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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-K

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☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 1-31763

KRONOS WORLDWIDE, INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

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5430 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700

Dallas, Texas 75240-2620

(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (972) 233-1700

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

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No securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act.

Indicate by check mark:

If the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.   Yes  ☐    No  ☒

If the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.   Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   Yes  ☒     No  ☐

Whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).   Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☒

Whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).   Yes  ☐    No  ☒

The aggregate market value of the 22.2 million shares of voting stock held by nonaffiliates of Kronos Worldwide, Inc. as of June 30, 2021 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently-completed second fiscal quarter) approximated $317.9 million.

Number of shares of the registrant’s common stock, $.01 par value per share, outstanding on February 28, 2022:  115,483,456.

Documents incorporated by reference

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Forward-Looking Information

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Statements in this Annual Report that are not historical facts are forward-looking in nature and represent management’s beliefs and assumptions based on currently available information. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “believes,” “intends,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “anticipates,” “expects” or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategies or trends. Although we believe the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know if these expectations will be correct. Such statements by their nature involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could significantly impact expected results. Actual future results could differ materially from those predicted. The factors that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those described herein are the risks and uncertainties discussed in this Annual Report and those described from time to time in our other filings with the SEC and include, but are not limited to, the following:

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Should one or more of these risks materialize (or the consequences of such a development worsen), or should the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from those forecasted or expected. We disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of changes in information, future events or otherwise.

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PART I

ITEM 1.BUSINESS

General

Kronos Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: KRO) (Kronos), incorporated in Delaware in 1989, is a leading global producer and marketer of value-added titanium dioxide pigments, or TiO₂, a base industrial product used in a wide range of applications. We, along with our distributors and agents, sell and provide technical services for our products to approximately 4,000 customers in 100 countries with the majority of our sales in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region. We believe we have developed considerable expertise and efficiency in the manufacture, sale, shipment and service of our products in domestic and international markets.

TiO₂ is a white inorganic pigment used in a wide range of products for its exceptional durability and its ability to impart whiteness, brightness and opacity. TiO₂ is a critical component of everyday applications, such as coatings, plastics and paper, as well as many specialty products such as inks, food and cosmetics. TiO₂ is widely considered to be superior to alternative white pigments in large part due to its hiding power (or opacity), which is the ability to cover or mask other materials effectively and efficiently. TiO₂ is designed, marketed and sold based on specific end-use applications.

TiO₂ is the largest commercially used whitening pigment because it has a high refractive rating, giving it more hiding power than any other commercially produced white pigment. In addition, TiO₂ has excellent resistance to interaction with other chemicals, good thermal stability and resistance to ultraviolet degradation. Although there are other white pigments on the market, we believe there are no effective substitutes for TiO₂ because no other white pigment has the physical properties for achieving comparable opacity and brightness or can be incorporated in as cost-effective a manner. Pigment extenders such as kaolin clays, calcium carbonate and polymeric opacifiers are used together with TiO₂ in a number of end-use markets. However, these products are not able to duplicate the opacity performance characteristics of TiO₂ and we believe these products are unlikely to have a significant impact on the use of TiO₂.

TiO₂ is considered a “quality-of-life” product. Demand for TiO₂ has generally been driven by worldwide gross domestic product and has generally increased with rising standards of living in various regions of the world. According to industry estimates, TiO₂ consumption has grown at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 3% since 2000. Per capita consumption of TiO₂ in Western Europe and North America far exceeds that in other areas of the world, and these regions are expected to continue to be the largest consumers of TiO₂ on a per capita basis for the foreseeable future. We believe that Western Europe and North America currently each account for approximately 16% of global TiO₂ consumption. Markets for TiO₂ are generally increasing in China, the Asia Pacific region, South America and Eastern Europe and we believe these are significant markets which will continue to grow as economies in these regions continue to develop and quality-of-life products, including TiO₂, experience greater demand.

At December 31, 2021, approximately 50% of our common stock was owned by Valhi, Inc. (NYSE: VHI) and approximately 30% was owned by a wholly-owned subsidiary of NL Industries, Inc. (NYSE: NL). Valhi also owns approximately 83% of NL Industries’ outstanding common stock. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Contran Corporation held approximately 92% of Valhi’s outstanding common stock. As discussed in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements, Lisa K. Simmons and a trust established for the benefit of Ms. Simmons and her late sister and their children (the “Family Trust”) may be deemed to control Contran, and therefore may be deemed to indirectly control the wholly-owned subsidiary of Contran, Valhi, NL and us.

Products and end-use markets

Including our predecessors, we have produced and marketed TiO₂ in North America and Europe, our primary markets, for over 100 years. We believe we are the largest producer of TiO₂ in Europe with 46% of our 2021 sales volumes attributable to markets in Europe. The table below shows our estimated market share for our significant markets, Europe and North America, for the last three years.

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We believe we are the leading seller of TiO₂ in several countries, including Germany, with an estimated 8% share of worldwide TiO₂ sales volume in 2021. Overall, we are one of the top five producers of TiO₂ in the world.

We offer our customers a broad portfolio of products that include over 40 different TiO₂ pigment grades under the KRONOS^® trademark, which provide a variety of performance properties to meet customers’ specific requirements. Our major customers include domestic and international paint, plastics, decorative laminate and paper manufacturers. We ship TiO₂ to our customers in either a dry or slurry form via rail, truck and/or ocean carrier. Sales of our core TiO₂ pigments represented approximately 92% of our net sales in 2021. We and our agents and distributors primarily sell our products in three major end-use markets: coatings, plastics and paper.

The following tables show our approximate TiO₂ sales volume by geographic region and end-use for the year ended December 31, 2021:

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Some of the principal applications for our products include the following:

TiO₂ for coatings – Our TiO₂ is used to provide opacity, durability, tinting strength and brightness in industrial coatings, as well as coatings for commercial and residential interiors and exteriors, automobiles, aircraft, machines, appliances, traffic paint and other special purpose coatings. The amount of TiO₂ used in coatings varies widely depending on the opacity, color and quality desired. In general, the higher the opacity requirement of the coating, the greater the TiO₂ content.

TiO₂ for plastics – We produce TiO₂ pigments that improve the optical and physical properties of plastics, including whiteness and opacity. TiO₂ is used to provide opacity to items such as containers and packaging materials, and vinyl products such as windows, door profiles and siding. TiO₂ also generally provides hiding power, neutral undertone, brightness and surface durability for housewares, appliances, toys, computer cases and food packages. TiO₂’s high brightness along with its opacity, is used in some engineering plastics to help mask their undesirable natural color. TiO₂ is also used in masterbatch, which is a concentrate of TiO₂ and other additives and is one of the largest uses for TiO₂ in the plastics end-use market. In masterbatch, the TiO₂ is dispersed at high concentrations into a plastic resin and is then used by manufacturers of plastic containers, bottles, packaging and agricultural films.

TiO₂ for paper – Our TiO₂ is used in the production of several types of paper, including laminate (decorative) paper, filled paper and coated paper to provide whiteness, brightness, opacity and color stability. Although we sell our TiO₂ to all segments of the paper end-use market, our primary focus is on the TiO₂ grades used in paper laminates, where several layers of paper are laminated together using melamine resin under high temperature and pressure. The top layer of paper contains TiO₂ and plastic resin and is the layer that is printed with decorative patterns. Paper laminates are used to replace materials such as wood and tile for such applications as counter tops, furniture and wallboard. TiO₂ is beneficial in these applications because it assists in preventing the material from fading or changing color after prolonged exposure to sunlight and other weathering agents.

TiO₂ for other applications – We produce TiO₂ to improve the opacity and hiding power of printing inks. TiO₂ allows inks to achieve very high print quality while not interfering with the technical requirements of printing machinery, including low abrasion, high printing speed and high temperatures. Our TiO₂ is also used in textile applications where TiO₂ functions as an opacifying and delustering agent. In man-made fibers such as rayon and polyester, TiO₂ corrects an otherwise undesirable glossy and translucent appearance. Without the presence of TiO₂, these materials would be unsuitable for use in many textile applications.

