standards. Colombia’s infrastructure requires major improvements to sustain economic expansion. In addition, the market for Colombian issuers is directly influenced by the flow of international capital and economic and market conditions of certain countries, especially the United States and other countries in Central and South America.

companies experience a prolonged decline in revenue growth, certain developed countries that rely heavily on financial companies as an economic driver may experience a correlative slowdown. Recently, new concerns have emerged with respect to the economic health of certain developed countries. These concerns primarily stem from heavy indebtedness of many developed countries and their perceived inability to continue to service high debt loads without simultaneously implementing stringent austerity measures. Such concerns have led to tremendous downward pressure on the economies of these countries. As a result, it is possible that interest rates on debt of certain developed countries may rise to levels that make it difficult for such countries to service such debt. Spending on health care and retirement pensions in most developed countries has risen dramatically over the last few years. Medical innovation, extended life expectancy and higher public expectations are likely to continue the increase in health care and pension costs. Any increase in health care and pension costs will likely have a negative impact on the economic growth of many developed countries. Certain developed countries rely on imports of certain key items, such as crude oil, natural gas, and other commodities. As a result, an increase in demand for, or price fluctuations of, certain commodities may negatively affect developed country economies. Developed market countries generally are dependent on the economies of certain key trading partners. Changes in any one economy may cause an adverse impact on several developed countries. In addition, heavy regulation of, among others, labor and product markets may have an adverse effect on certain issuers. Such regulations may negatively affect economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession. Such risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments.

Risk of Investing in Eastern Europe. Investing in the securities of issuers located or operating in Eastern Europe is highly speculative and involves risks not usually associated with investing in the more developed markets of Western Europe. Political and economic reforms are too recent to establish a definite trend away from centrally planned economies and state-owned industries. In the past, some Eastern European governments have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and many claims of the property owners have never been fully settled.

Many Eastern European countries continue to move toward market economies at different paces with different characteristics. Most Eastern European securities markets suffer from thin trading activity, dubious investor protections, and often a dearth of reliable corporate information. Information and transaction costs, differential taxes, and sometimes political or transfer risk give a comparative advantage to the domestic investor rather than the foreign investor. In addition, these markets are particularly sensitive to social, political, economic, and currency events in Russia and may suffer heavy losses as a result of their trading and investment links to the Russian economy and currency. Russia also may attempt to assert its influence in the region through economic or even military measures, as it did with Georgia in the summer of 2008 and Ukraine beginning in 2014. Eastern European economies may also be particularly susceptible to changes in the international credit markets due to their reliance on bank related inflows of capital. The global economic crisis has restricted international credit supplies, and several Eastern European economies have faced significant credit and economic crises. Although some Eastern European economies are expanding again, major challenges are still present as a result of their continued dependence on the Western European zone for credit.

Risk of Investing in Emerging Markets. Investments in emerging market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) custodians, clearinghouses, foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer's ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities; and (xi) lack of financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer.

credit quality, the markets for securities in other emerging market countries are in the earliest stages of their development, and these countries issue securities across the credit spectrum. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging market countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging market country securities may also affect a Fund's ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

Many emerging market countries suffer from uncertainty and corruption in their legal frameworks. Legislation may be difficult to interpret and laws may be too new to provide any precedential value. Laws regarding foreign investment and private property may be weak or non-existent. Sudden changes in governments may result in policies which are less favorable to investors such as policies designed to expropriate or nationalize “sovereign” assets. Certain emerging market countries in the past have expropriated large amounts of private property, in many cases with little or no compensation, and there can be no assurance that such expropriation will not occur in the future.

Investment in the securities markets of certain emerging market countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit a Fund's investment in certain emerging market countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain emerging market countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer's outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals.

Many emerging market countries lack the social, political, and economic stability characteristic of the U.S. Political instability among emerging market countries can be common and may be caused by an uneven distribution of wealth, social unrest, labor strikes, civil wars, and religious oppression. Economic instability in emerging market countries may take the form of: (i) high interest rates; (ii) high levels of inflation, including hyperinflation; (iii) high levels of unemployment or underemployment; (iv) changes in government economic and tax policies, including confiscatory taxation; and (v) imposition of trade barriers.

A Fund's income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the emerging market countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates.

Emerging markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain of these emerging markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions.

In the past, certain governments in emerging market countries have become overly reliant on the international capital markets and other forms of foreign credit to finance large public spending programs, which in the past have caused huge budget deficits. Often, interest payments have become too overwhelming for a government to meet, representing a large percentage of total GDP. These foreign obligations have become the subject of political debate and served as fuel for political parties of the opposition, which pressure the government not to make payments to foreign creditors, but instead to use these funds for, among other things, social programs. Either due to an inability to pay or submission to political pressure, foreign governments have been forced to seek a restructuring of their loan and/or bond obligations, have declared a temporary suspension of interest payments or have defaulted. These events have adversely affected the values of securities issued by foreign governments and corporations domiciled in those countries and have negatively affected not only their cost of borrowing, but their ability to borrow in the future as well.

controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe. Changes in imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro (the common currency of certain EU countries), the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and their trading partners. Although certain European countries do not use the euro, many of these countries are obliged to meet the criteria for joining the euro zone. Consequently, these countries must comply with many of the restrictions noted above. The European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends in recent years due to concerns about economic downturns, rising government debt levels and the possible default of government debt in several European countries, including, but not limited to, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine. In order to prevent further economic deterioration, certain countries, without prior warning, can institute “capital controls.” Countries may use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering and exiting their country. Such controls may negatively affect a Fund’s investments. A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country's debt and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country's creditworthiness, which may be located in countries other than those listed above. In addition, the credit ratings of certain European countries were recently downgraded. These downgrades may result in further deterioration of investor confidence. These events have adversely affected the value and exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the euro and non-EU member countries. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not produce the desired results, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely impact the value of a Fund’s investments in the region. In a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom resolved to leave the EU. The referendum may introduce significant uncertainties and instability in the financial markets as the U.K. negotiates its exit from the EU. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, as well as governmental or other responses to such movements, may also create instability and uncertainty in the region. The occurrence of terrorist incidents throughout Europe also could impact financial markets. The impact of these events is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely affect the value of a Fund.

Risk of Investing in Frontier Markets. Investments in frontier market countries may be subject to greater risks than investments in more developed countries. Frontier market countries are subject to similar risks as those of emerging market countries, but the risks are more pronounced in frontier market countries. These risks include: (i) less social, political, and economic stability; (ii) greater illiquidity and price volatility due to smaller or limited local capital markets for such securities, or low or non-existent trading volumes; (iii) foreign exchanges and broker-dealers may be subject to less scrutiny and regulation by local authorities; (iv) local governments may decide to seize or confiscate securities held by foreign investors and/or local governments may decide to suspend or limit an issuer’s ability to make dividend or interest payments; (v) local governments may limit or entirely restrict repatriation of invested capital, profits, and dividends; (vi) capital gains may be subject to local taxation, including on a retroactive basis; (vii) issuers facing restrictions on U.S. dollar or euro payments imposed by local governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities; and (xi) lax financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer.

Frontier market securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. In addition, brokerage and other costs associated with transactions in frontier securities markets can be higher, sometimes significantly, than similar costs incurred in securities markets in developed countries. The markets for securities in certain frontier countries are in the earliest stages of their development, and these countries issue securities across the credit spectrum. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in frontier countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and

competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of frontier country securities may also affect a Fund’s ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

Many frontier market countries suffer from uncertainty and corruption in their legal frameworks. Legislation may be difficult to interpret and laws may be too new to provide any precedential value. Laws regarding foreign investment and private property may be weak or non-existent. Sudden changes in governments may result in policies which are less favorable to investors such as policies designed to expropriate or nationalize “sovereign” assets. Certain frontier market countries in the past have expropriated large amounts of private property, in many cases with little or no compensation, and there can be no assurance that such expropriation will not occur in the future.

Foreign investment in the securities markets of certain frontier countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit a Fund’s investment in certain frontier countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund. Certain frontier countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer’s outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals.

Many frontier market countries lack the social, political, and economic stability characteristic of the U.S. and other developed countries. Political instability among frontier market countries can be common and may be caused by an uneven distribution of wealth, social unrest, labor strikes, civil wars, and religious oppression. Economic instability in frontier market countries may take the form of: (i) high interest rates; (ii) high levels of inflation, including hyperinflation; (iii) high levels of unemployment or underemployment; (iv) changes in government economic and tax policies, including confiscatory taxation; and (v) imposition of trade barriers.

A Fund’s income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the frontier market countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates.

Frontier markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures, and in certain of these frontier markets there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct such transactions.

In the past, governments within the frontier markets have become overly reliant on the international capital markets and other forms of foreign credit to finance large public spending programs, which in the past have caused huge budget deficits. Often, interest payments have become too overwhelming for a government to meet, representing a large percentage of total GDP. These foreign obligations have become the subject of political debate and served as fuel for political parties of the opposition, which pressure the government not to make payments to foreign creditors, but instead to use these funds for, among other things, social programs. Either due to an inability to pay or submission to political pressure, foreign governments have been forced to seek a restructuring of their loan and/or bond obligations, have declared a temporary suspension of interest payments or have defaulted. These events have adversely affected the values of securities issued by foreign governments and corporations domiciled in those countries and have negatively affected not only their cost of borrowing, but their ability to borrow in the future as well.

Risk of Investing in India. India is an emerging market and demonstrates significantly higher volatility from time to time in comparison to more developed markets. Political, religious, and border disputes persist in India. India has recently experienced and may continue to experience civil unrest and hostilities with certain of its neighboring countries, including Pakistan, and the Indian government has confronted separatist movements in several Indian states, including Kashmir. Government control over the economy, currency fluctuations or blockage, and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets offer higher potential for losses. Governmental actions could have a negative effect on the economic conditions in India, which could adversely affect the value and liquidity of investments made by a Fund. The securities markets in India are comparatively underdeveloped and with some exceptions, consist of a small number of listed companies with small market capitalization, greater price volatility and substantially less liquidity than companies in more developed markets. Stockbrokers and other intermediaries in India may not perform as well as their counterparts in the United States or other, more developed countries. The limited liquidity of the Indian securities markets may also affect a Fund’s ability to acquire or dispose of securities at the price or time that it desires or the Fund’s ability to track its Underlying Index.

Global factors and foreign actions may inhibit the flow of foreign capital on which India is dependent to sustain its growth. In addition, the Reserve Bank of India has imposed limits on foreign ownership of Indian companies, which may decrease the liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio and result in extreme volatility in the prices of Indian securities. In November 2016, the Indian government eliminated certain large denomination cash notes as legal tender, causing uncertainty in certain financial markets. These factors, coupled with the lack of extensive accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices, as applicable in the U.S., may increase the risk of loss for a Fund.

Securities laws in India are relatively new and unsettled and, as a result, there is a risk of significant and unpredictable change in laws governing foreign investment, securities regulation, title to securities and shareholder rights. Foreign investors in particular may be adversely affected by new or amended laws and regulations. Certain Indian regulatory approvals, including approvals from the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the central government and the tax authorities (to the extent that tax benefits need to be utilized), may be required before a Fund can make investments in Indian companies.

Technology and software sectors represent a significant portion of the total capitalization of the Indian securities markets. The value of these companies will generally fluctuate in response to technological and regulatory developments, and, as a result, a Fund’s holdings are expected to experience correlated fluctuations.

Natural disasters, such as tsunamis, flooding or droughts, could occur in India or surrounding areas and could negatively affect the Indian economy or operations of a Subsidiary, and, in turn, could negatively affect a Fund.

Risk of Investing in Kuwait. Kuwait is highly reliant on income from the sale of oil and trade with other countries involved in the sale of oil, and its economy is therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, Kuwait may be significantly impacted. Historically, tensions between Iraq and Kuwait have sometimes resulted in conflict. Any outbreak of hostilities between the two countries, or other countries in the region, could have a severe adverse effect on the Kuwaiti economy and its securities markets. Recently, Kuwait has experienced anti-government protests. If the current Kuwaiti government were to change or become unable to function normally, any resulting instability could adversely affect the Kuwaiti economy and could decrease the value of a Fund’s investments.

Risk of Investing in Malaysia. Investments in Malaysian issuers involve risks that are specific to Malaysia, including legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. The Malaysian economy, among other things, is dependent upon external trade with other economies, specifically the United States, China, Japan and Singapore. As a result, Malaysia is dependent on the economies of these other countries and any change in the price or demand for Malaysian exports may have an adverse impact on the Malaysian economy. In addition, the Malaysian economy is heavily focused on export of electronic goods. As a result, Malaysia’s reliance on the electronics sector makes it particularly vulnerable to economic downturns in the technology sector.

Risk of Investing in the Middle East. Many Middle Eastern countries have little or no democratic tradition, and the political and legal systems in such countries may have an adverse impact on a Fund. Many economies in the Middle East are highly reliant on income from the sale of oil or trade with countries involved in the sale of oil, and their economies are therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, many Middle Eastern economies may be significantly impacted.

In addition, many Middle Eastern governments have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, a Middle Eastern country’s government may own or control many companies, including some of the largest companies in the country. Accordingly, governmental actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in Middle Eastern countries. This could affect private sector companies and a Fund, as well as the value of securities in a Fund's portfolio.

Certain Middle Eastern markets are in the earliest stages of development. As a result, there may be a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Brokers in Middle Eastern countries typically are fewer in number and less capitalized than brokers in the U.S.

greater than its actual investment in that corporation. Similarly, the rights of investors in Middle Eastern issuers may be more limited than those of shareholders of a U.S. corporation. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain or enforce a legal judgment in a Middle Eastern country. Some Middle Eastern countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investment by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer. Certain Middle Eastern countries may also limit investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals of the relevant Middle Eastern country.

The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain Middle Eastern countries, as well as limitations on those investments, may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Fund. For example, in certain of these countries, a Fund may be required to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares that were purchased re-registered in the name of a Fund. Re-registration in some instances may not be possible on a timely basis. This may result in a delay during which a Fund may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Fund places a purchase order but is subsequently informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has already been filled and, consequently, a Fund may not be able to invest in the relevant company.

Substantial limitations may exist in certain Middle Eastern countries with respect to a Fund’s ability to repatriate investment income or capital gains. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to a Fund of any restrictions on investment.

Certain Middle Eastern countries may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. In addition, certain issuers located in Middle Eastern countries in which a Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

Certain Middle Eastern countries have strained relations with other Middle Eastern countries due to territorial disputes, historical animosities, defense concerns or other reasons, which may adversely affect the economies of these Middle Eastern countries. Certain Middle Eastern countries experience significant unemployment, as well as widespread underemployment. There has also been a recent increase in recruitment efforts and an aggressive push for territorial control by terrorist groups in the region, which has led to an outbreak of warfare and hostilities. Warfare in Syria has spread to surrounding areas, including many portions of Iraq and Turkey. Such hostilities may continue into the future or may escalate at any time due to ethnic, racial, political, religious or ideological tensions between groups in the region or foreign intervention or lack of intervention, among other factors.

Risk of Investing in North America. A decrease in imports or exports, changes in trade regulations or an economic recession in any North American country can have a significant economic effect on the entire North American region and on some or all of the North American countries in which a Fund invests.

The U.S. is Canada's and Mexico's largest trading and investment partner. The Canadian and Mexican economies are significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) in 1994 among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, total merchandise trade among the three countries has increased. However, political developments in the U.S., including possible termination of NAFTA, may have implications for the trade arrangements among the U.S., Mexico and Canada, which could negatively affect the value of securities held by a Fund. Policy and legislative changes in one country may have a significant effect on North American markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities held by a Fund.

expropriation; certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including, without limitation, restrictions on investing in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests; and potentially greater price volatility in, significantly smaller capitalization of, and relative illiquidity of, the Russian market. There can also be no assurance that a Fund’s investments in the Russian securities market would not be expropriated, nationalized or otherwise confiscated. In the event of the settlement of any such claims or such expropriation, nationalization or other confiscation, a Fund could lose its entire investment. In addition, it may be difficult and more costly to obtain and enforce a judgment in the Russian court system.

Russia may also be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in other developed countries. Such instability may result from, among other things, the following: (i) an authoritarian government or military involvement in political and economic decision-making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection.

The Russian economy is heavily dependent upon the export of a range of commodities including most industrial metals, forestry products and oil and gas. Accordingly, it is strongly affected by international commodity prices and is particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. Any acts of terrorism or armed conflicts in Russia or internationally could have an adverse effect on the financial and commodities markets and the global economy. As Russia produces and exports large amounts of crude oil and gas, any acts of terrorism or armed conflict causing disruptions of Russian oil and gas exports could negatively affect the Russian economy and, thus, adversely affect the financial condition, results of operations or prospects of related companies. Current and future economic sanctions may also adversely affect the Russian oil, banking, mining, metals, rail, pipeline and gas sectors, among other sectors.

The Russian government may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in Russia, which could have a negative impact on private sector companies. There is also the possibility of diplomatic developments that could adversely affect investments in Russia. In recent years, the Russian government has begun to take bolder steps to re-assert its regional geopolitical influence (including military steps). Such steps may increase tensions between Russia and its neighbors and Western countries and may negatively affect economic growth.

The U.S. and the EMU of the EU, along with the regulatory bodies of a number of countries including Japan, Australia, Norway, Switzerland and Canada (collectively, “Sanctioning Bodies”), have imposed economic sanctions, which consist of asset freezes and sectoral sanctions, on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate entities. The Sanctioning Bodies could also institute broader sanctions on Russia. These sanctions, or even the threat of further sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. These sanctions could also result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities and/or funds invested in prohibited assets, impairing the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities and/or assets. Additional sanctions against Russia have been, and may in the future be, imposed by the U.S. or other countries.

The sanctions against certain Russian issuers include prohibitions on transacting in or dealing in certain issuances of new debt or new equity of such issuers. Securities held by a Fund issued prior to the date of the sanctions being imposed are not currently subject to any restrictions under the sanctions. However, compliance with each of these sanctions may impair the ability of a Fund to buy, sell, hold, receive or deliver the affected securities or other securities of such issuers. If it becomes impracticable or unlawful for a Fund to hold securities subject to, or otherwise affected by, sanctions (collectively, “affected securities”), or if deemed appropriate by BFA, a Fund may prohibit in-kind deposits of the affected securities in connection with creation transactions and instead require a cash deposit, which may also increase a Fund's transaction costs. A Fund may also be legally required to freeze assets in a blocked account.

Also, if an affected security is included in a Fund's Underlying Index, a Fund may, where practicable, seek to eliminate its holdings of the affected security by employing or augmenting its representative sampling strategy to seek to track the investment results of its Underlying Index. The use of (or increased use of) a representative sampling strategy may increase a Fund’s tracking error risk. If the affected securities constitute a significant percentage of the Underlying Index, a Fund may not be able to effectively implement a representative sampling strategy, which may result in significant tracking error between a Fund’s performance and the performance of its Underlying Index.

Current or future sanctions may result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions, which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities. These retaliatory measures may include the immediate freeze of Russian assets held by a Fund. In the event of such a freeze of any Fund assets, including depositary receipts, a Fund may need to liquidate non-restricted assets in order to satisfy any Fund redemption orders. The liquidation of Fund assets during this time may also result in a Fund receiving substantially lower prices for its securities.

These sanctions may also lead to changes in a Fund’s Underlying Index. A Fund’s index provider may remove securities from its Underlying Index or implement caps on the securities of certain issuers that have been subject to recent economic sanctions. In such an event, it is expected that a Fund will rebalance its portfolio to bring it in line with its Underlying Index as a result of any such changes, which may result in transaction costs and increased tracking error. These sanctions, the volatility that may result in the trading markets for Russian securities and the possibility that Russia may impose investment or currency controls on investors may cause a Fund to invest in, or increase a Fund’s investments in, depositary receipts that represent the securities of its Underlying Index. These investments may result in increased transaction costs and increased tracking error.

Risk of Investing in South Korea. Investments in South Korean issuers involve risks that are specific to South Korea, including legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risks. Substantial political tensions exist between North Korea and South Korea and recently, these political tensions have escalated. The outbreak of hostilities between the two nations, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities will likely adversely impact the South Korean economy. In addition, South Korea's economic growth potential has recently been on a decline, because of a rapidly aging population and structural problems, among other factors.

Risk of Investing in Taiwan. Investment in Taiwanese issuers may subject a Fund to loss in the event of adverse political, economic, regulatory and other developments that affect Taiwan, including fluctuations of the New Taiwan dollar versus the U.S. dollar. Taiwan has few natural resources. Any fluctuation or shortage in the commodity markets could have a negative impact on the Taiwanese economy. Appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar, rising labor costs, and increasing environmental consciousness have led some labor-intensive industries to relocate to other countries with cheaper work forces. Continued labor outsourcing may adversely affect the Taiwanese economy. Taiwanese firms are among the world’s largest suppliers of computer monitors and leaders in personal computer manufacturing. A slowdown in global demand for these products will likely have an adverse impact on the Taiwanese economy. The Chinese government views Taiwan as a renegade province and continues to contest Taiwan’s sovereignty. The outbreak of hostilities between the two nations, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities will likely adversely impact the Taiwanese economy. Such risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments.

Risk of Investing in the United Kingdom. Investment in United Kingdom issuers may subject a Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to the U.K. The U.K. economy relies heavily on the export of financial services to the U.S. and other European countries. A prolonged slowdown in the financial services sector may have a negative impact on the U.K.’s economy. In the past, the U.K. has been a target of terrorism. Acts of terrorism in the U.K. or against U.K. interests abroad may cause uncertainty in the U.K. financial markets and adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which a Fund has exposure. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the U.K. economy. In a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the U.K. resolved to leave the EU. The referendum may introduce significant uncertainties and instability in the financial markets as the U.K. negotiates its exit from the EU.

Risk of Investing in the United States. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in trade regulations and/or an economic recession in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on the U.S. economy and the securities listed on U.S. exchanges. Policy and legislative changes in the U.S. are changing many aspects of financial and other regulation and may have a significant effect on the U.S. markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities. In addition, a continued rise in the U.S. public debt level or U.S. austerity measures may adversely affect U.S. economic growth and the securities to which a Fund has exposure.

The U.S. has developed increasingly strained relations with a number of foreign countries, including traditional allies, such as certain European countries, and historical adversaries, such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia. If these relations were to worsen, it could adversely affect U.S. issuers as well as non-U.S. issuers that rely on the U.S. for trade. The U.S. has also experienced increased internal unrest and discord. If this trend were to continue, it may have an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the issuers in which a Fund invests.

U.S. Economic Trading Partners Risk. The United States is a significant, and in some cases the most significant, trading partner of or foreign investor in, certain emerging markets in which a Fund invests, the economic conditions of which may be particularly affected by adverse changes in the U.S. economy. A decrease in U.S. imports, new trade regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rate or an economic slowdown in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on a country's economic conditions and, as a result, securities to which a Fund has exposure.

Risk of Investing in the Agriculture Production Industry. Companies engaged in agricultural production may be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices and labor costs, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. Many companies in the agricultural production industry are subject to government subsidy policies and environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Any changes to these policies and regulations, or the imposition of tariffs or other trade restraints, may have a material adverse effect on companies operating in this industry. Agricultural production companies also may be at risk for environmental damage claims, worker safety liability and other types of litigation. Companies in this industry may be adversely affected by changes in commercial and consumer demand for their products. Adverse weather conditions (such as floods or droughts), natural disasters and other factors, such as disease outbreaks, also may adversely affect companies operating in this industry.

Risk of Investing in the Capital Goods Industry. Companies in the capital goods industry may be affected by fluctuations in the business cycle and by other factors affecting manufacturing demands. Companies in the capital goods industry depends heavily on corporate spending. Companies in the capital goods industry may perform well during times of economic expansion, and as economic conditions worsen, the demand for capital goods may decrease due to weakening demand, worsening business cash flows, tighter credit controls and deteriorating profitability. During times of economic volatility, corporate spending may fall and adversely affect the capital goods industry. This industry may also be affected by changes in interest rates, corporate tax rates and other government policies. Many capital goods are sold internationally and such companies are subject to market conditions in other countries and regions.

Risk of Investing in the Consumer Discretionary Sector. Companies engaged in the design, production or distribution of products or services for the consumer discretionary sector (including, without limitation, television and radio broadcasting, manufacturing, publishing, recording and musical instruments, motion pictures, photography, amusement and theme parks, gaming casinos, sporting goods and sports arenas, camping and recreational equipment, toys and games, apparel, travel-related services, automobiles, hotels and motels, and fast food and other restaurants) are subject to the risk that their products or services may become obsolete quickly. The success of these companies can depend heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. During periods of an expanding economy, the consumer discretionary sector may outperform the consumer staples sector, but may underperform when economic conditions worsen. Moreover, the consumer discretionary sector can be significantly affected by several factors, including, without limitation, the performance of domestic and international economies, exchange rates, changing consumer preferences, demographics, marketing campaigns, cyclical revenue generation, consumer confidence, commodity price volatility, labor relations, interest rates, import and export controls, intense competition, technological developments and government regulation.

Risk of Investing in the Consumer Staples Sector. Companies in the consumer staples sector may be adversely affected by changes in the global economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, and production spending. Companies in the consumer staples sector may also be affected by changes in global economic, environmental and political events, economic conditions, the depletion of resources, and government regulation. For instance, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods of companies that make food products, which could affect company profitability. In addition, tobacco companies may be adversely affected by the adoption of proposed legislation and/or by litigation. Companies in the consumer staples sector also may be subject to risks pertaining to the supply of, demand for and prices of raw materials. The prices of raw materials fluctuate in response to a number of factors, including, without limitation, changes in government agricultural support programs, exchange rates, import and export controls, changes in international agricultural and trading policies, and seasonal and weather conditions. Companies in the consumer staples sector may be subject to severe competition, which may also have an adverse impact on their profitability.

companies may also lack resources and have limited business lines. Energy companies may have relatively high levels of debt and may be more likely to restructure their businesses if there are downturns in certain energy markets or in the global economy. If an energy company in a Fund's portfolio becomes distressed, a Fund could lose all or a substantial portion of its investment.

The energy sector is cyclical and is highly dependent on commodity prices; prices and supplies of energy may fluctuate significantly over short and long periods of time due to, among other things, national and international political changes, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) policies, changes in relationships among OPEC members and between OPEC and oil-importing nations, the regulatory environment, taxation policies, and the economy of the key energy-consuming countries. Commodity prices have recently been subject to increased volatility and declines, which may negatively affect companies in which a Fund invests.

Companies in the energy sector may be adversely affected by terrorism, natural disasters or other catastrophes. Companies in the energy sector are at risk of civil liability from accidents resulting in injury, loss of life or property, pollution or other environmental damage claims. Disruptions in the oil industry or shifts in fuel consumption may significantly impact companies in this sector. Significant oil and gas deposits are located in emerging markets countries where corruption and security may raise significant risks, in addition to the other risks of investing in emerging markets. Additionally, the Middle East, where many companies in the energy sector may operate, has historically and recently experienced widespread social unrest.

Companies in the energy sector may also be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, government regulation and intervention, negative perception, efforts at energy conservation and world events in the regions in which the companies operate (e.g., expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital, military coups, social unrest, violence or labor unrest). Because a significant portion of revenues of companies in this sector is derived from a relatively small number of customers that are largely composed of governmental entities and utilities, governmental budget constraints may have a significant impact on the stock prices of companies in this sector. The energy sector is highly regulated. Entities operating in the energy sector are subject to significant regulation of nearly every aspect of their operations by federal, state and local governmental agencies. Such regulation can change rapidly or over time in both scope and intensity. Stricter laws, regulations or enforcement policies could be enacted in the future which would likely increase compliance costs and may materially adversely affect the financial performance of companies in the energy sector.

Risk of Investing in the Financials Sector. Companies in the financials sector include regional and money center banks, securities brokerage firms, asset management companies, savings banks and thrift institutions, specialty finance companies (e.g., credit card, mortgage providers), insurance and insurance brokerage firms, consumer finance firms, financial conglomerates and foreign banking and financial companies.

Most financial companies are subject to extensive governmental regulation, which limits their activities and may affect their ability to earn a profit from a given line of business. Government regulation may change frequently and may have significant adverse consequences for companies in the financials sector, including effects not intended by the regulation. Direct governmental intervention in the operations of financial companies and financial markets may materially and adversely affect the companies in which a Fund invests, including legislation in many countries that may increase government regulation, repatriation and other intervention. The impact of governmental intervention and legislative changes on any individual financial company or on the financials sector as a whole cannot be predicted. The valuation of financial companies has been and continues to be subject to unprecedented volatility and may be influenced by unpredictable factors, including interest rate risk and sovereign debt default. Certain financial businesses are subject to intense competitive pressures, including market share and price competition. Financial companies in foreign countries are subject to market specific and general regulatory and interest rate concerns. In particular, government regulation in certain foreign countries may include taxes and controls on interest rates, credit availability, minimum capital requirements, bans on short sales, limits on prices and restrictions on currency transfers. In addition, companies in the financials sector may be the targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or customer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

companies may be adversely affected in certain market cycles, including, without limitation, during periods of rising interest rates, which may restrict the availability and increase the cost of capital, and during periods of declining economic conditions, which may cause, among other things, credit losses due to financial difficulties of borrowers.

In addition, general economic conditions are important to the operations of these companies, and financial difficulties of borrowers may have an adverse effect on the profitability of financial companies. Financial companies can be highly dependent upon access to capital markets, and any impediments to such access, such as adverse overall economic conditions or a negative perception in the capital markets of a financial company’s financial condition or prospects, could adversely affect its business. Deterioration of credit markets can have an adverse impact on a broad range of financial markets, causing certain financial companies to incur large losses. In these conditions, companies in the financials sector may experience significant declines in the valuation of their assets, take actions to raise capital and even cease operations. Some financial companies may also be required to accept or borrow significant amounts of capital from government sources and may face future government-imposed restrictions on their businesses or increased government intervention. In addition, there is no guarantee that governments will provide any such relief in the future. These actions may cause the securities of many companies in the financials sector to decline in value.

Risk of Investing in the Healthcare Sector. Companies in the healthcare sector are often issuers whose profitability may be affected by extensive government regulation, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising or falling costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, a limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Many healthcare companies are heavily dependent on patent protection and the actual or perceived safety and efficiency of their products.

Patents have a limited duration, and, upon expiration, other companies may market substantially similar “generic” products that are typically sold at a lower price than the patented product, which can cause the original developer of the product to lose market share and/or reduce the price charged for the product, resulting in lower profits for the original developer. As a result, the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.

In addition, because the products and services of many companies in the healthcare sector affect the health and well-being of many individuals, these companies are especially susceptible to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Healthcare companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. Many new products in the healthcare sector may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly, which can result in increased development costs, delayed cost recovery and loss of competitive advantage to the extent that rival companies have developed competing products or procedures, adversely affecting the company’s revenues and profitability. In other words, delays in the regulatory approval process may diminish the opportunity for a company to profit from a new product or to bring a new product to market, which could have a material adverse effect on a company’s business. Healthcare companies may also be strongly affected by scientific biotechnology or technological developments, and their products may quickly become obsolete. Also, many healthcare companies offer products and services that are subject to governmental regulation and may be adversely affected by changes in governmental policies or laws. Changes in governmental policies or laws may span a wide range of topics, including cost control, national health insurance, incentives for compensation in the provision of healthcare services, tax incentives and penalties related to healthcare insurance premiums, and promotion of prepaid healthcare plans. In addition, a number of legislative proposals concerning healthcare have been considered by the U.S. Congress in recent years. It is unclear what proposals will ultimately be enacted, if any, and what effect they may have on companies in the healthcare sector.

Additionally, the expansion of facilities by healthcare-related providers may be subject to “determinations of need” by certain government authorities. This process not only generally increases the time and costs involved in these expansions, but also makes expansion plans uncertain, limiting the revenue and profitability growth potential of healthcare-related facilities operators and negatively affecting the prices of their securities. Moreover, in recent years, both local and national governmental budgets have come under pressure to reduce spending and control healthcare costs, which could both adversely affect regulatory processes and public funding available for healthcare products, services and facilities.

trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. For example, commodity price declines and unit volume reductions resulting from an over-supply of materials used in the industrials sector can adversely affect the sector. Furthermore, companies in the industrials sector may be subject to liability for environmental damage, product liability claims, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control.

Risk of Investing in the Information Technology Sector. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Like other technology companies, information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the information technology sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses. These risks are heightened for information technology companies in foreign markets.

Risk of Investing in the Materials Sector. Companies in the materials sector may be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, exchange rates, import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, technical progress, labor relations and government regulations, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control, among other factors. Companies in the materials sector are also at risk of liability for environmental damage and product liability claims. Production of materials may exceed demand as a result of market imbalances or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns. These risks are heightened for companies in the materials sector located in foreign markets.

Risk of Investing in the Metals and Mining Industry. Certain of the Funds may invest in securities that are issued by and/or have exposure to, companies primarily involved in the metals and mining industry. Investments in metals and mining industry companies may be speculative and subject to greater price volatility than investments in other types of companies. The profitability of companies in the metals and mining industry is related to, among other things, worldwide metal prices, and extraction and production costs. Worldwide metal prices may fluctuate substantially over short periods of time, so a Fund’s investment in metals and mining industry companies may be more volatile than other types of investments. In addition, metals and mining companies may be significantly affected by changes in global demand for certain metals, economic developments, energy conservation, exchange rates, the success of exploration projects, interest rates, economic conditions, tax treatment, government regulation and intervention, and world events in the regions that the companies to which a Fund has exposure operate (e.g., expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and repatriation of capital, military coups, social unrest, violence and labor unrest). Metals and mining companies may also be subject to the effects of competitive pressures in the metals and mining industry.

Risk of Investing in the Real Estate Industry. Companies in the real estate industry include companies that invest in real estate, such as REITs, real estate holding companies or real estate development companies (collectively, “Real Estate Companies”). Investing in Real Estate Companies exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which Real Estate Companies are organized and operated. The real estate industry is highly sensitive to general and local economic conditions and developments, and characterized by intense competition and periodic overbuilding. Investing in Real Estate Companies involves various risks. Some risks that are specific to Real Estate Companies are discussed in greater detail below.

Interest Rate Risk. Rising interest rates could result in higher costs of capital for Real Estate Companies, which could negatively impact a Real Estate Company’s ability to meet its payment obligations. Declining interest rates could result in increased prepayment on loans and require redeployment of capital in less desirable investments.

Leverage Risk. Real Estate Companies may use leverage (and some may be highly leveraged), which increases investment risk and could adversely affect a Real Estate Company’s operations and market value in periods of rising interest rates. Real Estate Companies are also exposed to the risks normally associated with debt financing. Financial covenants related to a Real Estate Company’s leverage may affect the ability of the Real Estate Company to operate effectively. In addition, real property may be subject to the quality of credit extended and defaults by borrowers and tenants. If the properties do not generate sufficient income to meet operating expenses, including, where applicable, debt service, ground lease payments, tenant improvements,

third-party leasing commissions and other capital expenditures, the income and ability of a Real Estate Company to make payments of any interest and principal on its debt securities will be adversely affected.

Loan Foreclosure Risk. Real Estate Companies may foreclose on loans that the Real Estate Company originated or acquired. Foreclosure may generate negative publicity for the underlying property that affects its market value. In addition to length and expense, foreclosure proceedings may not fully uphold the validity of all of the terms of the applicable loan. Claims and defenses asserted by borrowers or other lenders may interfere with the enforcement of rights by a Real Estate Company. Parallel proceedings, such as bankruptcy, may also delay resolution and limit the amount of recovery on a foreclosed loan by a Real Estate Company even where the property underlying the loan is liquidated.

Property Risk. Real Estate Companies may be subject to risks relating to functional obsolescence or reduced desirability of properties; extended vacancies due to economic conditions and tenant bankruptcies; catastrophic events such as earthquakes, hurricanes and terrorist acts; and casualty or condemnation losses. Real estate income and values also may be greatly affected by demographic trends, such as population shifts or changing tastes and values, or increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from legal, cultural, technological, global or local economic developments.

Distressed Investment Risk. Real Estate Companies may invest in distressed, defaulted or out-of-favor bank loans. Identification and implementation by a Real Estate Company of loan modification and restructure programs involves a high degree of uncertainty. Even successful implementation may still require adverse compromises and may not prevent bankruptcy. Real Estate Companies may also invest in other debt instruments that may become non-performing, including the securities of companies with higher credit and market risk due to financial or operational difficulties. Higher risk securities may be less liquid and more volatile than the securities of companies not in distress.

Underlying Investment Risk. Real Estate Companies make investments in a variety of debt and equity instruments with varying risk profiles. For instance, Real Estate Companies may invest in debt instruments secured by commercial property that have high risks of delinquency and foreclosure than loans on single family homes due to a variety of factors associated with commercial property, including the tie between income available to service debt and productive use of the property. Real Estate Companies may also invest in debt instruments and preferred equity that are junior in an issuer’s capital structure and that involve privately negotiated structures. Subordinated debt investments, such as B-Notes and mezzanine loans, involve a greater credit risk of default due to the need to service more senior debt of the issuer. Similarly, preferred equity investments involve a greater risk of loss than conventional debt financing due to their non-collateralized nature and subordinated ranking. Investments in commercial mortgage-backed securities may also be junior in priority in the event of bankruptcy or similar proceedings. Investments in senior loans may be effectively subordinated if the senior loan is pledged as collateral. The ability of a holder of junior claims to proceed against a defaulting issuer is circumscribed by the terms of the particular contractual arrangement, which vary considerably from transaction to transaction.

Management Risk. Real Estate Companies are dependent upon management skills and may have limited financial resources. Real Estate Companies are generally not diversified and may be subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and voluntary liquidation. In addition, transactions between Real Estate Companies and their affiliates may be subject to conflicts of interest, which may adversely affect a Real Estate Company’s shareholders. A Real Estate Company may also have joint venture investments in certain of its properties, and, consequently, its ability to control decisions relating to such properties may be limited.

Liquidity Risk. Investing in Real Estate Companies may involve risks similar to those associated with investing in small-capitalization companies. Real Estate Company securities, like the securities of small-capitalization companies, may be more volatile than, and perform differently from, shares of large-capitalization companies. There may be less trading in Real Estate Company shares, which means that buy and sell transactions in those shares could have a magnified impact on share price, resulting in abrupt or erratic price fluctuations. In addition, real estate is relatively illiquid, and, therefore, a Real Estate Company may have a limited ability to vary or liquidate properties in response to changes in economic or other conditions.

Concentration Risk. Real Estate Companies may own a limited number of properties and concentrate their investments in a particular geographic region or property type. Economic downturns affecting a particular region, industry or property type may lead to a high volume of defaults within a short period.

its net income to its shareholders may result in a REIT having insufficient capital for future expenditures. A REIT that successfully maintains its qualification may still become subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes, including excise, penalty, franchise, payroll, mortgage recording, and transfer taxes, both directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries.

Regulatory Risk. Real estate income and values may be adversely affected by such factors as applicable domestic and foreign laws (including tax laws). Government actions, such as tax increases, zoning law changes or environmental regulations, also may have a major impact on real estate. In addition, quarterly compliance with regulation limiting the proportion of asset types held by a U.S. REIT may force certain Real Estate Companies to liquidate or restructure otherwise attractive investments. Some countries may not recognize REITs or comparable structures as a viable form of real estate funds.

Risk of Investing in the Technology Sector. Technology companies are characterized by periodic new product introductions, innovations and evolving industry standards, and, as a result, face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Companies in the technology sector are often smaller and less experienced companies and may be subject to greater risks than larger companies; these risks may be heightened for technology companies in foreign markets. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, changes in consumer and business purchasing patterns, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. In addition, a rising interest rate environment tends to negatively affect companies in the technology sector because, in such an environment, those companies with high market valuations may appear less attractive to investors, which may cause sharp decreases in the companies’ market prices. Companies in the technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. The technology sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the technology sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

Risk of Investing in the Telecommunications Sector. The telecommunications sector of a country’s economy is often subject to extensive government regulation. The costs of complying with governmental regulations, delays or failure to receive required regulatory approvals, or the enactment of new regulatory requirements may negatively affect the business of telecommunications companies. Government actions around the world, specifically in the area of pre-marketing clearance of products and prices, can be arbitrary and unpredictable. Companies in the telecommunications sector may experience distressed cash flows due to the need to commit substantial capital to meet increasing competition, particularly in developing new products and services using new technology. Technological innovations may make the products and services of certain telecommunications companies obsolete. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the telecommunications sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

Risk of Investing in the Utilities Sector. The utilities sector may be adversely affected by changing commodity prices, government regulation stipulating rates charged by utilities, increased tariffs, changes in tax laws, interest rate fluctuations and changes in the cost of providing specific utility services. The utilities industry is also subject to potential terrorist attacks, natural disasters and severe weather conditions, as well as regulatory and operational burdens associated with the operation and maintenance of nuclear facilities. Government regulators monitor and control utility revenues and costs, and therefore may limit utility profits. In certain countries, regulatory authorities may also restrict a company’s access to new markets, thereby diminishing the company’s long-term prospects.

There are substantial differences among the regulatory practices and policies of various jurisdictions, and any regulatory agency may make major shifts in policy from time to time. There is no assurance that regulatory authorities will, in the future, grant rate increases. Additionally, existing and possible future regulatory legislation may make it even more difficult for utilities to obtain adequate relief. Certain of the issuers of securities held in a Fund's portfolio may own or operate nuclear generating facilities. Governmental authorities may from time to time review existing policies and impose additional requirements governing the licensing, construction and operation of nuclear power plants. Prolonged changes in climate conditions can also have a significant impact on both the revenues of an electric and gas utility as well as the expenses of a utility, particularly a hydro-based electric utility.

The rates that traditional regulated utility companies may charge their customers generally are subject to review and limitation by governmental regulatory commissions. Rate changes may occur only after a prolonged approval period or may not occur at all, which could adversely affect utility companies when costs are rising. The value of regulated utility debt securities (and, to a lesser extent, equity securities) tends to have an inverse relationship to the movement of interest rates. Certain utility companies have experienced full or partial deregulation in recent years. These utility companies are frequently more similar to industrial companies in that they are subject to greater competition and have been permitted by regulators to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and their traditional lines of business. As a result, some companies may be forced to defend their core business and may be less profitable. Deregulation may also permit a utility company to expand outside of its traditional lines of business and engage in riskier ventures.

Proxy Voting Policy

All Funds (except the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF):

The Board has delegated the voting of proxies for each Fund’s securities to BFA pursuant to BFA’s proxy voting guidelines and procedures (the “BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines”). Under the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines, BFA will vote proxies related to Fund securities in the best interests of a Fund and its shareholders. From time to time, a vote may present a conflict between the interests of a Fund’s shareholders, on the one hand, and those of BFA, or any affiliated person of a Fund or BFA, on the other. BFA maintains policies and procedures that are designed to prevent undue influence on BFA’s proxy voting activity that might stem from any relationship between the issuer of a proxy (or any dissident shareholder) and BFA, BFA’s affiliates, a Fund or a Fund’s affiliates. Most conflicts are managed through a structural separation of BFA’s Corporate Governance Group from BFA’s employees with sales and client responsibilities. In addition, BFA maintains procedures to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers or dissident shareholders are managed consistently and without regard to BFA’s relationship with the issuer of the proxy or the dissident shareholder. In certain instances, BFA may determine to engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. Copies of the Funds' Proxy Voting Policy and the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines are attached as Appendix A.

The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF:

The Company has adopted separate proxy voting guidelines for the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF and has delegated to Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”) the responsibility for voting proxies on the portfolio securities held by the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF.

The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF maintains proxy voting guidelines consistent with the principle that “socially responsible” and/or “environmentally responsible” shareholders are concerned not only with economic returns and sound corporate governance, but also with the ethical behavior of corporations and the social and environmental impact of their actions. With respect to social and environmental matters, the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF’s proxy voting guidelines seek to reflect a broad consensus of the socially responsible investing community. The guidelines are based on a commitment to create and preserve economic value and to advance principles of good corporate governance, consistent with responsibilities to society and the environment. The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF votes (or refrains from voting) proxies in a manner that is consistent with these principles. In some cases, it may be in the best interest of shareholders of the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF to refrain from exercising the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF’s proxy voting rights. The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF's proxy voting guidelines provide detailed guidance as to how to vote proxies on certain important or commonly raised issues. ISS, as proxy voting agent for the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, will vote (or refrain from voting) on specific proxy issues in accordance with the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF's proxy voting guidelines. The guidelines permit ISS to consider certain proposals on a case-by-case basis and to vote on such proposals based on various factors, including an examination of the proposal's merits and consideration of recent and company-specific information. The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF votes (or refrains from voting) proxies without regard to the relationship of the issuer of the proxy (or any shareholder of such issuer) to the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF’s affiliates (if any), BFA or BFA’s affiliates, or the Distributor or the Distributor’s affiliates.

With respect to certain specific issues:

•	The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF votes on the election of directors on a case-by-case basis. The iShares MSCI

EM ESG Optimized ETF generally opposes slates of director nominees that are not comprised of a majority of independent directors and withholds votes from non-independent directors who sit on key board committees;

•	The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF generally supports social, workforce and environmental proposals that promote “good corporate citizenship” and/or “environmental stewardship” while enhancing long term shareholder and stakeholder value and proposals that call for more detailed and comparable reporting of a company’s social, workforce and environmental performance; and
•	The iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF generally votes against anti-takeover proposals and proposals that limit the ability of shareholders to act independently of management.

ISS seeks to apply the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF’s proxy voting policies consistently across all proposals and votes strictly according to the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF’s policy in order to minimize conflicts of interests. ISS also maintains policies and practices that are designed to neutralize and guard against any conflict of interest that could arise between the issuer of the proxy (or any shareholder of the issuer) and ISS or ISS’s affiliates. In certain instances, ISS may engage a qualified third party to perform a proxy analysis and issue a vote recommendation as a further safeguard to avoid the influence of a potential conflict of interest.

Information with respect to how BFA or ISS, as applicable, voted proxies relating to the Funds' portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 is available: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or through the Funds' website at www.iShares.com; and (ii) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Portfolio Holdings Information

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio holdings information that requires that such information be disclosed in a manner that: (i) is consistent with applicable legal requirements and in the best interests of each Fund’s respective shareholders; (ii) does not put the interests of BFA, the Distributor or any affiliated person of BFA or the Distributor, above those of Fund shareholders; (iii) does not advantage any current or prospective Fund shareholders over any other current or prospective Fund shareholders, except to the extent that certain Entities (as described below) may receive portfolio holdings information not available to other current or prospective Fund shareholders in connection with the dissemination of information necessary for transactions in Creation Units, as discussed below, and certain information may be provided to personnel of BFA and its affiliates who manage funds that invest a significant percentage of their assets in shares of the Fund for the purpose of facilitating risk management and hedging activities; and (iv) does not provide selective access to portfolio holdings information except pursuant to the procedures outlined below and to the extent appropriate confidentiality arrangements limiting the use of such information are in effect. The “Entities” referred to in sub-section (iii) above are generally limited to National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) members, subscribers to various fee-based subscription services, large institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) that have been authorized by the Distributor to purchase and redeem large blocks of shares pursuant to legal requirements and market makers and other institutional market participants and entities that provide information or transactional services.

Each business day, each Fund's portfolio holdings information is provided to the Distributor or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the NSCC and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to those other fee-based subscription services, including market makers and Authorized Participants, and to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the Funds in the secondary market or evaluating such potential transactions. This information typically reflects each Fund’s anticipated holdings on the following business day.

Daily access to information concerning the Funds' portfolio holdings is permitted: (i) to certain personnel of those service providers that are involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management; and (ii) to other personnel of BFA, the Distributor and their affiliates, and the administrator, custodian and fund accountant who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, distribution, administration, custody, securities lending and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with federal securities laws and regulations thereunder. In addition, each Fund discloses its fixed-income and/or equity portfolio holdings daily at www.iShares.com. More information about this disclosure is available at www.iShares.com.

Portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process may be provided to other entities that provide services to the Funds in the ordinary course of business after it has been disseminated to the NSCC. From time to time, information concerning portfolio holdings other than portfolio holdings information made available in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, may be provided to other entities that provide services to the Funds, including rating or ranking organizations, in the ordinary course of business, no earlier than one business day following the date of the information.

Each Fund discloses its complete portfolio holdings schedule in public filings with the SEC within 70 days of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters and within 60 days of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters and will provide such information to shareholders as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder. A Fund may, however, voluntarily disclose all or part of its portfolio holdings other than in connection with the creation/redemption process, as discussed above, in advance of required filings with the SEC, provided that such information is made generally available to all shareholders and other interested parties in a manner that is consistent with the above policy for disclosure of portfolio holdings information. Such information may be made available through a publicly available website or other means that make the information available to all likely interested parties contemporaneously.

The Company's Chief Compliance Officer or his delegate may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings information pursuant to the above policy and procedures, subject to restrictions on selective disclosure imposed by applicable law.

The Board reviews the policy and procedures for disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually.

Construction and Maintenance of the Underlying Indexes

Descriptions of the Underlying Indexes are provided below.

The MSCI Indexes

The MSCI indexes were founded in 1969 by Capital International S.A. as international performance benchmarks constructed to facilitate comparison of world markets. The MSCI single country standard equity indexes have covered the world's developed markets since 1969 and in 1987 MSCI commenced coverage of emerging markets.

Local stock exchanges traditionally calculated their own indexes, which were generally not comparable with one another due to differences in the representation of the local market, mathematical formulas, base dates and methods of adjusting for capital changes. MSCI, however, applies the same calculation methodology to all markets for all single country standard equity indexes, both developed and emerging.

MSCI's Global Investable Market Indexes (the “MSCI GIMI”) provide coverage and non-overlapping market segmentation by market capitalization size and by style. The MSCI GIMI intend to target approximately 99% coverage of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each market of large-, mid- and small-cap securities.

•	MSCI Global Standard Indexes cover all investable large- and mid-cap securities by including the largest issuers comprising approximately 85% of each market's free float-adjusted market capitalization.
•	MSCI Global Small Cap Indexes provide coverage of companies with a market capitalization below that of the companies in the MSCI Global Standard Indexes.

MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes

Selection Criteria. MSCI's index construction process involves: (i) defining the equity universe; (ii) determining the market investable equity universe for each market; (iii) determining market capitalization size segments for each market; (iv) applying final size segment investability requirements; and (v) applying index continuity rules for the MSCI Global Standard Index.

securities that exhibit characteristics of equity securities, except mutual funds, ETFs, equity derivatives, limited partnerships and most investment trusts, are eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. REITs in some countries and certain income trusts in Canada are also eligible for inclusion. Each company and its securities (i.e., share classes) are classified in only one country.

Determining the Market Investable Equity Universe for Each Market. The equity universe in any market is derived by applying investability screens to individual companies and securities in the equity universe of that market. Some investability requirements are applied at the individual security level and some at the overall company level, represented by the aggregation of individual securities of the company. As a result, the inclusion or exclusion of one security does not imply the automatic inclusion or exclusion of other securities of the same company.

Determining Market Capitalization Size Segments for Each Market. In each market, MSCI creates an Investable Market Index, Standard Index, Large Cap Index, Mid Cap Index and Small Cap Index. The MSCI Global Standard Index is the aggregation of the Large Cap Index and Mid Cap Index. The MSCI GIMI are the aggregation of the MSCI Global Standard Index and MSCI Global Small Cap Index. In order to create size components that can be meaningfully aggregated into composites, individual market size segments balance the following two objectives:

•	Achieving global size integrity by ensuring that companies of comparable and relevant sizes are included in a given size segment across all markets in a composite index; and
•	Achieving consistent market coverage by ensuring that each market's size segment is represented in its proportional weight in the composite universe.

Applying Final Size Segment Investability Requirements. In order to enhance replicability of the indexes, additional size segment investability requirements are set for the MSCI GIMI and MSCI Global Standard Index. These investability requirements include minimum free float-adjusted market capitalization, minimum liquidity, minimum foreign limits and minimum length of trading.

Applying Index Continuity Rules for the Standard Index. In order to achieve index continuity as well as provide some basic level of diversification within a market index, notwithstanding the effect of other index construction rules contained herein, a minimum number of five constituents will be maintained for a developed market Standard Index and a minimum number of three constituents will be maintained for an emerging market Standard Index.

Weighting. All indexes of the MSCI GIMI are free float weighted, i.e., companies are included in the indexes at the value of their free public float (free float multiplied by security price).

Regional Weights. Market capitalization-weighting, combined with a consistent target of approximately 99% of free float-adjusted market capitalization, helps ensure that each country's weight in regional and international indexes approximates its weight in the total universe of developing and emerging markets. A market is equivalent to a single country except for developed Europe, where all markets are aggregated into a single market for index construction purposes. Individual country indexes of the European developed markets are derived from the constituents of the MSCI GIMI Europe Index.

Free Float. MSCI defines the free float of a security as the proportion of shares outstanding that are deemed to be available for purchase in the public equity markets by international investors. In practice, limitations on free float available to international investors include: (i) strategic and other shareholdings not considered part of available free float; and (ii) limits on share ownership for foreigners.

Under MSCI's free float-adjustment methodology, a constituent's inclusion factor is equal to its estimated free float rounded-up to the closest 5% for constituents with free float equal to or exceeding 15%. For example, a constituent security with a free float of 23.2% will be included in the index at 25% of its market capitalization. For securities with a free float of less than 15%, the estimated free float is adjusted to the nearest 1%.

Price and Exchange Rates

Prices. The prices used to calculate all MSCI indexes are the official exchange closing prices or those figures accepted as such. MSCI reserves the right to use an alternative pricing source on any given day.

the previous business day's rates are normally used. MSCI independently monitors the exchange rates on all its indexes. MSCI may under exceptional circumstances elect to use alternative sources of exchange rates if the World Markets/Reuters rates are not available, or if MSCI determines that the World Markets/Reuters rates are not reflective of market circumstances for a given currency on a particular day. In such circumstances, an announcement would be sent to clients with the related information. If appropriate, MSCI may conduct a consultation with the investment community to gather feedback on the most relevant exchange rate.

Changes to the Indexes. The MSCI GIMI are maintained with the objective of reflecting, on a timely basis, the evolution of the underlying equity markets. In maintaining the MSCI indexes, emphasis is also placed on continuity, replicability and minimizing turnover in the indexes. Maintaining the MSCI indexes involves many aspects, including: (i) additions to, and deletions from, the indexes; (ii) changes in number of shares; and (iii) changes in inclusion factors as a result of updated free float estimates.

Index maintenance can be described by three broad categories of changes:

•	Semi-Annual Index Reviews (“SAIRs”), conducted on a fixed semi-annual timetable that systematically reassess the various dimensions of the equity universe for all markets;
•	Quarterly Index Reviews (“QIRs”), aimed at promptly reflecting other significant market events; and
•	Ongoing event-related changes, such as mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, bankruptcies, reorganizations and other similar corporate events, which generally are implemented in the indexes as they occur.

Potential changes in the status of countries (stand-alone, frontier, emerging and developed) follow their own implementation time tables.

MSCI conducts SAIRs generally as of the close of the last business day of May and November. During the SAIRs, MSCI updates the investable equity universe and reassesses size segmentation investability requirements. MSCI also conducts QIRs generally as of the close of the last business day of February and August. During the QIRs, MSCI reflects changes in the index that were not captured at the time of their actual occurrence, but are significant enough to be included before the next SAIR. The results of the SAIR and QIR are generally announced at least ten business days in advance of implementation.

MSCI 25/50 Indexes

Each of the MSCI 25/50 Indexes (the “25/50 Indexes”) is a sub-index of either an MSCI Global Standard Index or an MSCI GIMI. Their construction reflects the diversification requirements applicable to RICs pursuant to Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. The 25/50 Indexes are free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted indexes with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of index weight, and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not cumulatively exceed 50% of the index weight. A software application called the Barra Optimizer is utilized to calculate the capped index weights through an optimization function which is aimed at minimizing index turnover, tracking error and extreme deviation from the uncapped index.

MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes

MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes are rules-based indexes and are designed to reflect lower volatility or lower risk than the capitalization-weighted indexes on which they are based. The indexes aim to reflect the performance of equity portfolios that have the lowest absolute volatility for a given set of investment constraints. Each MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Index seeks lower volatility than the comparable capitalization-weighted MSCI Global Standard Index.

Historically, relative to the MSCI Global Standard Index, the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes have demonstrated (i) lower portfolio beta; (ii) lower portfolio volatility; (iii) lower market capitalization bias; and (iv) bias towards securities with lower distinctive risk.

The MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes begin with an existing capitalization-weighted MSCI Global Standard Index for a geographic region, which will serve as the universe of eligible securities for performing total risk optimization. After identifying the investor’s base currency, the optimization is performed by applying a security covariance matrix estimated from Barra’s multi-factor risk model to determine weights for securities in the index that minimizes total risk of the MSCI Global Standard Index for a given set of constraints. The following investment constraints apply in constructing the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes:

•	The maximum weight of an index constituent will be the lower of 1.5% or 20 times its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	The minimum weight of an index constituent will be 0.05%;
•	For countries in the MSCI Global Standard Index with weight greater than or equal to 2.5% in the parent index, the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes weight will not deviate by more than ±5% of its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	For countries in the MSCI Global Standard Index with weight less than 2.5% in the parent index, the maximum MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes weight will be three times its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	Sector weights will not deviate by more than ±5% from its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	Exposure to risk indices from Barra’s multi-factor risk model, including (i) Momentum; (ii) Value; (iii) Size; (iv) Size Nonlinearity; (v) Growth; (vi) Liquidity; and (vii) Financial Leverage will be limited to ±0.25 standard deviations relative to the MSCI Global Standard Index; exposure to the volatility risk index will be unlimited; and
•	The maximum one-way turnover will be 10%.

MSCI conducts SAIRs of the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes at the end of May and November, coinciding with the semi-annual reviews of the MSCI Global Standard Indexes. The security covariance matrix used in the optimization for MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes is taken as of the end of April and October. Generally, the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes will follow the event maintenance of the MSCI Global Standard Index. Initial public offerings (“IPOs”) and other newly listed securities will only be considered for inclusion in the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes at the next semi-annual index review, even if they qualify for early inclusion in the MSCI Global Standard Index. There will be no early inclusion of new securities in the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes, except when a new security is the result of an event affecting an existing index constituent, such as a merger or spin-off. An index constituent will be deleted from the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes following a corporate event or following a quarterly review of the MSCI Global Standard Index in which the index constituent is simultaneously deleted from the MSCI Global Standard Index.

MSCI ACWI Select Agriculture Producers Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 137

Index Description. The MSCI ACWI Select Agriculture Producers IMI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index comprised of select companies in both developed and emerging markets that are primarily engaged in the business of agriculture at or near the initial phase of agricultural input production. Free-float market capitalization is calculated by taking the security’s price and multiplying it by the number of shares readily available in the market rather than the total number of shares outstanding. The Underlying Index contains companies classified under the fertilizers and agricultural chemicals and agricultural products GICS categories. In addition, companies classified under the construction and farm machinery GICS category are included provided they derive the majority of their revenues from farm machinery and related parts. Finally, companies classified under the packaged foods and meats GICS category are included provided they derive the majority of their revenues from production, based on the following guidelines:

•	Poultry and Livestock: companies are included only if they are significantly involved in the breeding of animals by themselves or through contract farming;
•	Dairy: manufacturers of milk and milk products such as cheese and yogurt, are excluded due to the absence of revenue break up;
•	Sugar: manufacturers of sugar are included even if they do not farm sugarcane. Companies selling sweeteners, sugar free, syrups, etc. are excluded;
•	Edible oil: companies processing edible oil without cultivating the plantation are excluded;
•	Confectioneries and snacks: manufacturers of finished products are excluded due to their presence at the lower spectrum of the value chain;
•	Coffee: coffee companies are excluded due to their reliance on external parties for raw materials; and
•	Fishing: fishing companies are generally included, whether they operate fisheries or receive their catch from the ocean.

As of August 31, 2017, the Underlying Index consisted of stocks of companies in the following 31 countries or regions: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan,

Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Calculation Methodology. The Fund utilizes the Underlying Index calculated with net dividends reinvested. MSCI uses the index constituent companies’ country of incorporation to determine the relevant dividend withholding tax rates in calculating the net dividends. The regular cash dividend is reinvested after deduction of withholding tax by applying the maximum rate of the company’s country of incorporation applicable to institutional investors. Net dividends means dividends after taxes withheld at the rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. Such withholding rates may differ from those applicable to U.S. residents.

MSCI ACWI Select Energy Producers Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 213

Index Description. The MSCI ACWI Select Energy Producers IMI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index comprised of select companies in both developed and emerging markets that are primarily engaged in the business of energy exploration and production. Free-float market capitalization is calculated by taking the security’s price and multiplying it by the number of shares readily available in the market rather than the total number of shares outstanding. The Underlying Index contains securities classified under the integrated oil and gas, oil and gas exploration and production, oil and gas refining and marketing and coal and consumable fuels GICS categories. In addition, securities classified under the integrated oil and gas and oil and gas refining and marketing GICS categories are included provided they do not derive a majority of their revenues from marketing, storage and/or transportation of oil and gas. Companies classified in those sub-industries that do not separately disclose the refining and/or marketing operations in their financial statements are included. Companies primarily involved in alternative fuels are excluded.

As of August 31, 2017, the Underlying Index consisted of stocks of companies in the following 31 countries or regions: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

MSCI ACWI Select Metals & Mining Producers ex Gold and Silver Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 200

Index Description. The MSCI ACWI Select Metals & Mining Producers ex Gold and Silver IMI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index comprised of companies in both developed and emerging markets that are primarily involved in the extraction and production of diversified metals, aluminum, steel, and precious metals and minerals, excluding gold and silver. Free-float market capitalization is calculated by taking the security’s price and multiplying it by the number of shares readily available in the market rather than the total number of shares outstanding. The Underlying Index includes companies classified under the aluminum, diversified metals and mining, copper, precious metals and minerals and steel GICS categories. In addition, companies classified under the precious metals and minerals GICS category are included, provided they do not derive less than 50% of their revenues from gold mining or silver mining.

As of August 31, 2017, the Underlying Index consisted of stocks of companies in the following 33 countries or regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

of the company’s country of incorporation applicable to institutional investors. Net dividends means dividends after taxes withheld at the rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. Such withholding rates may differ from those applicable to U.S. residents.

MSCI All Colombia Capped Index

Number of Components: approximately 29

Index Description. The MSCI All Colombia Capped Index is designed to represent the performance of the broad Colombia equity universe. The Underlying Index consists of equity securities of companies (i) that are classified in Colombia according to the MSCI Global Investable Market Index Methodology, together with (ii) companies that are not classified in Colombia according to the MSCI Global Investable Market Index Methodology but are either headquartered or listed in Colombia and have significant linkage to Colombia, as defined by MSCI, or (iii) that have economic exposure greater than 10% to Colombia, as defined by MSCI, only in the case that the first two criteria do not result in the target number of securities and issuers. The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index weight and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not, in the aggregate, exceed 50% of the Underlying Index weight.

MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility (USD) Index

Number of Components: approximately 364

Index Description. The MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility (USD) Index measures the combined performance of equity securities in both developed and emerging markets that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility relative to the broader developed and emerging markets. Each security included in the Underlying Index is a current constituent of the MSCI ACWI Index.

MSCI Brazil 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 57

Index Description. The MSCI Brazil 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on B3 (the largest Brazilian exchange). The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index weight and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not, in the aggregate, exceed 50% of the Underlying Index weight.

MSCI BRIC Index

Number of Components: approximately 306

Index Description. The MSCI BRIC Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the combined equity market performance in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) and consists of stocks traded primarily on B3, Russian Trading System Stock Exchange, Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange, National Stock Exchange of India, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

MSCI Chile IMI 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 31

Index Description. The MSCI Chile IMI 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Santiago Stock Exchange. The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure broad-based equity market performance in Chile. A capping methodology is applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index weight, and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not cumulatively exceed 50% of the Underlying Index weight.

MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Asia Index

Number of Components: approximately 565

Index Description. The MSCI EM Asia Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index designed to measure equity market performance in the emerging market countries of Asia. Free-float market capitalization is calculated by taking the security's price and multiplying it by the number of shares readily available in the market rather than the total number of shares outstanding.

MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Focus Index

Number of Components: approximately 287

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Focus Index is an optimized index designed to reflect the equity performance of companies that have positive environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) characteristics, while exhibiting risk and return characteristics similar to the MSCI Market Cap Weighted Index (the MSCI EM Index). The index is constructed by selecting constituents from the MSCI EM Index, the parent index, through an optimization process that aims to maximize exposure to ESG factors, subject to a target tracking error constraint of 100 basis points relative to the parent index. The Fund’s Index Provider begins with the parent index, excludes securities of companies involved in the business of tobacco and controversial weapons, as well as securities of companies involved in very severe business controversies (as determined by

the Index Provider), and then follows a quantitative process that is designed to determine optimal weights for securities to maximize exposure to securities of companies with higher ESG ratings, subject to maintaining risk and return characteristics similar to the parent index. The Index Provider then calculates the size of each company’s exposure to each key issue based on the company’s business segment and geographic risk, and analyzes the extent to which companies have developed robust strategies and programs to manage ESG risks and opportunities. Using a sector-specific key issue weighting model, companies are rated and ranked in comparison to their industry peers.

MSCI Emerging Markets Index

Number of Components: approximately 842

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets.

MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 2,675

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets IMI is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The Underlying Index captures large-, mid- and small-cap representation across 24 emerging and frontier market countries and covers approximately 99% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.

MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) Index

Number of Components: approximately 250

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) Index measures the performance of equity securities in global emerging markets that, in the aggregate, have lower volatility, relative to the broader global emerging markets. Each security included in the Underlying Index is a current constituent of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.

MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index

Number of Components: approximately 1,833

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index measures the performance of equity securities of small-capitalization companies whose market capitalization represents the bottom 14% of companies in emerging market countries, as measured by market capitalization.

MSCI Frontier Markets 100 Index

Number of Components: approximately 126

Index Description. The MSCI Frontier Markets 100 Index is designed to measure equity market performance of frontier markets while putting stronger emphasis on tradability compared to the MSCI Frontier Markets IMI, the parent index. The eligible universe for the Underlying Index consists of all parent index constituents that meet certain size, liquidity, and foreign accessibility criteria. The Underlying Index includes the top 85 to 115 stocks by free float-adjusted market capitalization. Free float-adjusted market capitalization is calculated by taking the security’s price and multiplying it by the number of shares readily available for international investors, rather than the total number of shares outstanding. Underlying Index constituents are weighted by free float-adjusted market capitalization. The weight of the top two countries in aggregate is capped at 40%, and the MSCI 25/50 Indexes methodology is then applied to the resulting securities in the Underlying Index.

MSCI Korea 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 112

Index Description. The MSCI Korea 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Stock Market Division of the Korea Exchange. The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index weight and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not, in the aggregate, exceed 50% of the Underlying Index weight.

MSCI Malaysia Index

Number of Components: approximately 41

Index Description. The MSCI Malaysia Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

the net dividends. The regular cash dividend is reinvested after deduction of withholding tax by applying the maximum rate of the company’s country of incorporation applicable to institutional investors. Net dividends means dividends after taxes withheld at the rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. Such withholding rates may differ from those applicable to U.S. residents.

MSCI Taiwan 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 89

Index Description. The MSCI Taiwan 25/50 Index is designed to measure the performance of the large- and mid-cap segments of the Taiwanese market. The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index weight and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not, in the aggregate, exceed 50% of the Underlying Index weight.

Additional Information. “MSCI,” MSCI ACWI Select Agriculture Producers IMI, MSCI ACWI Select Energy Producers IMI, MSCI ACWI Select Metals & Mining Producers ex Gold and Silver IMI, MSCI All Colombia Capped Index, MSCI ACWI Minimum Volatility (USD) Index, MSCI Brazil 25/50 Index, MSCI BRIC Index, MSCI Chile IMI 25/50 Index, MSCI EM Asia Index, MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Focus Index, MSCI Emerging Markets Index, MSCI Emerging Markets IMI, MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) Index, MSCI Emerging Markets Small Cap Index, MSCI Frontier 100 Index, MSCI Korea 25/50 Index, MSCI Malaysia Index and MSCI Taiwan 25/50 Index are servicemarks of MSCI Inc. and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by BFA or its affiliates. The Funds are neither sponsored, endorsed, sold nor promoted by MSCI Inc., and MSCI Inc. makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in any of the Funds.

Investment Restrictions

The Board has adopted as a non-fundamental policy the investment objective of each Fund. Therefore, each Fund may change its investment objective and its Underlying Index without shareholder approval. The Board has adopted as fundamental policies the following numbered investment restrictions, which cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the applicable Fund’s outstanding voting securities. A vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund is defined in the 1940 Act as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

Each of the iShares MSCI Colombia ETF and the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF will not:

1.	Concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the Investment Company Act, except that each Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.
2.	Borrow money, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act.
3.	Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate the Investment Company Act.
4.	Purchase or hold real estate, except each Fund may purchase and hold securities or other instruments that are secured by, or linked to, real estate or interests therein, securities of REITs, mortgage-related securities and securities of issuers engaged in the real estate business, and each Fund may purchase and hold real estate as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments.
5.	Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by each Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.
6.	Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except as permitted by the Investment Company Act.

7.	Make loans to the extent prohibited by the Investment Company Act.

Notations Regarding the iShares MSCI Colombia ETF and iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF Fundamental Investment Restrictions

The following notations are not considered to be part of each Fund’s fundamental investment restrictions and are subject to change without shareholder approval.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to concentration set forth in (1) above, the Investment Company Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund’s total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal activities in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. It is possible that interpretations of concentration could change in the future. The policy in (1) above will be interpreted to refer to concentration as that term may be interpreted from time to time. The policy also will be interpreted to permit investment without limit in the following: securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities; securities of state, territory, possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to be members of any industry. There also will be no limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country. Finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents. Each foreign government will be considered to be a member of a separate industry. With respect to a Fund’s industry classifications, the Fund currently utilizes any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. The policy also will be interpreted to give broad authority to a Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among industries.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing money set forth in (2) above, the Investment Company Act permits each Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of the Fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. (The Fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed.) To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the Investment Company Act requires each Fund to maintain at all times an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings. Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of a Fund’s total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Borrowing money to increase portfolio holdings is known as “leveraging.” Certain trading practices and investments, such as reverse repurchase agreements, may be considered to be borrowings or involve leverage and thus are subject to the Investment Company Act restrictions. In accordance with SEC staff guidance and interpretations, when a Fund engages in such transactions, the Fund instead of maintaining asset coverage of at least 300%, may segregate or earmark liquid assets, or enter into an offsetting position, in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). The policy in (2) above will be interpreted to permit each Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing or to involve leverage to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act and to permit the Fund to segregate or earmark liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions in accordance with the Investment Company Act. Short-term credits necessary for the settlement of securities transactions and arrangements with respect to securities lending will not be considered to be borrowings under the policy. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to underwriting set forth in (5) above, the Investment Company Act does not prohibit each Fund from engaging in the underwriting business or from underwriting the securities of other issuers; in fact, in the case of diversified funds, the Investment Company Act permits the Fund to have underwriting commitments of up to 25% of its assets under certain circumstances. Those circumstances currently are that the amount of each Fund’s underwriting commitments, when added to the value of the Fund’s investments in issuers where the Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of those issuers, cannot exceed the 25% cap. A fund engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Although it is not believed that the application of the 1933 Act provisions described above would cause a Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, the policy in (5) above will be interpreted not to prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act or is otherwise engaged in the underwriting business to the extent permitted by applicable law.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to lending set forth in (7) above, the Investment Company Act does not prohibit each Fund from making loans (including lending its securities); however, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets (including lending its securities), except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. In addition, collateral arrangements with respect to options, forward currency and futures transactions and other derivative instruments (as applicable), as well as delays in the settlement of securities transactions, will not be considered loans.

Under its non-fundamental investment restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval, each of the iShares MSCI Colombia ETF and the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF may not:

Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, except to the extent permitted by a Fund’s Prospectus and SAI, as amended from time to time, and applicable law.

Unless otherwise indicated, all limitations under each Fund’s fundamental or non-fundamental investment restrictions apply only at the time that a transaction is undertaken. Any change in the percentage of a Fund’s assets invested in certain securities or other instruments resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in a Fund’s total assets will not require a Fund to dispose of an investment until BFA determines that it is practicable to sell or close out the investment without undue market or tax consequences.

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF will not:

1.	Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;
2.	Issue any senior security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;
3.	Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings. (The deposit of underlying securities and other assets in escrow and collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin for currency transactions and futures contracts will not be deemed to be pledges of the Fund’s assets);
4.	Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or mineral interests or leases, but the Fund may purchase and sell securities that are issued by companies that invest or deal in such assets;
5.	Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its portfolio;
6.	Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, except that the Fund may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in currencies, options, futures and options on futures;
7.	Sell securities short; or
8.	Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that the Fund may buy and sell currencies and forward contracts with respect thereto, and may transact in futures contracts on securities, stock indices and currencies and options on such futures contracts and make margin deposits in connection with such contracts.

Each of the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF and iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF will not:

1.	Concentrate its investments (i.e., invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of a particular industry or group

	of industries), except that each Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
2.	Borrow money, except that (i) each Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests which might otherwise require the untimely disposition of securities; and (ii) each Fund may, to the extent consistent with its investment policies, enter into repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, forward roll transactions and similar investment strategies and techniques. To the extent that it engages in transactions described in (i) and (ii), each Fund will be limited so that no more than 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) is derived from such transactions. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law.
3.	Issue any senior security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
4.	Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
5.	Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or securities or other instruments backed by real estate or mortgages), or commodities or commodity contracts (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the production, ownership or distribution of commodities or in commodity-related businesses for the iShares Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF and iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF or from trading in futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including options on currencies to the extent consistent with each Fund’s investment objective and policies).
6.	Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that each Fund may technically be deemed to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act, in disposing of portfolio securities.

Each of the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, will not:

1.	Lend any funds or other assets except through the purchase of all or a portion of an issue of securities or obligations of the type in which it is permitted to invest (including participation interests in such securities or obligations) and except that a Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets;
2.	Issue senior securities or borrow money, except borrowings from banks for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount up to 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed), valued at the lesser of cost or market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) valued at the time the borrowing is made, and the Fund will not purchase securities while borrowings in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets are outstanding, provided, that for purposes of this restriction, short-term credits necessary for the clearance of transactions are not considered borrowings;
3.	Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings. (The deposit of underlying securities and other assets in escrow and collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin for currency transactions and futures contracts will not be deemed to be pledges of the Fund’s assets);
4.	Purchase a security (other than obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if as a result 25% or more of its total assets would be invested in a single issuer. (This restriction applies to the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF only);
5.	Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or mineral interests or leases, but a Fund may purchase and sell securities that are issued by companies that invest or deal in such assets;
6.	Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its portfolio;

7.	Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, except that a Fund may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in currencies, options, futures and options on futures;
8.	Sell securities short; or
9.	Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that a Fund may buy and sell currencies and forward contracts with respect thereto, and may transact in futures contracts on securities, stock indices and currencies and options on such futures contracts and make margin deposits in connection with such contracts.

The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF will not:

1.	Concentrate its investments (i.e., invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries), except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
2.	Borrow money, except that (i) the Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests which might otherwise require the untimely disposition of securities; and (ii) the Fund may, to the extent consistent with its investment policies, enter into repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, forward roll transactions and similar investment strategies and techniques. To the extent that it engages in transactions described in (i) and (ii), the Fund will be limited so that no more than 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) is derived from such transactions. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law.
3.	Issue “senior securities” as defined in the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and orders thereunder, except as permitted under the 1940 Act and the rules, regulation and orders thereunder.
4.	Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, and as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
5.	Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this restriction shall not prevent the Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or securities or other instruments backed by real estate or mortgages), or commodities or commodity contracts (but this restriction shall not prevent the Fund from trading in futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including options on currencies to the extent consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies).
6.	Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that the Fund may technically be deemed to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act, in disposing of portfolio securities.

Industry concentration. Each Fund (except for the iShares MSCI South Korea ETF) will not concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in the stocks of a particular industry or group of industries), except that, to the extent practicable, the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its benchmark MSCI Index concentrates in the stocks of such particular industry or group of industries, provided that each Fund will comply with the diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to RICs, any underlying Treasury regulations or any successor provisions.

The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF has the following concentration policy: With respect to the two most heavily weighted industries or groups of industries in its benchmark MSCI Index, the Fund will invest in securities (consistent with its investment objective and other investment policies) so that the weighting of each such industry or group of industries in the Fund does not diverge by more than 10% from the respective weighting of such industry or group of industries in its benchmark MSCI Index. An exception to this policy is that if investment in the stock of a single issuer would account for more than 25% of the Fund, the Fund will invest less than 25% of its net assets in such stock and will reallocate the excess to stock(s) in the same industry or group of industries, and/or to stock(s) in another industry or group of industries, in its benchmark MSCI Index. The Fund will evaluate these industry weightings at least weekly, and at the time of evaluation will adjust its portfolio composition to the extent necessary to maintain compliance with the above policy. The Fund may not

concentrate its investments except as discussed above. The Board has adopted this policy as fundamental, which means that it may not be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities.

As of September 30, 2017, each of the following Funds was concentrated (i.e., held 25% or more of its total assets) in the specified industries:

Fund		Industry or Industries
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF		Chemicals
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF		Oil & Gas
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF		Iron/Steel
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF		Mining
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF		Semiconductors
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF		Semiconductors

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies set forth above, each Fund has adopted a non-fundamental policy not to invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, or purchase or otherwise acquire any illiquid security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, which currently permits up to 15% of each Fund’s net assets to be invested in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment).

BFA monitors the liquidity of restricted securities in each Fund's portfolio. In reaching liquidity decisions, BFA considers the following factors:

•	The frequency of trades and quotes for the security;
•	The number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers;
•	Dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and
•	The nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer).

If any percentage restriction described above is complied with at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from a change in values of assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction, except that certain percentage limitations will be observed continuously in accordance with applicable law.

Each Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in the component securities of its Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing component securities in its Underlying Index. Each Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, a Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

Each Fund (except for the iShares MSCI Colombia ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF) has adopted a non-fundamental limitation such that, under normal market conditions, any borrowings by the Fund will not exceed 10% of the Fund’s net assets.

Each Fund may not purchase securities of other investment companies, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act. As a matter of policy, however, a Fund will not purchase shares of any registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust, in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) (the “fund of funds” provisions) of the 1940 Act, at any time the Fund has knowledge that its shares are purchased by another investment company investor in reliance on the provisions of subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1).

Continuous Offering

The method by which Creation Units are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Funds on an ongoing basis, at any point a “distribution,” as such term is used in the 1933 Act, may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner that could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the 1933 Act.

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent shares and sells such shares directly to customers or if it chooses to couple the creation of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the 1933 Act must take into account all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of the Funds are reminded that, pursuant to Rule 153 under the 1933 Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the 1933 Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Listing Exchange generally is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at the Listing Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is available only with respect to transactions on an exchange.

Management

Directors and Officers. The Board has responsibility for the overall management and operations of the Funds, including general supervision of the duties performed by BFA and other service providers. Each Director serves until he or she resigns, is removed, dies, retires or becomes incapacitated. Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, resignation or removal. Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company are referred to as independent directors (“Independent Directors”).

The registered investment companies advised by BFA or its affiliates (the “BlackRock-advised Funds”) are organized into one complex of closed-end funds, two complexes of open-end funds and one complex of ETFs (“Exchange-Traded Fund Complex”) (each, a “BlackRock Fund Complex”). Each Fund is included in the BlackRock Fund Complex referred to as the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex. Each Director also serves as a Trustee of iShares Trust and a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust and, as a result, oversees a total of 347 funds within the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex. Drew E. Lawton, from October 2016 to June 2017, and Richard L. Fagnani, from April 2017 to June 2017, served as members of the advisory board (“Advisory Board,” members of which are “Advisory Board Members”) for the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust with respect to all funds within the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex. With the exception of Robert S. Kapito, Mark K. Wiedman, Charles Park, Martin Small and Benjamin Archibald, the address of each Director and officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. The address of Mr. Kapito, Mr. Wiedman, Mr. Park, Mr. Small and Mr. Archibald is c/o BlackRock, Inc., Park Avenue Plaza, 55 East 52^nd Street, New York, NY 10055. The Board has designated Cecilia H. Herbert as its Independent Board Chair. Additional information about the Funds' Directors and officers may be found in this SAI, which is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737).

Interested Directors

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Robert S. Kapito¹ (60)	Director (since 2009).	President, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. and Head of BlackRock’s Portfolio Management Group (since its formation in 1998) and BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities (since 1988); Trustee, University of Pennsylvania (since 2009); President of Board of Directors, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund (since 2002).	Director of BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2009); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Mark K. Wiedman² (47)	Director (since 2013).	Senior Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014); Global Head of BlackRock’s ETF and Index Investments Business (since 2016); Global Head of iShares (2011-2016); Head of Corporate Strategy, BlackRock, Inc. (2009-2011).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2013); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2013); Director of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. (since 2008).

¹	Robert S. Kapito is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.
²	Mark K. Wiedman is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.

Independent Directors

Name (Age)		Position		Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years		Other Directorships Held by Director
Cecilia H. Herbert (68)		Director (since 2005); Independent Board Chair (since 2016).		Trustee and Member of the Finance, Technology and Quality Committee of Stanford Health Care (since 2016); Trustee and Member of the Investment Committee, WNET, a New York public media company (since 2011); Chair (1994-2005) and Member (since 1992) of the Investment Committee, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Director (1998-2013) and President (2007-2011) of the Board of Directors, Catholic Charities CYO; Trustee (2002-2011) and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee (2006-2010) of the Thacher School.		Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Independent Board Chair of iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2016); Trustee of Forward Funds (14 portfolios) (since 2009); Trustee of Salient MF Trust (4 portfolios) (since 2015).

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Jane D. Carlin (61)	Director (since 2015); Risk Committee Chair (since 2016).	Consultant (since 2012); Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Holding Company Governance & Assurance and the Global Head of Operational Risk Management of Morgan Stanley (2006-2012).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2015); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2015); Director of PHH Corporation (mortgage solutions) (since 2012); Director of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (since 2016).
Richard L. Fagnani (63)	Director (since 2017); Equity Plus Committee Chair (since 2017).	Partner, KPMG LLP (2002-2016).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
Charles A. Hurty (74)	Director (since 2005); Audit Committee Chair (since 2006).	Retired; Partner, KPMG LLP (1968-2001).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director of SkyBridge Alternative Investments Multi-Adviser Hedge Fund Portfolios LLC (2 portfolios) (since 2002).
John E. Kerrigan (62)	Director (since 2005); Securities Lending Committee Chair (since 2016).	Chief Investment Officer, Santa Clara University (since 2002).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Drew E. Lawton (58)	Director (since 2017); 15(c) Committee Chair (since 2017).	Senior Managing Director of New York Life Insurance Company (2010-2015).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
John E. Martinez (56)	Director (since 2003); Fixed Income Plus Committee Chair (since 2016).	Director of Real Estate Equity Exchange, Inc. (since 2005).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2003); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Madhav V. Rajan (53)	Director (since 2011); Nominating and Governance Committee Chair (since 2017).	Dean, and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (since 2017); Robert K. Jaedicke Professor of Accounting, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2001-2017); Professor of Law (by courtesy), Stanford Law School (2005-2017); Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Head of MBA Program, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2010-2016).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2011); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director, Cavium, Inc. (since 2013).

Officers

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years
Martin Small (42)	President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2010); Head of U.S. iShares (since 2015); Co-Head of the U.S. Financial Markets Advisory Group, BlackRock, Inc. (2008-2014).
Jack Gee (58)	Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (since 2008).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Senior Director of Fund Administration of Intermediary Investor Business, BGI (2009).
Charles Park (50)	Chief Compliance Officer (since 2006).	Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the Equity-Bond Complex, the Equity-Liquidity Complex and the Closed-End Complex (since 2014); Chief Compliance Officer of BFA (since 2006).
Benjamin Archibald (42)	Secretary (since 2015).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2010-2013); Secretary of the BlackRock-advised mutual funds (since 2012).
Steve Messinger (55)	Executive Vice President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014 and since 2016); Managing Director, Beacon Consulting Group (2014-2016).
Scott Radell (49)	Executive Vice President (since 2012).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Head of Portfolio Solutions, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).
Alan Mason (57)	Executive Vice President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).

The Board has concluded that, based on each Director’s experience, qualifications, attributes or skills on an individual basis and in combination with those of the other Directors, each Director should serve as a Director of the Board. Among the attributes common to all Directors are their ability to review critically, evaluate, question and discuss information provided to them, to interact effectively with the Funds' investment adviser, other service providers, counsel and the independent registered public accounting firm, and to exercise effective business judgment in the performance of their duties as Directors. A Director’s ability to perform his or her duties effectively may have been attained through the Director’s educational background or professional training; business, consulting, public service or academic positions; experience from service as a Board member of the Funds and the other funds in the Company (and any predecessor funds), other investment funds, public companies, or non-profit entities or other organizations; and/or other life experiences. Also, set forth below is a brief discussion of the specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills of each Director that led the Board to conclude that he or she should serve (or continue to serve) as a Director.

BlackRock, Inc. and BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities. Mr. Kapito serves as President of BlackRock, Inc., and is a member of the Global Executive Committee and Chairman of the Global Operating Committee. He is responsible for day-to-day oversight of BlackRock's key operating units, including Investment Strategies, Client Businesses, Technology & Operations, and Risk & Quantitative Analysis. Prior to assuming his current responsibilities in 2007, Mr. Kapito served as Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. and Head of BlackRock's Portfolio Management Group. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing all portfolio management within BlackRock, including the Fixed Income, Equity, Liquidity, and Alternative Investment Groups. Mr. Kapito serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors. He has also been President of the Board of Directors for the Hope & Heroes Children's Cancer Fund since 2002. Mr. Kapito earned a BS degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, and an MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1983.

Mark K. Wiedman has been a Director of the Company since 2013. Mr. Wiedman has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2013 and a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2013. Mr. Wiedman served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2013 to 2015. Mr. Wiedman is the Global Head of BlackRock’s ETF and Index Investments Business and Senior Managing Director of BlackRock, Inc. In addition, he is a member of BlackRock's Global Executive Committee. Prior to assuming his current responsibilities in 2016, Mr. Wiedman was the Global Head of iShares. Mr. Wiedman was previously the head of Corporate Strategy for BlackRock. Mr. Wiedman joined BlackRock in 2004 to help start the advisory business, which evolved into the Financial Markets Advisory Group in BlackRock Solutions. This group advises financial institutions and governments on managing their capital markets exposures and businesses. Prior to BlackRock, he served as senior advisor and chief of staff for the Under Secretary for Domestic Finance at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and also was a management consultant at McKinsey & Co., advising financial institutions in the U.S., Europe, and Japan. He has taught as an adjunct associate professor of law at Fordham University in New York and Renmin University in Beijing. Mr. Wiedman serves on the board of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc., a publicly-traded U.S. mortgage banking and investment management firm started in 2008, with BlackRock, Inc. as a sponsor. Mr. Wiedman earned an AB degree, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, in social studies from Harvard College in 1992 and a JD degree from Yale Law School in 1996.

