MSB Mesabi Trust

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-Q

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(Mark One)

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For the quarterly period ended April 30, 2022

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or

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For the transition period from                   to                 

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Commission File Number: 1-4488

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(904) 271-2520

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not applicable

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark 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 (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes ☒ No ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a 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. ☐

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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).  Yes ☐ No ☒

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As of June 10, 2022, there were 13,120,010 Units of Beneficial Interest in Mesabi Trust outstanding.

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Forward-Looking Statements

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Certain information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains, or incorporates by reference, not only historical information, but also “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All such forward-looking statements, including those statements regarding estimation of iron ore pellet production, shipments, pricing, royalties and other matters, are based on information from the lessee/operator (and its parent corporation) of the mine located on the lands owned and held in trust for the benefit of the holders of units of beneficial interest of Mesabi Trust (“Mesabi Trust” or the “Trust”). These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking words, such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” “intend,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “potential,” “plan,” “should,” “assume,” “forecast” and other similar words. Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results and future developments could differ materially from the results or developments expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, volatility of iron ore and steel prices, market supply and demand, competition, environmental hazards, health and safety conditions, regulation or government action, litigation, uncertainties about estimates of reserves, general adverse business and industry economic trends, uncertainties arising from war, terrorist events and other global events, higher or lower customer demand for steel and iron ore, decisions by mine operators regarding curtailments or idling production lines or entire plants, environmental compliance uncertainties, difficulties in obtaining and renewing necessary operating permits, higher imports of steel and iron ore substitutes, processing difficulties, consolidation and restructuring in the domestic steel market, market inputs tied to indexed price adjustment factors found in Cliffs’ Customer Contracts (as defined below) resulting in future adjustments to royalties payable to Mesabi Trust, and other factors. Further, substantial portions of royalties earned by Mesabi Trust are based on estimated prices that are subject to interim and final adjustments, which can be positive or negative, and are dependent in part on multiple price and inflation index factors under agreements to which Mesabi Trust is not a party and that are not known until after the end of a contract year. It is possible that future negative price adjustments could partially or even completely offset royalties or royalty income that would otherwise be payable to the Trust in any particular quarter, or at year-end, thereby potentially reducing cash available for distribution to the Trust’s Unitholders (as defined below) in future quarters.

For a discussion of the factors, including without limitation, those that could materially and adversely affect Mesabi Trust’s actual results and performance, see “Risk Factors” set forth on pages 4 through 16 of Mesabi Trust’s Annual Report for the year ended January 31, 2022, as updated by Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. These risks and uncertainties are not exclusive and further information concerning the Trust, including factors that potentially could materially affect our operating results, financial condition or the market price of the Units, may emerge from time to time. Mesabi Trust undertakes no obligation, other than that imposed by law, to make any revisions to the forward-looking statements contained in this filing or to update them to reflect circumstances occurring after the date of this filing. We advise you, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our future Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Current Reports on Form 8-K that we file with or furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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See Notes to Condensed Financial Statements.

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See Notes to Condensed Financial Statements.

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Mesabi Trust

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recognizes base overriding royalties on a quarterly basis based on the actual third party shipments and deemed shipments for internal use, for the fiscal quarter at the estimated royalty percentage as described above and based on the estimated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts.

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Bonus royalties

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The performance obligation for the bonus royalties consists of providing Northshore access to the Peters Lands, Cloquet Lands, and Mesabi Lands and the right to mine on these lands and the consideration to be received from this access relates to the volume of iron ore shipped, or deemed shipped, by Northshore. The Trust recognizes bonus royalties on a quarterly basis based on the actual third party shipments and deemed shipments for internal use, of the fiscal quarter at the actual royalty percentage for those shipments and based on the anticipated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts.

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Fee royalties

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The fee royalties consists of the volume of crude ore mined on a quarterly basis. The Trust recognizes fee royalties on a quarterly basis based on the actual crude ore mined during the fiscal quarter.

