8-K

RESOLUTE FOREST PRODUCTS INC.

Date: December 28, 2022

/s/ Stephanie Leclaire

Stephanie Leclaire

Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Legal Officer

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 28, 2022

RESOLUTE FOREST PRODUCTS INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

001-33776

98-0526415

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

Resolute Forest Products Inc.

1010 De La Gauchetière Street West, Suite 400

Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3B 2N2

(Address and zip code of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (514) 875-2160

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

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


Title of class	Trading Symbol	Name of exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share	RFP	New York Stock Exchange
		Indicate by check Toronto Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

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. ☐

ITEM 8.01.

OTHER EVENTS.

As previously disclosed, on July 5, 2022, Resolute Forest Products Inc. (“Resolute” or the “Company”) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (as it may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “merger agreement”) with Domtar Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Domtar”), Terra Acquisition Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar (“Merger Sub”), Karta Halten B.V., a private limited company organized under the laws of the Netherlands (“Terra 1”), and Paper Excellence B.V., a private limited company organized under the laws of the Netherlands (“Terra 2” and together with Domtar and Terra 1, the “Parent Parties”). Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the merger agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with and into the Company (the “merger”), with the Company surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Domtar.

Consent Agreement with Canadian Commissioner of Competition

On December 28, 2022, the Parent Parties announced that they had entered into a Consent Agreement with the Canadian Commissioner of Competition (the “Commissioner”) in connection with the merger, which was registered with the Canadian Competition Tribunal on December 28, 2022. The Commissioner issued a no-action letter on December 28, 2022, which terminates the applicable waiting period and satisfies the requirement for Competition Act Approval set out in the merger agreement. The Company and the Parent Parties currently expect the closing of the merger to occur in the first half of 2023, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions to the closing of the merger. On December 28, 2022, the Company issued a press release, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this document that are not reported financial results or other historical information of the Company are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, for example, statements included in this document relating to the proposed transaction between the Company and Domtar; the prospective performance and outlook of the Company’s business, performance and opportunities; the ability of the parties to complete the proposed transaction and the expected timing of completion of the proposed transaction; as well as any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words “should,” “would,” “could,” “will,” “may,” “expect,” “believe,” “see,” “intends,” “continue” and other terms with similar meaning indicating possible future events or potential impact on the Company’s business or its stockholders. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on management’s current assumptions, beliefs, and expectations, all of which involve a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: uncertainties as to the timing of the proposed transaction; the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied or waived, including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, including in circumstances that would require the Company to pay a termination fee or other expenses; the inability to recover softwood lumber duty refunds in a timely manner or at all; the effect of the pendency of the proposed transaction on the Company’s ability to retain and hire key personnel, its ability to maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers and others with whom it does business, its business generally or its stock price; and risks related to diverting management’s attention from the Company’s ongoing business operations. In addition, please refer to the documents that the Company files with the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties with respect to the Company and its business that could cause events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements set forth in this document. All forward-looking statements in this document are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements contained or referred to above and in the Company’s other filings with the SEC and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

ITEM 9.01.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS


Exhibit No.		Description

99.1		Press Release, dated as of December 28, 2022

104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Exhibit 99.1

For Immediate Release:

Resolute, Paper Excellence Merger Receives Canadian Competition Bureau Approval

(All financial information is in U.S. Dollars)

Richmond, British Columbia, and Montreal, Quebec – December 28, 2022 – The Paper Excellence Group (the “Group”), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Domtar Corporation (“Domtar”), a global diversified manufacturer of pulp and specialty, printing, writing, and packaging papers, and Resolute Forest Products Inc. (“Resolute”) (NYSE: RFP) (TSX: RFP), a global forest products company, jointly announced that the Canadian Commissioner of Competition has entered into a consent agreement regarding the parties’ business combination. Once the combination has been finalized, Domtar will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Resolute stock for $20.50 per share and one contingent value right tied to potential duty deposit refunds of up to $500 million.

The consent agreement filed by the Canadian Commissioner of Competition with the Competition Tribunal today completes one of the remaining conditions to the closing of the transaction.

The transaction remains on course to close in the first half of 2023, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions to the closing of the merger.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this document that are not reported financial results or other historical information of Resolute are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, for example, statements included in this document relating to the proposed transaction between Resolute and Domtar; the prospective performance and outlook of Resolute’s business, performance and opportunities; the ability of the parties to complete the proposed transaction and the expected timing of completion of the proposed transaction; as well as any assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words “should,” “would,” “could,” “will,” “may,” “expect,” “believe,” “see,” “intends,” “continue” and other terms with similar meaning indicating possible future events or potential impact on Resolute’s business or its stockholders. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not guarantees of future performance. These statements are based on management’s current assumptions, beliefs, and expectations, all of which involve a number of business risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: uncertainties as to the timing of the proposed transaction; the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all; the possibility that any or all of the various conditions to the consummation of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied or waived,

including the failure to receive any required regulatory approvals from any applicable governmental entities (or any conditions, limitations or restrictions placed on such approvals); the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement, including in circumstances that would require Resolute to pay a termination fee or other expenses; the inability to recover softwood lumber duty refunds in a timely manner or at all; the effect of the pendency of the proposed transaction on Resolute’s ability to retain and hire key personnel, its ability to maintain relationships with its customers, suppliers and others with whom it does business, its business generally or its stock price; and risks related to diverting management’s attention from Resolute’s ongoing business operations. In addition, please refer to the documents that Resolute files with the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties with respect to Resolute and its business that could cause events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements set forth in this document. All forward-looking statements in this document are expressly qualified by the cautionary statements contained or referred to above and in Resolute’s other filings with the SEC and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Resolute disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

About Resolute Forest Products

Resolute is a global leader in the forest products industry with a diverse range of products, including market pulp, tissue, wood products and papers, which are marketed in over 60 countries. The company owns or operates some 40 facilities, as well as power generation assets, in the United States and Canada. Resolute has third-party certified 100% of its managed woodlands to internationally recognized sustainable forest management standards. The shares of Resolute trade under the stock symbol RFP on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Resolute has received regional, North American and global recognition for its leadership in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, as well as for its business practices. Visit www.resolutefp.com for more information.

About Domtar

Domtar is a leading provider of a wide variety of fiber-based products including communication, specialty and packaging papers, market pulp and airlaid nonwovens. With approximately 6,400 employees serving more than 50 countries around the world, Domtar is driven by a commitment to turn sustainable wood fiber into useful products that people rely on every day. Domtar’s principal executive office is in Fort Mill, South Carolina and Domtar is part of the Paper Excellence group of companies. To learn more, visit www.domtar.com.

About Paper Excellence

The Paper Excellence Group is a privately-held holding company that oversees individual pulp and paper business units. Its operations include the manufacturing of pulp and specialty, printing and writing, and packaging papers, producing over 7 million tons annually with a workforce of over 10,000 in its nearly 40 locations across the Americas and Europe. For more information on Paper Excellence, please visit www.paperexcellence.com.

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Paper Excellence Contacts

Media:

Martin Croteau

Tel.: 418-956-6898

Email: martin.croteau@paainc.ca

Resolute Contacts

Investors:

Marianne Limoges, Treasurer and Vice President, Investor Relations

Tel.: 514-394-2217 or 514 838-0949 (cell)

Email: marianne.limoges@resolutefp.com

Media and Others:

Seth Kursman, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Sustainability and Government Affairs

Tel.: 514-394-2398 or 514-826-5040 (cell)

Email: seth.kursman@resolutefp.com