Cecilia H. Herbert has been a Director of the Company since 2005 and Chair of the Company’s Board since 2016. Ms. Herbert served as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Company from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2017 and Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of the Company from 2012 to 2015. Ms. Herbert has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2005, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares Trust from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2017, Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of iShares Trust from 2012 to 2015, Chair of the iShares Trust's Board since 2016, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2011, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2017, Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2012 to 2015 and Chair of the iShares U.S. ETF Trust's Board since 2016. Ms. Herbert served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. In addition, Ms. Herbert has served as Trustee of the Forward Funds since 2009, which was purchased by Salient Partners in 2015, and has also served as Trustee of the Salient MF Trust since 2015. She has served since 1992 on the Investment Council of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and was Chair from 1994 to 2005. She has served as a Trustee of Stanford Health Care since 2016 and as a Trustee of WNET, New York’s public media station, since 2011. She was President of the Board of Catholic Charities CYO, the largest social services agency in the San Francisco Bay Area, from 2007 to 2011 and a member of that board from 1992 to 2013. She previously served as Trustee of the Pacific Select Funds from 2004 to 2005 and Trustee of the Montgomery Funds from 1992 to 2003. She worked from 1973 to 1990 at J.P. Morgan/Morgan Guaranty Trust doing international corporate finance and corporate lending, retiring as Managing Director and Head of the West Coast Office. Ms. Herbert has been on numerous non-profit boards, chairing investment and finance committees. She holds a double major in economics and communications from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jane D. Carlin has been a Director of the Company since 2015 and Chair of the Risk Committee since 2016. Ms. Carlin has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2015, Chair of the Risk Committee of iShares Trust since 2016, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2015 and Chair of the Risk Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2016. Ms. Carlin has served as a consultant since 2012 and formerly served as Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Holding Company Governance & Assurance and the Global Head of Operational Risk Management of Morgan Stanley from 2006 to 2012. In addition, Ms. Carlin served as Managing Director and Global Head of the Bank Operational Risk Oversight Department of Credit Suisse Group from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, Ms. Carlin served as Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel of Morgan Stanley. Ms. Carlin has over 30 years of experience in the financial sector and has served in a number of legal, regulatory, and risk management positions. Ms. Carlin has served as an Independent Director on the Board of PHH Corporation since 2012 and as a Director of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. since 2016. She previously served as a Director on the Boards of

Astoria Financial Corporation and Astoria Bank. Ms. Carlin was appointed by the United States Treasury to the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security, where she served as Chairperson from 2010 to 2012 and Vice Chair and Chair of the Cyber Security Committee from 2009 to 2010. Ms. Carlin has a BA degree in political science from State University of New York at Stony Brook and a JD degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Richard L. Fagnani has been a Director of the Company since 2017 and Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of the Company since 2017. Mr. Fagnani served as an Advisory Board Member of the Company from April 2017 to June 2017. Mr. Fagnani has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2017, Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of iShares Trust since 2017, an Advisory Board Member of iShares Trust from April 2017 to June 2017, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2017, Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2017 and an Advisory Board Member of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from April 2017 to June 2017. Mr. Fagnani served as a Senior Audit Partner at KPMG LLP from 2002 to 2016, most recently as the U.S. asset management audit practice leader responsible for setting strategic direction and execution of the operating plan for the asset management audit practice. In addition, from 1977 to 2002, Mr. Fagnani served as an Audit Partner at Andersen LLP, where he developed and managed the asset management audit practice. Mr. Fagnani served as a Trustee on the Board of the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia from 2009 to 2014 and as a member of the School of Business Advisory Board at LaSalle University from 2006 to 2014. Mr. Fagnani has a BS degree in Accounting from LaSalle University.

Charles A. Hurty has been a Director of the Company since 2005 and Chair of the Audit Committee of the Company since 2006. Mr. Hurty has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2005, Chair of the Audit Committee of iShares Trust since 2006 and a Trustee and Chair of the Audit Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2011. Mr. Hurty served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. In addition, Mr. Hurty has served as Director of the SkyBridge Alternative Investments Multi-Adviser Hedge Fund Portfolios LLC (formerly, Citigroup Alternative Investments Multi-Adviser Hedge Fund Portfolios LLC) since 2002. He was a Director of the GMAM Absolute Return Strategy Fund from 2002 to 2015 and was a Director of the CSFB Alternative Investment Funds from 2005 to December 2009, when the funds were liquidated. Mr. Hurty was formerly a Partner at KPMG, LLP from 1968 to 2001, where he held several leadership roles in KPMG’s Investment Management Practice. Prior to joining KPMG, Mr. Hurty was an officer in the United States Army. Mr. Hurty has a BS degree in accounting from the University of Kansas.

John E. Kerrigan has been a Director of the Company since 2005 and Chair of the Securities Lending Committee of the Company since 2016. Mr. Kerrigan served as Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Company from 2010 to 2012 and Chair of the Fixed Income Plus Committee of the Company from 2012 to 2015. Mr. Kerrigan has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2005, Chair of the Fixed Income Plus Committee of iShares Trust from 2012 to 2015, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares Trust from 2010 to 2012, Chair of the Securities Lending Committee of iShares Trust since 2016, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2011, Chair of the Fixed Income Plus Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2012 to 2015, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2011 to 2012 and Chair of the Securities Lending Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2016. Mr. Kerrigan served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. Mr. Kerrigan has served as Chief Investment Officer of Santa Clara University since 2002. Mr. Kerrigan was formerly a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch & Co., including the following responsibilities: Managing Director, Institutional Client Division, Western United States. Mr. Kerrigan has been a Director, since 1999, of The BASIC Fund (Bay Area Scholarships for Inner City Children). Mr. Kerrigan has a BA degree from Boston College and is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder.

Drew E. Lawton has been a Director of the Company since 2017 and Chair of the 15(c) Committee of the Company since 2017. Mr. Lawton served as an Advisory Board Member of the Company from 2016 to 2017. Mr. Lawton has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2017, Chair of the 15(c) Committee of iShares Trust since 2017, an Advisory Board Member of iShares Trust from 2016 to 2017, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2017, Chair of the 15(c) Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2017 and an Advisory Board Member of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2016 to 2017. Mr. Lawton served as Director of Principal Funds, Inc., Principal Variable Contracts Funds, Inc. and Principal Exchange-Traded Funds from March 2016 through October 2016. Mr. Lawton served in various capacities at New York Life Insurance Company from February 2010 to December 2015, most recently as a Senior Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of New York Life Investment Management. From 2008 to 2010, Mr. Lawton was the President of Fridson Investment Advisors, LLC. Mr. Lawton previously held multiple roles at Fidelity Investments from 1997 to 2008. Mr. Lawton has a BA degree in Administrative Science from Yale University and an MBA from University of North Texas.

John E. Martinez has been a Director of the Company since 2003 and Chair of the Fixed Income Plus Committee of the Company since 2016. Mr. Martinez served as Chair of the Securities Lending Committee of the Company from 2012 to 2015. Mr. Martinez has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2003, Chair of the Securities Lending Committee of iShares Trust from 2012 to 2015, Chair of the Fixed Income Plus Committee of iShares Trust since 2016, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2011, Chair of the Securities Lending Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2012 to 2015 and Chair of the Fixed Income Plus Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2016. Mr. Martinez served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. Mr. Martinez is a Director of Real Estate Equity Exchange, Inc., providing governance oversight and consulting services to this privately held firm that develops products and strategies for homeowners in managing the equity in their homes. Mr. Martinez currently serves as a Board member for the Cloudera Foundation, whose mission is to apply Cloudera’s data science expertise and discipline to solve global social problems. Mr. Martinez previously served as Director of Barclays Global Investors (“BGI”) UK Holdings, where he provided governance oversight representing BGI’s shareholders (Barclays PLC, BGI management shareholders) through oversight of BGI’s worldwide activities. Mr. Martinez also previously served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Global Index and Markets Group of BGI, Chairman of Barclays Global Investor Services and Chief Executive Officer of the Capital Markets Group of BGI. From 2003 to 2012, he was a Director and Executive Committee Member for Larkin Street Youth Services, providing governance oversight and strategy development to an agency that provides emergency and transitional housing, healthcare, education, job and life skills training to homeless youth. He now serves on the Larkin Street Honorary Board. From 2010 to 2016, Mr. Martinez served as a Director for Reading Partners, an organization committed to making all children literate through one-on-one tutoring of students in grades K-4 who are not yet reading at grade level. Mr. Martinez has an AB degree in economics from The University of California, Berkeley and holds an MBA degree in finance and statistics from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Madhav V. Rajan has been a Director of the Company since 2011 and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Company since 2017. Mr. Rajan served as Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of the Company from 2016 to 2017, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Company in 2016 and Chair of the 15(c) Committee of the Company from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2017. Mr. Rajan has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2011, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares Trust since 2017, Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of iShares Trust from 2016 to 2017, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares Trust in 2016, Chair of the 15(c) Committee of iShares Trust from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2017, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2011, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2017, Chair of the Equity Plus Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2016 to 2017, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust in 2016 and Chair of the 15(c) Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2012 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2017. Mr. Rajan served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2011 to 2015. Mr. Rajan is the Dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. From 2001 to 2017, Mr. Rajan was the Robert K. Jaedicke Professor of Accounting at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. In April 2017, he received the school’s Robert T. Davis Award for Lifetime Achievement and Service. He has taught accounting for over 25 years to undergraduate, MBA and law students, as well as to senior executives. From 2010 to 2016, Mr. Rajan served as the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and head of the MBA Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Rajan served as editor of “The Accounting Review” from 2002 to 2008 and is co-author of “Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis,” a leading cost accounting textbook. Mr. Rajan holds MS and PhD degrees in Accounting from Carnegie Mellon University.

Board – Leadership Structure and Oversight Responsibilities

Overall responsibility for oversight of the Funds rests with the Board. The Board has engaged BFA to manage the Funds on a day-to-day basis. The Board is responsible for overseeing BFA and other service providers in the operations of the Funds in accordance with the provisions of the 1940 Act, applicable provisions of state and other laws and the Company’s charter. The Board is currently composed of ten members, eight of whom are Independent Directors. The Board currently conducts regular in person meetings four times a year. In addition, the Board frequently holds special in person or telephonic meetings or informal conference calls to discuss specific matters that may arise or require action between regular meetings. The Independent Directors meet regularly outside the presence of management, in executive session or with other service providers to the Company.

Committee, a Securities Lending Committee, a Risk Committee, an Equity Plus Committee and a Fixed Income Plus Committee to assist the Board in the oversight and direction of the business and affairs of the Funds, and from time to time the Board may establish ad hoc committees or informal working groups to review and address the policies and practices of the Funds with respect to certain specified matters. The Chair of each standing Committee is an Independent Director. The role of the Chair of each Committee is to preside at all meetings of the Committee and to act as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys and other Directors between meetings. Each standing Committee meets regularly to conduct the oversight functions delegated to the Committee by the Board and reports its finding to the Board. The Board and each standing Committee conduct annual assessments of their oversight function and structure. The Board has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise independent judgment over management and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees of Independent Directors and the full Board to enhance effective oversight.

Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Funds is the responsibility of BFA or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), subject to the supervision of BFA. Each Fund is subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational, reputational, counterparty and valuation risks, among others. While there are a number of risk management functions performed by BFA and other service providers, as applicable, it is not possible to identify and eliminate all of the risks applicable to the Funds. The Directors have an oversight role in this area, satisfying themselves that risk management processes and controls are in place and operating effectively. Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of each Fund and is addressed as part of various Board and committee activities. In some cases, risk management issues are specifically addressed in presentations and discussions. For example, BFA has an independent dedicated Risk and Quantitative Analysis Group (“RQA”) that assists BFA in managing fiduciary and corporate risks, including investment, operational, counterparty credit and enterprise risk. Representatives of RQA meet with the Board to discuss their analysis and methodologies, as well as specific risk topics such as operational and counterparty risks relating to the Funds. The Board, directly or through a committee, also reviews reports from, among others, management and the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by each Fund and management’s risk functions. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who oversees the implementation and testing of the Company's compliance program, including assessments by independent third parties, and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Company and its principal service providers. In testing and maintaining the compliance program, the Chief Compliance Officer (and his or her delegates) assesses key compliance risks affecting each Fund, and addresses them in periodic reports to the Board. In addition, the Audit Committee meets with both the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm and BFA’s internal audit group to review risk controls in place that support each Fund as well as test results. Board oversight of risk is also performed as needed between meetings through communications between BFA and the Board. The Independent Directors have engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in performing their oversight responsibilities. From time to time, the Board may modify the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board’s oversight role does not make it a guarantor of the Funds' investment performance or other activities.

Committees of the Board of Directors. The members of the Audit Committee are Charles A. Hurty (Chair), Richard L. Fagnani, John E. Kerrigan and Madhav V. Rajan, each of whom is an Independent Director. The purposes of the Audit Committee are to assist the Board (i) in its oversight of the Company's accounting and financial reporting principles and policies and related controls and procedures maintained by or on behalf of the Company; (ii) in its oversight of the Company's financial statements and the independent audit thereof; (iii) in selecting, evaluating and, where deemed appropriate, replacing the independent accountants (or nominating the independent accountants to be proposed for shareholder approval in any proxy statement); (iv) in evaluating the independence of the independent accountants; (v) in complying with legal and regulatory requirements that relate to the Company's accounting and financial reporting, internal controls, compliance controls and independent audits; and (vi) to assume such other responsibilities as may be delegated by the Board. The Audit Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

recommending a current Independent Director to the Board and current Independent Directors to serve as Board Chair; (v) periodic review of the Board's retirement policy; and (vi) recommending an appropriate level of compensation for the Independent Directors for their services as Directors, members or chairpersons of committees of the Board, Board Chair and any other positions as the Nominating and Governance Committee considers appropriate. The Nominating and Governance Committee does not consider Board nominations recommended by shareholders (acting solely in their capacity as a shareholder and not in any other capacity). The Nominating and Governance Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Each Independent Director serves on the 15(c) Committee. The Chair of the 15(c) Committee is Drew E. Lawton. The principal responsibilities of the 15(c) Committee are to support, oversee and organize on behalf of the Board the process for the annual review and renewal of the Company's advisory and sub-advisory agreements. These responsibilities include: (i) meeting with BlackRock, Inc. in advance of the Board meeting at which the Company's advisory and sub-advisory agreements are to be considered to discuss generally the process for providing requested information to the Board and the format in which information will be provided; and (ii) considering and discussing with BlackRock, Inc. such other matters and information as may be necessary and appropriate for the Board to evaluate the investment advisory and sub-advisory agreements of the Company. The 15(c) Committee met two times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

The members of the Securities Lending Committee are John E. Kerrigan (Chair), Jane D. Carlin, Richard L. Fagnani and Madhav V. Rajan, each of whom is an Independent Director. The principal responsibilities of the Securities Lending Committee are to support, oversee and organize on behalf of the Board the process for oversight of the Company's securities lending activities. These responsibilities include: (i) requesting that certain information be provided to the Committee for its review and consideration prior to such information being provided to the Board; (ii) considering and discussing with BlackRock, Inc. such other matters and information as may be necessary and appropriate for the Board to oversee the Company's securities lending activities and make required findings and approvals; and (iii) providing a recommendation to the Board regarding the annual approval of the Company's Securities Lending Guidelines and the required findings with respect to, and annual approval of, the Company's agreement with the securities lending agent. The Securities Lending Committee met three times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

The members of the Equity Plus Committee are Richard L. Fagnani (Chair), Charles A. Hurty, John E. Kerrigan and Madhav V. Rajan, each of whom is an Independent Director. The principal responsibilities of the Equity Plus Committee are to support, oversee and organize on behalf of the Board the process for oversight of Company performance and related matters for equity funds. These responsibilities include: (i) reviewing quarterly reports regarding Company performance, secondary market trading and changes in net assets to identify any matters that should be brought to the attention of the Board; and (ii) considering any performance or investment related matters as may be delegated to the Committee by the Board from time to time and providing a report or recommendation to the Board as appropriate. The Equity Plus Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

The members of the Fixed Income Plus Committee are John E. Martinez (Chair), Jane D. Carlin and Drew E. Lawton, each of whom is an Independent Director. The principal responsibilities of the Fixed Income Plus Committee are to support, oversee and organize on behalf of the Board the process for oversight of Company performance and related matters for fixed-income or multi-asset funds. These responsibilities include: (i) reviewing quarterly reports regarding Company performance, secondary market trading and changes in net assets to identify any matters that should be brought to the attention of the Board; and (ii) considering any performance or investment related matters as may be delegated to the Committee by the Board from time to time and providing a report or recommendation to the Board as appropriate. The Fixed Income Plus Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

The members of the Risk Committee are Jane D. Carlin (Chair), Charles A. Hurty, Drew E. Lawton and John E. Martinez, each of whom is an Independent Director. The principal responsibility of the Risk Committee is to consider and organize on behalf of the Board risk related matters of the Funds so the Board may most effectively structure itself to oversee them. The Risk Committee commenced on January 1, 2016. The Risk Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

As the Chair of the Board, Cecilia H. Herbert may serve as an ex-officio member of each Committee.

Richard L. Fagnani because he was appointed to serve as an Advisory Board Member effective April 1, 2017. If a fund is not listed below, the Director or Advisory Board Member did not own any securities in that fund as of the date indicated above:

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
Robert S. Kapito	None	None	None

Mark K. Wiedman	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares New York Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Cecilia H. Herbert	iShares California Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares International Select Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI Japan ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Jane D. Carlin	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Richard L. Fagnani	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable

Charles A. Hurty	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
	iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Moderate Allocation ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Global Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Healthcare ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Technology ETF	Over $100,000

John E. Kerrigan	iShares MSCI ACWI ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short-Term National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Drew E. Lawton	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	$50,001-$100,000	$50,001-$100,000

John E. Martinez	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$1-$10,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares TIPS Bond ETF	$50,001-$100,000

Madhav V. Rajan	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Select Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	Over $100,000

As of December 31, 2016, none of the Independent Directors, the Advisory Board Member or their immediate family members owned beneficially or of record any securities of BFA (the Funds' investment adviser), the Distributor or any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with BFA or the Distributor.

Remuneration of Directors and Advisory Board Members.

Effective January 1, 2017, each current Independent Director is paid an annual retainer of $325,000 for his or her services as a Board member to the BlackRock-advised Funds in the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex (prior to January 1, 2017, the annual retainer was $300,000), together with out-of-pocket expenses in accordance with the Board’s policy on travel and other business expenses relating to attendance at meetings. The annual retainer for services as an Advisory Board Member is the same as the annual retainer for services as a Board member.

The Independent Chair of the Board is paid an additional annual retainer of $50,000. The Chair of each of the Equity Plus Committee, Fixed Income Plus Committee, Securities Lending Committee, Risk Committee, Nominating and Governance Committee and 15(c) Committee is paid an additional annual retainer of $25,000. The Chair of the Audit Committee is paid an additional annual retainer of $40,000. Cecilia H. Herbert waived the annual retainer for her service as the Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee. Each Independent Director that served as a director of subsidiaries of the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex is paid an additional annual retainer of $10,000 (plus an additional $1,772 paid annually to compensate for taxes due in the Republic of Mauritius in connection with such Director’s service on the boards of certain Mauritius-based subsidiaries).

The tables below set forth the compensation earned by each Independent Director, Interested Director and Advisory Board Member for services to each Fund for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 and the aggregate compensation paid to them for services to the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex for the calendar year ended December 31, 2016.

Name	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	iShares MSCI Brazil ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	11,509	2,211	1,031	1,817
Cecilia H. Herbert	12,273	2,294	1,107	1,950
Charles A. Hurty	10,898	1,191	1,077	1,896
John E. Kerrigan	10,439	1,141	1,031	1,817
Madhav V. Rajan	11,076	1,211	1,094	1,927
Jane D. Carlin	10,439	1,141	1,031	1,817
Drew E. Lawton²	9,039	988	893	1,573
Richard L. Fagnani³	4,265	466	421	742

Name	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$0	$0	$0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	iShares MSCI Chile ETF	iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$0	$0
John E. Martinez	1,145	135	6	1,214
Cecilia H. Herbert	1,150	144	7	1,224
Charles A. Hurty	79	140	7	151
John E. Kerrigan	75	135	6	144
Madhav V. Rajan	80	143	7	153
Jane D. Carlin	75	135	6	144
Drew E. Lawton²	65	116	6	125
Richard L. Fagnani³	31	55	3	59

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	11,222	1,142	28	181
Cecilia H. Herbert	11,964	1,148	30	194
Charles A. Hurty	10,598	76	29	188
John E. Kerrigan	10,152	73	28	181
Madhav V. Rajan	10,771	77	30	192
Jane D. Carlin	10,152	73	28	181
Drew E. Lawton²	8,790	63	24	156
Richard L. Fagnani³	4,147	30	11	74

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name		iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF		iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF		iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF		iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF
Independent Directors:

Name	iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF

Robert H. Silver¹	$0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	8	10	100	126
Cecilia H. Herbert	9	10	107	135
Charles A. Hurty	9	10	104	131
John E. Kerrigan	8	10	100	126
Madhav V. Rajan	9	10	106	133
Jane D. Carlin	8	10	100	126
Drew E. Lawton²	7	8	86	109
Richard L. Fagnani³	3	4	41	51

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	1,088	1,082
Cecilia H. Herbert	1,168	1,161
Charles A. Hurty	1,136	1,130
John E. Kerrigan	1,088	1,082
Madhav V. Rajan	1,154	1,148
Jane D. Carlin	1,088	1,082
Drew E. Lawton²	942	937
Richard L. Fagnani³	445	442

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0

Name	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Company Expenses⁴	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement⁴	Total Compensation From the Funds and Fund Complex⁵
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$81,250
John E. Martinez	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	336,764
Cecilia H. Herbert	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	361,764
Charles A. Hurty	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	340,000
John E. Kerrigan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Madhav V. Rajan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Jane D. Carlin	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000

Interested Directors:

Name	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Company Expenses⁴	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement⁴	Total Compensation From the Funds and Fund Complex⁵

Robert S. Kapito	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	0

Advisory Board Members:

Drew E. Lawton²	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$75,000 ⁶
Richard L. Fagnani³	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable⁷

¹	Served as an Independent Director through March 31, 2016.
²	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Drew E. Lawton for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
³	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Richard L. Fagnani for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from April 1, 2017 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
⁴	No Director or officer is entitled to any pension or retirement benefits from the Company.
⁵	Also includes compensation for service on the Boards of Trustees or the Advisory Board for iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust.
⁶	Total compensation is shown for Drew E. Lawton for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to December 31, 2016.
⁷	Total compensation is not shown for Richard L. Fagnani because he was appointed to serve as an Advisory Board Member of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust effective April 1, 2017.

The board of directors of each Subsidiary , which is responsible for the overall management and operations of the Subsidiary, is partially comprised of certain members of the Board of Directors of the Company.

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.

The Directors and officers of the Company collectively owned less than 1% of each Fund's outstanding shares as of November 30, 2017.

Although the Company does not have information concerning the beneficial ownership of shares held in the names of Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participants (as defined below), as of November 30, 2017, the name and percentage ownership of each DTC participant that owned of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund were as follows:

Fund	Name	Percentage of Ownership
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated - TS Sub 101 Hudson Street 9th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07302-3997	13.90%
	National Financial Services LLC 200 Liberty Street 5^thFloor New York, NY 10281	13.59%
	State Street Bank and Trust Company 1776 Heritage Drive North Quincy, MA 02171	6.75%

Fund	Name	Percentage of Ownership
	Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC 1300 Thames Street 6^th Floor Baltimore, MD 21231	5.98%
	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association 14201 Dallas Pkwy 12^thFloor Dallas, TX 75240	5.83%

iShares MSCI Chile ETF	Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 525 Washington Blvd. 11^th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07310	19.66%
	State Street Bank and Trust Company 1776 Heritage Drive North Quincy, MA 02171	8.48%
	The Bank of New York Mellon 401 Salina Street 2^nd Floor Syracuse, NY 13202	6.83%
	Deutsche Bank Securities Inc./Cedear 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020	6.39%
	Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 111 Pavonia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07310	5.95%

iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association 14201 Dallas Pkwy 12^thFloor Dallas, TX 75240	34.04%
	BNP Paribas, New York Branch/Custody Services 525 Washington BLVD. Jersey City, NJ 07310	13.26%
	State Street Bank and Trust Company 1776 Heritage Drive North Quincy, MA 02171	6.79%
	Interactive Brokers Retail Equity Clearing 8 Greenwich Office Park Greenwich, CT 06831	5.96%

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated - TS Sub 101 Hudson Street 9th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07302-3997	31.54%
	Citibank, N.A. 3800 CitiBank Center Tampa Building A/Floor 2 Tampa, FL 33610	20.49%

Fund	Name	Percentage of Ownership
	The Bank of New York Mellon 401 Salina Street 2^nd Floor Syracuse, NY 13202	6.13%
	Citibank, N.A. 3800 CitiBank Center Tampa Building A/Floor 2 Tampa, FL 33610	5.86%
	Northern Trust Company (The) 801 South Canal Street Chicago, IL 60612	5.15%

Potential Conflicts of Interest. The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (“PNC”) has a significant economic interest in BlackRock, Inc., the parent of BFA, the Funds' investment adviser. BlackRock, Inc. and PNC are considered to be affiliated persons of one another under the 1940 Act. Certain activities of BFA, BlackRock, Inc. and their affiliates (collectively, “BlackRock”) and PNC and its affiliates (collectively, “PNC” and together with BlackRock, “Affiliates”), with respect to the Funds and/or other accounts managed by BlackRock or PNC, may give rise to actual or perceived conflicts of interest such as those described below.

BlackRock is one of the world's largest asset management firms. PNC is a diversified financial services organization spanning the retail, business and corporate markets. BlackRock, PNC and their respective affiliates (including, for these purposes, their directors, partners, trustees, managing members, officers and employees), including the entities and personnel who may be involved in the investment activities and business operations of a Fund, are engaged worldwide in businesses, including managing equities, fixed-income securities, cash and alternative investments, and banking and other financial services, and have interests other than that of managing a Fund. These are considerations of which investors in a Fund should be aware, and which may cause conflicts of interest that could disadvantage a Fund and its shareholders. These businesses and interests include potential multiple advisory, transactional, financial and other relationships with, or interests in, companies and interests in securities or other instruments that may be purchased or sold by a Fund.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates have proprietary interests in, and may manage or advise with respect to, accounts or funds (including separate accounts and other funds and collective investment vehicles) that have investment objectives similar to those of a Fund and/or that engage in transactions in the same types of securities, currencies and instruments as a Fund. One or more Affiliates are also major participants in the global currency, equities, swap and fixed-income markets, in each case, for the accounts of customers and, in some cases, on a proprietary basis. As such, one or more Affiliates are or may be actively engaged in transactions in the same securities, currencies, and instruments in which a Fund invests. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities, currencies, and instruments in which a Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. Such transactions, particularly in respect of most proprietary accounts or client accounts, will be executed independently of a Fund's transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by a Fund.

When BlackRock and the other Affiliates seek to purchase or sell the same assets for their managed accounts, including a Fund, the assets actually purchased or sold may be allocated among the accounts on a basis determined in their good faith discretion to be equitable. In some cases, this system may adversely affect the size or price of the assets purchased or sold for a Fund. In addition, transactions in investments by one or more other accounts managed by BlackRock or the other Affiliates may have the effect of diluting or otherwise disadvantaging the values, prices or investment strategies of a Fund, particularly, but not limited to, with respect to small-capitalization, emerging market or less liquid strategies. This may occur when investment decisions regarding a Fund are based on research or other information that is also used to support decisions for other accounts. When BlackRock or the other Affiliates implement a portfolio decision or strategy on behalf of another account ahead of, or contemporaneously with, similar decisions or strategies for a Fund, market impact, liquidity constraints, or other factors could result in the Fund receiving less favorable trading results and the costs of implementing such decisions or strategies could be increased or the Fund could otherwise be disadvantaged. BlackRock or the other Affiliates may, in certain cases, elect to implement internal policies and procedures designed to limit such consequences, which may cause a

Fund to be unable to engage in certain activities, including purchasing or disposing of securities, when it might otherwise be desirable for it to do so.

Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding a Fund may benefit other accounts managed by BlackRock or the other Affiliates. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by a Fund may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) one or more Affiliates or their other accounts or funds, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by a Fund may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) one or more Affiliates or their other accounts or funds.

In certain circumstances, BlackRock, on behalf of a Fund, may seek to buy from or sell securities to another fund or account advised by BlackRock or an Affiliate. BlackRock may (but is not required to) effect purchases and sales between BlackRock clients or clients of Affiliates (“cross trades”), including a Fund, if BlackRock believes such transactions are appropriate based on each party's investment objectives and guidelines, subject to applicable law and regulation. There may be potential conflicts of interest or regulatory issues relating to these transactions which could limit BlackRock’s decision to engage in these transactions for a Fund. BlackRock may have a potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities to the parties in such transactions. On any occasion when a Fund participates in a cross trade, BlackRock will comply with procedures adopted under applicable rules and SEC guidance.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their clients may pursue or enforce rights with respect to an issuer in which a Fund has invested, and those activities may have an adverse effect on the Fund. As a result, prices, availability, liquidity and terms of a Fund's investments may be negatively impacted by the activities of BlackRock or the other Affiliates or their clients, and transactions for the Fund may be impaired or effected at prices or terms that may be less favorable than would otherwise have been the case.

The results of a Fund’s investment activities may differ significantly from the results achieved by BlackRock and the other Affiliates for their proprietary accounts or other accounts (including investment companies or collective investment vehicles) managed or advised by them. It is possible that one or more Affiliate-managed accounts and such other accounts will achieve investment results that are substantially more or less favorable than the results achieved by a Fund. Moreover, it is possible that a Fund will sustain losses during periods in which one or more Affiliates or Affiliate-managed accounts achieve significant profits on their trading for proprietary or other accounts. The opposite result is also possible.

From time to time, a Fund may be restricted from purchasing or selling securities, or from engaging in other investment activities because of regulatory, legal or contractual requirements applicable to BlackRock or one or more Affiliates or other accounts managed or advised by BlackRock or the other Affiliates for clients worldwide, and/or the internal policies of BlackRock and the other Affiliates designed to comply with such requirements. As a result, there may be periods, for example, when BlackRock and/or one or more Affiliates will not initiate or recommend certain types of transactions in certain securities or instruments with respect to which BlackRock and/or one or more Affiliates are performing services or when position limits have been reached. For example, the investment activities of one or more Affiliates for their proprietary accounts and accounts under their management may limit the investment opportunities for a Fund in certain emerging and other markets in which limitations are imposed upon the amount of investment, in the aggregate or in individual issuers, by affiliated foreign investors.

In connection with its management of a Fund, BlackRock may have access to certain fundamental analysis and proprietary technical models developed by one or more Affiliates. BlackRock will not be under any obligation, however, to effect transactions on behalf of a Fund in accordance with such analysis and models. In addition, neither BlackRock nor any of the other Affiliates will have any obligation to make available any information regarding their proprietary activities or strategies, or the activities or strategies used for other accounts managed by them, for the benefit of the management of a Fund and it is not anticipated that BlackRock will have access to such information for the purpose of managing the Fund. The proprietary activities or portfolio strategies of BlackRock and the other Affiliates, or the activities or strategies used for accounts managed by them or other customer accounts could conflict with the transactions and strategies employed by BlackRock in managing a Fund.

A Fund may be included in investment models developed by BlackRock and the other Affiliates for use by clients and financial advisors. The price, availability and liquidity of a Fund may be impacted by purchases and redemptions of a Fund by model-driven investment portfolios.

In addition, certain principals and certain employees of BlackRock are also principals or employees of Affiliates. As a result, these principals and employees may have obligations to such other entities or their clients and such obligations to other entities or clients may be a consideration of which investors in a Fund should be aware.

BlackRock may enter into transactions and invest in securities, instruments and currencies on behalf of a Fund in which clients of BlackRock or the other Affiliates, or, to the extent permitted by the SEC and applicable law, BlackRock or another Affiliate, serves as the counterparty, principal or issuer. In such cases, such party's interests in the transaction will be adverse to the interests of the Fund, and such party may have no incentive to assure that the Fund obtains the best possible prices or terms in connection with the transactions. In addition, the purchase, holding and sale of such investments by a Fund may enhance the profitability of BlackRock or the other Affiliates. One or more Affiliates may also create, write or issue derivatives for their clients, the underlying securities, currencies or instruments of which may be those in which a Fund invests or which may be based on the performance of the Fund. A Fund may, subject to applicable law, purchase investments that are the subject of an underwriting or other distribution by one or more Affiliates and may also enter into transactions with other clients of an Affiliate where such other clients have interests adverse to those of the Fund.

At times, these activities may cause departments of BlackRock or the other Affiliates to give advice to clients that may cause these clients to take actions adverse to the interests of a Fund. To the extent affiliated transactions are permitted, a Fund will deal with BlackRock and the other Affiliates (except with respect to BFA or affiliated sub-advisers of a Fund, as applicable) on an arms-length basis.

To the extent authorized by applicable law, one or more Affiliates may act as broker, dealer, agent, lender or adviser or in other commercial capacities for a Fund. It is anticipated that the commissions, markups, markdowns, financial advisory fees, underwriting and placement fees, sales fees, financing and commitment fees, brokerage fees, other fees, compensation or profits, rates, terms and conditions charged by an Affiliate will be in its view commercially reasonable, although each Affiliate, including its sales personnel, will have an interest in obtaining fees and other amounts that are favorable to the Affiliate and such sales personnel, which may have an adverse effect on the Funds.

Subject to applicable law, the Affiliates (and their personnel and other distributors) will be entitled to retain fees and other amounts that they receive in connection with their service to the Funds as broker, dealer, agent, lender, adviser or in other commercial capacities. No accounting to a Fund or its shareholders will be required, and no fees or other compensation payable by a Fund or its shareholders will be reduced by reason of receipt by an Affiliate of any such fees or other amounts.

When an Affiliate acts as broker, dealer, agent, adviser or in other commercial capacities in relation to the Funds, the Affiliate may take commercial steps in its own interests, which may have an adverse effect on the Funds. A Fund will be required to establish business relationships with its counterparties based on the Fund's own credit standing. Neither BlackRock nor any of the Affiliates will have any obligation to allow their credit to be used in connection with a Fund's establishment of its business relationships, nor is it expected that the Fund's counterparties will rely on the credit of BlackRock or any of the other Affiliates in evaluating the Fund's creditworthiness.

Lending on behalf of a Fund is done by BTC pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, enabling BTC to act as securities lending agent to, and receive a share of securities lending revenues from, a Fund. An Affiliate will also receive compensation for managing the reinvestment of the cash collateral from securities lending. There are potential conflicts of interest in managing a securities lending program, including but not limited to: (i) BTC as securities lending agent may have an incentive to increase or decrease the amount of securities on loan or to lend particular securities in order to generate additional risk-adjusted revenue for BTC and its affiliates; and (ii) BTC as securities lending agent may have an incentive to allocate loans to clients that would provide more revenue to BlackRock. As described further below, BlackRock seeks to mitigate this conflict by providing its securities lending clients with equal lending opportunities over time in order to approximate pro-rata allocation.

As part of its securities lending program, BlackRock indemnifies certain clients or funds against a shortfall in collateral in the event of borrower default. BlackRock’s RQA calculates, on a regular basis, BlackRock’s potential dollar exposure to the risk of collateral shortfall upon counterparty default (“shortfall risk”) under the securities lending program for both indemnified and non-indemnified clients. On a periodic basis, RQA also determines the maximum amount of potential indemnified shortfall risk arising from securities lending activities (“indemnification exposure limit”) and the maximum amount of counterparty-specific credit exposure (“credit limits”) BlackRock is willing to assume as well as the program’s operational complexity. RQA oversees the risk model that calculates projected shortfall values using loan-level factors such as loan and collateral type and market value as well as specific borrower counterparty credit characteristics. When necessary, RQA may further adjust other securities lending program attributes by restricting eligible collateral or reducing counterparty credit limits. As a result, the

management of the indemnification exposure limit may affect the amount of securities lending activity BlackRock may conduct at any given point in time and impact indemnified and non-indemnified clients by reducing the volume of lending opportunities for certain loans (including by asset type, collateral type and/or revenue profile).

BlackRock uses a predetermined systematic process in order to approximate pro-rata allocation over time. In order to allocate a loan to a portfolio: (i) BlackRock as a whole must have sufficient lending capacity pursuant to the various program limits (i.e., indemnification exposure limit and counterparty credit limits); (ii) the lending portfolio must hold the asset at the time a loan opportunity arrives; and (iii) the lending portfolio must also have enough inventory, either on its own or when aggregated with other portfolios into one single market delivery, to satisfy the loan request. In doing so, BlackRock seeks to provide equal lending opportunities for all portfolios, independent of whether BlackRock indemnifies the portfolio. Equal opportunities for lending portfolios does not guarantee equal outcomes. Specifically, short and long-term outcomes for individual clients may vary due to asset mix, asset/liability spreads on different securities, and the overall limits imposed by the firm.

Purchases and sales of securities and other assets for a Fund may be bunched or aggregated with orders for other BlackRock client and fund accounts, including with accounts that pay different transaction costs due to the fact that they have different research payment arrangements. BlackRock, however, is not required to bunch or aggregate orders if portfolio management decisions for different accounts or funds are made separately, or if it determines that bunching or aggregating is not practicable or required, is not in the best interest of a Fund, or in cases involving client direction.

Prevailing trading activity frequently may make impossible the receipt of the same price or execution on the entire volume of securities purchased or sold. When this occurs, the various prices may be averaged, and the Funds will be charged or credited with the average price. Thus, the effect of the aggregation may operate on some occasions to the disadvantage of the Funds. In addition, under certain circumstances, the Funds will not be charged the same commission or commission equivalent rates in connection with a bunched or aggregated order.

BlackRock may select brokers (including, without limitation, Affiliates, to the extent permitted by applicable law) that furnish BlackRock, the Funds, other BlackRock client accounts or other Affiliates or personnel, directly or through correspondent relationships, with research or other appropriate services which provide, in BlackRock's view, appropriate assistance to BlackRock in the investment decision-making process (including with respect to futures, fixed-price offerings and OTC transactions). Such research or other services may include, to the extent permitted by law, research reports on companies, industries and securities; economic and financial data; financial publications; proxy analysis; trade industry seminars; computer data bases; research-oriented software and other services and products. Research or other services obtained in this manner may be used in servicing other BlackRock client accounts, including in connection with BlackRock client accounts other than those that pay commissions to the broker relating to the research or other service arrangements. Such products and services may disproportionately benefit other BlackRock client accounts relative to the Funds based on the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds and such other BlackRock client accounts. For example, research or other services that are paid for through one client's commissions may not be used in managing that client's account. In addition, other BlackRock client accounts may receive the benefit, including disproportionate benefits, of economies of scale or price discounts in connection with products and services that may be provided to the Funds and to such other BlackRock client accounts. To the extent that BlackRock uses soft dollars, it will not have to pay for those products and services itself.

BlackRock does not currently enter into arrangements to use the Funds' assets for, or participate in, soft dollars, although BlackRock may receive research that is bundled with the trade execution, clearing, and/or settlement services provided by a particular broker-dealer. To the extent that BlackRock receives research on this basis, many of the same conflicts related to traditional soft dollars may exist. For example, the research effectively will be paid by client commissions that also will be used to pay for the execution, clearing, and settlement services provided by the broker-dealer and will not be paid by BlackRock.

BlackRock may endeavor to execute trades through brokers who, pursuant to such arrangements, provide research or other services in order to ensure the continued receipt of research or other services BlackRock believes are useful in its investment decision-making process. BlackRock may from time to time choose not to engage in the above described arrangements to varying degrees. BlackRock may also enter into commission sharing arrangements under which BlackRock may execute transactions through a broker-dealer, including, where permitted, an Affiliate, and request that the broker-dealer allocate a

portion of the commissions or commission credits to another firm that provides research to BlackRock. To the extent that BlackRock engages in commission sharing arrangements, many of the same conflicts related to traditional soft dollars may exist.

BlackRock may utilize certain electronic crossing networks (“ECNs”) (including, without limitation, ECNs in which BlackRock or the other Affiliates have an investment or other interest, to the extent permitted by applicable law) in executing client securities transactions for certain types of securities. These ECNs may charge fees for their services, including access fees and transaction fees. The transaction fees, which are similar to commissions or markups/markdowns, will generally be charged to clients and, like commissions and markups/markdowns, would generally be included in the cost of the securities purchased. Access fees may be paid by BlackRock even though incurred in connection with executing transactions on behalf of clients, including the Funds. In certain circumstances, ECNs may offer volume discounts that will reduce the access fees typically paid by BlackRock. BlackRock will only utilize ECNs consistent with its obligation to seek to obtain best execution in client transactions.

BlackRock has adopted policies and procedures designed to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing proxy voting decisions that it makes on behalf of advisory clients, including the Funds, and to help ensure that such decisions are made in accordance with BlackRock's fiduciary obligations to its clients. Nevertheless, notwithstanding such proxy voting policies and procedures, actual proxy voting decisions of BlackRock may have the effect of favoring the interests of other clients or businesses of other divisions or units of BlackRock and/or the other Affiliates, provided that BlackRock believes such voting decisions to be in accordance with its fiduciary obligations. For a more detailed discussion of these policies and procedures, see the Proxy Voting Policy section of this SAI.

It is also possible that, from time to time, BlackRock or the other Affiliates may, subject to compliance with applicable law, purchase and hold shares of a Fund. Increasing a Fund’s assets may enhance liquidity, investment flexibility and diversification and may contribute to economies of scale that tend to reduce the Fund's expense ratio. BlackRock and the other Affiliates reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, to sell into the market or redeem in Creation Units through an Authorized Participant at any time some or all of the shares of a Fund acquired for their own accounts. A large sale or redemption of shares of a Fund by BlackRock or the other Affiliates could significantly reduce the asset size of the Fund, which might have an adverse effect on the Fund's liquidity, investment flexibility, portfolio diversification, expense ratio or ability to comply with the listing requirements for the Fund. BlackRock seeks to consider the effect of redemptions on a Fund and other shareholders in deciding whether to redeem its shares but is not obligated to do so and may elect not to do so.

It is possible that a Fund may invest in securities of, or engage in transactions with, companies with which an Affiliate has developed or is trying to develop investment banking relationships as well as securities of entities in which BlackRock or the other Affiliates has significant debt or equity investments or other interests or in which an Affiliate makes a market. A Fund also may invest in securities of, or engage in transactions with, companies to which an Affiliate provides or may in the future provide research coverage. Such investments or transactions could cause conflicts between the interests of a Fund and the interests of BlackRock, other clients of BlackRock or the other Affiliates. In making investment decisions for a Fund, BlackRock is not permitted to obtain or use material non-public information acquired by any division, department or Affiliate of BlackRock in the course of these activities. In addition, from time to time, the activities of an Affiliate may limit a Fund's flexibility in purchases and sales of securities. When an Affiliate is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution of securities of an entity, BlackRock may be prohibited from purchasing or recommending the purchase of certain securities of that entity for a Fund. As indicated below, BlackRock or the other Affiliates may engage in transactions with companies in which BlackRock-advised funds or other clients of BlackRock or of an Affiliate have an investment.

BlackRock and Chubb Limited (“Chubb”), a public company whose securities are held by BlackRock-advised funds and other accounts, partially funded the creation of a re-insurance company (“Re Co”) pursuant to which each has approximately a 9.9% ownership interest and each has representation on the board of directors. Certain employees and executives of BlackRock have a less than ½ of 1% ownership interest in Re Co. BlackRock manages the investment portfolio of Re Co, which is held in a wholly-owned subsidiary. Re Co participates as a reinsurer with reinsurance contracts underwritten by subsidiaries of Chubb. An independent director of certain BlackRock-advised funds also serves as an independent director of Chubb and has no interest or involvement in the Re Co transaction.

to services to and sales of a Fund or other products may be greater than remuneration and profitability relating to services to and sales of certain funds or other products that might be provided or offered. BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their sales personnel may directly or indirectly receive a portion of the fees and commissions charged to a Fund or its shareholders. BlackRock and its advisory or other personnel may also benefit from increased amounts of assets under management. Fees and commissions may also be higher than for other products or services, and the remuneration and profitability to BlackRock or the other Affiliates and such personnel resulting from transactions on behalf of or management of a Fund may be greater than the remuneration and profitability resulting from other funds or products.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their personnel may receive greater compensation or greater profit in connection with an account for which BlackRock serves as an adviser than with an account advised by an unaffiliated investment adviser. Differentials in compensation may be related to the fact that BlackRock may pay a portion of its advisory fee to its Affiliate, or relate to compensation arrangements, including for portfolio management, brokerage transactions or account servicing. Any differential in compensation may create a financial incentive on the part of BlackRock or the other Affiliates and their personnel to recommend BlackRock over unaffiliated investment advisers or to effect transactions differently in one account over another.

Third parties, including service providers to BlackRock or a Fund, may sponsor events (including, but not limited to, marketing and promotional activities and presentations, educational training programs and conferences) for registered representatives, other professionals and individual investors. There is a potential conflict of interest as such sponsorships may defray the costs of such activities to BlackRock, and may provide an incentive to BlackRock to retain such third parties to provide services to a Fund.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates may provide valuation assistance to certain clients with respect to certain securities or other investments and the valuation recommendations made for their clients' accounts may differ from the valuations for the same securities or investments assigned by a Fund's pricing vendors, especially if such valuations are based on broker-dealer quotes or other data sources unavailable to the Fund's pricing vendors. While BlackRock will generally communicate its valuation information or determinations to a Fund's pricing vendors and/or fund accountants, there may be instances where the Fund's pricing vendors or fund accountants assign a different valuation to a security or other investment than the valuation for such security or investment determined or recommended by BlackRock.

As disclosed in more detail in the Determination of Net Asset Value section of each Fund’s Prospectus and this SAI, when market quotations are not readily available or are believed by BlackRock to be unreliable, a Fund’s investments are valued at fair value by BlackRock in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board. When determining “fair value price,” BlackRock seeks to determine the price that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive from the current sale of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction. The price generally may not be determined based on what a Fund might expect to receive for selling an asset or liability at a later time or if it holds the asset or liability to maturity. While fair value determinations will be based upon all available factors that BlackRock deems relevant at the time of the determination, and may be based on analytical values determined by BlackRock using proprietary or third-party valuation models, fair value represents only a good faith approximation of the value of an asset or liability. The fair value of one or more assets or liabilities may not, in retrospect, be the price at which those assets or liabilities could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used in determining a Fund’s net asset value. As a result, a Fund’s sale or redemption of its shares at net asset value, at a time when a holding or holdings are valued by BlackRock (pursuant to Board-adopted procedures) at fair value, may have the effect of diluting or increasing the economic interest of existing shareholders and may affect the amount of revenue received by BlackRock with respect to services for which it receives an asset-based fee.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, a Fund may invest all or some of its short-term cash investments in any money market fund or similarly-managed private fund advised or managed by BlackRock. In connection with any such investments, a Fund, to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, may pay its share of expenses of a money market fund or other similarly-managed private fund in which it invests, which may result in a Fund bearing some additional expenses.

personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding a Fund's portfolio transactions. Each code of ethics is available by contacting BlackRock or by accessing the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC's Public Reference Room, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about accessing documents on the SEC’s website may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates will not purchase securities or other property from, or sell securities or other property to, a Fund, except that a Fund may in accordance with rules or guidance adopted under the 1940 Act engage in transactions with accounts that are affiliated with a Fund as a result of common officers, directors, or investment advisers or pursuant to exemptive orders granted to the Funds and/or BlackRock by the SEC. These transactions would be effected in circumstances in which BlackRock determined that it would be appropriate for a Fund to purchase and another client of BlackRock to sell, or the Fund to sell and another client of BlackRock to purchase, the same security or instrument on the same day. From time to time, the activities of a Fund may be restricted because of regulatory requirements applicable to BlackRock or the other Affiliates and/or BlackRock's internal policies designed to comply with, limit the applicability of, or otherwise relate to such requirements. A client not advised by BlackRock would not be subject to some of those considerations. There may be periods when BlackRock may not initiate or recommend certain types of transactions, or may otherwise restrict or limit their advice in certain securities or instruments issued by or related to companies for which an Affiliate is performing investment banking, market making, advisory or other services or has proprietary positions. For example, when an Affiliate is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution of securities of, or advisory services for, a company, the Funds may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company. In addition, when BlackRock provides advisory or risk management services for a company, BlackRock may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company on behalf of a Fund, particularly where such services result in BlackRock obtaining material non-public information about the company (e.g., in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee). Similar situations could arise if personnel of BlackRock or the other Affiliates serve as directors of companies the securities of which a Fund wishes to purchase or sell. However, if permitted by applicable law, and where consistent with BlackRock’s policies and procedures (including the necessary implementation of appropriate information barriers), the Funds may purchase securities or instruments that are issued by such companies, are the subject of an underwriting, distribution or advisory assignment by an Affiliate, or are the subject of an advisory or risk management assignment by BlackRock, or where personnel of BlackRock or the other Affiliates are directors or officers of the issuer.

The investment activities of one or more Affiliates for their proprietary accounts and for client accounts may also limit the investment strategies and rights of the Funds. For example, in certain circumstances where a Fund invests in securities issued by companies that operate in certain regulated industries or in certain emerging or international markets, are subject to corporate or regulatory ownership definitions, or invest in certain futures and derivative transactions, there may be limits on the aggregate amount invested by Affiliates (including BlackRock) for their proprietary accounts and for client accounts (including the Funds) that may not be exceeded without the grant of a license or other regulatory or corporate consent or, if exceeded, may cause BlackRock, the Funds or other client accounts to suffer disadvantages or business restrictions.

If certain aggregate ownership thresholds are reached or certain transactions are undertaken, the ability of BlackRock on behalf of clients (including the Funds) to purchase or dispose of investments, or exercise rights or undertake business transactions, may be restricted by regulation or otherwise impaired. As a result, BlackRock, on behalf of clients (including the Funds), may limit purchases, sell existing investments, or otherwise restrict or limit the exercise of rights (including voting rights) when BlackRock, in its sole discretion, deems it appropriate in light of potential regulatory or other restrictions on ownership or other consequences resulting from reaching investment thresholds.

In those circumstances where ownership thresholds or limitations must be observed, BlackRock seeks to allocate limited investment opportunities equitably among clients (including the Funds), taking into consideration benchmark weight and investment strategy. When ownership in certain securities nears an applicable threshold, BlackRock may limit purchases in such securities to the issuer's weighting in the applicable benchmark used by BlackRock to manage a Fund. If client (including Fund) holdings of an issuer exceed an applicable threshold and BlackRock is unable to obtain relief to enable the continued holding of such investments, it may be necessary to sell down these positions to meet the applicable limitations. In these cases, benchmark overweight positions will be sold prior to benchmark positions being reduced to meet applicable limitations.

In addition to the foregoing, other ownership thresholds may trigger reporting requirements to governmental and regulatory authorities, and such reports may entail the disclosure of the identity of a client or BlackRock’s intended strategy with respect to such security or asset.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates may not serve as Authorized Participants in the creation and redemption of iShares ETFs, but may serve as authorized participants of third-party ETFs.

BlackRock may enter into contractual arrangements with third-party service providers to a Fund (e.g., custodians and administrators) pursuant to which BlackRock receives fee discounts or concessions in recognition of BlackRock’s overall relationship with such service providers. To the extent that BlackRock is responsible for paying these service providers out of its management fee, the benefits of any such fee discounts or concessions may accrue, in whole or in part, to BlackRock.

BlackRock or the other Affiliates own or have an ownership interest in certain trading, portfolio management, operations and/or information systems used by Fund service providers. These systems are, or will be, used by a Fund service provider in connection with the provision of services to accounts managed by BlackRock and funds managed and sponsored by BlackRock, including the Funds, that engage the service provider (typically the custodian). A Fund’s service provider remunerates BlackRock or the other Affiliates for the use of the systems. A Fund service provider’s payments to BlackRock or the other Affiliates for the use of these systems may enhance the profitability of BlackRock and the other Affiliates. BlackRock’s or the other Affiliates’ receipt of fees from a service provider in connection with the use of systems provided by BlackRock or the other Affiliates may create an incentive for BlackRock to recommend that a Fund enter into or renew an arrangement with the service provider.

Present and future activities of BlackRock and the other Affiliates, including BFA, in addition to those described in this section, may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

Legal Proceedings. On June 16, 2016, investors (the “Plaintiffs”) in certain iShares funds (iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF, iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF, iShares Core S&P 500 ETF, iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF, iShares Russell Mid-Cap ETF, iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF, iShares Select Dividend ETF, iShares Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF, iShares Morningstar Large-Cap ETF, iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF and iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF) filed a putative class action lawsuit against iShares Trust, BlackRock, Inc. and certain of its advisory affiliates, and certain directors/trustees and officers of iShares Trust (collectively, “Defendants”). The lawsuit alleges the Defendants violated federal securities laws by failing to adequately disclose in the prospectuses issued by the funds noted above the risks of using stop-loss orders in the event of a “flash crash,” such as the one that occurred on May 6, 2010. On September 18, 2017, the Court issued a Statement of Decision holding that the Plaintiffs lack standing to assert their claims. On October 11, 2017, the Court entered final judgment dismissing all of Plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice. Plaintiffs have appealed the Court’s decision.

Investment Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services

Investment Adviser. BFA serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Company, on behalf of each Fund, and BFA. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock, Inc., and is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Under the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA, subject to the supervision of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of each Fund, manages and administers the Company and the investment of each Fund's assets. BFA is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of each Fund.

Pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement, BFA may from time to time, in its sole discretion to the extent permitted by applicable law, appoint one or more sub-advisers, including, without limitation, affiliates of BFA, to perform investment advisory or other services with respect to the Funds. In addition, BFA may delegate certain of its investment advisory functions under the Investment Advisory Agreement to one or more of its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law. BFA may terminate any or all sub-advisers or such delegation arrangements in its sole discretion upon appropriate notice at any time to the extent permitted by applicable law.

BFA is responsible, under the Investment Advisory Agreement, for substantially all expenses of the Funds, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services, except interest expense, taxes, brokerage expenses, future distribution fees or expenses and extraordinary expenses.

For its investment advisory services to certain of the Funds included in this SAI, BFA is paid a management fee from such Funds corresponding to each of the Fund's allocable portion of an aggregate management fee based on the aggregate average daily net assets of the following iShares funds: iShares MSCI Peru ETF, iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI China ETF, iShares MSCI China Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Indonesia ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Philippines ETF, iShares MSCI Poland ETF, iShares MSCI Qatar ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF and iShares MSCI UAE ETF. The aggregate management fee is calculated as follows: 0.74% per annum of the aggregate net assets less than or equal to $2.0 billion, plus 0.69% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $2.0 billion, up to and including $4.0 billion, plus 0.64% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $4.0 billion, up to and including $8.0 billion, plus 0.57% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $8.0 billion, up to and including $16.0 billion, plus 0.51% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $16.0 billion, up to and including $24.0 billion, plus 0.48% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $24.0 billion, up to and including $32.0 billion, plus 0.45% per annum of the aggregate net assets in excess of $32.0 billion.

For its investment advisory services to certain of the Funds included in this SAI, BFA is paid a management fee from such Fund corresponding to the Fund's allocable portion of an aggregate management fee based on the aggregate average daily net assets of the following iShares funds: iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF. The aggregate management fee is calculated as follows: 0.75% per annum of the aggregate net assets less than or equal to $14.0 billion, plus 0.68% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $14.0 billion, up to and including $28.0 billion, plus 0.61% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $28.0 billion, up to and including $42.0 billion, plus 0.54% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $42.0 billion, up to and including $56.0 billion, plus 0.47% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $56.0 billion, up to and including $70.0 billion, plus 0.41% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $70.0 billion, up to and including $84.0 billion, plus 0.35% per annum of the aggregate net assets in excess of $84.0 billion.

Effective July 1, 2017, for its investment advisory services to certain of the Funds included in this SAI, BFA is paid a management fee from each Fund corresponding to the Fund’s allocable portion of an aggregate management fee based on the aggregate average daily net assets of the following iShares funds: iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Ireland ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI New Zealand ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF and iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF. The aggregate management fee is calculated as follows: 0.59% per annum of the aggregate net assets less than or equal to $7.0 billion, plus 0.54% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $7.0 billion, up to and including $11.0 billion, plus 0.49% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $11.0 billion, up to and including $24.0 billion, plus 0.44% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $24.0 billion, up to and including $48.0 billion, plus 0.40% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $48.0 billion, up to and including $72.0 billion, plus 0.36% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $72.0 billion, up to and including $96.0 billion, plus 0.32% per annum of the aggregate net assets in excess of $96.0 billion.

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA received a management fee at the annual rates (as a percentage of such Fund’s average net assets) set forth below for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Management Fee for the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Fund Inception Date	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF^1,2	0.14%	10/18/12	$ 33,589,370	$ 16,700,926	$ 11,987,656
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF³	0.69%	10/18/11	9,640,394	7,756,746	5,672,240
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF⁴	0.32%	10/18/11	6,390,164	5,185,560	3,679,771
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	0.62%	07/10/00	30,600,776	16,208,706	22,930,693
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	0.69%	11/12/07	1,431,569	1,248,307	2,041,675
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	0.62%	11/12/07	2,558,275	1,731,868	1,705,573
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	0.61%	06/18/13	109,356	97,210	104,511
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF^5,6	0.49%	02/08/12	1,400,953	615,020	639,530
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF⁷	0.69%	04/07/03	207,622,093	162,269,425	221,482,303
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	0.69%	08/16/11	1,264,169	656,745	432,881
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF⁸	0.25%	06/28/16	$ 166,101	4,334	N/A
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	0.79%	09/12/12	4,353,023	3,510,094	4,883,454
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF⁹	0.39%	01/31/12	106,174	96,779	148,268
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	0.39%	01/31/12	139,680	123,535	82,566
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF¹⁰	0.39%	01/31/12	1,053,471	458,695	566,461
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	1,638,179	1,350,953	2,476,145
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	0.62%	05/09/00	20,609,453	20,701,322	25,858,763
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	0.62%	06/20/00	19,279,639	16,552,838	22,392,457

¹	For the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver will not exceed 0.14% through December 31, 2022. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2022 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2017, BFA waived $0, $0 and $ 1,137,131, respectively, of its management fees. As of December 31, 2015, the previous contractual waiver is no longer in effect.
²	Effective October 5, 2016, the management fee for the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF is 0.14%. From November 10, 2015 to October 4, 2016 the management fee for the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF was 0.16%. Prior to November 10, 2015, the management fee for the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF was 0.18%.
³	For the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver will not exceed 0.25% through December 31, 2023. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2023 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2017, BFA waived $9,914,710, $14,435,231 and $17,417,862, respectively, of its management fees.
⁴	For the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee such that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver will not exceed 0.20% through December 31, 2023. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2023 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2017, BFA waived $2,346,015, $3,236,389 and $3,893,046, respectively, of its management fees. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, BFA voluntarily waived $0, of its management fees. As of September 12, 2014, the voluntary waiver is no longer in effect.
⁵	For the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, BFA contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee for its investment advisory services to the Fund in order to limit Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses to 0.49% of average daily net assets through December 31, 2018. As of August 1, 2016, the contractual waiver is no longer in effect. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015 and August 31, 2016, BFA waived $247,981 and $215,086, respectively, of its management fees.
⁶	Effective August 1, 2016, the management fee for the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF is 0.49%. Prior to August 1, 2016, the management fee for the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF was 0.68%.
⁷	For the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, for the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015 and August 31, 2016, BFA waived $0 and $0, respectively, of its management fees. As of December 31, 2015, the contractual waiver is no longer in effect. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2015, BFA voluntarily waived $0, of its management fees. As of September 12, 2014, the voluntary waiver is no longer in effect.
⁸	Effective August 4, 2017, the management fee for the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF is 0.25%. Prior to August 4, 2017, the management fee for the iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF was 0.45%.
⁹	For the iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees in an amount equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to the Fund's investments in other series of iShares Trust and iShares, Inc. through

December 31, 2023. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2023 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2017, BFA waived $3,225, $3,606 and $5,765, respectively, of its management fees.

¹⁰

For the iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees in an amount equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to the Fund's investments in other series of iShares Trust and iShares, Inc. through December 31, 2023. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2023 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2017, BFA waived $0, $0 and $0, respectively, of its management fees.

The investment advisory agreement with respect to each Fund continues in effect for two years from its effective date, and thereafter is subject to annual approval by (i) the Board, or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the applicable Fund, provided that in either event such continuance also is approved by a majority of the Board members who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the applicable Fund, by a vote cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval.

The investment advisory agreement with respect to each Fund is terminable without penalty, on 60 days’ notice, by the Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the applicable Fund’s outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act). The investment advisory agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by BFA and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Each Subsidiary has entered into a separate contract with BFA whereby BFA provides investment advisory services to each Subsidiary. BFA does not receive separate compensation from each Subsidiary for providing it with investment advisory services. Each applicable Fund pays BFA a management fee based on the Fund's assets, including the assets invested in each Subsidiary. Each Subsidiary has also entered into separate arrangements that provide for the provision of other services to each Subsidiary (including administrative, custody, transfer agency and other services), and BFA shall pay the costs and expenses related to the provision of those services.

Portfolio Managers. As of August 31, 2017, the individuals named as Portfolio Managers in the Funds' Prospectuses were also primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of other iShares funds and certain other types of portfolios and/or accounts as follows:

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	242	$853,533,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	11	4,876,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	263	$887,339,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	12	4,899,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	334	$ 957,118,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	302	676,584,000,000
Other Accounts	219	61,456,000,000

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	325	$953,266,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	80	29,287,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Each of the portfolios or accounts for which the Portfolio Managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management seeks to track the rate of return, risk profile and other characteristics of independent third-party indexes by either replicating the same combination of securities and other financial instruments that constitute those indexes or through a representative sampling of the securities and other financial instruments that constitute those indexes based on objective criteria and data. Pursuant to BFA’s policy, investment opportunities are allocated equitably among the Funds and other portfolios and accounts. For example, under certain circumstances, an investment opportunity may be restricted due to limited supply in the market, legal constraints or other factors, in which event the investment opportunity will be allocated equitably among those portfolios and accounts, including the Funds, seeking such investment opportunity. As a consequence, from time to time each Fund may receive a smaller allocation of an investment opportunity than it would have if the Portfolio Managers and BFA and its affiliates did not manage other portfolios or accounts.

Like the Funds, the other portfolios or accounts for which the Portfolio Managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management generally pay an asset-based fee to BFA or its affiliates, as applicable, for its advisory services. One or more of those other portfolios or accounts, however, may pay BFA or its affiliates a performance-based fee in lieu of, or in addition to, an asset-based fee for its advisory services. A portfolio or account with a performance-based fee would pay BFA or its affiliates a portion of that portfolio’s or account’s gains, or would pay BFA or its affiliates more for its services than would otherwise be the case if BFA or any of its affiliates meets or exceeds specified performance targets. Performance-based fee arrangements could present an incentive for BFA or its affiliates to devote greater resources, and allocate more investment opportunities, to the portfolios or accounts that have those fee arrangements, relative to other portfolios or accounts, in order to earn larger fees. Although BFA and each of its affiliates have an obligation to allocate resources and opportunities equitably among portfolios and accounts and intend to do so, shareholders of the Funds should be aware that, as with any group of portfolios and accounts managed by an investment adviser and/or its affiliates pursuant to varying fee arrangements, including performance-based fee arrangements, there is the potential for a conflict of interest, which may result in the Portfolio Managers favoring those portfolios or accounts with performance-based fee arrangements.

The tables below show, for each Portfolio Manager, the number of portfolios or accounts of the types set forth in the above tables and the aggregate of total assets in those portfolios or accounts with respect to which the investment management fees are based on the performance of those portfolios or accounts as of August 31, 2017:

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0	N/A
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	1	$1,070,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

The discussion below describes the Portfolio Managers' compensation as of August 31, 2017.

Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview

BlackRock, Inc.'s financial arrangements with its portfolio managers, its competitive compensation and its career path emphasis at all levels reflect the value senior management places on key resources. Compensation may include a variety of components and may vary from year to year based on a number of factors. The principal components of compensation include a base salary, a performance-based discretionary bonus, participation in various benefits programs and one or more of the incentive compensation programs established by BlackRock, Inc.

Base compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.

Discretionary Incentive Compensation. Discretionary incentive compensation is a function of several components: the performance of BlackRock, Inc., the performance of the portfolio manager's group within BlackRock, Inc. and the individual's performance and contribution to the overall performance of these portfolios and BlackRock, Inc.

Distribution of Discretionary Incentive Compensation. Discretionary incentive compensation is distributed to portfolio managers in a combination of cash and BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units which vest ratably over a number of years. The BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units, if properly vested, will be settled in BlackRock, Inc. common stock. Typically, the cash bonus, when combined with base salary, represents more than 60% of total compensation for the portfolio managers. Paying a portion of annual bonuses in stock puts compensation earned by a portfolio manager for a given year “at risk” based on BlackRock, Inc.'s ability to sustain and improve its performance over future periods.

Long-Term Incentive Plan Awards — From time to time, long-term incentive equity awards are granted to certain key employees to aid in retention, align their interests with long-term shareholder interests and motivate performance. Equity awards are generally granted in the form of BlackRock, Inc. restricted stock units that, once vested, settle in BlackRock, Inc. common stock.

Other Compensation Benefits. In addition to base compensation and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:

Incentive Savings Plans — BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock, Inc. employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (“RSP”), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) limit ($265,000 for 2015). The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies and collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock, Inc. contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into an index target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which the participant attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock, Inc. common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a dollar value of $25,000 based on its fair market value on the Purchase Date. Diane Hsiung, Jennifer Hsui, Alan Mason and Greg Savage are each eligible to participate in these plans.

As of August 31, 2017, the Portfolio Managers beneficially owned shares of the Funds, for which they are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management, in the amounts reflected in the following tables:

Diane Hsiung

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

iShares MSCI BRIC ETF

iShares MSCI Chile ETF

iShares MSCI Colombia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF

iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF

iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

Jennifer Hsui

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

iShares MSCI BRIC ETF

iShares MSCI Chile ETF

iShares MSCI Colombia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF

iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF

iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

Alan Mason

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

iShares MSCI BRIC ETF

iShares MSCI Chile ETF

iShares MSCI Colombia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF

iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF

iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

Greg Savage

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF

iShares MSCI Brazil ETF

iShares MSCI BRIC ETF

iShares MSCI Chile ETF

iShares MSCI Colombia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF

iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF

iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF

iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

Codes of Ethics. The Company, BFA and the Distributor have adopted codes of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. The codes of ethics permit personnel subject to the codes of ethics to invest in securities, subject to certain limitations, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds. The codes of ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.

Anti-Money Laundering Requirements. The Funds are subject to the USA PATRIOT Act (the “Patriot Act”). The Patriot Act is intended to prevent the use of the U.S. financial system in furtherance of money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities. Pursuant to requirements under the Patriot Act, a Fund may request information from Authorized Participants to enable it to form a reasonable belief that it knows the true identity of its Authorized Participants. This information will be used to verify the identity of Authorized Participants or, in some cases, the status of financial professionals; it will be used only for compliance with the requirements of the Patriot Act.

The Funds reserve the right to reject purchase orders from persons who have not submitted information sufficient to allow a Fund to verify their identity. Each Fund also reserves the right to redeem any amounts in a Fund from persons whose identity it is unable to verify on a timely basis. It is the Funds' policy to cooperate fully with appropriate regulators in any investigations conducted with respect to potential money laundering, terrorism or other illicit activities.

Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. State Street serves as administrator, custodian and transfer agent for the Funds under the Master Services Agreement and related Service Schedule (the “Service Module”). State Street’s principal address is 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210. Pursuant to the Service Module for Fund Administration and Accounting Services with the Company, State Street provides necessary administrative, legal, tax and accounting and financial reporting services for the maintenance and operations of the Company and each Fund. In addition, State Street makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services. Pursuant to the Service Module for Custodial Services with the Company, State Street maintains, in separate accounts, cash, securities and other assets of the Company and each Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records and provides other services. State Street is required, upon the order of the Company, to deliver securities held by State Street and to make payments for securities purchased by the Company for each Fund. State Street is authorized to appoint certain foreign custodians or foreign custody managers for Fund investments outside the U.S. Pursuant to the Service Module for Transfer Agency Services with the Company, State Street acts as a transfer agent for each Fund’s authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Company. As compensation for these services, State Street receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid monthly by BFA from its management fee.

The following table sets forth the administration, custodian and transfer agency expenses of each Fund paid by BFA to State Street for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	10/18/12	$ 7,616,332	$ 3,514,217	$2,250,895
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	10/18/11	1,807,412	1,712,564	1,319,663
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	10/18/11	289,025	269,859	227,622
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	07/10/00	907,668	498,884	676,115
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	11/12/07	66,316	65,162	100,260
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	11/12/07	878,009	593,416	588,484
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	06/18/13	65,650	78,545	94,389
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	02/08/12	64,876	54,970	44,136
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	04/07/03	8,874,046	7,494,020	9,972,532
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	08/16/11	125,643	80,977	61,597
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	06/28/16	56,292	16,266	N/A
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	09/12/12	1,794,793	1,570,528	2,347,970
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	01/31/12	19,490	16,880	20,388

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	01/31/12	19,311	16,674	15,788
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	01/31/12	76,811	46,797	49,648
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	03/12/96	118,904	121,320	151,204
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	05/09/00	717,407	701,268	882,085
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	06/20/00	793,486	707,660	863,984

Subsidiary Administrator. International Financial Services Limited (“IFS”) serves as each Subsidiary's Mauritius administrator. Pursuant to an agreement with IFS, each Subsidiary pays a fee for administrative, legal, tax and accounting services to IFS, for certain shareholder services and for providing office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services to each Subsidiary.

Distributor. The Distributor's principal address is 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540. Shares are continuously offered for sale by the Funds through the Distributor or its agent only in Creation Units, as described in the applicable Prospectus and below in the Creation and Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI. Fund shares in amounts less than Creation Units are generally not distributed by the Distributor or its agent. The Distributor or its agent will arrange for the delivery of the applicable Prospectus and, upon request, this SAI to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of both orders placed with it or its agents and confirmations of acceptance furnished by it or its agents. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). The Distributor is also licensed as a broker-dealer in all 50 U.S. states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia.

The Distribution Agreement for each Fund provides that it may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on at least 60 days' prior written notice to the other party following (i) the vote of a majority of the Independent Directors, or (ii) the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the relevant Fund. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

The Distributor may also enter into agreements with securities dealers (“Soliciting Dealers”) who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of Fund shares. Such Soliciting Dealers may also be Authorized Participants (as described below), DTC participants and/or investor services organizations.

BFA or its affiliates may, from time to time and from its own resources, pay, defray or absorb costs relating to distribution, including payments out of its own resources to the Distributor, or to otherwise promote the sale of shares.

Securities Lending. To the extent that a Fund engages in securities lending, each Fund conducts its securities lending pursuant to SEC exemptive relief, and BTC acts as securities lending agent for the Funds, subject to the overall supervision of BFA, pursuant to a written agreement (the “Securities Lending Agency Agreement”).

Each Fund retains a portion of the securities lending income and remits the remaining portion to BTC as compensation for its services as securities lending agent. Securities lending income is generally equal to the total of income earned from the reinvestment of cash collateral (and excludes collateral investment fees as defined below), and any fees or other payments to and from borrowers of securities. As securities lending agent, BTC bears all operational costs directly related to securities lending. Each Fund is responsible for fees in connection with the investment of cash collateral received for securities on loan in a money market fund managed by BFA; however, BTC has agreed to reduce the amount of securities lending income it receives in order to effectively limit the collateral investment fees the Fund bears to an annual rate of 0.04% (the “collateral investment fees”). Such money market fund shares will not be subject to a sales load, redemption fee, distribution fee or service fee.

Pursuant to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement:

(i) International equity funds, such as the Funds, retain 80% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and (ii) this amount can never be less than 70% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.

Under the securities lending program, the Funds are categorized into one of several specific asset classes. The determination of a Fund’s asset class category (fixed-income, domestic equity, international equity or fund-of-funds), each of which may be subject to a different fee arrangement, is based on a methodology agreed to by the Company and BTC.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income (which includes, for this purpose, collateral investment fees) earned across the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex (as defined under “Management—Directors and Officers”) in a calendar year exceeds the aggregate securities lending income earned across the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex in calendar year 2013 (the Hurdle Date), each applicable international equity fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will receive for the remainder of that calendar year securities lending income as follows:

(i) 85% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and (ii) this amount can never be less than 70% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.

The services provided to the Funds by BTC in the most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 primarily included the following:

(1) selecting borrowers from an approved list of borrowers and executing a securities lending agreement as agent on behalf of the Funds with each such borrower;

(2) negotiating the terms of securities loans, including the amount of fees;

(3) directing the delivery of loaned securities;

(4) monitoring the daily value of the loaned securities and directing the payment of additional collateral or the return of excess collateral, as necessary;

(5) investing cash collateral received in connection with any loaned securities;

(6) monitoring distributions on loaned securities (for example, interest and dividend activity);

(7) in the event of default by a borrower with respect to any securities loan, using the collateral or the proceeds of the liquidation of collateral to purchase replacement securities of the same issue, type, class and series as that of the loaned securities; and

(8) terminating securities loans and arranging for the return of loaned securities to the Funds at loan termination.

The following tables show the dollar amounts of income and fees/compensation related to the securities lending activities of each Fund during its most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Fund	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	iShares MSCI Brazil ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$47,129,475	$3,429,229	$1,501,533	N/A
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	7,673,542	603,237	211,236	N/A
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	609,550	33,820	34,613	N/A

Fund	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	iShares MSCI Brazil ETF
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	N/A
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	N/A
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	5,392,332	46,994	305,213	N/A
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	N/A
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	13,675,424	684,051	551,062	N/A
Net income from securities lending activities	33,454,051	2,745,178	950,471	N/A

Fund	iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	iShares MSCI Chile ETF	iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$ 236,616	N/A	$11,132	$ 151,633
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	23,719	N/A	1,972	24,345
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	6,768	N/A	132	2,616
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	103,064	N/A	0	20,268
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	133,551	N/A	2,104	47,229
Net income from securities lending activities	103,065	N/A	9,028	104,404

Fund	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$941,782	$1,140,045	$20,642	$49,876

Fund	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	89,757	207,274	1,960	5,771
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	31,750	8,106	529	1,759
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	443,331	18,218	10,186	16,808
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	564,838	233,598	12,675	24,338
Net income from securities lending activities	376,944	906,447	7,967	25,538

Fund	iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$31,161	$14,740	$182,070	$420,344
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	5,309	2,064	28,314	73,828
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	381	257	2,918	6,112
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	1,796	2,984	23,452	4,510
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0

Fund	iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	7,486	5,305	54,684	84,450
Net income from securities lending activities	23,675	9,435	127,386	335,894

Fund	iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$ 6,104,474	$ 3,687,970
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	1,073,759	604,717
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	47,294	57,629
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	74,879	360,670
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	1,195,932	1,023,016
Net income from securities lending activities	4,908,542	2,664,954

Payments by BFA and its Affiliates. BFA and/or its affiliates (“BFA Entities”) may pay certain broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, banks and other financial intermediaries (“Intermediaries”) for certain activities related to the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products in general. BFA Entities make these payments from their own assets and not from the assets of the Funds. Although a portion of BFA Entities’ revenue comes directly or indirectly in part from fees paid by the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products, these payments do not increase the price paid by investors for the purchase of shares of, or the cost of owning, the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products. BFA Entities make payments for Intermediaries’ participation in activities that are designed to make registered representatives, other professionals and individual investors more knowledgeable about exchange-traded products, including the Funds and other iShares funds, or for other activities, such as participation in marketing activities and presentations, educational training programs, conferences, the development of technology platforms and reporting systems (“Education Costs”). BFA Entities also make payments to Intermediaries for certain printing, publishing and mailing costs or materials relating to the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products (“Publishing Costs”). In addition, BFA Entities make payments to Intermediaries that make shares of the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products available to their clients, develop new products that feature iShares or otherwise promote the Funds, other iShares funds and exchange-traded products. BFA Entities may also reimburse expenses or make payments from their own assets to Intermediaries or

other persons in consideration of services or other activities that the BFA Entities believe may benefit the iShares business or facilitate investment in the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products. Payments of the type described above are sometimes referred to as revenue-sharing payments.

Payments to an Intermediary may be significant to the Intermediary, and amounts that Intermediaries pay to your salesperson or other investment professional may also be significant for your salesperson or other investment professional. Because an Intermediary may make decisions about which investment options it will recommend or make available to its clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments may create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products over other investments. The same conflicts of interest and financial incentives exist with respect to your salesperson or other investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

In addition to the payments described above, BFA Entities have developed proprietary tools, calculators and related interactive or digital content that is made available through the www.BlackRock.com website at no additional cost to Intermediaries. BlackRock may configure these tools and calculators and localizes the content for Intermediaries as part of its customary digital marketing support and promotion of the Funds, other iShares funds, exchange-traded products and BlackRock mutual funds.

As of March 1, 2013, BFA Entities have contractual arrangements to make payments (in addition to payments for Education Costs or Publishing Costs) to one Intermediary, Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (“FBS”). Effective June 4, 2016, this relationship was expanded to include National Financial Services, LLC (“NFS”), an affiliate of FBS. Pursuant to this special, long-term and significant arrangement (the “Marketing Program”), FBS, NFS and certain of their affiliates (collectively “Fidelity”) have agreed, among other things, to actively promote iShares funds to customers, investment professionals and other intermediaries and in advertising campaigns as the preferred exchange-traded product, to offer certain iShares funds in certain Fidelity platforms and investment programs, in some cases at a waived or reduced commission rate or ticket charge, and to provide marketing data to BFA Entities. BFA Entities have agreed to facilitate the Marketing Program by, among other things, making certain payments to FBS and NFS for marketing and implementing certain brokerage and investment programs. Upon termination of the arrangement, the BFA Entities will make additional payments to FBS and/or NFS based upon a number of criteria, including the overall success of the Marketing Program and the level of services provided by FBS and NFS during the wind-down period.

In addition, BFA Entities may enter into other contractual arrangements with Intermediaries and certain other third parties that the BFA Entities believe may benefit the iShares business or facilitate investment in iShares funds. Such agreements may include payments by BFA Entities to such Intermediaries and third parties for data collection and provision, technology support, platform enhancement, or co-marketing and cross-promotional efforts. Payments made pursuant to such arrangements may vary in any year and may be different for different Intermediaries and third parties. In certain cases, the payments described in the preceding sentence may be subject to certain minimum payment levels. Such payments will not be asset- or revenue-based. As of the date of this SAI, the Intermediaries and other third parties receiving such contractual payments include: Commonwealth Equity Services, Inc., Ladenburg Thalmann Advisor Network LLC, LPL Financial LLC, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, Orion Advisors Services, LLC, Pershing LLC, Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., TD Ameritrade, Inc. and UBS Financial Services Inc. Any additions, modifications, or deletions to Intermediaries and other third parties listed above that have occurred since the date noted above are not included in the list.

Further, BFA Entities make Education Costs and Publishing Costs payments to other Intermediaries that are not listed above. BFA Entities may determine to make such payments based on any number of metrics. For example, BFA Entities may make payments at year-end or other intervals in a fixed amount, an amount based upon an Intermediary’s services at defined levels or an amount based on the Intermediary’s net sales of one or more iShares funds in a year or other period, any of which arrangements may include an agreed-upon minimum or maximum payment, or any combination of the foregoing. As of the date of this SAI, BFA anticipates that the payments paid by BFA Entities in connection with the Funds, iShares funds and exchange-traded products in general will be immaterial to BFA Entities in the aggregate for the next year. Please contact your salesperson or other investment professional for more information regarding any such payments or financial incentives his or her Intermediary firm may receive. Any payments made, or financial incentives offered, by the BFA Entities to an Intermediary may create the incentive for the Intermediary to encourage customers to buy shares of the Funds, other iShares funds or other exchange-traded products.

The Funds may participate in certain market maker incentive programs of a national securities exchange in which an affiliate of the Funds would pay a fee to the exchange used for the purpose of incentivizing one or more market makers in the securities of a Fund to enhance the liquidity and quality of the secondary market of securities of a Fund. The fee would then be credited by the exchange to one or more market makers that meet or exceed liquidity and market quality standards with respect to the securities of a Fund. Each market maker incentive program is subject to approval from the SEC. Any such fee payments made to an exchange will be made by an affiliate of a Fund solely for the benefit of a Fund and will not be paid from any Fund assets. Other funds managed by BFA may also participate in such programs.

Determination of Net Asset Value

Valuation of Shares. The NAV for each Fund is generally calculated as of the close of business on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on each business day the NYSE is open. Valuation of securities held by a Fund is as follows:

Equity Investments. Equity securities traded on a recognized securities exchange (e.g., NYSE), on separate trading boards of a securities exchange or through a market system that provides contemporaneous transaction pricing information (each, an “Exchange”) are valued using information obtained via independent pricing services, generally at the closing price on the Exchange on which the security is primarily traded, or if an Exchange closing price is not available, the last traded price on that Exchange prior to the time as of which a Fund’s assets or liabilities are valued. However, under certain circumstances, other means of determining current market value may be used. If an equity security is traded on more than one Exchange, the current market value of the security where it is primarily traded generally will be used. In the event that there are no sales involving an equity security held by a Fund on a day on which a Fund values such security, the prior day’s price will be used, unless, in accordance with valuation procedures approved by the Board (the “Valuation Procedures”), BlackRock determines in good faith that such prior day’s price no longer reflects the fair value of the security, in which case such asset would be treated as a Fair Value Asset (as defined below).

Fixed-Income Investments. Fixed-income securities for which market quotations are readily available are generally valued using such securities’ current market value. A Fund values fixed-income portfolio securities using the last available bid prices or current market quotations provided by dealers or prices (including evaluated prices) supplied by a Fund’s approved independent third-party pricing services, each in accordance with the Valuation Procedures. The pricing services may use matrix pricing or valuation models that utilize certain inputs and assumptions to derive values, including transaction data (e.g., recent representative bids and offers), credit quality information, perceived market movements, news, and other relevant information and by other methods, which may include consideration of: yields or prices of securities of comparable quality, coupon, maturity and type; indications as to values from dealers; general market conditions; and/or other factors and assumptions. Pricing services generally value fixed-income securities assuming orderly transactions of an institutional round lot size, but a Fund may hold or transact in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. Odd lots often trade at lower prices than institutional round lots. The amortized cost method of valuation may be used with respect to debt obligations with sixty days or less remaining to maturity unless BlackRock determines in good faith that such method does not represent fair value. Loan participation notes are generally valued at the mean of the last available bid prices from one or more brokers or dealers as obtained from independent third-party pricing services. Certain fixed-income investments, including asset-backed and mortgage-related securities, may be valued based on valuation models that consider the estimated cash flows of each tranche of the entity, establish a benchmark yield and develop an estimated tranche-specific spread to the benchmark yield based on the unique attributes of the tranche.

Options, Futures, Swaps and Other Derivatives. Exchange-traded equity options for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the mean of the last bid and ask prices as quoted on the Exchange or the board of trade on which such options are traded. In the event that there is no mean price available for an exchange traded equity option held by a Fund on a day on which a Fund values such option, the last bid (long positions) or ask (short positions) price, if available, will be used as the value of such option. If no such bid or ask price is available on a day on which a Fund values such option, the prior day’s price will be used, unless BlackRock determines in good faith that such prior day’s price no longer reflects the fair value of the option, in which case such option will be treated as a Fair Value Asset (as defined below). OTC derivatives are valued using the last available bid prices or current market quotations provided by dealers or prices (including evaluated prices) supplied by a Fund’s approved independent third-party pricing services, each in accordance with the Valuation Procedures. OTC derivatives may be valued using a mathematical model which may incorporate a number of market data factors. Financial futures contracts and options thereon, which are traded on exchanges, are valued at their settle price as of the close

of such exchanges. Swap agreements and other derivatives are generally valued daily based upon quotations from market makers or by a pricing service in accordance with the Valuation Procedures.

Underlying Funds. Shares of underlying ETFs will be valued at their most recent closing price on an Exchange. Shares of underlying money market funds will be valued at their NAV.

General Valuation Information. The price a Fund could receive upon the sale of any particular portfolio investment may differ from a Fund’s valuation of the investment, particularly for securities that trade in thin or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair valuation methodology or a price provided by an independent pricing service. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by a Fund, and a Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. A Fund’s ability to value its investment may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

All cash, receivables and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value.

Prices obtained from independent third-party pricing services, broker-dealers or market makers to value a Fund’s securities and other assets and liabilities are based on information available at the time a Fund values its assets and liabilities. In the event that a pricing service quotation is revised or updated subsequent to the day on which a Fund valued such security or other asset or liability, the revised pricing service quotation generally will be applied prospectively. Such determination will be made considering pertinent facts and circumstances surrounding the revision.

In the event that application of the methods of valuation discussed above result in a price for a security which is deemed not to be representative of the fair market value of such security, the security will be valued by, under the direction of or in accordance with a method approved by the Board as reflecting fair value. All other assets and liabilities (including securities for which market quotations are not readily available) held by a Fund (including restricted securities) are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Board or by BlackRock (its delegate) pursuant to the Valuation Procedures. Any assets and liabilities that are denominated in a foreign currency are converted into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data service providers.

Certain of the securities acquired by a Fund may be traded on foreign exchanges or OTC markets on days on which a Fund’s NAV is not calculated. In such cases, the NAV of a Fund’s shares may be significantly affected on days when Authorized Participants can neither purchase nor redeem shares of a Fund.

Generally, trading in non-U.S. securities, U.S. government securities, money market instruments and certain fixed-income securities is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of business on the NYSE. The values of such securities used in computing the NAV of a Fund are determined as of such times.

Use of fair value prices and certain current market valuations could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a Fund’s NAV and the prices used in its Underlying Index, which, in turn, could result in a difference between a Fund’s performance and the performance of its Underlying Index.

Fair Value. When market quotations are not readily available or are believed in good faith by BlackRock to be unreliable, a Fund’s investments are valued at fair value (“Fair Value Assets”). Fair Value Assets are valued by BlackRock in accordance with the Valuation Procedures. BlackRock may reasonably conclude that a market quotation is not readily available or is unreliable if, among other things, a security or other asset or liability does not have a price source due to its complete lack of trading, if BlackRock believes in good faith that a market quotation from a broker-dealer or other source is unreliable (e.g., where it varies significantly from a recent trade, or no longer reflects the fair value of the security or other asset or liability subsequent to the most recent market quotation), or where the security or other asset or liability is only thinly traded or due to the occurrence of a significant event subsequent to the most recent market quotation. For this purpose, a “significant event” is deemed to occur if BlackRock determines, in its reasonable business judgment, that an event has occurred after the close of trading for an asset or liability but prior to or at the time of pricing a Fund’s assets or liabilities, and that the event is likely to cause a material change to the closing market price of the assets or liabilities held by a Fund. Non-U.S. securities whose values are affected by volatility that occurs in the markets or in related or highly correlated assets (e.g., ADRs, GDRs or ETFs that invest in components of the Underlying Index) on a trading day after the close of non-U.S. securities markets may be fair valued. On any day the NYSE is open and a foreign market or the primary exchange on which a foreign asset or liability is traded is closed, such asset or liability will be valued using the prior day’s price, provided that BlackRock is not aware of any

significant event or other information that would cause such price to no longer reflect the fair value of the asset or liability, in which case such asset or liability would be treated as a Fair Value Asset.