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Accrued income receivable

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The accrued income receivable is included in net income per unit. The Trust recorded $2,313,994 of accrued income receivable as reflected on the Condensed Balance Sheet as of April 30, 2022 (unaudited). As of January 31, 2022, the Trust recorded accrued income receivable of $4,631,510.

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Contract asset and contract liability

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The contract asset and contract liability are presented net in the accompanying condensed balance sheets as both the contract asset and contract liability are derived from one customer contract. A net contract asset in the amount of $4,402,490 is reflected on the Condensed Balance Sheet as of April 30, 2022 (unaudited). The net contract asset is made up of a contract asset in the amount of $4,402,490 and a contract liability in the amount of $0. As of January 31, 2022 the Trust recorded a net contract asset of $1,431,633, made up of a contract asset in the amount of $1,431,633 and no contract liability. The contract asset is based on the revenue recognized on the base overriding royalties, at the estimated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts that will be collected in subsequent quarters as the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved. The contract asset is not available for distribution to the Unitholders until the applicable royalties are actually received by the Trust. The Trust includes estimated future royalty rates on current contracted volumes within contract asset. The contract liability represents iron ore that has not been shipped by Northshore, but for which the Trust has received a royalty payment based on an initial estimated price, or in certain instances, quarterly payment of minimum advance royalties. Upon the outcome of the 2021 arbitration, in the third fiscal quarter of the year ended January 31, 2022, and consistent with Cliffs payment and pricing practices, the Trust is entitled to payment upon production of pellets to be sold for internal use by facilities owned by Cliffs or its subsidiaries, and no longer defers recognition of payments by Cliffs on pellets produced. Revenue is recognized in accordance with the Trust’s revenue recognition policy at the estimated prices for iron ore products sold under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts as actual third party shipments and deemed shipments for internal use, of these products are made.

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Note 3.  The Trustees determine whether to declare a distribution each year in April, July, October and January. The Trust’s financial statements are prepared on an accrual basis and present the Trust’s results of operations based on each of the Trust’s fiscal quarters, which end one month after the close of each calendar quarter. Because (i) distributions, if any, are declared by the Trustees based on, among other considerations, the amount of royalties actually paid to the Trust through the end of each calendar quarter prior to April, July, October and January of each year, the Trustees’ evaluation of known and projected Trust expenses in the current and future quarters, the then-current level of Unallocated Reserve and general economic conditions, and (ii) the Trust’s Net Income is calculated as of the end of each fiscal quarter, the distributions declared by the Trust are not equivalent to the Trust’s Net Income during the periods reported in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.

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Note 4.  On April 15, 2022, the Trustees declared a distribution of $1.04 per Unit of Beneficial Interest payable on May 20, 2022 to Mesabi Trust Unitholders of record at the close of business on April 30, 2022.

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On April 29, 2022, the Trustees received the quarterly royalty report of iron ore product during the calendar quarter ended March 31, 2022 from Cliffs, the parent company of Northshore.

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Each quarter, as authorized by the Agreement of Trust dated July 18, 1961, as amended (the “Agreement of Trust”), the Trustees evaluate all relevant factors, including all costs, expenses, obligations, and present and future liabilities of the Trust

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(whether fixed or contingent) in determining the prudent level of unallocated reserve in light of the unpredictable nature of the iron ore industry and current economic conditions.

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Pursuant to the Agreement of Trust, the Trustees make decisions about cash distributions to Unitholders based on the royalty payments it receives from Northshore when received, rather than as royalty income is recorded in accordance with the Trust’s revenue recognition policy. Refer to Note 3 for further information.

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As of April 30, 2022 and January 31, 2022, the unallocated cash and U.S. Government securities portion of the Trust’s Unallocated Reserve was comprised of the following components:

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A reconciliation of the Trust’s Unallocated Reserve and Trust Corpus for the three months ended April 30, 2022 and 2021 is as follows:

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The current royalty rate schedule became effective on August 17, 1989 pursuant to the Amended Assignment Agreements, which the Trust entered into with Cyprus Northshore Mining Corporation (“Cyprus NMC”). Pursuant to the Amended Assignment Agreements, overriding royalties are determined by both the volume and selling price of iron ore products shipped. In 1994, Cyprus NMC was sold by its parent corporation to Cliffs and renamed Northshore Mining Company. Cliffs now operates Northshore as a wholly owned subsidiary.