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We produce high-purity sulfate process anatase TiO₂ used to provide opacity, whiteness and brightness in a variety of cosmetic and personal care products, such as skin cream, lipstick, eye shadow and toothpaste. Our TiO₂ is also found in food products, such as candy and confectionaries, and in pet foods where it is used to obtain uniformity of color and appearance. In pharmaceuticals, our TiO₂ is used commonly as a colorant in tablet and capsule coatings as well as in liquid medicines to provide uniformity of color and appearance. KRONOS^® purified anatase grades meet the applicable requirements of the CTFA (Cosmetics, Toiletries and Fragrances Association), USP and BP (United States Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia) and the FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration).

Our TiO₂ business is enhanced by the following three complementary businesses, which comprised approximately 8% of our net sales in 2021:

Manufacturing, operations and properties

We produce TiO₂ in two crystalline forms: rutile and anatase. Rutile TiO₂ is manufactured using both a chloride production process and a sulfate production process, whereas anatase TiO₂ is only produced using a sulfate production process. Manufacturers of many end-use applications can use either form, especially during periods of tight supply for TiO₂. The chloride process is the preferred form for use in coatings and plastics, the two largest end-use markets. Due to environmental factors and customer considerations, the proportion of TiO₂ industry sales represented by chloride process pigments has remained stable relative to sulfate process pigments, and in 2021, chloride process production facilities represented approximately 45% of industry capacity. The sulfate process is preferred for use in selected paper products, ceramics, rubber tires, man-made fibers, food products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Once an intermediate TiO₂ pigment has been produced by either the chloride or sulfate process, it is “finished” into products with specific performance characteristics for particular end-use applications through proprietary processes involving various chemical surface treatments and intensive micronizing (milling).

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We produced 546,000, 517,000 and 545,000 metric tons of TiO₂ in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. Our production volumes include our share of the output produced by our TiO₂ manufacturing joint venture discussed below. Our average production capacity utilization rates were approximately 98% in 2019, 92% in 2020 and at full practical capacity in 2021. Our production rates in 2020 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as we decreased production levels early in the third quarter to correspond with a temporary decline in market demand.

We operate facilities throughout North America and Europe, including the only sulfate process plant in North America and four TiO₂ plants in Europe (one in each of Leverkusen, Germany; Nordenham, Germany; Langerbrugge, Belgium; and Fredrikstad, Norway). In North America, we have a TiO₂ plant in Varennes, Quebec, Canada and, through the manufacturing joint venture described below, a 50% interest in a TiO₂ plant near Lake Charles, Louisiana.

As part of our long-term strategy to increase chloride process production, we phased-out sulfate production at our Leverkusen facility during 2020. Our chloride process production and remaining sulfate production capacity has increased by approximately 5% over the past ten years due to debottlenecking programs, incurring only moderate capital expenditures. We expect to operate our TiO₂ plants at near full practical capacity levels in 2022.

The following table presents the division of our expected 2022 manufacturing capacity by plant location and type of manufacturing process:

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We own the land underlying all of our principal production facilities unless otherwise indicated in the table above.

We also operate two ilmenite mines in Norway pursuant to a governmental concession with an unlimited term. In addition, we operate a rutile slurry manufacturing plant near Lake Charles, Louisiana, which converts dry pigment primarily manufactured for us at the Lake Charles TiO₂ facility into a slurry form that is then shipped to customers.

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We have corporate and administrative offices located in the U.S., Germany, Norway, Canada, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom and various sales offices located in North America.

TiO₂ manufacturing joint venture

Kronos Louisiana, Inc., one of our subsidiaries, and Venator Investments each own a 50% interest in a manufacturing joint venture, Louisiana Pigment Company, L.P. (LPC). LPC owns and operates a chloride-process TiO₂ plant located near Lake Charles, Louisiana. We and Venator share production from the plant equally pursuant to separate offtake agreements, unless we and Venator otherwise agree.

A supervisory committee directs the business and affairs of the joint venture, including production and output decisions. This committee is composed of four members, two of whom we appoint and two of whom Venator appoints. Two general managers manage the operations of the joint venture acting under the direction of the supervisory committee. We appoint one general manager and Venator appoints the other.

We do not consolidate LPC because we do not control it. We account for our interest in the joint venture by the equity method. The joint venture operates on a break-even basis and therefore we do not have any equity in earnings of the joint venture. We are required to purchase one half of the TiO₂ produced by the joint venture. All costs and capital expenditures are shared equally with Venator with the exception of feedstock (purchased natural rutile ore or chlorine slag) and packaging costs for the pigment grades produced. Our share of net costs is reported as cost of sales as the TiO₂ is sold. See Notes 5 and 14 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Raw materials

The primary raw materials used in chloride process TiO₂ are titanium-containing feedstock (purchased natural rutile ore or chlorine slag), chlorine and petroleum coke. Chlorine is available from a number of suppliers, while petroleum coke is available from a limited number of suppliers. Titanium-containing feedstock suitable for use in the chloride process is available from a limited but increasing number of suppliers principally in Australia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Canada and India. We purchase feedstock for our chloride process TiO₂ from the following primary suppliers for certain contractually specified volumes for delivery extending, in some cases, through 2023:

In the past we have been, and we expect that we will continue to be, successful in obtaining short-term and long-term extensions to these and other existing supply contracts prior to their expiration. We expect the raw materials purchased under these contracts, and contracts that we may enter into, will meet our chloride process feedstock requirements over the next several years. Contracts may be terminated with a 12-month written notice (generally for multi-year agreement terms) or based on certain defaults by either party or failure to agree on pricing as noted in the agreements.

The primary raw materials used in sulfate process TiO₂ are titanium-containing feedstock, primarily ilmenite or purchased sulfate grade slag, and sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is available from a number of suppliers. Titanium-containing feedstock suitable for use in the sulfate process is available from a limited number of suppliers principally in Norway, Canada, Australia, India and South Africa. As one of the few vertically integrated producers of sulfate process TiO₂, we operate two rock ilmenite mines in Norway, which provided all of the feedstock for our European sulfate process TiO₂ plants in 2021. We expect ilmenite production from our mines to meet our European sulfate process feedstock requirements for the foreseeable future. For our Canadian sulfate process plant, we purchase sulfate grade slag primarily from Rio Tinto Fer et Titane Inc. under a supply contract that renews annually, subject to termination upon twelve months written notice. We expect the raw materials purchased under this contract, and contracts that we may enter into, to meet our sulfate process feedstock requirements over the next several years.

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Many of our raw material contracts contain fixed quantities we are required to purchase or specify a range of quantities within which we are required to purchase. The pricing under these agreements is generally negotiated quarterly or semi-annually.

The following table summarizes our raw materials purchased or mined in 2021.

Sales and marketing

Our marketing strategy is aimed at developing and maintaining strong relationships with new and existing customers. Because TiO₂ represents a significant input cost for our customers, the purchasing decisions are often made by our customers’ senior management. We work to maintain close relationships with the key decision makers through in-depth and frequent contact. We endeavor to extend these commercial and technical relationships to multiple levels within our customers’ organizations using our direct sales force and technical service group to accomplish this objective. We believe this helps build customer loyalty to Kronos and strengthens our competitive position. Close cooperation and strong customer relationships enable us to stay closely attuned to trends in our customers’ businesses. Where appropriate, we work in conjunction with our customers to solve formulation or application problems by modifying specific product properties or developing new pigment grades. We also focus our sales and marketing efforts on those geographic and end-use market segments where we believe we can realize higher selling prices. This focus includes continuously reviewing and optimizing our customer and product portfolios.

We also work directly with our customers to monitor the success of our products in their end-use applications, evaluate the need for improvements in our product and process technology and identify opportunities to develop new product solutions for our customers. Our marketing staff closely coordinates with our sales force and technical specialists to ensure the needs of our customers are met, and to help develop and commercialize new grades where appropriate.