BlackRock, with input from the BlackRock Investment Strategy Group, will submit its recommendations regarding the valuation and/or valuation methodologies for Fair Value Assets to BlackRock’s Valuation Committee. The BlackRock Valuation Committee may accept, modify or reject any recommendations. In addition, a Fund’s accounting agent periodically endeavors to confirm the prices it receives from all third-party pricing services, index providers and broker-dealers, and, with the assistance of BlackRock, to regularly evaluate the values assigned to the securities and other assets and liabilities of a Fund. The pricing of all Fair Value Assets is subsequently reported to and, where appropriate, ratified by the Board.

When determining the price for a Fair Value Asset, the BlackRock Valuation Committee (or BlackRock’s Pricing Group) will seek to determine the price that a Fund might reasonably expect to receive upon the current sale of that asset or liability in an arm’s-length transaction on the date on which the assets or liabilities are being valued, and does not seek to determine the price that a Fund might expect to receive for selling the asset, or the cost of extinguishing a liability, at a later time or if it holds the asset or liability to maturity. Fair value determinations will be based upon all available factors that the BlackRock Valuation Committee (or BlackRock’s Pricing Group) deems relevant at the time of the determination, and may be based on analytical values determined by BlackRock using proprietary or third-party valuation models.

Fair value represents a good faith approximation of the value of an asset or liability. When determining the fair value of an asset, one or more of a variety of fair valuation methodologies may be used (depending on certain factors, including the asset type). For example, the asset may be priced on the basis of the original cost of the investment or, alternatively, using proprietary or third-party models (including models that rely upon direct portfolio management pricing inputs and which reflect the significance attributed to the various factors and assumptions being considered). Prices of actual, executed or historical transactions in the relevant asset and/or liability (or related or comparable assets and/or liabilities) or, where appropriate, an appraisal by a third-party experienced in the valuation of similar assets and/or liabilities, may also be used as a basis for establishing the fair value of an asset or liability. The fair value of one or more assets or liabilities may not, in retrospect, be the price at which those assets or liabilities could have been sold during the period in which the particular fair values were used in determining a Fund’s NAV. As a result, a Fund’s sale or redemption of its shares at NAV, at a time when a holding or holdings are valued at fair value, may have the effect of diluting or increasing the economic interest of existing shareholders.

Each Fund’s annual audited financial statements, which are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”), follow the requirements for valuation set forth in Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” (“ASC 820”), which defines and establishes a framework for measuring fair value under US GAAP and expands financial statement disclosure requirements relating to fair value measurements. Generally, ASC 820 and other accounting rules applicable to funds and various assets in which they invest are evolving. Such changes may adversely affect a Fund. For example, the evolution of rules governing the determination of the fair market value of assets or liabilities to the extent such rules become more stringent would tend to increase the cost and/or reduce the availability of third-party determinations of fair market value. This may in turn increase the costs associated with selling assets or affect their liquidity due to a Fund’s inability to obtain a third-party determination of fair market value.

Brokerage Transactions

Subject to policies established by the Board, BFA is primarily responsible for the execution of a Fund’s portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage. BFA does not execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but seeks to obtain the best net results for the Funds, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While BFA generally seeks reasonable trade execution costs, a Fund does not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available, and payment of the lowest commission or spread is not necessarily consistent with obtaining the best price and execution in particular transactions. Subject to applicable legal requirements, BFA may select a broker based partly upon brokerage or research services provided to BFA and its clients, including a Fund. In return for such services, BFA may cause a Fund to pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if BFA determines in good faith that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

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In selecting brokers or dealers to execute portfolio transactions, BFA seeks to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for a Fund and may take into account a variety of factors including: (i) the size, nature and character of the security or instrument being traded and the markets in which it is purchased or sold; (ii) the desired timing of the transaction; (iii) BFA’s knowledge of the expected commission rates and spreads currently available; (iv) the activity existing and expected in the market for the particular security or instrument, including any anticipated execution difficulties; (v) the full range of brokerage services provided; (vi) the broker’s or dealer’s capital; (vii) the quality of research and research services provided; (viii) the reasonableness of the commission, dealer spread or its equivalent for the specific transaction; and (ix) BFA’s knowledge of any actual or apparent operational problems of a broker or dealer. Brokers may also be selected because of their ability to handle special or difficult executions, such as may be involved in large block trades, less liquid securities, or other circumstances.

Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act (“Section 28(e)”) permits a U.S. investment adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause an account to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in securities that exceeds the amount another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the same transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by that broker or dealer. This includes commissions paid on riskless principal transactions in securities under certain conditions.

From time to time, a Fund may purchase new issues of securities in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the broker may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide BFA with research services. FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the broker will provide research “credits” in these situations at a rate that is higher than that available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

The Funds anticipate that brokerage transactions involving foreign equity securities generally will be conducted primarily on the principal stock exchanges of the applicable country. Foreign equity securities may be held by the Funds in the form of depositary receipts, or other securities convertible into foreign equity securities. Depositary receipts may be listed on stock exchanges, or traded in OTC markets in the United States or Europe, as the case may be. ADRs, like other securities traded in the United States, will be subject to negotiated commission rates.

OTC issues, including most fixed-income securities such as corporate debt and U.S. Government securities, are normally traded on a “net” basis without a stated commission, through dealers acting for their own account and not as brokers. The Funds will primarily engage in transactions with these dealers or deal directly with the issuer unless a better price or execution could be obtained by using a broker. Prices paid to a dealer with respect to both foreign and domestic securities will generally include a “spread,” which is the difference between the prices at which the dealer is willing to purchase and sell the specific security at the time, and includes the dealer’s normal profit.

Under the 1940 Act, persons affiliated with a Fund and persons who are affiliated with such affiliated persons are prohibited from dealing with the Fund as principal in the purchase and sale of securities unless a permissive order allowing such transactions is obtained from the SEC. Since transactions in the OTC market usually involve transactions with the dealers acting as principal for their own accounts, the Funds will not deal with affiliated persons and affiliated persons of such affiliated persons, including PNC and its affiliates, in connection with such transactions. The Funds will not purchase securities during the existence of any underwriting or selling group relating to such securities of which BFA, PNC, BRIL or any affiliated person (as defined in the 1940 Act) thereof is a member except pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board in accordance with Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act.

Purchases of money market instruments by the Funds are made from dealers, underwriters and issuers. The Funds do not currently expect to incur any brokerage commission expense on such transactions because money market instruments are generally traded on a “net” basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission. The price of the security, however, usually includes a profit to the dealer.

BFA may, from time to time, effect trades on behalf of and for the account of the Funds with brokers or dealers that are affiliated with BFA, in conformity with Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act and SEC rules and regulations. Under these provisions, any commissions paid to affiliated brokers or dealers must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions charged by other brokers or dealers in comparable transactions.

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Securities purchased in underwritten offerings include a fixed amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter’s concession or discount. When securities are purchased or sold directly from or to an issuer, no commissions or discounts are paid.

Investment decisions for the Funds and for other investment accounts managed by BFA and the other Affiliates are made independently of each other in light of differing conditions. A variety of factors will be considered in making investment allocations. These factors include: (i) investment objectives or strategies for particular accounts, including sector, industry, country or region and capitalization weightings; (ii) tax considerations of an account; (iii) risk or investment concentration parameters for an account; (iv) supply or demand for a security at a given price level; (v) size of available investment; (vi) cash availability and liquidity requirements for accounts; (vii) regulatory restrictions; (viii) minimum investment size of an account; (ix) relative size of account; and (x) such other factors as may be approved by BlackRock’s general counsel. Moreover, investments may not be allocated to one client account over another based on any of the following considerations: (i) to favor one client account at the expense of another; (ii) to generate higher fees paid by one client account over another or to produce greater performance compensation to BlackRock; (iii) to develop or enhance a relationship with a client or prospective client; (iv) to compensate a client for past services or benefits rendered to BlackRock or to induce future services or benefits to be rendered to BlackRock; or (v) to manage or equalize investment performance among different client accounts. BFA and the other Affiliates may deal, trade and invest for their own respective accounts in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest.

IPOs of securities may be over-subscribed and subsequently trade at a premium in the secondary market. When BFA is given an opportunity to invest in such an initial offering or “new” or “hot” issue, the supply of securities available for client accounts is often less than the amount of securities the accounts would otherwise take. In order to allocate these investments fairly and equitably among client accounts over time, each portfolio manager or a member of his or her respective investment team will indicate to BFA’s trading desk their level of interest in a particular offering with respect to eligible clients’ accounts for which that team is responsible. IPOs of U.S. equity securities will be identified as eligible for particular client accounts that are managed by portfolio teams who have indicated interest in the offering based on market capitalization of the issuer of the security and the investment mandate of the client account and in the case of international equity securities, the country where the offering is taking place and the investment mandate of the client account. Generally, shares received during the IPO will be allocated among participating client accounts within each investment mandate on a pro rata basis. This pro rata allocation may result in a Fund receiving less of a particular security than if pro-rating had not occurred. All allocations of securities will be subject, where relevant, to share minimums established for accounts and compliance constraints. In situations where supply is too limited to be allocated among all accounts for which the investment is eligible, portfolio managers may rotate such investment opportunities among one or more accounts so long as the rotation system provides for fair access for all client accounts over time. Other allocation methodologies that are considered by BFA to be fair and equitable to clients may be used as well.

Because different accounts may have differing investment objectives and policies, BFA may buy and sell the same securities at the same time for different clients based on the particular investment objective, guidelines and strategies of those accounts. For example, BFA may decide that it may be entirely appropriate for a growth fund to sell a security at the same time a value fund is buying that security. To the extent that transactions on behalf of more than one client of BFA or the other Affiliates during the same period may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, there may be an adverse effect on price. For example, sales of a security by BlackRock on behalf of one or more of its clients may decrease the market price of such security, adversely impacting other BlackRock clients that still hold the security. If purchases or sales of securities arise for consideration at or about the same time that would involve the Funds or other clients or funds for which BFA or another Affiliate act as investment manager, transactions in such securities will be made, insofar as feasible, for the respective funds and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all.

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could be beneficial to the Funds. Transactions effected by BFA or the other Affiliates on behalf of more than one of its clients during the same period may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, causing an adverse effect on price. The trader will give the bunched order to the broker-dealer that the trader has identified as being able to provide the best execution of the order. Orders for purchase or sale of securities will be placed within a reasonable amount of time of the order receipt and bunched orders will be kept bunched only long enough to execute the order.

The table below sets forth the brokerage commissions paid by each Fund for the fiscal years noted. Any differences in brokerage commissions paid by a Fund from year to year are principally due to increases or decreases in that Fund’s assets over those periods or the magnitude of changes to the components of a Fund's Underlying Index:

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	10/18/12	$6,401,006	$ 3,369,989	$ 1,767,732
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	10/18/11	997,443	1,148,967	746,843
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	10/18/11	233,737	512,807	693,412
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	07/10/00	639,253	229,059	640,217
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	11/12/07	36,231	16,461	40,078
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	11/12/07	353,383	188,882	333,378
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	06/18/13	8,407	17,148	20,030
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	02/08/12	80,741	21,657	40,633
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	04/07/03	2,864,879	7,744,566	6,974,591
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	08/16/11	67,358	30,250	28,290
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	06/28/16	31,224	1,444	N/A
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	09/12/12	1,245,035	786,643	2,418,354
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	01/31/12	1,524	633	1,259
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	01/31/12	836	576	766
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	01/31/12	24,970	13,518	16,772
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	03/12/96	112,396	213,558	194,444
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	05/09/00	476,544	637,523	881,665
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	06/20/00	452,676	875,744	921,335

The following table sets forth the names of the Funds' “regular broker dealers,” as defined under Rule 10b-1 of the 1940 Act, which derive more than 15% of their gross revenues from securities-related activities and in which the Funds invest, together with the market value of each investment as of the applicable Fund's fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Fund	Issuer	Market Value of Investment
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	CITIC Securities Co. Ltd	$30,432,597

iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	CITIC Securities Co. Ltd	$ 550,094

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	CITIC Securities Co. Ltd	$ 697,599

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	CITIC Securities Co. Ltd	$ 35,553,126

None of the Funds paid any brokerage commissions to BRIL, an affiliate of BFA, or to any other broker-dealer that is part of the BlackRock group of companies, during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

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The Funds’ purchase and sale orders for securities may be combined with those of other investment companies, clients or accounts that BlackRock manages or advises. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Funds and one or more other accounts managed or advised by BlackRock are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the Funds and the other accounts in a manner deemed equitable to all by BlackRock. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Funds are concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower transaction costs will be beneficial to the Funds. BlackRock may deal, trade and invest for its own account in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest. BlackRock may, from time to time, effect trades on behalf of and for the account of the Funds with brokers or dealers that are affiliated with BFA, in conformity with the 1940 Act and SEC rules and regulations. Under these provisions, any commissions paid to affiliated brokers or dealers must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions charged by other brokers or dealers in comparable transactions. The Funds will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by applicable SEC rules or regulations, or by SEC exemptive order.

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year as well as within a year. High turnover rates may result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses.

The table below sets forth the portfolio turnover rates of each Fund for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	4%	10%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	23%	23%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	24%	24%
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	20%	18%
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	24%	20%
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	54%	73%
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	14%	68%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	15%	22%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	9%	23%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	19%	24%
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	29%	9%
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	32%	20%
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	16%	7%
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	4%	6%
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	12%	8%
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	24%	72%
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	16%	22%
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	11%	27%

Creation or redemption transactions, to the extent consisting of cash, may require a Fund to contemporaneously transact with broker-dealers for purchases of Deposit Securities (as defined below under Fund Deposit) or sales of Fund Securities (as defined below under Redemption of Creation Units) as applicable. Such transactions with a particular broker-dealer may be conditioned upon the broker-dealer’s agreement to transact at guaranteed price levels in order to reduce transaction costs the Funds would otherwise incur as a consequence of settling creation or redemption baskets in cash rather than in-kind.

Following each Fund’s receipt of an order to purchase or redeem creation or redemption baskets, to the extent such purchases or redemptions consist of a cash portion, the Fund will enter an order with a broker or dealer to purchase or sell the Deposit Securities or Fund Securities, as applicable. The terms of such order may, depending on the timing of the transaction and certain other factors, require the broker or dealer to guarantee that a Fund will achieve execution of its order at a price at least as favorable to the Fund as the Fund’s valuation of the Deposit Securities/Fund Securities used for purposes of calculating the NAV applied to the creation or redemption transaction giving rise to the order (the “Execution Performance Guarantee”). Such orders may be placed with the purchasing or redeeming Authorized Participant in its capacity as a broker-dealer, with its affiliated broker-dealer or with a third-party broker-dealer. The amount payable to each Fund in respect of any Execution Performance Guarantee will depend on the results achieved by the executing firm and will vary depending on market activity, timing and a variety of other factors.

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To ensure that an Execution Performance Guarantee will be honored on orders arising from creation transactions executed by an Authorized Participant or its affiliate as broker-dealer, an Authorized Participant is required to deposit an amount with each Fund (the “Execution Performance Deposit”). If the broker-dealer executing the order achieves executions in market transactions at a price equal to or more favorable than a Fund’s valuation of the Deposit Securities, the Fund receives the benefit of the favorable executions and returns to the Authorized Participant the Execution Performance Deposit. If, however, the broker-dealer executing the order is unable to achieve executions in market transactions at a price at least equal to a Fund’s valuation of the securities, the Fund retains the portion of the Execution Performance Deposit equal to the full amount of the execution shortfall (including any taxes, brokerage commissions, foreign exchange or other costs) and may require the Authorized Participant to deposit any additional amount required to cover the full amount of the actual Execution Performance Guarantee.

To ensure that an Execution Performance Guarantee will be honored for brokerage orders arising from redemption transactions executed by an Authorized Participant or its affiliate as broker-dealer, an Authorized Participant agrees to pay the shortfall amount (the “Execution Performance Offset”). If the broker-dealer executing the order achieves executions in market transactions at a price equal to or more favorable than a Fund’s valuation of the Fund Securities, the Fund receives the benefit of the favorable executions and the Authorized Participant is not called upon to honor the Execution Performance Offset. If, however, the broker-dealer is unable to achieve executions in market transactions at a price at least equal to a Fund’s valuation of the securities, the Fund will be entitled to the portion of the Execution Performance Offset equal to the full amount of the execution shortfall (including any taxes, brokerage commissions, foreign exchange or other costs).

The circumstances under which the Execution Performance Guarantee will be used and the expected amount, if any, of any Execution Performance Deposit or Execution Performance Offset for a Fund will be disclosed in the procedures handbook for Authorized Participants and may change from time to time based on the actual experience of the Fund.

Additional Information Concerning the Company

Capital Stock. The Company currently is comprised of 56 series referred to as funds. Each series issues shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. The Company has authorized and issued the following funds as separate series of capital stock: iShares Asia/Pacific Dividend ETF, iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF, iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF, iShares International High Yield Bond ETF, iShares J.P. Morgan EM Corporate Bond ETF, iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Currency Bond ETF, iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF, iShares MSCI World ETF and iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF. The Company has authorized for issuance, but is not currently offering for sale to the public, nine additional series of shares of common stock. The Board may designate additional series of common stock and classify shares of a particular series into one or more classes of that series. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation confers upon the Board the power to establish the number of shares which constitute a Creation Unit or by resolution, restrict the redemption right to Creation Units.

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million shares; iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF, 25 million shares; iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF, 500 million shares; iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares International High Yield Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares J.P. Morgan EM Corporate Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Currency Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Australia ETF, 627.8 million shares; iShares MSCI Austria ETF, 100 million shares; iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, 136.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Canada ETF, 340.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Chile ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, 25 million shares; iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, 25 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, 2 billion shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, 25 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI France ETF, 340.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Germany ETF, 482.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, 375 million shares; iShares MSCI Israel ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Italy ETF, 295.4 million shares; iShares MSCI Japan ETF, 2.5246 billion shares; iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, 300 million shares; iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, 255 million shares; iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, 255 million shares; iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI Russia ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, 300 million shares; iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, 400 million shares; iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Spain ETF, 127.8 million shares; iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, 63.6 million shares; iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, 318.625 million shares; iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, 900 million shares; iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI World ETF, 500 million shares; and iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF, 500 million shares. Fractional shares will not be issued. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to the relevant fund, and in the net distributable assets of such fund on liquidation. Shareholders are entitled to require the Company to redeem Creation Units of their shares.

Each share has one vote with respect to matters upon which a stockholder vote is required consistent with the requirements of the 1940 Act and the rules promulgated thereunder and the Maryland General Corporation Law. Stockholders have no cumulative voting rights with respect to their shares. Shares of all funds vote together as a single class except that, if the matter being voted on affects only a particular fund or, if a matter affects a particular fund differently from other funds, that fund will vote separately on such matter.

Under Maryland law, the Company is not required to hold an annual meeting of stockholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. The policy of the Company is not to hold an annual meeting of stockholders unless required to do so under the 1940 Act. Under Maryland law, Directors of the Company may be removed by vote of the stockholders.

Following the creation of the initial Creation Unit(s) of shares of a fund and immediately prior to the commencement of trading in such fund’s shares, a holder of shares may be a “control person” of the fund, as defined in Rule 0-1 under the 1940 Act. A fund cannot predict the length of time for which one or more stockholders may remain a control person of the fund.

Stockholders may make inquiries by writing to iShares, Inc., c/o BlackRock Investments, LLC, 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540.

Absent an applicable exemption or other relief from the SEC or its staff, beneficial owners of more than 5% of the shares of a fund may be subject to the reporting provisions of Section 13 of the 1934 Act and the SEC’s rules promulgated thereunder. In addition, absent an applicable exemption or other relief from the SEC or its staff, officers and directors of a fund and beneficial owners of 10% of the shares of a fund (“Insiders”) may be subject to the insider reporting, short-swing profit and short sale provisions of Section 16 of the 1934 Act and the SEC’s rules promulgated thereunder. Beneficial owners and Insiders should consult with their own legal counsel concerning their obligations under Sections 13 and 16 of the 1934 Act and existing guidance provided by the SEC staff.

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Unit. Therefore, in the event of a termination of the Company or a Fund, the Board, in its sole discretion, could determine to permit the shares to be redeemable in aggregations smaller than Creation Units or to be individually redeemable. In such circumstance, the Company or a Fund may make redemptions in-kind, for cash or for a combination of cash or securities. Further, in the event of a termination of the Company or a Fund, the Company or a Fund might elect to pay cash redemptions to all shareholders, with an in-kind election for shareholders owning in excess of a certain stated minimum amount.

DTC as Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC was created in 1973 to enable electronic movement of securities between its participants (“DTC Participants”), and NSCC was established in 1976 to provide a single settlement system for securities clearing and to serve as central counterparty for securities trades among DTC Participants. In 1999, DTC and NSCC were consolidated within The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”) and became wholly-owned subsidiaries of DTCC. The common stock of DTCC is owned by the DTC Participants, but NYSE and FINRA, through subsidiaries, hold preferred shares in DTCC that provide them with the right to elect one member each to the DTCC board of directors. Access to the DTC system is available to entities, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).

Beneficial ownership of shares is limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as “Beneficial Owners”) is shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares. The laws of some jurisdictions may require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. Such laws may impair the ability of certain investors to acquire beneficial interests in shares of the Fund.

Conveyance of all notices, statements and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. Pursuant to the Depositary Agreement between the Company and DTC, DTC is required to make available to the Company upon request and for a fee to be charged to the Company a listing of the shares of each Fund held by each DTC Participant. The Company shall inquire of each such DTC Participant as to the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Company shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Company shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares of the Company. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants’ accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in shares of each Fund as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Company has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in such shares, or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants. DTC may decide to discontinue providing its service with respect to shares of the Company at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Company and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Company shall take action to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost.

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initial investor may sell some or all of the shares underlying the Creation Unit(s) held by them pursuant to the registration statement for each Fund (each, a “Selling Shareholder”), which shares have been registered to permit the resale from time to time after purchase. Each Fund will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these shares.

Selling Shareholders may sell shares owned by them directly or through broker-dealers, in accordance with applicable law, on any national securities exchange on which the shares may be listed or quoted at the time of sale, through trading systems, in the OTC market or in transactions other than on these exchanges or systems at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected through brokerage transactions, privately negotiated trades, block sales, entry into options or other derivatives transactions or through any other means authorized by applicable law. Selling Shareholders may redeem the shares held in Creation Unit size by them through an Authorized Participant.

Any Selling Shareholder and any broker-dealer or agents participating in the distribution of shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the 1933 Act, in connection with such sales.

Any Selling Shareholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

General. The Company issues and sells shares of each Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor or its agent, without a sales load, at a price based on each Fund's NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order received by the Distributor or its agent in proper form. On days when the applicable Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to be placed earlier in the day. The following table sets forth the number of shares of a Fund that constitute a Creation Unit for such Fund and the value of such Creation Unit as of September 30, 2017:

Fund	Shares Per Creation Unit	Value Per Creation Unit (U.S.$)
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	600,000	$32,214,000
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	100,000	5,784,000
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	100,000	8,124,000
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	50,000	2,082,000
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	50,000	2,128,500
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	50,000	2,430,500
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	50,000	732,500
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	50,000	3,454,500
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	450,000	20,047,500
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	50,000	2,463,500
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	50,000	3,443,500
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	50,000	1,562,000
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	50,000	1,410,500
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	100,000	2,025,000
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	50,000	1,544,500
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	75,000	2,415,000
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	50,000	3,443,500
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	100,000	3,599,000

In its discretion, the Company reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of a Fund’s shares that constitute a Creation Unit. The Board reserves the right to declare a split or a consolidation in the number of shares outstanding of any Fund, and to make a corresponding change in the number of shares constituting a Creation Unit, in the event that the per share price in the secondary market rises (or declines) to an amount that falls outside the range deemed desirable by the Board.

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A “Business Day” with respect to each Fund is any day on which the Listing Exchange on which the Fund is listed for trading is open for business. As of the date of this SAI, each Listing Exchange observes the following holidays, as observed: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of a Fund (except for the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (each, a “Cash Fund” and collectively, the “Cash Funds”), generally consists of Deposit Securities and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which, when combined with the Fund's portfolio securities, is designed to generate performance that has a collective investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund.

The Cash Component is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities, and serves to compensate for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount. Payment of any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities are the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing a Creation Unit.

Each Cash Fund’s current policy is to accept cash in substitution for the Deposit Securities it might otherwise accept as in-kind consideration for the purchase of Creation Units. A Cash Fund may, at times, elect to receive Deposit Securities (i.e., the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities) and a Cash Component as consideration for the purchase of Creation Units. If a Cash Fund elects to accept Deposit Securities, a purchaser's delivery of the Deposit Securities together with the Cash Component will constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which will represent the consideration for a Creation Unit of the Fund. The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF and iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF (each, a “Partial Cash Fund” and collectively, the “Partial Cash Funds”) generally offer Creation Units partially for cash, but may, in certain circumstances, offer Creation Units solely for cash or solely in-kind. Please see the Cash Purchase Method section below and the following discussion summarizing the Deposit Security method for further information on purchasing Creation Units of the Funds.

BFA makes available through the NSCC on each Business Day prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange, the list of names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security and the amount of the Cash Component to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information as of the end of the previous Business Day for each Fund). Such Fund Deposit is applicable, subject to any adjustments as described below, to purchases of Creation Units of shares of a given Fund until such time as the next-announced Fund Deposit is made available.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities change pursuant to changes in the composition of a Fund's portfolio and as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by BFA with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities constituting the relevant Underlying Index.

The Funds reserve the right to permit or require the substitution of a “cash in lieu” amount to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security that may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery or that may not be eligible for transfer through DTC or the clearing process (as discussed below) or that the Authorized Participant is not able to trade due to a trading restriction. The Funds also reserve the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which the delivery of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws or in certain other situations. As noted above, Creation Units of the Cash Funds currently are available only for cash purchases.

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provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser. The Authorized Participant will also be required to pay certain transaction fees and charges for cash purchases, as described below, and, if transacting as broker with each Fund, may be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution and price movement costs through an Execution Performance Guarantee, as described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI.

Procedures for Creation of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit of the Funds, an entity must be: (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC, or (ii) a DTC Participant, and must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Authorized Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party or DTC Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement is referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” All shares of the Funds, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

Role of the Authorized Participant. Creation Units may be purchased only by or through a DTC Participant that has entered into an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor (an “Authorized Participant”). Such Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of such Authorized Participant Agreement and on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that such Authorized Participant will make available in advance of each purchase of shares an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component, once the net asset value of a Creation Unit is next determined after receipt of the purchase order in proper form, together with the transaction fees described below. An Authorized Participant, acting on behalf of an investor, may require the investor to enter into an agreement with such Authorized Participant with respect to certain matters, including payment of the Cash Component. Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that orders to purchase Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, purchase orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. The Company does not expect to enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with more than a small number of DTC Participants. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor. The Distributor has adopted guidelines regarding Authorized Participants’ transactions in Creation Units that are made available to all Authorized Participants. These guidelines set forth the processes and standards for Authorized Participants to transact with the Distributor and its agents in connection with creation and redemption transactions. In addition, the Distributor may be appointed as the proxy of the Authorized Participant and may be granted a power of attorney under its Authorized Participant Agreement.

Purchase Orders. Unless otherwise described below, to initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor or its agent an irrevocable order to purchase shares of a Fund, in proper form, generally before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on any Business Day to receive that day’s NAV. The Distributor or its agent will notify BFA and the custodian of such order. The custodian will then provide such information to any appropriate sub-custodian. Procedures and requirements governing the delivery of the Fund Deposit are set forth in the procedures handbook for Authorized Participants and may change from time to time. Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a creation request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor or its agent will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request. Those placing orders to purchase Creation Units through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor or its agent by the Cutoff Time (as defined below) on such Business Day.

The Authorized Participant must also make available on or before the contractual settlement date, by means satisfactory to the Funds, immediately available or same day funds estimated by the Funds to be sufficient to pay the Cash Component next determined after acceptance of the purchase order, together with the applicable purchase transaction fees. Those placing orders should ascertain the applicable deadline for cash transfers by contacting the operations department of the broker or depositary institution effectuating the transfer of the Cash Component. This deadline is likely to be significantly earlier than the Cutoff Time of the Funds. Investors should be aware that an Authorized Participant may require orders for purchases of shares placed with it to be in the particular form required by the individual Authorized Participant.

The Authorized Participant is responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by a Fund, including any applicable cash amounts, in connection with any purchase order.

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Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable order to purchase shares of a Fund generally before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on any Business Day in order to receive that day's NAV. Creation Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant in the form required by the Funds to the Distributor or its agent pursuant to procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure, may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or its agent or an Authorized Participant. Orders to create shares of a Fund that are submitted on the Business Day immediately preceding a holiday or a day (other than a weekend) when the equity markets in the relevant non-U.S. market are closed may not be accepted. Each Fund's deadline specified above for the submission of purchase orders is referred to as that Fund's “Cutoff Time.” The Distributor or its agent, in their discretion, may permit the submission of such orders and requests by or through an Authorized Participant at any time (including on days on which the Listing Exchange is not open for business) via communication through the facilities of the Distributor's or its agent's proprietary website maintained for this purpose. Purchase orders and redemption requests, if accepted by the Company, will be processed based on the NAV next determined after such acceptance in accordance with a Fund's Cutoff Times as provided in the Authorized Participant Agreement and disclosed in this SAI.

Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units. Subject to the conditions that (i) an irrevocable purchase order has been submitted by the Authorized Participant (either on its own or another investor's behalf) and (ii) arrangements satisfactory to the Funds are in place for payment of the Cash Component and any other cash amounts which may be due, the Funds will accept the order, subject to each Fund's right (and the right of the Distributor and BFA) to reject any order until acceptance, as set forth below.

Once a Fund has accepted an order, upon the next determination of the net asset value of the shares, the Fund will confirm the issuance of a Creation Unit, against receipt of payment, at such net asset value. The Distributor or its agent will then transmit a confirmation of acceptance to the Authorized Participant that placed the order.

Each Fund reserves the absolute right to reject or revoke a creation order transmitted to it by the Distributor or its agent if (i) the order is not in proper form; (ii) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of the Fund; (iii) the Deposit Securities delivered do not conform to the identity and number of shares specified, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the discretion of the Fund or BFA, have an adverse effect on the Fund or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Distributor or its agent and BFA make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Distributor or its agent shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of its rejection of such order. The Funds, State Street, the sub-custodian and the Distributor or its agent are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

In addition, the Company may exercise its right to reject any creation order for shares of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF on any Business Day that is a holiday in the Indian market, but not a holiday observed in the U.S. equity market, and certain other holidays during the settlement cycle for Fund shares, in order to protect Fund shareholders from any dilutive costs that may be associated with the purchase of Deposit Securities in connection with creation orders on such days.

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period, if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances and compliant with applicable law. For example, each Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+2 or T+3 in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (as discussed in Appendix B of this SAI), to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (i.e., the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security) and in certain other circumstances.

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor, each Fund will issue Creation Units to such Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Fund Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value at least equal to 105% and up to 115%, which percentage BFA may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance with the Funds' then-effective procedures. The Company may use such cash deposit at any time to buy Deposit Securities for the Funds. The only collateral that is acceptable to the Funds is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than the time specified by a Fund or its custodian on the contractual settlement date. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Funds' current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor or its agent. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit the Funds to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Funds of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral including, without limitation, liability for related brokerage, borrowings and other charges.

In certain cases, Authorized Participants may create and redeem Creation Units on the same trade date and in these instances, the Funds reserve the right to settle these transactions on a net basis or require a representation from the Authorized Participants that the creation and redemption transactions are for separate beneficial owners. All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by each Fund and the Fund's determination shall be final and binding.

Costs Associated with Creation Transactions. A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer, processing and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged on each Creation Unit created by an Authorized Participant on the day of the transaction. The standard creation transaction fee is generally fixed at the amount shown in the table regardless of the number of Creation Units being purchased, but may be reduced by each Fund if transfer and processing expenses associated with the creation are anticipated to be lower than the stated fee. If a purchase consists of a cash portion, the Authorized Participant may also be required to pay an additional transaction charge (up to the maximum amount shown below) to cover brokerage and certain other costs related to the creation transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Funds. Certain fees/costs associated with creation transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to acquire Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard creation transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Creation Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$ 15,000	7.0%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	6,100	7.0%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	4,200	7.0%
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	2,400	7.0%
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	5,900	7.0%
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	3,000	3.0%
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	3,600	3.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	15,000	7.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	7,700	7.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	15,000	7.0%
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	12,400	3.0%

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Fund	Standard Creation Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	6,800	7.0%
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	5,100	7.0%
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	6,100	7.0%
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	8,400	7.0%
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	5,000	3.0%
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	4,000	3.0%
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	4,500	3.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.

If a purchase consists of a cash portion and each Fund places a brokerage transaction to purchase portfolio securities with the Authorized Participant or its affiliated broker-dealer, the Authorized Participant (or its affiliated broker-dealer) may be required, in its capacity as broker-dealer with respect to that transaction, to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, and price movement costs through an Execution Performance Guarantee, as described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI.

Redemption of Creation Units. Shares of a Fund may be redeemed by Authorized Participants only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by the Distributor or its agent and only on a Business Day. The Funds will not redeem shares in amounts less than Creation Units. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the secondary market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a Creation Unit that could be redeemed by an Authorized Participant. Beneficial owners also may sell shares in the secondary market.

Each Cash Fund currently redeems Creation Units solely for cash. However, each Cash Fund reserves the right to distribute securities in-kind as payment for Creation Units being redeemed. Each Partial Cash Fund generally redeems Creation Units partially for cash. Please see the Cash Redemption Method section below and the following discussion summarizing the in-kind method for further information on redeeming Creation Units of the Funds.

With respect to each Fund, BFA makes available through the NSCC, prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange on each Business Day, the designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”), and an amount of cash (the “Cash Amount,” as described below). Such Fund Securities and the corresponding Cash Amount (each subject to possible amendment or correction) are applicable, in order to effect redemptions of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next announced composition of the Fund Securities and Cash Amount is made available. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units. Procedures and requirements governing redemption transactions are set forth in the handbook for Authorized Participants and may change from time to time.

Unless cash redemptions are available or specified for a Fund, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities, plus the Cash Amount, which is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after the receipt of a redemption request in proper form, and the value of Fund Securities, less a redemption transaction fee (as described below).

The Company may, in its sole discretion, substitute a “cash in lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security. The Company also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which: (i) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; or (ii) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Fund Security by the Authorized Participant due to restrictions under applicable securities or other local laws, or in certain other situations. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the substituted security listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. The Cash Funds generally redeem Creation Units solely for cash. The Partial Cash Funds generally redeem Creation Units partially for cash.

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Each Fund may, in its sole discretion, provide such redeeming Authorized Participant a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, but does not differ in NAV.

Cash Redemption Method. Although the Company does not generally permit partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units of its funds or for the Funds, including the Cash Funds, that are normally redeemed on a cash basis only, when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified (e.g., Creation Units of the Cash Funds are generally redeemed solely for cash and Creation Units of the Partial Cash Funds are generally redeemed partially for cash), they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities and other instruments it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer. The Authorized Participant will also be required to pay certain transaction fees and charges for cash redemptions, as described below, and, if transacting as broker with each Fund, may be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution and price movement costs through an Execution Performance Guarantee, as described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI.

Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions. A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer, processing and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the relevant Fund. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged on each Creation Unit redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the day of the transaction. The standard redemption transaction fee is generally fixed at the amount shown in the table regardless of the number of Creation Units being redeemed, but may be reduced by each Fund if transfer and processing expenses associated with the redemption are anticipated to be lower than the stated fee. If a redemption consists of a cash portion, the Authorized Participant may also be required to pay an additional transaction charge (up to the maximum amount shown below) to cover brokerage and certain other costs related to the redemption transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from a Fund to their account on their order. Certain fees/costs associated with redemption transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to dispose of Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard redemption transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Redemption Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$ 15,000	2.0%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	6,100	2.0%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	4,200	2.0%
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	2,400	2.0%
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	5,900	2.0%
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	3,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	3,600	2.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	15,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	7,700	2.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	15,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	12,400	2.0%
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	6,800	2.0%
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	5,100	2.0%
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	6,100	2.0%
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	8,400	2.0%
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	5,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	4,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF	4,500	2.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit, inclusive of the standard redemption transaction fee.

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required, in its capacity as broker-dealer with respect to that transaction, to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, and price movement costs through an Execution Performance Guarantee, as described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI.

Placement of Redemption Orders. Redemption requests for Creation Units of the Funds must be submitted to the Distributor or its agent by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable request to redeem shares of a Fund generally before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on any Business Day in order to receive that day's NAV. On days when the Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to redeem Creation Units to be placed earlier that day. Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor or its agent will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request.

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption in the form required by the Funds to the Distributor or its agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. At any time, only a limited number of broker-dealers will have an Authorized Participant Agreement in effect. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares to the Funds' transfer agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if: (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Funds' transfer agent the Creation Unit redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the Listing Exchange closing time on any Business Day on which the redemption request is submitted; (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the applicable Fund is received by the Distributor or its agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified above; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement are properly followed.

Upon receiving a redemption request, the Distributor or its agent shall notify the applicable Fund and the Fund's transfer agent of such redemption request. The tender of an investor's shares for redemption and the distribution of the securities and/or cash included in the redemption payment made in respect of Creation Units redeemed will be made through DTC and the relevant Authorized Participant to the Beneficial Owner thereof as recorded on the book-entry system of DTC or the DTC Participant through which such investor holds, as the case may be, or by such other means specified by the Authorized Participant submitting the redemption request.

A redeeming Authorized Participant, whether on its own account or acting on behalf of a Beneficial Owner, must maintain appropriate security arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of the portfolio securities are customarily traded, to which account such portfolio securities will be delivered.

For the iShares MSCI Chile ETF, iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, deliveries of redemption proceeds are generally made within two Business Days (i.e., “T+2”). For the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF and iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, deliveries of redemption proceeds are generally made within three Business Days (i.e., “T+3”). However, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+2 or T+3, including a shorter settlement period, if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances and compliant with applicable law. For example, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+2 or T+3 in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (as discussed in Appendix B to the SAI), to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (i.e., the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold) and in certain other circumstances. Appendix B of this SAI identifies the instances, if any, where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds.

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Pursuant to an order of the SEC, the Company will make delivery of redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in Appendix B of this SAI to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds.

If neither the Authorized Participant nor the Beneficial Owner on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Fund Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, a Fund may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In such case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the net asset value of its shares based on the NAV of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charges specified above to offset the Fund's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and each Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or cannot do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.

Although the Company does not ordinarily permit cash redemptions of Creation Units (except that, as noted above, Creation Units of the Partial Cash Funds generally will be redeemed partially for cash and Creation Units of the Cash Funds generally will be redeemed for cash), in the event that cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Company, proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter, except for the instances listed in Appendix B to this SAI in which more than seven calendar days would be needed).

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant's agreement with the Distributor or its agent, in the event an Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to a Fund, at or prior to 10:00 a.m., Eastern time on the Listing Exchange business day after the date of submission of such redemption request, the Distributor or its agent will accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash, in U.S. dollars in immediately available funds, having a value at least equal to 105% and up to 115%, which percentage BFA may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing shares. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than the time specified by a Fund or its custodian on the day after the date of submission of such redemption request and shall be held by State Street and marked-to-market daily. The fees of State Street and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant Agreement permits the Funds to acquire shares of the Funds at any time and subjects the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the aggregate of the cost to the Funds of purchasing such shares, plus the value of the Cash Amount, and the value of the cash collateral together with liability for related brokerage and other charges.

Because the portfolio securities of a Fund may trade on exchange(s) on days that the Listing Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for such Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of such Fund, or purchase or sell shares of such Fund on the Listing Exchange on days when the NAV of such a Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to any Fund: (i) for any period during which the applicable Listing Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (ii) for any period during which trading on the applicable Listing Exchange is suspended or restricted; (iii) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the shares of the Fund's portfolio securities or determination of its net asset value is not reasonably practicable; or (iv) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

Taxation on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units. An Authorized Participant generally will recognize either gain or loss upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units. This gain or loss is calculated by taking the market value of the Creation Units purchased over the Authorized Participant’s aggregate basis in the Deposit Securities exchanged therefor. However, the IRS may apply the wash sales rules to determine that any loss realized upon the exchange of Deposit Securities for Creation Units is not currently deductible. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisors.

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Current U.S. federal income tax laws dictate that capital gain or loss realized from the redemption of Creation Units will generally create long-term capital gain or loss if the Authorized Participant holds the Creation Units for more than one year, or short-term capital gain or loss if the Creation Units were held for one year or less, if the Creation Units are held as capital assets.

Taxes

The following is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations regarding the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of a Fund. This summary does not address all of the potential U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be applicable to a Fund or to all categories of investors, some of which may be subject to special tax rules. Current and prospective shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the specific U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences of investing in a Fund. The summary is based on the laws and judicial and administrative interpretations thereof in effect on the date of this SAI, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

Regulated Investment Company Qualifications. Each Fund intends to continue to qualify for treatment as a separate RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, each Fund must annually distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and meet several other requirements. Among such other requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of each Fund’s annual gross income must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or non-U.S. currencies, other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly-traded partnerships (i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive at least 90% of their income from interest, dividends, capital gains and other traditionally permitted RIC income); and (ii) at the close of each quarter of each Fund's taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the market value of each Fund’s total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited for purposes of this calculation in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of each Fund's total assets may be invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, of two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock is held by the Fund and that are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly-traded partnerships.

A Fund may be able to cure a failure to derive at least 90% of its income from the sources specified above or a failure to diversify its holdings in the manner described above by paying a tax and/or by disposing of certain assets. If, in any taxable year, a Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure, that Fund will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders will not be deductible by that Fund in computing its taxable income.

Although, in general, the passive loss rules of the Internal Revenue Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to interests in qualified publicly-traded partnerships. A Fund's investments in partnerships, including in qualified publicly-traded partnerships, may result in the Fund being subject to state, local, or non-U.S. income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

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received deduction. Although each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and its capital gains for each taxable year, each Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a RIC. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund may be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the Fund had been liquidated) if it qualifies as a RIC in a subsequent year.

Excise Tax. A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year at least 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year plus at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the 12 months ended October 31 of such year. For this purpose, however, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by a Fund that is subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed by year-end. In addition, the minimum amounts that must be distributed in any year to avoid the excise tax will be increased or decreased to reflect any underdistribution or overdistribution, as the case may be, from the previous year. Each Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax.

Net Capital Loss Carryforwards. Net capital loss carryforwards may be applied against any net realized capital gains in each succeeding year, until they have been reduced to zero or until their respective expiration dates, whichever occurs first. Capital loss carryforwards from taxable years beginning after 2010 are not subject to expiration, and short-term and long-term capital loss carryforwards from such taxable years may only be applied against net realized short-term and long-term capital gains, respectively.

In the event that a Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Internal Revenue Code, the loss carryforwards and other favorable tax attributes of a Fund, if any, may be subject to limitation.

The following Funds had tax basis net capital loss carryforwards as set forth in the table below as of August 31, 2017, the tax year-end for the Funds listed:

Fund	Non-Expiring ¹	Expiring 2018	Expiring 2019	Total
iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$ 385,850,660	—	—	$385,850,660
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF	626,690,250	—	—	626,690,250
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF	86,612,072	—	—	86,612,072
iShares MSCI Brazil ETF	2,141,732,429	$ 198,226,310	—	2,339,958,739
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF	207,792,753	11,268,086	$ 7,760,558	226,821,397
iShares MSCI Chile ETF	150,400,264	11,712,090	976,991	163,089,345
iShares MSCI Colombia ETF	8,287,339	—	—	8,287,339
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF	27,359,939	—	—	27,359,939
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	8,973,262,771	1,201,366,175	873,167,649	11,047,796,595
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF	11,844,208	—	—	11,844,208
iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF	106,499	—	—	106,499
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	88,012,787	—	—	88,012,787
iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF	1,864,644	—	—	1,864,644
iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF	1,515,836	—	—	1,515,836
iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF	20,679,780	—	—	20,679,780
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF	14,406,515	—	—	14,406,515
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	326,749,122	226,591,665	78,503,704	631,844,491

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Fund		Non-Expiring ¹		Expiring 2018		Expiring 2019		Total
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF		335,557,692		363,052,013		19,669,958		718,279,663

¹	Must be utilized prior to losses subject to expiration.

Taxation of U.S. Shareholders. Dividends and other distributions by a Fund are generally treated under the Internal Revenue Code as received by the shareholders at the time the dividend or distribution is made. However, any dividend or distribution declared by a Fund in October, November or December of any calendar year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month shall be deemed to have been received by each shareholder on December 31 of such calendar year and to have been paid by the Fund not later than such December 31, provided such dividend is actually paid by the Fund during January of the following calendar year.

Each Fund intends to distribute annually to its shareholders substantially all of its investment company taxable income and any net realized long-term capital gains in excess of net realized short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers). However, if a Fund retains for investment an amount equal to all or a portion of its net long-term capital gains in excess of its net short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers), it will be subject to a corporate tax (at a maximum rate of 35%) on the amount retained. In that event, the Fund will designate such retained amounts as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (a) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount, (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the 35% tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent their credits exceed their liabilities, if any, and (c) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in their shares by an amount equal to 65% of the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s income. Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the Fund upon filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.

Distributions of net realized long-term capital gains, if any, that a Fund reports as capital gains dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains, whether paid in cash or in shares and regardless of how long a shareholder has held shares of the Fund. All other dividends of a Fund (including dividends from short-term capital gains) from its current and accumulated earnings and profits (“regular dividends”) are generally subject to tax as ordinary income, subject to the discussion of qualified dividend income below. Married couples filing jointly with income over approximately $471,000 and unmarried individuals with income over approximately $418,000, amounts adjusted annually for inflation, are subject to a 20% tax on any income in excess of those amounts that is long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income, and generally all other long-term capital gain is taxed at 15% (0% at certain income levels). In addition, the top marginal ordinary income tax rate is 39.6% for income in excess of the above thresholds.

If an individual receives a regular dividend qualifying for the long-term capital gains rates and such dividend constitutes an “extraordinary dividend,” and the individual subsequently recognizes a loss on the sale or exchange of stock in respect of which the extraordinary dividend was paid, then the loss will be long-term capital loss to the extent of such extraordinary dividend. An “extraordinary dividend” on common stock for this purpose is generally a dividend (i) in an amount greater than or equal to 10% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within an 85-day period, or (ii) in an amount greater than 20% of the taxpayer’s tax basis (or trading value) in a share of stock, aggregating dividends with ex-dividend dates within a 365-day period.

Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits will, as to each shareholder, be treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of a shareholder’s basis in shares of the Fund, and as a capital gain thereafter (if the shareholder holds shares of the Fund as capital assets). Distributions in excess of a Fund’s minimum distribution requirements, but not in excess of a Fund’s earnings and profits, will be taxable to shareholders and will not constitute nontaxable returns of capital. Shareholders receiving dividends or distributions in the form of additional shares should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as receiving a distribution in an amount equal to the amount of money that the shareholders receiving cash dividends or distributions will receive and should have a cost basis in the shares received equal to such amount.

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A 3.8% U.S. federal Medicare contribution tax is imposed on net investment income, including, but not limited to, interest, dividends, and net gain from investments, of U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 (or $250,000 if married and filing jointly) and of estates and trusts.

Investors considering buying shares just prior to a dividend or capital gain distribution should be aware that, although the price of shares purchased at that time may reflect the amount of the forthcoming distribution, such dividend or distribution may nevertheless be taxable to them. If a Fund is the holder of record of any security on the record date for any dividends payable with respect to such security, such dividends will be included in the Fund’s gross income not as of the date received but as of the later of (a) the date such security became ex-dividend with respect to such dividends (i.e., the date on which a buyer of the security would not be entitled to receive the declared, but unpaid, dividends); or (b) the date the Fund acquired such security. Accordingly, in order to satisfy its income distribution requirements, a Fund may be required to pay dividends based on anticipated earnings, and shareholders may receive dividends in an earlier year than would otherwise be the case.

In certain situations, a Fund may, for a taxable year, defer all or a portion of its net capital loss (or if there is no net capital loss, then any net long-term or short-term capital loss) realized after October and its late-year ordinary loss (defined as the sum of (i) the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains and (ii) the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.

Sales of Shares. Upon the sale or exchange of shares of a Fund, a shareholder will realize a taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and the shareholder’s basis in shares of the Fund. A redemption of shares by a Fund will be treated as a sale for this purpose. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for more than one year and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for one year or less. Any loss realized on a sale or exchange will be disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced, including replacement through the reinvesting of dividends or capital gains distributions, or by an option or contract to acquire substantially identical shares, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized by a shareholder on the sale of Fund shares held by the shareholder for six months or less will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any distributions or deemed distributions of long-term capital gains received by the shareholder with respect to such share. The Medicare contribution tax described above will apply to the sale of Fund shares.

If a shareholder incurs a sales charge in acquiring shares of a Fund, disposes of those shares within 90 days and then, on or before January 31 of the following calendar year, acquires shares in a mutual fund for which the otherwise applicable sales charge is reduced by reason of a reinvestment right (e.g., an exchange privilege), the original sales charge will not be taken into account in computing gain/loss on the original shares to the extent the subsequent sales charge is reduced. Instead, the disregarded portion of the original sales charge will be added to the tax basis of the newly acquired shares. Furthermore, the same rule also applies to a disposition of the newly acquired shares made within 90 days of the second acquisition. This provision prevents shareholders from immediately deducting the sales charge by shifting their investments within a family of mutual funds.

BackUp Withholding. In certain cases, a Fund will be required to withhold at a 28% rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury such amounts withheld from any distributions paid to a shareholder who: (i) has failed to provide a correct taxpayer identification number; (ii) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS; (iii) has failed to certify to a Fund that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding; or (iv) has not certified that such shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup withholding is not an additional tax and any amount withheld may be credited against a shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability.

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not anticipated that the Company will exercise the right of rejection except in a case where the Company determines that accepting the order could result in material adverse tax consequences to a Fund or its shareholders. The Company also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

Taxation of Certain Derivatives. A Fund’s transactions in zero coupon securities, non-U.S. currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including options and futures contracts on non-U.S. currencies), to the extent permitted, will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (including provisions relating to “hedging transactions” and “straddles”) that, among other consequences, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer Fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out at the end of each year) and (b) may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise taxes. Each Fund will monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any zero coupon security, non-U.S. currency, forward contract, option, futures contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC.

A Fund’s investments in so-called “Section 1256 contracts,” such as regulated futures contracts, most non-U.S. currency forward contracts traded in the interbank market and options on most security indexes, are subject to special tax rules. All Section 1256 contracts held by a Fund at the end of its taxable year are required to be marked to their market value, and any unrealized gain or loss on those positions will be included in a Fund’s income as if each position had been sold for its fair market value at the end of the taxable year. The resulting gain or loss will be combined with any gain or loss realized by a Fund from positions in Section 1256 contracts closed during the taxable year. Provided such positions were held as capital assets and were not part of a “hedging transaction” nor part of a “straddle,” 60% of the resulting net gain or loss will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss, and 40% of such net gain or loss will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss, regardless of the period of time the positions were actually held by a Fund.

As a result of entering into swap contracts, a Fund may make or receive periodic net payments. A Fund may also make or receive a payment when a swap is terminated prior to maturity through an assignment of the swap or other closing transaction. Periodic net payments will generally constitute ordinary income or deductions, while termination of a swap will generally result in capital gain or loss (which will be a long-term capital gain or loss if a Fund has been a party to the swap for more than one year). With respect to certain types of swaps, a Fund may be required to currently recognize income or loss with respect to future payments on such swaps or may elect under certain circumstances to mark such swaps to market annually for tax purposes as ordinary income or loss.

Qualified Dividend Income. Distributions by a Fund of investment company taxable income (including any short-term capital gains), whether received in cash or shares, will be taxable either as ordinary income or as qualified dividend income, which is eligible to be taxed at long-term capital gain rates to the extent a Fund receives qualified dividend income on the securities it holds and a Fund reports the distribution as qualified dividend income. Qualified dividend income is, in general, dividend income from taxable U.S. corporations (but generally not from U.S. REITs) and certain non-U.S. corporations (e.g., non-U.S. corporations that are not PFICs and which are incorporated in a possession of the U.S. or in certain countries with a comprehensive tax treaty with the U.S., or the stock of which is readily tradable on an established securities market in the U.S. (where the dividends are paid with respect to such stock)). Under current IRS guidance, the U.S. has appropriate comprehensive income tax treaties with the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China (but not with Hong Kong, which is treated as a separate jurisdiction for U.S. tax purposes), Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the U.K and Venezuela. Substitute payments received by a Fund for securities lent out by a Fund will not be qualified dividend income.

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that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend); (ii) a Fund or the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property; or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under Section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT or another RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or other RIC. It is expected that dividends received by a Fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income. Distributions by a Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income.

Corporate Dividends Received Deduction. Dividends paid by a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations may qualify for the U.S. federal dividends received deduction for corporations. A 46-day minimum holding period during the 90-day period that begins 45 days prior to ex-dividend date (or 91-day minimum holding period during the 180 period beginning 90 days prior to ex-dividend date for certain preference dividends) during which risk of loss may not be diminished is required for the applicable shares, at both the Fund and shareholder level, for a dividend to be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Restrictions may apply if indebtedness, including a short sale, is attributable to the investment.

Issues Related to India and Mauritius Taxes. The following discussion does not address the effect on investors, including residents of India and citizens of India (whether or not residing in India or other countries, including the U.S.), of holding shares of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF. Investors should consult their own tax advisors as to these issues based upon their own personal situations.

Indian tax matters discussed herein are based on the provisions of the IT Act, the provisions of the DTAA and other laws currently in force as of the date of this SAI. All such laws and the DTAA are subject to prospective and retroactive legislative amendment, administrative rulings and judicial review.

Each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF invests in India through its Subsidiary. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each Subsidiary has elected to be treated as an entity disregarded from its owner. Thus, for U.S. federal tax purposes, any income or loss realized by a Subsidiary will be treated as realized by the applicable fund . Therefore, any investment made by each Fund into a Subsidiary and any distributions received by the Fund from a Subsidiary are disregarded for U.S. federal tax purposes. Furthermore, there is no tax on each Fund's investment in a Subsidiary or on distributions made from a Subsidiary to the Fund .

No investor in the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF will be subject to taxation in India unless such investor is a resident of India or, if a non-resident, has an Indian source income or income received (whether accrued or otherwise) in India or triggers the indirect transfer provisions (discussed below). Finance Act, 2015 (“FA 15”) had introduced the concept of POEM for the determination of the residency of a foreign company. Accordingly, a company would be said to be resident in India if its POEM is situated in India. POEM is defined as a place where the key management and commercial decisions that are necessary for the conduct of the business of an entity as a whole are, in substance made. Final guidelines for the determination of POEM have been issued for the benefit of the taxpayer as well as the tax authorities. The taxation of a Subsidiary and a Fund in India is governed by the provisions of the IT Act, read with the provisions of the DTAA. As per Section 90(2) of the IT Act, the provisions of the IT Act would apply to the extent they are more beneficial than the provisions of the DTAA. In order to claim the beneficial provisions of the DTAA, a Subsidiary must be a tax resident of Mauritius.

An investor is required to submit a TRC as issued in the country of residence and provide other documents and information as prescribed by the Government to claim benefits under the DTAA.

Each Subsidiary has been incorporated in Mauritius and has obtained its TRC from the Mauritius authorities that establishes its residency in Mauritius under the DTAA. The TRC must be renewed annually. Each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF expects its Subsidiary to maintain its Mauritius tax residency, but it cannot be assured that the Mauritius authorities will successfully renew its TRC

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annually or that it will continue to be eligible to the DTAA benefits, particularly in light of the new requirements that may be introduced if the DTAA is re-negotiated.

Each Subsidiary holds a Category 1 Global Business License issued by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius. Each Subsidiary is subject to tax in Mauritius on its net income at the rate of 15%. However, a system of foreign tax credits which allows a tax credit against Mauritian taxes for foreign tax on a Mauritian entity’s foreign source income effectively reduces the Mauritius income tax rate to a maximum of 3% because the system presumes, in the absence of evidence, that the foreign tax paid is equal to 80% of the Mauritian tax. Further, a Subsidiary is not subject to capital gains tax in Mauritius nor is it subject to tax in Mauritius on any gains from the sale of securities. Any dividends paid by a Subsidiary to each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF will also be exempt from tax in Mauritius.

India and Mauritius signed a protocol (Protocol) amending the double tax avoidance arrangement between the two countries (India Mauritius DTAA) on May 10, 2016. The Protocol gives India the right to tax capital gains that arise from alienation of shares of an Indian company acquired by a Mauritian tax resident. However, the Protocol provides for grandfathering of investments in shares made before April 1, 2017. Returns from investments in shares made on or after April 1, 2017 will be subject to capital gains tax in India, although the Protocol introduces a limitation of benefits provision which shall be a prerequisite for a reduced rate of tax (50% of domestic tax rate) on capital gains arising during a two year transition period from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019.

Each Subsidiary will attempt to abide by the requirements of the DTAA, to maintain its residency in Mauritius, and to ensure that management and control of the Subsidiary remain in Mauritius. Any change in the applicability of the provisions of the DTAA or in its applicability to a Subsidiary could result in a Subsidiary and indirectly each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF being subject to Indian income taxes, withholding taxes, and other taxes, as well as being subject to administrative or judicial assertion of such tax liabilities by the tax authorities of India. This could significantly reduce the return of a Fund on its investments in shares and the return received by Fund shareholders.

Each Subsidiary is expected to have income in the form of capital gains, income from dividends and income from interest. The Indian tax consequences for a Subsidiary on account of the application of the DTAA, read with the provisions of the IT Act, would be as follows (the rates are inclusive of the highest applicable surcharges):

•	Capital gains resulting from the sale of Indian securities (including depositary receipts issued by Indian companies) acquired prior to April 1, 2017 will not be subject to tax in India, provided the Subsidiary does not have a Permanent Establishment in India. Capital gains resulting from sale of shares in Indian companies acquired on or after April 1, 2017 will be subject to tax in India as per the domestic tax rates (provided below). If the Subsidiaries are able to satisfy the conditions under the limitation of benefits article introduced by the Protocol, capital gains on shares acquired on or after April 1, 2017 and sold prior to April 1, 2019 may be taxed at 50% of the applicable Indian tax rate;
•	Dividends on shares received from an Indian company on which dividend distribution tax has been paid are exempt from tax in the hands of the shareholders. However, the Indian company distributing dividends is subject to a dividend distribution tax at the rate of 20.36%; and
•	Interest paid to a Subsidiary in respect of the debt obligations of Indian issuers will be subject to Indian income tax. The tax rate, in the case of rupee-denominated debt obligations, is 43.26%. However if the Subsidiary is a SEBI registered foreign portfolio investor, interest income earned from June 1, 2013 to June 30, 2020 on rupee-denominated bonds of Indian companies and Government securities, will be subject to tax at the rate of 5.41%, provided that the rate of interest does not exceed the prescribed rates. In the case of foreign currency-denominated debt obligations, the tax rate is 21.63%. For approved foreign currency loans advanced from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2020, the tax rate on interest is 5.41% and for approved foreign currency long-term bonds issued from October 1, 2014 to June 30, 2020, the tax rate on interest is 5.41%. FA 17 reduced the withholding tax rate on rupee-denominated bonds issued before July 1, 2020 to 5.41%. The Protocol provides for a withholding rate of 7.5% on the interest payments made on or after April 1, 2017.

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In the event that the benefits of the DTAA are not available to the Subsidiary, taxation of dividend income of the Subsidiary would be the same as described above, however, the reduced interest withholding rate under the DTAA, as applicable, from April 1, 2017 will not be available.

In view of the amendment by the Finance Act 2014, since the Subsidiary is a SEBI registered foreign portfolio investor, the gains arising from transfer of securities would be characterized as “capital gains” and not business income. The taxation of capital gains under the IT Act would be as follows, assuming total income will be more than INR 100 million:

•	Long-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than twelve months) listed on a recognized stock exchange would not be taxable in India provided Securities Transaction Tax (“STT”) has been paid on the same (as discussed below). FA 17 introduced an additional requirement of payment of STT at the time of acquisition of shares in order to avail the long term capital gain exemption. This additional condition is applicable with respect to certain notified transactions, however, it is not applicable to shares acquired by Qualified Institutional Buyers, which includes Category I and II FPIs;
•	Short-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of twelve months or less) from the sale of Indian shares listed on a recognized stock exchange will be taxed at the rate of 16.22% provided STT has been paid on the same;
•	Long-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than 24 months) arising to the Subsidiary from the sale of unlisted securities will be taxed at the rate of 10.82% (without indexation) and short-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of 24 months or less) will be taxed at the rate of 43.26%;*
•	Capital gains realized on sale of listed equity shares not executed on a recognized stock exchange in India would be taxed at the rate of 10.815% for long-term gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than 12 months) and at 43.26% in the case of short-term gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of 12 months or less);* and
•	Capital gains arising from the transfer of depositary receipts outside India between non-resident investors will not be subject to tax in India.

*	However, as the Subsidiary is a SEBI registered foreign portfolio investor, the rates will be 10.82% and 32.45%, respectively.

As an anti-evasionary measure, FA 2017 intends to restrict exemption to instances where STT was not paid at the time of acquisition of shares except where acquisition done in prescribed manner. Investments made by the Subsidiary are unlikely to be affected by this amendment.

As per current provisions, gains arising from transfer of securities to foreign portfolio investor will be regarded as capital gains and will be taxable at the aforesaid rates.

Indian Minimum Alternate Tax

The question of whether foreign companies (which would include FIIs) are liable for MAT has been a subject matter of controversy in India. Under the MAT provisions, in the event a company’s tax liability is less than 18.5% of its book profits, then instead of paying income tax at rates provided otherwise under the IT Act, the company is liable to pay MAT on the adjusted book profits at the rate of 21.34% (inclusive of applicable taxes and surcharges, assuming total income of more than INR 100 million).

The FA 2016 inserted a provision in the IT Act which states that MAT is not applicable on foreign company where the foreign company is a resident of a country with which India has signed a DTAA and the foreign company does not have a permanent establishment in India in accordance with such DTAA. This provision is applicable in case of foreign company with retrospective effect from April 1, 2001.

Indian Securities Transaction Tax

All transactions entered on a recognized stock exchange in India are subject to an STT. STT has been introduced under Section 98 of the Finance (No.2) Act, 2004 on transactions relating to sale, purchases and redemption of shares made by purchasers or sellers of Indian securities and equity oriented mutual fund units. The current STT as levied on the transaction value as follows:

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•	0.1% payable by the buyer and 0.1% by the seller on the value of transactions of delivery based transfer of an equity share in an Indian company entered in a recognized stock exchange;
•	0.001% on the value of transactions of delivery based sale of a unit of an equity oriented mutual fund entered in a recognized stock exchange, payable by the seller;
•	0.025% on the value of transactions of non-delivery based sale of an equity share in an Indian company or a unit of an equity oriented mutual fund, entered in a recognized stock exchange payable by the seller;
•	0.05% on the value of transactions of derivatives being options, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by the seller;
•	0.01% on the value of transactions of sale of derivatives being futures, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by the seller;
•	0.001% on the value of transactions of sale of units of an equity-oriented fund to the Mutual Fund, payable by the seller in accordance with the Finance Act, 2013;
•	0.125% on the value of transactions of sale of derivatives being options, where the option is exercised, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by buyer;
•	The Finance Act, 2012 has exempted from tax the capital gains (under the IT Act) arising from the sale of unlisted shares by existing shareholders of a Sub-Fund in an initial public offer. However, such sale is subject to STT at 0.2% of the sale consideration payable by the seller.

The foregoing is based upon current interpretation and practice and is subject to future changes in the tax laws of India or Mauritius and in the DTAA. Any change in the DTAA's application could have a material adverse effect on the returns of each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF. Further, it is possible that the Indian tax authorities may seek to take the position that a Fund is not entitled to the benefits of the DTAA.

Indirect Transfers

The current legislation imposes Indian tax and withholding obligations with respect to the transfer of shares and interest in an overseas company that derives its value substantially from assets situated in India (indirect transfers). It has been clarified that Indian tax authorities will not reopen any assessment proceedings that were completed before April 1, 2012 and where no notice for reassessment has been issued prior to that date. The CBDT also clarified that any assessment or any other order which stands validated due to the amendments in the Finance Act would be enforced. Given this clarification issued by the CBDT, the Funds do not expect that shareholders or the Funds will become subject to tax or to withholding obligations with respect to completed assessments.

It has been clarified that the share or interest of the foreign entity shall be deemed to derive its value substantially from the assets located in India, if the value of such Indian assets exceeds INR 100 million, and represents at least 50% of the value of all the assets owned by the foreign entity. The value of an asset shall be the fair market value as of the specified date, of such an asset without reduction of liabilities. The fair market value will be determined in accordance with the final rules ratified on June 28, 2016. It also provides that where all the assets of the foreign entity are not located in India, only such part of the income as is reasonably attributable to the Indian assets shall be subject to capital gains tax in India.

Further, it provides exemption from indirect transfer provisions to the small shareholders of such foreign entity in the following cases:

•

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FA 2017 provides that aforesaid indirect transfer provisions will not apply to foreign investors making an investment directly or indirectly in a SEBI registered Category I and Category II foreign portfolio investor. This provision is applicable from April 1, 2014 (FY 2014-15).

Under FA 15, gains realized when a non-resident acquires shares of a foreign company from another non-resident and the foreign company derives “substantial value” from Indian assets, (meaning that the value of Indian assets (i) exceeds INR 100 million, and (ii) represents at least 50% of the value the company’s assets), such gains are taxable in India and subject to withholding, to the extent that they are reasonably attributable to the Indian assets.

Because certain Funds invest in Indian securities through the Subsidiaries, the Subsidiaries or the Funds may be considered to derive “substantial value” from Indian assets. Accordingly, shareholder redemptions of Fund/Subsidiary shares and sales of Fund shares may have been subject to Indian tax and withholding obligations. However, through FA 17, the government had introduced an exemption to shareholders in Category I and Category II FPI from the applicability of indirect transfer taxation. The Subsidiary is a Category II FPI. Therefore, any redemptions or transfers by the Funds or the shareholders in the Funds should not be subject to Indian indirect transfer tax.

General Anti-Avoidance Rules.

The GAAR introduced in the IT Act provides the Indian tax authorities a mechanism to deny any tax benefits in a transaction or any other arrangement that is believed to not have any commercial substance or purpose other than to obtain tax benefit(s) under a treaty. The provisions of GAAR will be applicable to arrangements (including a step in or a part thereof) entered into by a taxpayer, which may be declared as an “impermissible avoidance arrangement”.

GAAR became applicable with effect from April 1, 2017. Further, investments in shares made up until March 31, 2017 are exempted from the applicability of GAAR. CBDT issued GAAR Circular providing clarifications on implementation of GAAR by way of responses to queries raised by various stakeholders in the context of its applicability. The GAAR Circular specifically provides where a FPI (such as the Subsidiaries) is located in a particular jurisdiction based on non-tax commercial reasons and the main purpose of the choice of location/residence of the FPI is not to obtain a treaty benefit, the GAAR provisions will not be resorted to by the tax authorities.

As per the provisions of the IT Rules, GAAR shall not apply in the following circumstances:

•	any arrangement where the aggregate tax benefit to all the parties of the arrangement in the relevant financial year does not exceed INR 30 Million;
•	FIIs that choose not to take any benefit under any tax treaty entered with India and have invested in listed or unlisted securities with prior permission of the competent authority in accordance with the applicable regulations;
•	non-resident investor in an FII who has invested in an FII, directly or indirectly, by way of an offshore derivative instrument or otherwise; or
•	any income derived from the transfer of shares or interests made prior to April 1, 2017.

If the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF's use of the Subsidiaries were considered to be such an impermissible avoidance arrangement, the Funds may become subject directly to taxation in India. The burden of proof in enforcing the rule will reside with the Indian government, not the taxpayer, and India’s current double tax treaty arrangements will remain in force. However, GAAR may, irrespective of existing treaty provisions, lead to the imposition of tax liabilities and withholding obligations, which may lead the Funds to modify the structure.

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Recent amendments to DTAA and GAAR could change the manner in which the Subsidiaries are currently taxed in India and could adversely impact the returns to each of the iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF/Subsidiaries and their respective shareholders. The Funds will continue to monitor developments in India with respect to these matters. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to their own tax situations and the tax consequences of an investment in each of the Funds.

Excess Inclusion Income. Under current law, the Funds serve to block unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) from being realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Certain types of income received by a Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits, taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to report some or all of its distributions as “excess inclusion income.” To Fund shareholders, such excess inclusion income may: (i) constitute taxable income, as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) accounts, Keogh plans, pension plans and certain charitable entities; (ii) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (iii) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (iv) cause the Fund to be subject to tax if certain “disqualified organizations,” as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, are Fund shareholders. If a charitable remainder annuity trust or a charitable remainder unitrust (each as defined in Section 664 of the Internal Revenue Code) has UBTI for a taxable year, a 100% excise tax on the UBTI is imposed on the trust.

Non-U.S. Investments. Under Section 988 of the Internal Revenue Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the time a Fund accrues income or receivables or expenses or other liabilities denominated in a non-U.S. currency and the time a Fund actually collects such income or pays such liabilities are generally treated as ordinary income or ordinary loss. In general, gains (and losses) realized on debt instruments will be treated as Section 988 gain (or loss) to the extent attributable to changes in exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which the instruments are denominated. Similarly, gains or losses on non-U.S. currency, non-U.S. currency forward contracts and certain non-U.S. currency options or futures contracts denominated in non-U.S. currency, to the extent attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates between the acquisition and disposition dates, are also treated as ordinary income or loss unless a Fund was to elect otherwise.

Each Fund may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes withheld at the source. Each Fund, if permitted to do so, may elect to “pass through” to its investors the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Fund provided that the Fund held the security on the dividend settlement date and for at least 15 additional days immediately before and/or thereafter, with the result that each investor with respect to shares of the Fund held for a minimum 16-day holding period at the time of deemed distribution will (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating U.S. taxable income, but only for investors who itemize their deductions on their personal tax returns) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income tax) the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes. Withholding taxes on dividends on non-U.S. securities while such securities are lent out by a Fund are not eligible for non-U.S. tax credit pass through. Taxes not “passed through” for tax purposes will not be available to shareholders for foreign tax credit purposes. A non-U.S. person invested in the Fund in a year that the Fund elects to “pass through” its non-U.S. taxes may be treated as receiving additional dividend income subject to U.S. withholding tax. A non-U.S. tax credit may not exceed the investor’s U.S. federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the investor’s non-U.S. source income. For this purpose, shareholders must treat as non-U.S. source gross income (i) their proportionate shares of non-U.S. taxes paid by the Fund and (ii) the portion of any dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from non-U.S. sources; the Fund’s gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated as U.S.-source income. Certain limitations will be imposed to the extent to which the non-U.S. tax credit may be claimed. If your Fund shares are loaned pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to use any non-U.S. tax credits passed through by a Fund or to treat Fund dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividends. Regarding a short sale with respect to shares of a Fund, substitute payments made to the lender of such shares may not be deductible under certain circumstances. Consult your financial intermediary or tax advisor.

With respect to Brazil, a 6% Imposto sobre Operacões Financeiras (“IOF”) tax, with the rate subject to change, applies to certain foreign exchange inflows into Brazil. A previous 1% IOF tax on currency derivatives has been eliminated. A previous 1.5% IOF tax applicable to the creation of new ADR or GDR issuances with respect to Brazilian equities and a previous 0.38%

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IOF tax applicable to the cancellation of ADRs or GDRs if the underlying equities are issued in the Brazil (local) markets have been removed. If incurred by the Fund, an IOF tax would not be creditable against U.S. income tax liability.

Passive Foreign Investment Companies. If a Fund purchases shares in PFICs, it may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

If a Fund were to invest in a PFIC and elect to treat the PFIC as a “qualified electing fund” under the Internal Revenue Code, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, a Fund might be required to include in income each year a portion of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the qualified electing fund, even if not distributed to a Fund, and such amounts would be subject to the 90% and excise tax distribution requirements described above. In order to make this election, a Fund would be required to obtain certain annual information from the PFICs in which it invests, which may be difficult or impossible to obtain. Currently proposed IRS regulations, if adopted, would treat such included amounts as nonqualifying RIC income to a Fund unless such amounts were also distributed to the Fund.

Alternatively, a Fund may make a mark-to-market election that would result in a Fund being treated as if it had sold and repurchased its PFIC stock at the end of each year. In such case, a Fund would report any such gains as ordinary income and would deduct any such losses as ordinary losses to the extent of previously recognized gains. The election must be made separately for each PFIC owned by a Fund and, once made, would be effective for all subsequent taxable years, unless revoked with the consent of the IRS. By making the election, a Fund could potentially ameliorate the adverse tax consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. A Fund may have to distribute this “phantom” income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.

A Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

Reporting. If a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to a Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases exempted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not exempted. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and non-U.S. taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders. Dividends paid by a Fund to non-U.S. shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty to the extent derived from investment income and short-term capital gains. Dividends paid by a Fund from net tax-exempt income or long-term capital gains are generally not subject to such withholding tax. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. shareholder who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.

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such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.

Distributions that a Fund reports as “short-term capital gain dividends” or “long-term capital gain dividends” will not be treated as such to a recipient foreign shareholder if the distribution is attributable to gain received from the sale or exchange of U.S. real property or an interest in a U.S. real property holding corporation and the Fund’s direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property exceeded certain levels. Instead, if the foreign shareholder has not owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of a Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of distribution, such distributions will be subject to 30% withholding by the Fund and will be treated as ordinary dividends to the foreign shareholder; if the foreign shareholder owned more than 5% of the outstanding shares of the Fund at any time during the one year period ending on the date of the distribution, such distribution will be treated as real property gain subject to 35% withholding tax and could subject the foreign shareholder to U.S. filing requirements. Additionally, if a Fund’s direct or indirect interests in U.S. real property were to exceed certain levels, a foreign shareholder realizing gains upon redemption from the Fund could be subject to the 35% withholding tax and U.S. filing requirements unless more than 50% of the Fund’s shares were owned by U.S. persons at such time or unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Fund’s outstanding shares throughout either such person’s holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years.

The rules laid out in the previous paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.

Distributions of U.S. real property interests (including securities in a U.S. real property holding corporation, unless such corporation is regularly traded on an established securities market and a Fund has held 5% or less of the outstanding shares of the corporation during the five-year period ending on the date of distribution) in redemption of a foreign shareholder’s shares of the Fund will cause the Fund to recognize gain, provided that more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s stock is held by U.S. shareholders. If a Fund is required to recognize gain, the amount of gain recognized will be equal to the fair market value of such interests over the Fund’s adjusted bases to the extent of the greatest foreign ownership percentage of the Fund during the five-year period ending on the date of redemption.

A 30% withholding tax is currently imposed on U.S.-source dividends, interest and other income items, and will be imposed on proceeds from the sale, redemption or other disposition of property producing U.S.-source dividends and interest paid after December 31, 2018, to: (i) foreign financial institutions, including non-U.S. investment funds, unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders; and (ii) certain other foreign entities, unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid withholding, foreign financial institutions will need to: (i) enter into agreements with the IRS that state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of direct and indirect U.S. account holders; comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts; report to the IRS certain information with respect to U.S. accounts maintained; agree to withhold tax on certain payments made to non-compliant foreign financial institutions or to account holders who fail to provide the required information; and determine certain other information concerning their account holders, or (ii) in the event an intergovernmental agreement and implementing legislation are adopted, provide local revenue authorities with similar account holder information. Other foreign entities may need to report the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner or provide certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership unless certain exceptions apply.

Shares of a Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the U.S. and subject to the U.S. estate tax.

The foregoing discussion is a summary of certain material U.S. federal income tax considerations only and is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning. Purchasers of shares should consult their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investing in such shares, including consequences under state, local and non-U.S. tax laws. Finally, the foregoing discussion is based on applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, judicial authority and administrative

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interpretations in effect on the date of this SAI. Changes in applicable authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above, and such changes often occur.

Financial Statements

Each Fund's audited Financial Statements, including the Financial Highlights, appearing in the applicable Annual Report to Shareholders and the report therein of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, are hereby incorporated by reference in this SAI. The applicable Annual Report to Shareholders, which contains the referenced audited financial statements, is available upon request and without charge.

Miscellaneous Information

Counsel. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, located at 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, is counsel to the Company.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, located at Three Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, CA 94111, serves as the Company's independent registered public accounting firm, audits the Funds' financial statements, and may perform other services.

Shareholder Communications to the Board. The Board has established a process for shareholders to communicate with the Board. Shareholders may contact the Board by mail. Correspondence should be addressed to iShares Board of Directors, c/o BlackRock Fund Advisors, iShares Fund Administration, 400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. Shareholder communications to the Board should include the following information: (i) the name and address of the shareholder; (ii) the number of shares owned by the shareholder; (iii) the Fund(s) of which the shareholder owns shares; and (iv) if these shares are owned indirectly through a broker, financial intermediary or other record owner, the name of the broker, financial intermediary or other record owner. All correspondence received as set forth above shall be reviewed by the Secretary of the Company and reported to the Board.

Regulation Under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive. The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (“AIFMD”) imposes detailed and prescriptive obligations on fund managers established in the EU (“EU Operative Provisions”). These do not currently apply to managers established outside of the EU, such as BFA. Rather, non-EU managers are only required to comply with certain disclosure, reporting and transparency obligations of AIFMD (“AIFMD Disclosure Provisions”) if such managers market a fund to EU investors.

Where the AIFMD Disclosure Provisions relate to EU Operative Provisions that do not apply to BFA, no meaningful disclosure can be made. These EU Operative Provisions include prescriptive rules on: measuring and capping leverage in line with known European standards; the treatment of investors; the use of “depositaries”; and coverage for professional liability risks.

AIFMD imposes certain conditions on the marketing of funds, such as the Funds, to EU investors. AIFMD requires that an ‘alternative investment fund manager’ (“AIFM”) be identified to meet such conditions where such marketing is sought. For these purposes BFA, as the legal entity responsible for performing the portfolio and risk management of the Funds, shall be the AIFM.

AIFMD requires disclosure on an ongoing basis of certain information relating to the use of special arrangements, leverage, rights of reuse of collateral, guarantees granted under leverage arrangements and the use of gates, side pockets and similar liquidity management tools. Given that the Funds do not use any special arrangements or allow for collateral reuse, it is not intended that such disclosures will need to be made by the Funds. Each Fund will, however, to the extent relevant and appropriate, disclose in its annual report information on the Fund's leverage, risk profile and risk management systems employed by BFA. Each Fund will also disclose material changes, if any, to the liquidity management systems and procedures employed in respect of the Fund.

BFA has registered the following Funds for marketing to investors in Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF

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iShares MSCI Brazil ETF
iShares MSCI BRIC ETF
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF
iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF
iShares MSCI South Korea ETF
iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

Investors’ Rights. Each Fund relies on the services of BFA and its other service providers, including the Distributor, administrator, custodian and transfer agent. Further information about the duties and roles of these service providers is set out in this SAI. Investors who acquire shares of a Fund are not parties to the relevant agreement with these service providers and do not have express contractual rights against the Fund or its service providers, except certain institutional investors that are Authorized Participants may have certain express contractual rights with respect to the Distributor under the terms of the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors may have certain legal rights under federal or state law against a Fund or its service providers. In the event that an investor considers that it may have a claim against a Fund, or against any service provider in connection with its investment in a Fund, such investor should consult its own legal advisor.

By contract, Authorized Participants irrevocably submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of any New York State or U.S. federal court sitting in New York City over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to the Authorized Participant Agreement. Jurisdiction over other claims, whether by investors or Authorized Participants, will turn on the facts of the particular case and the law of the jurisdiction in which the proceeding is brought.

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Appendix A - Proxy Voting Policy and BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines

BlackRock U.S. Registered Funds

Open-End Fund and iShares ETF¹ Proxy Voting Policy

Procedures Governing Delegation of Proxy Voting to Fund Adviser

July 1, 2017

The Boards of Trustees/Directors (“Directors”) of open-end funds advised by BlackRock Fund Advisors or BlackRock Advisors, LLC (“BlackRock”) (the “Funds”), have the responsibility for the oversight of voting proxies relating to portfolio securities of the Funds, and have determined that it is in the best interests of the Funds and their shareholders to delegate that responsibility to BlackRock as part of BlackRock’s authority to manage, acquire and dispose of account assets, all as contemplated by the Funds’ respective investment management agreements.

BlackRock has adopted guidelines and procedures (together and as from time to time amended, the “BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines”) governing proxy voting by accounts managed by BlackRock.

BlackRock will cast votes on behalf of each of the Funds on specific proxy issues in respect of securities held by each such Fund in accordance with the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines.¹

BlackRock will report on an annual basis to the Directors on (1) all proxy votes that BlackRock has made on behalf of the Funds in the preceding year together with a certification from the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer that all votes were in accordance with the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines, and (2) any changes to the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines that have not previously been reported.

iShares ESG 1-5 Year USD Corporate Bond ETF, iShares ESG USD Corporate Bond ETF, iShares MSCI ACWI Low Carbon Target ETF, iShares MSCI EAFE ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, iShares MSCI Global Impact ETF, iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF, iShares MSCI Peru ETF, iShares MSCI USA ESG Optimized ETF and iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF have separate Fund Proxy Voting Policies.

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INTRODUCTION TO BLACKROCK

BlackRock is the world’s preeminent asset management firm and a premier provider of global investment management, risk management and advisory services to institutional and individual clients around the world. BlackRock offers a wide range of investment strategies and product structures to meet clients’ needs, including individual and institutional separate accounts, mutual funds, closed-end funds, and other pooled investment vehicles and the industry-leading iShares exchange traded funds. Through BlackRock Solutions^®, we offer risk management, strategic advisory and enterprise investment system services to a broad base of clients.

PHILOSOPHY ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

BlackRock’s corporate governance program is focused on protecting and enhancing the economic value of the companies in which it invests on behalf of clients. We do this through engagement with boards and management of investee companies and, for those clients who have given us authority, through voting at shareholder meetings.

We believe that there are certain fundamental rights attached to share ownership. Companies and their boards should be accountable to shareholders and structured with appropriate checks and balances to ensure that they operate in shareholders’ interests. Effective voting rights are central to the rights of ownership and there should be one vote for one share. Shareholders should have the right to elect, remove and nominate directors, approve the appointment of the auditor and to amend the corporate charter or by-laws. Shareholders should be able to vote on matters that are material to the protection of their investment including but not limited to changes to the purpose of the business, dilution levels and pre-emptive rights, the distribution of income and the capital structure. In order to exercise these rights effectively, we believe shareholders have the right to sufficient and timely information to be able to take an informed view of the proposals, and of the performance of the company and management.

Our focus is on the board of directors, as the agent of shareholders, which should set the company’s strategic aims within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enables risk to be assessed and managed. The board should provide direction and leadership to the management and oversee management’s performance. Our starting position is to be supportive of boards in their oversight efforts on our behalf and we would generally expect to support the items of business they put to a vote at shareholder meetings. Votes cast against or withheld from resolutions proposed by the board are a signal that we are concerned that the directors or management have either not acted in the interests of shareholders or have not responded adequately to shareholder concerns regarding strategy or performance.

These principles set out our approach to engaging with companies, provide guidance on our position on corporate governance and outline how our views might be reflected in our voting decisions. Corporate governance practices vary internationally and our expectations in relation to individual companies are based on the legal and regulatory framework of each market. However, as noted above, we do believe that there are some overarching principles of corporate governance that apply globally. We assess voting matters on a case-by-case basis and in light of each company’s unique circumstances. We are interested to understand from the company’s reporting its approach to corporate governance, particularly where it is different from the usual market practice, and how it benefits shareholders.

BlackRock also believes that shareholders have responsibilities in relation to monitoring and providing feedback to companies, sometimes known as stewardship. These ownership responsibilities include, in our view, engaging with management or board members on corporate governance matters, voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of shareholders and engaging with regulatory bodies to ensure a sound policy framework consistent with promoting long-term shareholder value creation. Institutional shareholders also have responsibilities to their clients to have appropriate resources and oversight structures. Our own approach to oversight in relation to our corporate governance activities is set out in the section below titled “BlackRock’s oversight of its corporate governance activities”.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, ENGAGEMENT AND VOTING

We recognize that accepted standards of corporate governance differ between markets but we believe that there are sufficient common threads globally to identify an overarching set of principles. The primary objective of our corporate governance activities is the protection and enhancement of the value of our clients’ investments in public corporations. Thus, these principles focus on practices and structures that we consider to be supportive of long-term value creation. We discuss below the principles under six key themes. In our regional and market-specific voting guidelines we explain how these

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principles inform our voting decisions in relation to specific resolutions that may appear on the agenda of a shareholder meeting in the relevant market.

The six key themes are:

•	Boards and directors
•	Auditors and audit-related issues
•	Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions
•	Remuneration and benefits
•	Social, ethical and environmental issues
•	General corporate governance matters

At a minimum we would expect companies to observe the accepted corporate governance standard in their domestic market or to explain why doing so is not in the interests of shareholders. Where company reporting and disclosure is inadequate or the approach taken is inconsistent with our view of what is in the best interests of shareholders, we typically will engage with the company and/or use our vote to encourage a change in practice. In making voting decisions, we take into account research from proxy advisors, other internal and external research, information published by the company or provided through engagement and the views of our equity portfolio managers.

BlackRock views engagement as an important activity; engagement provides BlackRock with the opportunity to improve our understanding of investee companies and their governance structures, so that our voting decisions may be better informed. Engagement also allows us to share our philosophy and approach to investment and corporate governance with companies to enhance their understanding of our objectives. There are a range of approaches we may take in engaging companies depending on the nature of the issue under consideration, the company and the market.

Boards and directors

The performance of the board is critical to the economic success of the company and to the protection of shareholders’ interests. Board members serve as agents of shareholders in overseeing the strategic direction and operation of the company. For this reason, BlackRock focuses on directors in many of its engagements and sees the election of directors as one of its most important responsibilities in the proxy voting context.

We expect the board of directors to promote and protect shareholder interests by:

•	establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure;
•	supporting and overseeing management in setting strategy;
•	ensuring the integrity of financial statements;
•	making decisions regarding mergers, acquisitions and disposals;
•	establishing appropriate executive compensation structures; and
•	addressing business issues including social, ethical and environmental issues when they have the potential to materially impact company reputation and performance.

There should be clear definitions of the role of the board, the sub-committees of the board and the senior management such that the responsibilities of each are well understood and accepted. Companies should report publicly the approach taken to governance (including in relation to board structure) and why this approach is in the interest of shareholders. We will engage with the appropriate directors where we have concerns about the performance of the board or the company, the broad strategy of the company or the performance of individual board members. Concerns about directors may include their role on the board of a different company where that board has performed poorly and failed to protect shareholder interests.