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Under the relevant agreements, Northshore has the right to mine and ship iron ore products from lands other than Mesabi Trust Lands. Northshore alone determines whether to conduct mining operations on Mesabi Trust Lands and/or such other lands based on its current mining and engineering plan. The Trustees do not exert any influence over mining operational decisions. To encourage the use of iron ore products from Mesabi Trust Lands, Mesabi Trust receives royalties on stated percentages of iron ore shipped, whether or not the iron ore products are from Mesabi Trust Lands. Mesabi Trust receives royalties at the greater of (i) the aggregate quantity of iron ore products shipped that were mined from Mesabi Trust Lands, and (ii) a portion of the aggregate quantity of all iron ore products shipped that were mined from any lands, such portion being 90% of the first four million tons shipped during such year, 85% of the next two million tons shipped during such year, and 25% of all tonnage shipped during such year in excess of six million tons. The royalty percentage paid to the Trust increases as the aggregate tonnage of iron ore products shipped, attributable to the Trust, in any calendar year increases past each of the first four one-million ton volume thresholds. Assuming a consistent sales price per ton throughout a calendar year, shipments of iron ore product attributable to the Trust later in the year generate a higher royalty to the Trust, as total shipments for the year exceed increasing levels of royalty percentages and pass each of the first four one-million ton volume thresholds.

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During the course of its fiscal year, some portion of royalties expected to be paid to Mesabi Trust is based in part on estimated prices for certain iron ore products sold under some of the Cliffs’ Customer Contracts. Some of the Cliffs’ Customer Contracts use estimated prices which are subject to interim and final pricing adjustments, which can be positive or negative, and which adjustments are dependent in part on multiple price and inflation index factors that are not known until after the end of a contract year. Even though Mesabi Trust is not a party to the Cliffs’ Customer Contracts, these adjustments can result in significant variations in royalties payable to Mesabi Trust (and, in turn, the resulting amount available for distribution to Unitholders by the Trust) from quarter to quarter and on a comparative historical basis, and these variations, which can be positive or negative, cannot be predicted by the Trust. In either case, these price adjustments will impact future royalties payable to the Trust and, in turn, will impact cash reserves that may become available for distribution to Unitholders.

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According to Cliffs’ SEC filings, certain of Cliffs’ third party customer supply agreements specify provisional price calculations, where the pricing mechanisms generally are based on market pricing, with the final revenue rate based on certain market inputs at a specified period in time in the future, per the terms of the supply agreements. Market inputs are tied to indexed price adjustment factors that are integral to the iron ore supply contracts and vary based on the agreement. The pricing adjustments generally operate in the same manner, with each factor typically comprising a portion of the price adjustment, although the weighting

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of each factor varies based upon the specific terms of each agreement. The price adjustment factors have been evaluated to determine if they qualify as embedded derivatives. The price adjustment factors share the same economic characteristics and risks as the host sales contract and are integral to the host sales contract as inflation adjustments; accordingly, they have not been separately valued as derivative instruments.

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A portion of royalties expected to be paid to the Trust each year is also based on “spot“ sales of iron ore products sold by Northshore and Cliffs, where pricing is basically set at a fixed rate.

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As also described elsewhere in this report, the Trust receives a bonus royalty equal to a percentage of the gross proceeds of iron ore products (mined from Mesabi Trust lands) shipped and sold at prices above the Adjusted Threshold Price. Although 99.5% of all the iron ore products shipped during calendar 2021 was sold at prices higher than the Adjusted Threshold Price, the Trustees are unable to project whether Cliffs will continue to be able to sell iron ore products at prices above the applicable Adjusted Threshold Price, entitling the Trust to any future bonus royalty payments.

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Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, the Corporate Trustee of Mesabi Trust, performs certain administrative functions for Mesabi Trust. The Trust maintains a website at www.mesabi-trust.com. The Trust makes available (free of charge) its annual, quarterly and current reports (and any amendments thereto) filed with the SEC through its website as soon as reasonably practicable after electronically filing or furnishing such material with or to the SEC.

