Date: January 9, 2025

Subject: Official Statement from Sage Industries (USA) Inc. Regarding Defamation and Ongoing Legal Actions

To whom it may concern:

Regarding the recent articles repeatedly published in various digital platforms titled “Exportadora de Sal peor que nunca”, we express our deep concern and issue the following formal statement:

1.Sage Industries (USA) Inc. is a legally registered company in the state of Texas, USA (Registration Number: 802911255). In no commercial, legal, or operational aspect are we associated with the entities mentioned in the article, “Sage LLC” and “SAGE Automotive Interiors,” despite our company name including the word “SAGE.”

2.After a preliminary search, we have found no evidence of a company registered in the United States under the name “Sage LLC.” However, there is a similarly named company, THE SAGE GROUP LLC [link: https://sagellc.com/], which appears to be engaged in financial consulting and mergers and acquisitions services. Additionally, SAGE Automotive Interiors [link: https://www.sageautomotiveinteriors.com/] is a company focused on manufacturing automotive interiors. On the other hand, Sage Industries (USA) Inc. is primarily engaged in the development and sale of mineral resources. The article suggests that a company named “SAGE” was involved in bribing executives at the Guerrero Negro mine in Mexico, which has caused public confusion, erroneously associating these actions with our company, severely damaging our reputation and image, and constituting an act of defamation.

3.The article’s content is inaccurate, biased, and lacks solid evidence to support the allegations made. Although the article does not directly mention our company, the similarity in names has caused significant confusion, severely harming our reputation. This situation has negatively impacted on our business relationships, creating unnecessary distrust and affecting our public image.

4.We categorically deny any implication linking Sage Industries (USA) Inc. to the illegal conduct described in the article. Our company has always operated under the highest ethical standards and legal compliance, and we do not tolerate any attempt to damage our reputation through defamation or false information.

5.We are evaluating the legal options available to protect our reputation and will take necessary measures if required. We consider this act to constitute harm and misrepresentation of our image, and we reserve the right to pursue legal action against those responsible, demanding that they assume the corresponding consequences.

6.We call on the media and editors who published the article:

oTo publicly clarify that Sage Industries (USA) Inc. has no relationship with “Sage LLC” or the allegations mentioned in the article.

oTo issue a correction statement to prevent any further misunderstandings and to clarify the confusion between the companies mentioned.

7.We emphasize that, should we not receive a satisfactory response to the above requests, we will continue to evaluate all available legal avenues, without limitation, to protect our company’s reputation and interests.

Such malicious actions not only unjustly harm companies like ours but also undermine trust within the business community. We will not allow these acts to go unpunished.

We thank our partners and clients for their understanding and support during this critical time. We reaffirm our commitment to transparency, ethics, and professional excellence. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Liru Qian

Chief Executive Officer

Sage Industries (USA) Inc.