BlackRock believes that directors should stand for re-election on a regular basis. We assess directors nominated for election or re-election in the context of the composition of the board as a whole. There should be detailed disclosure of the relevant credentials of the individual directors in order that shareholders can assess the caliber of an individual nominee. We expect there to be a sufficient number of independent directors on the board to ensure the protection of the interests of all shareholders. Common impediments to independence may include but are not limited to:

•	current employment at the company or a subsidiary;

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•	former employment within the past several years as an executive of the company;
•	providing substantial professional services to the company and/or members of the company’s management;
•	having had a substantial business relationship in the past three years;
•	having, or representing a shareholder with, a substantial shareholding in the company;
•	being an immediate family member of any of the aforementioned; and
•	interlocking directorships.

BlackRock believes that the operation of the board is enhanced when there is a clearly independent, senior non-executive director to lead it. Where the chairman is also the CEO or is otherwise not independent the company should have an independent lead director. The role of this director is to enhance the effectiveness of the independent members of the board through shaping the agenda, ensuring adequate information is provided to the board and encouraging independent participation in board deliberations. The lead independent board director should be available to shareholders if they have concerns that they wish to discuss.

To ensure that the board remains effective, regular reviews of board performance should be carried out and assessments made of gaps in skills or experience amongst the members. BlackRock believes it is beneficial for new directors to be brought onto the board periodically to refresh the group’s thinking and to ensure both continuity and adequate succession planning. In identifying potential candidates, boards should take into consideration the diversity of experience and expertise of the current directors and how that might be augmented by incoming directors. We believe that directors are in the best position to assess the optimal size for the board, but we would be concerned if a board seemed too small to have an appropriate balance of directors or too large to be effective.

There are matters for which the board has responsibility that may involve a conflict of interest for executives or for affiliated directors. BlackRock believes that shareholders’ interests are best served when the independent members of the board form a sub-committee to deal with such matters. In many markets, these sub-committees of the board specialize in audit, director nominations and compensation matters. An ad hoc committee might also be formed to decide on a special transaction, particularly one with a related party.

Auditors and audit-related issues

BlackRock recognizes the critical importance of financial statements which should provide a complete and accurate picture of a company’s financial condition. We will hold the members of the audit committee or equivalent responsible for overseeing the management of the audit function. We take particular note of cases involving significant financial restatements or ad hoc notifications of material financial weakness.

The integrity of financial statements depends on the auditor being free of any impediments to being an effective check on management. To that end, we believe it is important that auditors are, and are seen to be, independent. Where the audit firm provides services to the company in addition to the audit, the fees earned should be disclosed and explained. Audit committees should also have in place a procedure for assuring annually the independence of the auditor.

Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions

The capital structure of a company is critical to its owners, the shareholders, as it impacts the value of their investment and the priority of their interest in the company relative to that of other equity or debt investors. Pre-emption rights are a key protection for shareholders against the dilution of their interests.

In assessing mergers, asset sales or other special transactions, BlackRock’s primary consideration is the long-term economic interests of shareholders. Boards proposing a transaction need to clearly explain the economic and strategic rationale behind it. We will review a proposed transaction to determine the degree to which it enhances long-term shareholder value. We would prefer that proposed transactions have the unanimous support of the board and have been negotiated at arm’s length. We may seek reassurance from the board that executive and/or board members’ financial interests in a given transaction have not affected their ability to place shareholders’ interests before their own. Where the transaction involves related parties, we would expect the recommendation to support it to come from the independent directors and would prefer only non-conflicted shareholders to vote on the proposal.

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BlackRock believes that shareholders have a right to dispose of company shares in the open market without unnecessary restriction. In our view, corporate mechanisms designed to limit shareholders’ ability to sell their shares are contrary to basic property rights. Such mechanisms can serve to protect and entrench interests other than those of the shareholders. We believe that shareholders are broadly capable of making decisions in their own best interests. We would expect any so-called ‘shareholder rights plans’ being proposed by a board to be subject to shareholder approval on introduction and periodically thereafter for continuation.

Remuneration and benefits

BlackRock expects a company’s board of directors to put in place a compensation structure that incentivizes and rewards executives appropriately and is aligned with shareholder interests, particularly long-term shareholder returns. We would expect the compensation committee to take into account the specific circumstances of the company and the key individuals the board is trying to incentivize. We encourage companies to ensure that their compensation packages incorporate appropriate and challenging performance conditions consistent with corporate strategy and market practice. We use third party research, in addition to our own analysis, to evaluate existing and proposed compensation structures. We hold members of the compensation committee or equivalent accountable for poor compensation practices or structures.

BlackRock believes that there should be a clear link between variable pay and company performance as reflected in returns to shareholders. We are not supportive of one-off or special bonuses unrelated to company or individual performance. We support incentive plans that pay out rewards earned over multiple and extended time periods. We believe consideration should be given to building claw back provisions into incentive plans such that executives would be required to repay rewards where they were not justified by actual performance. Compensation committees should guard against contractual arrangements that would entitle executives to material compensation for early termination of their contract. Finally, pension contributions should be reasonable in light of market practice.

Outside directors should be compensated in a manner that does not risk compromising their independence or aligning their interests too closely with those of the management, whom they are charged with overseeing.

Social, ethical, and environmental issues

Our fiduciary duty to clients is to protect and enhance their economic interest in the companies in which we invest on their behalf. It is within this context that we undertake our corporate governance activities. We believe that well-managed companies will deal effectively with the social, ethical and environmental (“SEE”) aspects of their businesses.

BlackRock expects companies to identify and report on the material, business-specific SEE risks and opportunities and to explain how these are managed. This explanation should make clear how the approach taken by the company best serves the interests of shareholders and protects and enhances the long-term economic value of the company. The key performance indicators in relation to SEE matters should also be disclosed and performance against them discussed, along with any peer group benchmarking and verification processes in place. This helps shareholders assess how well management is dealing with the SEE aspects of the business. Any global standards adopted should also be disclosed and discussed in this context.

We may vote against the election of directors where we have concerns that a company might not be dealing with SEE issues appropriately. Sometimes we may reflect such concerns by supporting a shareholder proposal on the issue, where there seems to be either a significant potential threat or realized harm to shareholders’ interests caused by poor management of SEE matters. In deciding our course of action, we will assess whether the company has already taken sufficient steps to address the concern and whether there is a clear and material economic disadvantage to the company if the issue is not addressed.

More commonly, given that these are often not voting issues, we will engage directly with the board or management. The trigger for engagement on a particular SEE concern is our assessment that there is potential for material economic ramifications for shareholders.

We do not see it as our role to make social, ethical or political judgments on behalf of clients. We expect investee companies to comply, at a minimum, with the laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they operate. They should explain how they manage situations where such laws or regulations are contradictory or ambiguous.

A-6

General corporate governance matters

BlackRock believes that shareholders have a right to timely and detailed information on the financial performance and viability of the companies in which they invest. In addition, companies should also publish information on the governance structures in place and the rights of shareholders to influence these. The reporting and disclosure provided by companies helps shareholders assess whether the economic interests of shareholders have been protected and the quality of the board’s oversight of management. BlackRock believes shareholders should have the right to vote on key corporate governance matters, including on changes to governance mechanisms, to submit proposals to the shareholders’ meeting and to call special meetings of shareholders.

BLACKROCK’S OVERSIGHT OF ITS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ACTIVITIES

Oversight

BlackRock holds itself to a very high standard in its corporate governance activities, including in relation to executing proxy votes. This function is executed by a team of dedicated BlackRock employees without sales responsibilities (the “Corporate Governance Group”), and which is considered an investment function. BlackRock maintains three regional oversight committees (“Corporate Governance Committees”) for the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific, consisting of senior BlackRock investment professionals. All of the regional Corporate Governance Committees report to a Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee, which is a risk-focused committee composed of senior representatives of the active and index equity investment businesses, the Deputy General Counsel, the Global Executive Committee member to whom the Corporate Governance Group reports and the head of the Corporate Governance Group. The Corporate Governance Committees review and approve amendments to their respective proxy voting guidelines (“Guidelines”) and grant authority to the Global Head of Corporate Governance (“Global Head”), a dedicated BlackRock employee without sales responsibilities, to vote in accordance with the Guidelines. The Global Head leads the Corporate Governance Group to carry out engagement, voting and vote operations in a manner consistent with the relevant Corporate Governance Committee’s mandate. The Corporate Governance Group engages companies in conjunction with the portfolio managers in discussions of significant governance issues, conducts research on corporate governance issues and participates in industry discussions to keep abreast of the field of corporate governance. The Corporate Governance Group, or vendors overseen by the Corporate Governance Group, also monitor upcoming proxy votes, execute proxy votes and maintain records of votes cast. The Corporate Governance Group may refer complicated or particularly controversial matters or discussions to the appropriate investors and/or regional Corporate Governance Committees for their review, discussion and guidance prior to making a voting decision.

BlackRock’s Equity Policy Oversight Committee (EPOC) is informed of certain aspects of the work of the Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee and the Corporate Governance Group.

Vote execution

BlackRock carefully considers proxies submitted to funds and other fiduciary accounts (“Funds”) for which it has voting authority. BlackRock votes (or refrains from voting) proxies for each Fund for which it has voting authority based on BlackRock’s evaluation of the best long-term economic interests of shareholders, in the exercise of its independent business judgment, and without regard to the relationship of the issuer of the proxy (or any dissident shareholder) to the Fund, the Fund’s affiliates (if any), BlackRock or BlackRock’s affiliates.

When exercising voting rights, BlackRock will normally vote on specific proxy issues in accordance with its Guidelines for the relevant market. The Guidelines are reviewed regularly and are amended consistent with changes in the local market practice, as developments in corporate governance occur, or as otherwise deemed advisable by BlackRock’s Corporate Governance Committees. The Corporate Governance Committees may, in the exercise of their business judgment, conclude that the Guidelines do not cover the specific matter upon which a proxy vote is requested or that an exception to the Guidelines would be in the best long-term economic interests of BlackRock’s clients.

In the uncommon circumstance of there being a vote with respect to fixed-income securities or the securities of privately held issuers the decision generally will be made by a Fund’s portfolio managers and/or the Corporate Governance Group based on their assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.

In certain markets, proxy voting involves logistical issues which can affect BlackRock’s ability to vote such proxies, as well as the desirability of voting such proxies. These issues include but are not limited to: (i) untimely notice of shareholder

A-7

meetings; (ii) restrictions on a foreigner’s ability to exercise votes; (iii) requirements to vote proxies in person; (iv) “share- blocking” (requirements that investors who exercise their voting rights surrender the right to dispose of their holdings for some specified period in proximity to the shareholder meeting); (v) potential difficulties in translating the proxy; and (vi) requirements to provide local agents with unrestricted powers of attorney to facilitate voting instructions. We are not supportive of impediments to the exercise of voting rights such as shareblocking or overly burdensome administrative requirements.

As a consequence, BlackRock votes proxies in these markets only on a “best-efforts” basis. In addition, the Corporate Governance Committees may determine that it is generally in the best interests of BlackRock clients not to vote proxies of companies in certain countries if the committee determines that the costs (including but not limited to opportunity costs associated with shareblocking constraints) associated with exercising a vote are expected to outweigh the benefit the client would derive by voting on the issuer’s proposal.

While it is expected that BlackRock, as a fiduciary, will generally seek to vote proxies over which BlackRock exercises voting authority in a uniform manner for all BlackRock clients, the relevant Corporate Governance Committee, in conjunction with the portfolio manager of an account, may determine that the specific circumstances of such an account require that such account’s proxies be voted differently due to such account’s investment objective or other factors that differentiate it from other accounts. In addition, BlackRock believes portfolio managers may from time to time legitimately reach differing but equally valid views, as fiduciaries for their funds and the client assets in those Funds, on how best to maximize economic value in respect of a particular investment. Accordingly, portfolio managers retain full discretion to vote the shares in the Funds they manage based on their analysis of the economic impact of a particular ballot item.

Conflicts management

BlackRock maintains policies and procedures that are designed to prevent undue influence on BlackRock’s proxy voting activity that might stem from any relationship between the issuer of a proxy (or any dissident shareholder) and BlackRock, BlackRock’s affiliates, a Fund or a Fund’s affiliates. Some of the steps BlackRock has taken to prevent conflicts include, but are not limited to:

•	BlackRock has adopted a proxy voting oversight structure whereby the Corporate Governance Committees oversee the voting decisions and other activities of the Corporate Governance Group, and particularly its activities with respect to voting in the relevant region of each Corporate Governance Committee’s jurisdiction.
•	The Corporate Governance Committees have adopted Guidelines for each region, which set forth the firm’s views with respect to certain corporate governance and other issues that typically arise in the proxy voting context. The Corporate Governance Committees receive periodic reports regarding the specific votes cast by the Corporate Governance Group and regular updates on material process issues, procedural changes and other matters of concern to the Corporate Governance Committees.
•	BlackRock’s Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee oversees the Global Head, the Corporate Governance Group and the Corporate Governance Committees. The Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee conducts a review, at least annually, of the proxy voting process to ensure compliance with BlackRock’s risk policies and procedures.
•	BlackRock maintains a reporting structure that separates the Global Head and Corporate Governance Group from employees with sales responsibilities. In addition, BlackRock maintains procedures intended to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers or dissident shareholders are managed consistently and without regard to BlackRock’s relationship with the issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder. Within the normal course of business, the Global Head or Corporate Governance Group may engage directly with BlackRock clients, and with employees with sales responsibilities, in discussions regarding general corporate governance policy matters, and to otherwise ensure that proxy-related client service levels are met. The Global Head or Corporate Governance Group does not discuss any specific voting matter with a client prior to the disclosure of the vote decision to all applicable clients after the shareholder meeting has taken place, except if the client is acting in the capacity as issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder and is engaging through the established procedures independent of the client relationship.
•	In certain instances, BlackRock may determine to engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. The independent fiduciary may either vote such proxies or provide BlackRock with instructions as to how to vote such proxies. In the latter case, BlackRock votes the proxy in accordance with the independent fiduciary’s determination. Use of an independent fiduciary has been

A-8

adopted for voting the proxies related to any company that is affiliated with BlackRock or any company that includes BlackRock employees on its board of directors.

With regard to the relationship between securities lending and proxy voting, BlackRock’s approach is driven by our clients’ economic interests. The evaluation of the economic desirability of recalling loans involves balancing the revenue producing value of loans against the likely economic value of casting votes. Based on our evaluation of this relationship, we believe that generally the likely economic value of casting most votes is less than the securities lending income, either because the votes will not have significant economic consequences or because the outcome of the vote would not be affected by BlackRock recalling loaned securities in order to ensure they are voted. Periodically, BlackRock analyzes the process and benefits of voting proxies for securities on loan, and will consider whether any modification of its proxy voting policies or procedures is necessary in light of future conditions. In addition, BlackRock may in its discretion determine that the value of voting outweighs the cost of recalling shares, and thus recall shares to vote in that instance.

Voting guidelines

The issue-specific voting Guidelines published for each region/country in which we vote are intended to summarize BlackRock’s general philosophy and approach to issues that may commonly arise in the proxy voting context in each market where we invest. These Guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. BlackRock applies the Guidelines on a case-by-case basis, in the context of the individual circumstances of each company and the specific issue under review.

As such, these Guidelines do not provide a guide to how BlackRock will vote in every instance. Rather, they share our view about corporate governance issues generally, and provide insight into how we typically approach issues that commonly arise on corporate ballots.

Reporting

We report our proxy voting activity directly to clients and publicly as required. In addition, we publish for clients a more detailed discussion of our corporate governance activities, including engagement with companies and with other relevant parties.

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Appendix B - Regular Holidays and Redemptions

Regular Holidays. For every occurrence of one or more intervening holidays in the applicable non-U.S. market that are not holidays observed in the U.S. equity market, the redemption settlement cycle may be extended by the number of such intervening holidays. In addition to holidays, other unforeseeable closings in a non-U.S. market due to emergencies and delivery cycles for transferring securities to redeeming investors may also prevent the Company from delivering securities within the normal settlement period.

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances. The holidays applicable to each Fund during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for each Fund. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein in the future.

In calendar years 2017 and 2018 (the only years for which holidays are known at the time of filing of this SAI), the dates of regular holidays affecting the relevant securities markets in which a Fund invests are as follows (please note that these holiday schedules are subject to potential changes in the relevant securities markets):

2017

Albania
January 2	May 1	November 28
March 14	June 26	November 29
March 22	September 1	December 8
April 17	October 19	December 25

Argentina
February 27	May 1	November 6
February 28	May 25	November 27
March 24	June 20	December 8
April 13	August 21	December 25
April 14	October 9

Australia
January 2	April 25	September 29
January 26	May 1	October 2
March 6	June 5	November 7
March 13	June 12	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	August 8
April 18	September 25

Austria
January 6	May 25	October 26	December 26
April 14	June 5	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 8
May 1	August 15	December 25

Bahrain
January 1	June 27	December 17
May 1	September 3
June 25	September 21
June 26	November 30

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

B-1

Bangladesh
February 21	June 27	December 31
March 26	August 14
May 1	August 15
May 10	September 3
June 25	October 1
June 26	December 25

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Benin
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Bermuda
January 2	June 19	September 4	December 26
April 14	August 3	November 13
May 24	August 4	December 25

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 2	April 17	June 26
January 6	May 1	September 1
March 1	May 2

Botswana
January 2	May 1	October 2
January 3	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 17	December 26
April 17	July 18

Brazil
January 25	April 14	September 7	November 20
February 27	April 21	October 12	December 25
February 28	May 1	November 2
March 1	June 15	November 15

Bulgaria
January 2	May 1	December 25
March 3	May 24	December 26
April 14	September 6
April 17	September 22

Burkina Faso
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Canada
January 2	May 22	October 9
January 3	June 26	November 13
February 13	July 3	December 25
February 20	August 7	December 26
April 14	September 4

Chile
January 2	August 15	October 27
April 14	September 18	November 1
May 1	September 19	December 8
June 26	October 9	December 25

China
January 2	April 3	October 3
January 27	April 4	October 4
January 30	May 1	October 5
January 31	May 29	October 6
February 1	May 30
February 2	October 2

Colombia
January 9	June 19	October 16
March 20	June 26	November 6
April 13	July 3	November 13
April 14	July 20	December 8
May 1	August 7	December 25
May 29	August 21

B-2

Costa Rica
April 11	July 25	October 16
April 13	August 2	December 25
April 14	August 15
May 1	September 15

Croatia
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	June 15	November 1
April 17	June 22	December 25

Cyprus
January 6	April 18	December 25
February 27	May 1	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 15

The Czech Republic
April 14	May 8	September 28	December 26
April 17	July 5	November 17
May 1	July 6	December 25

Denmark
April 13	May 12	June 5
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	May 26	December 26

Egypt
January 1	April 25	July 23
January 25	May 1	August 31
April 16	June 25	September 21
April 17	June 26	November 30

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
February 23	April 17	June 22	December 26
February 24	May 1	June 23
April 14	May 25	December 25

Finland
January 6	April 17	December 6
April 13	May 1	December 25
April 14	May 25	December 26

France
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Georgia
January 2	April 14	May 26
January 19	April 17	August 28
March 3	May 9	November 23
March 8	May 12

Germany
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 3	December 26
May 1	October 31

Ghana
January 2	April 17	June 26	September 21
March 6	May 1	July 7	December 25
April 14	May 25	September 13	December 26

Greece
January 6	May 1	December 26
February 27	June 5
April 14	August 15
April 17	December 25

Guinea-Bissau
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

B-3

Hong Kong
January 2	April 4	May 3	December 25
January 27	April 14	May 30	December 26
January 30	April 17	October 2
January 31	May 1	October 5

Hungary
March 15	May 1	November 1
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 23	December 26

Iceland
April 13	April 20	June 5	December 26
April 14	May 1	August 7
April 17	May 25	December 25

India
January 26	June 26	December 25
February 24	August 15
March 13	August 17
March 28	August 25
April 4	October 2
April 14	October 19
May 1	October 20
May 10	December 1

Indonesia
January 2	June 1	September 1
March 28	June 26	September 21
April 14	June 27	December 1
April 24	June 28	December 25
May 1	June 29	December 26
May 11	June 30
May 25	August 17

Ireland
January 2	May 1	December 22
March 17	June 5	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	October 30	December 29

Israel
March 12	May 1	October 4
April 10	May 2	October 5
April 11	May 30	October 8
April 12	May 31	October 9
April 13	August 1	October 10
April 16	September 20	October 11
April 17	September 21	October 12

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
April 14	May 1	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

Ivory Coast
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Jamaica
January 2	April 17	August 7	December 26
March 1	May 23	October 16
April 14	August 1	December 25

Japan
January 2	May 3	August 11	November 23
January 3	May 4	September 18
January 9	May 5	October 9
March 20	July 17	November 3

Jordan
January 1	June 27	September 21
May 1	June 28	November 30
May 25	August 31	December 25
June 25	September 3
June 26	September 4

B-4

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

Kazakhstan
January 2	March 23	August 30
January 3	May 1	September 1
March 8	May 8	December 1
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 19

Kenya
January 2	June 1	December 25
April 14	June 27	December 26
April 17	October 20
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 25	August 31
February 26	June 26	September 3
April 24	June 27	September 21

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
April 13	May 5	November 20
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	June 22	December 26
May 1	June 23
May 4	November 17

Lebanon
January 2	April 25	September 1
January 6	May 1	September 21
February 9	May 25	November 22
February 14	June 26	December 1
April 14	June 27	December 25
April 17	August 15

Lithuania
February 16	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 6	December 26
April 17	August 15
May 1	November 1

Luxembourg
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Malawi
January 2	April 14	May 15	December 25
January 16	April 17	June 26	December 26
March 3	May 1	July 6

Malaysia
January 2	May 10	September 21
January 27	June 12	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 1
February 1	June 27	December 25
February 9	August 31
May 1	September 1

Mali
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Mauritius
January 2	February 24	June 26	November 2
February 1	March 29	October 19	December 25
February 9	May 1	November 1

Mexico
February 6	April 14	November 20
March 20	May 1	December 12
April 13	November 2	December 25

Morocco
January 11	August 14	September 22
May 1	August 21	November 6
June 26	September 1

B-5

Namibia
January 2	April 27	June 16	December 25
March 21	May 1	August 9	December 26
April 14	May 4	September 25	December 27
April 17	May 25	December 11

The Netherlands
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

New Zealand
January 2	April 17	December 25
January 3	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 5
April 14	October 23

Niger
April 17	June 21	November 15
May 1	June 26	December 1
May 25	September 1	December 25
June 5	November 1

Nigeria
January 2	May 29	October 2
April 14	June 26	December 1
April 17	June 27	December 25
May 1	September 1	December 26

Norway
April 12	April 17	May 25	December 26
April 13	May 1	June 5
April 14	May 17	December 25

Oman
April 24	July 23	November 19
June 26

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 2	June 26	August 14
March 23	June 27	September 1
May 1	June 28	September 29

Panama
January 2	March 1	November 10
January 9	April 14	December 8
February 27	May 1	December 25
February 28	November 3

Peru
April 13	June 29	November 1
April 14	July 28	December 8
May 1	August 30	December 25

The Philippines
January 2	June 12	November 1
April 13	August 21	November 30
April 14	August 28	December 25
May 1	October 31

Poland
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	May 3	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 25

Portugal
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 2	May 29	October 9
January 16	July 3	November 23
February 20	July 4	November 24
April 14	September 4	December 25

B-6

Qatar
January 1	June 25	September 3
February 14	June 26	December 18
March 5	June 27

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 2	May 1	August 15	December 25
January 24	June 1	November 30	December 26
April 17	June 5	December 1

Russia
January 2	May 1	June 12
February 23	May 8	November 6
March 8	May 9

Saudi Arabia
June 26	June 29	September 5
June 27	September 3
June 28	September 4

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Serbia
January 2	February 16	May 1
January 3	April 14	May 2
February 15	April 17

Singapore
January 2	May 10	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 25
April 14	August 9
May 1	September 1

The Slovak Republic
January 6	May 8	September 15	December 26
April 14	July 5	November 1
April 17	August 29	November 17
May 1	September 1	December 25

Slovenia
January 2	April 27	October 31
February 8	May 1	November 1
April 14	May 2	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

South Africa
January 2	April 27	September 25
March 21	May 1	December 25
April 14	June 16	December 26
April 17	August 9

South Korea
January 27	June 6	October 9
January 30	August 15	December 20
March 1	October 3	December 25
May 1	October 4	December 29
May 3	October 5
May 5	October 6

Spain
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 12	April 13	June 26	November 3
January 20	April 14	August 7	December 1
February 10	May 1	September 1	December 25
February 17	May 10	September 5
February 24	May 11	October 5
April 10	June 8	October 18

B-7

Srpska
January 2	April 14	May 2
January 6	April 17	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

Swaziland
January 2	April 19	May 5	December 26
April 14	April 25	September 6
April 17	May 1	December 25

Sweden
January 5	April 17	June 6	December 26
January 6	May 1	June 23
April 13	May 24	November 3
April 14	May 25	December 25

Switzerland
January 2	May 25	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 1
May 1	December 25

Taiwan
January 2	January 31	April 4	October 9
January 25	February 1	May 1	October 10
January 26	February 27	May 29
January 27	February 28	May 30
January 30	April 3	October 4

Tanzania
January 12	April 26	July 27	December 25
April 7	May 1	August 8	December 26
April 14	July 7	September 1
April 17	July 26	December 15

Thailand
January 2	April 14	August 14
January 3	May 1	October 23
February 13	May 5	December 5
April 6	May 10	December 11
April 13	July 10

Togo
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Tunisia
March 20	July 25	December 1
May 1	September 1
June 26	September 21

Turkey
May 1	June 27	September 1
May 19	August 30	September 4
June 26	August 31

Uganda
January 2	April 14	June 26	November 30
January 26	April 17	July 7	December 25
February 16	May 1	September 13	December 26
March 8	June 9	October 9

Ukraine
January 2	April 17	June 5
January 3	May 1	June 28
January 9	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 16

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	June 26	November 30
April 24	August 31	December 3
June 25	September 21

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

B-8

The United Kingdom
January 2	May 1	December 22	December 29
April 14	May 29	December 25
April 17	August 28	December 26

The United States Bond Market
January 2	April 14	July 4	November 24*
January 16	May 26*	September 4	December 22*
February 20	May 29	October 9	December 25
April 13*	July 3*	November 23	December 29*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 6	April 17	August 25
February 27	May 1	October 16
February 28	May 22	November 2
April 13	June 19	December 25
April 14	July 18

Venezuela
January 9	May 1	August 14
February 27	May 29	September 11
February 28	June 19	October 12
April 13	July 3	November 6
April 14	July 5	December 11
April 19	July 24	December 25

Vietnam
January 2	January 30	April 6	September 4
January 26	January 31	May 1
January 27	February 1	May 2

Zambia
January 2	April 17	July 4	December 25
March 8	May 1	August 7
March 13	May 25	October 18
April 14	July 3	October 24

Zimbabwe
January 2	May 1	December 22
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	August 14	December 26
April 18	August 15

2018

Albania
January 1	April 9	November 28
January 2	May 1	November 29
March 14	June 14	December 10
March 22	August 21	December 25
April 2	October 19

Argentina
January 1	April 2	August 20
February 12	May1	October 15
February 13	May 25	November 6
March 29	June 20	November 19
March 30	July 9	December 25

B-9

Australia
January 1	April 25	October 1
January 26	May 7	October 8
March 5	June 4	November 6
March 12	June 11	December 24
March 30	August 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
April 3	September 24	December 31

Austria
January 1	May 21	December 24
March 30	May 31	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 26	December 31
May 10	November 1

Bahrain
January 1	August 23	November 20
May 1	September 11	December 16
June 17	September 19	December 17
August 22	September 20

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

Bangladesh
February 21	June 17	September 2
March 26	July 1	November 21
April 29	August 15	December 16
May 1	August 21	December 25
May 2	August 22	December 31
June 12	August 23

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Benin
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Bermuda
January 1	August 2	November 12
March 30	August 3	December 25
May 25	September 3	December 26
June 18

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 1	April 30	August 20
January 2	May 1	August 21
March 1	May 2	November 26
March 2	June 14	December 25
April 2	June 15

Botswana
January 1	May 10	October 2
January 2	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 16	December 26
April 2	July 17
May 1	October 1

Brazil
January 1	May 1	November 15
January 25	May 31	November 20
February 12	July 9	December 24
February 13	September 7	December 25
February 14	October 12	December 31
March 30	November 2

Bulgaria
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 5	May 7	December 24
April 6	May 24	December 25
April 9	September 6	December 26

Burkina Faso
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

B-10

Canada
January 1	May 21	October 8
January 2	June 25	November 12
February 12	July 2	December 25
February 19	August 6	December 26
March 30	September 3

Chile
January 1	July 16	October 15
March 30	August 15	November 1
May 1	September 17	November 2
May 21	September 18	December 25
July 2	September 19	December 31

China
January 1	April 5	October 1
February 15	April 6	October 2
February 16	April 30	October 3
February 19	May 1	October 4
February 20	June 18	October 5
February 21	September 24

Colombia
January 1	May 14	August 20
January 8	June 4	October 15
March 19	June 11	November 5
March 29	July 2	November 12
March 30	July 20	December 25
May 1	August 7

Costa Rica
January 1	May 1	October 15
March 29	July 25	December 25
March 30	August 2
April 11	August 15

Croatia
January 1	June 22	December 24
March 30	June 25	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 8	December 31
May 31	November 1

Cyprus
January 1	April 9	October 1
February 19	April 10	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26
April 6	August 15

Czechia
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	July 6	December 26
May 1	September 28	December 31

Denmark
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 29	May 11	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	June 5
April 27	December 24

Egypt
January 1	April 25	August 20
January 7	May 1	August 21
January 25	June 17	August 22
April 8	July 1	September 11
April 9	July 23	November 20

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
January 1	May 10	December 26
March 30	August 20	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Finland
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 22	December 26
April 2	December 6	December 31
May 1	December 24

B-11

France
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Georgia
January 1	March 8	May 9
January 2	April 6	August 28
January 19	April 9	November 23

Germany
January 1	May 21	December 26
March 30	October 3	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Ghana
January 1	May 25	December 7
March 6	June 15	December 25
March 30	July 2	December 26
April 2	August 22
May 1	September 21

Greece
January 1	April 6	August 15
February 19	April 9	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26

Guinea-Bissau
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Hong Kong
January 1	April 5	October 17
January 27	May 1	December 24
February 15	May 22	December 25
February 16	June 18	December 26
February 19	July 2	December 31
March 30	September 25
April 2	October 1

Hungary
January 1	May 1	November 2
March 15	May 21	December 24
March 16	August 20	December 25
March 30	October 22	December 26
April 2	October 23	December 31
April 30	November 1

Iceland
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 29	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	August 6
April 19	December 24

India
January 26	May 1	October 18
February 13	August 15	November 7
February 19	August 17	November 8
March 2	August 22	November 21
March 29	September 13	November 23
March 30	September 20	December 25
April 30	October 2

Indonesia
January 1	June 13	September 11
February 16	June 14	November 20
March 30	June 15	December 24
May 1	June 18	December 25
May 10	June 19	December 31
May 29	August 17
June 1	August 22

Ireland
January 1	May 28	December 24
March 19	June 4	December 25
March 30	August 6	December 26
April 2	August 27	December 31
May 7	October 29

B-12

Israel
March 1	May 20	September 24
April 1	July 22	September 25
April 2	September 9	September 26
April 3	September 10	September 27
April 4	September 11	September 30
April 5	September 18	October 1
April 18	September 19
April 19	September 23

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 15	December 26
April 2	December 24	December 31

Ivory Coast
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Jamaica
January 1	May 23	December 25
February 14	August 1	December 26
March 30	August 6
April 2	October 15

Japan
January 1	April 30	October 8
January 2	May 3	November 23
January 3	May 4	December 24
January 8	July 16	December 31
February 12	September 17
March 21	September 24

Jordan
January 1	August 21	November 21
May 1	August 22	December 25
May 25	August 23
June 17	September 12

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

Kazakhstan
January 1	April 30	August 30
January 2	May 1	August 31
March 8	May 7	December 3
March 9	May 8	December 17
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 31
March 23	August 21

Kenya
January 1	June 1	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26
April 2	October 10
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 17	August 23
February 25	August 20	September 11
February 26	August 21	November 22
April 15	August 22

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
January 1	May 4	December 26
March 30	May 10	December 31
April 2	November 19
April 30	December 24
May 1	December 25

B-13

Lithuania
January 1	May 1	November 1
February 16	May 10	December 24
March 30	July 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26

Luxembourg
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Malawi
January 1	April 2	July 6
January 15	May 1	October 15
March 5	May 14	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26

Malaysia
January 1	May 29	September 11
January 31	June 14	September 17
February 1	June 15	November 6
February 15	August 22	November 20
February 16	August 31	December 25
May 1	September 10

Mali
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Mauritius
January 1	February 16	November 2
January 2	March 12	November 7
January 31	May 1	December 25
February 1	August 15
February 13	September 14

Mexico
January 1	March 30	November 2
February 5	April 2	November 19
March 19	April 30	December 12
March 29	May 1	December 25

Morocco
January 1	July 30	August 22
January 11	August 14	September 11
May 1	August 20	November 6
June 14	August 21	November 20

Namibia
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 21	May 4	December 10
March 30	May 25	December 17
April 2	August 9	December 25
April 27	August 27	December 26

The Netherlands
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

New Zealand
January 1	April 2	December 25
January 2	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 4
March 30	October 22

Niger
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Nigeria
January 1	June 15	November 19
March 30	June 18	December 25
April 2	August 22	December 26
May 1	August 23
May 29	October 1

B-14

Norway
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 28	May 10	December 26
March 29	May 17	December 31
March 30	May 21
April 2	December 24

Oman
January 1	August 22	November 19
June 17	August 23	November 20
June 18	September 11
July 23	November 18

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 1	June 18	September 20
February 5	July 2	September 21
March 23	August 22	November 20
May 1	August 23	December 25
June 15	August 24

Panama
January 1	March 30	November 26
January 8	May 1	December 25
February 13	November 5	December 31

Peru
January 1	May 1	October 8
March 29	June 29	November 1
March 30	August 30	December 25

The Philippines
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	June 12	December 24
February 16	August 21	December 25
March 29	August 27	December 31
March 30	November 1
April 9	November 2

Poland
January 1	May 3	December 25
January 2	May 31	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	November 1
May 1	December 24

Portugal
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 1	July 4	November 23
January 15	September 3	December 24
February 19	October 8	December 25
March 30	November 12
May 28	November 22

Qatar
January 1	June 18	August 22
February 13	June 19	December 18
March 4	August 20
June 17	August 21

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	May 28	December 25
January 24	June 1	December 26
April 9	August 15

Russia
January 1	March 8	November 5
January 2	May 1	December 31
January 8	May 9
February 23	June 12

B-15

Saudi Arabia
June 17	June 21	August 22
June 18	August 19	August 23
June 19	August 20	September 23
June 20	August 21

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Serbia
January 1	April 6	November 12
January 2	April 9	December 31
February 15	May 1
February 16	May 2

Singapore
January 1	May 29	November 6
February 16	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 9
May 1	August 22

The Slovak Republic
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	August 29	December 26
May 1	November 1

Slovenia
January 1	May 1	December 24
January 2	May 2	December 25
February 8	June 25	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	October 31
April 27	November 1

South Africa
January 1	April 27	December 17
March 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 9	December 26
April 2	September 24

South Korea
January 1	May 22	September 26
February 15	June 6	October 3
February 16	June 13	October 9
March 1	August 15	December 25
May 1	September 24	December 31
May 7	September 25

Spain
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 1	April 20	September 24
January 15	April 30	October 24
January 31	May 1	November 6
February 5	May 29	November 20
February 13	June 15	November 22
March 1	June 27	December 25
March 30	July 27
April 13	August 22

Srpska
January 1	April 6	May 2
January 2	April 9	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

B-16

Swaziland
January 1	April 25	September 6
January 5	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 10	December 26
April 2	July 23
April 19	August 27

Sweden
January 1	May 1	November 2
January 5	May 9	December 24
March 29	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 6	December 26
April 2	June 22	December 31

Switzerland
January 1	May 1	December 25
January 2	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21
April 2	August 1

Taiwan
January 1	February 20	June 18
February 13	February 28	September 24
February 14	April 4	October 10
February 15	April 5	December 31
February 16	April 6
February 19	May 1

Tanzania
January 1	May 1	December 20
January 12	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 8	December 26
April 2	August 22
April 26	November 21

Thailand
January 1	May 1	October 23
January 2	May 29	December 5
March 1	July 27	December 10
April 6	July 30	December 31
April 13	August 13
April 16	October 15

Togo
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Tunisia
January 1	June 15	September 12
March 20	July 25	October 15
April 9	August 13	November 20
May 1	August 21

Turkey
January 1	June 15	August 23
April 23	August 20	August 24
May 1	August 21	August 30
June 14	August 22	October 29

Uganda
January 1	April 2	November 30
January 26	May 1	December 25
February 16	June 15	December 26
March 8	August 21
March 30	October 9

Ukraine
January 1	May 1	June 28
January 8	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 15
April 9	May 28	December 25

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	August 21	November 20
June 14	August 22	December 2
August 20	September 11	December 3

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

B-17

The United Kingdom
January 1	May 28	December 26
March 30	August 27	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 7	December 25

The United States Bond Market
January 1	May 25*	October 8	December 25
January 15	May 28	November 12	December 31*
February 19	July 3*	November 22
March 29*	July 4	November 23*
March 30	September 3	December 24*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 1	April 23	October 15
February 12	May 1	November 2
February 13	May 21	December 25
March 29	June 19
March 30	July 18

Venezuela
January 1	May 1	September 10
February 12	May 14	October 12
February 13	June 4	November 5
March 19	July 2	December 24
March 29	July 5	December 25
March 30	July 24	December 31
April 19	August 20

Vietnam
January 1	February 19	May 1
February 14	February 20	September 3
February 15	April 25
February 16	April 30

Zambia
January 1	May 1	October 18
March 8	May 25	October 24
March 12	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 3
April 2	August 6

Zimbabwe
January 1	April 18	August 14
February 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 25	December 26
April 2	August 13

Redemptions. The longest redemption cycle for a Fund is a function of the longest redemption cycle among the countries and regions whose securities comprise the Fund. In the calendar years 2017 and 2018 (the only years for which holidays are known at the time of this SAI filing), the dates of regular holidays affecting the following securities markets present the worst-case redemption cycles* for a Fund as follows:

2017
Country	Trade Date	Settlement Date	Number of Days to Settle
Australia	04/11/17	04/19/17	8
	04/12/17	04/20/17	8
	04/13/17	04/21/17	8

Bangladesh	06/20/17	06/28/17	8
	06/21/17	06/29/17	8
	06/22/17	07/02/17	10

B-18

iShares^®, Inc.

Statement of Additional Information

Dated December 29, 2017
(as revised March 6, 2018)

Funds	Ticker	Listing Exchange
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	EWA	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	EWO	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	EWK	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	EWC	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	EZU	Cboe BZX
iShares MSCI France ETF	EWQ	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	EWG	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	RING	NASDAQ
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	SLVP	Cboe BZX
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	EWH	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	EIS	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	EWI	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	EWJ	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	SCJ	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	EWW	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	EWN	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	EPP	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	ERUS	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	EWS	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	EZA	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	EWP	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	EWD	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	EWL	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	THD	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	TUR	NASDAQ
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	EUSA	NYSE Arca
iShares MSCI World ETF	URTH	NYSE Arca

iShares^® and BlackRock^® are registered trademarks of BlackRock Fund Advisors and its affiliates.

General Description of the Company and the Funds

•	iShares MSCI Australia ETF
•	iShares MSCI Austria ETF¹
•	iShares MSCI Belgium ETF²
•	iShares MSCI Canada ETF³
•	iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF
•	iShares MSCI France ETF
•	iShares MSCI Germany ETF
•	iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
•	iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF
•	iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF
•	iShares MSCI Israel ETF⁴
•	iShares MSCI Italy ETF⁵
•	iShares MSCI Japan ETF
•	iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF
•	iShares MSCI Mexico ETF⁶
•	iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF⁷
•	iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF
•	iShares MSCI Russia ETF^{8, 9}
•	iShares MSCI Singapore ETF¹⁰
•	iShares MSCI South Africa ETF¹¹
•	iShares MSCI Spain ETF¹²
•	iShares MSCI Sweden ETF¹³
•	iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF¹⁴
•	iShares MSCI Thailand ETF¹⁵
•	iShares MSCI Turkey ETF
•	iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF
•	iShares MSCI World ETF

¹	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Austria Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Austria ETF.
²	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Belgium Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Belgium ETF.
³	On September 1, 2017, the Fund’s Underlying Index changed from MSCI Canada Index to MSCI Canada Custom Capped Index.
⁴	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Israel Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Israel ETF.
⁵	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Italy Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Italy ETF.
⁶	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Mexico ETF.
⁷	On September 1, 2017, the Fund’s Underlying Index changed from MSCI Netherlands Investable Market Index to MSCI Netherlands IMI 25/50 Index.
⁸	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Russia ETF.
⁹	The iShares MSCI Russia ETF previously operated as a series of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. (the “Predecessor Fund”). Before the Fund

	commenced operations, all of the assets and liabilities of the Predecessor Fund were transferred to the Fund in a reorganization (the “Reorganization”), which was tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Reorganization occurred on January 26, 2015. As a result of the Reorganization, the Fund assumed the performance and accounting history of the Predecessor Fund. A portion of the financial and performance information included in this SAI is that of the Predecessor Fund.
¹⁰	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Singapore Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Singapore ETF.
¹¹	On September 1, 2017, the Fund’s Underlying Index changed from MSCI South Africa Index to MSCI South Africa 25/50 Index.
¹²	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Spain Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Spain ETF.
¹³	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Sweden Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Sweden ETF.
¹⁴	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Switzerland Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF.
¹⁵	Effective December 29, 2017, the name of the Fund changed from iShares MSCI Thailand Capped ETF to iShares MSCI Thailand ETF.

Each Fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each, a “Creation Unit”), generally in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) included in its Underlying Index (the “Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on national securities exchanges such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“Cboe BZX”) (formerly known as BATS Exchange, Inc.), The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“NASDAQ”) or NYSE Arca, Inc. (“NYSE Arca”) (each, a “Listing Exchange”). Shares of each Fund are traded in the secondary market and elsewhere at market prices that may be at, above or below the Fund's NAV. Shares are redeemable only in Creation Units by Authorized Participants (as defined in the Portfolio Holdings Information section of this SAI), and, generally, in exchange for portfolio securities and a Cash Amount (as defined in the Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI). Creation Units typically are a specified number of shares, generally ranging from 50,000 to 300,000 shares or multiples thereof.

Exchange Listing and Trading

As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares of a Fund through a broker, you may incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker, as well as other charges.

Investment Strategies and Risks

Each Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in securities issued by issuers that comprise its relevant Underlying Index and through transactions that provide substantially similar exposure to securities in the Underlying Index. Each Fund operates as an index fund and is not actively managed. Adverse performance of a security in a Fund’s portfolio will ordinarily not result in the elimination of the security from the Fund’s portfolio.

Although the Funds do not seek leveraged returns, certain instruments used by the Funds may have a leveraging effect as described below.

Borrowing. Each Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet payments due from redemptions or to facilitate the settlement of securities or other transactions. Under normal market conditions, any borrowing by a Fund will not exceed 10% of the Fund’s net assets; however, each Fund generally does not intend to borrow money.

investment objectives and policies. However, a breach of any such covenants not cured within the specified cure period may result in acceleration of outstanding indebtedness and require a Fund to dispose of portfolio investments at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

Diversification Status. The following table sets forth the diversification status of each Fund:

Diversified Funds		Non-Diversified Funds
iShares MSCI Canada ETF		iShares MSCI Australia ETF
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF		iShares MSCI Austria ETF
iShares MSCI Japan ETF		iShares MSCI Belgium ETF
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF		iShares MSCI France ETF
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF		iShares MSCI Germany ETF
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF		iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
iShares MSCI World ETF		iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF
		iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF
		iShares MSCI Israel ETF
		iShares MSCI Italy ETF
		iShares MSCI Mexico ETF
		iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF
		iShares MSCI Russia ETF
		iShares MSCI Singapore ETF
		iShares MSCI South Africa ETF
		iShares MSCI Spain ETF
		iShares MSCI Sweden ETF

Diversified Funds		Non-Diversified Funds
		iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF
		iShares MSCI Thailand ETF
		iShares MSCI Turkey ETF

daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of each Fund. The potential for loss related to writing call options is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited to the agreed-upon price per share, also known as the “strike price,” less the premium received from writing the put. Certain of the Funds may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on an exchange as a hedge against changes in value of their portfolio securities or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

Securities options may be used by a Fund to obtain access to securities in its Underlying Index or to dispose of securities in its Underlying Index at favorable prices, to invest cash in a securities index that offers similar exposure to that provided by its Underlying Index or otherwise to achieve the Fund’s objective of tracking its Underlying Index. A call option gives a holder the right to purchase a specific security at a specified price (“exercise price”) within a specified period of time. A put option gives a holder the right to sell a specific security at an exercise price within a specified period of time. The initial purchaser of a call option pays the “writer” a premium, which is paid at the time of purchase and is retained by the writer whether or not such option is exercised. Each Fund may purchase put options to hedge its portfolio against the risk of a decline in the market value of securities held and may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities it is committed to purchase. Each Fund may write put and call options along with a long position in options to increase its ability to hedge against a change in the market value of the securities it holds or is committed to purchase. Each Fund may purchase or sell securities options on a U.S. or non-U.S. securities exchange or in the OTC market through a transaction with a dealer. Options on a securities index are typically settled on a net basis based on the appreciation or depreciation of the index level over the strike price. Options on single name securities may be cash- or physically-settled, depending upon the market in which they are traded. Options may be structured so as to be exercisable only on certain dates or on a daily basis. Options may also be structured to have conditions to exercise (i.e., “Knock-in Events”) or conditions that trigger termination (i.e., “Knock-out Events”). Investments in futures contracts and other investments that contain leverage may require each Fund to maintain liquid assets in an amount equal to its delivery obligations under these contracts and other investments. Generally, each Fund maintains an amount of liquid assets equal to its obligations relative to the position involved, adjusted daily on a marked-to-market basis. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” each Fund maintains liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market obligation (i.e., each Fund’s daily net liability, if any), rather than the contracts’ notional value (i.e., the value of the underlying asset). By maintaining assets equal to its net obligation under cash-settled futures contracts, each Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to set aside assets equal to the futures contracts’ full notional value. Each Fund bases its asset maintenance policies on methods permitted by the SEC and its staff and may modify these policies in the future to comply with any changes in the guidance articulated from time to time by the SEC or its staff. Changes in SEC guidance regarding the use of derivatives by registered investment companies may adversely impact a Fund’s ability to invest in futures, options or other derivatives or make investments in such instruments more expensive.

reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of each lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, including those affiliated with BFA; such investments are subject to investment risk.

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees a Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. If a securities lending counterparty were to default, a Fund would be subject to the risk of a possible delay in receiving collateral or in recovering the loaned securities, or to a possible loss of rights in the collateral. In the event a borrower does not return a Fund’s securities as agreed, the Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated, plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities. This event could trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund. A Fund could lose money if its short-term investment of the collateral declines in value over the period of the loan. Substitute payments for dividends received by a Fund for securities loaned out by the Fund will not be considered qualified dividend income. BTC will take into account the tax effects on shareholders caused by this difference in connection with a Fund’s securities lending program. Substitute payments received on tax-exempt securities loaned out will not be tax-exempt income.

Non-U.S. Securities. Certain Funds intend to purchase publicly-traded common stocks of non-U.S. issuers. To the extent a Fund invests in stocks of non-U.S. issuers, certain of the Fund's investments in such stocks may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), Non-Voting Depositary Receipts (“NVDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) (collectively, “depositary receipts”). Depositary receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust issuer, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. ADRs typically are issued by an American bank or trust company and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs, which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts, are receipts issued in Europe, typically by foreign banks and trust companies, that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic underlying securities. GDRs are depositary receipts structured like global debt issues to facilitate trading on an international basis. Generally, ADRs, issued in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, issued in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. NVDRs are designed for use in the Thai securities market. GDRs are tradable both in the U.S. and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.

BFA has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA with respect to the iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF and iShares MSCI Thailand ETF. BFA is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA with respect to the Funds.

The iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF (the “No-Action Letter Funds”) may also have investments in “underlying funds” (and such underlying funds themselves may invest in underlying funds) not advised by BFA (which for purposes of the no-action letter referenced below may include certain securitized vehicles, mortgage real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and/or investment companies that may invest in CFTC Derivatives), and therefore may be viewed by the CFTC as commodity pools. BFA has no transparency into the holdings of these underlying funds because they are not advised by BFA. To address this issue of lack of transparency, the CFTC staff issued a no-action letter on November 29, 2012 permitting the adviser of a fund that invests in such underlying funds and that would otherwise have filed a claim of exclusion pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 to delay registration as a “commodity pool operator” until six months from the date on which the CFTC issues additional guidance on the treatment of CFTC Derivatives held by underlying funds. BFA, the adviser of the No-Action Letter Funds, has filed a claim with the CFTC for such Funds to rely on this no-action relief. Accordingly, BFA is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of such Funds.

Securities of Investment Companies. Each Fund may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds) to the extent permitted by law. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund’s investment in registered investment companies is generally limited to, subject to certain exceptions: (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company; (ii) 5% of a Fund’s total assets with respect to any one investment company; and (iii) 10% of a Fund’s total assets with respect to investment companies in the aggregate. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, each Fund intends from time to time to invest its assets in the securities of investment companies, including, but not limited to, money market funds, including those advised by or otherwise affiliated with BFA, in excess of the general limits discussed above. Other investment companies in which a Fund may invest can be expected to incur fees and expenses for operations, such as investment advisory and administration fees, which would be in addition to those incurred by the Fund. Pursuant to guidance issued by the SEC staff, fees and expenses of money market funds used for cash collateral received in connection with loans of securities are not treated as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which reflect a Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred by investing in other investment companies (as disclosed in the Prospectus, as applicable).

purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

General Considerations and Risks

A discussion of some of the principal risks associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the applicable Prospectus.

rates and/or investor expectations concerning interest rates; foreign currency/exchange rates; domestic and foreign governmental regulation and taxation; war, acts of terrorism and other political upheaval and conflicts; governmental expropriation; investment and trading activities of mutual funds, hedge funds and commodities funds; and changes in philosophies and emotions of market participants. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted.

A decrease in the production of a physical commodity or a decrease in the volume of such commodity available for transportation, mining, processing, storage or distribution may adversely impact the financial performance of a commodity or commodity-related company that devotes a portion of its business to that commodity. Production declines and volume decreases could be caused by various factors, including catastrophic events affecting production, depletion of resources, labor difficulties, environmental proceedings, increased regulations, equipment failures and unexpected maintenance problems, import supply disruption, governmental expropriation, political upheaval or conflicts or increased competition from alternative energy sources or commodity prices. Agricultural commodities may be adversely affected by weather or other natural phenomena, such as drought, floods and pests.

Operational Risk. BFA and a Fund's other service providers may experience disruptions or operating errors such as processing errors or human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, or systems or technology failures, that could negatively impact the Funds. While service providers are required to have appropriate operational risk management policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from a Fund’s in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. BFA, through its monitoring and oversight of service providers, seeks to ensure that service providers take appropriate precautions to avoid and mitigate risks that could lead to disruptions and operating errors. However, it is not possible for BFA or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

make daily cash payments to maintain its required margin. In such situations, if a Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell portfolio securities to meet daily margin requirements at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. In addition, a Fund may be required to deliver the instruments underlying the futures contracts it has sold.

Risk of Investing in Non-U.S. Equity Securities. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in portfolios of equity securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments in those foreign countries, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by issuers domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor’s local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country’s currency. These considerations include favorable or unfavorable changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations and the costs that may be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. Investing in any of the Funds also involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in a fund whose portfolio contains exclusively securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets; generally greater price volatility; less publicly available information about issuers; the imposition of withholding or other taxes; the imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of funds or other assets of the Funds; higher transaction and custody costs; delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures; difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; lower liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization; different accounting and disclosure standards; lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; more substantial government interference with the economy and businesses; higher rates of inflation; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty; the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets; and the risk of war.

Risk of Investing in Micro-Capitalization Companies. Certain of the Funds may invest in securities of micro-capitalization companies. Micro-capitalization companies may have limited operational histories and new or unproven product lines, or may have product lines that are still in development. These companies may be more vulnerable than larger companies to key personnel losses due to reliance on a smaller number of management personnel. Micro-capitalization companies may have limited financial resources and little or no access to additional credit and therefore may be more susceptible to market down turns or rising credit costs than larger, more established companies. Share prices of micro-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of larger companies and therefore a Fund’s share price may be more volatile than the share prices of funds that invest a larger percentage of assets in shares issued by small-, mid-, or large-capitalization companies. The shares of micro-capitalization companies may be thinly traded and may be at risk for delisting from a securities exchange, making it difficult for a Fund to buy and sell shares of a particular micro-capitalization company. In addition, there may be less public information available about these companies.

not be able to fulfill their obligations to the Fund (i.e., counterparty risk). This risk is magnified to the extent that a Fund effects securities transactions through a single brokerage firm or a small number of brokerage firms.

Some economies in this region are dependent on a range of commodities, including oil, natural gas and coal. Accordingly, they are strongly affected by international commodity prices and particularly vulnerable to any weakening in global demand for these products. The market for securities in this region may also be directly influenced by the flow of international capital, and by the economic and market conditions of neighboring countries. Adverse economic conditions or developments in neighboring countries may increase investors' perception of the risk of investing in the region as a whole, which may adversely impact the market value of the securities issued by companies in the region.

dependent on trading with certain key trading partners, including Asia, Europe and the U.S. The economies of Australia and New Zealand are heavily dependent on the mining sector. Passage of new regulations limiting foreign ownership of companies in the mining sector or imposition of new taxes on profits of mining companies may dissuade foreign investment, and as a result, have a negative impact on companies to which a Fund has exposure.

Risk of Investing in Australia. A Fund’s investment in Australian issuers may subject the Fund to loss in the event of adverse political, economic, regulatory and other developments that affect Australia, including fluctuations of Australian currency versus the U.S. dollar. Also, Australia is located in a part of the world that has historically been prone to natural disasters, such as drought and flooding. Any such event in the future could have a significant adverse impact on the Australian economy. The Australian economy is dependent on trading with certain key trading partners. The Australia–U.S. Free Trade Agreement has significantly expanded the trading relationship between the U.S. and Australia. Economic events in the U.S., Asia, or in other key trading countries can have a significant economic effect on the Australian economy and companies to which the Fund has exposure.

Risk of Investing in Austria. Investment in Austrian issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to Austria. The Austrian economy, along with certain other European Union (the “EU”) economies, experienced a significant economic slowdown during the recent financial crises and certain Austrian banks required government support, while a few other banks were nationalized in order to avoid potential insolvency and wider regional contagion. Recently, certain EU economies have experienced significant deterioration of market confidence. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may also have an adverse effect on the Austrian economy.

Risk of Investing in Belgium. Investment in Belgian issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to Belgium. Although Belgium has few natural resources and imports substantial amounts of raw materials, it has an established industrial sector, which is responsible for exporting large volume of finished goods to other European countries. Belgium relies heavily on trade with key trading partners. Most of Belgium's trade is with fellow EU members. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the Belgian economy.

Risk of Investing in Canada. The United States is Canada’s largest trading and investment partner, and the Canadian economy is significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Since the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) in 1994 among Canada, the United States and Mexico, total two-way merchandise trade between the United States and Canada has more than doubled. Any downturn in U.S. or Mexican economic activity is likely to have an adverse impact on the Canadian economy. The U.S. government has indicated that it may drop out of NAFTA. If this were to occur, it could have a material adverse impact on the Canadian economy, which could impact the value of the securities whose value is linked to the Canadian economy. The Canadian economy is also dependent upon external trade with other key trading partners, specifically China and the United Kingdom. As a result, Canada is dependent on the economies of these other countries. In addition, Canada is a large supplier of natural resources (e.g., oil, natural gas and agricultural products). As a result, the Canadian economy is sensitive to fluctuations in certain commodity prices.

dealings with countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. An issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer that has dealings with such countries. A Fund may be adversely affected if it invests in such issuers.

Risk of Investing in Developed Countries. Many countries with developed markets have recently experienced significant economic pressures. These countries generally tend to rely on the services sectors (e.g., the financial services sector) as the primary source of economic growth and may be susceptible to the risks of individual service sectors. For example, companies in the financial services sector are subject to governmental regulation and, recently, government intervention, which may adversely affect the scope of their activities, the prices they can charge and amount of capital they must maintain. Recent dislocations in the financial sector and perceived or actual governmental influence over certain financial companies may lead to credit rating downgrades and, as a result, impact, among other things, revenue growth for such companies. If financial companies experience a prolonged decline in revenue growth, certain developed countries that rely heavily on financial companies as an economic driver may experience a correlative slowdown. Recently, new concerns have emerged with respect to the economic health of certain developed countries. These concerns primarily stem from heavy indebtedness of many developed countries and their perceived inability to continue to service high debt loads without simultaneously implementing stringent austerity measures. Such concerns have led to tremendous downward pressure on the economies of these countries. As a result, it is possible that interest rates on debt of certain developed countries may rise to levels that make it difficult for such countries to service such debt. Spending on health care and retirement pensions in most developed countries has risen dramatically over the last few years. Medical innovation, extended life expectancy and higher public expectations are likely to continue the increase in health care and pension costs. Any increase in health care and pension costs will likely have a negative impact on the economic growth of many developed countries. Certain developed countries rely on imports of certain key items, such as crude oil, natural gas, and other commodities. As a result, an increase in demand for, or price fluctuations of, certain commodities may negatively affect developed country economies. Developed market countries generally are dependent on the economies of certain key trading partners. Changes in any one economy may cause an adverse impact on several developed countries. In addition, heavy regulation of, among others, labor and product markets may have an adverse effect on certain issuers. Such regulations may negatively affect economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession. Such risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments.

governments may attempt to make dividend or interest payments to foreign investors in the local currency; (viii) investors may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to the securities and/or local judges may favor the interests of the issuer over those of foreign investors; (ix) bankruptcy judgments may only be permitted to be paid in the local currency; (x) limited public information regarding the issuer may result in greater difficulty in determining market valuations of the securities; and (xi) lack of financial reporting on a regular basis, substandard disclosure and differences in accounting standards may make it difficult to ascertain the financial health of an issuer.

Emerging market securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. In addition, brokerage and other costs associated with transactions in emerging market securities can be higher, sometimes significantly, than similar costs incurred in securities markets in developed countries. Although some emerging markets have become more established and tend to issue securities of higher credit quality, the markets for securities in other emerging market countries are in the earliest stages of their development, and these countries issue securities across the credit spectrum. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging market countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging market country securities may also affect a Fund's ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

funds for, among other things, social programs. Either due to an inability to pay or submission to political pressure, foreign governments have been forced to seek a restructuring of their loan and/or bond obligations, have declared a temporary suspension of interest payments or have defaulted. These events have adversely affected the values of securities issued by foreign governments and corporations domiciled in those countries and have negatively affected not only their cost of borrowing, but their ability to borrow in the future as well.

Risk of Investing in Europe. Investing in European countries may expose a Fund to the economic and political risks associated with Europe in general and the specific European countries in which it invests. The economies and markets of European countries are often closely connected and interdependent, and events in one European country can have an adverse impact on other European countries. A Fund makes investments in securities of issuers that are domiciled in, or have significant operations in, member countries of the Economic and Monetary Union (the “EMU”) of the EU, which requires member countries to comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls, each of which may significantly affect every country in Europe. Changes in imports or exports, changes in governmental or EU regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the euro (the common currency of certain EU countries), the default or threat of default by an EU member country on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in an EU member country may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of EU member countries and their trading partners. Although certain European countries do not use the euro, many of these countries are obliged to meet the criteria for joining the euro zone. Consequently, these countries must comply with many of the restrictions noted above. The European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends in recent years due to concerns about economic downturns, rising government debt levels and the possible default of government debt in several European countries, including, but not limited to, Cyprus, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Ukraine. In order to prevent further economic deterioration, certain countries, without prior warning, can institute “capital controls.” Countries may use these controls to restrict volatile movements of capital entering and exiting their country. Such controls may negatively affect a Fund’s investments. A default or debt restructuring by any European country would adversely impact holders of that country's debt and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country's creditworthiness, which may be located in countries other than those listed above. In addition, the credit ratings of certain European countries were recently downgraded. These downgrades may result in further deterioration of investor confidence. These events have adversely affected the value and exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the euro and non-EU member countries. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not produce the desired results, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely impact the value of a Fund’s investments in the region. In a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom resolved to leave the EU. The referendum may introduce significant uncertainties and instability in the financial markets as the U.K. negotiates its exit from the EU. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, as well as governmental or other responses to such movements, may also create instability and uncertainty in the region. The occurrence of terrorist incidents throughout Europe also could impact financial markets. The impact of these events is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely affect the value of a Fund.

Risk of Investing in France. Investment in French issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to France. Recently, new concerns emerged in relation to the economic health of the EU. These concerns have led to tremendous downward pressure on certain EU member states, including France. Interest rates on France’s debt may rise to levels that make it difficult for it to service high debt levels without significant financial help from, among others, the European Central Bank and could potentially result in default. In addition, the French economy is dependent to a significant extent on the economies of certain key trading partners, including Germany and other Western European countries. Reduction in spending on French products and services, or changes in any of the economies may cause an adverse impact on the French economy. In addition, France may be subject to acts of terrorism. The French economy is dependent on exports from the agricultural sector. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the French economy. Leading agricultural exports include dairy products, meat, wine, fruit and vegetables, and fish. As a result, the French economy is susceptible to fluctuations in demand for agricultural products.

Risk of Investing in Germany. Investment in German issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to Germany. Recently, new concerns emerged in relation to the economic health of the EU. These concerns have led to tremendous downward pressure on certain financial institutions, including German financial services companies. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the German economy. The German economy is dependent to a significant extent on the economies of certain key trading partners, including the United States, France, Italy and other European countries. Reduction in spending on German products and services, or changes in any of the economies may have an adverse impact on the German economy. In addition, heavy regulation of labor and product markets in Germany may have an adverse effect on German issuers. Such regulations may negatively impact economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession.

Risk of Investing in Hong Kong. Investments in Hong Kong issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to Hong Kong. China is Hong Kong’s largest trading partner, both in terms of exports and imports. Any changes in the Chinese economy, trade regulations or currency exchange rates may have an adverse impact on Hong Kong’s economy.

Political and Social Risk. Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997 as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China under the principle of “one country, two systems.” Although China is obligated to maintain the current capitalist economic and social system of Hong Kong through June 30, 2047, the continuation of economic and social freedoms enjoyed in Hong Kong is dependent on the government of China. Any attempt by China to tighten its control over Hong Kong's political, economic or social policies may result in an adverse effect on Hong Kong's economy.

Economic Risk. The economy of Hong Kong is closely tied to the economy of China. The Chinese economy has grown rapidly during the past several years and there is no assurance that this growth rate will be maintained. China may experience substantial rates of inflation or economic recessions, causing a negative effect on the economy and securities market. Delays in enterprise restructuring, slow development of well-functioning financial markets and widespread corruption have also hindered performance of the Chinese economy, and China continues to receive substantial pressure from trading partners to liberalize official currency exchange rates.

Risk of Investing in Israel. Investment in securities of Israeli issuers involves risks that may negatively affect the value of your investment in the Fund. Among other things, Israel’s economy depends on imports of certain key items, such as crude oil, natural gas, coal, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. The economy is also dependent upon external trade with other economies, notably the U.S., China, Japan, Canada and EU countries. The government of Israel may change the way in which Israeli companies are taxed, or may impose taxes on foreign investment. Such actions could have a negative impact on the overall market for Israeli securities and on the Fund.

Israel’s relations with the Palestinian Authority and certain neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Iran, among others, have at times been strained due to territorial disputes, historical animosities or security concerns, which may cause uncertainty in the Israeli markets and adversely affect the overall economy. Furthermore, Israel’s economy is heavily dependent upon trade relationships with key counterparties around the world. Any reduction in these trade flows may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments.

Terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and Hamas, operate in close proximity to Israel’s borders and frequently threaten Israel with attack. Since 2013, the region has seen the growth of the “Islamic State” and increased internal hostilities in Iraq. The establishment of fundamentalist Islamic regimes or governments that are hostile to Israel could have serious consequences for the peace and stability of the region, place additional political, economic and military confines upon Israel, materially adversely affect the operations of Israeli issuers and limit such issuers’ ability to sell products abroad. Actual hostilities or the threat of future hostilities may cause significant volatility in the share price of companies based in or having significant operations in Israel.

Risk of Investing in Italy. Investment in Italian issuers involves risks that are specific to Italy, including, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks. Italy’s economy is dependent upon external trade with other economies—specifically Germany, France and other Western European developed countries. As a result, Italy is dependent on the economies of these other countries and any change in the price or demand for Italy’s exports may have an adverse impact on its economy. Interest rates on Italy's debt may rise to levels that may make it difficult for it to service high debt levels without significant financial help from the EU and could potentially lead to default. These events have adversely impacted the Italian economy, causing credit agencies to lower Italy’s sovereign debt rating and could decrease outside investment in Italian companies. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the Italian economy.

Risk of Investing in Japan. Japan may be subject to political, economic, nuclear, labor and other risks. Any of these risks, individually or in the aggregate, can impact an investment made in Japan.

Economic Risk. The growth of Japan’s economy has recently lagged that of its Asian neighbors and other major developed economies. Since the year 2000, Japan’s economic growth rate has remained relatively low and it may remain low in the future. The Japanese economy is heavily dependent on international trade and has been adversely affected by trade tariffs, other protectionist measures, competition from emerging economies and the economic conditions of its trading partners. Japan is also heavily dependent on oil imports, and higher commodity prices could therefore have a negative impact on the Japanese economy.

Political Risk. Historically, Japan has had unpredictable national politics and may experience frequent political turnover. Future political developments may lead to changes in policy that might adversely affect a Fund’s investments. In addition, China has become an important trading partner with Japan. Japan’s political relationship with China, however, has been strained. Should political tension increase, it could adversely affect the Japanese economy and destabilize the region as a whole.

Large Government Debt Risk. The Japanese economy faces several concerns, including a financial system with large levels of nonperforming loans, over-leveraged corporate balance sheets, extensive cross-ownership by major corporations, a changing corporate governance structure, and large government deficits. These issues may cause a slowdown of the Japanese economy.

Currency Risk. The Japanese yen has fluctuated widely at times and any increase in its value may cause a decline in exports that could weaken the Japanese economy. Japan has, in the past, intervened in the currency markets to attempt to maintain or reduce the value of the yen. Japanese intervention in the currency markets could cause the value of the yen to fluctuate sharply and unpredictably and could cause losses to investors.

Nuclear Energy Risk. The nuclear power plant catastrophe in Japan in March 2011 may have long-term effects on the Japanese economy and its nuclear energy industry, the extent of which are currently unknown.

Labor Risk. Japan has an aging workforce and has experienced a significant population decline in recent years. Japan’s labor market appears to be undergoing fundamental structural changes, as a labor market traditionally accustomed to lifetime employment adjusts to meet the need for increased labor mobility, which may adversely affect Japan’s economic competitiveness.

Geographic Risk. Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons and tsunamis, could occur in Japan or surrounding areas and could negatively affect the Japanese economy, and, in turn, could negatively affect a Fund.

Risk of Investing in Mexico. Investment in Mexican issuers involves risks that are specific to Mexico, including regulatory, political, and economic risks. In the past, Mexico has experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, significant devaluation of its currency (the peso), and high unemployment rates. The Mexican economy, among other things, is dependent upon external trade with other economies, specifically with the United States and certain Latin American countries. Recent political developments in the U.S. have potential implications for the current trade arrangements between the U.S. and Mexico, which could negatively affect the value of securities held by a Fund.

As a result, Mexico is dependent on, among other things, the U.S. economy and the economies of other Central and South American countries, and any change in the price or demand for Mexican exports may have an adverse impact on the Mexican economy. Because commodities such as oil and gas, minerals and metals represent a large portion of the region’s exports, the economies of these countries are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. For example, lower prices have negatively impacted Petróleos Mexicanos, the Mexican state-owned petroleum company, which accounts for approximately 30% of the Mexican government’s revenue.

Mexico’s economy has become increasingly oriented toward manufacturing, including electronic equipment and machinery, in the years since NAFTA entered into force. As Mexico’s top export is automotive vehicles, its economy is strongly tied to the U.S. automotive market, and changes to certain segments in the U.S. market could have an impact on the Mexican economy. The automotive industry and other industrial products can be highly cyclical, and companies in these industries may suffer periodic operating losses. These industries can be significantly affected by labor relations and fluctuating component prices.

The agricultural and mining sectors of Mexico’s economy also account for a large portion of its exports; Mexico is therefore susceptible to fluctuations in the price and demand for agricultural products and natural resources. In addition, Mexico has

privatized or has begun the process of privatization of certain entities and industries, and some investors have suffered losses due to the inability of the newly privatized entities to adjust to a competitive environment and changing regulatory standards.

Recently, Mexico has experienced an outbreak of violence related to criminal gang activity, drug trafficking and terrorist actions. Violence near border areas, border-related political disputes, and other social upheaval may lead to strained international relations. Incidents involving Mexico’s security may have an adverse effect on the Mexican economy and cause uncertainty in its financial markets. Mexico has also experienced contentious and very closely decided elections. Changes in political parties and other political events may affect the economy and contribute to additional instability. Mexico has been destabilized by local insurrections, social upheavals, drug related violence, and the public health crisis related to the H1N1 influenza outbreak. Recurrence of these or similar conditions may adversely impact the Mexican economy. Recently, Mexican elections have been contentious and have been very closely decided. Changes in political parties or other Mexican political events may affect the economy and cause instability.

The legal systems in certain Middle Eastern countries also may have an adverse impact on a Fund. For example, the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation generally is limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment. However, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain Middle Eastern countries. A Fund therefore may be liable in certain Middle Eastern countries for the acts of a corporation in which it invests for an amount greater than its actual investment in that corporation. Similarly, the rights of investors in Middle Eastern issuers may be more limited than those of shareholders of a U.S. corporation. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain or enforce a legal judgment in a Middle Eastern country. Some Middle Eastern countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investment by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer. Certain Middle Eastern countries may also limit investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals of the relevant Middle Eastern country.

Risk of Investing in the Netherlands. Investment in Dutch issuers may subject a Fund to regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to the Netherlands and the countries that use the euro. Among other things, the Netherlands’ economy is heavily dependent on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany. Future changes in the price or the demand for Dutch products or services by the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany or changes in these countries’ economies, trade regulations or currency exchange rates could adversely impact the Dutch economy and the issuers to which a Fund has exposure. The Dutch economy relies on export of financial services to other European countries. A prolonged slowdown in the financial services sector will have a negative impact on the Dutch economy. The Dutch economy, along with the United States and certain other European economies, experienced a significant economic slowdown during the recent financial crisis. European financial markets have since been adversely affected by the resulting fiscal crises in Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. As a result, the Netherlands may have trouble accessing capital markets and may be forced to pay higher interest rates on its debt than if it did not use the euro as its currency. In addition, the Netherlands may be indirectly exposed to the debt of the aforementioned countries through its banking sector. Any default by a country that uses the euro may therefore have a material adverse effect on the Dutch economy. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the Dutch economy.

The U.S. is Canada's and Mexico's largest trading and investment partner. The Canadian and Mexican economies are significantly affected by developments in the U.S. economy. Since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994 among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, total merchandise trade among the three countries has increased. However, political developments in the U.S., including possible termination of NAFTA, may have implications for the trade arrangements among the U.S., Mexico and Canada, which could negatively affect the value of securities held by a Fund. Policy and legislative changes in one country may have a significant effect on North American markets generally, as well as on the value of certain securities held by a Fund.

Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in the Russian securities market involves a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the U.S. securities market, and should be considered highly speculative. Risks include: the absence of developed legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property; the possibility of the loss of all or a substantial portion of a Fund’s assets invested in Russia as a result of expropriation; certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including, without limitation, restrictions on investing in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests; and potentially greater price volatility in, significantly smaller capitalization of, and relative illiquidity of, the Russian market. There can also be no assurance that a Fund’s investments in the Russian securities market would not be expropriated, nationalized or otherwise

confiscated. In the event of the settlement of any such claims or such expropriation, nationalization or other confiscation, a Fund could lose its entire investment. In addition, it may be difficult and more costly to obtain and enforce a judgment in the Russian court system.

Risk of Investing in Singapore. Investments in Singaporean issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency and economic risks specific to Singapore. Specifically, political and economic developments of its neighbors may have an adverse effect on Singapore’s economy. In addition, because its economy is export driven, Singapore relies heavily on its trading partners. China is a major purchaser of Singapore's exports and serves as a source of Singapore's imports. Singapore derives a significant portion of its foreign investments from China. Singapore also has substantial economic exposure to Malaysia and the United States. As a result, Singapore’s economy is susceptible to fluctuations in the world economy. A downturn in the economies of China, Malaysia or the United States, among other countries or regions, could adversely affect Singapore's economy. In addition, Singapore’s economy may be particularly vulnerable to external market changes due to its smaller size.

Risk of Investing in South Africa. South Africa’s two-tiered economy, with one rivaling developed countries and the other exhibiting many characteristics of developing countries, is characterized by uneven distribution of wealth and income and high rates of unemployment. Although economic reforms have been enacted to promote growth and foreign investments, there can be no assurance that these programs will achieve the desired results. In addition, South Africa’s inadequate currency reserves have left its currency vulnerable at times to devaluation. Despite significant reform and privatization, the South African government continues to control a large share of South African economic activity. Heavy regulation of labor and product markets is pervasive and may stifle South African economic growth or cause prolonged periods of recession. The agriculture and mining sectors of South Africa’s economy account for a large portion of its exports and, thus, the South African economy is susceptible to fluctuations in these commodity markets.

Risk of Investing in Spain. Investment in Spanish issuers involves risks that are specific to Spain, including, legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risks. The Spanish economy, along with certain other EU economies, experienced a significant economic slowdown during the financial crisis that began in 2008. In reaction to the crisis, the Spanish government introduced austerity reforms aimed at reducing its fiscal deficit to sustainable levels. Austerity reforms included, among other things, reduction in government employees’ salaries, freezing of pensions, and suspension of public work projects. Such austerity reforms, while directed at stimulating the Spanish economy in the long term, may have a negative short-term effect on Spain’s financial markets. Due largely to outstanding bad loans to construction companies and real estate developers, Spanish banks underwent a series of mergers to increase liquidity and made efforts to shift debt off of their balance sheets. However, reports indicate that debt levels remain high although bank lending has contracted. In addition, unemployment rates remain high. These factors could adversely impact the growth potential of the Spanish stocks in which a Fund is invested. In addition, the Spanish government is continuing a long-running campaign against terrorism. Acts of terrorism on Spanish soil or against Spanish interests may cause uncertainty in the Spanish financial markets and adversely affect the performance of the issuers to which a Fund has exposure. Political tensions and social conflict have escalated recently as a result of a referendum by Catalonia for independence from Spain. The secessionist movement could have a negative impact on the Spanish economy and a destabilizing effect on the country.

Risk of Investing in Sweden. Investment in Swedish issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security and economic risks specific to Sweden. Among other things, Sweden’s economy is heavily dependent on trading relationships with certain key partners, including the United States, Germany and other Western European nations. Future changes in the price or the demand for Swedish products or services by the United States, Germany and other Western European nations or changes in these countries’ economies, trade regulations or currency exchange rates could adversely impact the Swedish economy and the issuers to which a Fund has exposure. Many of the developed Western European nations that Sweden trades with are member states of the EU and EMU. As a result, these member states are dependent on one another economically and politically. Sweden has not joined the EMU, however, the Swedish economy is vulnerable to fluctuations in the economies and monetary policies of its trading partners who are members of the EMU. Sweden has a

generous social welfare system and the level of union membership in Sweden is substantial. These factors can negatively impact the Swedish economy by causing increased government spending, higher production costs and lower productivity, among other things. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the Swedish economy.

Risk of Investing in Switzerland. Investment in Swiss issuers may subject a Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risks specific to Switzerland. Among other things, Switzerland’s economy is heavily dependent on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including the U.S., U.K., France and Germany. Future changes in the price or the demand for Swiss products or services by the U.S., U.K., France and Germany or changes in these countries’ economies, trade regulations or currency exchange rates could adversely impact the Swiss economy and the issuers to which a Fund has exposure. Switzerland’s economy relies heavily on the banking sector. Recently, allegations have surfaced that certain Swiss banking institutions marketed and sold offshore tax evasion services to U.S. citizens. Future litigation or settlements arising from these accusations may have a negative impact on certain companies to which a Fund has exposure. Due to the lack of natural resources, Switzerland is dependent upon imports for raw materials. As a result, any drastic price fluctuations in the price of certain raw materials will likely have a significant impact on the Swiss economy. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, may have an adverse effect on the Swiss economy.

Risk of Investing in Thailand. Investment in Thai issuers involves risks that are specific to Thailand, including, legal, regulatory, political, security and economic risks. Thailand's economy is export-dependent and relies heavily on trading relationships with certain key trading partners, including the United States, China, Japan and other Asian countries. The recent financial crisis and political uncertainty weakened Thailand's economic growth by reducing domestic and international demand for both goods and services. Future changes in the price or the demand for Thailand's exported products by the United States, China, Japan or other Asian countries, or changes in these countries' economies, trade regulations or currency exchange rates could adversely impact the Thai economy and the issuers to which a Fund has exposure.

Risk of Investing in Turkey. Investment in Turkish issuers involves risks that are specific to Turkey, including, legal, regulatory, political, security and economic risks. With few of its own natural resources, the Turkish economy is import-dependent. Turkey’s main import partners include Russia, Germany, China and the United States. The Turkish economy is dependent upon exports to other economies, specifically to Germany, other EU countries and Iraq. As a result, Turkey is dependent on these economies and any change in the price or demand for Turkish exports may have an adverse impact on the Turkish economy. Turkey has historically experienced acts of terrorism and strained relations related to border disputes with certain neighboring countries. Historically, Turkey’s national politics have been unpredictable and subject to influence by the military, and its government may be subject to sudden change. Disparities of wealth, the pace and success of democratization and capital market development and religious and racial disaffection have also led to social and political unrest. Unanticipated or sudden political or social developments may result in sudden and significant investment losses. Such situations may cause uncertainty in the Turkish stock market and as a result adversely affect issuers to which a Fund has exposure.

Risk of Investing in the Energy Sector. Companies in the energy sector are strongly affected by the levels and volatility of global energy prices, energy supply and demand, government regulations and policies, energy production and conservation efforts, technological change, development of alternative energy sources, and other factors that they cannot control. These companies may also lack resources and have limited business lines. Energy companies may have relatively high levels of debt and may be more likely to restructure their businesses if there are downturns in certain energy markets or in the global economy. If an energy company in a Fund's portfolio becomes distressed, a Fund could lose all or a substantial portion of its investment.

The profitability of banks, savings and loan associations and financial companies is largely dependent on the availability and cost of capital funds and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change; for instance, when interest rates go up, the value of securities issued by many types of companies in the financials sector generally goes down. In other words, financial companies may be adversely affected in certain market cycles, including, without limitation, during periods of rising interest rates, which may restrict the availability and increase the cost of capital, and during periods of declining economic conditions, which may cause, among other things, credit losses due to financial difficulties of borrowers.

and may face future government-imposed restrictions on their businesses or increased government intervention. In addition, there is no guarantee that governments will provide any such relief in the future. These actions may cause the securities of many companies in the financials sector to decline in value.

Risk of Investing in the Industrials Sector. The value of securities issued by companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by supply of and demand for both their specific products or services and for industrials sector products in general. The products of manufacturing companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Government regulations, world events and economic conditions may affect the performance of companies in the industrials sector. The industrials sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced by unpredictable factors. For example, commodity price declines and unit volume reductions resulting from an over-supply of materials used in the industrials sector can adversely affect the sector. Furthermore, companies in the industrials sector may be subject to liability for environmental damage, product liability claims, depletion of resources, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control.

patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the information technology sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses. These risks are heightened for information technology companies in foreign markets.

with commercial property, including the tie between income available to service debt and productive use of the property. Real Estate Companies may also invest in debt instruments and preferred equity that are junior in an issuer’s capital structure and that involve privately negotiated structures. Subordinated debt investments, such as B-Notes and mezzanine loans, involve a greater credit risk of default due to the need to service more senior debt of the issuer. Similarly, preferred equity investments involve a greater risk of loss than conventional debt financing due to their non-collateralized nature and subordinated ranking. Investments in commercial mortgage-backed securities may also be junior in priority in the event of bankruptcy or similar proceedings. Investments in senior loans may be effectively subordinated if the senior loan is pledged as collateral. The ability of a holder of junior claims to proceed against a defaulting issuer is circumscribed by the terms of the particular contractual arrangement, which vary considerably from transaction to transaction.

U.S. Tax Risk. Certain U.S. Real Estate Companies are subject to special U.S. federal tax requirements. A REIT that fails to comply with such tax requirements may be subject to U.S. federal income taxation, which may affect the value of the REIT and the characterization of the REIT’s distributions. The U.S. federal tax requirement that a REIT distribute substantially all of its net income to its shareholders may result in a REIT having insufficient capital for future expenditures. A REIT that successfully maintains its qualification may still become subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes, including excise, penalty, franchise, payroll, mortgage recording, and transfer taxes, both directly and indirectly through its subsidiaries.

by unpredictable factors. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the technology sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

Proxy Voting Policy

engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. Copies of the Funds' Proxy Voting Policy and the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines are attached as Appendix A.

Information with respect to how BFA voted proxies relating to the Funds' portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30 is available: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or through the Funds' website at www.iShares.com; and (ii) on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Portfolio Holdings Information

holdings information. Such information may be made available through a publicly available website or other means that make the information available to all likely interested parties contemporaneously.

The Board reviews the policy and procedures for disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually.

Construction and Maintenance of the Underlying Indexes

Descriptions of the Underlying Indexes are provided below.

The MSCI Indexes

•	MSCI Global Standard Indexes cover all investable large- and mid-cap securities by including the largest issuers comprising approximately 85% of each market's free float-adjusted market capitalization.
•	MSCI Global Small Cap Indexes provide coverage of companies with a market capitalization below that of the companies in the MSCI Global Standard Indexes.

MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes

Defining the Equity Universe. MSCI begins with securities listed in countries in the MSCI GIMI. As of October 31, 2017, 23 are classified as developed markets, 24 as emerging markets, and 22 as frontier markets. All listed equity securities and listed securities that exhibit characteristics of equity securities, except mutual funds, ETFs, equity derivatives, limited partnerships and most investment trusts, are eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. REITs in some countries and certain income trusts in Canada are also eligible for inclusion. Each company and its securities (i.e., share classes) are classified in only one country.

Index and MSCI Global Small Cap Index. In order to create size components that can be meaningfully aggregated into composites, individual market size segments balance the following two objectives:

•	Achieving global size integrity by ensuring that companies of comparable and relevant sizes are included in a given size segment across all markets in a composite index; and
•	Achieving consistent market coverage by ensuring that each market's size segment is represented in its proportional weight in the composite universe.

Weighting. All indexes of the MSCI GIMI are free float weighted, i.e., companies are included in the indexes at the value of their free public float (free float multiplied by security price).

Price and Exchange Rates

Exchange Rates. MSCI uses the World Markets/Reuters Closing Spot Rates taken at 4:00 p.m. London time. In case World Markets/Reuters does not provide rates for specific markets on given days (for example, Christmas Day and New Year's Day), the previous business day's rates are normally used. MSCI independently monitors the exchange rates on all its indexes. MSCI may under exceptional circumstances elect to use alternative sources of exchange rates if the World Markets/Reuters rates are not available, or if MSCI determines that the World Markets/Reuters rates are not reflective of market circumstances for a given currency on a particular day. In such circumstances, an announcement would be sent to clients with the related information. If appropriate, MSCI may conduct a consultation with the investment community to gather feedback on the most relevant exchange rate.

Index maintenance can be described by three broad categories of changes:

•	Semi-Annual Index Reviews (“SAIRs”), conducted on a fixed semi-annual timetable that systematically reassess the various dimensions of the equity universe for all markets;
•	Quarterly Index Reviews (“QIRs”), aimed at promptly reflecting other significant market events; and
•	Ongoing event-related changes, such as mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, bankruptcies, reorganizations and other similar corporate events, which generally are implemented in the indexes as they occur.

Potential changes in the status of countries (stand-alone, frontier, emerging and developed) follow their own implementation time tables.

MSCI 25/50 Indexes

MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 35

Index Description. The MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners IMI is a capped free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index comprised of companies primarily engaged in the business of gold mining in both developed and emerging markets.

MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 30

Index Description. The MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners IMI is a capped free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index compromised of companies primarily engaged in the business of silver mining in both developed and emerging markets.

MSCI Australia Index

Number of Components: approximately 70

Index Description. The MSCI Australia Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Australian Stock Exchange.

MSCI Austria IMI 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 25

Index Description. The MSCI Austria IMI 25/50 Index is designed to measure broad-based equity market performance in Austria.

MSCI Belgium IMI 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 44

Index Description. The MSCI Belgium IMI 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Brussels Stock Exchange.

MSCI Canada Custom Capped Index

Number of Components: approximately 94

Index Description. The MSCI Canada Custom Capped Index is designed to measure broad-based equity performance in Canada.

MSCI EMU Index

Number of Components: approximately 240

Index Description. The MSCI EMU Index consists of stocks from the following 10 markets: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

MSCI France Index

Number of Components: approximately 75

Index Description. The MSCI France Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Paris Stock Exchange.

MSCI Germany Index

Number of Components: approximately 58

Index Description. The MSCI Germany Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

MSCI Hong Kong Index

Number of Components: approximately 45

Index Description. The MSCI Hong Kong Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK).

MSCI Israel Capped Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 65

Index Description. The MSCI Israel Capped IMI consists of stocks traded primarily on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.

MSCI Italy 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 24

Index Description. The MSCI Italy 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Milan Stock Exchange.

withheld at the rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. Such withholding rates may differ from those applicable to U.S. residents.

MSCI Japan Index

Number of Components: approximately 320

Index Description. The MSCI Japan Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

MSCI Japan Small Cap Index

Number of Components: approximately 899

Index Description. The MSCI Japan Small Cap Index targets a coverage range between 85% and 99% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization, which consists of stocks traded primarily on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

MSCI Mexico IMI 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 59

Index Description. The MSCI Mexico IMI 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Mexican Stock Exchange.

MSCI Netherlands IMI 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 58

Index Description. The MSCI Netherlands IMI 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

MSCI Pacific ex Japan Index

Number of Components: approximately 149

Index Description. The MSCI Pacific ex Japan Index is designed to measure equity market performance in the Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore equity markets.