We sell a majority of our products through our direct sales force operating in Europe and North America. We also utilize sales agents and distributors who are authorized to sell our products in specific geographic areas. In Europe, our sales efforts are conducted primarily through our direct sales force and our sales agents. Our agents do not sell any TiO₂ products other than KRONOS^® branded products. In North America, our sales are made primarily through our direct sales force and supported by a network of distributors. In export markets, where we have increased our marketing efforts over the last several years, our sales are made through our direct sales force, sales agents and distributors. In addition to our direct sales force and sales agents, many of our sales agents also act as distributors to service our customers in all regions. We offer customer and technical service to customers who purchase our products through distributors as well as to our larger customers serviced by our direct sales force.

We sell to a diverse customer base and no single customer comprised 10% or more of our net sales in 2021. Our largest ten customers accounted for approximately 32% of net sales in 2021.

Neither our business as a whole nor any of our principal product groups is seasonal to any significant extent. However, TiO₂ sales are generally higher in the second and third quarters of the year, due in part to the increase in coatings production in the spring to meet demand during the spring and summer painting seasons. With certain exceptions such as during the third quarter of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have historically operated our production facilities at near full capacity rates throughout the entire year, which among other things helps to minimize our per-unit production costs. As a result, we normally will build inventories during the first and fourth quarters of each year in order

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to maximize our product availability during the higher demand periods normally experienced in the second and third quarters.

Competition

The TiO₂ industry is highly competitive. We compete primarily on the basis of price, product quality, technical service and the availability of high-performance pigment grades. Since TiO₂ is not traded through a commodity market, its pricing is largely a product of negotiation between suppliers and their respective customers. Price and availability are the most significant competitive factors along with quality and customer service for the majority of our product grades. Increasingly, we are focused on providing pigments that are differentiated to meet specific customer requests and specialty grades that are differentiated from our competitors’ products. During 2021, we had an estimated 8% share of worldwide TiO₂ sales volume, and based on sales volume, we believe we are the leading seller of TiO₂ in several countries, including Germany.

Our principal competitors are The Chemours Company, Tronox Incorporated, Lomon Billions and Venator Materials PLC. The top five TiO₂ producers (i.e. we and our four principal competitors) account for approximately 52% of the world’s production capacity.

The following chart shows our estimate of worldwide production capacity in 2021:

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Chemours has approximately one-half of total North American TiO₂ production capacity and is our principal North American competitor. In 2019, Tronox acquired certain of the TiO₂ assets of Cristal Global. Lomon Billions announced it added approximately 260,000 tons of chloride capacity in 2019 and plans to add an additional 200,000 tons by 2023.

The TiO₂ industry is characterized by high barriers to entry consisting of high capital costs, proprietary technology and significant lead times required to construct new facilities or to expand existing capacity. Over the past ten years, we and our competitors increased industry capacity through debottlenecking projects, which in part compensated for the shut-down of various TiO₂ plants throughout the world. Although overall industry demand is expected to increase in 2022, other than through debottlenecking projects and the Lomon Billions expansion mentioned above, we do not expect any significant efforts will be undertaken by us or our principal competitors to further increase capacity and we believe it is unlikely any new TiO₂ plants will be constructed in Europe or North America for the foreseeable future. If actual developments differ from our expectations, the TiO₂ industry’s and our performance could be unfavorably affected.

Research and development

We employ scientists, chemists, process engineers and technicians who are engaged in research and development, process technology and quality assurance activities in Leverkusen, Germany. These individuals have the responsibility for improving our chloride and sulfate production processes, improving product quality and strengthening our competitive position by developing new products and applications. Our expenditures for these activities were approximately $17 million in 2019, $16 million in 2020 and $17 million in 2021. We expect to spend approximately $18 million on research and development in 2022.

We continually seek to improve the quality of our grades and have been successful in developing new grades for existing and new applications to meet the needs of our customers and increase product life cycles. Since the beginning of 2017, we have added nine new grades for pigments and other applications.

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Patents, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights

We have a comprehensive intellectual property protection strategy that includes obtaining, maintaining and enforcing our patents, primarily in the United States, Canada and Europe. We also protect our trademark and trade secret rights and have entered into license agreements with third parties concerning various intellectual property matters. We have also from time to time been involved in disputes over intellectual property.

Patents – We have obtained patents and have numerous patent applications pending that cover our products and the technology used in the manufacture of our products. Our patent strategy is important to us and our continuing business activities. In addition to maintaining our patent portfolio, we seek patent protection for our technical developments, principally in the United States, Canada and Europe. U.S. patents are generally in effect for 20 years from the date of filing. Our U.S. patent portfolio includes patents having remaining terms ranging from two years to 20 years.

Trademarks and trade secrets – Our trademarks, including KRONOS^®, are covered by issued and/or pending registrations, including in Canada and the United States. We protect the trademarks that we use in connection with the products we manufacture and sell and have developed goodwill in connection with our long-term use of our trademarks. We conduct research activities in secret and we protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets through reasonable measures, including confidentiality agreements and security procedures, including data security. We rely upon unpatented proprietary knowledge and continuing technological innovation and other trade secrets to develop and maintain our competitive position. Our proprietary chloride production process is an important part of our technology and our business could be harmed if we fail to maintain confidentiality of our trade secrets used in this technology.

Regulatory and environmental matters

Our operations and properties are governed by various environmental laws and regulations which are complex, change frequently and have tended to become stricter over time. These environmental laws govern, among other things, the generation, storage, handling, use and transportation of hazardous materials; the emission and discharge of hazardous materials into the ground, air, or water; and the health and safety of our employees. Certain of our operations are, or have been, engaged in the generation, storage, handling, manufacture or use of substances or compounds that may be considered toxic or hazardous within the meaning of applicable environmental laws and regulations. As with other companies engaged in similar businesses, certain of our past and current operations and products have the potential to cause environmental or other damage. We have implemented and continue to implement various policies and programs in an effort to minimize these risks. Our policy is to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations at all our facilities and to strive to improve our environmental performance and overall sustainability. It is possible that future developments, such as stricter requirements in environmental laws and enforcement policies, could adversely affect our operations, including production, handling, use, storage, transportation, sale or disposal of hazardous or toxic substances or require us to make capital and other expenditures to comply, and could adversely affect our consolidated financial position and results of operations or liquidity. During 2021, we were notified by government authorities in Norway that the classification of a dam at our mine facilities was changed to the highest level for Norwegian classification of dam structures. As a result, our mine operations are subject to a higher degree of oversight and regulation than existed prior to this change in classification, and we expect to incur additional capital expenditures to adapt to the higher classification standards.

We have a history of identifying new ways to reduce consumption and waste by converting byproducts to co-products through our ecochem® products. Annually we update and publish our Safety, Environment, Energy and Quality Policy which is translated into local languages and distributed to all our employees and shared publicly via our website. We have implemented rigorous procedures for incident reporting and investigation, including root cause analysis of environmental and safety incidents and near misses. Because TiO₂ production requires significant energy input, we are focused on energy efficiency at all production locations. Three of our five production facilities maintain certifications to the ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management standard and all locations have local energy teams in place. These teams are responsible for maintaining ISO 50001:2018 certifications (where applicable), performing regular reviews of local energy consumption, making recommendations regarding capital projects that reduce energy consumption or enhance efficiency, and partnering with local government authorities through grant opportunities to reduce energy consumption and associated Greenhouse Gas (“GHG”) emissions. We also actively manage potential water-related risks, including flooding and water shortages. Our manufacturing facilities are strategically located adjacent to sources of water, which we use for process

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operations and for shipping and receiving raw materials and finished products. Water-critical processes are identified and ongoing efforts to minimize water use are incorporated into environmental planning.

Our U.S. manufacturing operations are governed by federal, state, and local environmental and worker health and safety laws and regulations. These include the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, or CERCLA, as well as the state counterparts of these statutes. Some of these laws hold current or previous owners or operators of real property liable for the costs of cleaning up contamination, even if these owners or operators did not know of, and were not responsible for, such contamination. These laws also assess liability on any person who arranges for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances, regardless of whether the affected site is owned or operated by such person. Although we have not incurred and do not currently anticipate any material liabilities in connection with such environmental laws, we may be required to make expenditures for environmental remediation in the future.

