Rule 802

Exemption for Offerings in Connection with an Exchange Offer or Business Combination for the Securities of Foreign Private Issuers

Offers and sales in any exchange offer for a class of securities of a foreign private issuer, or in any exchange of securities for the securities of a foreign private issuer in any business combination, are exempt from the provisions of section 5 of the Act, if they satisfy the following conditions:

a. Conditions to be met.--

1. Limitation on U.S. ownership. Except in the case of an exchange offer or business combination that is commenced during the pendency of a prior exchange offer or business combination made in reliance on this paragraph, U.S. holders of the foreign subject company must hold no more than 10 percent of the securities that are the subject of the exchange offer or business combination (as determined under the definition of "U.S. holder" in Rule 800(h)). In the case of a business combination in which the securities are to be issued by a successor registrant, U.S. holders may hold no more than 10 percent of the class of securities of the successor registrant, as if measured immediately after completion of the business combination.

2. Equal treatment. The issuer must permit U.S. holders to participate in the exchange offer or business combination on terms at least as favorable as those offered any other holder of the subject securities. The issuer, however, need not extend the offer to security holders in those states or jurisdictions that require registration or qualification, except that the issuer must offer the same cash alternative to security holders in any such state that it has offered to security holders in any other state or jurisdiction.

3. Informational documents.

i. If the issuer publishes or otherwise disseminates an informational document to the holders of the subject securities in connection with the exchange offer or business combination, the issuer must furnish that informational document, including any amendments thereto, in English, to the Commission on Form CB by the first business day after publication or dissemination. If the bidder is a foreign company, it must also file a Form F-X with the Commission at the same time as the submission of Form CB to appoint an agent for service in the United States.

ii. The issuer must disseminate any informational document to U.S. holders, including any amendments thereto, in English, on a comparable basis to that provided to security holders in the foreign subject company's home jurisdiction.

iii. If the issuer disseminates by publication in its home jurisdiction, the issuer must publish the information in the United States in a manner reasonably calculated to inform U.S. holders of the offer.

b. Legends. The following legend or an equivalent statement in clear, plain language, to the extent applicable, must be included on the cover page or other prominent portion of any informational document the offeror publishes or disseminates to U.S. holders:

This exchange offer or business combination is made for the securities of a foreign company. The offer is subject to disclosure requirements of a foreign country that are different from those of the United States. Financial statements included in the document, if any, have been prepared in accordance with foreign accounting standards that may not be comparable to the financial statements of United States companies.

It may be difficult for you to enforce your rights and any claim you may have arising under the federal securities laws, since the issuer is located in a foreign country, and some or all of its officers and directors may be residents of a foreign country. You may not be able to sue a foreign company or its officers or directors in a foreign court for violations of the U.S. securities laws. It may be difficult to compel a foreign company and its affiliates to subject themselves to a U.S. court's judgment.

You should be aware that the issuer may purchase securities otherwise than under the exchange offer, such as in open market or privately negotiated purchases.

c. Presumption for certain offers. For exchange offers conducted by persons other than the issuer of the subject securities or its affiliates, the issuer of the subject securities will be presumed to be a foreign private issuer and U.S. holders will be presumed to hold 10 percent or less of the outstanding subject securities, unless:

1. The exchange offer is made pursuant to an agreement with the issuer of the subject securities;

2. The aggregate trading volume of the subject class of securities on all national securities exchanges in the United States, on the Nasdaq market or on the OTC market, as reported to the NASD, over the 12-calendar-month period ending 30 days before commencement of the offer, exceeds 10 percent of the worldwide aggregate trading volume of that class of securities over the same period;

3. The most recent annual report or annual information filed or submitted by the issuer with securities regulators of the home jurisdiction or with the Commission indicates that U.S. holders hold more than 10 percent of the outstanding subject class of securities; or

4. The offeror knows, or has reason to know, that U.S. ownership exceeds 10 percent of the subject securities.