Company: CRL
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001100682-25-000011
Chunk: 46

Company: CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Filing Date: 2025-02-19
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 46
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 shareholder proposals and attempts to disrupt carriers from transporting large research models and actions aimed at preventing expansion of operations . This has included periodic demonstrations near facilities operated by us and at our annual meetings, as well as shareholder proposals we received for some of our past Annual Meetings of Shareholders. In addition, these groups have on occasion petitioned to have certain species of research models (specifically NHPs) declared endangered by governmental and non-governmental organizations and have advocated for the governing bodies to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora to restrict the exportation of certain NHP species from specific countries. Furthermore, the habitat of certain animals used for research purposes may be located in or near certain environmentally protected areas or conservation areas. Activities conducted by us or any of our agents within these areas may be legally challenged and result in similar negative attention and action from environmental protection activists, including advocacy for the expansion of environmental restrictions applicable to such areas. Any negative attention, threats, acts of vandalism or legal action directed against our animal research or procurement activities (including species or research models), or our third-party service providers, such as our airline carriers or suppliers, or that restrict our or their ability to access protected or conservation areas, could impair our ability to operate our business efficiently.

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CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Industry Risk Factors

Several of our product and service offerings, including our non-human primate supply, are dependent on a limited source of supply that, when interrupted, adversely affects our business. 

We depend on a limited international source of supply for certain products, such as large research models, including NHPs. Disruptions to their continued supply from time to time arise from colony health problems (including as a result of the spread of diseases), export or import laws/restrictions or embargoes, tariffs, inflation, international trade regulations, foreign government or economic instability, severe weather conditions, increased competition among suppliers for models, disruptions to the air travel system, activist campaigns, commercial disputes, supplier insolvency, geopolitical disputes, or other ordinary course or unanticipated events. Any disruption of supply could materially harm our business if we cannot remove the disruption or are unable to secure an alternative or secondary supply source on comparable commercial terms. 

As with other industry participants, certain of our activities rely on a sufficient supply of large research models, which has seen increasing demand as compared to supply in recent years due to a variety of factors. First, the surge of research relating to COVID-19 increased