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Results of Operations

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Comparison of Iron Ore Pellet Production and Shipments for the Three Months Ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021

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As shown in the table below, during the three months ended April 30, 2022, production of iron ore pellets at Northshore from Mesabi Trust Lands totaled 906,952 tons, and shipments over the same period totaled 906,952 tons. By comparison, pellet production and shipments for the comparable period in 2021 were 1,129,383 tons and 547,704 tons, respectively. The decrease in production is attributable to the anticipated future demand from Northshore’s customers as compared to the prior period. The increase in shipments is attributable to the anticipated current demand from Northshore’s customers as compared to the prior comparable period. For the three months ended April 30, 2022, approximately 99.7% of shipments originated from Trust lands.

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Comparison of Royalty Income for the Three Months Ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021

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As reflected in the table below, the Trust’s total royalty income for the three months ended April 30, 2022 increased by $4,793,322 to $14,195,489 as compared to the three months ended April 30, 2021. The increase in total royalty income is due to an increase in pricing and shipments of iron ore during the three months ended April 30, 2022, as compared to the three months ended April 30, 2021.

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The table below shows that the base overriding royalties increased $2,593,068 and the bonus royalties increased by $2,149,986 for the three months ended April 30, 2022, as compared to the three months ended April 30, 2021. Fee royalties increased by $50,268 over the same period. The increase in the base overriding royalties and bonus royalties is attributable to an increase in pricing of iron ore and shipments as compared to the prior comparable period. The increase in the fee royalty amount is due to an increase in the amount of iron ore mined under the Peters Lease as well as an increase in the royalty rate in the current fiscal quarter as compared to the prior comparable period.

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The table below summarizes the components of Mesabi Trust’s total royalty income for the three months ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021, respectively:

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Comparison of Net Income, Expenses and Distributions for the Three Months Ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021

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Net income for the three months ended April 30, 2022 was $13,595,185, an increase of $5,021,315 as compared to the three months ended April 30, 2021. The increase in net income for the three months ended April 30, 2022 was primarily the result of an increase in pricing of iron ore and amount of shipments as compared to the three months ended April 30, 2021. The Trust’s expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2022 were $601,063, a decrease of $227,718 compared to the expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2021. The decrease in expenses was primarily attributable to a decrease in legal fees and expenses related to the arbitration that was completed during the fiscal year ended January 31, 2022. The table below summarizes the Trust’s income and expenses for the three months ended April 30, 2022 and April 30, 2021, respectively.

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As presented on the “Trust’s Condensed Statements of Operations” on page 3 of this quarterly report, the Trust’s net income per unit increased $0.3827 per unit to $1.0362 per unit for the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2022 as compared to the fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2021. On April 15, 2022, the Trust declared a distribution of $1.04 per unit payable on May 20, 2022 to Unitholders of record on April 30, 2022. Comparatively, the Trust declared a distribution of $0.89 per unit to Unitholders in April 2021.

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On a quarterly basis, the Trustees review a variety of financial and economic data and information impacting the Trust, and upon the Trustees’ determination, distributions may be declared approximately ten weeks after the Trustees receive a quarterly royalty report from Northshore and Cliffs and the Trust receives the actual royalty payment with respect to royalty income that is payable for iron ore shipments through the end of each prior calendar quarter. Royalty payments may include pricing adjustments with respect to shipments made during prior periods. The Trust accounts for and reports accrued income receivable based on shipments during the last month of each of the Trust’s fiscal quarters (April, July, October and January) and price adjustments under Cliffs’ Customer Contracts (which can be positive or negative and can result in significant variations in royalties received by Mesabi Trust and cash available for distribution to Unitholders) as reported to the Trust by Northshore. The Trust accounts for these amounts by using estimated prices and reports such amounts even though accrued income receivable is not available for distribution to Unitholders until it is received by the Trust. Accordingly, distributions declared by the Trust are not equivalent to the Trust’s net income during the periods reported in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.