MSCI Russia 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 22

Index Description. The MSCI Russia 25/50 Index is designed to measure the performance of equity securities in the top 85% by market capitalization of equity securities listed on stock exchanges in Russia. The Underlying Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Underlying Index weight, and all issuers with a weight above 5% do not cumulatively exceed 50% of the Underlying Index weight. The Underlying Index is a customized variation of the MSCI Russia Index, designed to take into account the investment diversification requirements applicable to RICs pursuant to Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code.

MSCI Singapore 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 27

Index Description. The MSCI Singapore 25/50 Index is designed to measure the performance of large- and mid-cap segments of the Singapore market.

MSCI South Africa 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 53

Index Description. The MSCI South Africa 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

MSCI Spain 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 24

Index Description. The MSCI Spain 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

MSCI Sweden 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 31

Index Description. The MSCI Sweden 25/50 Index is designed to measure the performance of large- and mid-cap segments of the Swedish market.

MSCI Switzerland 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 36

Index Description. The MSCI Switzerland 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Zurich Stock Exchange.

MSCI Thailand IMI 25/50 Index

Number of Components: approximately 124

Index Description. The MSCI Thailand IMI 25/50 Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

MSCI Turkey Investable Market Index (IMI)

Number of Components: approximately 63

Index Description. The MSCI Turkey IMI consists of stocks traded primarily on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE).

MSCI USA Equal Weighted Index

Number of Components: approximately 634

Index Description. The MSCI USA Equal Weighted Index (the “Underlying Index”), which is an equally-weighted securities index that measures the performance of equity securities in the top 85% by market capitalization of equity securities listed on stock exchanges in the United States and which represents an alternative weighting scheme to its market capitalization-weighted parent index, the MSCI USA Index. The Underlying Index is rebalanced quarterly, at which time all securities in the Underlying Index are weighted equally. Between rebalances, the weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index will fluctuate due to price performance.

Calculation Methodology. The Underlying Index is rebalanced in February, May, August and November. On each rebalance date, the Underlying Index applies equal weights to the securities in the Index. Between each rebalance date, the weight of the securities in the Underlying Index may deviate from the equal weighting applied on the prior rebalance date depending on the performance of each security. The Fund utilizes the Underlying Index calculated with net dividends reinvested. MSCI uses the relevant U.S. dividend withholding tax rates in calculating the net dividends. The regular cash dividend is reinvested after deduction of withholding tax by applying the maximum U.S. rate applicable to institutional investors. Net dividends means dividends after taxes withheld at the rate applicable to U.S. resident institutional investors.

MSCI World Index

Number of Components: approximately 1,652

Index Description. The MSCI World Index is designed to measure the performance of equity securities in the top 85% of equity market capitalization, in certain developed market countries.

Additional Information. “MSCI,” MSCI ACWI Select Gold Miners IMI, MSCI ACWI Select Silver Miners IMI, MSCI Australia Index, MSCI Austria IMI 25/50 Index, MSCI Belgium IMI 25/50 Index, MSCI Canada Custom Capped Index, MSCI EMU Index, MSCI France Index, MSCI Germany Index, MSCI Hong Kong Index, MSCI Israel Capped IMI, MSCI Italy 25/50 Index, MSCI Japan Index, MSCI Japan Small Cap Index, MSCI Mexico IMI 25/50 Index, MSCI Netherlands IMI 25/50 Index, MSCI Pacific ex Japan Index, MSCI Russia 25/50 Index, MSCI Singapore 25/50 Index, MSCI South Africa 25/50 Index, MSCI Spain 25/50 Index, MSCI Sweden 25/50 Index, MSCI Switzerland 25/50 Index, MSCI Thailand IMI 25/50 Index, MSCI Turkey IMI, MSCI USA Equal Weighted Index and MSCI World Index are servicemarks of MSCI Inc. and have been licensed for use by BFA or its affiliates. The Funds are neither sponsored, endorsed, sold nor promoted by MSCI Inc., and MSCI Inc. makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in any of the Funds.

Investment Restrictions

The Board has adopted as non-fundamental policies the investment objectives of the Funds discussed in this SAI. Therefore, each Fund may change its investment objective and its Underlying Index without shareholder approval. The Board has adopted as fundamental policies the following numbered investment restrictions, which cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the applicable Fund’s outstanding voting securities. A vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund is defined in the 1940 Act as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

Each of the iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF and iShares Switzerland ETF will not:

1.	Lend any funds or other assets except through the purchase of all or a portion of an issue of securities or obligations of

	the type in which it is permitted to invest (including participation interests in such securities or obligations) and except that a Fund may lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets;
2.	Issue senior securities or borrow money, except borrowings from banks for temporary or emergency purposes in an amount up to 33 1/3% of the value of the Fund’s total assets (including the amount borrowed), valued at the lesser of cost or market, less liabilities (not including the amount borrowed) valued at the time the borrowing is made, and the Fund will not purchase securities while borrowings in excess of 5% of the Fund’s total assets are outstanding, provided, that for purposes of this restriction, short-term credits necessary for the clearance of transactions are not considered borrowings;
3.	Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings. (The deposit of underlying securities and other assets in escrow and collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin for currency transactions and futures contracts will not be deemed to be pledges of the Fund’s assets);
4.	Purchase a security (other than obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if as a result 25% or more of its total assets would be invested in a single issuer. (This restriction applies to the iShares MSCI Singapore ETF only);
5.	Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or mineral interests or leases, but a Fund may purchase and sell securities that are issued by companies that invest or deal in such assets;
6.	Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its portfolio;
7.	Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, except that a Fund may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in currencies, options, futures and options on futures;
8.	Sell securities short; or
9.	Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that a Fund may buy and sell currencies and forward contracts with respect thereto, and may transact in futures contracts on securities, stock indices and currencies and options on such futures contracts and make margin deposits in connection with such contracts.

Each of the iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF and iShares MSCI Sweden ETF will not:

1.	Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;
2.	Issue any senior security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;
3.	Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings. (The deposit of underlying securities and other assets in escrow and collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin for currency transactions and futures contracts will not be deemed to be pledges of the Fund’s assets);
4.	Purchase, hold or deal in real estate, or oil, gas or mineral interests or leases, but a Fund may purchase and sell securities that are issued by companies that invest or deal in such assets;
5.	Act as an underwriter of securities of other issuers, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the sale of securities in its portfolio;
6.	Purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, except that a Fund may make margin deposits in connection with transactions in currencies, options, futures and options on futures;
7.	Sell securities short; or

Invest in commodities or commodity contracts, except that a Fund may buy and sell currencies and forward contracts with respect thereto, and may transact in futures contracts on securities, stock indices and currencies and options on such futures contracts and make margin deposits in connection with such contracts.

Each of the iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF will not:

1.	Concentrate its investments (i.e., invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries), except that a Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of such particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry;
2.	Borrow money, except that (i) each Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests which might otherwise require the untimely disposition of securities, and (ii) each Fund may, to the extent consistent with its investment policies, enter into repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, forward roll transactions and similar investment strategies and techniques. To the extent that it engages in transactions described in (i) and (ii), each Fund will be limited so that no more than 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) is derived from such transactions. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law;
3.	Issue any senior security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;
4.	Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time;
5.	Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other investments (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or securities or other instruments backed by real estate or mortgages), or commodities or commodity contracts (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from trading in futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including options on currencies to the extent consistent with each Fund's investment objectives and policies); or
6.	Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that each Fund may technically be deemed to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act, the disposing of portfolio securities.

Each of the iShares Global Gold Miners ETF and the iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF will not:

1.	Concentrate its investments (i.e., invest 25% or more of its total assets in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries), except that each Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
2.	Borrow money, except that (i) each Fund may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency (not leveraging) purposes, including the meeting of redemption requests which might otherwise require the untimely disposition of securities, and (ii) each Fund may, to the extent consistent with its investment policies, enter into repurchase agreements, reverse repurchase agreements, forward roll transactions and similar investment strategies and techniques. To the extent that it engages in transactions described in (i) and (ii), each Fund will be limited so that no more than 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) is derived from such transactions. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law.
3.	Issue any senior security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by any regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

4.	Make loans, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as interpreted, modified or otherwise permitted by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.
5.	Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business or securities or other instruments backed by real estate or mortgages), or commodities or commodity contracts (but this restriction shall not prevent each Fund from investing in securities of companies engaged in the production, ownership or distribution of commodities or in commodity-related businesses or from trading in futures contracts and options on futures contracts, including options on currencies to the extent consistent with each Fund’s investment objective and policies).
6.	Engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that each Fund may technically be deemed to be an underwriter under the Securities Act, in disposing of portfolio securities.

Industry concentration. The iShares MSCI Singapore ETF has the following concentration policy: With respect to the two most heavily weighted industries or groups of industries in its benchmark MSCI Index, the Fund will invest in securities (consistent with its investment objective and other investment policies) so that the weighting of each such industry or group of industries in the Fund does not diverge by more than 10% from the respective weighting of such industry or group of industries in its benchmark MSCI Index. An exception to this policy is that if investment in the stock of a single issuer would account for more than 25% of the Fund, the Fund will invest less than 25% of its net assets in such stock and will reallocate the excess to stock(s) in the same industry or group of industries, and/or to stock(s) in another industry or group of industries, in its benchmark MSCI Index. The Fund will evaluate these industry weightings at least weekly, and at the time of evaluation will adjust its portfolio composition to the extent necessary to maintain compliance with the above policy. The Fund may not concentrate its investments except as discussed above. The Board has adopted this policy as fundamental, which means that it may not be changed with respect to a Fund without the approval of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities.

As of September 30, 2017, the iShares MSCI Singapore ETF was concentrated (i.e., invested 25% or more of its total assets) in the specified industry, which is approximately the same extent that the Fund's Underlying Index is concentrated:

Fund		Industry or Industries
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF		Banks

Each of the iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF will not concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets in the stocks of a particular industry or group of industries), except that, to the extent practicable, the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its benchmark MSCI Index concentrates in the stocks of such particular industry or group of industries, provided that the Fund will comply with the diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to RICs, any underlying Treasury regulations or any successor provisions.

As of September 30, 2017, each of the following Funds was concentrated (i.e., held 25% or more of its total assets) in the specified industries, which is approximately the same extent that the Funds’ Underlying Indexes are concentrated:

Fund		Industry or Industries
iShares MSCI Australia ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI Canada ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF		Mining
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF		Mining

Fund		Industry or Industries
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI Russia ETF		Oil & Gas
iShares MSCI Spain ETF		Banks
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF		Pharmaceuticals
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF		Banks

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies set forth above, the iShares MSCI Russia ETF has adopted a non-fundamental policy not to invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, or purchase or otherwise acquire any illiquid security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, which currently permits up to 15% of the Fund’s net assets to be invested in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment).

BFA monitors the liquidity of restricted securities in the Fund’s portfolio. In reaching liquidity decisions, BFA considers the following factors:

•	The frequency of trades and quotes for the security;
•	The number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers;
•	Dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and
•	The nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer).

The iShares MSCI Russia ETF has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in component securities of the Underlying Index or in Depositary Receipts representing securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

In addition to the investment limitations adopted as fundamental as set forth above, each Fund (other than iShares MSCI Russia ETF) observes the following restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without a shareholder vote. A Fund will not:

1.	Invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, or in any event purchase and hold more than 10% of the securities of a single issuer, provided that the Company may vote the investment securities owned by each Fund in accordance with its views; or
2.	Hold illiquid assets in excess of 15% of its net assets. An illiquid asset is any asset which may not be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the investment.

For purposes of the percentage limitation on each Fund's (other than iShares MSCI Russia ETF) investments in illiquid securities, foreign equity securities, though not registered under the 1933 Act, are not deemed illiquid with respect to each Fund if they are otherwise readily marketable. Such securities ordinarily are considered to be “readily marketable” if they are traded on an exchange or other organized market and are not legally restricted from sale by the Fund. BFA monitors the liquidity of restricted securities in each Fund's portfolio. In reaching liquidity decisions, BFA considers the following factors:

1.	The frequency of trades and quotes for the security;
2.	The number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers;
3.	Dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and

4.	The nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer).

If any percentage restriction described above is complied with to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from any change in value or total or net assets will not constitute in a violation of such restriction, except that certain percentage limitations will be observed continuously in accordance with applicable law.

Each Fund (other than iShares MSCI Russia ETF) has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in component securities, and in ADRs based on securities, in its Underlying Index. Each Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days' prior written notice of any change in such policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, a Fund's future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

Each Fund has adopted a non-fundamental limitation such that, under normal market conditions, any borrowings by the Fund will not exceed 10% of the Fund’s net assets.

Continuous Offering

Management

Interested Directors

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Robert S. Kapito¹ (60)	Director (since 2009).	President, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. and Head of BlackRock’s Portfolio Management Group (since its formation in 1998) and BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities (since 1988); Trustee, University of Pennsylvania (since 2009); President of Board of Directors, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund (since 2002).	Director of BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2009); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Mark K. Wiedman² (47)	Director (since 2013).	Senior Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014); Global Head of BlackRock’s ETF and Index Investments Business (since 2016); Global Head of iShares (2011-2016); Head of Corporate Strategy, BlackRock, Inc. (2009-2011).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2013); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2013); Director of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. (since 2008).

¹	Robert S. Kapito is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.
²	Mark K. Wiedman is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.

Independent Directors

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Cecilia H. Herbert (68)	Director (since 2005); Independent Board Chair (since 2016).	Trustee and Member of the Finance, Technology and Quality Committee of Stanford Health Care (since 2016); Trustee and Member of the Investment Committee, WNET, a New York public media company (since 2011); Chair (1994-2005) and Member (since 1992) of the Investment Committee, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Director (1998-2013) and President (2007-2011) of the Board of Directors, Catholic Charities CYO; Trustee (2002-2011) and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee (2006-2010) of the Thacher School.	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Independent Board Chair of iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2016); Trustee of Forward Funds (14 portfolios) (since 2009); Trustee of Salient MF Trust (4 portfolios) (since 2015).
Jane D. Carlin (61)	Director (since 2015); Risk Committee Chair (since 2016).	Consultant (since 2012); Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Holding Company Governance & Assurance and the Global Head of Operational Risk Management of Morgan Stanley (2006-2012).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2015); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2015); Director of PHH Corporation (mortgage solutions) (since 2012); Director of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (since 2016).
Richard L. Fagnani (63)	Director (since 2017); Equity Plus Committee Chair (since 2017).	Partner, KPMG LLP (2002-2016).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
Charles A. Hurty (74)	Director (since 2005); Audit Committee Chair (since 2006).	Retired; Partner, KPMG LLP (1968-2001).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director of SkyBridge Alternative Investments Multi-Adviser Hedge Fund Portfolios LLC (2 portfolios) (since 2002).
John E. Kerrigan (62)	Director (since 2005); Securities Lending Committee Chair (since 2016).	Chief Investment Officer, Santa Clara University (since 2002).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Drew E. Lawton (58)	Director (since 2017); 15(c) Committee Chair (since 2017).	Senior Managing Director of New York Life Insurance Company (2010-2015).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
John E. Martinez (56)	Director (since 2003); Fixed Income Plus Committee Chair (since 2016).	Director of Real Estate Equity Exchange, Inc. (since 2005).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2003); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).

Name (Age)		Position		Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years		Other Directorships Held by Director
Madhav V. Rajan (53)		Director (since 2011); Nominating and Governance Committee Chair (since 2017).		Dean, and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (since 2017); Robert K. Jaedicke Professor of Accounting, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2001-2017); Professor of Law (by courtesy), Stanford Law School (2005-2017); Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Head of MBA Program, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2010-2016).		Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2011); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director, Cavium, Inc. (since 2013).

Officers

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years
Martin Small (42)	President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2010); Head of U.S. iShares (since 2015); Co-Head of the U.S. Financial Markets Advisory Group, BlackRock, Inc. (2008-2014).
Jack Gee (58)	Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (since 2008).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Senior Director of Fund Administration of Intermediary Investor Business, BGI (2009).
Charles Park (50)	Chief Compliance Officer (since 2006).	Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the Equity-Bond Complex, the Equity-Liquidity Complex and the Closed-End Complex (since 2014); Chief Compliance Officer of BFA (since 2006).
Benjamin Archibald (42)	Secretary (since 2015).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2010-2013); Secretary of the BlackRock-advised mutual funds (since 2012).
Steve Messinger (55)	Executive Vice President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014 and since 2016); Managing Director, Beacon Consulting Group (2014-2016).
Scott Radell (49)	Executive Vice President (since 2012).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Head of Portfolio Solutions, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).

Name (Age)		Position		Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years
Alan Mason (57)		Executive Vice President (since 2016).		Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).

Robert S. Kapito has been a Director of the Company since 2009. Mr. Kapito has served as a Trustee of iShares Trust since 2009, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2011 and a Director of BlackRock, Inc. since 2006. Mr. Kapito served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. In addition, he has over 20 years of experience as part of BlackRock, Inc. and BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities. Mr. Kapito serves as President of BlackRock, Inc., and is a member of the Global Executive Committee and Chairman of the Global Operating Committee. He is responsible for day-to-day oversight of BlackRock's key operating units, including Investment Strategies, Client Businesses, Technology & Operations, and Risk & Quantitative Analysis. Prior to assuming his current responsibilities in 2007, Mr. Kapito served as Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. and Head of BlackRock's Portfolio Management Group. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing all portfolio management within BlackRock, including the Fixed Income, Equity, Liquidity, and Alternative Investment Groups. Mr. Kapito serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors. He has also been President of the Board of Directors for the Hope & Heroes Children's Cancer Fund since 2002. Mr. Kapito earned a BS degree in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1979, and an MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1983.

ETF, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. In addition, Ms. Herbert has served as Trustee of the Forward Funds since 2009, which was purchased by Salient Partners in 2015, and has also served as Trustee of the Salient MF Trust since 2015. She has served since 1992 on the Investment Council of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and was Chair from 1994 to 2005. She has served as a Trustee of Stanford Health Care since 2016 and as a Trustee of WNET, New York’s public media station, since 2011. She was President of the Board of Catholic Charities CYO, the largest social services agency in the San Francisco Bay Area, from 2007 to 2011 and a member of that board from 1992 to 2013. She previously served as Trustee of the Pacific Select Funds from 2004 to 2005 and Trustee of the Montgomery Funds from 1992 to 2003. She worked from 1973 to 1990 at J.P. Morgan/Morgan Guaranty Trust doing international corporate finance and corporate lending, retiring as Managing Director and Head of the West Coast Office. Ms. Herbert has been on numerous non-profit boards, chairing investment and finance committees. She holds a double major in economics and communications from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

of iShares Trust since 2016, a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2011, Chair of the Fixed Income Plus Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2012 to 2015, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust from 2011 to 2012 and Chair of the Securities Lending Committee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust since 2016. Mr. Kerrigan served as a Director of iShares MSCI Russia Capped ETF, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. Mr. Kerrigan has served as Chief Investment Officer of Santa Clara University since 2002. Mr. Kerrigan was formerly a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch & Co., including the following responsibilities: Managing Director, Institutional Client Division, Western United States. Mr. Kerrigan has been a Director, since 1999, of The BASIC Fund (Bay Area Scholarships for Inner City Children). Mr. Kerrigan has a BA degree from Boston College and is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder.

Award for Lifetime Achievement and Service. He has taught accounting for over 25 years to undergraduate, MBA and law students, as well as to senior executives. From 2010 to 2016, Mr. Rajan served as the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and head of the MBA Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Mr. Rajan served as editor of “The Accounting Review” from 2002 to 2008 and is co-author of “Cost Accounting: A Managerial Emphasis,” a leading cost accounting textbook. Mr. Rajan holds MS and PhD degrees in Accounting from Carnegie Mellon University.

Board – Leadership Structure and Oversight Responsibilities

The Board has appointed an Independent Director to serve in the role of Board Chair. The Board Chair’s role is to preside at all meetings of the Board and to act as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys, and other Directors generally between meetings. The Board Chair may also perform such other functions as may be delegated by the Board from time to time. The Board has established seven standing Committees: a Nominating and Governance Committee, an Audit Committee, a 15(c) Committee, a Securities Lending Committee, a Risk Committee, an Equity Plus Committee and a Fixed Income Plus Committee to assist the Board in the oversight and direction of the business and affairs of the Funds, and from time to time the Board may establish ad hoc committees or informal working groups to review and address the policies and practices of the Funds with respect to certain specified matters. The Chair of each standing Committee is an Independent Director. The role of the Chair of each Committee is to preside at all meetings of the Committee and to act as a liaison with service providers, officers, attorneys and other Directors between meetings. Each standing Committee meets regularly to conduct the oversight functions delegated to the Committee by the Board and reports its finding to the Board. The Board and each standing Committee conduct annual assessments of their oversight function and structure. The Board has determined that the Board’s leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise independent judgment over management and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees of Independent Directors and the full Board to enhance effective oversight.

The members of the Nominating and Governance Committee are Madhav V. Rajan (Chair), Jane D. Carlin, Drew E. Lawton and John E. Martinez, each of whom is an Independent Director. The Nominating and Governance Committee nominates individuals for Independent Director membership on the Board and recommends appointments to the Advisory Board. The Nominating and Governance Committee functions include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) reviewing the qualifications of any person properly identified or nominated to serve as an Independent Director; (ii) recommending to the Board and current Independent Directors the nominee(s) for appointment as an Independent Director by the Board and current Independent Directors and/or for election as Independent Directors by shareholders to fill any vacancy for a position of Independent Director(s) on the Board; (iii) recommending to the Board and current Independent Directors the size and composition of the Board and Board committees and whether they comply with applicable laws and regulations; (iv) recommending a current Independent Director to the Board and current Independent Directors to serve as Board Chair; (v) periodic review of the Board's retirement policy; and (vi) recommending an appropriate level of compensation for the Independent Directors for their services as Directors, members or chairpersons of committees of the Board, Board Chair and any other positions as the Nominating and Governance Committee considers appropriate. The Nominating and Governance Committee does not consider Board nominations recommended by shareholders (acting solely in their capacity as a shareholder and not in any other capacity). The Nominating and Governance Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

As the Chair of the Board, Cecilia H. Herbert may serve as an ex-officio member of each Committee.

The following table sets forth, as of December 31, 2016, the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by each Director and Advisory Board Member in the Funds and in other registered investment companies overseen by the Director or Advisory Board Member within the same family of investment companies as the Company. Ownership is not shown for Richard L. Fagnani because he was appointed to serve as an Advisory Board Member effective April 1, 2017. If a fund is not listed below, the Director or Advisory Board Member did not own any securities in that fund as of the date indicated above:

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
Robert S. Kapito	None	None	None

Mark K. Wiedman	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares New York Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Cecilia H. Herbert	iShares California Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$50,001-$100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares International Select Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI Japan ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Jane D. Carlin	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Richard L. Fagnani	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable

Charles A. Hurty	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Moderate Allocation ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Global Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Healthcare ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Technology ETF	Over $100,000

John E. Kerrigan	iShares MSCI ACWI ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short-Term National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Drew E. Lawton	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	$50,001-$100,000	$50,001-$100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies

John E. Martinez	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$1-$10,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares TIPS Bond ETF	$50,001-$100,000

Madhav V. Rajan	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Select Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	Over $100,000

Remuneration of Directors and Advisory Board Members.

Name	iShares MSCI Australia ETF	iShares MSCI Austria ETF	iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	iShares MSCI Canada ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	508	67	21	899
Cecilia H. Herbert	545	72	23	965
Charles A. Hurty	530	70	22	938
John E. Kerrigan	508	67	21	899
Madhav V. Rajan	539	71	23	954
Jane D. Carlin	508	67	21	899
Drew E. Lawton²	440	58	18	778
Richard L. Fagnani³	207	27	9	367

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	iShares MSCI France ETF	iShares MSCI Germany ETF	iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	3,306	184	1,156	113
Cecilia H. Herbert	3,548	198	1,241	121
Charles A. Hurty	3,451	192	1,207	117
John E. Kerrigan	3,306	184	1,156	113
Madhav V. Rajan	3,508	195	1,227	119
Jane D. Carlin	3,306	184	1,156	113
Drew E. Lawton²	2,863	159	1,001	97
Richard L. Fagnani³	1,351	75	472	46

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	iShares MSCI Israel ETF	iShares MSCI Italy ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	18	534	26	240
Cecilia H. Herbert	20	573	28	258
Charles A. Hurty	19	557	27	251
John E. Kerrigan	18	534	26	240
Madhav V. Rajan	20	566	27	255

Name	iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	iShares MSCI Israel ETF	iShares MSCI Italy ETF
Jane D. Carlin	18	534	26	240
Drew E. Lawton²	16	462	22	208
Richard L. Fagnani³	8	218	10	98

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI Japan ETF	iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	4,260	54	379	55
Cecilia H. Herbert	4,572	58	407	59
Charles A. Hurty	4,447	57	396	58
John E. Kerrigan	4,260	54	379	55
Madhav V. Rajan	4,520	58	402	59
Jane D. Carlin	4,260	54	379	55
Drew E. Lawton²	3,689	47	328	48
Richard L. Fagnani³	1,740	22	155	23

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	iShares MSCI Russia ETF	iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	iShares MSCI South Africa ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	898	149	173	121
Cecilia H. Herbert	963	159	185	130
Charles A. Hurty	937	155	180	126
John E. Kerrigan	898	149	173	121
Madhav V. Rajan	952	158	183	128
Jane D. Carlin	898	149	173	121
Drew E. Lawton²	777	129	149	105
Richard L. Fagnani³	367	61	71	49

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name		iShares MSCI Spain ETF		iShares MSCI Sweden ETF		iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF		iShares MSCI Thailand ETF
Independent Directors:

Name	iShares MSCI Spain ETF	iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	424	132	360	102
Cecilia H. Herbert	455	142	387	110
Charles A. Hurty	443	138	376	107
John E. Kerrigan	424	132	360	102
Madhav V. Rajan	450	140	382	109
Jane D. Carlin	424	132	360	102
Drew E. Lawton²	367	115	312	89
Richard L. Fagnani³	173	54	147	42

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0	0

Name	iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	iShares MSCI World ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$ 0	$0
John E. Martinez	122	39	147
Cecilia H. Herbert	131	42	157
Charles A. Hurty	128	41	153
John E. Kerrigan	122	39	147
Madhav V. Rajan	130	41	156
Jane D. Carlin	122	39	147
Drew E. Lawton²	106	34	127
Richard L. Fagnani³	50	16	60

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$ 0	$ 0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0	0

Name	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Company Expenses⁴	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement⁴	Total Compensation From the Funds and Fund Complex⁵
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$81,250
John E. Martinez	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	336,764
Cecilia H. Herbert	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	361,764
Charles A. Hurty	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	340,000
John E. Kerrigan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Madhav V. Rajan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Jane D. Carlin	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000

Interested Directors:

Name	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Company Expenses⁴	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement⁴	Total Compensation From the Funds and Fund Complex⁵

Robert S. Kapito	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	0

Advisory Board Members:

Drew E. Lawton²	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$75,000 ⁶
Richard L. Fagnani³	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable⁷

¹	Served as an Independent Director through March 31, 2016.
²	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Drew E. Lawton for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
³	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Richard L. Fagnani for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from April 1, 2017 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
⁴	No Director or officer is entitled to any pension or retirement benefits from the Company.
⁵	Also includes compensation for service on the Boards of Trustees or the Advisory Board for iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust.
⁶	Total compensation is shown for Drew E. Lawton for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to December 31, 2016.
⁷	Total compensation is not shown for Richard L. Fagnani because he was appointed to serve as an Advisory Board Member of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust effective April 1, 2017.

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.

The Directors and officers of the Company collectively owned less than 1% of each Fund's outstanding shares as of November 30, 2017.

Fund	Name	Percentage of Ownership
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	State Street Bank and Trust Company 1776 Heritage Drive North Quincy, MA 02171	13.84%
	The Bank of New York Mellon 401 Salina Street 2^nd Floor Syracuse, NY 13202	12.22%
	Citibank, N.A. 3800 CitiBank Center Tampa Building A/Floor 2 Tampa, FL 33610	7.60%
	Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 111 Pavonia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07310	6.78%

Fund	Name	Percentage of Ownership
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	Northern Trust Company (The) 801 South Canal Street Chicago, IL 60612	20.41%
	National Financial Services LLC 200 Liberty Street 5^thFloor New York, NY 10281	18.27%
	Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 111 Pavonia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07310	10.75%
	Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC 1300 Thames Street 6^th Floor Baltimore, MD 21231	7.03%
	TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. 1005 N. Ameritrade Place Bellevue, NE 68005	5.41%
	Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC One Madison Ave 3rd Floor New York, NY 10010	5.24%

iShares MSCI World ETF	Citibank, N.A. 3800 CitiBank Center Tampa Building A/Floor 2 Tampa, FL 33610	26.86%
	JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association 14201 Dallas Pkwy 12^thFloor Dallas, TX 75240	19.53%
	Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. 525 Washington Blvd. 11^th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07310	12.03%
	The Bank of New York Mellon 401 Salina Street 2^nd Floor Syracuse, NY 13202	5.53%

and which may cause conflicts of interest that could disadvantage a Fund and its shareholders. These businesses and interests include potential multiple advisory, transactional, financial and other relationships with, or interests in, companies and interests in securities or other instruments that may be purchased or sold by a Fund.

possible that a Fund will sustain losses during periods in which one or more Affiliates or Affiliate-managed accounts achieve significant profits on their trading for proprietary or other accounts. The opposite result is also possible.

commercial capacities. No accounting to a Fund or its shareholders will be required, and no fees or other compensation payable by a Fund or its shareholders will be reduced by reason of receipt by an Affiliate of any such fees or other amounts.

BlackRock in the investment decision-making process (including with respect to futures, fixed-price offerings and OTC transactions). Such research or other services may include, to the extent permitted by law, research reports on companies, industries and securities; economic and financial data; financial publications; proxy analysis; trade industry seminars; computer data bases; research-oriented software and other services and products. Research or other services obtained in this manner may be used in servicing other BlackRock client accounts, including in connection with BlackRock client accounts other than those that pay commissions to the broker relating to the research or other service arrangements. Such products and services may disproportionately benefit other BlackRock client accounts relative to the Funds based on the amount of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds and such other BlackRock client accounts. For example, research or other services that are paid for through one client's commissions may not be used in managing that client's account. In addition, other BlackRock client accounts may receive the benefit, including disproportionate benefits, of economies of scale or price discounts in connection with products and services that may be provided to the Funds and to such other BlackRock client accounts. To the extent that BlackRock uses soft dollars, it will not have to pay for those products and services itself.

or ability to comply with the listing requirements for the Fund. BlackRock seeks to consider the effect of redemptions on a Fund and other shareholders in deciding whether to redeem its shares but is not obligated to do so and may elect not to do so.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates, their personnel and other financial service providers may have interests in promoting sales of a Fund. With respect to BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their personnel, the remuneration and profitability relating to services to and sales of a Fund or other products may be greater than remuneration and profitability relating to services to and sales of certain funds or other products that might be provided or offered. BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their sales personnel may directly or indirectly receive a portion of the fees and commissions charged to a Fund or its shareholders. BlackRock and its advisory or other personnel may also benefit from increased amounts of assets under management. Fees and commissions may also be higher than for other products or services, and the remuneration and profitability to BlackRock or the other Affiliates and such personnel resulting from transactions on behalf of or management of a Fund may be greater than the remuneration and profitability resulting from other funds or products.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their directors, officers and employees, may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts and may have conflicts of interest with respect to investments made on behalf of a Fund. As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, positions may be taken by directors, officers, employees and Affiliates that are the same, different from or made at different times than positions taken for the Fund. To lessen the possibility that a Fund will be adversely affected by this personal trading, each Fund, BFA and BlackRock, Inc. have each adopted a code of ethics in compliance with Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act that restricts securities trading in the personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding a Fund's portfolio transactions. Each code of ethics is available by contacting BlackRock or by accessing the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC's Public Reference Room, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about accessing documents on the SEC’s website may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates may not serve as Authorized Participants in the creation and redemption of iShares ETFs, but may serve as authorized participants of third-party ETFs.

Present and future activities of BlackRock and the other Affiliates, including BFA, in addition to those described in this section, may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

“flash crash,” such as the one that occurred on May 6, 2010. On September 18, 2017, the Court issued a Statement of Decision holding that the Plaintiffs lack standing to assert their claims. On October 11, 2017, the Court entered final judgment dismissing all of Plaintiffs’ claims with prejudice. Plaintiffs have appealed the Court’s decision.

Investment Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services

For its investment advisory services to the iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, BFA is paid a management fee from the Fund corresponding to the Fund’s allocable portion of an aggregate management fee based on the aggregate average daily net assets of the following iShares funds: iShares Latin America 40 ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares Russell 2000 ETF, iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF, iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF, iShares Select Dividend ETF and iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF. The aggregate management fee is calculated as follows: 0.500% per annum of the aggregate net assets less than or equal to $46 billion, plus 0.4750% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $46 billion, up to and including $81 billion, plus 0.4513% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $81 billion, up to and including $111 billion, plus 0.4287% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $111 billion, up to and including $141 billion, plus 0.4073% of the aggregate net assets in excess of $141 billion.

iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI New Zealand ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF and iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF. The aggregate management fee is calculated as follows: 0.59% per annum of the aggregate net assets less than or equal to $7.0 billion, plus 0.54% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $7.0 billion, up to and including $11.0 billion, plus 0.49% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $11.0 billion, up to and including $24.0 billion, plus 0.44% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $24.0 billion, up to and including $48.0 billion, plus 0.40% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $48.0 billion, up to and including $72.0 billion, plus 0.36% per annum of the aggregate net assets over $72.0 billion, up to and including $96.0 billion, plus 0.32% per annum of the aggregate net assets in excess of $96.0 billion.

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA received a management fee at the annual rates (as a percentage of such Fund’s average net assets) set forth below for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Management Fee for the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Fund Inception Date	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	$ 8,765,631	$ 6,860,963	$ 7,960,415
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	591,323	295,007	292,186
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	442,656	898,831	784,484
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	15,654,293	11,048,003	12,771,622
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	0.49%	07/25/00	46,002,461	56,101,620	43,090,544
iShares MSCI France ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	1,888,632	1,755,176	1,578,364
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	20,888,860	24,428,612	28,550,112
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	0.39%	01/31/12	977,649	451,251	216,127
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	0.39%	01/31/12	266,110	128,700	52,280
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	8,623,265	9,828,837	15,472,269
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	0.62%	03/26/08	605,776	700,713	778,200
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	2,740,989	4,260,265	4,950,493
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	76,064,253	83,098,869	78,965,332
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	0.49%	12/20/07	711,455	865,162	701,139
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	6,962,143	5,958,256	10,089,636
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	869,772	898,127	789,963
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	0.49%	10/25/01	12,707,117	9,789,421	13,450,529
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	0.62%	11/09/10	2,709,785	1,610,412	1,596,025
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	2,726,470	2,669,085	3,991,035
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	0.62%	02/03/03	2,525,075	2,287,159	2,791,571
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	4,632,509	5,289,563	8,425,166
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	1,664,642	1,567,657	1,789,253
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	0.49%	03/12/96	5,322,718	5,530,695	5,453,148
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	0.62%	03/26/08	2,413,235	1,855,406	2,698,099
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	0.62%	03/26/08	2,304,918	2,183,539	2,927,726
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	0.15%	05/05/10	166,612	74,046	79,043
iShares MSCI World ETF	0.24%	01/10/12	950,275	576,599	513,995

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	233	$896,642,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	11	4,876,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	254	$930,449,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	12	4,899,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	325	$1,000,227,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	302	676,584,000,000
Other Accounts	219	61,456,000,000

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	316	$996,367,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	80	29,287,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0	N/A
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	1	$1,070,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

The discussion below describes the Portfolio Managers' compensation as of August 31, 2017.

Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview

Base compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.

Other Compensation Benefits. In addition to base compensation and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:

Diane Hsiung

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares MSCI Australia ETF

iShares MSCI Austria ETF

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF

iShares MSCI Canada ETF

iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF

iShares MSCI France ETF

iShares MSCI Germany ETF

iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF

iShares MSCI Israel ETF

iShares MSCI Italy ETF

iShares MSCI Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI Mexico ETF

iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF

iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Russia ETF

Diane Hsiung

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares MSCI Singapore ETF

iShares MSCI South Africa ETF

iShares MSCI Spain ETF

iShares MSCI Sweden ETF

iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF

iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

iShares MSCI Turkey ETF

iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

iShares MSCI World ETF

Jennifer Hsui

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares MSCI Australia ETF

iShares MSCI Austria ETF

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF

iShares MSCI Canada ETF

iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF

iShares MSCI France ETF

iShares MSCI Germany ETF

iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF

iShares MSCI Israel ETF

iShares MSCI Italy ETF

iShares MSCI Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI Mexico ETF

iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF

iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Russia ETF

iShares MSCI Singapore ETF

iShares MSCI South Africa ETF

iShares MSCI Spain ETF

iShares MSCI Sweden ETF

iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF

iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

iShares MSCI Turkey ETF

iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

iShares MSCI World ETF

Alan Mason

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares MSCI Australia ETF

iShares MSCI Austria ETF

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF

iShares MSCI Canada ETF

iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF

iShares MSCI France ETF

iShares MSCI Germany ETF

iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF

iShares MSCI Israel ETF

iShares MSCI Italy ETF

iShares MSCI Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI Mexico ETF

iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF

iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Russia ETF

iShares MSCI Singapore ETF

iShares MSCI South Africa ETF

iShares MSCI Spain ETF

iShares MSCI Sweden ETF

iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF

iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

iShares MSCI Turkey ETF

iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

iShares MSCI World ETF

Greg Savage

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares MSCI Australia ETF

iShares MSCI Austria ETF

iShares MSCI Belgium ETF

iShares MSCI Canada ETF

iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF

iShares MSCI France ETF

iShares MSCI Germany ETF

iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF

iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF

iShares MSCI Israel ETF

iShares MSCI Italy ETF

iShares MSCI Japan ETF

Greg Savage

Dollar Range

Fund

None

$1 to $10k

$10,001
to $50k

$50,001
to $100k

$100,001
to $500k

$500,001
to $1m

over
$1m

iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF

iShares MSCI Mexico ETF

iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF

iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF

iShares MSCI Russia ETF

iShares MSCI Singapore ETF

iShares MSCI South Africa ETF

iShares MSCI Spain ETF

iShares MSCI Sweden ETF

iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF

iShares MSCI Thailand ETF

iShares MSCI Turkey ETF

iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

iShares MSCI World ETF

Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) serves as administrator, custodian and transfer agent for the Funds under the Master Services Agreement and related Service Schedule (the “Service Module”). State Street’s principal address is 1 Iron Street, Boston, MA 02210. Pursuant to the Service Module for Fund Administration and Accounting Services with the Company, State Street provides necessary administrative, legal, tax and accounting and financial reporting services for the maintenance and operations of the Company and each Fund. In addition, State Street makes available the office space, equipment, personnel and facilities required to provide such services. Pursuant to the Service Module for Custodial Services with the Company, State Street maintains, in separate accounts, cash, securities and other assets of the Company and each Fund, keeps all necessary accounts and records and provides other services. State Street is required, upon the order of the Company, to deliver securities held by State Street and to make payments for securities purchased by the Company for each Fund. State Street is authorized to appoint certain foreign custodians or foreign custody managers for Fund investments outside the U.S. Pursuant to the Service Module for Transfer Agency Services with the Company, State Street acts as a transfer agent for each Fund’s authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, and as dividend disbursing agent of the Company. As compensation for these services, State Street receives certain out-of-pocket costs, transaction fees and asset-based fees which are accrued daily and paid monthly by BFA from its management fee.

The following table sets forth the administration, custodian and transfer agency expenses of each Fund paid by BFA to State Street for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	03/12/96	$ 138,185	$ 122,545	$ 132,291
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	03/12/96	39,043	41,616	28,942
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	03/12/96	23,676	45,520	34,434
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	03/12/96	145,936	125,146	129,242
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	07/25/00	607,402	714,702	570,597
iShares MSCI France ETF	03/12/96	47,186	55,907	45,238
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	03/12/96	255,047	296,554	346,177
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	01/31/12	32,087	26,340	17,330
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	01/31/12	13,796	16,296	13,830
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	03/12/96	129,758	133,680	209,256
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	03/26/08	68,369	83,416	75,942
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	03/12/96	53,111	72,644	73,306
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	03/12/96	448,466	494,336	476,657
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	12/20/07	12,018	24,007	11,644
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	03/12/96	189,730	175,529	253,667
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	03/12/96	20,073	29,401	24,143
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	10/25/01	213,840	191,087	235,690
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	11/09/10	818,515	500,149	432,003
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	03/12/96	86,692	107,423	124,087
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	02/03/03	57,519	60,034	63,866
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	03/12/96	66,294	71,352	108,761
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	03/12/96	36,133	32,944	39,115
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	03/12/96	78,632	85,893	82,377
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	03/26/08	65,858	63,804	70,441
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	03/26/08	125,836	118,326	147,844
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	05/05/10	28,650	18,174	9,516
iShares MSCI World ETF	01/10/12	37,350	32,614	41,325

Pursuant to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement:

(i) The iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (“Domestic Equity Fund”) retains 71.5% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and (ii) this amount can never be less than 65% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.

Pursuant to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement: (i) All Funds except for the iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF (“International Equity Funds”) retain 80% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and (ii) this amount can never be less than 70% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income (which includes, for this purpose, collateral investment fees) earned across the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex (as defined under “Management—Directors and Officers”) in a calendar year exceeds the aggregate securities lending income earned across the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex in calendar year 2013 (the Hurdle Date), each applicable Fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will receive for the remainder of that calendar year securities lending income as follows:

Domestic Equity Fund

(i) 75% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and (ii) this amount can never be less than 65% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.

International Equity Funds

The services provided to the Funds by BTC in the most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 primarily included the following:

(1) selecting borrowers from an approved list of borrowers and executing a securities lending agreement as agent on behalf of the Funds with each such borrower;

(2) negotiating the terms of securities loans, including the amount of fees;

(3) directing the delivery of loaned securities;

(4) monitoring the daily value of the loaned securities and directing the payment of additional collateral or the return of excess collateral, as necessary;

(5) investing cash collateral received in connection with any loaned securities;

(6) monitoring distributions on loaned securities (for example, interest and dividend activity);

(8) terminating securities loans and arranging for the return of loaned securities to the Funds at loan termination.

The following tables show the dollar amounts of income and fees/compensation related to the securities lending activities of each Fund during its most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Fund	iShares MSCI Australia ETF	iShares MSCI Austria ETF	iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	iShares MSCI Canada ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$ 51,932	$107,539	$100,690	$269,283
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	7,703	19,392	17,406	18,035
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	1,251	1,591	1,509	8,758
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	10,419	6,446	3,750	159,586
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	19,373	27,429	22,665	186,379
Net income from securities lending activities	32,559	80,110	78,025	82,904

Fund	iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	iShares MSCI France ETF	iShares MSCI Germany ETF	iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$2,443,585	$193,954	$373,016	$169,033
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	398,589	35,241	47,807	23,378
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	21,957	130	8,114	2,981

Fund	iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	iShares MSCI France ETF	iShares MSCI Germany ETF	iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	244,977	0	122,305	36,920
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	665,523	35,371	178,226	63,279
Net income from securities lending activities	1,778,062	158,583	194,790	105,754

Fund	iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	iShares MSCI Israel ETF	iShares MSCI Italy ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$ 316,036	$ 870,149	$302,554	$123,831
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	54,968	95,177	42,313	21,191
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	3,173	26,950	4,821	1,587
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	14,540	309,746	61,542	8,745
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	72,681	431,873	108,676	31,523
Net income from securities lending activities	243,355	438,276	193,878	92,308

Fund	iShares MSCI Japan ETF	iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$4,175,863	$249,838	$963,573	$28,576

Fund	iShares MSCI Japan ETF	iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	771,940	44,671	165,457	3,996
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	21,758	2,474	11,297	917
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	0	5,170	83,815	5,340
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	793,698	52,315	260,569	10,253
Net income from securities lending activities	3,382,165	197,523	703,004	18,323

Fund	iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	iShares MSCI Russia ETF	iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	iShares MSCI South Africa ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$534,791	N/A	$ 501,573	$32,053
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	70,705	N/A	68,516	4,425
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	13,352	N/A	12,702	1,117
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	132,695	N/A	110,791	5,966
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	216,752	N/A	192,009	11,508

Fund	iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	iShares MSCI Russia ETF	iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	iShares MSCI South Africa ETF
Net income from securities lending activities	318,039	N/A	309,564	20,545

Fund	iShares MSCI Spain ETF	iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	iShares MSCI Thailand ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$244,251	$22,212	$ 84,143	$ 1,725,876
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	42,562	2,821	9,900	309,926
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	2,108	696	2,999	12,596
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	29,334	7,231	26,665	4,415
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	74,004	10,748	39,564	326,937
Net income from securities lending activities	170,247	11,464	44,579	1,398,939

Fund	iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	iShares MSCI World ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$2,034,874	$63,766	$102,376
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	365,062	10,225	11,014
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	11,683	1,668	2,802
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0

Fund	iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	iShares MSCI World ETF
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	5,022	25,143	40,048
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	0	0
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	381,767	37,036	53,864
Net income from securities lending activities	1,653,107	26,730	48,512

and to provide marketing data to BFA Entities. BFA Entities have agreed to facilitate the Marketing Program by, among other things, making certain payments to FBS and NFS for marketing and implementing certain brokerage and investment programs. Upon termination of the arrangement, the BFA Entities will make additional payments to FBS and/or NFS based upon a number of criteria, including the overall success of the Marketing Program and the level of services provided by FBS and NFS during the wind-down period.

Determination of Net Asset Value

Underlying Funds. Shares of underlying ETFs will be valued at their most recent closing price on an Exchange. Shares of underlying money market funds will be valued at their NAV.

All cash, receivables and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value.

liabilities that are denominated in a foreign currency are converted into U.S. dollars using prevailing market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more data service providers.

values were used in determining a Fund’s NAV. As a result, a Fund’s sale or redemption of its shares at NAV, at a time when a holding or holdings are valued at fair value, may have the effect of diluting or increasing the economic interest of existing shareholders.

Brokerage Transactions

100

exchanges, or traded in OTC markets in the United States or Europe, as the case may be. ADRs, like other securities traded in the United States, will be subject to negotiated commission rates.

101

shares received during the IPO will be allocated among participating client accounts within each investment mandate on a pro rata basis. This pro rata allocation may result in a Fund receiving less of a particular security than if pro-rating had not occurred. All allocations of securities will be subject, where relevant, to share minimums established for accounts and compliance constraints. In situations where supply is too limited to be allocated among all accounts for which the investment is eligible, portfolio managers may rotate such investment opportunities among one or more accounts so long as the rotation system provides for fair access for all client accounts over time. Other allocation methodologies that are considered by BFA to be fair and equitable to clients may be used as well.

In certain instances, BFA may find it efficient for purposes of seeking to obtain best execution, to aggregate or “bunch” certain contemporaneous purchases or sale orders of its advisory accounts and advisory accounts of affiliates. In general, all contemporaneous trades for client accounts under management by the same portfolio manager or investment team will be bunched in a single order if the trader believes the bunched trade would provide each client with an opportunity to achieve a more favorable execution at a potentially lower execution cost. The costs associated with a bunched order will be shared pro rata among the clients in the bunched order. Generally, if an order for a particular portfolio manager or management team is filled at several different prices through multiple trades, all accounts participating in the order will receive the average price (except in the case of certain international markets where average pricing is not permitted). While in some cases this practice could have a detrimental effect upon the price or value of the security as far as the Funds are concerned, in other cases it could be beneficial to the Funds. Transactions effected by BFA or the other Affiliates on behalf of more than one of its clients during the same period may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, causing an adverse effect on price. The trader will give the bunched order to the broker-dealer that the trader has identified as being able to provide the best execution of the order. Orders for purchase or sale of securities will be placed within a reasonable amount of time of the order receipt and bunched orders will be kept bunched only long enough to execute the order.

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	03/12/96	$ 26,446	$ 26,846	$ 68,464
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	03/12/96	7,549	1,425	1,778
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	03/12/96	1,782	7,927	1,285
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	03/12/96	122,196	38,919	47,160
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	07/25/00	135,508	88,817	129,361
iShares MSCI France ETF	03/12/96	9,993	6,018	9,699
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	03/12/96	48,124	43,771	57,810
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	01/31/12	53,218	12,194	4,138
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	01/31/12	12,610	24,717	8,557
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	03/12/96	44,083	28,655	132,602
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	03/26/08	14,172	23,272	11,791

102

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	03/12/96	26,792	31,398	56,309
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	03/12/96	202,458	186,608	149,528
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	12/20/07	2,751	4,991	4,292
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	03/12/96	88,706	72,211	265,575
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	03/12/96	6,025	8,703	4,403
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	10/25/01	28,820	23,397	82,176
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	11/09/10	98,990	40,037	34,551
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	03/12/96	27,395	22,514	29,394
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	02/03/03	30,876	18,575	11,229
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	03/12/96	42,465	29,771	61,447
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	03/12/96	8,262	6,213	6,193
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	03/12/96	21,560	15,801	31,670
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	03/26/08	21,968	43,852	28,314
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	03/26/08	24,285	13,950	20,803
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	05/05/10	3,920	1,174	1,466
iShares MSCI World ETF	01/10/12	3,850	2,099	2,496

Fund	Issuer	Market Value of Investment
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce	$ 83,804,828

iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	Societe Generale SA	$123,390,274
	ABN AMRO Group NV	30,151,493

iShares MSCI France ETF	Societe Generale SA	$ 18,488,392

iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	ABN AMRO Group NV	$ 3,895,999

iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	UBS Group, AG	$ 54,887,983
	Credit Suisse Group AG	41,545,393

iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)	$ 216,133
	Bank of America Corp.	215,512
	Citigroup, Inc.	215,451
	J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.	212,501

iShares MSCI World ETF	J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.	$ 4,327,818
	Bank of America Corp.	3,230,454
	HSBC Holdings PLC	2,566,782
	Citigroup, Inc.	2,505,409
	Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)	1,068,135
	UBS Group, AG	806,474
	Societe Generale SA	589,333

103

Fund	Issuer	Market Value of Investment
	Credit Suisse Group AG	450,437
	Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce	415,038

The Funds' purchase and sale orders for securities may be combined with those of other investment companies, clients or accounts that BlackRock manages or advises. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Funds and one or more other accounts managed or advised by BlackRock are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the Funds and the other accounts in a manner deemed equitable to all by BlackRock. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Funds are concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower transaction costs will be beneficial to the Funds. BlackRock may deal, trade and invest for its own account in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest.BlackRock may, from time to time, effect trades on behalf of and for the account of the Funds with brokers or dealers that are affiliated with BFA, in conformity with the 1940 Act and SEC rules and regulations. Under these provisions, any commissions paid to affiliated brokers or dealers must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions charged by other brokers or dealers in comparable transactions. The Funds will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by applicable SEC rules or regulations, or by SEC exemptive order.

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year as well as within a year. High turnover rates may result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses.

The table below sets forth the portfolio turnover rates of each Fund for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	4%	7%
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	18%	15%
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	8%	19%
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	6%	4%
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	4%	4%
iShares MSCI France ETF	6%	6%
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	3%	3%
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	26%	30%
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	14%	27%
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	8%	9%
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	28%	46%
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	18%	16%
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	4%	4%
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	8%	12%
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	8%	8%
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	14%	24%
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	3%	6%
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	18%	23%
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	12%	7%
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	13%	12%
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	16%	9%
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	9%	7%
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	13%	6%
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	7%	16%
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	6%	6%

104

Fund	Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	27%	28%
iShares MSCI World ETF	3%	5%

Additional Information Concerning the Company

Each share issued by a fund has a pro rata interest in the assets of that fund. The Company is currently authorized to issue 33.85 billion shares of common stock. The following number of shares is currently authorized for each of the funds: iShares Asia/Pacific Dividend ETF, 500 million shares; iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, 2.05 billion shares; iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, 250 million shares; iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF, 25 million shares; iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF, 500 million shares; iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Global ETF, 500 million shares; iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF, 25 million shares; iShares Emerging Markets Dividend ETF, 500 million shares; iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares International High Yield Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares J.P. Morgan EM Corporate Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares J.P. Morgan EM Local Currency Bond ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Australia ETF, 627.8 million shares; iShares MSCI Austria ETF, 100 million shares; iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, 136.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Brazil ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI BRIC ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Canada ETF, 340.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Chile ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Colombia ETF, 25 million shares; iShares MSCI EM ESG Optimized ETF, 25 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Asia ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, 2 billion shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, 25 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI France ETF, 340.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Germany ETF, 482.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, 375 million shares; iShares MSCI Israel ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Italy ETF, 295.4 million shares; iShares MSCI Japan ETF, 2.5246 billion shares; iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, 300 million shares; iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, 255 million shares; iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, 255 million shares; iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI Russia ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI

105

Singapore ETF, 300 million shares; iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, 400 million shares; iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Spain ETF, 127.8 million shares; iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, 63.6 million shares; iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, 318.625 million shares; iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, 900 million shares; iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI World ETF, 500 million shares; and iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF, 500 million shares. Fractional shares will not be issued. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to the relevant fund, and in the net distributable assets of such fund on liquidation. Shareholders are entitled to require the Company to redeem Creation Units of their shares.

Stockholders may make inquiries by writing to iShares, Inc., c/o BlackRock Investments, LLC, 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540.

Termination of the Company or a Fund. The Company or a Fund may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board, or the affirmative vote of a supermajority of the stockholders of the Company or such Fund entitled to vote on termination. Although the shares are not automatically redeemable upon the occurrence of any specific event, the Company's organizational documents provide that the Board will have the unrestricted power to alter the number of shares in a Creation Unit. Therefore, in the event of a termination of the Company or a Fund, the Board, in its sole discretion, could determine to permit the shares to be redeemable in aggregations smaller than Creation Units or to be individually redeemable. In such circumstance, the Company or a Fund may make redemptions in-kind, for cash or for a combination of cash or securities. Further, in the event of a termination of the Company or a Fund, the Company or a Fund might elect to pay cash redemptions to all shareholders, with an in-kind election for shareholders owning in excess of a certain stated minimum amount.

DTC as Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

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Distribution of Shares. In connection with each Fund's launch, each Fund was seeded through the sale of one or more Creation Units by each Fund to one or more initial investors. Initial investors participating in the seeding may be Authorized Participants, a lead market maker or other third party investor or an affiliate of each Fund or each Fund’s adviser. Each such initial investor may sell some or all of the shares underlying the Creation Unit(s) held by them pursuant to the registration statement for each Fund (each, a “Selling Shareholder”), which shares have been registered to permit the resale from time to time after purchase. Each Fund will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale by the Selling Shareholders of these shares.

Any Selling Shareholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

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Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

Fund	Shares Per Creation Unit	Value Per Creation Unit (U.S.$)
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	200,000	$4,468,000
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	100,000	2,335,000
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	80,000	1,693,600
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	100,000	2,885,000
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	100,000	4,331,000
iShares MSCI France ETF	200,000	6,180,000
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	300,000	9,723,000
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	50,000	935,000
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	100,000	1,081,000
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	75,000	1,844,250
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	50,000	2,499,000
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	75,000	2,348,250
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	150,000	8,346,000
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	100,000	7,392,000
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	100,000	5,473,000
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	50,000	1,569,000
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	300,000	13,806,000
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	50,000	1,674,000
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	50,000	1,216,000
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	100,000	5,842,000
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	75,000	2,532,750
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	75,000	2,676,000
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	125,000	4,377,500
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	50,000	4,282,000
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	50,000	2,088,500
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	50,000	2,623,500
iShares MSCI World ETF	100,000	8,408,000

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Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of a Fund generally consists of Deposit Securities and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which when combined with each Fund's portfolio securities, is designed to generate performance that has a collective investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund.

Cash Purchase Method. Although the Company does not generally permit partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units of its funds, when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser.

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Company does not expect to enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with more than a small number of DTC Participants. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor. The Distributor has adopted guidelines regarding Authorized Participants’ transactions in Creation Units that are made available to all Authorized Participants. These guidelines set forth the processes and standards for Authorized Participants to transact with the Distributor and its agents in connection with creation and redemption transactions. In addition, the Distributor may be appointed as the proxy of the Authorized Participant and may be granted a power of attorney under its Authorized Participant Agreement.

The Authorized Participant is responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by a Fund, including any applicable cash amounts, in connection with any purchase order.

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shares specified, as described above; (iv) acceptance of the Deposit Securities would have certain adverse tax consequences to the Fund; (v) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (vi) acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the discretion of the Fund or BFA, have an adverse effect on the Fund or the rights of beneficial owners; or (vii) circumstances outside the control of the Fund, the Distributor or its agent and BFA make it impracticable to process purchase orders. The Distributor or its agent shall notify a prospective purchaser of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such purchaser of its rejection of such order. The Funds, State Street, the sub-custodian and the Distributor or its agent are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give such notification.

Issuance of a Creation Unit. Except as provided herein, a Creation Unit will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the applicable Fund of the Deposit Securities and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the sub-custodian has confirmed to the custodian that the securities included in the Fund Deposit (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant sub-custodian or sub-custodians, the Distributor or its agent and BFA shall be notified of such delivery and the applicable Fund will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Unit. For the iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF and iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF, Creation Units are generally issued on a “T+2 basis” (i.e., two Business Days after trade date). For the iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF, Creation Units are generally issued on a “T+3 basis” (i.e., three Business Days after trade date). However, each Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+2 or T+3, including a shorter settlement period, if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances and compliant with applicable law. For example, certain Funds reserve the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than T+2 or T+3 in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (as discussed in Appendix B of this SAI), to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (i.e., the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security) and in certain other circumstances.

Costs Associated with Creation Transactions. A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant creates a Creation Unit, and is the same, regardless of the number of Creation Units purchased by the Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day. If a purchase consists solely or partially of cash, the Authorized Participant may also be required to cover (up to the maximum amount shown below) certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement and other costs and expenses related to the

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execution of trades resulting from such transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Funds. Certain fees/costs associated with creation transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to acquire Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard creation transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Creation Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	$ 2,400	3.0%
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	600	3.0%
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	700	3.0%
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	1,900	3.0%
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	7,500	3.0%
iShares MSCI France ETF	2,900	3.0%
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	1,500	3.0%
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	800	7.0%
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	500	7.0%
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	2,000	7.0%
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	3,300	3.0%
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	1,400	3.0%
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	5,000	3.0%
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	6,000	3.0%
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	1,400	3.0%
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	1,000	3.0%
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	6,000	7.0%
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	2,300	3.0%
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	2,000	3.0%
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	1,200	3.0%
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	1,500	3.0%
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	1,300	3.0%
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	1,500	3.0%
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	1,700	3.0%
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	1,600	3.0%
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	1,500	3.0%
iShares MSCI World ETF	15,000	7.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.

Each Fund generally redeems Creation Units for Fund Securities (as defined below). Please see the Cash Redemption Method section below and the following discussion summarizing the in-kind method for further information on redeeming Creation Units of the Funds.

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on that day (“Fund Securities”), and an amount of cash (the “Cash Amount,” as described below). Such Fund Securities and the corresponding Cash Amount (each subject to possible amendment or correction) are applicable, in order to effect redemptions of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next announced composition of the Fund Securities and Cash Amount is made available. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units. Procedures and requirements governing redemption transactions are set forth in the handbook for Authorized Participants and may change from time to time.

The Company may, in its sole discretion, substitute a “cash in lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security. The Company also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which: (i) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; or (ii) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Fund Security by the Authorized Participant due to restrictions under applicable securities or other local laws, or in certain other situations. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the substituted security listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Each Fund generally redeems Creation Units for Fund Securities, but each Fund reserves the right to utilize a cash option for redemption of Creation Units. Each Fund may, in its sole discretion, provide such redeeming Authorized Participant a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, but does not differ in NAV.

Cash Redemption Method. Although the Company does not generally permit partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units of its funds, when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions. A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the relevant Fund. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day. If a redemption consists solely or partially of cash, the Authorized Participant may also be required to cover (up to the maximum amount shown below) certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from a Fund to their account on their order. Certain fees/costs associated with redemption transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to dispose of Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard redemption transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Redemption Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	$2,400	2.0%
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	600	2.0%
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	700	2.0%
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	1,900	2.0%
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	7,500	2.0%
iShares MSCI France ETF	2,900	2.0%
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	1,500	2.0%
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	800	2.0%

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Fund	Standard Redemption Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	500	2.0%
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	2,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	3,300	2.0%
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	1,400	2.0%
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	5,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	6,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	1,400	2.0%
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	1,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	6,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	2,300	2.0%
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	2,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	1,200	2.0%
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	1,500	2.0%
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	1,300	2.0%
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	1,500	2.0%
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	1,700	2.0%
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	1,600	2.0%
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	1,500	2.0%
iShares MSCI World ETF	15,000	2.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit, inclusive of the standard redemption transaction fee.

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Participant through which such investor holds, as the case may be, or by such other means specified by the Authorized Participant submitting the redemption request.

For the iShares MSCI Australia ETF, iShares MSCI Austria ETF, iShares MSCI Belgium ETF, iShares MSCI Canada ETF, iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, iShares MSCI France ETF, iShares MSCI Germany ETF, iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF and iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF, deliveries of redemption proceeds are generally made within two Business Days (i.e., “T+2”). For the iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF and iShares MSCI World ETF, deliveries of redemption proceeds are generally made within three Business Days (i.e., “T+3”). However, each Fund reserves the right to settle deliveries of redemption proceeds on a basis other than T+2 or T+3, including a shorter settlement period, if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances and compliant with applicable law. For example, certain Funds reserve the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+2 or T+3 to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (as discussed in Appendix B of this SAI), to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (i.e., the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold) and in certain other circumstances. Appendix B of this SAI identifies the instances, if any, where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds for such Funds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, for such Funds, the Company will make delivery of redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in Appendix B of this SAI to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds.

Although the Company does not ordinarily permit cash redemptions of Creation Units, in the event that cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Company proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter, except for the instances listed in Appendix B to this SAI where more than seven calendar days would be needed).

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shares of the Funds at any time and subjects the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the aggregate of the cost to the Funds of purchasing such shares, plus the value of the Cash Amount, and the value of the cash collateral together with liability for related brokerage and other charges.

Taxes

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year, a Fund fails one of these tests and does not timely cure the failure, that Fund will be taxed in the same manner as an ordinary corporation and distributions to its shareholders will not be deductible by that Fund in computing its taxable income.

Taxation of RICs. As a RIC, a Fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the portion of its taxable investment income and capital gains that it distributes to its shareholders, provided that it satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. To satisfy the minimum distribution requirement, a Fund must distribute to its shareholders at least the sum of (i) 90% of its “investment company taxable income” (i.e., income other than its net realized long-term capital gain over its net realized short-term capital loss), plus or minus certain adjustments, and (ii) 90% of its net tax-exempt income for the taxable year. A Fund will be subject to income tax at regular corporate rates on any taxable income or gains that it does not distribute to its shareholders. If a Fund fails to qualify for any taxable year as a RIC or fails to meet the distribution requirement, all of its taxable income will be subject to tax at regular corporate income tax rates without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and such distributions generally will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary dividends to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. In such event, distributions to individuals should be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income and distributions to corporate shareholders generally should be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Although each Fund intends to distribute substantially all of its net investment income and its capital gains for each taxable year, each Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC in any year, it must pay out its earnings and profits accumulated in that year in order to qualify again as a RIC. If a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC for a period greater than two taxable years, the Fund may be required to recognize any net built-in gains with respect to certain of its assets (i.e., the excess of the aggregate gains, including items of income, over aggregate losses that would have been realized with respect to such assets if the Fund had been liquidated) if it qualifies as a RIC in a subsequent year.

The following Funds had tax basis net capital loss carryforwards as set forth in the table below as of August 31, 2017, the tax year-end for the Funds listed:

Fund	Non-Expiring ¹	Expiring 2018	Expiring 2019	Total
iShares MSCI Australia ETF	$ 160,958,058	$23,348,244	$ 12,127,364	$196,433,666
iShares MSCI Austria ETF	34,763,382	16,657,011	13,826,937	65,247,330
iShares MSCI Belgium ETF	14,428,086	10,826,174	19,023,517	44,277,777
iShares MSCI Canada ETF	380,840,433	68,928,677	14,903,919	464,673,029
iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF	263,923,287	68,035,542	30,230,739	362,189,568

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Fund	Non-Expiring ¹	Expiring 2018	Expiring 2019	Total
iShares MSCI France ETF	30,506,193	7,008,530	2,858,814	40,373,537
iShares MSCI Germany ETF	73,191,131	28,490,949	32,215,954	133,898,034
iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF	28,822,930	—	—	28,822,930
iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF	8,112,033	—	—	8,112,033
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF	324,895,525	114,836,904	34,565,959	474,298,388
iShares MSCI Israel ETF	33,128,188	10,801,191	7,130,249	51,059,628
iShares MSCI Italy ETF	181,005,358	18,169,627	9,459,662	208,634,647
iShares MSCI Japan ETF	686,418,449	173,577,101	139,228,194	999,223,744
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF	2,856,676	541,322	203,697	3,601,695
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF	218,505,597	2,789,471	22,863,665	244,158,733
iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF	14,209,375	22,256,170	2,329,005	38,794,550
iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF	322,330,812	104,799,503	36,600,987	463,731,302
iShares MSCI Russia ETF	70,987,197	—	—	70,987,197
iShares MSCI Singapore ETF	101,383,410	132,420,824	11,588,528	245,392,762
iShares MSCI South Africa ETF	63,988,602	14,856,365	6,137,142	84,982,109
iShares MSCI Spain ETF	141,557,230	15,120,672	8,619,903	165,297,805
iShares MSCI Sweden ETF	22,867,464	8,483,510	5,244,977	36,595,951
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF	31,918,774	22,569,380	6,955,758	61,443,912
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF	37,227,149	2,321,428	1,304,910	40,853,487
iShares MSCI Turkey ETF	70,376,752	5,982,737	3,859,184	80,218,673
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF	885,021	—	—	885,021
iShares MSCI World ETF	2,268,231	—	—	2,268,231

¹	Must be utilized prior to losses subject to expiration.

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capital gain is taxed at 15% (0% at certain income levels). In addition, the top marginal ordinary income tax rate is 39.6% for income in excess of the above thresholds.

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into account in computing gain/loss on the original shares to the extent the subsequent sales charge is reduced. Instead, the disregarded portion of the original sales charge will be added to the tax basis of the newly acquired shares. Furthermore, the same rule also applies to a disposition of the newly acquired shares made within 90 days of the second acquisition. This provision prevents shareholders from immediately deducting the sales charge by shifting their investments within a family of mutual funds.

Sections 351 and 362. The Company, on behalf of each Fund, has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of the Fund if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a given Fund and if, pursuant to Sections 351 and 362 of the Internal Revenue Code, that Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. If a Fund’s basis in such securities on the date of deposit was less than market value on such date, the Fund, upon disposition of the securities, would recognize more taxable gain or less taxable loss than if its basis in the securities had been equal to market value. It is not anticipated that the Company will exercise the right of rejection except in a case where the Company determines that accepting the order could result in material adverse tax consequences to a Fund or its shareholders. The Company also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination.

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A dividend from a Fund will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that: (i) the shareholder has not held the shares on which the dividend was paid for 61 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend or a Fund fails to satisfy those holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder (or, in the case of certain preferred stocks, the holding requirement of 91 days during the 181-day period beginning on the date that is 90 days before the date on which the stock becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend); (ii) a Fund or the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property; or (iii) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under Section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT or another RIC may be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent the dividend distributions are attributable to qualified dividend income received by such REIT or other RIC. It is expected that dividends received by a Fund from a REIT and distributed to a shareholder generally will be taxable to the shareholder as ordinary income. Distributions by a Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income.

Corporate Dividends Received Deduction. Each Fund (with the exception of the iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF) does not expect dividends that are paid to its corporate shareholders to be eligible, in the hands of such shareholders, for the corporate dividends received deduction.

Dividends paid by the iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations may qualify for the U.S. federal dividends received deduction for corporations. A 46-day minimum holding period during the 90-day period that begins 45 days prior to ex-dividend date (or 91-day minimum holding period during the 180 period beginning 90 days prior to ex-dividend date for certain preference dividends) during which risk of loss may not be diminished is required for the applicable shares, at both the Fund and shareholder level, for a dividend to be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Restrictions may apply if indebtedness, including a short sale, is attributable to the investment.

121

Each Fund may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes withheld at the source. Each Fund, if permitted to do so, may elect to “pass through” to its investors the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Fund provided that the Fund held the security on the dividend settlement date and for at least 15 additional days immediately before and/or thereafter, with the result that each investor with respect to shares of the Fund held for a minimum 16-day holding period at the time of deemed distribution will (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating U.S. taxable income) but only for investors who itemize their deductions on their personal tax returns) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income tax) the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes. Withholding taxes on dividends on non-U.S. securities while such securities are lent out by a Fund are not eligible for non-U.S. tax credit pass through. Taxes not “passed through” for tax purposes will not be available to shareholders for foreign tax credit purposes. A non-U.S. person invested in the Fund in a year that the Fund elects to “pass through” its non-U.S. taxes may be treated as receiving additional dividend income subject to U.S. withholding tax. A non-U.S. tax credit may not exceed the investor’s U.S. federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the investor’s non-U.S. source income. For this purpose, shareholders must treat as non-U.S. source gross income (i) their proportionate shares of non-U.S. taxes paid by the Fund and (ii) the portion of any dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from non-U.S. sources; the Fund’s gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated as U.S.-source income. Certain limitations will be imposed to the extent to which the non-U.S. tax credit may be claimed. If your Fund shares are loaned pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to use any non-U.S. tax credits passed through by a Fund or to treat Fund dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividends. Regarding a short sale with respect to shares of a Fund, substitute payments made to the lender of such shares may not be deductible under certain circumstances. Consult your financial intermediary or tax advisor.

Certain of the Funds have filed refund claims in various European Union countries to recover taxes withheld on dividend income based upon certain provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Except for certain countries, collection of such tax refund claims is uncertain. Pending confirmatory guidance from the IRS, certain of the Funds anticipate that in most cases tax refunds received will reduce certain of the Fund’s pass-through of foreign tax credits in such year and potentially future years and in other cases may result in certain of the Funds paying an IRS compliance fee to cover the effect of the tax credits previously passed through to shareholders on refunded foreign taxes.

122

consequences with respect to its ownership of shares in a PFIC, but in any particular year may be required to recognize income in excess of the distributions it receives from PFICs and its proceeds from dispositions of PFIC stock. A Fund may have to distribute this “phantom” income and gain to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement and to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax.

A Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and non-U.S. taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.

Properly-reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of a Fund’s “qualified net interest income” (generally, the Fund’s U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) are paid in respect of a Fund’s “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain over the Fund’s long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, a Fund may report all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. In order to qualify for this exemption from withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will need to comply with applicable certification requirements relating to its non-U.S. status (including, in general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.

123

persons at such time or unless the foreign person had not held more than 5% of the Fund’s outstanding shares throughout either such person’s holding period for the redeemed shares or, if shorter, the previous five years.

The rules laid out in the previous paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.

Shares of a Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the U.S. and subject to the U.S. estate tax.

Financial Statements

Miscellaneous Information

Counsel. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, located at 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, is counsel to the Company.

124

BFA has registered the following Funds for marketing to investors in Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

iShares MSCI Canada ETF
iShares MSCI Germany ETF
iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF
iShares MSCI Japan ETF
iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF
iShares MSCI Mexico ETF
iShares MSCI Thailand ETF
iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF

125

Appendix A - Proxy Voting Policy and BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines

BlackRock U.S. Registered Funds

Open-End Fund and iShares ETF¹ Proxy Voting Policy

Procedures Governing Delegation of Proxy Voting to Fund Adviser

July 1, 2017

BlackRock has adopted guidelines and procedures (together and as from time to time amended, the “BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines”) governing proxy voting by accounts managed by BlackRock.

BlackRock will cast votes on behalf of each of the Funds on specific proxy issues in respect of securities held by each such Fund in accordance with the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines.¹

A-1

INTRODUCTION TO BLACKROCK

PHILOSOPHY ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, ENGAGEMENT AND VOTING

A-3

principles inform our voting decisions in relation to specific resolutions that may appear on the agenda of a shareholder meeting in the relevant market.

The six key themes are:

•	Boards and directors
•	Auditors and audit-related issues
•	Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions
•	Remuneration and benefits
•	Social, ethical and environmental issues
•	General corporate governance matters

Boards and directors

We expect the board of directors to promote and protect shareholder interests by:

•	establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure;
•	supporting and overseeing management in setting strategy;
•	ensuring the integrity of financial statements;
•	making decisions regarding mergers, acquisitions and disposals;
•	establishing appropriate executive compensation structures; and
•	addressing business issues including social, ethical and environmental issues when they have the potential to materially impact company reputation and performance.

•	current employment at the company or a subsidiary;

A-4

•	former employment within the past several years as an executive of the company;
•	providing substantial professional services to the company and/or members of the company’s management;
•	having had a substantial business relationship in the past three years;
•	having, or representing a shareholder with, a substantial shareholding in the company;
•	being an immediate family member of any of the aforementioned; and
•	interlocking directorships.

Auditors and audit-related issues

Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions

A-5

Remuneration and benefits

Social, ethical, and environmental issues

A-6

General corporate governance matters

BLACKROCK’S OVERSIGHT OF ITS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ACTIVITIES

Oversight

BlackRock’s Equity Policy Oversight Committee (EPOC) is informed of certain aspects of the work of the Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee and the Corporate Governance Group.

Vote execution

A-7

Conflicts management

•	BlackRock has adopted a proxy voting oversight structure whereby the Corporate Governance Committees oversee the voting decisions and other activities of the Corporate Governance Group, and particularly its activities with respect to voting in the relevant region of each Corporate Governance Committee’s jurisdiction.
•	The Corporate Governance Committees have adopted Guidelines for each region, which set forth the firm’s views with respect to certain corporate governance and other issues that typically arise in the proxy voting context. The Corporate Governance Committees receive periodic reports regarding the specific votes cast by the Corporate Governance Group and regular updates on material process issues, procedural changes and other matters of concern to the Corporate Governance Committees.
•	BlackRock’s Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee oversees the Global Head, the Corporate Governance Group and the Corporate Governance Committees. The Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee conducts a review, at least annually, of the proxy voting process to ensure compliance with BlackRock’s risk policies and procedures.
•	BlackRock maintains a reporting structure that separates the Global Head and Corporate Governance Group from employees with sales responsibilities. In addition, BlackRock maintains procedures intended to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers or dissident shareholders are managed consistently and without regard to BlackRock’s relationship with the issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder. Within the normal course of business, the Global Head or Corporate Governance Group may engage directly with BlackRock clients, and with employees with sales responsibilities, in discussions regarding general corporate governance policy matters, and to otherwise ensure that proxy-related client service levels are met. The Global Head or Corporate Governance Group does not discuss any specific voting matter with a client prior to the disclosure of the vote decision to all applicable clients after the shareholder meeting has taken place, except if the client is acting in the capacity as issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder and is engaging through the established procedures independent of the client relationship.
•	In certain instances, BlackRock may determine to engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. The independent fiduciary may either vote such proxies or provide BlackRock with instructions as to how to vote such proxies. In the latter case, BlackRock votes the proxy in accordance with the independent fiduciary’s determination. Use of an independent fiduciary has been

A-8

adopted for voting the proxies related to any company that is affiliated with BlackRock or any company that includes BlackRock employees on its board of directors.

Voting guidelines

Reporting

A-9

Appendix B - Regular Holidays and Redemptions

2017

Albania
January 2	May 1	November 28
March 14	June 26	November 29
March 22	September 1	December 8
April 17	October 19	December 25

Argentina
February 27	May 1	November 6
February 28	May 25	November 27
March 24	June 20	December 8
April 13	August 21	December 25
April 14	October 9

Australia
January 2	April 25	September 29
January 26	May 1	October 2
March 6	June 5	November 7
March 13	June 12	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	August 8
April 18	September 25

Austria
January 6	May 25	October 26	December 26
April 14	June 5	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 8
May 1	August 15	December 25

Bahrain
January 1	June 27	December 17
May 1	September 3
June 25	September 21
June 26	November 30

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

B-1

Bangladesh
February 21	June 27	December 31
March 26	August 14
May 1	August 15
May 10	September 3
June 25	October 1
June 26	December 25

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Benin
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Bermuda
January 2	June 19	September 4	December 26
April 14	August 3	November 13
May 24	August 4	December 25

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 2	April 17	June 26
January 6	May 1	September 1
March 1	May 2

Botswana
January 2	May 1	October 2
January 3	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 17	December 26
April 17	July 18

Brazil
January 25	April 14	September 7	November 20
February 27	April 21	October 12	December 25
February 28	May 1	November 2
March 1	June 15	November 15

Bulgaria
January 2	May 1	December 25
March 3	May 24	December 26
April 14	September 6
April 17	September 22

Burkina Faso
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Canada
January 2	May 22	October 9
January 3	June 26	November 13
February 13	July 3	December 25
February 20	August 7	December 26
April 14	September 4

Chile
January 2	August 15	October 27
April 14	September 18	November 1
May 1	September 19	December 8
June 26	October 9	December 25

China
January 2	April 3	October 3
January 27	April 4	October 4
January 30	May 1	October 5
January 31	May 29	October 6
February 1	May 30
February 2	October 2

Colombia
January 9	June 19	October 16
March 20	June 26	November 6
April 13	July 3	November 13
April 14	July 20	December 8
May 1	August 7	December 25
May 29	August 21

B-2

Costa Rica
April 11	July 25	October 16
April 13	August 2	December 25
April 14	August 15
May 1	September 15

Croatia
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	June 15	November 1
April 17	June 22	December 25

Cyprus
January 6	April 18	December 25
February 27	May 1	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 15

The Czech Republic
April 14	May 8	September 28	December 26
April 17	July 5	November 17
May 1	July 6	December 25

Denmark
April 13	May 12	June 5
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	May 26	December 26

Egypt
January 1	April 25	July 23
January 25	May 1	August 31
April 16	June 25	September 21
April 17	June 26	November 30

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
February 23	April 17	June 22	December 26
February 24	May 1	June 23
April 14	May 25	December 25

Finland
January 6	April 17	December 6
April 13	May 1	December 25
April 14	May 25	December 26

France
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Georgia
January 2	April 14	May 26
January 19	April 17	August 28
March 3	May 9	November 23
March 8	May 12

Germany
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 3	December 26
May 1	October 31

Ghana
January 2	April 17	June 26	September 21
March 6	May 1	July 7	December 25
April 14	May 25	September 13	December 26

Greece
January 6	May 1	December 26
February 27	June 5
April 14	August 15
April 17	December 25

Guinea-Bissau
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

B-3

Hong Kong
January 2	April 4	May 3	December 25
January 27	April 14	May 30	December 26
January 30	April 17	October 2
January 31	May 1	October 5

Hungary
March 15	May 1	November 1
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 23	December 26

Iceland
April 13	April 20	June 5	December 26
April 14	May 1	August 7
April 17	May 25	December 25

India
January 26	June 26	December 25
February 24	August 15
March 13	August 17
March 28	August 25
April 4	October 2
April 14	October 19
May 1	October 20
May 10	December 1

Indonesia
January 2	June 1	September 1
March 28	June 26	September 21
April 14	June 27	December 1
April 24	June 28	December 25
May 1	June 29	December 26
May 11	June 30
May 25	August 17

Ireland
January 2	May 1	December 22
March 17	June 5	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	October 30	December 29

Israel
March 12	May 1	October 4
April 10	May 2	October 5
April 11	May 30	October 8
April 12	May 31	October 9
April 13	August 1	October 10
April 16	September 20	October 11
April 17	September 21	October 12

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
April 14	May 1	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

Ivory Coast
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Jamaica
January 2	April 17	August 7	December 26
March 1	May 23	October 16
April 14	August 1	December 25

Japan
January 2	May 3	August 11	November 23
January 3	May 4	September 18
January 9	May 5	October 9
March 20	July 17	November 3

Jordan
January 1	June 27	September 21
May 1	June 28	November 30
May 25	August 31	December 25
June 25	September 3
June 26	September 4

B-4

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

Kazakhstan
January 2	March 23	August 30
January 3	May 1	September 1
March 8	May 8	December 1
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 19

Kenya
January 2	June 1	December 25
April 14	June 27	December 26
April 17	October 20
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 25	August 31
February 26	June 26	September 3
April 24	June 27	September 21

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
April 13	May 5	November 20
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	June 22	December 26
May 1	June 23
May 4	November 17

Lebanon
January 2	April 25	September 1
January 6	May 1	September 21
February 9	May 25	November 22
February 14	June 26	December 1
April 14	June 27	December 25
April 17	August 15

Lithuania
February 16	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 6	December 26
April 17	August 15
May 1	November 1

Luxembourg
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Malawi
January 2	April 14	May 15	December 25
January 16	April 17	June 26	December 26
March 3	May 1	July 6

Malaysia
January 2	May 10	September 21
January 27	June 12	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 1
February 1	June 27	December 25
February 9	August 31
May 1	September 1

Mali
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Mauritius
January 2	February 24	June 26	November 2
February 1	March 29	October 19	December 25
February 9	May 1	November 1

Mexico
February 6	April 14	November 20
March 20	May 1	December 12
April 13	November 2	December 25

Morocco
January 11	August 14	September 22
May 1	August 21	November 6
June 26	September 1

B-5

Namibia
January 2	April 27	June 16	December 25
March 21	May 1	August 9	December 26
April 14	May 4	September 25	December 27
April 17	May 25	December 11

The Netherlands
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

New Zealand
January 2	April 17	December 25
January 3	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 5
April 14	October 23

Niger
April 17	June 21	November 15
May 1	June 26	December 1
May 25	September 1	December 25
June 5	November 1

Nigeria
January 2	May 29	October 2
April 14	June 26	December 1
April 17	June 27	December 25
May 1	September 1	December 26

Norway
April 12	April 17	May 25	December 26
April 13	May 1	June 5
April 14	May 17	December 25

Oman
April 24	July 23	November 19
June 26

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 2	June 26	August 14
March 23	June 27	September 1
May 1	June 28	September 29

Panama
January 2	March 1	November 10
January 9	April 14	December 8
February 27	May 1	December 25
February 28	November 3

Peru
April 13	June 29	November 1
April 14	July 28	December 8
May 1	August 30	December 25

The Philippines
January 2	June 12	November 1
April 13	August 21	November 30
April 14	August 28	December 25
May 1	October 31

Poland
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	May 3	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 25

Portugal
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 2	May 29	October 9
January 16	July 3	November 23
February 20	July 4	November 24
April 14	September 4	December 25

B-6

Qatar
January 1	June 25	September 3
February 14	June 26	December 18
March 5	June 27

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 2	May 1	August 15	December 25
January 24	June 1	November 30	December 26
April 17	June 5	December 1

Russia
January 2	May 1	June 12
February 23	May 8	November 6
March 8	May 9

Saudi Arabia
June 26	June 29	September 5
June 27	September 3
June 28	September 4

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Serbia
January 2	February 16	May 1
January 3	April 14	May 2
February 15	April 17

Singapore
January 2	May 10	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 25
April 14	August 9
May 1	September 1

The Slovak Republic
January 6	May 8	September 15	December 26
April 14	July 5	November 1
April 17	August 29	November 17
May 1	September 1	December 25

Slovenia
January 2	April 27	October 31
February 8	May 1	November 1
April 14	May 2	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

South Africa
January 2	April 27	September 25
March 21	May 1	December 25
April 14	June 16	December 26
April 17	August 9

South Korea
January 27	June 6	October 9
January 30	August 15	December 20
March 1	October 3	December 25
May 1	October 4	December 29
May 3	October 5
May 5	October 6

Spain
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 12	April 13	June 26	November 3
January 20	April 14	August 7	December 1
February 10	May 1	September 1	December 25
February 17	May 10	September 5
February 24	May 11	October 5
April 10	June 8	October 18

B-7

Srpska
January 2	April 14	May 2
January 6	April 17	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

Swaziland
January 2	April 19	May 5	December 26
April 14	April 25	September 6
April 17	May 1	December 25

Sweden
January 5	April 17	June 6	December 26
January 6	May 1	June 23
April 13	May 24	November 3
April 14	May 25	December 25

Switzerland
January 2	May 25	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 1
May 1	December 25

Taiwan
January 2	January 31	April 4	October 9
January 25	February 1	May 1	October 10
January 26	February 27	May 29
January 27	February 28	May 30
January 30	April 3	October 4

Tanzania
January 12	April 26	July 27	December 25
April 7	May 1	August 8	December 26
April 14	July 7	September 1
April 17	July 26	December 15

Thailand
January 2	April 14	August 14
January 3	May 1	October 23
February 13	May 5	December 5
April 6	May 10	December 11
April 13	July 10

Togo
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Tunisia
March 20	July 25	December 1
May 1	September 1
June 26	September 21

Turkey
May 1	June 27	September 1
May 19	August 30	September 4
June 26	August 31

Uganda
January 2	April 14	June 26	November 30
January 26	April 17	July 7	December 25
February 16	May 1	September 13	December 26
March 8	June 9	October 9

Ukraine
January 2	April 17	June 5
January 3	May 1	June 28
January 9	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 16

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	June 26	November 30
April 24	August 31	December 3
June 25	September 21

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

B-8

The United Kingdom
January 2	May 1	December 22	December 29
April 14	May 29	December 25
April 17	August 28	December 26

The United States Bond Market
January 2	April 14	July 4	November 24*
January 16	May 26*	September 4	December 22*
February 20	May 29	October 9	December 25
April 13*	July 3*	November 23	December 29*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 6	April 17	August 25
February 27	May 1	October 16
February 28	May 22	November 2
April 13	June 19	December 25
April 14	July 18

Venezuela
January 9	May 1	August 14
February 27	May 29	September 11
February 28	June 19	October 12
April 13	July 3	November 6
April 14	July 5	December 11
April 19	July 24	December 25

Vietnam
January 2	January 30	April 6	September 4
January 26	January 31	May 1
January 27	February 1	May 2

Zambia
January 2	April 17	July 4	December 25
March 8	May 1	August 7
March 13	May 25	October 18
April 14	July 3	October 24

Zimbabwe
January 2	May 1	December 22
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	August 14	December 26
April 18	August 15

2018

Albania
January 1	April 9	November 28
January 2	May 1	November 29
March 14	June 14	December 10
March 22	August 21	December 25
April 2	October 19

Argentina
January 1	April 2	August 20
February 12	May1	October 15
February 13	May 25	November 6
March 29	June 20	November 19
March 30	July 9	December 25

B-9

Australia
January 1	April 25	October 1
January 26	May 7	October 8
March 5	June 4	November 6
March 12	June 11	December 24
March 30	August 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
April 3	September 24	December 31

Austria
January 1	May 21	December 24
March 30	May 31	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 26	December 31
May 10	November 1

Bahrain
January 1	August 23	November 20
May 1	September 11	December 16
June 17	September 19	December 17
August 22	September 20

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

Bangladesh
February 21	June 17	September 2
March 26	July 1	November 21
April 29	August 15	December 16
May 1	August 21	December 25
May 2	August 22	December 31
June 12	August 23

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Benin
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Bermuda
January 1	August 2	November 12
March 30	August 3	December 25
May 25	September 3	December 26
June 18

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 1	April 30	August 20
January 2	May 1	August 21
March 1	May 2	November 26
March 2	June 14	December 25
April 2	June 15

Botswana
January 1	May 10	October 2
January 2	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 16	December 26
April 2	July 17
May 1	October 1

Brazil
January 1	May 1	November 15
January 25	May 31	November 20
February 12	July 9	December 24
February 13	September 7	December 25
February 14	October 12	December 31
March 30	November 2

Bulgaria
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 5	May 7	December 24
April 6	May 24	December 25
April 9	September 6	December 26

Burkina Faso
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

B-10

Canada
January 1	May 21	October 8
January 2	June 25	November 12
February 12	July 2	December 25
February 19	August 6	December 26
March 30	September 3

Chile
January 1	July 16	October 15
March 30	August 15	November 1
May 1	September 17	November 2
May 21	September 18	December 25
July 2	September 19	December 31

China
January 1	April 5	October 1
February 15	April 6	October 2
February 16	April 30	October 3
February 19	May 1	October 4
February 20	June 18	October 5
February 21	September 24

Colombia
January 1	May 14	August 20
January 8	June 4	October 15
March 19	June 11	November 5
March 29	July 2	November 12
March 30	July 20	December 25
May 1	August 7

Costa Rica
January 1	May 1	October 15
March 29	July 25	December 25
March 30	August 2
April 11	August 15

Croatia
January 1	June 22	December 24
March 30	June 25	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 8	December 31
May 31	November 1

Cyprus
January 1	April 9	October 1
February 19	April 10	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26
April 6	August 15

Czechia
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	July 6	December 26
May 1	September 28	December 31

Denmark
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 29	May 11	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	June 5
April 27	December 24

Egypt
January 1	April 25	August 20
January 7	May 1	August 21
January 25	June 17	August 22
April 8	July 1	September 11
April 9	July 23	November 20

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
January 1	May 10	December 26
March 30	August 20	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Finland
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 22	December 26
April 2	December 6	December 31
May 1	December 24

B-11

France
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Georgia
January 1	March 8	May 9
January 2	April 6	August 28
January 19	April 9	November 23

Germany
January 1	May 21	December 26
March 30	October 3	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Ghana
January 1	May 25	December 7
March 6	June 15	December 25
March 30	July 2	December 26
April 2	August 22
May 1	September 21

Greece
January 1	April 6	August 15
February 19	April 9	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26

Guinea-Bissau
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Hong Kong
January 1	April 5	October 17
January 27	May 1	December 24
February 15	May 22	December 25
February 16	June 18	December 26
February 19	July 2	December 31
March 30	September 25
April 2	October 1

Hungary
January 1	May 1	November 2
March 15	May 21	December 24
March 16	August 20	December 25
March 30	October 22	December 26
April 2	October 23	December 31
April 30	November 1

Iceland
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 29	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	August 6
April 19	December 24

India
January 26	May 1	October 18
February 13	August 15	November 7
February 19	August 17	November 8
March 2	August 22	November 21
March 29	September 13	November 23
March 30	September 20	December 25
April 30	October 2

Indonesia
January 1	June 13	September 11
February 16	June 14	November 20
March 30	June 15	December 24
May 1	June 18	December 25
May 10	June 19	December 31
May 29	August 17
June 1	August 22

Ireland
January 1	May 28	December 24
March 19	June 4	December 25
March 30	August 6	December 26
April 2	August 27	December 31
May 7	October 29

B-12

Israel
March 1	May 20	September 24
April 1	July 22	September 25
April 2	September 9	September 26
April 3	September 10	September 27
April 4	September 11	September 30
April 5	September 18	October 1
April 18	September 19
April 19	September 23

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 15	December 26
April 2	December 24	December 31

Ivory Coast
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Jamaica
January 1	May 23	December 25
February 14	August 1	December 26
March 30	August 6
April 2	October 15

Japan
January 1	April 30	October 8
January 2	May 3	November 23
January 3	May 4	December 24
January 8	July 16	December 31
February 12	September 17
March 21	September 24

Jordan
January 1	August 21	November 21
May 1	August 22	December 25
May 25	August 23
June 17	September 12

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

Kazakhstan
January 1	April 30	August 30
January 2	May 1	August 31
March 8	May 7	December 3
March 9	May 8	December 17
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 31
March 23	August 21

Kenya
January 1	June 1	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26
April 2	October 10
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 17	August 23
February 25	August 20	September 11
February 26	August 21	November 22
April 15	August 22

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
January 1	May 4	December 26
March 30	May 10	December 31
April 2	November 19
April 30	December 24
May 1	December 25

B-13

Lithuania
January 1	May 1	November 1
February 16	May 10	December 24
March 30	July 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26

Luxembourg
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Malawi
January 1	April 2	July 6
January 15	May 1	October 15
March 5	May 14	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26

Malaysia
January 1	May 29	September 11
January 31	June 14	September 17
February 1	June 15	November 6
February 15	August 22	November 20
February 16	August 31	December 25
May 1	September 10

Mali
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Mauritius
January 1	February 16	November 2
January 2	March 12	November 7
January 31	May 1	December 25
February 1	August 15
February 13	September 14

Mexico
January 1	March 30	November 2
February 5	April 2	November 19
March 19	April 30	December 12
March 29	May 1	December 25

Morocco
January 1	July 30	August 22
January 11	August 14	September 11
May 1	August 20	November 6
June 14	August 21	November 20

Namibia
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 21	May 4	December 10
March 30	May 25	December 17
April 2	August 9	December 25
April 27	August 27	December 26

The Netherlands
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

New Zealand
January 1	April 2	December 25
January 2	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 4
March 30	October 22

Niger
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Nigeria
January 1	June 15	November 19
March 30	June 18	December 25
April 2	August 22	December 26
May 1	August 23
May 29	October 1

B-14

Norway
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 28	May 10	December 26
March 29	May 17	December 31
March 30	May 21
April 2	December 24

Oman
January 1	August 22	November 19
June 17	August 23	November 20
June 18	September 11
July 23	November 18

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 1	June 18	September 20
February 5	July 2	September 21
March 23	August 22	November 20
May 1	August 23	December 25
June 15	August 24

Panama
January 1	March 30	November 26
January 8	May 1	December 25
February 13	November 5	December 31

Peru
January 1	May 1	October 8
March 29	June 29	November 1
March 30	August 30	December 25

The Philippines
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	June 12	December 24
February 16	August 21	December 25
March 29	August 27	December 31
March 30	November 1
April 9	November 2

Poland
January 1	May 3	December 25
January 2	May 31	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	November 1
May 1	December 24

Portugal
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 1	July 4	November 23
January 15	September 3	December 24
February 19	October 8	December 25
March 30	November 12
May 28	November 22

Qatar
January 1	June 18	August 22
February 13	June 19	December 18
March 4	August 20
June 17	August 21

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	May 28	December 25
January 24	June 1	December 26
April 9	August 15

Russia
January 1	March 8	November 5
January 2	May 1	December 31
January 8	May 9
February 23	June 12

B-15

Saudi Arabia
June 17	June 21	August 22
June 18	August 19	August 23
June 19	August 20	September 23
June 20	August 21

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Serbia
January 1	April 6	November 12
January 2	April 9	December 31
February 15	May 1
February 16	May 2

Singapore
January 1	May 29	November 6
February 16	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 9
May 1	August 22

The Slovak Republic
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	August 29	December 26
May 1	November 1

Slovenia
January 1	May 1	December 24
January 2	May 2	December 25
February 8	June 25	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	October 31
April 27	November 1

South Africa
January 1	April 27	December 17
March 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 9	December 26
April 2	September 24

South Korea
January 1	May 22	September 26
February 15	June 6	October 3
February 16	June 13	October 9
March 1	August 15	December 25
May 1	September 24	December 31
May 7	September 25

Spain
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 1	April 20	September 24
January 15	April 30	October 24
January 31	May 1	November 6
February 5	May 29	November 20
February 13	June 15	November 22
March 1	June 27	December 25
March 30	July 27
April 13	August 22

Srpska
January 1	April 6	May 2
January 2	April 9	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

B-16

Swaziland
January 1	April 25	September 6
January 5	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 10	December 26
April 2	July 23
April 19	August 27

Sweden
January 1	May 1	November 2
January 5	May 9	December 24
March 29	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 6	December 26
April 2	June 22	December 31

Switzerland
January 1	May 1	December 25
January 2	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21
April 2	August 1

Taiwan
January 1	February 20	June 18
February 13	February 28	September 24
February 14	April 4	October 10
February 15	April 5	December 31
February 16	April 6
February 19	May 1

Tanzania
January 1	May 1	December 20
January 12	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 8	December 26
April 2	August 22
April 26	November 21

Thailand
January 1	May 1	October 23
January 2	May 29	December 5
March 1	July 27	December 10
April 6	July 30	December 31
April 13	August 13
April 16	October 15

Togo
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Tunisia
January 1	June 15	September 12
March 20	July 25	October 15
April 9	August 13	November 20
May 1	August 21

Turkey
January 1	June 15	August 23
April 23	August 20	August 24
May 1	August 21	August 30
June 14	August 22	October 29

Uganda
January 1	April 2	November 30
January 26	May 1	December 25
February 16	June 15	December 26
March 8	August 21
March 30	October 9

Ukraine
January 1	May 1	June 28
January 8	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 15
April 9	May 28	December 25

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	August 21	November 20
June 14	August 22	December 2
August 20	September 11	December 3

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

B-17

The United Kingdom
January 1	May 28	December 26
March 30	August 27	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 7	December 25

The United States Bond Market
January 1	May 25*	October 8	December 25
January 15	May 28	November 12	December 31*
February 19	July 3*	November 22
March 29*	July 4	November 23*
March 30	September 3	December 24*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 1	April 23	October 15
February 12	May 1	November 2
February 13	May 21	December 25
March 29	June 19
March 30	July 18

Venezuela
January 1	May 1	September 10
February 12	May 14	October 12
February 13	June 4	November 5
March 19	July 2	December 24
March 29	July 5	December 25
March 30	July 24	December 31
April 19	August 20

Vietnam
January 1	February 19	May 1
February 14	February 20	September 3
February 15	April 25
February 16	April 30

Zambia
January 1	May 1	October 18
March 8	May 25	October 24
March 12	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 3
April 2	August 6

Zimbabwe
January 1	April 18	August 14
February 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 25	December 26
April 2	August 13

2017
Country	Trade Date	Settlement Date	Number of Days to Settle
Australia	04/11/17	04/19/17	8
	04/12/17	04/20/17	8
	04/13/17	04/21/17	8

Bangladesh	06/20/17	06/28/17	8
	06/21/17	06/29/17	8
	06/22/17	07/02/17	10

B-18

iShares^®, Inc.