While the laws regulating operations of industrial facilities in Europe vary from country to country, a common regulatory framework is provided by the European Union, or the EU. Germany and Belgium are members of the EU and follow its initiatives. Norway is not a member but generally patterns its environmental regulatory actions after those of the EU.

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From time to time, our facilities may be subject to environmental regulatory enforcement under U.S. and non-U.S. statutes. Typically, we establish compliance programs to resolve these matters. Occasionally, we may pay penalties. To date, such penalties have not involved amounts having a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity. We believe all of our facilities are in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws.

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From time to time, new environmental, health and safety regulations are passed or proposed in the countries in which we operate or sell our products, seeking to regulate our operations or to restrict, limit or classify TiO₂. We believe we are in substantial compliance with laws applicable to the regulation of TiO₂. However, increased regulatory scrutiny could affect consumer perception of TiO₂ or limit the marketability and demand for TiO₂ or products containing TiO₂ and increase Kronos’ regulatory and compliance costs.

On February 18, 2020, the EU published the regulation classifying dry TiO₂ and mixtures containing dry TiO₂ as a suspected carcinogen via inhalation under its EU Regulation No. 1272/2008 on classification and labeling substances and mixtures. The regulation went into force on October 1, 2021 when hazard labels were required on certain dry TiO₂ products and certain mixtures containing dry TiO₂ in the EU. Our dry TiO₂ products do not meet the criteria set forth in the regulation and therefore do not require classification labels.

This classification of TiO₂ is based on scientifically questioned animal test data. Separate studies of TiO₂ workers conducted by the TiO₂ industry have shown no TiO₂ specific links to cancer. We intend to comply with the new requirements including working with customers and other stakeholders on compliance matters as appropriate.

Our capital expenditures related to ongoing environmental compliance, protection and improvement programs, including capital expenditures which are primarily focused on increasing operating efficiency but also result in improved environmental protection such as lower emissions from our manufacturing facilities, were $14.2 million in 2021 and are currently expected to be approximately $32 million in 2022.

Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”)

We seek to operate our businesses in line with sound ESG principles that include corporate governance, social responsibility, sustainability, and cybersecurity. We believe ESG means conducting operations with high standards of environmental and social responsibility, practicing exemplary ethical standards, focusing on safety as a top priority, respecting and supporting our local communities, and continuously developing our employees. At our facilities, we undertake various environmental sustainability programs, and we promote social responsibility and volunteerism through

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programs designed to support and give back to the local communities in which we operate. Each of our locations maintains site-specific safety programs and disaster response and business continuity plans. All manufacturing facilities have detailed, site-specific emergency response procedures that we believe adequately address regulatory compliance, vulnerability to potential hazards, emergency response and action plans, employee training, alarms and warning systems and crisis communication.

At a corporate level, we engage in periodic reviews of our cybersecurity programs, including cybersecurity risk and threats. Our cybersecurity programs are built on operations and compliance foundations. Operations focus on continuous detection, prevention, measurement, analysis, and response to cybersecurity alerts and incidents and on emerging threats. Compliance establishes oversight of our cybersecurity programs by creating risk-based controls to protect the integrity, confidentiality, accessibility, and availability of company data stored, processed, or transferred. We periodically update our board of directors on our cyber-related risks and cybersecurity programs.

In an effort to align our non-employee directors’ financial interests with those of our stockholders, our Board established share ownership guidelines for our non-management directors.

We have taken steps to integrate ESG considerations into operating decisions with other critical business factors. We biennially publish an ESG Report, which is available on our public website. The primary purpose of our ESG Report is to describe our policies and programs in the area of ESG, including certain internal metrics and benchmarks related to various aspects of ESG. We voluntarily developed these internal metrics and benchmarks, which we use to identify progress and opportunities for improvement. These metrics are not intended to be directly comparable to similar metrics utilized by other companies to track ESG performance.

Human capital resources

Employees – Our operating results depend in part on our ability to successfully manage our human capital resources, including attracting, identifying, and retaining key talent. We have a well-trained labor force with a substantial number of long-tenured employees. We provide competitive compensation and benefits to our employees, some of which are offered under collective bargaining agreements. In addition to salaries, these programs, which vary by country/region, can include annual bonuses, a defined benefit pension plan, a defined contribution plan with employer matching opportunities, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, family care resources, employee assistance programs, and tuition assistance.

As of December 31, 2021, we employed the following number of people:

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Certain employees at each of our production facilities are organized by labor unions. We strive to maintain good relationships with all our employees, including the unions and workers’ councils representing those employees. In Europe, our union employees are covered by master collective bargaining agreements for the chemical industry that are generally renewed annually. At December 31, 2021, approximately 88% of our worldwide workforce is organized under collective bargaining agreements. We did not experience any work stoppages during 2021, although it is possible that there could be future work stoppages or other labor disruptions that could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial position, or liquidity.

Health and safety – Protecting the health and safety of our workforce, our customers, our business partners, and the natural environment is one of our core values. We are committed to maintaining a strong safety culture where all workers meet or exceed required industry performance standards and continuously seek to improve occupational and process safety performance. We are conducting our businesses in ways that provide all personnel with a safe and healthy

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work environment and have established safety and environmental programs and goals to achieve such results. We expect our manufacturing facilities to produce our products safely and in compliance with local regulations, policies, standards and practices intended to protect the environment and people and have established global policies designed to promote such compliance. We require our employees to comply with such requirements. We provide our workers with the tools and training necessary to make the appropriate decisions to prevent accidents and injuries. Each of our operating facilities develops, maintains, and implements safety programs encompassing key aspects of their operations. In addition, management reviews and evaluates safety performance throughout the year. We monitor conditions that could lead to a safety incident and keep track of injuries through reporting systems in accordance with laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate. With this data we calculate incident frequency rates to assess the quality of our safety performance. At the global level we also track overall safety performance. Each of our operating locations is subject to local laws and regulations that dictate what injuries are required to be recorded and reported, which may differ from location to location and result in different methods of injury rate calculation. For internal global tracking, benchmarking and identification of opportunities for improvement, we collect the location specific information and apply a U.S.-based injury rate calculation to arrive at a global total frequency rate, which is expressed as the number of incidents at our operating locations per 200,000 hours. This internal safety metric may not be directly comparable to a recordable incident rate calculated under US law. Our global total frequency rate was 1.59 in 2019, 1.61 in 2020 and 1.08 in 2021.

Diversity and inclusion – We recognize that everyone deserves respect and equal treatment. As a global company, we embrace diversity and collaboration in our workforce and our business initiatives. We are an equal opportunity employer and we base employment decisions on merit, competence and qualifications, without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation or other characteristics protected by applicable law in the jurisdictions in which we operate. We promote a respectful, diverse, and inclusive workplace in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.

Website and other available information

Our fiscal year ends December 31. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports are available on our website at kronostio2.com. These reports are available on the website, without charge, as soon as is reasonably practicable after we file or furnish them electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Additional information regarding us, including our Audit Committee charter, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and our Corporate Governance Guidelines, can also be found at this website. Information contained on our website is not part of this report. We will also provide free copies of such documents upon written request. Such requests should be directed to the Corporate Secretary at our address on the cover page of this Form 10-K.

We are an electronic filer and the SEC maintains an internet website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

Below are certain risk factors associated with our business. See also certain risk factors discussed in Item 7- “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates.” In addition to the potential effect of these risk factors, any risk factor which could result in reduced earnings or operating losses, or reduced liquidity, could in turn adversely affect our ability to service our liabilities or pay dividends on our common stock or adversely affect the quoted market prices for our securities.

Operational Risk Factors

Demand for, and prices of, certain of our products are influenced by changing market conditions for our products, which may result in reduced earnings or in operating losses.