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Comparison of Unallocated Reserve as of April 30, 2022, April 30, 2021 and January 31, 2022

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As set forth in the table below, Unallocated Reserve increased from $13,374,107 as of April 30, 2021 to $30,745,124 as of April 30, 2022. The increase in Unallocated Reserve as of April 30, 2022, as compared to April 30, 2021, is primarily the result of an increase in the unallocated cash and U.S. Government securities and contract asset. The increase in the unallocated cash and U.S. Government securities is attributable to an increase in royalties received in the first quarter of 2022 as compared to the first quarter of 2021. The increase in the contract asset is the result of revenue recognized on the base overriding royalties as the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is resolved over the course of the calendar year.

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It is possible that future negative price adjustments could offset, or even eliminate, future royalties or royalty income that would otherwise be payable to the Trust in any particular quarter, or at year end, thereby potentially reducing cash available for distribution to the Trust’s Unitholders in future quarters. See the discussion under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4 of the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2022 (filed April 27, 2022), as updated by Part II, Item 1A of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

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The Trust’s Unallocated Reserve as of April 30, 2022 decreased by $49,625 to $30,745,124, as compared to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2022. The decrease in the Unallocated Reserve as of April 30, 2022, as compared to January 31, 2022, is primarily the result of a decrease in the unallocated cash and U.S. Government securities and accrued income receivable. The decrease in the unallocated cash and U.S. Government securities is attributable to a decrease in royalties received in the first quarter of 2022 as

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compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. The decrease in the accrued income receivable portion of the Unallocated Reserve is attributable to a decrease in shipments for the month ended April 30, 2022 as compared to the month ended January 31, 2022.

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Each quarter, as authorized by the Agreement of Trust, the Trustees will reevaluate all relevant factors including all costs, expenses, obligations, and present and future liabilities of the Trust (whether fixed or contingent) in determining a prudent level of unallocated reserve in light of the unpredictable nature of the iron ore industry, current and projected future mining operations and current economic conditions. Although the actual amount of the Unallocated Reserve will fluctuate from time to time and may increase or decrease from its current level, it is currently anticipated that future distributions will be highly dependent upon royalty income as it is received and the level of Trust expenses. The amount of future royalty income available for distribution will be subject to the volume of iron ore product shipments and the dollar level of sales by Northshore. Shipping activity is greatly reduced during the winter months. The current idling of Northshore operations, which commenced May 1, 2022 and will continue until at least Fall 2022 and maybe beyond according to Cliffs, will reduce the Trust’s royalty income. Economic conditions, particularly those affecting the iron ore and steel industry arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, may adversely affect the amount and timing of such future shipments and sales. The Trustees will continue to monitor the economic and other circumstances of the Trust to strike a responsible balance between distributions to Unitholders and the need to maintain adequate reserves at a prudent level, given the unpredictable nature of the iron ore and steel industry, the Trust’s dependence on the actions of the lessee/operator, and the fact that the Trust essentially has no other liquid assets.

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Recent Developments

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Receipt of Quarterly Royalty Report and Royalty Payment

On April 29, 2022, the Trustees of Mesabi Trust received the quarterly royalty report of iron ore shipments out of Silver Bay, Minnesota during the quarter ended March 31, 2022 (the “Royalty Report”) from Cliffs, the parent company of Northshore, the owner.

As reported to Mesabi Trust by Cliffs in the Royalty Report, based on shipments of iron ore products by Northshore during the three months ended March 31, 2022, Mesabi Trust was credited with a base royalty of $6,032,086. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, Mesabi Trust was also credited with a bonus royalty in the amount of $7,055,223. The royalty payment received on April 29, 2022 also included an increase of $176,283 as a result of positive pricing adjustments to base and bonus royalty calculations related to changes in price estimates made in prior quarters. In addition, a royalty payment of $278,850 was paid to the Mesabi Land Trust. Accordingly, the total royalty payments received by Mesabi Trust on April 29, 2022 from Cliffs were $13,542,442.