Statement of Additional Information

Dated December 29, 2017
(as revised March 6, 2018)

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the current prospectuses (each, a “Prospectus” and collectively, the “Prospectuses”) for the following series of iShares, Inc. (the “Company”):

Fund	Ticker	Listing Exchange
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	HEEM	Cboe BZX
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	HEMV	Cboe BZX

Each Fund invests its assets in individual securities, including shares of other iShares funds that, in turn, invest in equities and/or short-term instruments based on an index (each, an “Underlying Fund” and together, the “Underlying Funds”) as well as in currency hedging instruments. BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA” or the “Investment Adviser”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., serves as investment adviser to the Funds and also serves as investment adviser to each of the Underlying Funds. References to the investments and risks of the Funds, unless otherwise indicated, should be understood as references to the investments and risks of both the Funds and the related Underlying Funds.

The Prospectuses for the above-listed funds (each, a “Fund” and together, the “Funds”) are dated December 29, 2017, as amended and supplemented from time to time. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the applicable Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of each Fund's Prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report may be obtained without charge by writing to the Company's distributor, BlackRock Investments, LLC (the “Distributor”), 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or visiting www.iShares.com. Each Fund's Prospectus is incorporated by reference into this SAI.

iShares^® and BlackRock^® are registered trademarks of BFA and its affiliates.

General Description of the Company and the Funds

•	iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
•	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF

Each Fund is managed by BFA, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., and generally seeks to track the investment results of the specific benchmark index identified in the applicable Prospectus for that Fund (each, an “Underlying Index”).

Each Fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each, a “Creation Unit”), generally in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) included in its Underlying Index (the “Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on a national securities exchange, Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“Cboe BZX” or the “Listing Exchange”) (formerly known as BATS Exchange, Inc.). Shares of each Fund are traded in the secondary market and elsewhere at market prices that may be at, above or below the Fund's NAV. Shares are redeemable only in Creation Units by Authorized Participants (as defined in the Portfolio Holdings Information section of this SAI), and, generally, in exchange for portfolio securities and a Cash Amount (as defined in the Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI). Creation Units typically are a specified number of shares, generally 50,000 or multiples thereof.

Exchange Listing and Trading

Shares of each Fund are listed for trading, and trade throughout the day, on the applicable Listing Exchange and in other secondary markets. Shares of the Funds may also be listed on certain non-U.S. exchanges. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Listing Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of any Fund will continue to be met. The Listing Exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of a Fund from listing if, among other things: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of Fund shares, there are fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial owners of shares of a Fund for 30 or more consecutive trading days, (ii) the value of the Underlying Index on which a Fund is based is no longer calculated or available, or (iii) any other event shall occur or condition shall exist that, in the opinion of the Listing Exchange, makes further dealings on the Listing Exchange inadvisable. The Listing Exchange will also remove shares of a Fund from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund or in the event a Fund does not comply with the continuous listing standards of the Listing Exchange, as described in the Fund’s prospectus.

As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares of a Fund through a broker, you may incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker, as well as other charges.

An IOPV has a securities component and a cash component. The securities values included in an IOPV are the values of the Deposit Securities for a Fund. While the IOPV reflects the current value of the Deposit Securities required to be deposited in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, it does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities or other assets held by a Fund at a particular point in time because the current portfolio of a Fund may include securities or other assets that are not a part of the current Deposit Securities. Therefore, a Fund’s IOPV disseminated during the Listing Exchange trading hours should not be viewed as a real-time update of a Fund’s NAV, which is calculated only once a day.

The cash component included in an IOPV consists of estimated accrued interest, dividends and other income, less expenses, as well as the value of the applicable currency hedge. If applicable, each IOPV also reflects unhedged changes in currency exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the applicable currency.

Investment Strategies and Risks

Currently, each Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing a substantial portion of its assets in the Underlying Funds, which are the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (for iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF) and the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF (for the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF). Each Fund may also invest in securities and other instruments that comprise its Underlying Index and in investments that provide substantially similar exposure to securities in the Underlying Index. The Funds also will seek to track the currency hedging transactions embedded in their respective Underlying Indexes by entering into currency forward contracts and other instruments. Each Fund operates as an index fund and is not actively managed. Adverse performance of a security or currency hedging transaction in a Fund’s portfolio will ordinarily not result in the elimination of the security or currency hedging transaction from the Fund’s portfolio.

Each Fund engages in representative sampling, which is investing in a sample of securities selected by BFA to have a collective investment profile similar to that of the securities or other instruments comprising the Underlying Index. Securities selected have aggregate investment characteristics (based on market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability, earnings valuation and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. A fund that uses representative sampling generally does not hold all of the securities that are in its underlying index.

Although the Funds do not seek leveraged returns, certain instruments used by the Funds may have a leveraging effect as described below.

Each Fund generally will invest at least 90% of its assets in the component securities (including indirect investments through its Underlying Fund) and other instruments of its Underlying Index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its Underlying Index (i.e., depositary receipts representing securities of its Underlying Index) and may invest up to 10% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in securities not included in its Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help each Fund track its Underlying Index. Components of each Fund's Underlying Index include equity securities and foreign currency forward contracts (both deliverable and non-deliverable) designed to hedge against non-U.S. currency fluctuations. The notional exposure to foreign currency forward

contracts (both deliverable and non-deliverable) generally will be a short position that hedges the currency risk of the equity portfolio. Each Fund seeks to track the investment results of its Underlying Index before the fees and expenses of the Fund.

Each Underlying Index sells forward the total value of the non-U.S. dollar denominated securities included in the Underlying Index at a one-month forward rate to effectively create a “hedge” against fluctuations in the relative value of each of the component currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar. The hedge is reset on a monthly basis. Each Underlying Index is designed to have higher returns than an equivalent unhedged investment when the component currencies are weakening relative to the U.S. dollar and appreciation in some of the component currencies does not exceed the aggregate depreciation of the others. Conversely, each Underlying Index is designed to have lower returns than an equivalent unhedged investment when the component currencies are rising relative to the U.S. dollar.

In order to replicate the “hedging” component of the Underlying Index, each Fund intends to enter into foreign currency forward contracts designed to offset each Fund’s exposure to the component currencies. A foreign currency forward contract is an over-the-counter (“OTC”) contract between two parties, each of which is an eligible contract participant, as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act (the “CEA”), to buy or sell a specified amount of a specific currency in the future at an agreed-upon exchange rate. A Fund's exposure to foreign currency forward contracts is based on the aggregate exposure of a Fund to the component currencies. While this approach is designed to minimize the impact of currency fluctuations on Fund returns, it does not necessarily eliminate a Fund’s exposure to the component currencies. The return of the foreign currency forward contracts may not perfectly offset the actual fluctuations between the component currencies and the U.S. dollar.

Each Fund may also use non-deliverable forward contracts (“NDFs”) to execute its hedging transactions. NDFs are cash-settled, short-term forward contracts that may be thinly traded or are denominated in non-convertible foreign currencies, where the profit or loss at the time of settlement date is calculated by taking the difference between the agreed-upon exchange rate and the spot rate at the time of settlement, for an agreed-upon notional amount of funds. NDFs generally have a fixing date and a settlement date. The fixing date is the valuation date at which the difference between the prevailing market exchange rate and the agreed-upon exchange rate is calculated. The settlement date is the date by which the payment of the difference is due to the party receiving payment. NDFs are commonly quoted for time periods ranging from one month to up to two years, and are normally quoted and settled in U.S. dollars. They are often used to gain exposure to and/or hedge exposure to foreign currencies that are not internationally traded.

Foreign currency forward contracts and NDFs are subject to regulation under The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”) in the U.S. and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Physically-settled forwards between eligible contract participants, such as each Fund, are generally subject to lighter regulation in the U.S. than NDFs and cash-settled foreign currency forward contracts. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, NDFs are regulated as swaps and are subject to rules requiring central clearing and mandatory trading on an exchange or facility that is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”). NDFs traded in the OTC market are subject to margin requirements that are expected to be finalized in the near future. Implementation of the regulations regarding clearing, mandatory trading and margining of NDFs are likely to increase the cost to each Fund of hedging currency risk and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in the Fund.

As a result of regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act, each Fund is required to maintain an amount of liquid assets, accrued on a daily basis, having an aggregate value at least equal to the value of the Fund’s obligations under the foreign currency forward contract or NDF. To the extent that foreign currency forward contracts are settled on a physical basis, each Fund will generally be required to maintain an amount of liquid assets equal to the notional value of the contract. In connection with NDFs and cash-settled foreign currency forward contracts, on the other hand, which are performed on a net basis, with each Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of a specified exchange rate, the Fund will generally maintain liquid assets, accrued daily, equal to the accrued excess, if any, of the Fund’s obligations over those of its counterparty under the contract. Accordingly, reliance by each Fund on physically-settled foreign currency forward contracts may adversely impact investors by requiring the Fund to set aside a greater amount of liquid assets than would generally be required if the Fund were relying on cash-settled foreign currency forward contracts or NDFs.

Set forth below is more detailed information regarding types of instruments in which a Fund or its Underlying Fund may invest, strategies BFA may employ in pursuit of a Fund's or its Underlying Fund's investment objective and related risks.

Borrowing. Each Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet payments due from redemptions or to facilitate the settlement of securities or other transactions. Under normal market conditions, any borrowing by a Fund will not exceed 10% of the Fund’s net assets; however, each Fund generally does not intend to borrow money.

Currency Transactions. A foreign currency forward contract is an OTC obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days greater than two days from the date on which the contract is agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. A non-deliverable currency forward is an OTC currency forward settled in a specified currency, on a specified date, based on the difference between the agreed-upon exchange rate and the market exchange rate. A currency futures contract is a contract that trades on an organized futures exchange involving an obligation to deliver or acquire a specified amount of a specific currency, at a specified price and at a specified future time. Currency futures contracts may be settled on a net cash payment basis rather than by the sale and delivery of the underlying currency. To the extent required by law, liquid assets committed to futures contracts will be maintained. The Funds expect to engage in currency transactions for the purpose of hedging against declines in the value of the Funds' assets that are denominated in a non-U.S. currency. A Fund may also enter into physically-settled non-U.S. currency forwards, non-U.S. currency futures and spot currency transactions to facilitate local securities settlements or to protect against currency exposure in connection with its distributions to shareholders. As described above, reliance on physically-settled foreign currency may require a Fund to set aside a greater amount of liquid assets than would generally be required if a Fund were relying on cash-settled foreign currency forward contracts or NDFs. This would also generally be true if a Fund were to use other types of physically-settled currency contracts to track the Underlying Index, facilitate local securities settlements or protect against currency exposure.

Foreign exchange transactions may involve a significant degree of risk and the markets in which foreign exchange transactions are effected may be highly volatile, highly specialized and highly technical. Significant changes, including changes in liquidity and prices, can occur in such markets within very short periods of time, often within minutes. Foreign exchange trading risks include, but are not limited to, exchange rate risk, counterparty risk, maturity gap, interest rate risk, and potential interference by foreign governments through regulation of local exchange markets, foreign investment or particular transactions in non-U.S. currency. If BFA utilizes foreign exchange transactions at an inappropriate time or judges market conditions, trends or correlations incorrectly, foreign exchange transactions may not serve their intended purpose of improving the correlation of a Fund's return with the performance of its Underlying Index and may lower the Fund’s return. Each Fund could experience losses if the value of its currency forwards and other currency transaction positions were poorly correlated with its other investments or with its other currency hedges or if it could not close out its positions because of an illiquid market or otherwise. In addition, a Fund could incur transaction costs, including trading commissions, in connection with non-U.S. currency transactions and costs related to investment opportunities due to the fact it will be required to set aside liquid assets equal to its obligations under its currency forwards in order to satisfy applicable requirements under the 1940 Act. Similarly, because each Fund seeks to hedge currency risk in accordance with its Underlying Index, investors will not share in appreciation in the securities comprising the Underlying Index to the extent that such appreciation is due to increases in the currency value of the underlying securities.

Derivatives. The Funds may use instruments referred to as derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from another security, a commodity (such as gold or oil), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500 Index or the prime lending rate). Derivatives allow a Fund to increase or decrease the level of risk to which a Fund is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. The Funds may use derivatives for hedging purposes. The Funds may also use derivatives for speculative purposes to seek to enhance returns. The use of a derivative is speculative if a Fund is primarily seeking to achieve gains, rather than to offset the risk of other positions. When a Fund invests in a derivative for speculative purposes, a Fund will be fully exposed to the risks of loss of that derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the derivative’s cost. Unless otherwise permitted, a Fund may not use any derivatives to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

Diversification Status. Each Fund is classified as “non-diversified.” A non-diversified fund is a fund that is not limited by the 1940 Act with regard to the percentage of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. The securities of a particular issuer (or securities of issuers in particular industries) may constitute a significant percentage of the underlying index of such a fund and, consequently, the fund’s investment portfolio. This may adversely affect a fund’s performance or subject the fund’s shares to greater price volatility than that experienced by more diversified investment companies.

Each Fund intends to maintain the required level of diversification and otherwise conduct its operations so as to qualify as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) for purposes of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and to relieve the Fund of any liability for U.S. federal income tax to the extent that its earnings are distributed to shareholders, provided that the Fund satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code may limit the investment flexibility of the Funds and may make it less likely that the Funds will meet their respective investment objective.

Futures, Options on Futures and Securities Options. Futures contracts, options on futures and securities options may be used by a Fund to simulate investment in its Underlying Index, to facilitate trading or to reduce transaction costs. Each Fund may enter into futures contracts and options on futures that are traded on a U.S. or non-U.S. futures exchange. Each Fund does not currently intend to use futures, options on futures or securities options for speculative purposes. Each Fund intends to use futures and options on futures in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the CFTC promulgated under the CEA. BFA, with respect to the Funds, has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that BFA, in respect of such Funds, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA. See the Regulation Regarding Derivatives section of this SAI for more information.

also known as the “strike price,” less the premium received from writing the put. The Funds may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on an exchange as a hedge against changes in value of their portfolio securities or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

Hedging. Hedging is a strategy in which a derivative is used to offset particular risks associated with other Fund holdings. Losses on the other investment may be substantially reduced by gains on a derivative that reacts in an opposite manner to market movements. While hedging can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a manner different from that anticipated by a Fund or if the cost of the derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge. Establishment of hedges, if not tailored properly or timed in accordance with market changes, may not be effective in meeting a Fund’s intended objectives. This is due to the fact that hedging also involves correlation risk, i.e., the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match those of the holdings being hedged as expected by a Fund, in which case any losses on the holdings being hedged may not be reduced or may be increased. In connection with its trading in foreign currency forward contracts, a Fund will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, foreign or domestic securities dealer or other intermediary, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency. In light of pending regulatory changes under the Dodd-Frank Act and other regulatory regimes, a Fund may be required to enter into foreign currency contracts on a regulated exchange or facility and clear the contracts through a central counterparty (a “CCP”). A Fund may also be subject to position limits in respect to the contracts established by a regulatory authority or exchange. There are no limitations on daily price moves in such foreign currency forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain banks or dealers have refused to quote prices for such foreign currency forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which the bank or dealer is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such foreign currency forward contract trading. With respect to its trading of foreign currency forward contracts, if any, a Fund will be subject to the risk of bank or dealer failure and the inability of, or refusal by, a bank or dealer to perform with respect to such contracts or, in the case of cleared contracts, the refusal of a CCP to clear a contract that is subject to mandatory clearing. Any such default would deprive a Fund of any potential profit or force a Fund to cover its commitments for resale at the then market price and could result in a loss to a Fund. The cost to a

Fund of engaging in foreign currency forward contracts varies with such factors as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. The inability to close options and futures positions also could have an adverse impact on a Fund’s ability to hedge effectively its portfolio. There is also a risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits or collateral in the event of bankruptcy of a broker or other intermediary with whom a Fund has an open position in a currency forward or NDF, a swap, an option, a futures contract, a related option or another hedging instrument.

Illiquid Securities. Each Fund and each Underlying Fund each may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). Illiquid securities may include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets, as determined in accordance with SEC staff guidance. The liquidity of a security relates to the ability to readily dispose of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be lower than the price that would be obtained for a comparable, more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid securities and a Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

Investments in Underlying Funds and Other Investment Companies. To implement its strategy, each Fund may invest some or all of its assets in its respective Underlying Fund. Each Underlying Fund generally invests directly in portfolio securities. Each Fund may also invest in other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds (commonly referred to as “ETFs”) that are not iShares ETFs, to the extent permitted by law.

Lending Portfolio Securities. Each Fund and each Underlying Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain borrowers that BFA determines to be creditworthy, including borrowers affiliated with BFA. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. No securities loan shall be made on behalf of a Fund or an Underlying Fund if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loaned by the particular Fund or an Underlying Fund exceeds one-third of the value of a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's total assets (including the value of the collateral received). A Fund or an Underlying Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. Each Fund or an Underlying Fund receives, by way of substitute payment, the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities that it would have received if the securities were not on loan.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower may be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Funds or the Underlying Funds are typically compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, a Fund or an Underlying Fund is typically compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, including those affiliated with BFA; such investments are subject to investment risk. Other investment companies in which a Fund or an Underlying Fund invests can be expected to incur fees and expenses for operations, such as investment advisory and administration fees, that would be in addition to those incurred by a Fund or an Underlying Fund.

Each Fund conducts its securities lending pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC permitting it to lend portfolio securities to borrowers affiliated with the Fund and to retain an affiliate of the Fund to act as securities lending agent. To the extent that a Fund or an Underlying Fund engages in securities lending, BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BTC”) acts as securities lending agent for the Fund or an Underlying Fund, subject to the overall supervision of BFA. BTC administers the lending program in accordance with guidelines approved by the Company's Board of Directors (the “Board” or the “Directors”).

Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including operational risk (i.e., the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process), “gap” risk (i.e., the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees a Fund or an Underlying Fund has agreed to pay a borrower), and credit, legal, counterparty and market risk. If a securities lending counterparty were to default, a Fund or an Underlying Fund would be subject to the risk of a possible delay in receiving collateral or in recovering the loaned securities, or to a possible loss of rights in the collateral. In the event a borrower does not return a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's securities as agreed, the Fund or an Underlying Fund may experience losses if the proceeds received from liquidating the collateral do not at least equal the value of the loaned security at the time the collateral is liquidated, plus the transaction costs incurred in purchasing replacement securities. This event could trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund or an Underlying Fund. A Fund or an Underlying Fund could lose money if its short-term investment of the collateral declines in value over the period of the loan. Substitute payments for dividends received by a Fund or an Underlying Fund for securities loaned out by the Fund or an Underlying Fund will not be

considered qualified dividend income. BTC will take into account the tax effects on shareholders caused by this difference in connection with a Fund’s securities lending program. Substitute payments received on tax-exempt securities loaned out will not be tax-exempt income.

Non-U.S. Securities. Each Fund, either directly or through its investments in an Underlying Fund, intends to purchase publicly-traded common stocks of non-U.S. issuers. To the extent a Fund invests in stocks of non-U.S. issuers, the Fund's investments in such stocks may be in the form of American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”), Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”) and European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) (collectively, “depositary receipts”). Depositary receipts are receipts, typically issued by a bank or trust issuer, which evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a non-U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. ADRs typically are issued by an American bank or trust company and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. EDRs, which are sometimes referred to as Continental Depositary Receipts, are receipts issued in Europe, typically by foreign banks and trust companies, that evidence ownership of either foreign or domestic underlying securities. GDRs are depositary receipts structured like global debt issues to facilitate trading on an international basis. Generally, ADRs, issued in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, issued in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the U.S. and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world.

Regulation Regarding Derivatives. The CFTC subjects advisors to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if a fund that is advised by the advisor either (i) invests, directly or indirectly, more than a prescribed level of its liquidation value in CFTC-regulated futures, options and swaps (“CFTC Derivatives”), or (ii) markets itself as providing investment exposure to such instruments. The CFTC also subjects advisors to registered investment companies to regulation by the CFTC if the registered investment company invests in one or more commodity pools. NDFs and cash-settled currency forwards as well as futures, options on futures, currency options and swaps entered into by the Fund will be treated as CFTC Derivatives for these purposes, whereas physically-settled foreign currency forward contracts generally will not be treated as CFTC Derivatives. To the extent a Fund uses CFTC Derivatives, it intends to do so below such prescribed levels and intends not to market itself as a “commodity pool” or a vehicle for trading such instruments.

BFA has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA with respect to the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF. BFA is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA with respect to the Fund.

The iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (the “No-Action Letter Fund”) may also have investments in “underlying funds” (and such underlying funds themselves may invest in underlying funds) not advised by BFA and the underlying funds may be viewed by the CFTC as commodity pools. BFA has no transparency into the holdings of these underlying funds because they are not advised by BFA. The CFTC staff issued a no-action letter on November 29, 2012 permitting the adviser of a fund that invests in such underlying funds and that would otherwise have filed a claim of

exclusion pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 to delay registration as a “commodity pool operator” until six months from the date on which the CFTC issues additional guidance on the treatment of CFTC Derivatives held by underlying funds. BFA, the investment adviser of the No-Action Letter Fund, has filed a claim with the CFTC for the Fund to rely on this no-action relief. Accordingly, BFA is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of the Fund.

Derivative contracts, including, without limitation, swaps, currency forwards, and non-deliverable forwards, are subject to regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act in the United States and under comparable regimes in Europe, Asia and other non-U.S. jurisdictions. Swaps, non-deliverable forwards and certain other derivatives traded in the OTC market are subject to variation margin requirements, and initial margining requirements will be phased in through 2020. Implementation of the margining and other provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act regarding clearing, mandatory trading, reporting and documentation of swaps and other derivatives have impacted and may continue to impact the costs to a Fund of trading these instruments and, as a result, may affect returns to investors in such Fund.

As a result of regulatory requirements under the 1940 Act, a Fund is required to maintain an amount of liquid assets, accrued on a daily basis, having an aggregate value at least equal to the value of a Fund’s obligations under the applicable derivatives contract. To the extent that derivatives contracts are settled on a physical basis, a Fund will generally be required to maintain an amount of liquid assets equal to the notional value of the contract. On the other hand, in connection with derivatives contracts that are performed on a net basis, a Fund will generally be required to maintain liquid assets, accrued daily, equal only to the accrued excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over those of its counterparty under the contract. Accordingly, reliance by a Fund on physically-settled derivatives contracts may adversely impact investors by requiring a Fund to set aside a greater amount of liquid assets than would generally be required if a Fund were relying on cash-settled derivatives contracts.

the interest required to be paid may not always be available, and each Fund intends to use the reverse repurchase technique only when BFA believes it will be advantageous to the Fund. The use of reverse repurchase agreements may exaggerate any increase or decrease in the value of each Fund’s or Underlying Fund's assets. A Fund’s or Underlying Fund's exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than the Fund’s or the Underlying Fund's obligations under such commitments. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form of leverage, and the proceeds obtained by each Fund through reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in additional securities.

Securities of Investment Companies. Each Fund and the Underlying Funds may invest in the securities of other investment companies (including money market funds) to the extent permitted by law. Pursuant to the 1940 Act, a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's investment in registered investment companies is generally limited to, subject to certain exceptions: (i) 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one investment company; (ii) 5% of a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's total assets with respect to any one investment company; and (iii) 10% of a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's total assets with respect to investment companies in the aggregate. To the extent allowed by law or regulation, each Fund and the Underlying Funds intend from time to time to invest their assets in the securities of investment companies, including, but not limited to, money market funds, including those advised by or otherwise affiliated with BFA, in excess of the general limits discussed above. Other investment companies in which a Fund and an Underlying Fund may invest can be expected to incur fees and expenses for operations, such as investment advisory and administration fees, which would be in addition to those incurred by a Fund and an Underlying Fund. Pursuant to guidance issued by the SEC staff, fees and expenses of money market funds used for cash collateral received in connection with loans of securities are not treated as Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, which reflect a Fund’s pro rata share of the fees and expenses incurred by investing in other investment companies (as disclosed in the Prospectus, as applicable).

Short-Term Instruments and Temporary Investments. Each Fund and Underlying Fund may invest in short-term instruments, including money market instruments, on an ongoing basis to provide liquidity or for other reasons. Money market instruments are generally short-term investments that may include, but are not limited to: (i) shares of money market funds (including those advised by BFA or otherwise affiliated with BFA); (ii) obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (including government-sponsored enterprises); (iii) negotiable certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, fixed-time deposits and other obligations of U.S. and non-U.S. banks (including non-U.S. branches) and similar institutions; (iv) commercial paper rated, at the date of purchase, “Prime-1” by Moody's^® Investors Service, Inc., “F-1” by Fitch Ratings, Inc., or “A-1” by Standard & Poor's^® Financial Services LLC, a subsidiary of S&P Global, Inc., or if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by BFA; (v) non-convertible corporate debt securities (e.g., bonds and debentures) with remaining maturities at the date of purchase of not more than 397 days and that satisfy the rating requirements set forth in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act; (vi) repurchase agreements; and (vii) short-term U.S. dollar-denominated obligations of non-U.S. banks (including U.S. branches) that, in the opinion of BFA, are of comparable quality to obligations of U.S. banks that may be purchased by a Fund. Any of these instruments may be purchased on a current or forward-settled basis. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates. Bankers’ acceptances are time drafts drawn on commercial banks by borrowers, usually in connection with international transactions.

Swap Agreements. Swap agreements are contracts between parties in which one party agrees to make periodic payments to the other party based on the change in market value or level of a specified rate, index or asset. In return, the other party agrees to make periodic payments to the first party based on the return of a different specified rate, index or asset. Swap agreements will usually be performed on a net basis, with each Fund receiving or paying only the net amount of the two payments. The net amount of the excess, if any, of a Fund’s obligations over its entitlements with respect to each swap is accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of liquid assets having an aggregate value at least equal to the accrued excess will be maintained by the Fund.

The Funds or Underlying Funds may enter into currency, interest rate or index swaps. The use of currency, interest rate and index swaps is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. These transactions generally do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets.

Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize each Fund or an Underlying Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments, other than those listed in this SAI and in the applicable Prospectuses, provided they are consistent with each Fund's or Underlying Fund's investment objective and do not violate any of its investment restrictions or policies.

General Considerations and Risks

A discussion of some of the principal risks associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the applicable Prospectus. Because each Fund expects to obtain its exposure to the securities in its Underlying Index substantially through its investment in an Underlying Fund, shareholders should be aware that the risks of investment in particular types of securities, economic sectors and geographic locations discussed below may be borne by the Fund through its investment in an Underlying Fund. Through its investment in an Underlying Fund, each Fund will also bear the risks described below associated with an Underlying Fund's use of portfolio management techniques, such as borrowing arrangements and use of derivatives, in addition to the risks associated with those activities if the Funds engage in them directly.

An investment in a Fund should be made with an understanding that the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities, including its investment in the Underlying Fund, may fluctuate in accordance with changes in the financial condition of the issuers of the portfolio securities, the value of stocks in general, and other factors that affect the market.

Custody Risk. Custody risk refers to the risks inherent in the process of clearing and settling trades and to the holding of securities, cash and other assets by local banks, agents and depositories. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets make trades harder to complete and settle, and governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that may not be subject to independent evaluation. Local agents are held only to the standards of care of their local markets, and thus may be subject to limited or no government oversight. Communications between the U.S. and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. In general, the less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater the likelihood of custody problems. Practices in relation to the settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because of the use of brokers and counterparties that are often less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence or undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being lost. In addition, the laws of certain countries may put limits on a Fund’s or the Underlying Fund's ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or an agent of any of the foregoing goes bankrupt. A Fund would absorb any loss resulting from such custody problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.

Liquidity Risk Management Rule Risk. In October 2016, the SEC adopted a liquidity risk management rule requiring open-end funds, including ETFs such as the Funds, to establish a liquidity risk management program and enhance disclosures regarding fund liquidity. There are exclusions from certain portions of the liquidity risk management program requirements for “in-kind” ETFs . The Funds will be required to comply with the rule by December 1, 2018. The effect the rule will have on the Funds, including a Fund’s ability to rely on the exclusions, is not yet known, but the rule may impact a Fund’s performance and ability to achieve its investment objective.

policies and procedures, their methods of operational risk management may differ from a Fund’s in the setting of priorities, the personnel and resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. BFA, through its monitoring and oversight of service providers, seeks to ensure that service providers take appropriate precautions to avoid and mitigate risks that could lead to disruptions and operating errors. However, it is not possible for BFA or the other Fund service providers to identify all of the operational risks that may affect a Fund or to develop processes and controls to completely eliminate or mitigate their occurrence or effects.

Risk of Derivatives. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, such as a security, a commodity (such as gold or silver), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500^® or the prime lending rate). A Fund or an Underlying Fund may invest in stock index futures contracts, securities options and other derivatives. Compared to conventional securities, derivatives can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices and thus a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's losses may be greater if it invests in derivatives than if it invests only in conventional securities. Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. Derivatives generally involve the incurrence of leverage. To address such leverage and to prevent a Fund or an Underlying Fund from being deemed to have issued senior securities as a result of an investment in derivatives, such Fund or Underlying Fund will segregate liquid assets equal to its obligations under the derivatives throughout the life of the investment.

relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit.

Risk of Investing in Non-U.S. Equity Securities. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in portfolios of equity securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments in those foreign countries, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by issuers domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor’s local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country’s currency. These considerations include favorable or unfavorable changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations and the costs that may be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. Investing in any of the Funds also involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in a fund whose portfolio contains exclusively securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets; generally greater price volatility; less publicly available information about issuers; the imposition of withholding or other taxes; the imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of funds or other assets of the Funds; higher transaction and custody costs; delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures; difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; lower liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization; different accounting and disclosure standards; lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; more substantial government interference with the economy and businesses; higher rates of inflation; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty; the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets; and the risk of war.

Risk of Swap Agreements. The risk of loss with respect to swaps (including NDFs) is generally limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund or an Underlying Fund is contractually obligated to make. Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, a Fund or an Underlying Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect such Fund’s or Underlying Fund's rights as a creditor (e.g., a Fund or an Underlying Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive), which could result in a Fund losing the benefits of any hedging position.

A Fund or an Underlying Fund is required to post and collect variation margin (comprised of specified liquid securities subject to haircuts) in connection with trading of OTC swaps. Implementation of regulations requiring posting of initial margin is being phased in through 2020. These requirements may raise the costs for a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's investment in swaps.

Volatility Risk. The value of the securities in each Fund's portfolio may fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The value of a security may fluctuate due to factors affecting markets generally or particular industries. This volatility may affect the Fund's NAV. Although certain of the Underlying Indexes were created to seek lower absolute volatility, there is no guarantee that these strategies will be successful. The iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF's Index Provider may be unsuccessful in creating an index that minimizes volatility, and there is a risk that the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF may experience more than minimum volatility. Securities in the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM

Currency Hedged ETF's portfolio may be subject to price volatility and their prices may not be any less volatile than the market as a whole and could be more volatile. Events or financial circumstances affecting individual securities or sectors may increase the volatility of the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF.

Risk of Investing in Mid-Capitalization Companies. Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies may be more volatile than those of large-capitalization companies, and, therefore, a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's share price may be more volatile than that of funds that invest a larger percentage of their assets in stocks issued by large-capitalization companies. Stock prices of mid-capitalization companies are also more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization companies to adverse business or economic developments, and the stocks of mid-capitalization companies may be less liquid, making it more difficult for the Funds to buy and sell them. In addition, mid-capitalization companies generally have less diverse product lines than large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products.

Market volatility may also be heightened by the actions of a small number of investors. Brokerage firms in certain countries in Africa may be fewer in number and less established than brokerage firms in more developed markets. Since a Fund and an Underlying Fund may need to effect securities transactions through these brokerage firms, the Fund and an Underlying Fund are subject to the risk that these brokerage firms will not be able to fulfill their obligations to the Fund and an Underlying Fund (i.e., counterparty risk). This risk is magnified to the extent that a Fund and an Underlying Fund effect securities transactions through a single brokerage firm or a small number of brokerage firms.

Certain governments in African countries restrict or control to varying degrees the ability of foreign investors to invest in securities of issuers located or operating in those countries. Moreover, certain countries in Africa require governmental approval or special licenses prior to investment by foreign investors and may limit the amount of investment by foreign investors in a particular industry and/or issuer, and may limit such foreign investment to a certain class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domestic investors of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. A delay in obtaining a government approval or a license would delay investments in a particular country, and, as a result, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities while approval is pending. The government of a particular country may also withdraw or decline to renew a license that enables a Fund or an Underlying Fund to invest in such country. These factors make investing in issuers located or operating in countries in Africa significantly riskier than investing in issuers located or operating in more developed countries, and any one of these factors could cause a decline in the value of a Fund’s investments. Issuers located or operating in countries in Africa are generally not subject to the same rules and regulations as issuers located or operating in more developed countries. Therefore, there may be less financial and other information publicly available with regard to issuers located or operating in countries in Africa and such issuers are generally not subject to the uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards applicable to issuers located or operating in more developed countries.

In addition, governments of certain countries in Africa in which a Fund or an Underlying Fund may invest may levy withholding or other taxes on income such as dividends, interest and realized capital gains. Although in certain countries in Africa a portion of these taxes are recoverable, the non-recovered portion of foreign withholding taxes will reduce the income received from investments in such countries.

Investment in countries in Africa may be subject to a greater degree of risk associated with governmental approval in connection with the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. In addition, there is the risk that if an African country’s balance of payments declines, such African country may impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. Consequently, a Fund or an Underlying Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Funds or the Underlying Funds of any restrictions on investments. Additionally, investments in countries in Africa may require a Fund or an Underlying Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local government approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.

Certain countries in Africa may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely affected by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. Certain countries in Africa depend to a significant extent upon exports of primary commodities such as gold, silver, copper and diamonds. These countries therefore are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices, which may be affected by a variety of factors. In addition, certain issuers located in countries in Africa in which a Fund or an Underlying Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund or an Underlying Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

Risk of Investing in Central and South America. The economies of certain Central and South American countries have experienced high interest rates, economic volatility, inflation, currency devaluations, government defaults, high unemployment rates and political instability which can adversely affect issuers in these countries. In addition, commodities (such as oil, gas and minerals) represent a significant percentage of exports for the regions and, as a result, many economies in these regions are particularly sensitive to fluctuations in commodity prices. Adverse economic events in one country may have a significant adverse effect on other countries of these regions.

The governments of certain countries in Central and South America may exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies. Future government actions could have a significant effect on the economic conditions in such countries, which could have a negative impact on the securities in which a Fund or an Underlying Fund invests. Diplomatic developments may also adversely affect investments in certain countries in Central and South America. Some countries in Central and South America may be affected by public corruption and crime, including organized crime.

Certain countries in Central and South America may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely affected by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. In addition, certain issuers located in countries in Central and South America in which a Fund or an Underlying Fund invests may have dealings with countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. An issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer that has dealings with such countries. A Fund or an Underlying Fund may be adversely affected if the Fund or the Underlying Fund invests in such issuers.

The Chinese government has implemented significant economic reforms in order to liberalize trade policy, promote foreign investment in the economy, reduce government control of the economy and develop market mechanisms. However, there can be no assurance that these reforms will continue or that they will be effective. Despite reforms and privatizations of companies in certain sectors, the Chinese government still exercises substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector and may own or control many companies. The Chinese government continues to maintain a major role in economic policy making and investing in China involves risk of loss due to expropriation, nationalization, confiscation of assets and property or the imposition of restrictions on foreign investments and on repatriation of capital invested. In addition, there is less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the U.S. Accordingly, issuers of securities in China are not subject to the same degree of regulation as are U.S. issuers with respect to such matters as insider trading rules, tender offer regulation, stockholder proxy requirements and the requirements mandating timely and accurate disclosure of information. Stock markets in China are in the process of change and further development. This may lead to trading volatility, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulation. The Funds and the Underlying Funds may invest in H-Shares (securities of companies incorporated in the People's Republic of China (“PRC”) that are denominated in Hong Kong dollars and listed on the Hong Kong Exchange) and B-Shares (securities of companies incorporated in the PRC and listed for foreign investment on stock exchanges in the PRC). The Funds and the Underlying Funds may also invest in certain Hong Kong listed securities known as Red-Chips (securities issued by companies incorporated in certain foreign jurisdictions, which are controlled, directly or indirectly, by entities owned by the national government or local governments in the PRC and derive substantial revenues or allocate substantial assets in the PRC) and P-Chips (securities issued by companies incorporated in certain foreign jurisdictions, which are controlled, directly or indirectly, by individuals in the PRC and derive substantial revenues or allocate substantial assets in the PRC). Securities listed on the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchanges are divided into two classes: A-Shares, which are mostly limited to domestic investors and denominated in renminbi, and B-Shares, which are allocated for both international and domestic investors and denominated in U.S. dollars on the Shanghai exchange and Hong Kong dollars on the Shenzhen exchange. The B-Shares market is generally smaller, less liquid and has a smaller issuer base than the A-Shares market, which may lead to significant price volatility. B-Shares, H-Shares, P-Chips or Red-Chips of issuers that also issue A-Shares may trade at significant discounts to their A-Shares counterparts. The issuance of B-Shares and H-Shares by Chinese companies and the ability to obtain a “back-door listing” through Red-Chips or P-Chips is still regarded by the Chinese authorities as an experiment in economic reform. “Back-door listing” is a means by which a mainland Chinese company issues Red-Chips or P-Chips to obtain quick access to international listing and international capital. All of these share mechanisms are relatively untested and subject to political and economic policy in China. Chinese securities have recently experienced substantial volatility, which is expected to continue in the future. Chinese exchanges on which local China A shares are listed impose daily price limits on trading of stocks and mutual funds. The Shanghai Stock Exchange, for example, imposes a daily price up/down limit based on a fixed percentage of the price of common stocks, subject to adjustment with regulatory approval. Local exchange rules may also allow issuers to suspend their shares' trading for a variety of reasons. These and other factors may make it difficult to acquire, dispose of, or value shares of Chinese issuers, which could adversely affect the Funds.

region to region. The application and enforcement of PRC tax rules could have a significant adverse effect on the Fund or the Underlying Fund and their investors, particularly in relation to capital gains withholding tax imposed upon non-residents.

Emerging market securities markets are typically marked by a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of ownership of such securities by a limited number of investors. In addition, brokerage and other costs associated with transactions in emerging market securities can be higher, sometimes significantly, than similar costs incurred in securities markets in developed countries. Although some emerging markets have become more established and tend to issue securities of higher credit quality, the markets for securities in other emerging market countries are in the earliest stages of their development, and these countries issue securities across the credit spectrum. Even the markets for relatively widely traded securities in emerging market countries may not be able to absorb, without price disruptions, a significant increase in trading volume or trades of a size customarily undertaken by institutional investors in the securities markets of developed countries. The limited size of many of these securities markets can cause prices to be erratic for reasons apart from factors that affect the soundness and competitiveness of the securities issuers. For example, prices may be unduly influenced by traders who control large positions in these markets. Additionally, market making and arbitrage activities are generally less extensive in such markets, which may contribute to increased volatility and reduced liquidity of such markets. The limited liquidity of emerging market country securities may also affect a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

private property may be weak or non-existent. Sudden changes in governments may result in policies which are less favorable to investors such as policies designed to expropriate or nationalize “sovereign” assets. Certain emerging market countries in the past have expropriated large amounts of private property, in many cases with little or no compensation, and there can be no assurance that such expropriation will not occur in the future.

Investment in the securities markets of certain emerging market countries is restricted or controlled to varying degrees. These restrictions may limit a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's investment in certain emerging market countries and may increase the expenses of the Fund or the Underlying Fund. Certain emerging market countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit investment by foreign persons to only a specified percentage of an issuer's outstanding securities or a specific class of securities which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals.

A Fund's or an Underlying Fund's income and, in some cases, capital gains from foreign securities will be subject to applicable taxation in certain of the emerging market countries in which it invests, and treaties between the U.S. and such countries may not be available in some cases to reduce the otherwise applicable tax rates.

and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country's creditworthiness, which may be located in countries other than those listed above. In addition, the credit ratings of certain European countries were recently downgraded. These downgrades may result in further deterioration of investor confidence. These events have adversely affected the value and exchange rate of the euro and may continue to significantly affect the economies of every country in Europe, including countries that do not use the euro and non-EU member countries. Responses to the financial problems by European governments, central banks and others, including austerity measures and reforms, may not produce the desired results, may result in social unrest and may limit future growth and economic recovery or have other unintended consequences. Further defaults or restructurings by governments and other entities of their debt could have additional adverse effects on economies, financial markets and asset valuations around the world. In addition, one or more countries may abandon the euro and/or withdraw from the EU. The impact of these actions, especially if they occur in a disorderly fashion, is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely impact the value of a Fund’s investments in the region. In a referendum held on June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom resolved to leave the EU. The referendum may introduce significant uncertainties and instability in the financial markets as the U.K. negotiates its exit from the EU. Secessionist movements, such as the Catalan movement in Spain, as well as governmental or other responses to such movements, may also create instability and uncertainty in the region. The occurrence of terrorist incidents throughout Europe also could impact financial markets. The impact of these events is not clear but could be significant and far-reaching and could adversely affect the value of a Fund.

Risk of Investing in the Middle East. Many Middle Eastern countries have little or no democratic tradition, and the political and legal systems in such countries may have an adverse impact on a Fund or an Underlying Fund. Many economies in the Middle East are highly reliant on income from the sale of oil or trade with countries involved in the sale of oil, and their economies are therefore vulnerable to changes in the market for oil and foreign currency values. As global demand for oil fluctuates, many Middle Eastern economies may be significantly impacted.

In addition, many Middle Eastern governments have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, a Middle Eastern country’s government may own or control many companies, including some of the largest companies in the country. Accordingly, governmental actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in Middle Eastern countries. This could affect private sector companies and a Fund or an Underlying Fund, as well as the value of securities in a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's portfolio.

The legal systems in certain Middle Eastern countries also may have an adverse impact on a Fund or an Underlying Fund. For example, the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation generally is limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment. However, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain Middle Eastern countries. A Fund or an Underlying Fund therefore may be liable in certain Middle Eastern countries for the acts of a corporation in which it invests for an amount greater than its actual investment in that corporation. Similarly, the rights of investors in Middle Eastern issuers may be more limited than those of shareholders of a U.S. corporation. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain or enforce a legal judgment in a Middle Eastern country. Some Middle Eastern countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund and an Underlying Fund. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investment by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer. Certain Middle Eastern countries may also limit investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals of the relevant Middle Eastern country.

The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain Middle Eastern countries, as well as limitations on those investments, may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Fund or an Underlying Fund. For example, in certain of these countries, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may be required to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares that were purchased re-registered in the name of a Fund or an Underlying Fund. Re-registration in some instances may not be possible on a timely basis. This may result in a delay during which a Fund or an Underlying Fund may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Fund or an Underlying Fund places a purchase order but is subsequently

informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has already been filled and, consequently, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may not be able to invest in the relevant company.

Substantial limitations may exist in certain Middle Eastern countries with respect to a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's ability to repatriate investment income or capital gains. A Fund and an Underlying Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to a Fund and an Underlying Fund of any restrictions on investment.

Certain Middle Eastern countries may be heavily dependent upon international trade and, consequently, have been and may continue to be negatively affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade. These countries also have been and may continue to be adversely impacted by economic conditions in the countries with which they trade. In addition, certain issuers located in Middle Eastern countries in which a Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund and an Underlying Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in the Russian securities market involves a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the U.S. securities market, and should be considered highly speculative. Risks include: the absence of developed legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property; the possibility of the loss of all or a substantial portion of an Underlying Fund’s assets invested in Russia as a result of expropriation; certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including, without limitation, restrictions on investing in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests; and potentially greater price volatility in, significantly smaller capitalization of, and relative illiquidity of, the Russian market. There can also be no assurance that an Underlying Fund’s investments in the Russian securities market would not be expropriated, nationalized or otherwise confiscated. In the event of the settlement of any such claims or such expropriation, nationalization or other confiscation, an Underlying Fund could lose its entire investment. In addition, it may be difficult and more costly to obtain and enforce a judgment in the Russian court system.

adversely affect investments in Russia. In recent years, the Russian government has begun to take bolder steps to re-assert its regional geopolitical influence (including military steps). Such steps may increase tensions between Russia and its neighbors and Western countries and may negatively affect economic growth.

The U.S. and the Economic and Monetary Union of the EU, along with the regulatory bodies of a number of countries including Japan, Australia, Norway, Switzerland and Canada (collectively, “Sanctioning Bodies”), have imposed economic sanctions, which consist of asset freezes and sectoral sanctions, on certain Russian individuals and Russian corporate entities. The Sanctioning Bodies could also institute broader sanctions on Russia. These sanctions, or even the threat of further sanctions, may result in the decline of the value and liquidity of Russian securities, a weakening of the ruble or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. These sanctions could also result in the immediate freeze of Russian securities and/or funds invested in prohibited assets, impairing the ability of a Fund or an Underlying Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities and/or assets. Additional sanctions against Russia have been, and may in the future be, imposed by the U.S. or other countries.

The sanctions against certain Russian issuers include prohibitions on transacting in or dealing in certain issuances of new debt or new equity of such issuers. Securities held by a Fund or an Underlying Fund issued prior to the date of the sanctions being imposed are not currently subject to any restrictions under the sanctions. However, compliance with each of these sanctions may impair the ability of a Fund or an Underlying Fund to buy, sell, hold, receive or deliver the affected securities or other securities of such issuers. If it becomes impracticable or unlawful for a Fund or an Underlying Fund to hold securities subject to, or otherwise affected by, sanctions (collectively, “affected securities”), or if deemed appropriate by BFA, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may prohibit in-kind deposits of the affected securities in connection with creation transactions and instead require a cash deposit, which may also increase a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's transaction costs. A Fund or an Underlying Fund may also be legally required to freeze assets in a blocked account.

Also, if an affected security is included in a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's Underlying Index, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may, where practicable, seek to eliminate its holdings of the affected security by employing or augmenting its representative sampling strategy to seek to track the investment results of its Underlying Index. The use of (or increased use of) a representative sampling strategy may increase a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's tracking error risk. If the affected securities constitute a significant percentage of the Underlying Index, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may not be able to effectively implement a representative sampling strategy, which may result in significant tracking error between a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's performance and the performance of its Underlying Index.

Current or future sanctions may result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions, which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities. These retaliatory measures may include the immediate freeze of Russian assets held by a Fund or an Underlying Fund. In the event of such a freeze of any Fund assets, including depositary receipts, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may need to liquidate non-restricted assets in order to satisfy any Fund or Underlying Fund redemption orders. The liquidation of Fund or Underlying Fund assets during this time may also result in a Fund or an Underlying Fund receiving substantially lower prices for its securities.

These sanctions may also lead to changes in a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's Underlying Index. A Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's index provider may remove securities from its Underlying Index or implement caps on the securities of certain issuers that have been subject to recent economic sanctions. In such an event, it is expected that a Fund or an Underlying Fund will rebalance its portfolio to bring it in line with its Underlying Index as a result of any such changes, which may result in transaction costs and increased tracking error. These sanctions, the volatility that may result in the trading markets for Russian securities and the possibility that Russia may impose investment or currency controls on investors may cause a Fund or an Underlying Fund to invest in, or increase a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's investments in, depositary receipts that represent the securities of its Underlying Index. These investments may result in increased transaction costs and increased tracking error.

likely have an adverse impact on the Taiwanese economy. The Chinese government views Taiwan as a renegade province and continues to contest Taiwan’s sovereignty. The outbreak of hostilities between the two nations, or even the threat of an outbreak of hostilities will likely adversely impact the Taiwanese economy. Such risks, among others, may adversely affect the value of a Fund’s investments.

U.S. Economic Trading Partners Risk. The U.S. is a significant, and in some cases the most significant, trading partner of, or foreign investor in, the country or countries in which a Fund invests. As a result, economic conditions of such countries may be particularly affected by changes in the U.S. economy. The U.S. economy has recently experienced very difficult conditions and increased volatility, as well as significant adverse trends. While government intervention and recent legislation has been enacted to improve the U.S. economy, the recovery has been fragile and modest. A decrease in U.S. imports, new trade and financial regulations, changes in the U.S. dollar exchange rate or an economic slowdown in the U.S. may have a material adverse effect on a country’s economic conditions and, as a result, securities to which a Fund has exposure.

between OPEC and oil-importing nations, the regulatory environment, taxation policies, and the economy of the key energy-consuming countries. Commodity prices have recently been subject to increased volatility and declines, which may negatively affect companies in which a Fund invests.

adversely affect its business. Deterioration of credit markets can have an adverse impact on a broad range of financial markets, causing certain financial companies to incur large losses. In these conditions, companies in the financials sector may experience significant declines in the valuation of their assets, take actions to raise capital and even cease operations. Some financial companies may also be required to accept or borrow significant amounts of capital from government sources and may face future government-imposed restrictions on their businesses or increased government intervention. In addition, there is no guarantee that governments will provide any such relief in the future. These actions may cause the securities of many companies in the financials sector to decline in value.

of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights. The loss or impairment of these rights may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the information technology sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses. These risks are heightened for information technology companies in foreign markets.

Risk of Investing in the Real Estate Industry. Companies in the real estate industry include companies that invest in real estate, such as real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), real estate holding companies or real estate development companies (collectively, “Real Estate Companies”). Investing in Real Estate Companies exposes investors to the risks of owning real estate directly, as well as to risks that relate specifically to the way in which Real Estate Companies are organized and operated. The real estate industry is highly sensitive to general and local economic conditions and developments, and characterized by intense competition and periodic overbuilding. Investing in Real Estate Companies involves various risks. Some risks that are specific to Real Estate Companies are discussed in greater detail below.

Proxy Voting Policy

Portfolio Holdings Information

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio holdings information that requires that such information be disclosed in a manner that: (i) is consistent with applicable legal requirements and in the best interests of each Fund’s respective shareholders; (ii) does not put the interests of BFA, the Distributor or any affiliated person of BFA or the Distributor, above those of Fund shareholders; (iii) does not advantage any current or prospective Fund shareholders over any other current or prospective Fund shareholders, except to the extent that certain Entities (as described below) may receive portfolio holdings information not available to other current or prospective Fund shareholders in connection with the dissemination of information necessary for transactions in Creation Units, as discussed below, and certain information may be provided to personnel of BFA and its affiliates who manage funds that invest a significant percentage of their assets in shares of a Fund for the purpose of facilitating risk management and hedging activities; and (iv) does not provide selective access to portfolio holdings information except pursuant to the procedures outlined below and to the extent appropriate confidentiality arrangements limiting the use of such information are in effect. The “Entities” referred to in sub-section (iii) above are generally limited to National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) members, subscribers to various fee-based subscription services, large institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) that have been authorized by the

Distributor to purchase and redeem large blocks of shares pursuant to legal requirements and market makers and other institutional market participants and entities that provide information or transactional services.

The Board reviews the policy and procedures for disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually.

Construction and Maintenance of the Underlying Indexes

Descriptions of the Underlying Indexes are provided below.

The MSCI Indexes

•	MSCI Global Standard Indexes cover all investable large- and mid-cap securities by including the largest issuers comprising approximately 85% of each market's free float-adjusted market capitalization.
•	MSCI Global Small Cap Indexes provide coverage of companies with a market capitalization below that of the companies in the MSCI Global Standard Indexes.

MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes

Defining the Equity Universe. MSCI begins with securities listed in countries in the MSCI GIMI. As of October 31, 2017, 23 are classified as developed markets, 24 as emerging markets, and 22 as frontier markets. All listed equity securities and listed securities that exhibit characteristics of equity securities, except mutual funds, ETFs, equity derivatives, limited partnerships and most investment trusts, are eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. Real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) in some countries and certain income trusts in Canada are also eligible for inclusion. Each company and its securities (i.e., share classes) are classified in only one country.

•	Achieving global size integrity by ensuring that companies of comparable and relevant sizes are included in a given size segment across all markets in a composite index; and
•	Achieving consistent market coverage by ensuring that each market's size segment is represented in its proportional weight in the composite universe.

Weighting. All indexes of the MSCI GIMI are free float weighted, i.e., companies are included in the indexes at the value of their free public float (free float multiplied by security price).

Price and Exchange Rates

Index maintenance can be described by three broad categories of changes:

•	Semi-Annual Index Reviews (“SAIRs”), conducted on a fixed semi-annual timetable that systematically reassess the various dimensions of the equity universe for all markets;
•	Quarterly Index Reviews (“QIRs”), aimed at promptly reflecting other significant market events; and
•	Ongoing event-related changes, such as mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, bankruptcies, reorganizations and other similar corporate events, which generally are implemented in the indexes as they occur.

Potential changes in the status of countries (stand-alone, frontier, emerging and developed) follow their own implementation time tables.

MSCI Hedged Indexes

Each of the MSCI Hedged Indexes aims to represent the returns of an MSCI parent equity index with its currency risk hedged back to a single “home country” currency. MSCI provides monthly and daily hedging versions, either fully or partially hedged.

MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes

•	The maximum weight of an index constituent will be the lower of 1.5% or 20 times its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	The minimum weight of an index constituent will be 0.05%;
•	For countries in the MSCI Global Standard Index with weight greater than or equal to 2.5% in the parent index, the MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes weight will not deviate by more than ±5% of its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	For countries in the MSCI Global Standard Index with weight less than 2.5% in the parent index, the maximum MSCI Global Minimum Volatility Indexes weight will be three times its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	Sector weights will not deviate by more than ±5% from its weight in the MSCI Global Standard Index;
•	Exposure to risk indices from Barra’s multi-factor risk model, including (i) Momentum; (ii) Value; (iii) Size; (iv) Size Nonlinearity; (v) Growth; (vi) Liquidity; and (vii) Financial Leverage will be limited to ±0.25 standard deviations relative to the MSCI Global Standard Index; exposure to the volatility risk index will be unlimited; and
•	The maximum one-way turnover will be 10%.

MSCI Emerging Markets 100% Hedged to USD Index

Number of Components: approximately 842

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets 100% Hedged to USD Index aims to represent the returns of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index with its currency risk hedged against the U.S. dollar on a monthly basis. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is used as a measure of performance of the global emerging markets.

Calculation Methodology. The Fund utilizes the Underlying Index calculated with net dividends reinvested. MSCI uses the index constituent companies’ country of incorporation to determine the relevant dividend withholding tax rates in calculating the net dividends. The regular cash dividend is reinvested after deduction of withholding tax by applying the maximum rate of the company’s country of incorporation applicable to institutional investors. “Net dividends” means dividends after taxes withheld at the rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties. Such withholding rates may differ from those applicable to U.S. residents.

MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) 100% Hedged to USD Index

Number of Components: approximately 250

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) 100% Hedged to USD Index aims to represent the returns of the MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) Index with its currency risk hedged to the U.S. dollar on a

monthly basis. The MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) Index measures the performance of equity securities in global emerging markets that have lower volatility relative to its parent index.

Additional Information. “MSCI,” “MSCI Emerging Markets 100% Hedged to USD Index” and “MSCI Emerging Markets Minimum Volatility (USD) 100% Hedged to USD Index” are servicemarks of MSCI Inc. and have been licensed for use by BFA or its affiliates. The Funds are neither sponsored, endorsed, sold nor promoted by MSCI Inc., and MSCI Inc. makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Funds.

Investment Restrictions

Each Fund has adopted its investment objective as a non-fundamental investment policy. Therefore, each Fund may change its investment objective and its Underlying Index without shareholder approval. The Board has adopted as fundamental policies the following numbered investment restrictions, which cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the applicable Fund’s outstanding voting securities. A vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund is defined in the Investment Company Act as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

Each Fund may not:

1.	Concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the Investment Company Act, except that the Fund will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.
2.	Borrow money, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act.
3.	Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate the Investment Company Act.
4.	Purchase or hold real estate, except the Fund may purchase and hold securities or other instruments that are secured by, or linked to, real estate or interests therein, securities of REITs, mortgage-related securities and securities of issuers engaged in the real estate business, and the Fund may purchase and hold real estate as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments.
5.	Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.
6.	Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except as permitted by the Investment Company Act.
7.	Make loans to the extent prohibited by the Investment Company Act.

Notations Regarding each Fund's Fundamental Investment Restrictions

The following notations are not considered to be part of each Fund's fundamental investment restrictions and are subject to change without shareholder approval.

investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country. Finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents. Each foreign government will be considered to be a member of a separate industry. With respect to a Fund's industry classifications, the Fund currently utilizes any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. The policy also will be interpreted to give broad authority to a Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among industries.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to borrowing money set forth in (2) above, the Investment Company Act permits each Fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of the Fund’s total assets from banks for any purpose, and to borrow up to 5% of the Fund’s total assets from banks or other lenders for temporary purposes. (The Fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed.) To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the Investment Company Act requires each Fund to maintain at all times an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings. Asset coverage means the ratio that the value of a Fund's total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings. Borrowing money to increase portfolio holdings is known as “leveraging.” Certain trading practices and investments, such as reverse repurchase agreements, may be considered to be borrowings or involve leverage and thus are subject to the Investment Company Act restrictions. In accordance with SEC staff guidance and interpretations, when a Fund engages in such transactions, the Fund instead of maintaining asset coverage of at least 300%, may segregate or earmark liquid assets, or enter into an offsetting position, in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). The policy in (2) above will be interpreted to permit each Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing or to involve leverage to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act and to permit each Fund to segregate or earmark liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions in accordance with the Investment Company Act. Short-term credits necessary for the settlement of securities transactions and arrangements with respect to securities lending will not be considered to be borrowings under the policy. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to underwriting set forth in (5) above, the Investment Company Act does not prohibit each Fund from engaging in the underwriting business or from underwriting the securities of other issuers; in fact, in the case of diversified funds, the Investment Company Act permits the Fund to have underwriting commitments of up to 25% of its assets under certain circumstances. Those circumstances currently are that the amount of each Fund's underwriting commitments, when added to the value of the Fund’s investments in issuers where each Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of those issuers, cannot exceed the 25% cap. A fund engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Although it is not believed that the application of the 1933 Act provisions described above would cause a Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, the policy in (5) above will be interpreted not to prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act or is otherwise engaged in the underwriting business to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Under its non-fundamental investment restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval, each Fund may not:

Purchase securities of other investment companies, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act. As a matter of policy, however, each Fund will not purchase shares of any registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust, in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) (the “fund of funds” provisions) of the Investment Company Act, at any time each Fund has knowledge that its shares are purchased by another investment company investor in reliance on the provisions of subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1); provided that such policy will only be in effect if the Fund ceases to invest its assets in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) in the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF or the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF (or a different Underlying Fund), as applicable.

b.	Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, except to the extent permitted by each Fund's Prospectus and SAI, as amended from time to time, and applicable law.

Unless otherwise indicated, all limitations under each Fund's fundamental or non-fundamental investment restrictions apply only at the time that a transaction is undertaken. Any change in the percentage of a Fund's assets invested in certain securities or other instruments resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in a Fund’s total assets will not require a Fund to dispose of an investment until BFA determines that it is practicable to sell or close out the investment without undue market or tax consequences.

In addition to the investment restrictions adopted as fundamental policies set forth above, the iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has adopted a non-fundamental policy not to invest in the securities of a company for the purpose of exercising management or control, or purchase or otherwise acquire any illiquid security, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, which currently permits up to 15% of the Fund's net assets to be invested in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment).

BFA monitors the liquidity of restricted securities in each Fund's portfolio. In reaching liquidity decisions, BFA considers the following factors:

•	The frequency of trades and quotes for the security;
•	The number of dealers wishing to purchase or sell the security and the number of other potential purchasers;
•	Dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and
•	The nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace in which it trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers and the mechanics of transfer).

The iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in component securities in the Underlying Index or in Depositary Receipts representing component securities in its Underlying Index. The Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund's future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

The iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in the component securities (including indirect investments through the Underlying Fund) and other instruments of its Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing component securities in its Underlying Index. The Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, the Fund’s future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

Each Fund has adopted a non-fundamental limitation such that, under normal market conditions, any borrowings by a Fund will not exceed 10% of a Fund's net assets.

Although the SEC has granted an exemptive order to the Company permitting registered investment companies and unit investment trusts that enter into a participation agreement with the Company (“Investing Funds”) to invest in iShares Funds beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act subject to certain terms and conditions, the exemptive order is not applicable to the Funds. Accordingly, Investing Funds must adhere to the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act when investing in the Funds.

Continuous Offering

Management

Interested Directors

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Robert S. Kapito¹ (60)	Director (since 2009).	President, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. and Head of BlackRock’s Portfolio Management Group (since its formation in 1998) and BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities (since 1988); Trustee, University of Pennsylvania (since 2009); President of Board of Directors, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund (since 2002).	Director of BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2009); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Mark K. Wiedman² (47)	Director (since 2013).	Senior Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014); Global Head of BlackRock’s ETF and Index Investments Business (since 2016); Global Head of iShares (2011-2016); Head of Corporate Strategy, BlackRock, Inc. (2009-2011).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2013); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2013); Director of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. (since 2008).

¹	Robert S. Kapito is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.
²	Mark K. Wiedman is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.

Independent Directors

Name (Age)		Position		Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years		Other Directorships Held by Director
Cecilia H. Herbert (68)		Director (since 2005); Independent Board Chair (since 2016).		Trustee and Member of the Finance, Technology and Quality Committee of Stanford Health Care (since 2016); Trustee and Member of the Investment Committee, WNET, a New York public media company (since 2011); Chair (1994-2005) and Member (since 1992) of the Investment Committee, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Director (1998-2013) and President (2007-2011) of the Board of Directors, Catholic Charities CYO; Trustee (2002-2011) and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee (2006-2010) of the Thacher School.		Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Independent Board Chair of iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2016); Trustee of Forward Funds (14 portfolios) (since 2009); Trustee of Salient MF Trust (4 portfolios) (since 2015).

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Jane D. Carlin (61)	Director (since 2015); Risk Committee Chair (since 2016).	Consultant (since 2012); Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Holding Company Governance & Assurance and the Global Head of Operational Risk Management of Morgan Stanley (2006-2012).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2015); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2015); Director of PHH Corporation (mortgage solutions) (since 2012); Director of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (since 2016).
Richard L. Fagnani (63)	Director (since 2017); Equity Plus Committee Chair (since 2017).	Partner, KPMG LLP (2002-2016).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
Charles A. Hurty (74)	Director (since 2005); Audit Committee Chair (since 2006).	Retired; Partner, KPMG LLP (1968-2001).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director of SkyBridge Alternative Investments Multi-Adviser Hedge Fund Portfolios LLC (2 portfolios) (since 2002).
John E. Kerrigan (62)	Director (since 2005); Securities Lending Committee Chair (since 2016).	Chief Investment Officer, Santa Clara University (since 2002).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Drew E. Lawton (58)	Director (since 2017); 15(c) Committee Chair (since 2017).	Senior Managing Director of New York Life Insurance Company (2010-2015).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
John E. Martinez (56)	Director (since 2003); Fixed Income Plus Committee Chair (since 2016).	Director of Real Estate Equity Exchange, Inc. (since 2005).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2003); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Madhav V. Rajan (53)	Director (since 2011); Nominating and Governance Committee Chair (since 2017).	Dean, and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (since 2017); Robert K. Jaedicke Professor of Accounting, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2001-2017); Professor of Law (by courtesy), Stanford Law School (2005-2017); Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Head of MBA Program, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2010-2016).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2011); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director, Cavium, Inc. (since 2013).

Officers

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years
Martin Small (42)	President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2010); Head of U.S. iShares (since 2015); Co-Head of the U.S. Financial Markets Advisory Group, BlackRock, Inc. (2008-2014).
Jack Gee (58)	Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (since 2008).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Senior Director of Fund Administration of Intermediary Investor Business, BGI (2009).
Charles Park (50)	Chief Compliance Officer (since 2006).	Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the Equity-Bond Complex, the Equity-Liquidity Complex and the Closed-End Complex (since 2014); Chief Compliance Officer of BFA (since 2006).
Benjamin Archibald (42)	Secretary (since 2015).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2010-2013); Secretary of the BlackRock-advised mutual funds (since 2012).
Steve Messinger (55)	Executive Vice President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014 and since 2016); Managing Director, Beacon Consulting Group (2014-2016).
Scott Radell (49)	Executive Vice President (since 2012).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Head of Portfolio Solutions, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).
Alan Mason (57)	Executive Vice President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).

Board – Leadership Structure and Oversight Responsibilities

As the Chair of the Board, Cecilia H. Herbert may serve as an ex-officio member of each Committee.

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
Robert S. Kapito	None	None	None

Mark K. Wiedman	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares New York Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Cecilia H. Herbert	iShares California Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares International Select Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI Japan ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Jane D. Carlin	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Richard L. Fagnani	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable

Charles A. Hurty	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
	iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Moderate Allocation ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Global Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Healthcare ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Technology ETF	Over $100,000

John E. Kerrigan	iShares MSCI ACWI ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short-Term National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Drew E. Lawton	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	$50,001-$100,000	$50,001-$100,000

John E. Martinez	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$1-$10,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares TIPS Bond ETF	$50,001-$100,000

Madhav V. Rajan	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Select Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	Over $100,000

Remuneration of Directors and Advisory Board Members.

Name	iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	$ 0	$0
John E. Kerrigan	113	2
Charles A. Hurty	118	2
Cecilia H. Herbert	122	2
John E. Martinez	113	2
Madhav V. Rajan	120	2
Jane D. Carlin	113	2
Drew E. Lawton²	98	2
Richard L. Fagnani³	46	1

Name	iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0

Name	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Company Expenses⁴	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement⁴	Total Compensation From the Funds and Fund Complex⁵
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver¹	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$ 81,250
John E. Kerrigan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Charles A. Hurty	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	340,000
Cecilia H. Herbert	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	361,764
John E. Martinez	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	336,764
Madhav V. Rajan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Jane D. Carlin	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	0

Advisory Board Members:

Drew E. Lawton²	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$75,000⁶
Richard L. Fagnani³	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable⁷

¹	Served as an Independent Director through March 31, 2016.
²	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Drew E. Lawton for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
³	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Richard L. Fagnani for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from April 1, 2017 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
⁴	No Director or officer is entitled to any pension or retirement benefits from the Company.
⁵	Also includes compensation for service on the Boards of Trustees or the Advisory Board for iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust.
⁶	Total compensation is shown for Drew E. Lawton for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to December 31, 2016.
⁷	Total compensation is not shown for Richard L. Fagnani because he was appointed to serve as an Advisory Board Member of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust effective April 1, 2017.

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.

The Directors and officers of the Company collectively owned less than 1% of each Fund's outstanding shares as of November 30, 2017.

Fund	Name and Address	Percentage of Ownership
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	Citibank, N.A. 3800 CitiBank Center Tampa Building A/Floor 2 Tampa, FL 33610	41.31%
	Janney Montgomery Scott LLC 26 Broadway New York, NY 10004	10.94%
	Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 111 Pavonia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07310	10.84%
	National Financial Services LLC 200 Liberty Street 5^thFloor New York, NY 10281	6.08%

iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated - TS Sub 101 Hudson Street 9th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07302-3997	66.38%
	J.P. Morgan Clearing Corp One Metrotech Center North Brooklyn, NY 11201	16.02%
	Citibank, N.A. 3800 CitiBank Center Tampa Building A/Floor 2 Tampa, FL 33610	7.35%

case, for the accounts of customers and, in some cases, on a proprietary basis. As such, one or more Affiliates are or may be actively engaged in transactions in the same securities, currencies, and instruments in which a Fund invests. Such activities could affect the prices and availability of the securities, currencies, and instruments in which a Fund invests, which could have an adverse impact on a Fund's performance. Such transactions, particularly in respect of most proprietary accounts or client accounts, will be executed independently of a Fund's transactions and thus at prices or rates that may be more or less favorable than those obtained by a Fund.

when position limits have been reached. For example, the investment activities of one or more Affiliates for their proprietary accounts and accounts under their management may limit the investment opportunities for a Fund in certain emerging and other markets in which limitations are imposed upon the amount of investment, in the aggregate or in individual issuers, by affiliated foreign investors.

addition, other BlackRock client accounts may receive the benefit, including disproportionate benefits, of economies of scale or price discounts in connection with products and services that may be provided to the Funds and to such other BlackRock client accounts. To the extent that BlackRock uses soft dollars, it will not have to pay for those products and services itself.

of BlackRock in the course of these activities. In addition, from time to time, the activities of an Affiliate may limit a Fund's flexibility in purchases and sales of securities. When an Affiliate is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution of securities of an entity, BlackRock may be prohibited from purchasing or recommending the purchase of certain securities of that entity for a Fund. As indicated below, BlackRock or the other Affiliates may engage in transactions with companies in which BlackRock-advised funds or other clients of BlackRock or of an Affiliate have an investment.

used in determining a Fund’s net asset value. As a result, a Fund’s sale or redemption of its shares at net asset value, at a time when a holding or holdings are valued by BlackRock (pursuant to Board-adopted procedures) at fair value, may have the effect of diluting or increasing the economic interest of existing shareholders and may affect the amount of revenue received by BlackRock with respect to services for which it receives an asset-based fee.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their directors, officers and employees, may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts and may have conflicts of interest with respect to investments made on behalf of a Fund. As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, positions may be taken by directors, officers, employees and Affiliates that are the same, different from or made at different times than positions taken for a Fund. To lessen the possibility that a Fund will be adversely affected by this personal trading, each Fund, BFA and BlackRock, Inc. have each adopted a code of ethics in compliance with Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act that restricts securities trading in the personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding a Fund's portfolio transactions. Each code of ethics is available by contacting BlackRock or by accessing the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC's Public Reference Room, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about accessing documents on the SEC’s website may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates will not purchase securities or other property from, or sell securities or other property to, a Fund, except that a Fund may in accordance with rules or guidance adopted under the 1940 Act engage in transactions with accounts that are affiliated with a Fund as a result of common officers, directors, or investment advisers or pursuant to exemptive orders granted to the Fund and/or BlackRock by the SEC. These transactions would be effected in circumstances in which BlackRock determined that it would be appropriate for a Fund to purchase and another client of BlackRock to sell, or a Fund to sell and another client of BlackRock to purchase, the same security or instrument on the same day. From time to time, the activities of a Fund may be restricted because of regulatory requirements applicable to BlackRock or the other Affiliates and/or BlackRock's internal policies designed to comply with, limit the applicability of, or otherwise relate to such requirements. A client not advised by BlackRock would not be subject to some of those considerations. There may be periods when BlackRock may not initiate or recommend certain types of transactions, or may otherwise restrict or limit their advice in certain securities or instruments issued by or related to companies for which an Affiliate is performing investment banking, market making, advisory or other services or has proprietary positions. For example, when an Affiliate is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution of securities of, or advisory services for, a company, the Funds may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company. In addition, when BlackRock provides advisory or risk management services for a company, BlackRock may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company on behalf of a Fund, particularly where such services result in BlackRock obtaining material non-public information about the company (e.g., in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee). Similar situations could arise if personnel of BlackRock or the other Affiliates serve as directors of companies the securities of which a Fund wishes to purchase or sell. However, if permitted by applicable law, and where consistent with BlackRock’s policies and procedures (including the necessary implementation of appropriate information barriers), the Funds may purchase securities or instruments that are issued by such companies, are the subject of an underwriting, distribution or advisory assignment by an Affiliate, or are the subject of an advisory or risk management assignment by BlackRock, or where personnel of BlackRock or the other Affiliates are directors or officers of the issuer.

transactions, may be restricted by regulation or otherwise impaired. As a result, BlackRock, on behalf of clients (including the Funds), may limit purchases, sell existing investments, or otherwise restrict or limit the exercise of rights (including voting rights) when BlackRock, in its sole discretion, deems it appropriate in light of potential regulatory or other restrictions on ownership or other consequences resulting from reaching investment thresholds.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates may not serve as Authorized Participants in the creation and redemption of iShares ETFs, but may serve as authorized participants of third-party ETFs.

Present and future activities of BlackRock and the other Affiliates, including BFA, in addition to those described in this section, may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

Investment Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services

Investment Adviser. BFA serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Company, on behalf of each Fund, and BFA. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock, Inc. and is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Under the investment advisory agreement, BFA, subject to the supervision of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of each Fund, manages and administers the Company and the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of each Fund.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, BFA may, from time to time, in its sole discretion and to the extent permitted by applicable law, appoint one or more sub-advisers, including, without limitation, affiliates of BFA, to perform investment advisory or other services with respect to the Funds. In addition, BFA may delegate certain of its investment advisory functions under the investment advisory agreement to one or more of its affiliates to the extent permitted by applicable law. BFA may terminate any or all sub-advisers or such delegation arrangements in its sole discretion upon appropriate notice at any time to the extent permitted by applicable law.

BFA is responsible, under the investment advisory agreement, for substantially all expenses of the Funds, including the cost of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit and other services. BFA is not responsible for, and the Funds will bear, the management fees, interest expenses, taxes, expenses incurred with respect to the acquisition and disposition of portfolio securities and the execution of portfolio transactions, including brokerage commissions, distribution fees or expenses, litigation expenses and any extraordinary expenses (as determined by a majority of the Independent Directors).

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA received a management fee at the annual rates (as a percentage of such Fund’s average net assets) set forth below for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Management Fee for the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Fund Inception Date	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF¹	0.78%	09/23/2014	$ 0	$ 0	$12,299
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF²	0.78%	10/29/2015	1,798	1,096	N/A

For the iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees so that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver is equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to the Fund’s investment in the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (“EEM”), after taking into account any fee waivers by EEM through December 31, 2020. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2020 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2015, August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2017, BFA waived $617,304, $1,557,249 and $2,010,274, respectively, of its management fees.

For the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees so that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses after fee waiver is equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to the Fund’s investment in the iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol Emerging Markets ETF (“EEMV”), after taking into account any fee waivers by EEMV, plus 0.03% through December 31, 2020. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2020 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2016 and August 31, 2017, BFA waived $27,449 and $48,435, respectively, of its management fees.

The investment advisory agreement is also terminable upon 60 days’ notice by BFA and will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act).

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	258	$950,484,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	11	4,876,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	279	$984,291,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	12	4,899,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	350	$1,054,069,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	302	676,584,000,000
Other Accounts	219	61,456,000,000

Orlando Montalvo
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	30	$ 9,888,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	24	5,638,000,000
Other Accounts	55	21,840,000,000

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	341	$1,050,218,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	80	29,287,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

or its affiliates a portion of that portfolio’s or account’s gains, or would pay BFA or its affiliates more for its services than would otherwise be the case if BFA or any of its affiliates meets or exceeds specified performance targets. Performance-based fee arrangements could present an incentive for BFA or its affiliates to devote greater resources, and allocate more investment opportunities, to the portfolios or accounts that have those fee arrangements, relative to other portfolios or accounts, in order to earn larger fees. Although BFA and each of its affiliates have an obligation to allocate resources and opportunities equitably among portfolios and accounts and intend to do so, shareholders of the Funds should be aware that, as with any group of portfolios and accounts managed by an investment adviser and/or its affiliates pursuant to varying fee arrangements, including performance-based fee arrangements, there is the potential for a conflict of interest, which may result in the Portfolio Managers favoring those portfolios or accounts with performance-based fee arrangements.

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0	N/A
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Orlando Montalvo
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0	N/A
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	1	$1,070,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

The discussion below describes the Portfolio Managers' compensation as of August 31, 2017.

Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview

Base compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.

Other Compensation Benefits. In addition to base compensation and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:

Incentive Savings Plans — BlackRock, Inc. has created a variety of incentive savings plans in which BlackRock, Inc. employees are eligible to participate, including a 401(k) plan, the BlackRock Retirement Savings Plan (“RSP”), and the BlackRock Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). The employer contribution components of the RSP include a company match equal to 50% of the first 8% of eligible pay contributed to the plan capped at $5,000 per year, and a company retirement contribution equal to 3-5% of eligible compensation up to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) limit ($265,000 for 2015). The RSP offers a range of investment options, including registered investment companies and collective investment funds managed by the firm. BlackRock, Inc. contributions follow the investment direction set by participants for their own contributions or, absent participant investment direction, are invested into an index target date fund that corresponds to, or is closest to, the year in which the participant attains age 65. The ESPP allows for investment in BlackRock, Inc. common stock at a 5% discount on the fair market value of the stock on the purchase date. Annual participation in the ESPP is limited to the purchase of 1,000 shares of common stock or a dollar value of $25,000 based on its fair market value on the Purchase Date. Diane Hsiung, Jennifer Hsui, Alan Mason, Orlando Montalvo and Greg Savage are each eligible to participate in these plans.

As of August 31, 2017, the Portfolio Managers did not beneficially own shares of the Funds.

The following table sets forth the administration, custodian and transfer agency expenses of each Fund paid by BFA to State Street for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	09/23/2014	$20,890	$16,194	$9,084
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	10/29/2015	5,366	5,436	N/A

Pursuant to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement:

(i) Fund-of-Funds, such as the Funds, retain 80% of securities lending income (which excludes collateral investment fees) and (ii) this amount can never be less than 70% of the sum of securities lending income plus collateral investment fees.