Our sales and profitability are largely dependent on the TiO₂ industry. In 2021, 92% of our sales were attributable to sales of TiO₂. TiO₂ is used in many “quality of life” products for which demand historically has been linked to global, regional and local gross domestic product and discretionary spending, which can be negatively impacted by regional and

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world events or economic conditions. Such events are likely to cause a decrease in demand for our products and, as a result, may have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Pricing within the global TiO₂ industry over the long term is cyclical and changes in economic conditions worldwide can significantly impact our earnings and operating cash flows. Historically, the markets for many of our products have experienced alternating periods of increasing and decreasing demand. Relative changes in the selling prices for our products are one of the main factors that affect the level of our profitability. In periods of increasing demand, our selling prices and profit margins generally will tend to increase, while in periods of decreasing demand our selling prices and profit margins generally tend to decrease. In addition, pricing may affect customer inventory levels as customers may from time to time accelerate purchases of TiO₂ in advance of anticipated price increases or defer purchases of TiO₂ in advance of anticipated price decreases. Our ability to further increase capacity without additional investment in greenfield or brownfield capacity may be limited and as a result, our profitability may become even more dependent upon the selling prices of our products.

The TiO₂ industry is concentrated and highly competitive and we face price pressures in the markets in which we operate, which may result in reduced earnings or operating losses.

The global market in which we operate our business is concentrated, with the top five TiO₂ producers accounting for approximately 52% of the world’s production capacity and is highly competitive. Competition is based on a number of factors, such as price, product quality and service. Some of our competitors may be able to drive down prices for our products if their costs are lower than our costs. In addition, some of our competitors’ financial, technological and other resources may be greater than our resources and such competitors may be better able to withstand changes in market conditions. Our competitors may be able to respond more quickly than we can to new or emerging technologies and changes in customer requirements. Further, consolidation of our competitors or customers may result in reduced demand for our products or make it more difficult for us to compete with our competitors. The occurrence of any of these events could result in reduced earnings or operating losses.

Higher costs or limited availability of our raw materials may reduce our earnings and decrease our liquidity. In addition, many of our raw material contracts contain fixed quantities we are required to purchase.

The number of sources for and availability of certain raw materials is specific to the particular geographical region in which our facilities are located. Titanium-containing feedstocks suitable for use in our TiO₂ facilities are available from a limited number of suppliers around the world. Political and economic instability or increased regulations in the countries from which we purchase or mine our raw material supplies could adversely affect raw material availability. If we or our worldwide vendors are unable to meet our planned or contractual obligations and we are unable to obtain necessary raw materials, we could incur higher costs for raw materials or we may be required to reduce production levels. We experienced increases in feedstock costs in 2020 and 2021, and we expect feedstock costs to continue to increase in 2022. We may also experience higher operating costs such as energy costs, which could affect our profitability. We may not always be able to increase our selling prices to offset the impact of any higher costs or reduced production levels, which could reduce earnings and decrease liquidity.

We have supply contracts that provide for our TiO₂ feedstock requirements that currently expire in either 2022 or 2023. While we believe we will be able to renew these contracts, we do not know if we will be successful in renewing them or in obtaining long-term extensions to them prior to expiration. Our current agreements (including those entered into through February 2022) require us to purchase certain minimum quantities of feedstock with minimum purchase commitments aggregating approximately $800 million beginning in 2022. In addition, we have other long-term supply and service contracts that provide for various raw materials and services. These agreements require us to purchase certain minimum quantities or services with minimum purchase commitments aggregating approximately $64 million at December 31, 2021. Our commitments under these contracts could adversely affect our financial results if we significantly reduce our production and we are unable to modify the contractual commitments.

COVID-19 has affected our operations and may continue to affect our operations during 2022.

Our operations have been and may continue to be negatively impacted by COVID-19, specifically from disruptions to our supply chain, transportation networks and customers, which may compress our margins, including as a

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result of preventative and precautionary measures that we, other businesses, and governments are taking. In addition, the ability of our suppliers and customers to operate may be significantly impacted by individuals contracting or being exposed to COVID-19 or as a result of associated control measures. Given the dynamic and uncertain nature and duration of COVID-19 and related variants, and the effectiveness of actions globally to contain or mitigate its effects, we cannot reasonably estimate the long-term impact of COVID-19 on our businesses, results of operations and overall financial performance.

We have 2,248 employees and operate facilities throughout North America and Europe. With the onset of COVID-19, within each facility we enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures and implemented other health and safety protocols. We have also been able to operate fully each of our facilities during the pandemic. It is possible we may have temporary closures at one or more of our facilities for the health and safety of our workforce if conditions warrant.

Financial Risk Factors

Our leverage may impair our financial condition or limit our ability to operate our businesses.

We have a significant amount of debt, primarily related to our Senior Notes issued in September 2017. As of December 31, 2021, our total consolidated debt was approximately $451 million. Our level of debt could have important consequences to our stockholders and creditors, including:

Indebtedness outstanding under our global revolving credit facility accrues interest at variable rates. To the extent market interest rates rise, the cost of our debt could increase, adversely affecting our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition to our indebtedness, we are party to various lease and other agreements (including feedstock purchase contracts and other long-term supply and service contracts, as discussed above) pursuant to which, along with our indebtedness, we are committed to pay approximately $551 million in 2022. Our ability to make payments on and refinance our debt and to fund planned capital expenditures depends on our future ability to generate cash flow. To some extent, this is subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control. In addition, our ability to borrow funds under our revolving credit facility in the future will, in some instances, depend in part on our ability to maintain specified financial ratios and satisfy certain financial covenants contained in the applicable credit agreement.

Our business may not generate cash flows from operating activities sufficient to enable us to pay our debts when they become due and to fund our other liquidity needs. As a result, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our debt before maturity. We may not be able to refinance any of our debt in a timely manner on favorable terms, if at all, in the current credit markets. Any inability to generate sufficient cash flows or to refinance our debt on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition.

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Changes in currency exchange rates and interest rates can adversely affect our net sales, profits and cash flows.

We operate our businesses in several different countries and sell our products worldwide. For example, during 2021, 46% of our sales volumes were sold into European markets. The majority (but not all) of our sales from our operations outside the United States are denominated in currencies other than the United States dollar, primarily the euro, other major European currencies and the Canadian dollar. Therefore, we are exposed to risks related to the need to convert currencies we receive from the sale of our products into the currencies required to pay for certain of our operating costs and expenses and other liabilities (including indebtedness), all of which could result in future losses depending on fluctuations in currency exchange rates and affect the comparability of our results of operations between periods.

Legal, Compliance and Regulatory Risk Factors

We may be subject to litigation, the disposition of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

The nature of our operations exposes us to possible litigation claims, including disputes with customers and suppliers and matters relating to, among other things, antitrust, product liability, intellectual property, employment and environmental claims. It is possible that judgments could be rendered against us in these or other types of cases for which we could be uninsured or not covered by indemnity, or which may be beyond the amounts that we currently have reserved or anticipate incurring for such matters. Some of the lawsuits may seek fines or penalties and damages in large amounts or seek to restrict our business activities. Because of the uncertain nature of litigation and coverage decisions, we cannot predict the outcome of these matters or whether insurance claims may mitigate any damages ultimately determined to be owed by us. Any liability we might incur in the future could be material. In addition, litigation is very costly, and the costs associated with defending litigation matters could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

Environmental, health and safety laws and regulations may result in increased regulatory scrutiny which could decrease demand for our products, increase our manufacturing and compliance costs or obligations and result in unanticipated losses which could negatively impact our financial results or limit our ability to operate our business.

From time to time, new environmental, health and safety regulations are passed or proposed in the countries in which we operate or sell our products, seeking to regulate our operations or to restrict, limit or classify TiO₂, or its use. Increased regulatory scrutiny could affect consumer perception of TiO₂ or limit the marketability and demand for TiO₂ or products containing TiO₂ and increase our manufacturing and regulatory compliance obligations and costs. Increased compliance obligations and costs or restrictions on operations, raw materials, and certain TiO₂ applications could negatively impact our future financial results through increased costs of production, or reduced sales which may decrease our liquidity, operating income, and results of operations.