The royalties paid to Mesabi Trust are based on the volume of iron ore pellets and other products produced or shipped during the quarter and the year to date, the pricing of iron ore product sales, and the percentage of iron ore pellet production and shipments from Mesabi Trust lands rather than from non-Mesabi Trust lands. In the first calendar quarter of 2022, Cliffs credited Mesabi Trust with 1,069,456 tons of iron ore shipped, as compared to 919,457 tons shipped during the first calendar quarter of 2021.

The volume of shipments of iron ore pellets (and other iron ore products) by Northshore varies from quarter to quarter and year to year based on a number of factors, including the requested delivery schedules of customers, general economic conditions in the iron ore industry, and weather conditions on the Great Lakes. Further, the prices under certain of Cliffs’ Customer Contracts, to which Mesabi Trust is not a party, are subject to interim and final pricing adjustments, dependent in part on multiple price and inflation index factors, some of which are not known until after the end of a contract year. These multiple factors can result in significant variations in royalties received by Mesabi Trust (and in turn, the resulting funds available for distribution to Unitholders by Mesabi Trust) from quarter to quarter and from year to year. These variations, which can be positive or negative, cannot be predicted by the Trustees of Mesabi Trust. Royalty payments anticipated to be received during the current year will continue to reflect pricing estimates for shipments of iron ore products that will be subject to positive or negative pricing adjustments. Based on the above factors, and as indicated by Mesabi Trust’s historical distribution payments, the royalties received by Mesabi Trust, and the distributions paid to Unitholders, if any, in any particular quarter are not necessarily indicative of royalties that will be received, or distributions that will be paid, if any, in any subsequent quarter or full year.

With respect to calendar year 2022, neither Northshore nor Cliffs has advised Mesabi Trust of its expected production or shipments of iron ore products, or what percentage of 2022 shipments will be from Mesabi Trust iron ore.

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In the Cliffs’ Royalty Report, Cliffs stated that the royalty payments reported April 29, 2022 were based on estimated iron ore pellet prices under the Cliffs Pellet Agreements, which are subject to change. It is possible that future negative price adjustments could offset, or even eliminate, royalties or royalty income that would otherwise be payable to Mesabi Trust in any particular quarter, or at year end, thereby potentially reducing cash available for distribution to Mesabi Trust’s Unitholders in future quarters.

Commencement of Idling at Northshore Mining Company

As previously projected by Cliffs, on May 1, 2022 Cliffs commenced the idling of Northshore Mining Company at its operations in Babbitt and Silver Bay, Minnesota. Cliffs’ previous disclosures announced the idling would be for approximately four months, until at least fall 2022, and maybe beyond. This current idling of Northshore operations will reduce the Trust’s royalty income which, in turn, will reduce funds available for cash distributions to Unitholders.

Mesabi Trust Distribution Announcement

On April 15, 2022, the Trustees of Mesabi Trust declared a distribution of one dollar and four cents ($1.04) per Unit of Beneficial Interest payable on May 20, 2022 to Mesabi Trust Unitholders of record at the close of business on April 30, 2022. The distribution was paid as announced.

The amount of the Trust’s distribution declared in its April 15, 2022 announcement also reflected the Trustees’ determination that Mesabi Trust had sufficient cash reserves available to make such a distribution, while also increasing the Trust’s level of unallocated reserves in order for the Trust to be positioned to meet current and future expenses, and present and future liabilities (whether fixed or contingent) that may arise, including expenses that would be incurred by the Trust during any potentially prolonged period of idling of Northshore Mining operations based on Cliffs’ announcement to idle Northshore’s operations starting Spring 2022 and continuing through at least Fall 2022, and maybe beyond. The Trustees’ April 2022 determination to increase the Trust’s unallocated reserve also accounted for numerous other considerations, including uncertainties resulting from Cliffs’ announcement to make Northshore a swing operation as Cliffs’ Minorca operation becomes increasingly utilized, potential volatility in the iron ore and steel industries generally, national and global economic uncertainties, possible further disturbances from global unrest and potential impacts from possible further outbreaks of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Important Factors Affecting Mesabi Trust

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The Agreement of Trust specifically prohibits the Trustees from entering into or engaging in any business. This prohibition seemingly applies even to business activities the Trustees deem necessary or proper for the preservation and protection of the Trust’s assets. Accordingly, the Trustees’ activities in connection with the administration of Trust assets are limited to collecting income, paying expenses and liabilities, distributing net income to Mesabi Trust’s Unitholders after the payment of, or provision for, such expenses and liabilities, monitoring royalties and protecting and conserving the held assets.