In addition, commencing the business day following the date that the aggregate securities lending income (which includes, for this purpose, collateral investment fees) earned across the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex (as defined under “Management—Directors and Officers”) in a calendar year exceeds the aggregate securities lending income earned across the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex in calendar year 2013 (the Hurdle Date), each applicable fund-of-fund, pursuant to the securities lending agreement, will receive for the remainder of that calendar year securities lending income as follows:

The services provided to the Funds by BTC in the most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 primarily included the following:

(1) selecting borrowers from an approved list of borrowers and executing a securities lending agreement as agent on behalf of the Funds with each such borrower;

(2) negotiating the terms of securities loans, including the amount of fees;

(3) directing the delivery of loaned securities;

(4) monitoring the daily value of the loaned securities and directing the payment of additional collateral or the return of excess collateral, as necessary;

(5) investing cash collateral received in connection with any loaned securities;

(6) monitoring distributions on loaned securities (for example, interest and dividend activity);

(8) terminating securities loans and arranging for the return of loaned securities to the Funds at loan termination.

The following tables show the dollar amounts of income and fees/compensation related to the securities lending activities of each Fund during its most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Fund	iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$ 941,782	N/A
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	89,757	N/A
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	31,750	N/A
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	443,331	N/A
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	564,838	N/A
Net income from securities lending activities	376,944	N/A

clients or what services to provide for various products based on payments it receives or is eligible to receive, such payments may create conflicts of interest between the Intermediary and its clients and these financial incentives may cause the Intermediary to recommend the Funds, other iShares funds or exchange-traded products over other investments. The same conflicts of interest and financial incentives exist with respect to your salesperson or other investment professional if he or she receives similar payments from his or her Intermediary firm.

Determination of Net Asset Value

Underlying Funds. Shares of underlying ETFs will be valued at their most recent closing price on an Exchange. Shares of underlying money market funds will be valued at their NAV.

using a fair valuation methodology or a price provided by an independent pricing service. As a result, the price received upon the sale of an investment may be less than the value ascribed by a Fund, and a Fund could realize a greater than expected loss or lesser than expected gain upon the sale of the investment. A Fund’s ability to value its investment may also be impacted by technological issues and/or errors by pricing services or other third-party service providers.

All cash, receivables and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value.

Brokerage Transactions

When transacting in securities traded on a non-U.S. exchange or in the secondary market, a Fund will generally be required to trade through a locally-licensed firm. As a result, a Fund may be more limited in the number of firms it will be able to select from in seeking to obtain the best price and most favorable execution for a Fund.

cash availability and liquidity requirements for accounts; (vii) regulatory restrictions; (viii) minimum investment size of an account; (ix) relative size of account; and (x) such other factors as may be approved by BlackRock’s general counsel. Moreover, investments may not be allocated to one client account over another based on any of the following considerations: (i) to favor one client account at the expense of another; (ii) to generate higher fees paid by one client account over another or to produce greater performance compensation to BlackRock; (iii) to develop or enhance a relationship with a client or prospective client; (iv) to compensate a client for past services or benefits rendered to BlackRock or to induce future services or benefits to be rendered to BlackRock; or (v) to manage or equalize investment performance among different client accounts. BFA and the other Affiliates may deal, trade and invest for their own respective accounts in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest.

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	09/23/2014	$5,572	$ 10,532	$3,253
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	10/29/2015	129	99	N/A

The Funds' purchase and sale orders for securities may be combined with those of other investment companies, clients or accounts that BlackRock manages or advises. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Funds and one or more other accounts managed or advised by BlackRock are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the Funds and the other accounts in a manner deemed equitable to all by BlackRock. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Funds are concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower transaction costs will be beneficial to the Funds. BlackRock may deal, trade and invest for its own account in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest. BlackRock may, from time to time, effect trades on behalf of and for the account of the Funds with brokers or dealers that are affiliated with BFA, in conformity with the 1940 Act and SEC rules and regulations. Under these provisions, any commissions paid to affiliated brokers or dealers must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions charged by other brokers or dealers in comparable transactions. The Funds will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by applicable SEC rules or regulations, or by SEC exemptive order.

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates may result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses.

The table below sets forth the portfolio turnover rates of each Fund for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fiscal Year ended August 31, 2017	Fiscal Year ended August 31, 2016
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	4%	11%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	8%	8%

Additional Information Concerning the Company

iShares MSCI Israel ETF, iShares MSCI Italy ETF, iShares MSCI Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, iShares MSCI Russia ETF, iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, iShares MSCI Spain ETF, iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF, iShares MSCI World ETF and iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF. The Company has authorized for issuance, but is not currently offering for sale to the public, nine additional series of shares of common stock. The Board may designate additional series of common stock and classify shares of a particular series into one or more classes of that series. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation confers upon the Board the power to establish the number of shares which constitute a Creation Unit or by resolution, restrict the redemption right to Creation Units.

Stockholders may make inquiries by writing to iShares, Inc., c/o BlackRock Investments, LLC, 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540.

DTC as Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

DTC was created in 1973 to enable electronic movement of securities between its participants (“DTC Participants”), and NSCC was established in 1976 to provide a single settlement system for securities clearing and to serve as CCP for securities trades among DTC Participants. In 1999, DTC and NSCC were consolidated within The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (“DTCC”) and became wholly-owned subsidiaries of DTCC. The common stock of DTCC is owned by the DTC Participants, but NYSE and FINRA, through subsidiaries, hold preferred shares in DTCC that provide them with the right to elect one member each to the DTCC board of directors. Access to the DTC system is available to entities, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies, that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (“Indirect Participants”).

DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a “street name,” and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

Any Selling Shareholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

General. The Company issues and sells shares of each Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor or its agent, without a sales load, at a price based on the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order received by the Distributor or its agent in proper form. On days when the applicable Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to be placed earlier in the day. The following table sets forth the number of shares of a Fund that constitute a Creation Unit for the Fund and the value of such Creation Unit as of September 30, 2017:

Fund	Shares Per Creation Unit	Value Per Creation Unit (U.S.$)
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	50,000	$1,290,500
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	50,000	1,325,000

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of a Fund generally consists of Deposit Securities and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which, when combined with a Fund’s portfolio securities is designed to generate performance that has a collective investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund.

The “Cash Component” is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares (per Creation Unit) and the “Deposit Amount,” which is an amount equal to the market value of the Deposit Securities, and serves to compensate for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the Deposit Amount. Payment of any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities are the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant purchasing the Creation Unit.

Cash Purchase Method. Although the Company does not generally permit partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units of its funds, when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser.

Authorized Participant with respect to certain matters, including payment of the Cash Component. Investors who are not Authorized Participants must make appropriate arrangements with an Authorized Participant. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not be a DTC Participant or may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that orders to purchase Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant. As a result, purchase orders placed through an Authorized Participant may result in additional charges to such investor. The Company does not expect to enter into an Authorized Participant Agreement with more than a small number of DTC Participants. A list of current Authorized Participants may be obtained from the Distributor. The Distributor has adopted guidelines regarding Authorized Participants’ transactions in Creation Units that are made available to all Authorized Participants. These guidelines set forth the processes and standards for Authorized Participants to transact with the Distributor and its agents in connection with creation and redemption transactions. In addition, the Distributor may be appointed as the proxy of the Authorized Participant and may be granted a power of attorney under its Authorized Participant Agreement.

Purchase Orders. To initiate an order for a Creation Unit, an Authorized Participant must submit to the Distributor or its agent an irrevocable order to purchase shares of a Fund, in proper form, generally before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on any Business Day to receive that day’s NAV. The Distributor or its agent will notify BFA and the custodian of such order. The custodian will then provide such information to any appropriate sub-custodian. Procedures and requirements governing the delivery of the Fund Deposit are set forth in the procedures handbook for Authorized Participants and may change from time to time. Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a creation request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor or its agent will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request. Those placing orders to purchase Creation Units through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor or its agent by the Cutoff Time (as defined below) on such Business Day.

The Authorized Participant is responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by a Fund, including any applicable cash amounts, in connection with any purchase order.

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant Agreement with the Distributor, each Fund will issue Creation Units to such Authorized Participant, notwithstanding the fact that the corresponding Fund Deposits have not been received in part or in whole, in reliance on the undertaking of the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing Deposit Securities as soon as possible, which undertaking shall be secured by such Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral having a value at least equal to 105% and up to 115%, which percentage BFA may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing Deposit Securities in accordance with the Funds' then-effective procedures. The Company may use such cash deposit at any time to buy Deposit Securities for the Funds. The only collateral that is acceptable to the Funds is cash in U.S. dollars. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than the time specified by a Fund or its custodian on the contractual settlement date. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. Information concerning the Fund's current procedures for collateralization of missing Deposit Securities is available from the Distributor or its agent. The Authorized Participant Agreement will permit the Funds to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time and will subject the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the cost to the Funds of purchasing such securities and the cash collateral including, without limitation, liability for related brokerage, borrowings and other charges.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard creation transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Creation Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$500	3.0%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	500	3.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.

BFA makes available through the NSCC, prior to the opening of business on the Listing Exchange on each Business Day, the designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day (“Fund Securities”), and an amount of cash (the “Cash Amount,” as described below). Such Fund Securities and the corresponding Cash Amount (each subject to possible amendment or correction) are applicable, in order to effect redemptions of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next announced composition of the Fund Securities and Cash Amount is made available. Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities that are applicable to creations of Creation Units. Procedures and requirements governing redemption transactions are set forth in the handbook for Authorized Participants and may change from time to time.

The Company may, in its sole discretion, substitute a “cash in lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security. The Company also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which: (i) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; or (ii) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Fund Security by the Authorized Participant due to restrictions under applicable securities or other local laws, or in certain other situations. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the substituted security listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Each Fund generally redeems Creation Units for Fund Securities, but each Fund reserves the right to utilize a cash option for redemption of Creation Units. Each Fund may, in its sole discretion, provide such redeeming Authorized Participant a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, but does not differ in NAV.

Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions. A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the relevant Fund. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged to the Authorized Participant on the day such Authorized Participant redeems a Creation Unit, and is the same regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the applicable Business Day. If a redemption consists solely or partially of cash, the Authorized Participant may also be required to cover (up to the maximum amount shown below) certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, price movement and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Fund to their account on their order. Certain fees/costs associated with redemption transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to dispose of Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard redemption transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Redemption Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$500	2.0%
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF	500	2.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit, inclusive of the standard redemption transaction fee.

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption in the form required by the Funds to the Distributor or its agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed an Authorized Participant Agreement and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement. At any time, only a limited number of broker-dealers will have an Authorized Participant Agreement in effect. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares to the Fund's transfer agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

A redemption request is considered to be in “proper form” if: (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Fund's transfer agent the Creation Unit redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the Listing Exchange closing time on any Business Day on which the redemption request is submitted; (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the applicable Fund is received by the Distributor or its agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified above; and (iii) all other procedures set forth in the Authorized Participant Agreement are properly followed.

and/or cash included in the redemption payment made in respect of Creation Units redeemed will be made through DTC and the relevant Authorized Participant to the Beneficial Owner thereof as recorded on the book-entry system of DTC or the DTC Participant through which such investor holds, as the case may be, or by such other means specified by the Authorized Participant submitting the redemption request.

Deliveries of redemption proceeds by a Fund are generally made within two Business Days (i.e., “T+2”). However, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+2, including a shorter settlement period, if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances and compliant with applicable law. For example, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+2 in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (as discussed in Appendix B to the SAI), to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (i.e., the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold) and in certain other circumstances. Appendix B of this SAI identifies the instances, if any, where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, the Company will make delivery of redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in Appendix B of this SAI to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds.

If neither the Authorized Participant nor the Beneficial Owner on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Fund Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, a Fund may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In such case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the net asset value of its shares based on the NAV of relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charges specified above to offset the Fund's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and each Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or cannot do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.

Although the Company does not ordinarily permit cash redemptions of Creation Units, in the event that cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Company, proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter, except for the instances listed in Appendix B to this SAI in which more than seven calendar days would be needed).

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant's agreement with the Distributor or its agent, in the event an Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to a Fund, at or prior to 10:00 a.m., Eastern time on the Listing Exchange business day after the date of submission of such redemption request, the Distributor or its agent will accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash, in U.S. dollars in immediately available funds, having a value at least equal to 105% and up to 115%, which percentage BFA may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing shares. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than the time specified by a Fund or its custodian on the day after the date of submission of such redemption request and shall be held by State Street and marked-to-market daily. The fees of State Street and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant Agreement permits the Funds to acquire shares of the Fund at any time and subjects the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the aggregate of the cost to the Fund of purchasing such shares, plus the value of the Cash Amount, and the value of the cash collateral together with liability for related brokerage and other charges.

or sell shares of such Fund on the Listing Exchange on days when the NAV of such a Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

Taxes

Regulated Investment Company Qualifications. Each Fund intends to qualify for treatment as a separate RIC under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. To qualify for treatment as a RIC, each Fund must annually distribute at least 90% of its investment company taxable income (which includes dividends, interest and net short-term capital gains) and meet several other requirements. Among such other requirements are the following: (i) at least 90% of each Fund’s annual gross income must be derived from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock or securities or non-U.S. currencies, other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and net income derived from interests in qualified publicly-traded partnerships (i.e., partnerships that are traded on an established securities market or tradable on a secondary market, other than partnerships that derive at least 90% of their income from interest, dividends, capital gains and other traditionally permitted RIC income); and (ii) at the close of each quarter of each Fund's taxable year, (a) at least 50% of the market value of each Fund’s total assets must be represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs and other securities, with such other securities limited for purposes of this calculation in respect of any one issuer to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund’s assets and not greater than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (b) not more than 25% of the value of each Fund's total assets may be invested in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or the securities of other RICs) of any one issuer, of two or more issuers of which 20% or more of the voting stock is held by the Fund and that are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly-traded partnerships.

Net Capital Loss Carryforwards. Net capital loss carryforwards may be applied against any net realized capital gains in each succeeding year, until they have been reduced to zero.

In the event that a Fund were to experience an ownership change as defined under the Internal Revenue Code, the loss carryforwards and other favorable tax attributes of a Fund and the Underlying Fund, if any, may be subject to limitation.

The following Fund had tax basis net capital loss carryforwards as set forth in the table below as of August 31, 2017, the tax year-end for the Fund listed:

Fund		Non-Expiring
iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Emerging Markets ETF		$20,285,024
iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol EM Currency Hedged ETF		264,276

Distributions of net realized long-term capital gains, if any, that a Fund reports as capital gains dividends are taxable as long-term capital gains, whether paid in cash or in shares and regardless of how long a shareholder has held shares of the Fund. All other dividends of a Fund (including dividends from short-term capital gains) from its current and accumulated earnings and profits (“regular dividends”) are generally subject to tax as ordinary income, subject to the discussion of qualified dividend income below. Short-term capital gains earned by an Underlying Fund will be ordinary income when distributed to a Fund and will not be offset by a Fund’s capital losses. Married couples filing jointly with income over approximately $471,000 and unmarried individuals with income over approximately $418,000, amounts adjusted annually for inflation, are subject to a 20% tax on any income in excess of those amounts that is long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income, and generally all other long-term capital gain is taxed at 15% (0% at certain income levels). In addition, the top marginal ordinary income tax rate is 39.6% for income in excess of the above thresholds.

taxes. Each Fund will monitor its transactions, will make the appropriate tax elections and will make the appropriate entries in its books and records when it acquires any zero coupon security, non-U.S. currency, forward contract, option, futures contract or hedged investment in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent disqualification of a Fund as a RIC.

during the 180 period beginning 90 days prior to ex-dividend date for certain preference dividends) during which risk of loss may not be diminished is required for the applicable shares, at both the Fund and shareholder level, for a dividend to be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Restrictions may apply if indebtedness, including a short sale, is attributable to the investment.

Excess Inclusion Income. Under current law, the Funds serve to block unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) from being realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Certain types of income received by a Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits, taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to report some or all of its distributions as “excess inclusion income.” To Fund shareholders, such excess inclusion income may: (i) constitute taxable income, as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) accounts, Keogh plans, pension plans and certain charitable entities; (ii) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (iii) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (iv) cause the Fund or Underlying Fund to be subject to tax if certain “disqualified organizations,” as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, are Fund shareholders. If a charitable remainder annuity trust or a charitable remainder unitrust (each as defined in Section 664 of the Internal Revenue Code) has UBTI for a taxable year, a 100% excise tax on the UBTI is imposed on the trust.

Each Fund may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes withheld at the source. Each Fund, if permitted to do so, may elect to “pass through” to its investors the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Fund provided that the Fund held the security on the dividend settlement date and for at least 15 additional days immediately before and/or thereafter, with the result that each investor with respect to shares of the Fund held for a minimum 16-day holding period at the time of deemed distribution will (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating U.S. taxable income, but only for investors who itemize their deductions on their personal tax returns) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income tax) the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s non-U.S. income taxes. Withholding taxes on dividends on non-U.S. securities while such securities are lent out by a Fund are not eligible for non-U.S. tax credit pass through. Taxes not “passed through” for tax purposes will not be available to shareholders for foreign tax credit purposes. A non-U.S. person invested in a Fund in a year that the Fund elects to “pass through” its non-U.S. taxes may be treated as receiving additional dividend income subject to U.S. withholding tax. A non-U.S. tax credit may not exceed the investor’s U.S. federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the investor’s non-U.S. source income. For this purpose, shareholders must treat as non-U.S. source gross income (i) their proportionate shares of non-U.S. taxes paid by a Fund and (ii) the portion of any dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from non-U.S. sources; the Fund’s gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated as U.S.-source income. Certain limitations will be imposed to the extent to which the non-U.S. tax credit may be claimed. If your Fund shares are loaned pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to use any non-U.S. tax credits passed through by a Fund or to treat Fund dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividends. Regarding a short sale with respect to shares of a Fund, substitute payments made to the lender of such shares may not be deductible under certain circumstances. Consult your financial intermediary or tax advisor.

An Underlying Fund, if invested in non-U.S. positions, may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes and non-U.S. financial transactions taxes. Each Underlying Fund that is permitted to do so may elect to “pass through” to its investors, including a Fund, the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Underlying Fund. Each Fund will be eligible to elect to “pass through” such amounts to their stockholders and may do so, depending upon circumstances.

A Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and non-U.S. taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.

general, furnishing an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or substitute Form). In the case of shares held through an intermediary, the intermediary may withhold even if a Fund reports the payment as qualified net interest income or qualified short-term capital gain. Non-U.S. shareholders should contact their intermediaries with respect to the application of these rules to their accounts.

The rules laid out in the previous paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.

Shares of a Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the U.S. and subject to the U.S. estate tax.

Financial Statements

Miscellaneous Information

Counsel. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, located at 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, is counsel to the Company.

Investors’ Rights. Each Fund relies on the services of BFA and its other service providers, including the Distributor, administrator, custodian and transfer agent. Further information about the duties and roles of these service providers is set out in this SAI. Investors who acquire shares of a Fund are not parties to the relevant agreement with these service providers and do not have express contractual rights against a Fund or its service providers, except certain institutional investors that are Authorized Participants may have certain express contractual rights with respect to the Distributor under the terms of the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement. Investors may have certain legal rights under federal or state law against a Fund or its service providers. In the event that an investor considers that it may have a claim against a Fund, or against any service provider in connection with its investment in a Fund, such investor should consult its own legal advisor.

Appendix A - Proxy Voting Policy and BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines

BlackRock U.S. Registered Funds

Open-End Fund and iShares ETF¹ Proxy Voting Policy

Procedures Governing Delegation of Proxy Voting to Fund Adviser

July 1, 2017

BlackRock has adopted guidelines and procedures (together and as from time to time amended, the “BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines”) governing proxy voting by accounts managed by BlackRock.

BlackRock will cast votes on behalf of each of the Funds on specific proxy issues in respect of securities held by each such Fund in accordance with the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines.¹

A-1

INTRODUCTION TO BLACKROCK

PHILOSOPHY ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, ENGAGEMENT AND VOTING

A-3

principles inform our voting decisions in relation to specific resolutions that may appear on the agenda of a shareholder meeting in the relevant market.

The six key themes are:

•	Boards and directors
•	Auditors and audit-related issues
•	Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions
•	Remuneration and benefits
•	Social, ethical and environmental issues
•	General corporate governance matters

Boards and directors

We expect the board of directors to promote and protect shareholder interests by:

•	establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure;
•	supporting and overseeing management in setting strategy;
•	ensuring the integrity of financial statements;
•	making decisions regarding mergers, acquisitions and disposals;
•	establishing appropriate executive compensation structures; and
•	addressing business issues including social, ethical and environmental issues when they have the potential to materially impact company reputation and performance.

•	current employment at the company or a subsidiary;

A-4

•	former employment within the past several years as an executive of the company;
•	providing substantial professional services to the company and/or members of the company’s management;
•	having had a substantial business relationship in the past three years;
•	having, or representing a shareholder with, a substantial shareholding in the company;
•	being an immediate family member of any of the aforementioned; and
•	interlocking directorships.

Auditors and audit-related issues

Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions

A-5

Remuneration and benefits

Social, ethical, and environmental issues

A-6

General corporate governance matters

BLACKROCK’S OVERSIGHT OF ITS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ACTIVITIES

Oversight

BlackRock’s Equity Policy Oversight Committee (EPOC) is informed of certain aspects of the work of the Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee and the Corporate Governance Group.

Vote execution

A-7

Conflicts management

•	BlackRock has adopted a proxy voting oversight structure whereby the Corporate Governance Committees oversee the voting decisions and other activities of the Corporate Governance Group, and particularly its activities with respect to voting in the relevant region of each Corporate Governance Committee’s jurisdiction.
•	The Corporate Governance Committees have adopted Guidelines for each region, which set forth the firm’s views with respect to certain corporate governance and other issues that typically arise in the proxy voting context. The Corporate Governance Committees receive periodic reports regarding the specific votes cast by the Corporate Governance Group and regular updates on material process issues, procedural changes and other matters of concern to the Corporate Governance Committees.
•	BlackRock’s Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee oversees the Global Head, the Corporate Governance Group and the Corporate Governance Committees. The Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee conducts a review, at least annually, of the proxy voting process to ensure compliance with BlackRock’s risk policies and procedures.
•	BlackRock maintains a reporting structure that separates the Global Head and Corporate Governance Group from employees with sales responsibilities. In addition, BlackRock maintains procedures intended to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers or dissident shareholders are managed consistently and without regard to BlackRock’s relationship with the issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder. Within the normal course of business, the Global Head or Corporate Governance Group may engage directly with BlackRock clients, and with employees with sales responsibilities, in discussions regarding general corporate governance policy matters, and to otherwise ensure that proxy-related client service levels are met. The Global Head or Corporate Governance Group does not discuss any specific voting matter with a client prior to the disclosure of the vote decision to all applicable clients after the shareholder meeting has taken place, except if the client is acting in the capacity as issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder and is engaging through the established procedures independent of the client relationship.
•	In certain instances, BlackRock may determine to engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. The independent fiduciary may either vote such proxies or provide BlackRock with instructions as to how to vote such proxies. In the latter case, BlackRock votes the proxy in accordance with the independent fiduciary’s determination. Use of an independent fiduciary has been

A-8

adopted for voting the proxies related to any company that is affiliated with BlackRock or any company that includes BlackRock employees on its board of directors.

Voting guidelines

Reporting

A-9

Appendix B - Regular Holidays and Redemptions

The securities delivery cycles currently practicable for transferring portfolio securities to redeeming investors, coupled with non-U.S. market holiday schedules, will require a delivery process longer than seven calendar days, in certain circumstances. The holidays applicable to each Fund during such periods are listed below, as are instances where more than seven days will be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Although certain holidays may occur on different dates in subsequent years, the number of days required to deliver redemption proceeds in any given year is not expected to exceed the maximum number of days listed below for the Fund. The proclamation of new holidays, the treatment by market participants of certain days as “informal holidays” (e.g., days on which no or limited securities transactions occur, as a result of substantially shortened trading hours), the elimination of existing holidays, or changes in local securities delivery practices, could affect the information set forth herein in the future.

2017

Albania
January 2	May 1	November 28
March 14	June 26	November 29
March 22	September 1	December 8
April 17	October 19	December 25

Argentina
February 27	May 1	November 6
February 28	May 25	November 27
March 24	June 20	December 8
April 13	August 21	December 25
April 14	October 9

Australia
January 2	April 25	September 29
January 26	May 1	October 2
March 6	June 5	November 7
March 13	June 12	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	August 8
April 18	September 25

Austria
January 6	May 25	October 26	December 26
April 14	June 5	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 8
May 1	August 15	December 25

Bahrain
January 1	June 27	December 17
May 1	September 3
June 25	September 21
June 26	November 30

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

B-1

Bangladesh
February 21	June 27	December 31
March 26	August 14
May 1	August 15
May 10	September 3
June 25	October 1
June 26	December 25

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Benin
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Bermuda
January 2	June 19	September 4	December 26
April 14	August 3	November 13
May 24	August 4	December 25

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 2	April 17	June 26
January 6	May 1	September 1
March 1	May 2

Botswana
January 2	May 1	October 2
January 3	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 17	December 26
April 17	July 18

Brazil
January 25	April 14	September 7	November 20
February 27	April 21	October 12	December 25
February 28	May 1	November 2
March 1	June 15	November 15

Bulgaria
January 2	May 1	December 25
March 3	May 24	December 26
April 14	September 6
April 17	September 22

Burkina Faso
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Canada
January 2	May 22	October 9
January 3	June 26	November 13
February 13	July 3	December 25
February 20	August 7	December 26
April 14	September 4

Chile
January 2	August 15	October 27
April 14	September 18	November 1
May 1	September 19	December 8
June 26	October 9	December 25

China
January 2	April 3	October 3
January 27	April 4	October 4
January 30	May 1	October 5
January 31	May 29	October 6
February 1	May 30
February 2	October 2

Colombia
January 9	June 19	October 16
March 20	June 26	November 6
April 13	July 3	November 13
April 14	July 20	December 8
May 1	August 7	December 25
May 29	August 21

B-2

Costa Rica
April 11	July 25	October 16
April 13	August 2	December 25
April 14	August 15
May 1	September 15

Croatia
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	June 15	November 1
April 17	June 22	December 25

Cyprus
January 6	April 18	December 25
February 27	May 1	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 15

The Czech Republic
April 14	May 8	September 28	December 26
April 17	July 5	November 17
May 1	July 6	December 25

Denmark
April 13	May 12	June 5
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	May 26	December 26

Egypt
January 1	April 25	July 23
January 25	May 1	August 31
April 16	June 25	September 21
April 17	June 26	November 30

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
February 23	April 17	June 22	December 26
February 24	May 1	June 23
April 14	May 25	December 25

Finland
January 6	April 17	December 6
April 13	May 1	December 25
April 14	May 25	December 26

France
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Georgia
January 2	April 14	May 26
January 19	April 17	August 28
March 3	May 9	November 23
March 8	May 12

Germany
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 3	December 26
May 1	October 31

Ghana
January 2	April 17	June 26	September 21
March 6	May 1	July 7	December 25
April 14	May 25	September 13	December 26

Greece
January 6	May 1	December 26
February 27	June 5
April 14	August 15
April 17	December 25

Guinea-Bissau
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

B-3

Hong Kong
January 2	April 4	May 3	December 25
January 27	April 14	May 30	December 26
January 30	April 17	October 2
January 31	May 1	October 5

Hungary
March 15	May 1	November 1
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 23	December 26

Iceland
April 13	April 20	June 5	December 26
April 14	May 1	August 7
April 17	May 25	December 25

India
January 26	June 26	December 25
February 24	August 15
March 13	August 17
March 28	August 25
April 4	October 2
April 14	October 19
May 1	October 20
May 10	December 1

Indonesia
January 2	June 1	September 1
March 28	June 26	September 21
April 14	June 27	December 1
April 24	June 28	December 25
May 1	June 29	December 26
May 11	June 30
May 25	August 17

Ireland
January 2	May 1	December 22
March 17	June 5	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	October 30	December 29

Israel
March 12	May 1	October 4
April 10	May 2	October 5
April 11	May 30	October 8
April 12	May 31	October 9
April 13	August 1	October 10
April 16	September 20	October 11
April 17	September 21	October 12

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
April 14	May 1	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

Ivory Coast
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Jamaica
January 2	April 17	August 7	December 26
March 1	May 23	October 16
April 14	August 1	December 25

Japan
January 2	May 3	August 11	November 23
January 3	May 4	September 18
January 9	May 5	October 9
March 20	July 17	November 3

Jordan
January 1	June 27	September 21
May 1	June 28	November 30
May 25	August 31	December 25
June 25	September 3
June 26	September 4

B-4

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

Kazakhstan
January 2	March 23	August 30
January 3	May 1	September 1
March 8	May 8	December 1
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 19

Kenya
January 2	June 1	December 25
April 14	June 27	December 26
April 17	October 20
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 25	August 31
February 26	June 26	September 3
April 24	June 27	September 21

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
April 13	May 5	November 20
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	June 22	December 26
May 1	June 23
May 4	November 17

Lebanon
January 2	April 25	September 1
January 6	May 1	September 21
February 9	May 25	November 22
February 14	June 26	December 1
April 14	June 27	December 25
April 17	August 15

Lithuania
February 16	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 6	December 26
April 17	August 15
May 1	November 1

Luxembourg
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Malaysia
January 2	May 10	September 21
January 27	June 12	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 1
February 1	June 27	December 25
February 9	August 31
May 1	September 1

Malawi
January 2	April 14	May 15	December 25
January 16	April 17	June 26	December 26
March 3	May 1	July 6

Mali
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Mauritius
January 2	February 24	June 26	November 2
February 1	March 29	October 19	December 25
February 9	May 1	November 1

Mexico
February 6	April 14	November 20
March 20	May 1	December 12
April 13	November 2	December 25

Morocco
January 11	August 14	September 22
May 1	August 21	November 6
June 26	September 1

B-5

Namibia
January 2	April 27	June 16	December 25
March 21	May 1	August 9	December 26
April 14	May 4	September 25	December 27
April 17	May 25	December 11

The Netherlands
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

New Zealand
January 2	April 17	December 25
January 3	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 5
April 14	October 23

Niger
April 17	June 21	November 15
May 1	June 26	December 1
May 25	September 1	December 25
June 5	November 1

Nigeria
January 2	May 29	October 2
April 14	June 26	December 1
April 17	June 27	December 25
May 1	September 1	December 26

Norway
April 12	April 17	May 25	December 26
April 13	May 1	June 5
April 14	May 17	December 25

Oman
April 24	July 23	November 19
June 26

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 2	June 26	August 14
March 23	June 27	September 1
May 1	June 28	September 29

Panama
January 2	March 1	November 10
January 9	April 14	December 8
February 27	May 1	December 25
February 28	November 3

Peru
April 13	June 29	November 1
April 14	July 28	December 8
May 1	August 30	December 25

The Philippines
January 2	June 12	November 1
April 13	August 21	November 30
April 14	August 28	December 25
May 1	October 31

Poland
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	May 3	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 25

Portugal
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 2	May 29	October 9
January 16	July 3	November 23
February 20	July 4	November 24
April 14	September 4	December 25

B-6

Qatar
January 1	June 25	September 3
February 14	June 26	December 18
March 5	June 27

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 2	May 1	August 15	December 25
January 24	June 1	November 30	December 26
April 17	June 5	December 1

Russia
January 2	May 1	June 12
February 23	May 8	November 6
March 8	May 9

Saudi Arabia
June 26	June 29	September 5
June 27	September 3
June 28	September 4

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Serbia
January 2	February 16	May 1
January 3	April 14	May 2
February 15	April 17

Singapore
January 2	May 10	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 25
April 14	August 9
May 1	September 1

The Slovak Republic
January 6	May 8	September 15	December 26
April 14	July 5	November 1
April 17	August 29	November 17
May 1	September 1	December 25

Slovenia
January 2	April 27	October 31
February 8	May 1	November 1
April 14	May 2	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

South Africa
January 2	April 27	September 25
March 21	May 1	December 25
April 14	June 16	December 26
April 17	August 9

South Korea
January 27	June 6	October 9
January 30	August 15	December 20
March 1	October 3	December 25
May 1	October 4	December 29
May 3	October 5
May 5	October 6

Spain
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 12	April 13	June 26	November 3
January 20	April 14	August 7	December 1
February 10	May 1	September 1	December 25
February 17	May 10	September 5
February 24	May 11	October 5
April 10	June 8	October 18

B-7

Srpska
January 2	April 14	May 2
January 6	April 17	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

Swaziland
January 2	April 19	May 5	December 26
April 14	April 25	September 6
April 17	May 1	December 25

Sweden
January 5	April 17	June 6	December 26
January 6	May 1	June 23
April 13	May 24	November 3
April 14	May 25	December 25

Switzerland
January 2	May 25	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 1
May 1	December 25

Taiwan
January 2	January 31	April 4	October 9
January 25	February 1	May 1	October 10
January 26	February 27	May 29
January 27	February 28	May 30
January 30	April 3	October 4

Tanzania
January 12	April 26	July 27	December 25
April 7	May 1	August 8	December 26
April 14	July 7	September 1
April 17	July 26	December 15

Thailand
January 2	April 14	August 14
January 3	May 1	October 23
February 13	May 5	December 5
April 6	May 10	December 11
April 13	July 10

Togo
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Tunisia
March 20	July 25	December 1
May 1	September 1
June 26	September 21

Turkey
May 1	June 27	September 1
May 19	August 30	September 4
June 26	August 31

Uganda
January 2	April 14	June 26	November 30
January 26	April 17	July 7	December 25
February 16	May 1	September 13	December 26
March 8	June 9	October 9

Ukraine
January 2	April 17	June 5
January 3	May 1	June 28
January 9	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 16

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	June 26	November 30
April 24	August 31	December 3
June 25	September 21

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

B-8

The United Kingdom
January 2	May 1	December 22	December 29
April 14	May 29	December 25
April 17	August 28	December 26

The United States Bond Market
January 2	April 14	July 4	November 24*
January 16	May 26*	September 4	December 22*
February 20	May 29	October 9	December 25
April 13*	July 3*	November 23	December 29*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 6	April 17	August 25
February 27	May 1	October 16
February 28	May 22	November 2
April 13	June 19	December 25
April 14	July 18

Venezuela
January 9	May 1	August 14
February 27	May 29	September 11
February 28	June 19	October 12
April 13	July 3	November 6
April 14	July 5	December 11
April 19	July 24	December 25

Vietnam
January 2	January 30	April 6	September 4
January 26	January 31	May 1
January 27	February 1	May 2

Zambia
January 2	April 17	July 4	December 25
March 8	May 1	August 7
March 13	May 25	October 18
April 14	July 3	October 24

Zimbabwe
January 2	May 1	December 22
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	August 14	December 26
April 18	August 15

2018

Albania
January 1	April 9	November 28
January 2	May 1	November 29
March 14	June 14	December 10
March 22	August 21	December 25
April 2	October 19

Argentina
January 1	April 2	August 20
February 12	May1	October 15
February 13	May 25	November 6
March 29	June 20	November 19
March 30	July 9	December 25

B-9

Australia
January 1	April 25	October 1
January 26	May 7	October 8
March 5	June 4	November 6
March 12	June 11	December 24
March 30	August 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
April 3	September 24	December 31

Austria
January 1	May 21	December 24
March 30	May 31	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 26	December 31
May 10	November 1

Bahrain
January 1	August 23	November 20
May 1	September 11	December 16
June 17	September 19	December 17
August 22	September 20

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

Bangladesh
February 21	June 17	September 2
March 26	July 1	November 21
April 29	August 15	December 16
May 1	August 21	December 25
May 2	August 22	December 31
June 12	August 23

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Benin
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Bermuda
January 1	August 2	November 12
March 30	August 3	December 25
May 25	September 3	December 26
June 18

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 1	April 30	August 20
January 2	May 1	August 21
March 1	May 2	November 26
March 2	June 14	December 25
April 2	June 15

Botswana
January 1	May 10	October 2
January 2	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 16	December 26
April 2	July 17
May 1	October 1

Brazil
January 1	May 1	November 15
January 25	May 31	November 20
February 12	July 9	December 24
February 13	September 7	December 25
February 14	October 12	December 31
March 30	November 2

Bulgaria
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 5	May 7	December 24
April 6	May 24	December 25
April 9	September 6	December 26

Burkina Faso
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

B-10

Canada
January 1	May 21	October 8
January 2	June 25	November 12
February 12	July 2	December 25
February 19	August 6	December 26
March 30	September 3

Chile
January 1	July 16	October 15
March 30	August 15	November 1
May 1	September 17	November 2
May 21	September 18	December 25
July 2	September 19	December 31

China
January 1	April 5	October 1
February 15	April 6	October 2
February 16	April 30	October 3
February 19	May 1	October 4
February 20	June 18	October 5
February 21	September 24

Colombia
January 1	May 14	August 20
January 8	June 4	October 15
March 19	June 11	November 5
March 29	July 2	November 12
March 30	July 20	December 25
May 1	August 7

Costa Rica
January 1	May 1	October 15
March 29	July 25	December 25
March 30	August 2
April 11	August 15

Croatia
January 1	June 22	December 24
March 30	June 25	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 8	December 31
May 31	November 1

Cyprus
January 1	April 9	October 1
February 19	April 10	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26
April 6	August 15

Czechia
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	July 6	December 26
May 1	September 28	December 31

Denmark
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 29	May 11	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	June 5
April 27	December 24

Egypt
January 1	April 25	August 20
January 7	May 1	August 21
January 25	June 17	August 22
April 8	July 1	September 11
April 9	July 23	November 20

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
January 1	May 10	December 26
March 30	August 20	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Finland
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 22	December 26
April 2	December 6	December 31
May 1	December 24

B-11

France
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Georgia
January 1	March 8	May 9
January 2	April 6	August 28
January 19	April 9	November 23

Germany
January 1	May 21	December 26
March 30	October 3	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Ghana
January 1	May 25	December 7
March 6	June 15	December 25
March 30	July 2	December 26
April 2	August 22
May 1	September 21

Greece
January 1	April 6	August 15
February 19	April 9	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26

Guinea-Bissau
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Hong Kong
January 1	April 5	October 17
January 27	May 1	December 24
February 15	May 22	December 25
February 16	June 18	December 26
February 19	July 2	December 31
March 30	September 25
April 2	October 1

Hungary
January 1	May 1	November 2
March 15	May 21	December 24
March 16	August 20	December 25
March 30	October 22	December 26
April 2	October 23	December 31
April 30	November 1

Iceland
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 29	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	August 6
April 19	December 24

India
January 26	May 1	October 18
February 13	August 15	November 7
February 19	August 17	November 8
March 2	August 22	November 21
March 29	September 13	November 23
March 30	September 20	December 25
April 30	October 2

Indonesia
January 1	June 13	September 11
February 16	June 14	November 20
March 30	June 15	December 24
May 1	June 18	December 25
May 10	June 19	December 31
May 29	August 17
June 1	August 22

Ireland
January 1	May 28	December 24
March 19	June 4	December 25
March 30	August 6	December 26
April 2	August 27	December 31
May 7	October 29

B-12

Israel
March 1	May 20	September 24
April 1	July 22	September 25
April 2	September 9	September 26
April 3	September 10	September 27
April 4	September 11	September 30
April 5	September 18	October 1
April 18	September 19
April 19	September 23

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 15	December 26
April 2	December 24	December 31

Ivory Coast
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Jamaica
January 1	May 23	December 25
February 14	August 1	December 26
March 30	August 6
April 2	October 15

Japan
January 1	April 30	October 8
January 2	May 3	November 23
January 3	May 4	December 24
January 8	July 16	December 31
February 12	September 17
March 21	September 24

Jordan
January 1	August 21	November 21
May 1	August 22	December 25
May 25	August 23
June 17	September 12

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

Kazakhstan
January 1	April 30	August 30
January 2	May 1	August 31
March 8	May 7	December 3
March 9	May 8	December 17
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 31
March 23	August 21

Kenya
January 1	June 1	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26
April 2	October 10
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 17	August 23
February 25	August 20	September 11
February 26	August 21	November 22
April 15	August 22

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
January 1	May 4	December 26
March 30	May 10	December 31
April 2	November 19
April 30	December 24
May 1	December 25

B-13

Lithuania
January 1	May 1	November 1
February 16	May 10	December 24
March 30	July 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26

Luxembourg
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Malawi
January 1	April 2	July 6
January 15	May 1	October 15
March 5	May 14	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26

Malaysia
January 1	May 29	September 11
January 31	June 14	September 17
February 1	June 15	November 6
February 15	August 22	November 20
February 16	August 31	December 25
May 1	September 10

Mali
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Mauritius
January 1	February 16	November 2
January 2	March 12	November 7
January 31	May 1	December 25
February 1	August 15
February 13	September 14

Mexico
January 1	March 30	November 2
February 5	April 2	November 19
March 19	April 30	December 12
March 29	May 1	December 25

Morocco
January 1	July 30	August 22
January 11	August 14	September 11
May 1	August 20	November 6
June 14	August 21	November 20

Namibia
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 21	May 4	December 10
March 30	May 25	December 17
April 2	August 9	December 25
April 27	August 27	December 26

The Netherlands
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

New Zealand
January 1	April 2	December 25
January 2	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 4
March 30	October 22

Niger
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Nigeria
January 1	June 15	November 19
March 30	June 18	December 25
April 2	August 22	December 26
May 1	August 23
May 29	October 1

B-14

Norway
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 28	May 10	December 26
March 29	May 17	December 31
March 30	May 21
April 2	December 24

Oman
January 1	August 22	November 19
June 17	August 23	November 20
June 18	September 11
July 23	November 18

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 1	June 18	September 20
February 5	July 2	September 21
March 23	August 22	November 20
May 1	August 23	December 25
June 15	August 24

Panama
January 1	March 30	November 26
January 8	May 1	December 25
February 13	November 5	December 31

Peru
January 1	May 1	October 8
March 29	June 29	November 1
March 30	August 30	December 25

The Philippines
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	June 12	December 24
February 16	August 21	December 25
March 29	August 27	December 31
March 30	November 1
April 9	November 2

Poland
January 1	May 3	December 25
January 2	May 31	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	November 1
May 1	December 24

Portugal
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 1	July 4	November 23
January 15	September 3	December 24
February 19	October 8	December 25
March 30	November 12
May 28	November 22

Qatar
January 1	June 18	August 22
February 13	June 19	December 18
March 4	August 20
June 17	August 21

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	May 28	December 25
January 24	June 1	December 26
April 9	August 15

Russia
January 1	March 8	November 5
January 2	May 1	December 31
January 8	May 9
February 23	June 12

B-15

Saudi Arabia
June 17	June 21	August 22
June 18	August 19	August 23
June 19	August 20	September 23
June 20	August 21

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Serbia
January 1	April 6	November 12
January 2	April 9	December 31
February 15	May 1
February 16	May 2

Singapore
January 1	May 29	November 6
February 16	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 9
May 1	August 22

The Slovak Republic
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	August 29	December 26
May 1	November 1

Slovenia
January 1	May 1	December 24
January 2	May 2	December 25
February 8	June 25	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	October 31
April 27	November 1

South Africa
January 1	April 27	December 17
March 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 9	December 26
April 2	September 24

South Korea
January 1	May 22	September 26
February 15	June 6	October 3
February 16	June 13	October 9
March 1	August 15	December 25
May 1	September 24	December 31
May 7	September 25

Spain
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 1	April 20	September 24
January 15	April 30	October 24
January 31	May 1	November 6
February 5	May 29	November 20
February 13	June 15	November 22
March 1	June 27	December 25
March 30	July 27
April 13	August 22

Srpska
January 1	April 6	May 2
January 2	April 9	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

B-16

Swaziland
January 1	April 25	September 6
January 5	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 10	December 26
April 2	July 23
April 19	August 27

Sweden
January 1	May 1	November 2
January 5	May 9	December 24
March 29	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 6	December 26
April 2	June 22	December 31

Switzerland
January 1	May 1	December 25
January 2	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21
April 2	August 1

Taiwan
January 1	February 20	June 18
February 13	February 28	September 24
February 14	April 4	October 10
February 15	April 5	December 31
February 16	April 6
February 19	May 1

Tanzania
January 1	May 1	December 20
January 12	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 8	December 26
April 2	August 22
April 26	November 21

Thailand
January 1	May 1	October 23
January 2	May 29	December 5
March 1	July 27	December 10
April 6	July 30	December 31
April 13	August 13
April 16	October 15

Togo
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Tunisia
January 1	June 15	September 12
March 20	July 25	October 15
April 9	August 13	November 20
May 1	August 21

Turkey
January 1	June 15	August 23
April 23	August 20	August 24
May 1	August 21	August 30
June 14	August 22	October 29

Uganda
January 1	April 2	November 30
January 26	May 1	December 25
February 16	June 15	December 26
March 8	August 21
March 30	October 9

Ukraine
January 1	May 1	June 28
January 8	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 15
April 9	May 28	December 25

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	August 21	November 20
June 14	August 22	December 2
August 20	September 11	December 3

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

B-17

The United Kingdom
January 1	May 28	December 26
March 30	August 27	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 7	December 25

The United States Bond Market
January 1	May 25*	October 8	December 25
January 15	May 28	November 12	December 31*
February 19	July 3*	November 22
March 29*	July 4	November 23*
March 30	September 3	December 24*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 1	April 23	October 15
February 12	May 1	November 2
February 13	May 21	December 25
March 29	June 19
March 30	July 18

Venezuela
January 1	May 1	September 10
February 12	May 14	October 12
February 13	June 4	November 5
March 19	July 2	December 24
March 29	July 5	December 25
March 30	July 24	December 31
April 19	August 20

Vietnam
January 1	February 19	May 1
February 14	February 20	September 3
February 15	April 25
February 16	April 30

Zambia
January 1	May 1	October 18
March 8	May 25	October 24
March 12	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 3
April 2	August 6

Zimbabwe
January 1	April 18	August 14
February 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 25	December 26
April 2	August 13

2017
Country	Trade Date	Settlement Date	Number of Days to Settle
Australia	04/11/17	04/19/17	8
	04/12/17	04/20/17	8
	04/13/17	04/21/17	8

Bangladesh	06/20/17	06/28/17	8
	06/21/17	06/29/17	8
	06/22/17	07/02/17	10

B-18

iShares^®, Inc.

Statement of Additional Information

Dated December 29, 2017
(as revised March 6, 2018)

Fund	Ticker	Listing Exchange
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	EMGF	Cboe BZX
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	EMXC	NASDAQ

Each Fund invests a portion of its assets in individual securities, including shares of other iShares funds that, in turn, invest in equities and/or short-term instruments based on an index (each, an “Underlying Fund” and together, the “Underlying Funds”). BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA” or the “Investment Adviser”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., serves as investment adviser to the Funds and also serves as investment adviser to each of the Underlying Funds. References to the investments and risks of the Funds, unless otherwise indicated, should be understood as references to the investments and risks of both the Funds and the related Underlying Funds.

The Prospectuses for the above-listed funds (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”) are dated December 29, 2017, as amended and supplemented from time to time. Capitalized terms used herein that are not defined have the same meaning as in the applicable Prospectus, unless otherwise noted. A copy of each Fund's Prospectus, Annual Report and Semi-Annual Report may be obtained without charge by writing to the Company's distributor, BlackRock Investments, LLC (the “Distributor” or “BRIL”), 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540, calling 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737) or visiting www.iShares.com. Each Fund's Prospectus is incorporated by reference into this SAI.

iShares^® and BlackRock^® are registered trademarks of BFA and its affiliates.

General Description of the Company and the Funds

•	iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF
•	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF

Each Fund is managed by BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of BlackRock, Inc., and generally seeks to track the investment results of the specific benchmark index identified in each Fund's Prospectus (each, an “Underlying Index”).

Each Fund offers and issues shares at their net asset value per share (“NAV”) only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each, a “Creation Unit”), generally in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities (including any portion of such securities for which cash may be substituted) included in its Underlying Index (the “Deposit Securities”), together with the deposit of a specified cash payment (the “Cash Component”). Shares of the Funds are listed for trading on national securities exchanges such as Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (“Cboe BZX”) (formerly known as BATS Exchange, Inc.) or The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC (“NASDAQ”) (each, a “Listing Exchange”). Shares of each Fund are traded in the secondary market and elsewhere at market prices that may be at, above or below the Fund's NAV. Shares are redeemable only in Creation Units by Authorized Participants (as defined in the Portfolio Holdings Information section of this SAI), and, generally, in exchange for portfolio securities and a Cash Amount (as defined in the Redemption of Creation Units section of this SAI). Creation Units typically are a specified number of shares, generally 100,000 or multiples thereof.

Exchange Listing and Trading

As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, when you buy or sell shares of a Fund through a broker, you may incur a brokerage commission determined by that broker, as well as other charges.

An IOPV has an equity securities component and a cash component. The equity securities values included in an IOPV are the values of the Deposit Securities for a Fund. While the IOPV reflects the current value of the Deposit Securities required to be deposited in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, it does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by a Fund at a particular point in time because the current portfolio of the Fund may include securities that are not a part of the current Deposit Securities. Therefore, a Fund’s IOPV disseminated during the Listing Exchange trading hours should not be viewed as a real-time update of the Fund’s NAV, which is calculated only once a day.

Investment Strategies and Risks

Each Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in securities issued by issuers that comprise the Underlying Index and through transactions that provide substantially similar exposure to securities in the Underlying Index.

The iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing a portion of its assets in the following Underlying Funds: the iShares MSCI India ETF and/or the iShares India 50 ETF.

The iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF seeks to achieve its objective by investing all its assets that are invested in Indian securities in a wholly-owned subsidiary located in the Republic of Mauritius or indirectly through a wholly-owned Mauritius Subsidiary of the applicable Underlying Funds, (each, a “Subsidiary”). The remaining assets will be invested directly by the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF.

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF seeks to achieve its objective by investing all or a portion of its assets that are invested in India through one or more iShares exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), which hold India securities through a Subsidiary of an Underlying Fund.

BFA serves as investment adviser to both the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF and the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, the applicable Underlying Funds and each Subsidiary. Unless otherwise indicated, references made in this SAI to the term “Fund” refer to the Underlying Fund, Subsidiary and/or the Fund, as applicable. The term “the Subsidiary” as used in this SAI, unless otherwise indicated, includes the Subsidiary of each Underlying Fund, as applicable. Each Fund operates as an index fund and is not actively managed. Adverse performance of a security in a Fund’s portfolio will ordinarily not result in the elimination of the security from the Fund’s portfolio.

Although the Funds do not seek leveraged returns, certain instruments used by the Funds may have a leveraging effect as described below.

Borrowing. Each Fund may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes, including to meet payments due from redemptions or to facilitate the settlement of securities or other transactions. Under normal market conditions, any borrowing by a Fund will not exceed 10% of the Fund's net assets; however, each Fund generally does not intend to borrow money. The Funds, along with certain other iShares funds, have entered into a line of credit with State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”) that may be used for temporary or emergency purposes, including redemption, settlement of trades and rebalancing of portfolio holdings.

distributed to shareholders, provided that the Fund satisfies a minimum distribution requirement. Compliance with the diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code may limit the investment flexibility of the Funds and may make it less likely that the Funds will meet their respective investment objective.

Futures, Options on Futures and Securities Options. Futures contracts, options on futures and securities options may be used by a Fund to simulate investment in its Underlying Index, to facilitate trading or to reduce transaction costs. Each Fund or an Underlying Fund may enter into futures contracts and options on futures that are traded on a U.S. or non-U.S. futures exchange. Each Fund or an Underlying Fund will not use futures, options on futures or securities options for speculative purposes. Each Fund intends to use futures and options on futures in accordance with Rule 4.5 of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) promulgated under the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). BFA, with respect to the Funds, has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” in accordance with Rule 4.5 so that BFA, in respect of such Funds, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA. See the Regulation Regarding Derivatives section of this SAI for more information.

Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified amount of a specific instrument or index at a specified future time and at a specified price. Stock index contracts are based on investments that reflect the market value of common stock of the firms included in the investments. Each Fund or an Underlying Fund may enter into futures contracts to purchase securities indexes when BFA anticipates purchasing the underlying securities and believes prices will rise before the purchase will be made. Upon entering into a futures contract, a Fund or an Underlying Fund will be required to deposit with the broker an amount of cash or cash equivalents known as “initial margin,” which is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit on the contract and is returned to the Fund or an Underlying Fund upon termination of the futures contract if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Subsequent payments, known as “variation margin,” will be made to and from the broker daily as the price of the instrument or index underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking-to-market.” At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, each Fund or an Underlying Fund may elect to close the position by taking an opposite position, which will operate to terminate the Fund’s existing position in the contract. To the extent required by law, each Fund will segregate liquid assets in an amount equal to its delivery obligations under the futures contracts. An option on a futures contract, as contrasted with a direct investment in such a contract, gives the purchaser the right, but no obligation, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in the underlying futures contract at a specified exercise price at any time prior to the expiration date of the option. Upon exercise of an option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer’s futures margin account that represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. The potential for loss related to the purchase of an option on a futures contract is limited to the premium paid for the option plus transaction costs. Because the value of the option is fixed at the point of sale, there are no daily cash payments by the purchaser to reflect changes in the value of the underlying contract; however, the value of the option changes daily and that change would be reflected in the NAV of each Fund. The potential for loss related to writing call options is unlimited. The potential for loss related to writing put options is limited to the agreed-upon price per share, also known as the “strike price,” less the premium received from writing the put. The Funds or an Underlying Fund may purchase and write put and call options on futures contracts that are traded on an exchange as a hedge against changes in value of their portfolio securities or in anticipation of the purchase of securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. There is no guarantee that such closing transactions can be effected.

name securities may be cash- or physically-settled, depending upon the market in which they are traded. Options may be structured so as to be exercisable only on certain dates or on a daily basis. Options may also be structured to have conditions to exercise (i.e., “Knock-in Events”) or conditions that trigger termination (i.e., “Knock-out Events”). Investments in futures contracts and other investments that contain leverage may require each Fund to maintain liquid assets in an amount equal to its delivery obligations under these contracts and other investments. Generally, each Fund maintains an amount of liquid assets equal to its obligations relative to the position involved, adjusted daily on a marked-to-market basis. With respect to futures contracts that are contractually required to “cash-settle,” each Fund maintains liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s daily marked-to-market obligation (i.e., each Fund’s daily net liability, if any), rather than the contracts’ notional value (i.e., the value of the underlying asset). By maintaining assets equal to its net obligation under cash-settled futures contracts, each Fund or an Underlying Fund may employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to set aside assets equal to the futures contracts’ full notional value. Each Fund or an Underlying Fund bases its asset maintenance policies on methods permitted by the SEC and its staff and may modify these policies in the future to comply with any changes in the guidance articulated from time to time by the SEC or its staff. Changes in SEC guidance regarding the use of derivatives by registered investment companies may adversely impact a Fund’s ability to invest in futures, options or other derivatives or make investments in such instruments more expensive.

Illiquid Securities. Each Fund may invest up to an aggregate amount of 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities (calculated at the time of investment). Illiquid securities may include securities subject to contractual or other restrictions on resale and other instruments that lack readily available markets, as determined in accordance with SEC staff guidance. The liquidity of a security relates to the ability to readily dispose of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be lower than the price that would be obtained for a comparable, more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount to comparable, more liquid securities and a Fund or an Underlying Fund may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities in a timely fashion or at their expected prices.

Lending Portfolio Securities. Each Fund may lend portfolio securities to certain borrowers that BFA determines to be creditworthy, including borrowers affiliated with BFA. The borrowers provide collateral that is maintained in an amount at least equal to the current market value of the securities loaned. No securities loan shall be made on behalf of a Fund or an Underlying Fund if, as a result, the aggregate value of all securities loaned by the particular Fund or an Underlying Fund exceeds one-third of the value of a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's total assets (including the value of the collateral received). A Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned. Each Fund receives, by way of substitute payment, the value of any interest or cash or non-cash distributions paid on the loaned securities that it would have received if the securities were not on loan.

With respect to loans that are collateralized by cash, the borrower may be entitled to receive a fee based on the amount of cash collateral. The Funds are typically compensated by the difference between the amount earned on the reinvestment of cash collateral and the fee paid to the borrower. In the case of collateral other than cash, a Fund is typically compensated by a fee paid by the borrower equal to a percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. Any cash collateral may be reinvested in certain short-term instruments either directly on behalf of the lending Fund or through one or more joint accounts or money market funds, including those affiliated with BFA; such investments are subject to investment risk.

account the tax effects on shareholders caused by this difference in connection with a Fund’s securities lending program. Substitute payments received on tax-exempt securities loaned out will not be tax-exempt income.

BFA has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA with respect to the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF. BFA is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA with respect to the Fund.

The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF (the “No-Action Letter Fund”) may also have investments in “underlying funds” (and such underlying funds themselves may invest in underlying funds) not advised by BFA (which for purposes of the no-action letter referenced below may include certain securitized vehicles, mortgage real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and/or investment companies that may invest in CFTC Derivatives), and therefore may be viewed by the CFTC as commodity pools. BFA has no transparency into the holdings of these underlying funds because they are not advised by BFA. To address this issue of lack of transparency, the CFTC staff issued a no-action letter on November 29, 2012 permitting the adviser of a fund that invests in such underlying funds and that would otherwise have filed a claim of exclusion pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 to delay registration as a “commodity pool operator” until six months from the date on which the CFTC issues additional guidance on the treatment of CFTC Derivatives held by underlying funds. BFA, the adviser of the No-Action Letter

Fund, has filed a claim with the CFTC for the Fund to rely on this no-action relief. Accordingly, BFA is not currently subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA in respect of the Fund.

Repurchase agreements pose certain risks for a Fund that utilizes them. Such risks are not unique to the Funds, but are inherent in repurchase agreements. The Funds seeks to minimize such risks, but because of the inherent legal uncertainties involved in repurchase agreements, such risks cannot be eliminated. Lower quality collateral and collateral with a longer maturity may be subject to greater price fluctuations than higher quality collateral and collateral with a shorter maturity. If the repurchase agreement counterparty were to default, lower quality collateral may be more difficult to liquidate than higher quality collateral. Should the counterparty default and the amount of collateral not be sufficient to cover the counterparty’s repurchase obligation, a Fund would likely retain the status of an unsecured creditor of the counterparty (i.e., the position a Fund would normally be in if it were to hold, pursuant to its investment policies, other unsecured debt securities of the defaulting counterparty) with respect to the amount of the shortfall. As an unsecured creditor, a Fund would be at risk of losing some or all of the principal and income involved in the transaction.

value of a Fund’s assets. A Fund’s exposure to reverse repurchase agreements will be covered by liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than the Fund’s obligations under such commitments. The use of reverse repurchase agreements is a form of leverage, and the proceeds obtained by a Fund through reverse repurchase agreements may be invested in additional securities.

Future Developments. The Board may, in the future, authorize each Fund to invest in securities contracts and investments, other than those listed in this SAI and in the applicable Prospectus, provided they are consistent with each Fund's investment objective and do not violate any of its investment restrictions or policies.

General Considerations and Risks

A discussion of some of the principal risks associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the applicable Prospectus.

foreign exchanges limit the amount of fluctuation in futures contract prices which may occur in a single business day (generally referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits”). The maximum or minimum price of a contract as a result of these limits is referred to as a “limit price.” If the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made beyond the limit price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices.

Investments in Underlying Funds. Each Underlying Fund is a type of investment company referred to as an ETF. Each Underlying Fund is designed to track a particular index and is advised by BFA. Shares of the Underlying Funds are listed for trading on national securities exchanges and trade throughout the day on those exchanges and other secondary markets. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the national securities exchanges necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Underlying Funds will continue to be met. A national securities exchange may, but is not required to, remove the shares of the Underlying Funds from listing if, among other things: (i) following the initial 12-month period beginning upon the commencement of trading of an Underlying Fund, there are fewer than 50 record and/or beneficial holders of the shares for 30 or more consecutive trading days, (ii) the value of an Underlying Fund's underlying index is no longer calculated or available, or (iii) any other event shall occur or condition exist that, in the opinion of the national securities exchange, makes further dealings on the national securities exchange inadvisable. A national securities exchange will remove the shares of an Underlying Fund from listing and trading upon termination of such Underlying Fund. Shares of each Underlying Fund trade on exchanges at prices at, above or below their most recent NAV. The per share NAV of each Underlying Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of such Underlying Fund's holdings since the most recent calculation. The trading prices of an Underlying Fund's shares fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand rather than NAV. The trading prices of an Underlying Fund's shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. Any of these factors may lead to an Underlying Fund's shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with an Underlying Fund's NAV due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to an Underlying Fund's creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices of Underlying Fund shares that differ significantly from NAV. If the Funds purchase shares of the Underlying Funds at a time when the market price of an Underlying Fund's shares are at a premium to the NAV or sells at a time when the market price of an Underlying Fund is at a discount to the NAV, then the Funds may sustain losses.

As in the case of other publicly-traded securities, brokers' commissions on buying or selling shares of the Underlying Funds will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels. An investment in an ETF generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in an open-end investment company that is not exchange-traded and that has the same investment objectives, strategies, and policies. However, ETFs are subject to the following risks that do not apply to an open-end investment company that is not exchange-traded: (i) the market price of the ETF's shares may trade at a discount to their net asset value; (ii) an active trading market for an ETF's shares may not develop or be maintained; or (iii) trading of an ETF's

shares may be halted if the listing exchange's officials deem such action appropriate, the shares are delisted from the exchange, or the activation of market-wide “circuit breakers” (which are tied to large decreases in stock prices) halts stock trading generally.

National Closed Market Trading Risk. To the extent that the underlying securities held by a Fund or an Underlying Fund trade on foreign exchanges that are closed when the securities exchange on which a Fund’s shares trade is open, there are likely to be deviations between the current price of such an underlying security and the last quoted price for the underlying security (i.e., a Fund’s quote from the closed foreign market). These deviations may result in premiums or discounts to a Fund’s NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other ETFs.

Risk of Derivatives. A derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends on, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, such as a security, a commodity (such as gold or silver), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500^® or the prime lending rate). A Fund or an Underlying Fund may invest in stock index futures contracts, securities options and other derivatives. Compared to conventional securities, derivatives can be more sensitive to changes in interest rates or to sudden fluctuations in market prices and thus a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's losses may be greater if it invests in derivatives than if it invests only in conventional securities. Derivatives are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the other party in the transaction will not fulfill its contractual obligations. Derivatives generally involve the incurrence of leverage. To address such leverage and to prevent a Fund or an Underlying Fund from being deemed to have issued senior securities as a result of an investment in derivatives, such Fund or Underlying Fund will segregate liquid assets equal to its obligations under the derivatives throughout the life of the investment.

on whether dealers will make a market in such securities. There can be no assurance that a market will be made or maintained or that any such market will be or remain liquid. The price at which securities may be sold and the value of a Fund’s shares will be adversely affected if trading markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities are limited or absent, or if bid/ask spreads are wide.

The risk of loss in trading futures contracts or uncovered call options in some strategies (e.g., selling uncovered stock index futures contracts) is potentially unlimited. The Funds do not plan to use futures and options contracts in this way. The risk of a futures position may still be large as traditionally measured due to the low margin deposits required. In many cases, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss or gain to the investor relative to the size of a required margin deposit. The Funds, however, intend to utilize futures and options contracts in a manner designed to limit the risk exposure to levels comparable to a direct investment in the types of stocks in which it invests.

Risk of Investing in Non-U.S. Equity Securities. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in portfolios of equity securities traded on non-U.S. exchanges. These risks include market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments in those foreign countries, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in stock prices. Investing in securities issued by issuers domiciled in countries other than the domicile of the investor and denominated in currencies other than an investor’s local currency entails certain considerations and risks not typically encountered by the investor in making investments in its home country and in that country’s currency. These considerations include favorable or unfavorable changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates, exchange control regulations and the costs that may be incurred in connection with conversions between various currencies. Investing in any of the Funds also involves certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in a fund whose portfolio contains exclusively securities of U.S. issuers. These risks include generally less liquid and less efficient securities markets; generally greater price volatility; less publicly available information about issuers; the imposition of withholding or other taxes; the imposition of restrictions on the expatriation of funds or other assets of the Funds; higher transaction and custody costs; delays and risks attendant in settlement procedures; difficulties in enforcing contractual obligations; lower liquidity and significantly smaller market capitalization; different accounting and disclosure standards; lower levels of regulation of the securities markets; more substantial government interference with the economy and businesses; higher rates of inflation; greater social, economic, and political uncertainty; the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets; and the risk of war.

Risk of Swap Agreements. The risk of loss with respect to swaps is generally limited to the net amount of payments that a Fund or an Underlying Fund is contractually obligated to make. Swap agreements are subject to the risk that the swap counterparty will default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, a Fund or an Underlying Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. However, such remedies may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect such Fund’s or Underlying Fund's rights as a creditor (e.g., a Fund or an Underlying Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive).

Securities Lending Risk. A Fund or an Underlying Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that a Fund or the Underlying Funds may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. A Fund or the Underlying Funds could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund or Underlying Funds.

Treaty/Tax Risk. Each of the Funds operates either directly or through the Underlying Funds, in part, through the Subsidiaries, which in turn invest in securities of Indian issuers. The Subsidiaries should be eligible to take advantage of the benefits of the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement between India and Mauritius (“DTAA”) in relation to investments in shares made until March 31, 2017. Numerous investors have relied on the benefits of the DTAA to invest in India through Mauritius in the past.

India and Mauritius signed a protocol (“Protocol”) amending the double tax avoidance arrangement between the two countries (India Mauritius DTAA) on May 10, 2016. The Protocol gives India the right to tax capital gains that arise from alienation of shares of an Indian company acquired by a Mauritian tax resident. However, the Protocol provides for grandfathering of investments in shares made before April 1, 2017. Returns from investments in shares made on or after April 1, 2017 are subject to capital gains tax in India, although the Protocol introduces a limitation of benefits provision which shall be a prerequisite for a reduced rate of tax (50% of domestic tax rate) on capital gains arising during a two year transition period from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2019. The Protocol is now in effect, which could result in the imposition of withholding and capital gains taxes and/or other taxes on the Subsidiaries by tax authorities in India. This could significantly reduce the return to each of the Funds on its investments in shares and the return received by each Fund’s shareholders.

Criteria for Residence of Companies in India.

Indirect Transfers.

clarification issued by the CBDT, the Funds do not expect that shareholders or each Fund will become subject to tax or to withholding obligations with respect to completed assessments.

•

With respect to a foreign entity that holds the Indian assets indirectly, if the transferor of share or interest in such foreign entity (along with its associated enterprises), at any time in the twelve months preceding the year of transfer does not hold the right of control or management in relation to the foreign entity, which would entitle them to the right of control or management in the foreign entity which directly holds the Indian assets; or does not hold voting power or share capital or interest exceeding 5% of the total voting power or total share capital or total interest in the foreign entity, which results in holding the same share capital or voting power in the entity which directly holds the Indian assets.

Because the Funds invest in Indian securities through the Subsidiaries, the Subsidiaries or the Funds may be considered to derive “substantial value” from Indian assets. Accordingly, shareholder redemptions of the Funds shares and sales of the Funds shares may have been subject to Indian tax and withholding obligations. However, through Finance Act 2017 (“FA 2017”), the government had introduced an exemption to shareholders in Category I and Category II foreign portfolio investors (“FPI”) from the applicability of indirect transfer taxation. Each Subsidiary is a Category II FPI. Therefore, any redemptions or transfers by the Funds or the shareholders in the Funds should not be subject to Indian indirect transfer tax.

General Anti-Avoidance Rules.

•	creates rights, or obligations, which are not ordinarily created between persons dealing at arm's length;

•	results, directly or indirectly, in the misuse, or abuse, of the provisions of IT Act;
•	lacks commercial substance; or
•	is entered into, or carried out, by means, or in a manner, which are not ordinarily employed for bona fide purposes.

As per the provisions of Indian Income Tax Rules, 1962 (“IT Rules”), GAAR shall not apply in the following circumstances:

•	any arrangement where the aggregate tax benefit to all the parties of the arrangement in the relevant financial year does not exceed INR 30 Million;
•	foreign institutional investors (“FIIs”) that choose not to take any benefit under any tax treaty entered with India and has invested in listed or unlisted securities with prior permission of the competent authority in accordance with the applicable regulations;
•	non-resident investor in an FII who has invested in an FII, directly or indirectly, by way of an offshore derivative instrument or otherwise; or
•	any income derived from the transfer of shares or interests made prior to April 1, 2017.

GAAR may, irrespective of existing treaty provisions, lead to the imposition of tax liabilities and withholding obligations, and may lead each of the Funds or an Underlying Fund to modify the structure.

Indian Minimum Alternate Tax.

Recent amendments to the DTAA and GAAR could change the manner in which the Subsidiaries are currently taxed in India and could adversely impact the returns to each of the Funds/Underlying Funds/Subsidiaries and their shareholders. Each of the Funds will continue to monitor developments in India with respect to these matters. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to their own tax situations and the tax consequences of an investment in each of the Funds.

with market volatility, lower market capitalization, lower trading volume, illiquidity, inflation, greater price fluctuations and uncertainty regarding the existence of trading markets. Moreover, trading on African securities markets may be suspended altogether.

Certain governments in African countries restrict or control to varying degrees the ability of foreign investors to invest in securities of issuers located or operating in those countries. Moreover, certain countries in Africa require governmental approval or special licenses prior to investment by foreign investors and may limit the amount of investment by foreign investors in a particular industry and/or issuer, and may limit such foreign investment to a certain class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous rights than the classes available for purchase by domestic investors of the countries and/or impose additional taxes on foreign investors. A delay in obtaining a government approval or a license would delay investments in a particular country, and, as a result, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities while approval is pending. The government of a particular country may also withdraw or decline to renew a license that enables a Fund or an Underlying Fund to invest in such country. These factors make investing in issuers located or operating in countries in Africa significantly riskier than investing in issuers located or operating in more developed countries, and any one of these factors could cause a decline in the value of a Fund’s investments. Issuers located or operating in countries in Africa are generally not subject to the same rules and regulations as issuers located or operating in more developed countries. Therefore, there may be less financial and other information publicly available with regard to issuers located or operating in countries in Africa and such issuers are generally not subject to the uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards applicable to issuers located or operating in more developed countries.

Investment in countries in Africa may be subject to a greater degree of risk associated with governmental approval in connection with the repatriation of investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. In addition, there is the risk that if an African country’s balance of payments declines, such African country may impose temporary restrictions on foreign capital remittances. Consequently, a Fund or an Underlying Fund could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Fund of any restrictions on investments. Additionally, investments in countries in Africa may require a Fund or an Underlying Fund to adopt special procedures, seek local government approvals or take other actions, each of which may involve additional costs to the Fund.

These countries therefore are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices, which may be affected by a variety of factors. In addition, certain issuers located in countries in Africa in which a Fund or an Underlying Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and the United Nations, and/or countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.

and services, institution of tariffs or other trade barriers or a downturn in any of the economies of China’s key trading partners may have an adverse impact on the securities of Chinese issuers.

The tax laws and regulations in the People's Republic of China (“PRC”) are subject to change, including the issuance of authoritative guidance or enforcement, possibly with retroactive effect. The interpretation, applicability and enforcement of such laws by PRC tax authorities are not as consistent and transparent as those of more developed nations, and may vary over time and from region to region. The application and enforcement of PRC tax rules could have a significant adverse effect on a Fund and its investors, particularly in relation to capital gains withholding tax imposed upon non-residents.

emerging market country securities may also affect a Fund's ability to accurately value its portfolio securities or to acquire or dispose of securities at the price and time it wishes to do so or in order to meet redemption requests.

The legal systems in certain Middle Eastern countries also may have an adverse impact on a Fund. For example, the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation generally is limited to the amount of the shareholder’s investment. However, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain Middle Eastern countries. A Fund or an Underlying Fund therefore may be liable in certain Middle Eastern countries for the acts of a corporation in which it invests for an amount greater than its actual investment in that corporation. Similarly, the rights of investors in Middle Eastern issuers may be more limited than those of shareholders of a U.S. corporation. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain or enforce a legal judgment in a Middle Eastern country. Some Middle Eastern countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Fund. For example, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investment by foreign persons or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular issuer. Certain Middle Eastern countries may also limit investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals of the relevant Middle Eastern country.

The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain Middle Eastern countries, as well as limitations on those investments, may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Fund. For example, in certain of these countries, a Fund may be required to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares that were purchased re-registered in the name of a Fund or an Underlying Fund. Re-registration in some instances may not be possible on a timely basis. This may result in a delay during which a Fund may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Fund places a purchase

order but is subsequently informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has already been filled and, consequently, a Fund may not be able to invest in the relevant company.

Risk of Investing in Russia. Investing in the Russian securities market involves a high degree of risk and special considerations not typically associated with investing in the U.S. securities market, and should be considered highly speculative. Risks include: the absence of developed legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property; the possibility of the loss of all or a substantial portion of an Underlying Fund’s assets invested in Russia as a result of expropriation; certain national policies which may restrict the Fund’s investment opportunities, including, without limitation, restrictions on investing in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to relevant national interests; and potentially greater price volatility in, significantly smaller capitalization of, and relative illiquidity of, the Russian market. There can also be no assurance that an Underlying Fund’s investments in the Russian securities market would not be expropriated, nationalized or otherwise confiscated. In the event of the settlement of any such claims or such expropriation, nationalization or other confiscation, an Underlying Fund could lose its entire investment. In addition, it may be difficult and more costly to obtain and enforce a judgment in the Russian court system.

The sanctions against certain Russian issuers include prohibitions on transacting in or dealing in certain issuances of new debt or new equity of such issuers. Securities held by a Fund or an Underlying Fund issued prior to the date of the sanctions being imposed are not currently subject to any restrictions under the sanctions. However, compliance with each of these sanctions may impair the ability of a Fund or an Underlying Fund to buy, sell, hold, receive or deliver the affected securities or other securities of such issuers. If it becomes impracticable or unlawful for a Fund or an Underlying Fund to hold securities subject to, or otherwise affected by, sanctions (collectively, “affected securities”), or if deemed appropriate by BFA, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may prohibit in-kind deposits of the affected securities in connection with creation transactions and instead require a cash deposit, which may also increase a Fund's or an Underlying Fund's transaction costs. A Fund or an Underlying Fund may also be legally required to freeze assets in a blocked account.

Current or future sanctions may result in Russia taking counter measures or retaliatory actions, which may further impair the value and liquidity of Russian securities. These retaliatory measures may include the immediate freeze of Russian assets held by a Fund or an Underlying Fund. In the event of such a freeze of any Fund assets, including depositary receipts, a Fund or an Underlying Fund may need to liquidate non-restricted assets in order to satisfy any Fund or Underlying Fund redemption orders. The liquidation of Fund or Underlying Fund assets during this time may also result in a Fund or an Underlying Fund receiving substantially lower prices for its securities.

Russian securities and the possibility that Russia may impose investment or currency controls on investors may cause a Fund or an Underlying Fund to invest in, or increase a Fund’s or an Underlying Fund's investments in, depositary receipts that represent the securities of its Underlying Index. These investments may result in increased transaction costs and increased tracking error.

Parallel proceedings, such as bankruptcy, may also delay resolution and limit the amount of recovery on a foreclosed loan by a Real Estate Company even where the property underlying the loan is liquidated.

products and prices, can be arbitrary and unpredictable. Companies in the telecommunications sector may experience distressed cash flows due to the need to commit substantial capital to meet increasing competition, particularly in developing new products and services using new technology. Technological innovations may make the products and services of certain telecommunications companies obsolete. Finally, while all companies may be susceptible to network security breaches, certain companies in the telecommunications sector may be particular targets of hacking and potential theft of proprietary or consumer information or disruptions in service, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses.

Proxy Voting Policy

Portfolio Holdings Information

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of the Funds' portfolio holdings information that requires that such information be disclosed in a manner that: (i) is consistent with applicable legal requirements and in the best interests of each Fund’s respective shareholders; (ii) does not put the interests of BFA, the Distributor or any affiliated person of BFA or the Distributor, above those of Fund shareholders; (iii) does not advantage any current or prospective Fund shareholders over any other current or prospective Fund shareholders, except to the extent that certain Entities (as described below) may receive portfolio holdings information not available to other current or prospective Fund shareholders in connection with the dissemination of information necessary for transactions in Creation Units, as discussed below, and certain information may be provided to personnel of BFA and its affiliates who manage funds that invest a significant percentage of their assets in shares of a Fund for the purpose of facilitating risk management and hedging activities; and (iv) does not provide selective access to portfolio holdings information except pursuant to the procedures outlined below and to the extent appropriate confidentiality arrangements limiting the use of such information are in effect. The “Entities” referred to in sub-section (iii) above are generally limited to National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) members, subscribers to various fee-based subscription services, large institutional investors (known as “Authorized Participants”) that have been authorized by the Distributor to purchase and redeem large blocks of shares pursuant to legal requirements and market makers and other institutional market participants and entities that provide information or transactional services.

The Board reviews the policy and procedures for disclosure of portfolio holdings information at least annually.

Construction and Maintenance of the Underlying Indexes

Descriptions of the Underlying Indexes are provided below.

The MSCI Indexes

•	MSCI Global Standard Indexes cover all investable large- and mid-cap securities by including the largest issuers comprising approximately 85% of each market's free float-adjusted market capitalization.
•	MSCI Global Small Cap Indexes provide coverage of companies with a market capitalization below that of the companies in the MSCI Global Standard Indexes.

MSCI Global Investable Market Indexes

Defining the Equity Universe. MSCI begins with securities listed in countries in the MSCI GIMI. As of October 31, 2017, 23 are classified as developed markets, 24 as emerging markets, and 22 as frontier markets. All listed equity securities and listed securities that exhibit characteristics of equity securities, except mutual funds, ETFs, equity derivatives, limited partnerships and most investment trusts, are eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. REIT in some countries and certain income trusts in Canada are also eligible for inclusion. Each company and its securities (i.e., share classes) are classified in only one country.

•	Achieving global size integrity by ensuring that companies of comparable and relevant sizes are included in a given size segment across all markets in a composite index; and
•	Achieving consistent market coverage by ensuring that each market's size segment is represented in its proportional weight in the composite universe.

Weighting. All indexes of the MSCI GIMI are free float weighted, i.e., companies are included in the indexes at the value of their free public float (free float multiplied by security price).

Price and Exchange Rates

Index maintenance can be described by three broad categories of changes:

•	Semi-Annual Index Reviews (“SAIRs”), conducted on a fixed semi-annual timetable that systematically reassess the various dimensions of the equity universe for all markets;
•	Quarterly Index Reviews (“QIRs”), aimed at promptly reflecting other significant market events; and
•	Ongoing event-related changes, such as mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, bankruptcies, reorganizations and other similar corporate events, which generally are implemented in the indexes as they occur.

Potential changes in the status of countries (stand-alone, frontier, emerging and developed) follow their own implementation time tables.

MSCI Emerging Markets Diversified Multiple-Factor Index

Number of Components: approximately 162

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets Diversified Multiple-Factor Index is constructed using optimization at each rebalance that is designed to maximize the Underlying Index’s exposure to the equal-weighted combination of four target style factors (value, quality, momentum and low size) while still maintaining total risk similar to that of the parent index.

Index Methodology. The methodology uses a composite alpha score (by equal weighting the four style factor scores) as an input to the optimizer. At each rebalance, MSCI aims to maximize overall exposure to the four style factors, which have historically outperformed the broad market, via the composite alpha and maintain a level of forecast risk similar to that of the parent index, while also limiting turnover and extreme exposures to sectors/countries/component weights/non-target style factors. The optimizer selects securities from the parent index and assigns weights such that the optimization objective and constraints are best satisfied.

The Underlying Index is rebalanced semi-annually coinciding with the MSCI May and November Semi-annual Index Review.

MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index

Number of Components: approximately 693

Index Description. The MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that captures large- and mid-capitalization stocks across 23 of the 24 Emerging Markets countries (as defined by MSCI), excluding China. The Underlying Index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization of each of the following countries: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czechia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

Additional Information. “MSCI,” “MSCI Emerging Markets Diversified Multiple-Factor Index” and “MSCI Emerging Markets ex China Index” are servicemarks of MSCI Inc. and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by BFA or its affiliates. iShares^® and BlackRock^® are registered trademarks of BFA and its affiliates. The Funds are neither sponsored, endorsed, sold nor promoted by MSCI Inc., and MSCI Inc. makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Funds.

Investment Restrictions

The Board has adopted as a non-fundamental policy the investment objective of each Fund. Therefore, each Fund may change its investment objective and its Underlying Index without shareholder approval. The Board has adopted as fundamental policies the following numbered investment restrictions, which cannot be changed without the approval of the holders of a majority of the applicable Fund’s outstanding voting securities. A vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund is defined in the Investment Company Act as the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present at a shareholder meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund.

Each Fund may not:

1.	Concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the Investment Company Act, except that the Funds will concentrate to approximately the same extent that its Underlying Index concentrates in the securities of a particular industry or group of industries.
2.	Borrow money, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act.
3.	Issue senior securities to the extent such issuance would violate the Investment Company Act.
4.	Purchase or hold real estate, except the Fund may purchase and hold securities or other instruments that are secured by, or linked to, real estate or interests therein, securities of REITs, mortgage-related securities and securities of issuers engaged in the real estate business, and the Fund may purchase and hold real estate as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments.
5.	Underwrite securities issued by others, except to the extent that the sale of portfolio securities by the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriting or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.
6.	Purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts, except as permitted by the Investment Company Act.
7.	Make loans to the extent prohibited by the Investment Company Act.

Notations Regarding each Fund's Fundamental Investment Restrictions

The following notations are not considered to be part of each Fund's fundamental investment restrictions and are subject to change without shareholder approval.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to concentration set forth in (1) above, the Investment Company Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry. The SEC staff has taken the position that investment of 25% or more of a fund’s total assets in one or more issuers conducting their principal activities in the same industry or group of industries constitutes concentration. It is possible that interpretations of concentration could change in the future. The policy in (1) above will be interpreted to refer to concentration as that term may be interpreted from time to time. The policy also will be interpreted to permit investment without limit in the following: securities of the U.S. government and its agencies or instrumentalities; securities of state, territory, possession or municipal governments and their authorities, agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions; and repurchase agreements collateralized by any such obligations. Accordingly, issuers of the foregoing securities will not be considered to be members of any industry. There also will be no limit on investment in issuers domiciled in a single jurisdiction or country. Finance companies will be considered to be in the industries of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of the parents. Each foreign government will be considered to be a member of a separate industry. With respect to a Fund's industry classifications, the Fund currently utilizes any one or more of the industry sub-classifications used by one or more widely recognized market indexes or rating group indexes, and/or as defined by Fund management. The policy also will be interpreted to give broad authority to a Fund as to how to classify issuers within or among industries.

involve leverage and thus are subject to the Investment Company Act restrictions. In accordance with SEC staff guidance and interpretations, when a Fund engages in such transactions, the Fund instead of maintaining asset coverage of at least 300%, may segregate or earmark liquid assets, or enter into an offsetting position, in an amount at least equal to the Fund’s exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the SEC). The policy in (2) above will be interpreted to permit each Fund to engage in trading practices and investments that may be considered to be borrowing or to involve leverage to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act and to permit each Fund to segregate or earmark liquid assets or enter into offsetting positions in accordance with the Investment Company Act. Short-term credits necessary for the settlement of securities transactions and arrangements with respect to securities lending will not be considered to be borrowings under the policy. Practices and investments that may involve leverage but are not considered to be borrowings are not subject to the policy.

With respect to the fundamental policy relating to underwriting set forth in (5) above, the Investment Company Act does not prohibit each Fund from engaging in the underwriting business or from underwriting the securities of other issuers; in fact, in the case of diversified funds, the Investment Company Act permits the Fund to have underwriting commitments of up to 25% of its assets under certain circumstances. Those circumstances currently are that the amount of each Fund's underwriting commitments, when added to the value of the Fund’s investments in issuers where each Fund owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of those issuers, cannot exceed the 25% cap. A fund engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act. Although it is not believed that the application of the 1933 Act provisions described above would cause a Fund to be engaged in the business of underwriting, the policy in (5) above will be interpreted not to prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of portfolio securities, regardless of whether the Fund may be considered to be an underwriter under the 1933 Act or is otherwise engaged in the underwriting business to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Under its non-fundamental investment restrictions, which may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval, each Fund may not:

Purchase securities of other investment companies, except to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act. As a matter of policy, however, each Fund will not purchase shares of any registered open-end investment company or registered unit investment trust, in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) (the “fund of funds” provisions) of the Investment Company Act, at any time the Fund has knowledge that its shares are purchased by another investment company investor in reliance on the provisions of subparagraph (G) of Section 12(d)(1); provided that such policy will only be in effect if a Fund ceases to invest its assets in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) in the iShares MSCI India ETF or iShares India 50 ETF (or a different underlying fund), as applicable.

Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, except to the extent permitted by the Fund's Prospectus and SAI, as amended from time to time, and applicable law.

Each Fund has adopted a non-fundamental investment policy in accordance with Rule 35d-1 under the Investment Company Act to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets, plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes, in component securities of its Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing component securities in its Underlying Index. Each Fund also has adopted a policy to provide its shareholders with at least 60 days’ prior written notice of any change in such policy. If, subsequent to an investment, the 80% requirement is no longer met, a Fund's future investments will be made in a manner that will bring the Fund into compliance with this policy.

The iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF has adopted a non-fundamental limitation such that, under normal market conditions, any borrowings by the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF will not exceed 10% of the Fund’s net assets.

Although the SEC has granted an exemptive order to the Company permitting registered investment companies and unit investment trusts that enter into a participation agreement with the Company (“Investing Funds”) to invest in iShares Funds beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act subject to certain terms and conditions, the exemptive order is not applicable to the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF. Accordingly, Investing Funds must adhere to the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act when investing in the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF.

Continuous Offering

Management

Directors and Officers. The Board has responsibility for the overall management and operations of the Fund, including general supervision of the duties performed by BFA and other service providers. Each Director serves until he or she resigns, is removed, dies, retires or becomes incapacitated. Each officer shall hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, resignation or removal. Directors who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company are referred to as independent directors (“Independent Directors”).

The registered investment companies advised by BFA or its affiliates (the “BlackRock-advised Funds”) are organized into one complex of closed-end funds, two complexes of open-end funds and one complex of ETFs (“Exchange-Traded Fund Complex”) (each, a “BlackRock Fund Complex”). The Fund is included in the BlackRock Fund Complex referred to as the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex. Each Director also serves as a Trustee of iShares Trust and a Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust and, as a result, oversees a total of 347 funds within the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex. Drew E. Lawton, from October 2016 to June 2017, and Richard L. Fagnani, from April 2017 to June 2017, served as members of the advisory board (“Advisory Board,” members of which are “Advisory Board Members”) for the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust with respect to all funds within the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex. With the exception of Robert S. Kapito, Mark K. Wiedman, Charles Park, Martin Small and Benjamin Archibald, the address of each Director and officer is c/o BlackRock, Inc., 400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105. The address of Mr. Kapito, Mr. Wiedman, Mr. Park, Mr. Small and Mr. Archibald

is c/o BlackRock, Inc., Park Avenue Plaza, 55 East 52^nd Street, New York, NY 10055. The Board has designated Cecilia H. Herbert as its Independent Board Chair. Additional information about the Funds' Directors and officers may be found in this SAI, which is available without charge, upon request, by calling toll-free 1-800-iShares (1-800-474-2737).