If our intellectual property were to be declared invalid, or copied by or become known to competitors, or if our competitors were to develop similar or superior intellectual property or technology, our ability to compete could be adversely impacted.

Protection of our intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets, confidential information, trademarks and tradenames, is important to our business and our competitive position. We endeavor to protect our intellectual property rights in key jurisdictions in which our products are produced or used and in jurisdictions into which our products are imported. However, we may be unable to obtain protection for our intellectual property in key jurisdictions. Although we own and have applied for numerous patents and trademarks throughout the world, we may have to rely on judicial enforcement of our patents and other proprietary rights. Our patents and other intellectual property rights may be challenged, invalidated, circumvented, and rendered unenforceable or otherwise compromised. A failure to protect, defend or enforce our intellectual property could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, third parties may assert claims against us and our customers and distributors alleging our products infringe upon third-party intellectual property rights.

Although it is our practice to enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees and third parties to protect our proprietary expertise and other trade secrets, these agreements may not provide sufficient protection for our trade secrets or proprietary know-how, or adequate remedies for breaches of such agreements may not be available in the event of an unauthorized use or disclosure of such trade secrets and know-how. We also may not be able to readily detect

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breaches of such agreements. The failure of our patents or confidentiality agreements to protect our proprietary technology, know-how or trade secrets could result in a material loss of our competitive position, which could lead to significantly lower revenues, reduced profit margins or loss of market share.

If we must take legal action to protect, defend or enforce our intellectual property rights, any suits or proceedings could result in significant costs and diversion of resources and management’s attention, and we may not prevail in any such suits or proceedings. A failure to protect, defend or enforce our intellectual property rights could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Global climate change legislation could negatively impact our financial results or limit our ability to operate our businesses.

We operate production facilities in several countries and many of our facilities require large amounts of energy, including electricity and natural gas, in order to conduct operations. The U.S. government and various non-U.S. governmental agencies of countries in which we operate have determined that the consumption of energy derived from fossil fuels is a major contributor to climate change and have introduced or are contemplating regulatory changes in response to the potential impact of climate change, including legislation regarding carbon emission costs, GHG emissions and renewable energy targets. International treaties or agreements may also result in increasing regulation of GHG emissions, including emissions permits and/or energy taxes or the introduction of carbon emissions trading mechanisms. To date, the existing GHG permit system in effect in the various countries in which we operate has not had a material adverse effect on our financial results. Until the timing, scope and extent of any future regulation becomes known, we cannot predict the effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. However, if further GHG legislation were to be enacted in one or more countries, it could negatively impact our future results of operations through increased costs of production, particularly as it relates to our energy requirements or our need to obtain emissions permits. If such increased costs of production were to materialize, we may be unable to pass price increases on to our customers to compensate for increased production costs, which may decrease our liquidity, operating income and results of operations. In addition, any adopted future regulations focused on climate change and/or GHG regulations could negatively impact our ability (or that of our customers and suppliers) to compete with companies situated in areas not subject to such regulations.

General Risk Factors

Operating as a global business presents risks associated with global and regional economic, political and regulatory environments.

We have significant international operations which, along with our customers and suppliers, could be substantially affected by a number of risks arising from operating a multi-national business, including trade barriers, tariffs, economic sanctions, exchange controls, global and regional economic downturns, terrorism, armed conflict (such as the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine), natural disasters, health crises (such as COVID-19) and political conditions. We may encounter difficulties enforcing agreements or other legal rights and our effective tax rate may fluctuate based on the variability of geographic earnings and statutory tax rates, including costs associated with the repatriation of non-U.S. earnings. TiO₂ production requires significant energy input, and economic sanctions or supply disruptions resulting from armed conflict could lead to additional volatility in global energy prices and energy supply disruptions. These risks, individually or in the aggregate, could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Technology failures or cybersecurity breaches could have a material adverse effect on our operations.

We rely on integrated information technology systems to manage, process and analyze data, including to facilitate the manufacture and distribution of products to and from our plants, receive, process and ship orders, manage the billing of and collections from customers and manage payments to vendors. Although we have systems and procedures in place to protect our information technology systems, there can be no assurance that such systems and procedures will be sufficiently effective. Therefore, any of our information technology systems may be susceptible to outages, disruptions or destruction from power outages, telecommunications failures, employee error, cybersecurity breaches or attacks, and other similar events. This could result in a disruption of our business operations, injury to people, harm to the environment or our assets, and/or the inability to access our information technology systems and could adversely affect our results of

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operations and financial condition. We have in the past experienced, and we expect to continue to experience, cyber-attacks, including phishing, and other attempts to breach, or gain unauthorized access to, our systems, and vulnerabilities introduced into our systems by trusted third-party vendors who have experienced cyber-attacks. To date we have not suffered breaches in our systems, either directly or through a trusted third-party vendor, which have led to material losses. Due to the increase in global cybersecurity incidents it has become increasingly difficult to obtain insurance coverage on reasonable pricing terms to mitigate some risks associated with technology failures or cybersecurity breaches, and we are experiencing such difficulties in obtaining insurance coverage.

Physical impacts of climate change could have a material adverse effect on our costs and operations.

Climate change may increase both the frequency and severity of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornadoes, drought and snow or ice storms. Extreme weather conditions may increase our costs or cause damage to our facilities, and any damage resulting from extreme weather may not be fully insured. Climate change has also been associated with rising sea levels and many of our facilities are located near coastal areas or waterways where rising sea levels or flooding could disrupt our operations or adversely impact our facilities. Furthermore, periods of extended inclement weather or associated droughts or flooding may inhibit our facility operations and delay or hinder shipments of our products to customers. Any such events could have a material adverse effect on our costs or results of operations.

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ITEM 1B.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None

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ITEM 2.PROPERTIES

Information on our properties is incorporated by reference to Item 1: Manufacturing, Operations and Properties above. Our corporate headquarters is located in Dallas, Texas. See Notes 1 and 7 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for information on our leases.

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ITEM 3.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are involved in various environmental, contractual, intellectual property, product liability and other claims and disputes incidental to our business. Information required for this Item is incorporated by reference to Note 15 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

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ITEM 4.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable

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PART II

Our common stock is listed and traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: KRO). As of February 28, 2022, there were approximately 1,700 holders of record of our common stock.

Purchases of Equity Securities

In December 2010, our board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to 2.0 million shares of our common stock in open market transactions, including block purchases, or in privately-negotiated transactions at unspecified prices and over an unspecified period of time. In 2021 we repurchased 14,409 shares, and we have 1,549,110 shares available for repurchase under the stock repurchase program at December 31, 2021. See Note 13 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

The following table discloses certain information regarding the shares of our common stock we purchased during the fourth quarter of 2021 (we made no purchases in October and November 2021). All of these purchases were made under the repurchase program in open market transactions.

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Performance graph

Set forth below is a table and line graph comparing the yearly change in our cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock against the cumulative total return of the S&P 500 Composite Stock Index and an index of a self-selected peer group of companies. The peer group index is comprised of The Chemours Company, Venator Materials PLC and Tronox Ltd. Venator Materials PLC is included from the date the company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in August 2017. The graph shows the value at December 31 of each year, assuming an original investment of $100 at December 31, 2016 and reinvestment of cash dividends and other distributions to stockholders.

The information contained in the performance graph shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or “filed” with the SEC, or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act, except to the extent we specifically request that the material be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporate this performance graph by reference into a document filed under the Securities Act or the Securities Exchange Act.

Equity compensation plan information

We have an equity compensation plan, which was approved by our stockholders, pursuant to which an aggregate of 200,000 shares of our common stock can be awarded to members of our board of directors. At December 31, 2021, 120,200 shares are available for awards under this plan. See Note 13 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

ITEM 6.RESERVED

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RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Business overview

We are a leading global producer and marketer of value-added TiO₂. TiO₂ is used for a variety of manufacturing applications, including plastics, paints, paper and other industrial and specialty products. During 2021, 46% of our sales volumes were sold into European markets. We believe we are the largest producer of TiO₂ in Europe with an estimated 15% share of European TiO₂ sales volumes in 2021. In addition, we estimate we have a 17% share of North American TiO₂ sales volumes in 2021. Our production facilities are located in Europe and North America.