Neither Mesabi Trust nor the Trustees have any control over the operations and activities of Northshore, except within the framework of the Amended Assignment of Peters Lease. Cliffs alone controls (i) historical operating data, including iron ore production volumes, decisions to reduce or idle the Northshore plant and mining operations, marketing of iron ore products, operating and capital expenditures as they relate to Northshore, environmental and other liabilities and the effects of regulatory changes; (ii) plans for Northshore’s future operating and capital expenditures; (iii) geological data relating to ore reserves; (iv) projected production of iron ore products; (v) contracts between Cliffs and Northshore with their customers; and (vi) the decision to mine off Mesabi Trust and/or state lands, based on Cliffs’ current mining and engineering plan. The Trustees do not exert any influence over mining operational decisions at Northshore, nor do the Trustees provide any input regarding the ore reserve estimated at Northshore as reported by Cliffs. While the Trustees request relevant information from Cliffs and Northshore in accordance with the royalty agreement for use in periodic reports as part of their evaluation of Mesabi Trust’s disclosure controls and procedures, the Trustees do not control this information and they rely on the information in Cliffs’ periodic and current filings with the SEC to provide accurate and timely information in Mesabi Trust’s reports filed with the SEC.

In accordance with the Agreement of Trust and the Amendment, the Trustees are entitled to, and in fact do, rely upon certain experts in good faith, including (i) the independent consultants with respect to monthly production and shipment reports, which include figures on crude ore production and iron ore pellet shipments, and discussions concerning the condition and accuracy of the scales and plans regarding the development of Mesabi Trust’s mining property; and (ii) the accounting firm they have contracted with for non-audit services, including reviews of financial data related to shipping and sales reports provided by Northshore and a review of the schedule of leasehold royalties payable to Mesabi Trust.

For a discussion of additional factors, including but not limited to those that could adversely affect Mesabi Trust’s actual results and performance, see “Risk Factors” set forth on pages 4 through 16 of Mesabi Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year-ended January 31, 2022 (filed April 27, 2022).

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Iron Ore Pricing and Contract Adjustments

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During the course of its fiscal year some portion of the royalties paid to Mesabi Trust is based in part on estimated prices for certain iron ore products sold under some of the Cliffs’ Customer Contracts. Mesabi Trust is not a party to any of the Cliffs’ Customer Contracts. These prices are subject to interim and final pricing adjustments, which can be positive or negative, and which adjustments are dependent in part on a variety of price and inflation index factors, including but not limited to various benchmark pellet prices, hot band steel prices and various Producer Price Indexes. Although Northshore makes interim adjustments to the royalty payments on a quarterly basis, these price adjustments cannot be finalized until after the end of a contract year. This may result in significant and frequent variations in royalties received by Mesabi Trust (and in turn the resulting amount of funds available for distribution to Unitholders by the Trust) from quarter to quarter and on a comparative historical basis. These variations, which can be positive or negative, cannot be predicted by Mesabi Trust. It is possible that future negative price adjustments could partially or even completely offset royalties or royalty income that would otherwise be payable to the Trust in any particular quarter, or at year-end, thereby potentially reducing cash available for distribution to the Trust’s Unitholders in future quarters.