Interested Directors

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Robert S. Kapito¹ (60)	Director (since 2009).	President, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Vice Chairman of BlackRock, Inc. and Head of BlackRock’s Portfolio Management Group (since its formation in 1998) and BlackRock, Inc.’s predecessor entities (since 1988); Trustee, University of Pennsylvania (since 2009); President of Board of Directors, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund (since 2002).	Director of BlackRock, Inc. (since 2006); Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2009); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Mark K. Wiedman² (47)	Director (since 2013).	Senior Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014); Global Head of BlackRock’s ETF and Index Investments Business (since 2016); Global Head of iShares (2011-2016); Head of Corporate Strategy, BlackRock, Inc. (2009-2011).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2013); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2013); Director of PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. (since 2008).

¹	Robert S. Kapito is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.
²	Mark K. Wiedman is deemed to be an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Company due to his affiliations with BlackRock, Inc. and its affiliates.

Independent Directors

Name (Age)		Position		Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years		Other Directorships Held by Director
Cecilia H. Herbert (68)		Director (since 2005); Independent Board Chair (since 2016).		Trustee and Member of the Finance, Technology and Quality Committee of Stanford Health Care (since 2016); Trustee and Member of the Investment Committee, WNET, a New York public media company (since 2011); Chair (1994-2005) and Member (since 1992) of the Investment Committee, Archdiocese of San Francisco; Director (1998-2013) and President (2007-2011) of the Board of Directors, Catholic Charities CYO; Trustee (2002-2011) and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee (2006-2010) of the Thacher School.		Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Independent Board Chair of iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2016); Trustee of Forward Funds (14 portfolios) (since 2009); Trustee of Salient MF Trust (4 portfolios) (since 2015).

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years	Other Directorships Held by Director
Jane D. Carlin (61)	Director (since 2015); Risk Committee Chair (since 2016).	Consultant (since 2012); Managing Director and Global Head of Financial Holding Company Governance & Assurance and the Global Head of Operational Risk Management of Morgan Stanley (2006-2012).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2015); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2015); Director of PHH Corporation (mortgage solutions) (since 2012); Director of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (since 2016).
Richard L. Fagnani (63)	Director (since 2017); Equity Plus Committee Chair (since 2017).	Partner, KPMG LLP (2002-2016).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
Charles A. Hurty (74)	Director (since 2005); Audit Committee Chair (since 2006).	Retired; Partner, KPMG LLP (1968-2001).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director of SkyBridge Alternative Investments Multi-Adviser Hedge Fund Portfolios LLC (2 portfolios) (since 2002).
John E. Kerrigan (62)	Director (since 2005); Securities Lending Committee Chair (since 2016).	Chief Investment Officer, Santa Clara University (since 2002).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2005); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Drew E. Lawton (58)	Director (since 2017); 15(c) Committee Chair (since 2017).	Senior Managing Director of New York Life Insurance Company (2010-2015).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2017); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2017).
John E. Martinez (56)	Director (since 2003); Fixed Income Plus Committee Chair (since 2016).	Director of Real Estate Equity Exchange, Inc. (since 2005).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2003); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011).
Madhav V. Rajan (53)	Director (since 2011); Nominating and Governance Committee Chair (since 2017).	Dean, and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Accounting, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (since 2017); Robert K. Jaedicke Professor of Accounting, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2001-2017); Professor of Law (by courtesy), Stanford Law School (2005-2017); Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Head of MBA Program, Stanford University Graduate School of Business (2010-2016).	Trustee of iShares Trust (since 2011); Trustee of iShares U.S. ETF Trust (since 2011); Director, Cavium, Inc. (since 2013).

Officers

Name (Age)	Position	Principal Occupation(s) During the Past 5 Years
Martin Small (42)	President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2010); Head of U.S. iShares (since 2015); Co-Head of the U.S. Financial Markets Advisory Group, BlackRock, Inc. (2008-2014).
Jack Gee (58)	Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (since 2008).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Senior Director of Fund Administration of Intermediary Investor Business, BGI (2009).
Charles Park (50)	Chief Compliance Officer (since 2006).	Chief Compliance Officer of BlackRock Advisors, LLC and the BlackRock-advised Funds in the Equity-Bond Complex, the Equity-Liquidity Complex and the Closed-End Complex (since 2014); Chief Compliance Officer of BFA (since 2006).
Benjamin Archibald (42)	Secretary (since 2015).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2014); Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2010-2013); Secretary of the BlackRock-advised mutual funds (since 2012).
Steve Messinger (55)	Executive Vice President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (2007-2014 and since 2016); Managing Director, Beacon Consulting Group (2014-2016).
Scott Radell (49)	Executive Vice President (since 2012).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009); Head of Portfolio Solutions, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).
Alan Mason (57)	Executive Vice President (since 2016).	Managing Director, BlackRock, Inc. (since 2009).

Board – Leadership Structure and Oversight Responsibilities

Day-to-day risk management with respect to the Funds is the responsibility of BFA or other service providers (depending on the nature of the risk), subject to the supervision of BFA. The Fund is subject to a number of risks, including investment, compliance, operational, reputational, counterparty and valuation risks, among others. While there are a number of risk management functions performed by BFA and other service providers, as applicable, it is not possible to identify and eliminate all of the risks applicable to the Funds. The Directors have an oversight role in this area, satisfying themselves that risk management processes and controls are in place and operating effectively. Risk oversight forms part of the Board’s general oversight of each Fund and is addressed as part of various Board and committee activities. In some cases, risk management issues are specifically addressed in presentations and discussions. For example, BFA has an independent dedicated Risk and Quantitative Analysis Group (“RQA”) that assists BFA in managing fiduciary and corporate risks, including investment, operational, counterparty credit and enterprise risk. Representatives of RQA meet with the Board to discuss their analysis and methodologies, as well as specific risk topics such as operational and counterparty risks relating to the Funds. The Board, directly or through a committee, also reviews reports from, among others, management and the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company, as appropriate, regarding risks faced by each Fund and management’s risk functions. The Board has appointed a Chief Compliance Officer who oversees the implementation and testing of the Company's compliance program, including assessments by independent third parties, and reports to the Board regarding compliance matters for the Company and its principal service providers. In testing and maintaining the compliance program, the Chief Compliance Officer (and his or her delegates) assesses key compliance risks affecting each Fund, and addresses them in periodic reports to the Board. In addition, the Audit Committee meets with both the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm and BFA’s internal audit group to review risk controls in place that support each Fund as well as test results. Board oversight of risk is also performed as needed between meetings through communications between BFA and the Board. The Independent Directors have engaged independent legal counsel to assist them in performing their oversight responsibilities. From time to time, the Board may modify the manner in which it conducts risk oversight. The Board’s oversight role does not make it a guarantor of the Funds' investment performance or other activities.

As the Chair of the Board, Cecilia H. Herbert may serve as an ex-officio member of each Committee.

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
Robert S. Kapito	None	None	None

Mark K. Wiedman	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares New York Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Cecilia H. Herbert	iShares California Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Growth ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares International Select Dividend ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares MSCI Japan ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares National Muni Bond ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Jane D. Carlin	iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF	$50,001-$100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000

Richard L. Fagnani	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable

Charles A. Hurty	iShares China Large-Cap ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
	iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core Moderate Allocation ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF	$50,001-$100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P U.S. Value ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Edge MSCI Min Vol USA ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Global Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Healthcare ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Global Tech ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Basic Materials ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Energy ETF	$10,001-$50,000
	iShares U.S. Technology ETF	Over $100,000

John E. Kerrigan	iShares MSCI ACWI ETF	$10,001-$50,000	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short-Term National Muni Bond ETF	Over $100,000

Drew E. Lawton	iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF	$50,001-$100,000	$50,001-$100,000

John E. Martinez	iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF	$1-$10,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF	$1-$10,000
	iShares Global Consumer Staples ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI All Country Asia ex Japan ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares MSCI EAFE ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares TIPS Bond ETF	$50,001-$100,000

Madhav V. Rajan	iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF	Over $100,000	Over $100,000
	iShares Core High Dividend ETF	Over $100,000

Name	Fund	Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund	Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in all Registered Investment Companies Overseen by Director or Advisory Board Member in Family of Investment Companies
	iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Russell 2000 ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares Select Dividend ETF	Over $100,000
	iShares U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	Over $100,000

Remuneration of Directors and Advisory Board Members.

The tables below set forth the compensation earned by each Independent Director, Interested Director and Advisory Board Member for services to the Fund for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 and the aggregate compensation paid to them for services to the Exchange-Traded Fund Complex for the calendar year ended December 31, 2016.

Name	iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF¹
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver²	$ 0	$0
John E. Kerrigan	24	3
Charles A. Hurty	25	3
Cecilia H. Herbert	26	3
John E. Martinez	24	3
Madhav V. Rajan	25	3
Jane D. Carlin	24	3
Drew E. Lawton³	21	3
Richard L. Fagnani⁴	10	1

Name	iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF¹

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	$0	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	0	0

Name	Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued As Part of Company Expenses⁵	Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement⁵	Total Compensation From the Funds and Fund Complex⁶
Independent Directors:

Robert H. Silver²	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$ 81,250
John E. Kerrigan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Charles A. Hurty	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	340,000
Cecilia H. Herbert	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	361,764
John E. Martinez	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	336,764
Madhav V. Rajan	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000
Jane D. Carlin	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	325,000

Interested Directors:

Robert S. Kapito	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$0
Mark K. Wiedman	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	0

Advisory Board Members:

Drew E. Lawton³	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	$75,000⁷
Richard L. Fagnani⁴	Not Applicable	Not Applicable	Not Applicable⁸

¹	Compensation reported is from the Fund’s inception to August 31, 2017.
²	Served as an Independent Director through March 31, 2016.
³	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Drew E. Lawton for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
⁴	Compensation from each Fund is shown for Richard L. Fagnani for his services as an Advisory Board Member for the period from April 1, 2017 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to June 18, 2017, and for his services as an Independent Director for the period from June 19, 2017 (date of his election to the Board of the Company, iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust) to August 31, 2017.
⁵	No Director or officer is entitled to any pension or retirement benefits from the Company.
⁶	Also includes compensation for service on the Boards of Trustees or the Advisory Board for iShares Trust and iShares U.S. ETF Trust.
⁷	Total compensation is shown for Drew E. Lawton for the period from October 18, 2016 (date of his appointment to the Advisory Board of the Company, iShares Trust, and iShares U.S. ETF Trust to December 31, 2016.
⁸	Total compensation is not shown for Richard L. Fagnani because he was appointed to serve as an Advisory Board Member of the Company, iShares Trust, and iShares U.S. ETF Trust effective April 1, 2017.

Control Persons and Principal Holders of Securities.

The Directors and officers of the Company collectively owned less than 1% of each Fund's outstanding shares as of November 30, 2017.

Fund	Name	Percentage of Ownership
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated - TS Sub 101 Hudson Street 9th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07302-3997	15.52%
	BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. 400 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94105	13.04%
	National Financial Services LLC 200 Liberty Street 5^thFloor New York, NY 10281	11.33%
	The Bank of New York Mellon 401 Salina Street 2^nd Floor Syracuse, NY 13202	10.56%
	Citibank, N.A. 3800 CitiBank Center Tampa Building A/Floor 2 Tampa, FL 33610	8.35%
	Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 111 Pavonia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07310	7.11%

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated - TS Sub 101 Hudson Street 9th Floor Jersey City, NJ 07302-3997	50.05%
	J.P. Morgan Clearing Corp One Metrotech Center North Brooklyn, NY 11201	32.88%
	Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. 111 Pavonia Avenue Jersey City, NJ 07310	7.69%

have interests other than that of managing a Fund. These are considerations of which investors in a Fund should be aware, and which may cause conflicts of interest that could disadvantage a Fund and its shareholders. These businesses and interests include potential multiple advisory, transactional, financial and other relationships with, or interests in, companies and interests in securities or other instruments that may be purchased or sold by a Fund.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates and their directors, officers and employees, may buy and sell securities or other investments for their own accounts and may have conflicts of interest with respect to investments made on behalf of a Fund. As a result of differing trading and investment strategies or constraints, positions may be taken by directors, officers, employees and Affiliates that are the same, different from or made at different times than positions taken for a Fund. To lessen the possibility that a Fund will be adversely affected by this personal trading, the Fund, BFA and BlackRock, Inc. have each adopted a code of ethics in compliance with Section 17(j) of the 1940 Act that restricts securities trading in the personal accounts of investment professionals and others who normally come into possession of information regarding a Fund's portfolio transactions. Each code of ethics is available by contacting BlackRock or by accessing the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by e-mail at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the SEC's Public Reference Room, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about accessing documents on the SEC’s website may be obtained by calling the SEC at (800) SEC-0330.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates will not purchase securities or other property from, or sell securities or other property to, a Fund, except that a Fund may in accordance with rules or guidance adopted under the 1940 Act engage in transactions with accounts that are affiliated with a Fund as a result of common officers, directors, or investment advisers or pursuant to exemptive orders granted to the Funds and/or BlackRock by the SEC. These transactions would be effected in circumstances in which BlackRock determined that it would be appropriate for a Fund to purchase and another client of BlackRock to sell, or a Fund to sell and another client of BlackRock to purchase, the same security or instrument on the same day. From time to time, the activities of a Fund may be restricted because of regulatory requirements applicable to BlackRock or the other Affiliates and/or BlackRock's internal policies designed to comply with, limit the applicability of, or otherwise relate to such requirements. A client not advised by BlackRock would not be subject to some of those considerations. There may be periods when BlackRock may not initiate or recommend certain types of transactions, or may otherwise restrict or limit their advice in certain securities or instruments issued by or related to companies for which an Affiliate is performing investment banking, market making, advisory or other services or has proprietary positions. For example, when an Affiliate is engaged in an underwriting or other distribution of securities of, or advisory services for, a company, the Funds may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company. In addition, when BlackRock provides advisory or risk management services for a company, BlackRock may be prohibited from or limited in purchasing or selling securities of that company on behalf of a Fund, particularly where such services result in BlackRock obtaining material non-public information about the company (e.g., in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee). Similar situations could arise if personnel of BlackRock or the other Affiliates serve as directors of companies the securities of which a Fund wishes to purchase or sell. However, if permitted by applicable law, and where consistent with BlackRock’s policies and procedures (including the necessary implementation of appropriate information barriers), the Funds may purchase securities or instruments that are issued by such companies, are the subject of an underwriting, distribution or advisory assignment by an Affiliate, or are the subject of an advisory or risk management assignment by BlackRock, or where personnel of BlackRock or the other Affiliates are directors or officers of the issuer.

BlackRock and the other Affiliates may not serve as Authorized Participants in the creation and redemption of iShares ETFs, but may serve as authorized participants of third-party ETFs.

Present and future activities of BlackRock and the other Affiliates, including BFA, in addition to those described in this section, may give rise to additional conflicts of interest.

Investment Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services

Investment Adviser. BFA serves as investment adviser to each Fund pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between the Company, on behalf of each Fund, and BFA. BFA is a California corporation indirectly owned by BlackRock, Inc. and is registered as an investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. Under the investment advisory agreement, BFA, subject to the supervision of the Board and in conformity with the stated investment policies of each Fund, manages and administers the Company and the investment of each Fund’s assets. BFA is responsible for placing purchase and sale orders and providing continuous supervision of the investment portfolio of each Fund.

For its investment advisory services to each Fund, BFA received a management fee at the annual rates (as a percentage of such Fund’s average net assets) set forth below for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Management Fee for the Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Fund Inception Date	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Management Fees Paid Net of Waivers for Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF^{1, 2}	0.45%	12/08/2015	$165,522	$42,577	N/A
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF³	0.49%	07/18/2017	4,950	N/A	N/A

¹	Effective December 16, 2016, the management fee for the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF is 0.45%. Prior to December 16, 2016, the management fee for the Fund was 0.65%.
²	For the iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees in an amount equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to the Fund's investments in other series of iShares Trust and the Company through December 31, 2021. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2021 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2017 and August 31, 2016, BFA waived $31,551 and $2,740, respectively, of its management fees. In addition, BFA may from time to time voluntarily waive and/or reimburse fees or expenses to reduce the Fund’s Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any). Any such voluntary waiver or reimbursement may be eliminated by BFA at any time. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2016, BFA voluntarily waived $10,646 of its management fees. As of December 16, 2016, the voluntary waiver is no longer in effect.
³	For the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, BFA has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fees in an amount equal to the Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, if any, attributable to the Fund's investments in other series of iShares Trust and the Company through December 31, 2022. The contractual waiver may be terminated prior to December 31, 2022 only upon written agreement of the Company and BFA. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2017, BFA waived $1,002 of its management fees.

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	258	$950,791,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	11	4,876,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	279	$984,598,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	12	4,899,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	350	$1,054,376,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	302	676,584,000,000
Other Accounts	219	61,456,000,000

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number	Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	341	$1,050,525,000,000
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	80	29,287,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

those portfolios and accounts, including the Funds, seeking such investment opportunity. As a consequence, from time to time each Fund may receive a smaller allocation of an investment opportunity than it would have if the Portfolio Managers and BFA and its affiliates did not manage other portfolios or accounts.

Diane Hsiung
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Jennifer Hsui
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	2	$26,000,000
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Alan Mason
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	0	N/A
Other Accounts	0	N/A

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Registered Investment Companies	0	N/A
Other Pooled Investment Vehicles	1	$1,070,000,000

Greg Savage
Types of Accounts	Number of Other Accounts with Performance Fees Managed by Portfolio Manager	Aggregate of Total Assets
Other Accounts	0	N/A

The discussion below describes the Portfolio Managers' compensation as of August 31, 2017.

Portfolio Manager Compensation Overview

Base compensation. Generally, portfolio managers receive base compensation based on their position with the firm.

Other Compensation Benefits. In addition to base compensation and discretionary incentive compensation, portfolio managers may be eligible to receive or participate in one or more of the following:

As of August 31, 2017, the Portfolio Managers did not beneficially own shares of the Funds.

The following table sets forth the administration, custodian and transfer agency expenses of each Fund paid by BFA to State Street for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Administration, Custodian, Transfer Agency Expenses Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	12/08/2015	$ 45,649	$24,272	N/A
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	07/18/2017	36,541	N/A	N/A

Pursuant to the Securities Lending Agency Agreement:

The services provided to the Funds by BTC in the most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017 primarily included the following:

(1) selecting borrowers from an approved list of borrowers and executing a securities lending agreement as agent on behalf of the Funds with each such borrower;

(2) negotiating the terms of securities loans, including the amount of fees;

(3) directing the delivery of loaned securities;

(4) monitoring the daily value of the loaned securities and directing the payment of additional collateral or the return of excess collateral, as necessary;

(5) investing cash collateral received in connection with any loaned securities;

(6) monitoring distributions on loaned securities (for example, interest and dividend activity);

(8) terminating securities loans and arranging for the return of loaned securities to the Funds at loan termination.

The following tables show the dollar amounts of income and fees/compensation related to the securities lending activities of each Fund during its most recent fiscal year ended August 31, 2017.

Fund	iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF
Gross income from securities lending activities	$ 15,920	N/A
Fees and/or compensation for securities lending activities and related services
Securities lending income paid to BTC for services as securities lending agent	0	N/A
Cash collateral management expenses not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A
Administrative fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A
Indemnification fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A
Rebates (paid to borrowers)	0	N/A
Other fees not included in securities lending income paid to BTC	0	N/A
Aggregate fees/compensation for securities lending activities	5,362	N/A
Net income from securities lending activities	10,558	N/A

Determination of Net Asset Value

Underlying Funds. Shares of underlying ETFs will be valued at their most recent closing price on an Exchange. Shares of underlying money market funds will be valued at their NAV.

All cash, receivables and current payables are carried on a Fund’s books at their face value.

Brokerage Transactions

The Funds anticipate that brokerage transactions involving foreign equity securities generally will be conducted primarily on the principal stock exchanges of the applicable country. Foreign equity securities may be held by a Fund in the form of depositary receipts, or other securities convertible into foreign equity securities. Depositary receipts may be listed on stock exchanges, or traded in OTC markets in the United States or Europe, as the case may be. ADRs, like other securities traded in the United States, will be subject to negotiated commission rates.

or to produce greater performance compensation to BlackRock; (iii) to develop or enhance a relationship with a client or prospective client; (iv) to compensate a client for past services or benefits rendered to BlackRock or to induce future services or benefits to be rendered to BlackRock; or (v) to manage or equalize investment performance among different client accounts. BFA and the other Affiliates may deal, trade and invest for their own respective accounts in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest.

Initial public offerings (“IPOs”) of securities may be over-subscribed and subsequently trade at a premium in the secondary market. When BFA is given an opportunity to invest in such an initial offering or “new” or “hot” issue, the supply of securities available for client accounts is often less than the amount of securities the accounts would otherwise take. In order to allocate these investments fairly and equitably among client accounts over time, each portfolio manager or a member of his or her respective investment team will indicate to BFA’s trading desk their level of interest in a particular offering with respect to eligible clients’ accounts for which that team is responsible. IPOs of U.S. equity securities will be identified as eligible for particular client accounts that are managed by portfolio teams who have indicated interest in the offering based on market capitalization of the issuer of the security and the investment mandate of the client account and in the case of international equity securities, the country where the offering is taking place and the investment mandate of the client account. Generally, shares received during the IPO will be allocated among participating client accounts within each investment mandate on a pro rata basis. This pro rata allocation may result in a Fund receiving less of a particular security than if pro-rating had not occurred. All allocations of securities will be subject, where relevant, to share minimums established for accounts and compliance constraints. In situations where supply is too limited to be allocated among all accounts for which the investment is eligible, portfolio managers may rotate such investment opportunities among one or more accounts so long as the rotation system provides for fair access for all client accounts over time. Other allocation methodologies that are considered by BFA to be fair and equitable to clients may be used as well.

Fund	Fund Inception Date	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2017	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2016	Brokerage Commissions Paid During Fiscal Year Ended August 31, 2015
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	12/08/2015	26,160	$ 5,600	N/A
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	07/18/2017	2,721	N/A	N/A

The Funds' purchase and sale orders for securities may be combined with those of other investment companies, clients or accounts that BlackRock manages or advises. If purchases or sales of portfolio securities of the Funds and one or more other accounts managed or advised by BlackRock are considered at or about the same time, transactions in such securities are allocated among the Funds and the other accounts in a manner deemed equitable to all by BlackRock. In some cases, this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Funds are concerned. However, in other cases, it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions and to negotiate lower transaction costs will be beneficial to the Funds. BlackRock may deal, trade and invest for its own account in the types of securities in which the Funds may invest. BlackRock may, from time to time, effect trades on behalf of and for the account of the Funds with brokers or dealers that are affiliated with BFA, in conformity with the 1940 Act and SEC rules and regulations. Under these provisions, any commissions paid to affiliated brokers or dealers must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions charged by other brokers or dealers in comparable transactions. The Funds will not deal with affiliates in principal transactions unless permitted by applicable SEC rules or regulations, or by SEC exemptive order.

Portfolio turnover may vary from year to year, as well as within a year. High turnover rates may result in comparatively greater brokerage expenses. The table below sets forth the portfolio turnover rates of each Fund for the fiscal years noted:

Fund	Fiscal Year ended August 31, 2017	Fiscal Year ended August 31, 2016
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	36%	11%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	0%	N/A

of the execution shortfall (including any taxes, brokerage commissions or other costs) and may require the Authorized Participant to deposit any additional amount required to cover the full amount of the actual Execution Performance Guarantee.

Additional Information Concerning the Company

Emerging Markets Asia ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, 2 billion shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF, 25 million shares; iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Small-Cap ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Eurozone ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI France ETF, 340.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Frontier 100 ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Germany ETF, 482.2 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Agriculture Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Energy Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Global Silver Miners ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Hong Kong ETF, 375 million shares; iShares MSCI Israel ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Italy ETF, 295.4 million shares; iShares MSCI Japan ETF, 2.5246 billion shares; iShares MSCI Japan Small-Cap ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI Malaysia ETF, 300 million shares; iShares MSCI Mexico ETF, 255 million shares; iShares MSCI Netherlands ETF, 255 million shares; iShares MSCI Pacific ex Japan ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI Russia ETF, 1 billion shares; iShares MSCI Singapore ETF, 300 million shares; iShares MSCI South Africa ETF, 400 million shares; iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Spain ETF, 127.8 million shares; iShares MSCI Sweden ETF, 63.6 million shares; iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF, 318.625 million shares; iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF, 900 million shares; iShares MSCI Thailand ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI Turkey ETF, 200 million shares; iShares MSCI USA Equal Weighted ETF, 500 million shares; iShares MSCI World ETF, 500 million shares; and iShares US & Intl High Yield Corp Bond ETF, 500 million shares. Fractional shares will not be issued. Shares have no preemptive, exchange, subscription or conversion rights and are freely transferable. Each share is entitled to participate equally in dividends and distributions declared by the Board with respect to the relevant fund, and in the net distributable assets of such fund on liquidation. Shareholders are entitled to require the Company to redeem Creation Units of their shares.

Stockholders may make inquiries by writing to iShares, Inc., c/o BlackRock Investments, LLC, 1 University Square Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540.

DTC as Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds. Shares of each Fund are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC.

time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected through brokerage transactions, privately negotiated trades, block sales, entry into options or other derivatives transactions or through any other means authorized by applicable law. Selling Shareholders may redeem the shares held in Creation Unit size by them through an Authorized Participant.

Any Selling Shareholder and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Creation and Redemption of Creation Units

General. The Company issues and sells shares of each Fund only in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor or its agent, without a sales load, at a price based on the NAV next determined after receipt, on any Business Day (as defined below), of an order received by the Distributor or its agent in proper form. On days when the applicable Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Funds may require orders to be placed earlier in the day. The following table sets forth the number of shares of a Fund that constitute a Creation Unit for such Fund and the value of such Creation Unit as of September 30, 2017:

Fund	Shares Per Creation Unit	Value Per Creation Unit (U.S.$)
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	100,000	$4,654,000
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	100,000	5,063,000

Fund Deposit. The consideration for purchase of Creation Units of a Fund generally consists of Deposit Securities and the Cash Component computed as described below. Together, the Deposit Securities and the Cash Component constitute the “Fund Deposit,” which, when combined with a Fund's portfolio securities is designed to generate performance that has a collective investment profile similar to that of the Underlying Index. The Fund Deposit represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of any Fund.

Cash Purchase Method. Although the Company does not generally permit partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units of its funds, when partial or full cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified (Creation Units of the Funds are generally offered partially for cash), they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a partial or full cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser. The Authorized Participant will also be required to pay certain transaction fees and charges for cash purchases, as described below, and, if transacting as broker with each Fund, may be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution and price movement costs through an Execution Performance Guarantee, as described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI.

Procedures for Creation of Creation Units. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor and to create a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be: (i) a “Participating Party,” i.e., a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the “Clearing Process”), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC, or (ii) a DTC Participant, and must have executed an agreement with the Distributor, with respect to creations and redemptions of Creation Units (“Authorized Participant Agreement”) (discussed below). A Participating Party or DTC Participant who has executed an Authorized Participant Agreement is referred to as an “Authorized Participant.” All shares of a Fund, however created, will be entered on the records of DTC in the name of Cede & Co. for the account of a DTC Participant.

to time. Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a creation request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor or its agent will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request. Those placing orders to purchase Creation Units through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor or its agent by the Cutoff Time (as defined below) on such Business Day.

The Authorized Participant is responsible for any and all expenses and costs incurred by a Fund, including any applicable cash amounts, in connection with any purchase order.

In addition, each Fund may exercise its right to reject any creation order for shares of the Fund on any Business Day that is a holiday in the Indian market, but not a holiday observed in the U.S. equity market, and certain other holidays during the settlement cycle for Fund shares, in order to protect Fund shareholders from any dilutive costs that may be associated with the purchase of Deposit Securities in connection with creation orders on such days.

Costs Associated with Creation Transactions. A standard creation transaction fee is imposed to offset the transfer, processing and other transaction costs associated with the issuance of Creation Units. The standard creation transaction fee is charged on each Creation Unit created by an Authorized Participant on the day of the transaction.The standard creation transaction fee is generally fixed at the amount shown in the table regardless of the number of Creation Units being purchased, but may be reduced by each Fund if transfer and processing expenses associated with the creation are anticipated to be lower than the stated fee. If a purchase consists of a cash portion, the Authorized Participant may also be required to pay an additional transaction charge (up to the maximum amount shown below) to cover brokerage and certain costs related to the creation transaction. Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Deposit Securities to the Funds. Certain fees/costs associated with creation transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to acquire Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard creation transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Creation Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	$ 9,000	7.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	17,325	7.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit.

Each Fund generally redeems Creation Units partially for cash. However, each Fund reserves the right to distribute securities and other portfolio instruments in-kind as payment for Creation Units being redeemed. Please see the Cash Redemption Method section below and the following discussion summarizing the in-kind method for further information on redeeming Creation Units of the Funds.

If redemptions are not paid in cash, the redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit generally consist of Fund Securities, plus the Cash Amount, which is an amount equal to the difference between the net asset value of the shares being redeemed, as next determined after the receipt of a redemption request in proper form, and the value of Fund Securities, less a redemption transaction fee (as described below).

The Company may, in its sole discretion, substitute a “cash in lieu” amount to replace any Fund Security. The Company also reserves the right to permit or require a “cash in lieu” amount in certain circumstances, including circumstances in which: (i) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would be restricted under applicable securities or other local laws; or (ii) the delivery of a Fund Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Fund Security by the Authorized Participant due to restrictions under applicable securities or other local laws, or in certain other situations. The amount of cash paid out in such cases will be equivalent to the value of the substituted security listed as a Fund Security. In the event that the Fund Securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares, a compensating cash payment equal to the difference is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Each Fund generally redeems Creation Units partially for cash. Each Fund may, in its sole discretion, provide such redeeming Authorized Participant a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities, but does not differ in NAV.

Cash Redemption Method. Although the Company does not generally permit full cash redemptions of Creation Units of its funds, when partial or full cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified (e.g., Creation Units of the Funds are generally redeemed partially for cash), they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of partial or full cash redemption, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of the Fund Securities and other instruments it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer. The Authorized Participant will also be required to pay certain transaction fees and charges for cash redemptions, as described below, and, if transacting as broker with each Fund, may be required to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution and price movement costs through an Execution Performance Guarantee, as described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI.

Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions. A standard redemption transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer, processing and other transaction costs that may be incurred by the relevant Fund. The standard redemption transaction fee is charged on each Creation Unit redeemed by an Authorized Participant on the day of the transaction. The standard redemption transaction fee is generally fixed at the amount shown in the table regardless of the number of Creation Units being redeemed, but may be reduced by each Fund if transfer and processing expenses associated with the redemption are anticipated to be lower than the stated fee. If a redemption consists of a cash portion, the Authorized Participant may also be required to pay an additional transaction charge (up to the maximum amount shown below) to cover brokerage and certain other costs related to the redemption transaction (which may, in certain instances, be based on a good faith estimate of transaction costs). Authorized Participants will also bear the costs of transferring the Fund Securities from the Fund to their account on their order. Certain fees/costs associated with redemption transactions may be waived in certain circumstances. Investors who use the services of a broker or other financial intermediary to dispose of Fund shares may be charged a fee for such services.

The following table sets forth each Fund's standard redemption transaction fees and maximum additional charge (as described above):

Fund	Standard Redemption Transaction Fee	Maximum Additional Charge*
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	$ 9,000	2.0%
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETF	17,325	2.0%

*	As a percentage of the net asset value per Creation Unit, inclusive of the standard redemption transaction fee.

If a redemption consists of a cash portion and each Fund places a brokerage transaction to sell portfolio securities with the Authorized Participant or its affiliated broker-dealer, the Authorized Participant (or its affiliated broker-dealer) may be required, in its capacity as broker-dealer with respect to that transaction, to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, and price movement costs through an Execution Performance Guarantee, as described in the Brokerage Transactions section of this SAI.

Placement of Redemption Orders. Redemption requests for Creation Units of the Funds must be submitted to the Distributor or its agent by or through an Authorized Participant. An Authorized Participant must submit an irrevocable request to redeem shares of a Fund generally before 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on any Business Day in order to receive that day's NAV. On days when the Listing Exchange closes earlier than normal, the Fund may require orders to redeem Creation Units to be placed earlier that day. Investors, other than Authorized Participants, are responsible for making arrangements for a redemption request to be made through an Authorized Participant. The Distributor or its agent will provide a list of current Authorized Participants upon request.

Deliveries of redemption proceeds by a Fund are generally made within three Business Days (i.e., “T+3”). However, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+3, including a shorter settlement period, if necessary or appropriate under the circumstances and compliant with applicable law. For example, each Fund reserves the right to settle redemption transactions on a basis other than T+3 in order to accommodate non-U.S. market holiday schedules (as discussed in Appendix B to the SAI), to account for different treatment among non-U.S. and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (i.e., the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold) and in certain other circumstances. Appendix B of this SAI identifies the instances, if any, where more than seven days would be needed to deliver redemption proceeds. Pursuant to an order of the SEC, the Company will make delivery of redemption proceeds within the number of days stated in Appendix B of this SAI to be the maximum number of days necessary to deliver redemption proceeds.

If neither the Authorized Participant nor the Beneficial Owner on whose behalf the Authorized Participant is acting has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of Fund Securities in the applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, a Fund may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the Beneficial Owner will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In such case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the net asset value of its shares based on the NAV of the relevant Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charges specified above to offset the Fund's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws and the Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Fund cannot lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or cannot do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws.

Although the Company does not ordinarily permit cash redemptions of Creation Units (except that, as noted above, Creation Units of the Fund's generally will be redeemed partially for cash), in the event that cash redemptions are permitted or required by the Company, proceeds will be paid to the Authorized Participant redeeming shares as soon as practicable after the date of redemption (within seven calendar days thereafter, except for the instances listed in Appendix B to this SAI in which more than seven calendar days would be needed).

To the extent contemplated by an Authorized Participant's agreement with the Distributor or its agent, in the event an Authorized Participant has submitted a redemption request in proper form but is unable to transfer all or part of the Creation Unit to be redeemed to a Fund, at or prior to 10:00 a.m., Eastern time on the Listing Exchange business day after the date of submission of such redemption request, the Distributor or its agent will accept the redemption request in reliance on the undertaking by the Authorized Participant to deliver the missing shares as soon as possible. Such undertaking shall be secured by the Authorized Participant's delivery and maintenance of collateral consisting of cash, in U.S. dollars in immediately available funds, having a value at least equal to 105% and up to 115%, which percentage BFA may change at any time, in its sole discretion, of the value of the missing shares. Such cash collateral must be delivered no later than the time specified by a Fund or its custodian on the day after the date of submission of such redemption request and shall be held by State Street and marked-to-market daily. The fees of State Street and any sub-custodians in respect of the delivery, maintenance and redelivery of the cash collateral shall be payable by the Authorized Participant. The cash collateral posted by the Authorized Participant may be invested at the risk of the Authorized Participant, and income, if any, on invested cash collateral will be paid to that Authorized Participant. The Authorized Participant Agreement permits the Funds to acquire shares of the Fund at any time and subjects the Authorized Participant to liability for any shortfall between the aggregate of the cost to the Fund of purchasing such shares, plus the value of the Cash Amount, and the value of the cash collateral together with liability for related brokerage and other charges.

Because the Portfolio Securities of a Fund may trade on exchange(s) on days that the Listing Exchange is closed or are otherwise not Business Days for the Fund, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares of the Fund, or purchase or sell shares of the Fund on the Listing Exchange on days when the NAV of the Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant non-U.S. markets.

Taxes

Net Capital Loss Carryforwards. Net capital loss carryforwards may be applied against any net realized capital gains in each succeeding year, until they have been reduced to zero.

The following Funds had tax basis net capital loss carryforwards as set forth in the table below as of August 31, 2017, the tax year-end for the Funds listed:

Fund		Non-Expiring
iShares Edge MSCI Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF		$305,500

excess of its net short-term capital losses (including any capital loss carryovers), it will be subject to a corporate tax (at a maximum rate of 35%) on the amount retained. In that event, the Fund will designate such retained amounts as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who (a) will be required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gains, their proportionate shares of the undistributed amount, (b) will be entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the 35% tax paid by the Fund on the undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds to the extent their credits exceed their liabilities, if any, and (c) will be entitled to increase their tax basis, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in their shares by an amount equal to 65% of the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s income. Organizations or persons not subject to U.S. federal income tax on such capital gains will be entitled to a refund of their pro rata share of such taxes paid by the Fund upon filing appropriate returns or claims for refund with the IRS.

sum of (i) the excess of post-October foreign currency and passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) losses over post-October foreign currency and PFIC gains and (ii) the excess of post-December ordinary losses over post-December ordinary income) until the next taxable year in computing its investment company taxable income and net capital gain, which will defer the recognition of such realized losses. Such deferrals and other rules regarding gains and losses realized after October (or December) may affect the tax character of shareholder distributions.

Taxation of Certain Derivatives. A Fund’s transactions in zero coupon securities, non-U.S. currencies, forward contracts, options and futures contracts (including options and futures contracts on non-U.S. currencies), to the extent permitted, will be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (including provisions relating to “hedging transactions” and “straddles”) that, among other consequences, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer Fund losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also (a) will require the Fund to mark-to-market certain types of the positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out at the end of each year) and (b) may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to pay dividends or make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirements for avoiding income and excise

The Funds and Underlying Funds invest in India, either directly through its Subsidiary or through the Underlying Funds, through its Subsidiary. For U.S. federal income tax purposes, each Subsidiary has elected to be treated as an entity disregarded from its owner. Thus, for U.S. federal tax purposes, any income or loss realized by a Subsidiary will be treated as realized by the applicable fund or an Underlying Fund, as applicable. Therefore, any investment made by each Fund into a Subsidiary and any distributions received by the Fund from a Subsidiary are disregarded for U.S. federal tax purposes. Furthermore, there is no tax on each Fund's investment in a Subsidiary or on distributions made from a Subsidiary to the Fund or an Underlying Fund, as applicable.

No investor in the Funds will be subject to taxation in India unless such investor is a resident of India or, if a non-resident, has an Indian source income or income received (whether accrued or otherwise) in India or triggers the indirect transfer provisions (discussed below). Finance Act, 2015 (“FA 15”) had introduced the concept of POEM for the determination of the residency of a foreign company. Accordingly, a company would be said to be resident in India if its POEM is situated in India. POEM is defined as a place where the key management and commercial decisions that are necessary for the conduct of the business of an entity as a whole are, in substance made. Final guidelines for the determination of POEM have been issued for the benefit of the taxpayer as well as the tax authorities. The taxation of a Subsidiary and a Fund in India is governed by the provisions of the IT Act, read with the provisions of the DTAA. As per Section 90(2) of the IT Act, the provisions of the IT Act would apply to the extent they are more beneficial than the provisions of the DTAA. In order to claim the beneficial provisions of the DTAA, a Subsidiary must be a tax resident of Mauritius.

An investor is required to submit a TRC as issued in the country of residence and provide other documents and information as prescribed by the Government to claim benefits under the DTAA.

Each Subsidiary has been incorporated in Mauritius and has obtained its TRC from the Mauritius authorities that establishes its residency in Mauritius under the DTAA. The TRC must be renewed annually. Each of the Funds expects its Subsidiary to maintain its Mauritius tax residency, but it cannot be assured that the Mauritius authorities will successfully renew its TRC annually or that it will continue to be eligible to the DTAA benefits, particularly in light of the new requirements that may be introduced if the DTAA is re-negotiated.

Each Subsidiary will attempt to abide by the requirements of the DTAA, to maintain its residency in Mauritius, and to ensure that management and control of the Subsidiary remain in Mauritius. Any change in the applicability of the provisions of the DTAA or in its applicability to a Subsidiary could result in a Subsidiary and indirectly each Fund being subject to Indian income taxes, withholding taxes, and other taxes, as well as being subject to administrative or judicial assertion of such tax liabilities by the tax authorities of India. This could significantly reduce the return of a Fund on its investments in shares and the return received by Fund shareholders.

•	Capital gains resulting from the sale of Indian securities (including depositary receipts issued by Indian companies) acquired prior to April 1, 2017 will not be subject to tax in India, provided the Subsidiary does not have a Permanent Establishment in India. Capital gains resulting from sale of shares in Indian companies acquired on or after April 1, 2017 will be subject to tax in India as per the domestic tax rates (provided below). If the Subsidiaries are able to satisfy the conditions under the limitation of benefits article introduced by the Protocol, capital gains on shares acquired on or after April 1, 2017 and sold prior to April 1, 2019 may be taxed at 50% of the applicable Indian tax rate;
•	Dividends on shares received from an Indian company on which dividend distribution tax has been paid are exempt from tax in the hands of the shareholders. However, the Indian company distributing dividends is subject to a dividend distribution tax at the rate of 20.36%; and
•	Interest paid to a Subsidiary in respect of the debt obligations of Indian issuers will be subject to Indian income tax. The tax rate, in the case of rupee-denominated debt obligations, is 43.26%. However if the Subsidiary is a SEBI registered foreign portfolio investor, interest income earned from June 1, 2013 to June 30, 2020 on rupee-denominated bonds of Indian companies and Government securities, will be subject to tax at the rate of 5.41%, provided that the rate of interest does not exceed the prescribed rates. In the case of foreign currency-denominated debt obligations, the tax rate is 21.63%. For approved foreign currency loans advanced from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2020, the tax rate on interest is 5.41% and for approved foreign currency long-term bonds issued from October 1, 2014 to June 30, 2020, the tax rate on interest is 5.41%. FA 17 reduced the withholding tax rate on rupee-denominated bonds issued before July 1, 2020 to 5.41%. The Protocol provides for a withholding rate of 7.5% on the interest payments made on or after April 1, 2017.

•	Long-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than twelve months) listed on a recognized stock exchange would not be taxable in India provided Securities Transaction Tax (“STT”) has been paid on the same (as discussed below). FA 17 introduced an additional requirement of payment of STT at the time of acquisition of shares in order to avail the long term capital gain exemption. This additional condition is applicable with respect to certain notified transactions, however, it is not applicable to shares acquired by Qualified Institutional Buyers, which includes Category I and II FPIs;
•	Short-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of twelve months or less) from the sale of Indian shares listed on a recognized stock exchange will be taxed at the rate of 16.22% provided STT has been paid on the same;
•	Long-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than 24 months) arising to the Subsidiary from the sale of unlisted securities will be taxed at the rate of 10.82% (without indexation) and short-term capital gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of 24 months or less) will be taxed at the rate of 43.26%;*
•	Capital gains realized on sale of listed equity shares not executed on a recognized stock exchange in India would be taxed at the rate of 10.815% for long-term gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of more than 12 months) and at 43.26% in the case of short-term gains (being gains on sale of shares held for a period of 12 months or less);* and
•	Capital gains arising from the transfer of depositary receipts outside India between non-resident investors will not be subject to tax in India.

*	However, as the Subsidiary is a SEBI registered foreign portfolio investor, the rates will be 10.82% and 32.45%, respectively.

As per current provisions, gains arising from transfer of securities to foreign portfolio investor will be regarded as capital gains and will be taxable at the aforesaid rates.

Indian Minimum Alternate Tax

Indian Securities Transaction Tax

•	0.1% payable by the buyer and 0.1% by the seller on the value of transactions of delivery based transfer of an equity share in an Indian company entered in a recognized stock exchange;
•	0.001% on the value of transactions of delivery based sale of a unit of an equity oriented mutual fund entered in a recognized stock exchange, payable by the seller;
•	0.025% on the value of transactions of non-delivery based sale of an equity share in an Indian company or a unit of an equity oriented mutual fund, entered in a recognized stock exchange payable by the seller;
•	0.05% on the value of transactions of derivatives being options, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by the seller;
•	0.01% on the value of transactions of sale of derivatives being futures, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by the seller;
•	0.001% on the value of transactions of sale of units of an equity-oriented fund to the Mutual Fund, payable by the seller in accordance with the Finance Act, 2013;
•	0.125% on the value of transactions of sale of derivatives being options, where the option is exercised, entered in a recognized stock exchange. STT is to be paid by buyer;
•	The Finance Act, 2012 has exempted from tax the capital gains (under the IT Act) arising from the sale of unlisted shares by existing shareholders of a Sub-Fund in an initial public offer. However, such sale is subject to STT at 0.2% of the sale consideration payable by the seller.

The foregoing is based upon current interpretation and practice and is subject to future changes in the tax laws of India or Mauritius and in the DTAA. Any change in the DTAA's application could have a material adverse effect on the returns of each Fund. Further, it is possible that the Indian tax authorities may seek to take the position that a Fund or an Underlying Fund is not entitled to the benefits of the DTAA.

Indirect Transfers

which stands validated due to the amendments in the Finance Act would be enforced. Given this clarification issued by the CBDT, the Funds do not expect that shareholders or the Funds will become subject to tax or to withholding obligations with respect to completed assessments.

It has been clarified that the share or interest of the foreign entity shall be deemed to derive its value substantially from the assets located in India, if the value of such Indian assets exceeds INR 100 million, and represents at least 50% of the value of all the assets owned by the foreign entity. The value of an asset shall be the fair market value as of the specified date, of such an asset without reduction of liabilities. The fair market value will be determined in accordance with the final rules ratified on June 28, 2016. It also provides that where all the assets of the foreign entity are not located in India, only such part of the income as is reasonably attributable to the Indian assets shall be subject to capital gains tax in India.

Further, it provides exemption from indirect transfer provisions to the small shareholders of such foreign entity in the following cases:

•

Because the Funds invest in Indian securities through the Subsidiaries, the Subsidiaries or the Funds may be considered to derive “substantial value” from Indian assets. Accordingly, shareholder redemptions of Fund/Subsidiary shares and sales of Fund shares may have been subject to Indian tax and withholding obligations. However, through FA 17, the government had introduced an exemption to shareholders in Category I and Category II FPI from the applicability of indirect transfer taxation. Each Subsidiary is a Category II FPI. Therefore, any redemptions or transfers by the Funds or the shareholders in the Funds should not be subject to Indian indirect transfer tax.

General Anti-Avoidance Rules.

and the main purpose of the choice of location/residence of the FPI is not to obtain a treaty benefit, the GAAR provisions will not be resorted to by the tax authorities.

As per the provisions of the IT Rules, GAAR shall not apply in the following circumstances:

•	any arrangement where the aggregate tax benefit to all the parties of the arrangement in the relevant financial year does not exceed INR 30 Million;
•	FIIs that choose not to take any benefit under any tax treaty entered with India and have invested in listed or unlisted securities with prior permission of the competent authority in accordance with the applicable regulations;
•	non-resident investor in an FII who has invested in an FII, directly or indirectly, by way of an offshore derivative instrument or otherwise; or
•	any income derived from the transfer of shares or interests made prior to April 1, 2017.

If the Funds' use of the Subsidiaries were considered to be such an impermissible avoidance arrangement, the Funds may become subject directly to taxation in India. The burden of proof in enforcing the rule will reside with the Indian government, not the taxpayer, and India’s current double tax treaty arrangements will remain in force. However, GAAR may, irrespective of existing treaty provisions, lead to the imposition of tax liabilities and withholding obligations, which may lead the Funds or an Underlying Fund to modify the structure.

Recent amendments to DTAA and GAAR could change the manner in which the Subsidiaries are currently taxed in India and could adversely impact the returns to each of the Funds/Underlying Funds/Subsidiaries and shareholders. The Funds will continue to monitor developments in India with respect to these matters. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisers with respect to their own tax situations and the tax consequences of an investment in the Funds.

Excess Inclusion Income. Under current law, the Funds serve to block unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) from being realized by their tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder could realize UBTI by virtue of its investment in a Fund if shares in the Fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Section 514(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Certain types of income received by a Fund from REITs, real estate mortgage investment conduits, taxable mortgage pools or other investments may cause the Fund to report some or all of its distributions as “excess inclusion income.” To Fund shareholders, such excess inclusion income may: (i) constitute taxable income, as UBTI for those shareholders who would otherwise be tax-exempt such as individual retirement accounts, 401(k) accounts, Keogh plans, pension plans and certain charitable entities; (ii) not be offset by otherwise allowable deductions for tax purposes; (iii) not be eligible for reduced U.S. withholding for non-U.S. shareholders even from tax treaty countries; and (iv) cause the Fund or Underlying Fund to be subject to tax if certain “disqualified organizations,” as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, are Fund shareholders. If a charitable remainder annuity trust or a charitable remainder unitrust (each as defined in Section 664 of the Internal Revenue Code) has UBTI for a taxable year, a 100% excise tax on the UBTI is imposed on the trust.

Fund are not eligible for non-U.S. tax credit pass through. Taxes not “passed through” for tax purposes will not be available to shareholders for foreign tax credit purposes. A non-U.S. person invested in the Fund in a year that the Fund elects to “pass through” its non-U.S. taxes may be treated as receiving additional dividend income subject to U.S. withholding tax. A non-U.S. tax credit may not exceed the investor’s U.S. federal income tax otherwise payable with respect to the investor’s non-U.S. source income. For this purpose, shareholders must treat as non-U.S. source gross income (i) their proportionate shares of non-U.S. taxes paid by the Fund and (ii) the portion of any dividend paid by the Fund that represents income derived from non-U.S. sources; the Fund’s gain from the sale of securities will generally be treated as U.S.-source income. Certain limitations will be imposed to the extent to which the non-U.S. tax credit may be claimed. If your Fund shares are loaned pursuant to securities lending arrangements, you may lose the ability to use any non-U.S. tax credits passed through by a Fund or to treat Fund dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividends. Regarding a short sale with respect to shares of a Fund, substitute payments made to the lender of such shares may not be deductible under certain circumstances. Consult your financial intermediary or tax advisor.

The Underlying Funds, if invested in non-U.S. positions, may be subject to non-U.S. income taxes and non-U.S. financial transactions taxes. Each Underlying Fund that is permitted to do so may elect to “pass through” to its investors, including each Fund, the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid by the Underlying Fund. Each Fund will be eligible to elect to “pass through” such amounts to their stockholders and may do so, depending upon circumstances.

A Fund will make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effects of these rules.

Other Taxes. Dividends, distributions and redemption proceeds may also be subject to additional state, local and non-U.S. taxes depending on each shareholder’s particular situation.

not subject to such withholding tax. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding, a non-U.S. shareholder will be required to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E certifying its entitlement to benefits under a treaty. The withholding tax does not apply to regular dividends paid to a non-U.S. shareholder who provides an IRS Form W-8ECI, certifying that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. shareholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. Instead, the effectively connected dividends will be subject to regular U.S. income tax as if the non-U.S. shareholder were a U.S. shareholder. A non-U.S. corporation receiving effectively connected dividends may also be subject to additional “branch profits tax” imposed at a rate of 30% (or lower treaty rate). A non-U.S. shareholder who fails to provide an IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E or other applicable form may be subject to backup withholding at the appropriate rate.

The rules laid out in the previous paragraph, other than the withholding rules, will apply notwithstanding a Fund’s participation in a wash sale transaction or its payment of a substitute dividend.

Shares of a Fund held by a non-U.S. shareholder at death will be considered situated within the U.S. and subject to the U.S. estate tax.

Financial Statements

Each Fund's audited Financial Statements, including the Financial Highlights, appearing in the Annual Report to Shareholders and the report therein of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, are hereby incorporated by reference in this SAI. The Annual Report to Shareholders, which contains the referenced audited financial statements, is available upon request and without charge.

Miscellaneous Information

Counsel. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, located at 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, is counsel to the Company.

Appendix A - Proxy Voting Policy and BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines

BlackRock U.S. Registered Funds

Open-End Fund and iShares ETF¹ Proxy Voting Policy

Procedures Governing Delegation of Proxy Voting to Fund Adviser

July 1, 2017

BlackRock has adopted guidelines and procedures (together and as from time to time amended, the “BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines”) governing proxy voting by accounts managed by BlackRock.

BlackRock will cast votes on behalf of each of the Funds on specific proxy issues in respect of securities held by each such Fund in accordance with the BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines.¹

A-1

INTRODUCTION TO BLACKROCK

PHILOSOPHY ON CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, ENGAGEMENT AND VOTING

A-3

principles inform our voting decisions in relation to specific resolutions that may appear on the agenda of a shareholder meeting in the relevant market.

The six key themes are:

•	Boards and directors
•	Auditors and audit-related issues
•	Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions
•	Remuneration and benefits
•	Social, ethical and environmental issues
•	General corporate governance matters

Boards and directors

We expect the board of directors to promote and protect shareholder interests by:

•	establishing an appropriate corporate governance structure;
•	supporting and overseeing management in setting strategy;
•	ensuring the integrity of financial statements;
•	making decisions regarding mergers, acquisitions and disposals;
•	establishing appropriate executive compensation structures; and
•	addressing business issues including social, ethical and environmental issues when they have the potential to materially impact company reputation and performance.

•	current employment at the company or a subsidiary;

A-4

•	former employment within the past several years as an executive of the company;
•	providing substantial professional services to the company and/or members of the company’s management;
•	having had a substantial business relationship in the past three years;
•	having, or representing a shareholder with, a substantial shareholding in the company;
•	being an immediate family member of any of the aforementioned; and
•	interlocking directorships.

Auditors and audit-related issues

Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions

A-5

Remuneration and benefits

Social, ethical, and environmental issues

A-6

General corporate governance matters

BLACKROCK’S OVERSIGHT OF ITS CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ACTIVITIES

Oversight

BlackRock’s Equity Policy Oversight Committee (EPOC) is informed of certain aspects of the work of the Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee and the Corporate Governance Group.

Vote execution

A-7

Conflicts management

•	BlackRock has adopted a proxy voting oversight structure whereby the Corporate Governance Committees oversee the voting decisions and other activities of the Corporate Governance Group, and particularly its activities with respect to voting in the relevant region of each Corporate Governance Committee’s jurisdiction.
•	The Corporate Governance Committees have adopted Guidelines for each region, which set forth the firm’s views with respect to certain corporate governance and other issues that typically arise in the proxy voting context. The Corporate Governance Committees receive periodic reports regarding the specific votes cast by the Corporate Governance Group and regular updates on material process issues, procedural changes and other matters of concern to the Corporate Governance Committees.
•	BlackRock’s Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee oversees the Global Head, the Corporate Governance Group and the Corporate Governance Committees. The Global Corporate Governance Oversight Committee conducts a review, at least annually, of the proxy voting process to ensure compliance with BlackRock’s risk policies and procedures.
•	BlackRock maintains a reporting structure that separates the Global Head and Corporate Governance Group from employees with sales responsibilities. In addition, BlackRock maintains procedures intended to ensure that all engagements with corporate issuers or dissident shareholders are managed consistently and without regard to BlackRock’s relationship with the issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder. Within the normal course of business, the Global Head or Corporate Governance Group may engage directly with BlackRock clients, and with employees with sales responsibilities, in discussions regarding general corporate governance policy matters, and to otherwise ensure that proxy-related client service levels are met. The Global Head or Corporate Governance Group does not discuss any specific voting matter with a client prior to the disclosure of the vote decision to all applicable clients after the shareholder meeting has taken place, except if the client is acting in the capacity as issuer of the proxy or dissident shareholder and is engaging through the established procedures independent of the client relationship.
•	In certain instances, BlackRock may determine to engage an independent fiduciary to vote proxies as a further safeguard to avoid potential conflicts of interest or as otherwise required by applicable law. The independent fiduciary may either vote such proxies or provide BlackRock with instructions as to how to vote such proxies. In the latter case, BlackRock votes the proxy in accordance with the independent fiduciary’s determination. Use of an independent fiduciary has been

A-8

adopted for voting the proxies related to any company that is affiliated with BlackRock or any company that includes BlackRock employees on its board of directors.

Voting guidelines

Reporting

A-9

Appendix B - Regular Holidays and Redemptions

2017

Albania
January 2	May 1	November 28
March 14	June 26	November 29
March 22	September 1	December 8
April 17	October 19	December 25

Argentina
February 27	May 1	November 6
February 28	May 25	November 27
March 24	June 20	December 8
April 13	August 21	December 25
April 14	October 9

Australia
January 2	April 25	September 29
January 26	May 1	October 2
March 6	June 5	November 7
March 13	June 12	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	August 8
April 18	September 25

Austria
January 6	May 25	October 26	December 26
April 14	June 5	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 8
May 1	August 15	December 25

Bahrain
January 1	June 27	December 17
May 1	September 3
June 25	September 21
June 26	November 30

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

B-1

Bangladesh
February 21	June 27	December 31
March 26	August 14
May 1	August 15
May 10	September 3
June 25	October 1
June 26	December 25

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Benin
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Bermuda
January 2	June 19	September 4	December 26
April 14	August 3	November 13
May 24	August 4	December 25

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 2	April 17	June 26
January 6	May 1	September 1
March 1	May 2

Botswana
January 2	May 1	October 2
January 3	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 17	December 26
April 17	July 18

Brazil
January 25	April 14	September 7	November 20
February 27	April 21	October 12	December 25
February 28	May 1	November 2
March 1	June 15	November 15

Bulgaria
January 2	May 1	December 25
March 3	May 24	December 26
April 14	September 6
April 17	September 22

Burkina Faso
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Canada
January 2	May 22	October 9
January 3	June 26	November 13
February 13	July 3	December 25
February 20	August 7	December 26
April 14	September 4

The Cayman Islands
January 2	April17	November 13
January 23	May 15	December 25
March 1	June 19	December 26
April 14	July 3

Chile
January 2	August 15	October 27
April 14	September 18	November 1
May 1	September 19	December 8
June 26	October 9	December 25

B-2

China
January 2	April 3	October 3
January 27	April 4	October 4
January 30	May 1	October 5
January 31	May 29	October 6
February 1	May 30
February 2	October 2

Colombia
January 9	June 19	October 16
March 20	June 26	November 6
April 13	July 3	November 13
April 14	July 20	December 8
May 1	August 7	December 25
May 29	August 21

Costa Rica
April 11	July 25	October 16
April 13	August 2	December 25
April 14	August 15
May 1	September 15

Croatia
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	June 15	November 1
April 17	June 22	December 25

Cyprus
January 6	April 18	December 25
February 27	May 1	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 15

The Czech Republic
April 14	May 8	September 28	December 26
April 17	July 5	November 17
May 1	July 6	December 25

Denmark
April 13	May 12	June 5
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	May 26	December 26

Egypt
January 1	April 25	July 23
January 25	May 1	August 31
April 16	June 25	September 21
April 17	June 26	November 30

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
February 23	April 17	June 22	December 26
February 24	May 1	June 23
April 14	May 25	December 25

Finland
January 6	April 17	December 6
April 13	May 1	December 25
April 14	May 25	December 26

France
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Georgia
January 2	April 14	May 26
January 19	April 17	August 28
March 3	May 9	November 23
March 8	May 12

Germany
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 3	December 26
May 1	October 31

Ghana
January 2	April 17	June 26	September 21
March 6	May 1	July 7	December 25
April 14	May 25	September 13	December 26

B-3

Greece
January 6	May 1	December 26
February 27	June 5
April 14	August 15
April 17	December 25

Guinea-Bissau
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Hong Kong
January 2	April 4	May 3	December 25
January 27	April 14	May 30	December 26
January 30	April 17	October 2
January 31	May 1	October 5

Hungary
March 15	May 1	November 1
April 14	June 5	December 25
April 17	October 23	December 26

Iceland
April 13	April 20	June 5	December 26
April 14	May 1	August 7
April 17	May 25	December 25

India
January 26	June 26	December 25
February 24	August 15
March 13	August 17
March 28	August 25
April 4	October 2
April 14	October 19
May 1	October 20
May 10	December 1

Indonesia
January 2	June 1	September 1
March 28	June 26	September 21
April 14	June 27	December 1
April 24	June 28	December 25
May 1	June 29	December 26
May 11	June 30
May 25	August 17

Ireland
January 2	May 1	December 22
March 17	June 5	December 25
April 14	August 7	December 26
April 17	October 30	December 29

Israel
March 12	May 1	October 4
April 10	May 2	October 5
April 11	May 30	October 8
April 12	May 31	October 9
April 13	August 1	October 10
April 16	September 20	October 11
April 17	September 21	October 12

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
April 14	May 1	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

Ivory Coast
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

B-4

Jamaica
January 2	April 17	August 7	December 26
March 1	May 23	October 16
April 14	August 1	December 25

Japan
January 2	May 3	August 11	November 23
January 3	May 4	September 18
January 9	May 5	October 9
March 20	July 17	November 3

Jordan
January 1	June 27	September 21
May 1	June 28	November 30
May 25	August 31	December 25
June 25	September 3
June 26	September 4

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

Kazakhstan
January 2	March 23	August 30
January 3	May 1	September 1
March 8	May 8	December 1
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 19

Kenya
January 2	June 1	December 25
April 14	June 27	December 26
April 17	October 20
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 25	August 31
February 26	June 26	September 3
April 24	June 27	September 21

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
April 13	May 5	November 20
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	June 22	December 26
May 1	June 23
May 4	November 17

Lebanon
January 2	April 25	September 1
January 6	May 1	September 21
February 9	May 25	November 22
February 14	June 26	December 1
April 14	June 27	December 25
April 17	August 15

Lithuania
February 16	May 25	December 25
April 14	July 6	December 26
April 17	August 15
May 1	November 1

Luxembourg
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Malawi
January 2	April 14	May 15	December 25
January 16	April 17	June 26	December 26
March 3	May 1	July 6

Malaysia
January 2	May 10	September 21
January 27	June 12	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 1
February 1	June 27	December 25
February 9	August 31
May 1	September 1

B-5

Mali
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Mauritius
January 2	February 24	June 26	November 2
February 1	March 29	October 19	December 25
February 9	May 1	November 1

Mexico
February 6	April 14	November 20
March 20	May 1	December 12
April 13	November 2	December 25

Morocco
January 11	August 14	September 22
May 1	August 21	November 6
June 26	September 1

Namibia
January 2	April 27	June 16	December 25
March 21	May 1	August 9	December 26
April 14	May 4	September 25	December 27
April 17	May 25	December 11

The Netherlands
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

New Zealand
January 2	April 17	December 25
January 3	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 5
April 14	October 23

Niger
April 17	June 21	November 15
May 1	June 26	December 1
May 25	September 1	December 25
June 5	November 1

Nigeria
January 2	May 29	October 2
April 14	June 26	December 1
April 17	June 27	December 25
May 1	September 1	December 26

Norway
April 12	April 17	May 25	December 26
April 13	May 1	June 5
April 14	May 17	December 25

Oman
April 24	July 23	November 19
June 26

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 2	June 26	August 14
March 23	June 27	September 1
May 1	June 28	September 29

Panama
January 2	March 1	November 10
January 9	April 14	December 8
February 27	May 1	December 25
February 28	November 3

B-6

Peru
April 13	June 29	November 1
April 14	July 28	December 8
May 1	August 30	December 25

The Philippines
January 2	June 12	November 1
April 13	August 21	November 30
April 14	August 28	December 25
May 1	October 31

Poland
January 6	May 1	August 15	December 26
April 14	May 3	November 1
April 17	June 15	December 25

Portugal
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 2	May 29	October 9
January 16	July 3	November 23
February 20	July 4	November 24
April 14	September 4	December 25

Qatar
January 1	June 25	September 3
February 14	June 26	December 18
March 5	June 27

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 2	May 1	August 15	December 25
January 24	June 1	November 30	December 26
April 17	June 5	December 1

Russia
January 2	May 1	June 12
February 23	May 8	November 6
March 8	May 9

Saudi Arabia
June 26	June 29	September 5
June 27	September 3
June 28	September 4

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Serbia
January 2	February 16	May 1
January 3	April 14	May 2
February 15	April 17

Singapore
January 2	May 10	October 18
January 30	June 26	December 25
April 14	August 9
May 1	September 1

The Slovak Republic
January 6	May 8	September 15	December 26
April 14	July 5	November 1
April 17	August 29	November 17
May 1	September 1	December 25

Slovenia
January 2	April 27	October 31
February 8	May 1	November 1
April 14	May 2	December 25
April 17	August 15	December 26

South Africa
January 2	April 27	September 25
March 21	May 1	December 25
April 14	June 16	December 26
April 17	August 9

B-7

South Korea
January 27	June 6	October 9
January 30	August 15	December 20
March 1	October 3	December 25
May 1	October 4	December 29
May 3	October 5
May 5	October 6

Spain
April 14	May 1	December 26
April 17	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 12	April 13	June 26	November 3
January 20	April 14	August 7	December 1
February 10	May 1	September 1	December 25
February 17	May 10	September 5
February 24	May 11	October 5
April 10	June 8	October 18

Srpska
January 2	April 14	May 2
January 6	April 17	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

Swaziland
January 2	April 19	May 5	December 26
April 14	April 25	September 6
April 17	May 1	December 25

Sweden
January 5	April 17	June 6	December 26
January 6	May 1	June 23
April 13	May 24	November 3
April 14	May 25	December 25

Switzerland
January 2	May 25	December 26
April 14	June 5
April 17	August 1
May 1	December 25

Taiwan
January 2	January 31	April 4	October 9
January 25	February 1	May 1	October 10
January 26	February 27	May 29
January 27	February 28	May 30
January 30	April 3	October 4

Tanzania
January 12	April 26	July 27	December 25
April 7	May 1	August 8	December 26
April 14	July 7	September 1
April 17	July 26	December 15

Thailand
January 2	April 14	August 14
January 3	May 1	October 23
February 13	May 5	December 5
April 6	May 10	December 11
April 13	July 10

Togo
April 17	June 26	November 15
May 1	August 7	December 1
May 25	August 15	December 25
June 5	September 1
June 21	November 1

Tunisia
March 20	July 25	December 1
May 1	September 1
June 26	September 21

Turkey
May 1	June 27	September 1
May 19	August 30	September 4
June 26	August 31

B-8

Uganda
January 2	April 14	June 26	November 30
January 26	April 17	July 7	December 25
February 16	May 1	September 13	December 26
March 8	June 9	October 9

Ukraine
January 2	April 17	June 5
January 3	May 1	June 28
January 9	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 16

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	June 26	November 30
April 24	August 31	December 3
June 25	September 21

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

The United Kingdom
January 2	May 1	December 22	December 29
April 14	May 29	December 25
April 17	August 28	December 26

The United States Bond Market
January 2	April 14	July 4	November 24*
January 16	May 26*	September 4	December 22*
February 20	May 29	October 9	December 25
April 13*	July 3*	November 23	December 29*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 6	April 17	August 25
February 27	May 1	October 16
February 28	May 22	November 2
April 13	June 19	December 25
April 14	July 18

Venezuela
January 9	May 1	August 14
February 27	May 29	September 11
February 28	June 19	October 12
April 13	July 3	November 6
April 14	July 5	December 11
April 19	July 24	December 25

Vietnam
January 2	January 30	April 6	September 4
January 26	January 31	May 1
January 27	February 1	May 2

Zambia
January 2	April 17	July 4	December 25
March 8	May 1	August 7
March 13	May 25	October 18
April 14	July 3	October 24

Zimbabwe
January 2	May 1	December 22
April 14	May 25	December 25
April 17	August 14	December 26
April 18	August 15

B-9

2018

Albania
January 1	April 9	November 28
January 2	May 1	November 29
March 14	June 14	December 10
March 22	August 21	December 25
April 2	October 19

Argentina
January 1	April 2	August 20
February 12	May1	October 15
February 13	May 25	November 6
March 29	June 20	November 19
March 30	July 9	December 25

Australia
January 1	April 25	October 1
January 26	May 7	October 8
March 5	June 4	November 6
March 12	June 11	December 24
March 30	August 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
April 3	September 24	December 31

Austria
January 1	May 21	December 24
March 30	May 31	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 26	December 31
May 10	November 1

Bahrain
January 1	August 23	November 20
May 1	September 11	December 16
June 17	September 19	December 17
August 22	September 20

The Bahraini market is closed every Friday.

Bangladesh
February 21	June 17	September 2
March 26	July 1	November 21
April 29	August 15	December 16
May 1	August 21	December 25
May 2	August 22	December 31
June 12	August 23

The Bangladeshi market is closed every Friday.

Belgium
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Benin
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Bermuda
January 1	August 2	November 12
March 30	August 3	December 25
May 25	September 3	December 26
June 18

Bosnia and Herzegovina
January 1	April 30	August 20
January 2	May 1	August 21
March 1	May 2	November 26
March 2	June 14	December 25
April 2	June 15

B-10

Botswana
January 1	May 10	October 2
January 2	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 16	December 26
April 2	July 17
May 1	October 1

Brazil
January 1	May 1	November 15
January 25	May 31	November 20
February 12	July 9	December 24
February 13	September 7	December 25
February 14	October 12	December 31
March 30	November 2

Bulgaria
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 5	May 7	December 24
April 6	May 24	December 25
April 9	September 6	December 26

Burkina Faso
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Canada
January 1	May 21	October 8
January 2	June 25	November 12
February 12	July 2	December 25
February 19	August 6	December 26
March 30	September 3

Chile
January 1	July 16	October 15
March 30	August 15	November 1
May 1	September 17	November 2
May 21	September 18	December 25
July 2	September 19	December 31

China
January 1	April 5	October 1
February 15	April 6	October 2
February 16	April 30	October 3
February 19	May 1	October 4
February 20	June 18	October 5
February 21	September 24

Colombia
January 1	May 14	August 20
January 8	June 4	October 15
March 19	June 11	November 5
March 29	July 2	November 12
March 30	July 20	December 25
May 1	August 7

Costa Rica
January 1	May 1	October 15
March 29	July 25	December 25
March 30	August 2
April 11	August 15

Croatia
January 1	June 22	December 24
March 30	June 25	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26
May 1	October 8	December 31
May 31	November 1

Cyprus
January 1	April 9	October 1
February 19	April 10	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26
April 6	August 15

Czechia
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	July 6	December 26
May 1	September 28	December 31

B-11

Denmark
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 29	May 11	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	June 5
April 27	December 24

Egypt
January 1	April 25	August 20
January 7	May 1	August 21
January 25	June 17	August 22
April 8	July 1	September 11
April 9	July 23	November 20

The Egyptian market is closed every Friday.

Estonia
January 1	May 10	December 26
March 30	August 20	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Finland
January 1	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 22	December 26
April 2	December 6	December 31
May 1	December 24

France
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Georgia
January 1	March 8	May 9
January 2	April 6	August 28
January 19	April 9	November 23

Germany
January 1	May 21	December 26
March 30	October 3	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 1	December 25

Ghana
January 1	May 25	December 7
March 6	June 15	December 25
March 30	July 2	December 26
April 2	August 22
May 1	September 21

Greece
January 1	April 6	August 15
February 19	April 9	December 24
March 30	May 1	December 25
April 2	May 28	December 26

Guinea-Bissau
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Hong Kong
January 1	April 5	October 17
January 27	May 1	December 24
February 15	May 22	December 25
February 16	June 18	December 26
February 19	July 2	December 31
March 30	September 25
April 2	October 1

Hungary
January 1	May 1	November 2
March 15	May 21	December 24
March 16	August 20	December 25
March 30	October 22	December 26
April 2	October 23	December 31
April 30	November 1

Iceland
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 29	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21	December 31
April 2	August 6
April 19	December 24

B-12

India
January 26	May 1	October 18
February 13	August 15	November 7
February 19	August 17	November 8
March 2	August 22	November 21
March 29	September 13	November 23
March 30	September 20	December 25
April 30	October 2

Indonesia
January 1	June 13	September 11
February 16	June 14	November 20
March 30	June 15	December 24
May 1	June 18	December 25
May 10	June 19	December 31
May 29	August 17
June 1	August 22

Ireland
January 1	May 28	December 24
March 19	June 4	December 25
March 30	August 6	December 26
April 2	August 27	December 31
May 7	October 29

Israel
March 1	May 20	September 24
April 1	July 22	September 25
April 2	September 9	September 26
April 3	September 10	September 27
April 4	September 11	September 30
April 5	September 18	October 1
April 18	September 19
April 19	September 23

The Israeli market is closed every Friday.

Italy
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 15	December 26
April 2	December 24	December 31

Ivory Coast
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Jamaica
January 1	May 23	December 25
February 14	August 1	December 26
March 30	August 6
April 2	October 15

Japan
January 1	April 30	October 8
January 2	May 3	November 23
January 3	May 4	December 24
January 8	July 16	December 31
February 12	September 17
March 21	September 24

Jordan
January 1	August 21	November 21
May 1	August 22	December 25
May 25	August 23
June 17	September 12

The Jordanian market is closed every Friday.

B-13

Kazakhstan
January 1	April 30	August 30
January 2	May 1	August 31
March 8	May 7	December 3
March 9	May 8	December 17
March 21	May 9	December 18
March 22	July 6	December 31
March 23	August 21

Kenya
January 1	June 1	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26
April 2	October 10
May 1	December 12

Kuwait
January 1	June 17	August 23
February 25	August 20	September 11
February 26	August 21	November 22
April 15	August 22

The Kuwaiti market is closed every Friday.

Latvia
January 1	May 4	December 26
March 30	May 10	December 31
April 2	November 19
April 30	December 24
May 1	December 25

Lithuania
January 1	May 1	November 1
February 16	May 10	December 24
March 30	July 6	December 25
April 2	August 15	December 26

Luxembourg
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Malawi
January 1	April 2	July 6
January 15	May 1	October 15
March 5	May 14	December 25
March 30	June 15	December 26

Malaysia
January 1	May 29	September 11
January 31	June 14	September 17
February 1	June 15	November 6
February 15	August 22	November 20
February 16	August 31	December 25
May 1	September 10

Mali
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Mauritius
January 1	February 16	November 2
January 2	March 12	November 7
January 31	May 1	December 25
February 1	August 15
February 13	September 14

Mexico
January 1	March 30	November 2
February 5	April 2	November 19
March 19	April 30	December 12
March 29	May 1	December 25

Morocco
January 1	July 30	August 22
January 11	August 14	September 11
May 1	August 20	November 6
June 14	August 21	November 20

B-14

Namibia
January 1	May 1	September 24
March 21	May 4	December 10
March 30	May 25	December 17
April 2	August 9	December 25
April 27	August 27	December 26

The Netherlands
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

New Zealand
January 1	April 2	December 25
January 2	April 25	December 26
February 6	June 4
March 30	October 22

Niger
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Nigeria
January 1	June 15	November 19
March 30	June 18	December 25
April 2	August 22	December 26
May 1	August 23
May 29	October 1

Norway
January 1	May 1	December 25
March 28	May 10	December 26
March 29	May 17	December 31
March 30	May 21
April 2	December 24

Oman
January 1	August 22	November 19
June 17	August 23	November 20
June 18	September 11
July 23	November 18

The Omani market is closed every Friday.

Pakistan
January 1	June 18	September 20
February 5	July 2	September 21
March 23	August 22	November 20
May 1	August 23	December 25
June 15	August 24

Panama
January 1	March 30	November 26
January 8	May 1	December 25
February 13	November 5	December 31

Peru
January 1	May 1	October 8
March 29	June 29	November 1
March 30	August 30	December 25

B-15

The Philippines
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	June 12	December 24
February 16	August 21	December 25
March 29	August 27	December 31
March 30	November 1
April 9	November 2

Poland
January 1	May 3	December 25
January 2	May 31	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	November 1
May 1	December 24

Portugal
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Puerto Rico
January 1	July 4	November 23
January 15	September 3	December 24
February 19	October 8	December 25
March 30	November 12
May 28	November 22

Qatar
January 1	June 18	August 22
February 13	June 19	December 18
March 4	August 20
June 17	August 21

The Qatari market is closed every Friday.

Romania
January 1	May 1	November 30
January 2	May 28	December 25
January 24	June 1	December 26
April 9	August 15

Russia
January 1	March 8	November 5
January 2	May 1	December 31
January 8	May 9
February 23	June 12

Saudi Arabia
June 17	June 21	August 22
June 18	August 19	August 23
June 19	August 20	September 23
June 20	August 21

The Saudi Arabian market is closed every Friday.

Senegal
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Serbia
January 1	April 6	November 12
January 2	April 9	December 31
February 15	May 1
February 16	May 2

Singapore
January 1	May 29	November 6
February 16	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 9
May 1	August 22

The Slovak Republic
January 1	May 8	December 24
March 30	July 5	December 25
April 2	August 29	December 26
May 1	November 1

B-16

Slovenia
January 1	May 1	December 24
January 2	May 2	December 25
February 8	June 25	December 26
March 30	August 15	December 31
April 2	October 31
April 27	November 1

South Africa
January 1	April 27	December 17
March 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	August 9	December 26
April 2	September 24

South Korea
January 1	May 22	September 26
February 15	June 6	October 3
February 16	June 13	October 9
March 1	August 15	December 25
May 1	September 24	December 31
May 7	September 25

Spain
January 1	May 1	December 26
March 30	December 24	December 31
April 2	December 25

Sri Lanka
January 1	April 20	September 24
January 15	April 30	October 24
January 31	May 1	November 6
February 5	May 29	November 20
February 13	June 15	November 22
March 1	June 27	December 25
March 30	July 27
April 13	August 22

Srpska
January 1	April 6	May 2
January 2	April 9	May 9
January 9	May 1	November 21

Swaziland
January 1	April 25	September 6
January 5	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 10	December 26
April 2	July 23
April 19	August 27

Sweden
January 1	May 1	November 2
January 5	May 9	December 24
March 29	May 10	December 25
March 30	June 6	December 26
April 2	June 22	December 31

Switzerland
January 1	May 1	December 25
January 2	May 10	December 26
March 30	May 21
April 2	August 1

Taiwan
January 1	February 20	June 18
February 13	February 28	September 24
February 14	April 4	October 10
February 15	April 5	December 31
February 16	April 6
February 19	May 1

B-17

Tanzania
January 1	May 1	December 20
January 12	June 15	December 25
March 30	August 8	December 26
April 2	August 22
April 26	November 21

Thailand
January 1	May 1	October 23
January 2	May 29	December 5
March 1	July 27	December 10
April 6	July 30	December 31
April 13	August 13
April 16	October 15

Togo
January 1	June 11	November 1
April 2	June 15	November 15
May 1	August 7	November 21
May 10	August 15	December 25
May 21	August 22

Tunisia
January 1	June 15	September 12
March 20	July 25	October 15
April 9	August 13	November 20
May 1	August 21

Turkey
January 1	June 15	August 23
April 23	August 20	August 24
May 1	August 21	August 30
June 14	August 22	October 29

Uganda
January 1	April 2	November 30
January 26	May 1	December 25
February 16	June 15	December 26
March 8	August 21
March 30	October 9

Ukraine
January 1	May 1	June 28
January 8	May 2	August 24
March 8	May 9	October 15
April 9	May 28	December 25

The United Arab Emirates
January 1	August 21	November 20
June 14	August 22	December 2
August 20	September 11	December 3

The United Arab Emirates market is closed every Friday.

The United Kingdom
January 1	May 28	December 26
March 30	August 27	December 31
April 2	December 24
May 7	December 25

The United States Bond Market
January 1	May 25*	October 8	December 25
January 15	May 28	November 12	December 31*
February 19	July 3*	November 22
March 29*	July 4	November 23*
March 30	September 3	December 24*

*	The U.S. bond market has recommended early close.

Uruguay
January 1	April 23	October 15
February 12	May 1	November 2
February 13	May 21	December 25
March 29	June 19
March 30	July 18

B-18

Venezuela
January 1	May 1	September 10
February 12	May 14	October 12
February 13	June 4	November 5
March 19	July 2	December 24
March 29	July 5	December 25
March 30	July 24	December 31
April 19	August 20

Vietnam
January 1	February 19	May 1
February 14	February 20	September 3
February 15	April 25
February 16	April 30

Zambia
January 1	May 1	October 18
March 8	May 25	October 24
March 12	July 2	December 25
March 30	July 3
April 2	August 6

Zimbabwe
January 1	April 18	August 14
February 21	May 1	December 25
March 30	May 25	December 26
April 2	August 13

2017
Country	Trade Date	Settlement Date	Number of Days to Settle
Australia	04/11/17	04/19/17	8
	04/12/17	04/20/17	8
	04/13/17	04/21/17	8

Bangladesh	06/20/17	06/28/17	8
	06/21/17	06/29/17	8
	06/22/17	07/02/17	10

Brazil	02/22/17	03/02/17	8
	02/23/17	03/03/17	8
	02/24/17	03/06/17	11

China	01/24/17	02/03/17	10
	01/25/17	02/06/17	12
	01/26/17	02/07/17	12
	09/27/17	10/09/17	12
	09/28/17	10/10/17	12
	09/29/17	10/11/17	12

Costa Rica	04/07/17	04/17/17	10
	04/10/17	04/18/17	8

Indonesia	06/21/17	07/03/17	12
	06/22/17	07/04/17	12
	06/23/17	07/05/17	12

B-19

	Page
General Description of the Company and the Funds	1
Exchange Listing and Trading	2
Investment Strategies and Risks	3
Borrowing	3
Currency Transactions	4
Diversification Status	4
Futures, Options on Futures and Securities Options	5
Illiquid Securities	6
Lending Portfolio Securities	6
Non-U.S. Securities	7
Regulation Regarding Derivatives	7
Repurchase Agreements	8
Reverse Repurchase Agreements	9
Securities of Investment Companies	9
Short-Term Instruments and Temporary Investments	9
Swap Agreements	9
Tracking Stocks	10
Future Developments	10
General Considerations and Risks	10
Assets Under Management (AUM) Risk	10
Borrowing Risk	10
Commodities Investment Risk	10
Custody Risk	11
Dividend Risk	11
Liquidity Risk Management Rule Risk	11
National Closed Market Trading Risk	11
Operational Risk	11
Risk of Derivatives	12
Risk of Equity Securities	12
Risk of Futures and Options on Futures Transactions	12
Risk of Investing in Non-U.S. Equity Securities	13
Risk of Swap Agreements	13
Securities Lending Risk	13
Treaty/Tax Risk	13
Volatility Risk	16
Risk of Investing in Large-Capitalization Companies	16

	Page
Legal Proceedings	83
Investment Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services	83
Investment Adviser	83
Portfolio Managers	86
Codes of Ethics	91
Anti-Money Laundering Requirements	91
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent	91
Subsidiary Administrator	92
Distributor	92
Securities Lending	92
Payments by BFA and its Affiliates	96
Determination of Net Asset Value	98
Brokerage Transactions	100
Additional Information Concerning the Company	105
Capital Stock	105
Termination of the Company or a Fund	106
DTC as Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds	107
Distribution of Shares	107
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units	108
General	108
Fund Deposit	109
Cash Purchase Method	109
Procedures for Creation of Creation Units	110
Role of the Authorized Participant	110
Purchase Orders	110
Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders	111
Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units	111
Issuance of a Creation Unit	111
Costs Associated with Creation Transactions	112
Redemption of Creation Units	113
Cash Redemption Method	114
Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions	114
Placement of Redemption Orders	115
Taxation on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units	116
Taxes	117
Regulated Investment Company Qualifications	117
Taxation of RICs	117

	Page
Excise Tax	118
Net Capital Loss Carryforwards	118
Taxation of U.S. Shareholders	119
Sales of Shares	120
BackUp Withholding	120
Sections 351 and 362	120
Taxation of Certain Derivatives	121
Qualified Dividend Income	121
Corporate Dividends Received Deduction	122
Issues Related to India and Mauritius Taxes	122
Excess Inclusion Income	127
Non-U.S. Investments	127
Passive Foreign Investment Companies	128
Reporting	128
Other Taxes	128
Taxation of Non-U.S. Shareholders	128
Financial Statements	130
Miscellaneous Information	130
Counsel	130
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	130
Shareholder Communications to the Board	130
Regulation Under the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive	130
Investors’ Rights	131
Appendix A - Proxy Voting Policy and BlackRock Proxy Voting Guidelines	A-1
Appendix B - Regular Holidays and Redemptions	B-1

Contents
Introduction to BlackRock	A-3
Philosophy on corporate governance	A-3
Corporate governance, engagement and voting	A-3
- Boards and directors	A-4
- Auditors and audit-related issues	A-5
- Capital structure, mergers, asset sales and other special transactions	A-5
- Remuneration and benefits	A-6
- Social, ethical, and environmental issues	A-6
- General corporate governance matters	A-7
BlackRock’s oversight of its corporate governance activities	A-7
- Oversight	A-7
- Vote execution	A-7
- Conflicts management	A-8
- Voting guidelines	A-9
- Reporting	A-9

	Page
Risk of Investing in Small-Capitalization Companies	14
Risk of Investing in Africa	14
Risk of Investing in Asia	16
Risk of Investing in Australasia	16
Risk of Investing in Australia	17
Risk of Investing in Austria	17
Risk of Investing in Belgium	17
Risk of Investing in Canada	17
Risk of Investing in Central and South America	17
Risk of Investing in Developed Countries	18
Risk of Investing in Eastern Europe	18
Risk of Investing in Emerging Markets	18
Risk of Investing in Europe	20
Risk of Investing in France	20
Risk of Investing in Germany	21
Risk of Investing in Hong Kong	21
Risk of Investing in Israel	21
Risk of Investing in Italy	21
Risk of Investing in Japan	22
Risk of Investing in Mexico	22
Risk of Investing in the Middle East	23
Risk of Investing in the Netherlands	24
Risk of Investing in North America	24
Risk of Investing in Russia	24
Risk of Investing in Singapore	26
Risk of Investing in South Africa	26
Risk of Investing in Spain	26
Risk of Investing in Sweden	26
Risk of Investing in Switzerland	27
Risk of Investing in Thailand	27
Risk of Investing in Turkey	27
Risk of Investing in the United States	27
U.S. Economic Trading Partners Risk	28
Risk of Investing in the Capital Goods Industry	28
Risk of Investing in the Consumer Discretionary Sector	28
Risk of Investing in the Consumer Staples Sector	28
Risk of Investing in the Energy Sector	28

	Page
Potential Conflicts of Interest	50
Legal Proceedings	57
Investment Advisory, Administrative and Distribution Services	58
Investment Adviser	58
Portfolio Managers	59
Codes of Ethics	61
Anti-Money Laundering Requirements	62
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent	62
Distributor	62
Securities Lending	63
Payments by BFA and its Affiliates	64
Determination of Net Asset Value	66
Brokerage Transactions	68
Additional Information Concerning the Company	71
Capital Stock	71
Termination of the Company or a Fund	73
DTC as Securities Depository for Shares of the Funds	73
Distribution of Shares	74
Creation and Redemption of Creation Units	74
General	74
Fund Deposit	75
Cash Purchase Method	75
Procedures for Creation of Creation Units	75
Role of the Authorized Participant	75
Purchase Orders	76
Timing of Submission of Purchase Orders	76
Acceptance of Orders for Creation Units	76
Issuance of a Creation Unit	77
Costs Associated with Creation Transactions	77
Redemption of Creation Units	78
Cash Redemption Method	79
Costs Associated with Redemption Transactions	79
Placement of Redemption Orders	79
Taxation on Creations and Redemptions of Creation Units	81
Taxes	81
Regulated Investment Company Qualifications	81
Taxation of RICs	82