We consider TiO₂ to be a “quality of life” product, with demand affected by gross domestic product, or GDP, and overall economic conditions in our markets located in various regions of the world. Over the long-term, we expect demand for TiO₂ will grow by 2% to 3% per year, consistent with our expectations for the long-term growth in GDP. However, even if we and our competitors maintain consistent shares of the worldwide market, demand for TiO₂ in any interim or annual period may not change in the same proportion as the change in GDP, in part due to relative changes in the TiO₂ inventory levels of our customers. We believe our customers’ inventory levels are influenced in part by their expectation for future changes in TiO₂ selling prices as well as their expectation for future availability of product. Although certain of our TiO₂ grades are considered specialty pigments, the majority of our grades and substantially all of our production are considered commodity pigment products with price and availability being the most significant competitive factors along with product quality, and customer and technical support services.

The factors having the most impact on our reported operating results are:

Our key performance indicators are our TiO₂ average selling prices, our level of TiO₂ sales and production volumes and the cost of titanium-containing feedstock purchased from third parties. TiO₂ selling prices generally follow industry trends and selling prices will increase or decrease generally as a result of competitive market pressures.

Executive summary

We reported net income of $112.9 million, or $.98 per share, in 2021 compared to $63.9 million, or $.55 per share in 2020. We reported higher net income in 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to higher income from operations resulting from the effects of higher sales volumes and higher average TiO₂ selling prices, partially offset by higher production costs including raw material and energy costs. Our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically through reduced demand for certain of our products occurring primarily in the second quarter, with demand improving throughout the second half of 2020 and through 2021. Comparability of our results was also impacted by the effects of changes in currency exchange rates.

We reported net income of $63.9 million, or $.55 per share, in 2020 compared to $87.1 million, or $.75 per share in 2019. We reported lower net income in 2020 as compared to 2019 primarily due to lower income from operations resulting from the effects of lower sales volumes, lower average TiO₂ selling prices and higher raw materials and other production costs related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Our net income in 2020 includes the first quarter recognition of a pre-tax insurance settlement gain of $1.5 million ($1.2 million, or $.01 per share, net of income tax expense) related to a property damage claim.

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Our net income in 2019 includes:

Comparison of 2021 to 2020 Results of Operations

* Thousands of metric tons

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Industry conditions and 2021 overview – We started 2021 with average TiO₂ selling prices 3% lower than at the beginning of 2020. Our average TiO₂ selling prices in 2021 were 16% higher than the beginning of the year, including a 6% increase in the last quarter of the year, in response to our rising production costs and strong customer demand. We experienced higher sales volumes in our European, North American and Latin American markets in 2021 as compared to sales volumes in 2020, primarily due to the COVID-19 related demand contraction in 2020 which impacted the second and third quarters and was most acute in the second quarter of 2020.

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The following table shows our capacity utilization rates during 2021 and 2020. TiO₂ production volumes were higher in 2021 as compared to 2020 to meet higher customer demand in 2021. We decreased production levels in 2020 (primarily in the third quarter) to correspond to the temporary decline in demand resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Net sales – Our net sales increased $300.6 million, or 18%, in 2021 compared to 2020, primarily due to an 8% increase in average TiO₂ selling prices (which increased net sales by approximately $131 million) and a 6% increase in sales volumes (which increased net sales by approximately $98 million). In addition to the impact of higher sales volumes and higher average selling prices, we estimate that changes in currency exchange rates (primarily the euro) increased our net sales by approximately $43 million, or 3%, as compared to 2020. TiO₂ selling prices will increase or decrease generally as a result of competitive market pressures, changes in the relative level of supply and demand as well as changes in raw material and other manufacturing costs.

Our sales volumes increased 6% in 2021 as compared to 2020 primarily due to higher demand in our European, North American and Latin American markets, with a significant portion of the increase occurring in the second and third quarters as a result of the impact of COVID-19 on the comparable periods in 2020, as discussed above.

Cost of sales and gross margin – Cost of sales increased $205.6 million, or 16%, in 2021 compared to 2020 due to a 6% increase in sales volumes and higher production costs of approximately $69 million (including higher costs for raw materials and energy) and the effects of currency fluctuations (primarily the Canadian dollar). Our cost of sales as a percentage of net sales decreased to 77% in 2021 compared to 79% in 2020 primarily due to the favorable effects of higher average TiO₂ selling prices and increased coverage of fixed costs from higher production, partially offset by higher production costs (including higher raw material and energy costs) as well as the effects of fluctuations in currency exchange rates, as discussed below.

Gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased to 23% in 2021 compared to 21% in 2020. As discussed and quantified above, our gross margin as a percentage of net sales increased primarily due to the net effects of higher average TiO₂ selling prices, higher production and sales volumes, higher production costs and fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

Selling, general and administrative expense – Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $30.3 million, or 14%, in 2021 compared to 2020 primarily due to higher variable costs (primarily distribution costs) related to higher overall sales volumes. Selling, general and administrative expenses were approximately 13% of net sales in each of 2021 and 2020.

Income from operations – Income from operations increased by $70.9 million or 61%, from $116.2 million in 2020 to $187.1 million in 2021. Income from operations as a percentage of net sales increased to 10% in 2021 from 7% in 2020. This increase was driven by the higher gross margin for the comparable periods discussed above. We estimate that changes in currency exchange rates decreased income from operations by approximately $13 million in 2021 as compared to 2020 as discussed in the Effects of currency exchange rates section below.

Our income from operations was minimally impacted by the effects of Hurricane Laura which temporarily halted production at LPC on August 24, 2020 with resumption of operations on September 25, 2020. LPC believes insurance (subject to applicable deductibles) will cover a majority of its losses, including those related to property damage and the disruption of its operations. We believe insurance (subject to applicable deductibles) will cover a majority of our losses from the hurricane, including property damage, business interruption losses related to our share of LPC’s lost production and other costs resulting from the disruption of operations. To date, we have not yet recognized any insurance recoveries because the ultimate disposition of our portion of the business interruption claim is not yet determinable; however, LPC

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has received a portion of the proceeds related to its property damage claim. On October 9, 2020 Hurricane Delta caused an additional temporary halt to production at the LPC facility. Damages resulting from Hurricane Delta were not as severe and production activities were resumed within five days from the time of initial shutdown prior to landfall of the hurricane. Similar to Hurricane Laura, losses determined to be incurred by LPC and us as a result of Hurricane Delta are expected to be recoverable from insurance (subject to applicable deductibles).

Other non-operating income (expense) – We recognized a gain of $2.0 million in 2021 and a loss of $1.1 million in 2020 on the change in value of our marketable equity securities. See Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Other components of net periodic pension and OPEB cost in 2021 decreased $2.9 million compared to 2020 primarily due to higher expected returns on plan assets offset by the net effects of lower discount rates impacting interest cost and previously unrecognized actuarial losses. See Note 10 to our Consolidated Financial Statements. We recognized an insurance settlement gain of $1.5 million during 2020 related to a property damage claim. Interest expense in 2021 increased $.6 million compared to 2020 due to the refinancing of our revolving credit facility in the second quarter of 2021 (see Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements) and the effects of changes in currency exchange rates.

Income tax expense – We recognized income tax expense of $40.5 million in 2021 compared to income tax expense of $16.1 million in 2020. The increase is primarily due to higher earnings in 2021 and the jurisdictional mix of our earnings.

Our earnings are subject to income tax in various U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Generally, our consolidated effective income tax rate is higher than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21% primarily because the income tax rates applicable to the pre-tax earnings (losses) of our non-U.S. operations are generally higher than the income tax rates applicable to our U.S. operations. However, in 2020 our consolidated effective income tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% due to the effect of lower earnings and tax benefits associated with losses incurred in certain high tax jurisdictions. See Note 12 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a tabular reconciliation of our statutory income tax provision to our actual tax provision.

Our consolidated effective income tax rate in 2022 is expected to be higher than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% because the income tax rates applicable to the earnings (losses) of our non-U.S. operations will be higher than the income tax rates applicable to our U.S. operations and due to the expected mix of earnings.

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Comparison of 2019 to 2020 Results of Operations

^* Thousands of metric tons

Net sales – Our net sales decreased $92.3 million, or 5%, in 2020 compared to 2019, primarily due to a 6% decrease in sales volumes (which decreased net sales by approximately $104 million) and a 2% decrease in average TiO₂ selling prices (which decreased net sales by approximately $35 million). In addition to the impact of lower sales volumes and lower average selling prices, we estimate that changes in currency exchange rates (primarily the euro) increased our net sales by approximately $9 million, or 1%, as compared to 2019. TiO₂ selling prices will increase or decrease generally as a result of competitive market pressures, changes in the relative level of supply and demand as well as changes in raw material and other manufacturing costs.

Our sales volumes decreased 6% in 2020 as compared to the sales volumes of 2019 due to lower sales volumes in all major markets, with the European and export markets experiencing the most significant reductions. A significant portion of the sales volume decrease occurred in the second and third quarters as a result of the demand contraction related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cost of sales and gross margin – Cost of sales decreased $57.3 million, or 4%, in 2020 compared to 2019 due to the net effect of a 6% decrease in sales volumes, higher raw materials and other production costs of approximately $6 million (including higher cost for third-party feedstock and other raw materials) and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Our cost of sales per metric ton of TiO₂ sold in 2020 was higher as compared to 2019 (excluding the effect of changes in currency exchange rates) primarily due to a moderate rise in the cost of third-party feedstock we procured in 2019 and the first half of 2020. Our cost of sales as a percentage of net sales increased to 79% in 2020 compared to 78% in 2019 primarily due to the unfavorable effects of lower average TiO₂ selling prices and higher raw materials and other production costs, as discussed above, partially offset by improved sales and production volumes from our ilmenite mine operations.

Gross margin as a percentage of net sales decreased to 21% in 2020 compared to 22% in 2019. As discussed and quantified above, our gross margin as a percentage of net sales decreased primarily due to the net effect of lower sales volumes, lower average TiO₂ selling prices, higher raw materials and other production costs and higher sales from our ilmenite mine operations.

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Selling, general and administrative expense – Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $9.6 million, or 4%, in 2020 compared to 2019 primarily due to variable costs related to lower overall sales volumes. Selling, general and administrative expenses were approximately 13% of net sales in each of 2019 and 2020.

Income from operations – Income from operations decreased by $29.6 million, from $145.8 million in 2019 to $116.2 million in 2020. Income from operations as a percentage of net sales was 7% in 2020 compared to 8% in 2019. This decrease was driven by the lower gross margin discussed above for the comparable periods. We estimate that changes in currency exchange rates increased income from operations by approximately $6 million in 2020 as compared to 2019 as discussed in the Effects of currency exchange rates section below.

Our income from operations was also minimally impacted by the effects of Hurricane Laura which temporarily halted production at LPC on August 24, 2020. Although storm damage to core manufacturing facilities was not severe, a variety of factors, including loss of utilities, limited availability of employees to return to work and restrictions on the facility’s access to raw materials, prevented the resumption of operations until September 25, 2020. LPC believes insurance (subject to applicable deductibles) will cover a majority of its losses, including those related to property damage and the disruption of its operations. The Kronos warehouse and slurry facilities located near LPC’s facility were also temporarily closed due to the hurricane, but property damage to these facilities was not significant. Our 2020 income from operations includes immaterial costs related to Hurricane Laura, primarily costs to relocate inventory and modify shipping schedules in order to maintain service levels to our customers following the hurricane. We believe insurance (subject to applicable deductibles) will cover a majority of our losses from the hurricane, including property damage, business interruption losses related to our share of LPC’s lost production and other costs resulting from the disruption of operations. To date, we have not yet recognized any insurance recoveries because the ultimate disposition of our portion of the business interruption claim is not yet determinable; however, LPC has received a portion of the proceeds related to its property damage claim. On October 9, 2020 Hurricane Delta caused an additional temporary halt to production at the LPC facility. Damages resulting from Hurricane Delta were not as severe and production activities were resumed within five days from the time of initial shutdown prior to landfall of the hurricane. Similar to Hurricane Laura, losses determined to be incurred by LPC and us as a result of Hurricane Delta are expected to be recoverable from insurance (subject to applicable deductibles).

Other non-operating income (expense) – We recognized a loss of $1.1 million in 2020 and $.1 million in 2019 on the change in value of our marketable equity securities. See Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Other components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefits other than pensions, or OPEB, cost in 2020 increased $4.2 million compared to 2019 primarily due to increased amortization costs from previously unrecognized actuarial losses as a result of lower discount rates and lower expected returns on plan assets. See Note 10 to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Interest expense in 2020 was comparable to 2019.

Income tax expense – We recognized income tax expense of $16.1 million in 2020 compared to income tax expense of $34.0 million in 2019. The decrease is primarily due to lower earnings in 2020 and the jurisdictional mix of such earnings. In addition, our income tax expense in 2019 includes an income tax benefit recognized in the fourth quarter of $3.0 million related to the favorable settlement of a prior year tax matter in Germany, with $1.5 million recognized as a current cash tax benefit and $1.5 million recognized as a non-cash deferred income tax benefit related to an increase to our German net operating loss carryforward. In addition, in the fourth quarter of 2019, we recognized a non-cash deferred income tax expense of $5.5 million primarily related to the revaluation of our net deferred income tax asset in Germany resulting from a decrease in the German trade tax rate.

Our earnings are subject to income tax in various U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions. Generally, our consolidated effective income tax rate is higher than the U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21% primarily because the income tax rates applicable to the pre-tax earnings (losses) of our non-U.S. operations are generally higher than the income tax rates applicable to our U.S. operations. However, in 2020 our consolidated effective income tax rate is lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% due to the effect of lower earnings and tax benefits associated with losses incurred in certain high tax jurisdictions. See Note 12 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for a tabular reconciliation of our statutory income tax provision to our actual tax provision.

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Effects of currency exchange rates

We have substantial operations and assets located outside the United States (primarily in Germany, Belgium, Norway and Canada). The majority of our sales from non-U.S. operations are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar, principally the euro, other major European currencies and the Canadian dollar. A portion of our sales generated from our non-U.S. operations is denominated in the U.S. dollar (and consequently our non-U.S. operations will generally hold U.S. dollars from time to time). Certain raw materials used in all our production facilities, primarily titanium-containing feedstocks, are purchased primarily in U.S. dollars, while labor and other production and administrative costs are incurred primarily in local currencies. Consequently, the translated U.S. dollar value of our non-U.S. sales and operating results are subject to currency exchange rate fluctuations which may favorably or unfavorably impact reported earnings and may affect the comparability of period-to-period operating results. In addition to the impact of the translation of sales and expenses over time, our non-U.S. operations also generate currency transaction gains and losses which primarily relate to (i) the difference between the currency exchange rates in effect when non-local currency sales or operating costs (primarily U.S. dollar denominated) are initially accrued and when such amounts are settled with the non-local currency and (ii) changes in currency exchange rates during time periods when our non-U.S. operations are holding non-local currency (primarily U.S. dollars).

Overall, we estimate that fluctuations in currency exchange rates had the following effects on our sales and income from operations for the periods indicated.

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The $43 million increase in net sales (translation gain) was caused primarily by a weakening of the U.S. dollar relative to the euro, as our euro-denominated sales were translated into more U.S. dollars in 2021 as compared to 2020. The weakening of the U.S. dollar relative to the Canadian dollar and the Norwegian krone in 2021 did not have a significant effect on the reported amount of our net sales, as a substantial portion of the sales generated by our Canadian and Norwegian operations are denominated in the U.S. dollar.

The $13 million decrease in income from operations was comprised of the following:

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