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Effects of Securities Regulation

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The Trust is a publicly traded, pass-through royalty trust with its Trust Certificates listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and is therefore subject to extensive regulation under, among others, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), each as amended, and the rules and regulations of the NYSE. Issuers failing to comply with such authorities risk serious consequences, including criminal as well as civil and administrative penalties. In most instances, these laws, rules and regulations do not specifically address their applicability to a publicly-traded pass-through royalty trust such as Mesabi Trust. In particular, Sarbanes-Oxley mandated the adoption by the SEC and NYSE of certain rules and regulations that are impossible for the Trust to literally satisfy because of its nature as a pass-through royalty trust. Pursuant to NYSE rules, as a pass-through royalty trust, the Trust is exempt from many of the corporate governance requirements that apply to other publicly traded corporations. The Trust does not have, nor does the Agreement of Trust provide for, a board of directors, an audit committee, a corporate governance committee, a compensation committee or executive officers. The Trust has no employees. The Trustees closely monitor the SEC’s and NYSE’s rulemaking activities and will comply with their rules and regulations to the extent applicable.

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The Trust’s website is located at www.mesabi-trust.com.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

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This “Trustees’ Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” is based upon the Trust’s financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires the Trustees to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. These estimates form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The Trustees base their estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Trustees believe are reasonable under the circumstances. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material. Critical accounting policies are those that have meaningful impact on the reporting of the Trust’s financial condition and results of operations, and that require significant judgment and estimates.

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There have been no material changes in the Trust’s critical accounting policies or significant accounting estimates during the three months ended April 30, 2022. For a complete description of the Trust’s significant accounting policies, please see Note 2 to the financial statements included in the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2022 (filed April 27, 2022).

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Certain Tax Information

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The Trust is not taxable as a corporation for federal or state income tax purposes and is instead qualified as a nontaxable grantor trust. Since the Trust’s inception, all net taxable income is annually attributable directly to Unitholders for tax purposes regardless of whether the income is distributed or retained by the Trust in its reserve account. As such, in lieu of the Trust paying income taxes, Unitholders report their pro rata share of the various items of Trust income and deductions on their income tax returns. This reporting is required whether or not the earnings of the Trust are distributed as to Unitholders. During calendar year 2021, any funds retained to increase the Trust’s unallocated reserve, which were derived from reportable royalty income, will nonetheless become taxable as reportable income to Unitholders, depending on each individual’s personal tax situation. Information regarding the background on the changes in the Trust’s unallocated reserve is described above under “Results of Operations — Comparison of Unallocated Reserve as of April 30, 2022, April 30, 2021 and January 31, 2022” beginning on page 12. Unitholders are encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors to plan for any financial impact related to this and to review their personal tax situations related to investing in, holding or selling units of beneficial interest in Mesabi Trust.

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On February 11, 2022, Cliffs held a conference call to discuss Cliffs’ full year and fourth-quarter 2021 earnings. During the call, Lourenco Goncalves disclosed “…with the use of additional scrap in our BOF’s [basic oxygen furnaces], our iron ore needs are not as high as before, and we no longer need to run our mines full out. When determining where to adjust production, our first look is at our cost structure. Because we are now able to produce DR-grade pellets at Minorca, and mainly due to the ridiculous royalty structure we have in place with the Mesabi Trust, we will be idling all production at our Northshore mine, starting in the Spring, carrying through at least to the Fall period, and maybe beyond. At Northshore, no production, no shipments, no royalty payments. We also acknowledge that our strategy to stretch hot metal, by adding increased amounts of scrap to the BOF’s is working extremely well. With more scrap in the BOF’s, we need fewer tons of hot metal to produce the same tonnage of liquid steel. As a consequence, the Northshore idle could go longer than currently planned.”

During Cliffs’ February 11, 2022 earnings call, Mr. Goncalves also said that, “Going forward, [Cliffs] will be limiting the tonnage of iron ore pellets we sell to third parties.”

Cliffs’ most recent Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 (filed with the SEC on February 11, 2022, the same day as Cliffs’ earnings call announcement about idling Northshore from spring to at least the fall period), described the planned idling at Northshore as follows:

“As announced in February 2022, it is anticipated that the Northshore mine will be temporarily idled for approximately four months during 2022.”

On May 1, 2022, Cliffs commenced the idling of Northshore Mining Company at its operations in Babbitt and Silver Bay, Minnesota, which will continue until at least Fall 2022 and maybe beyond, according to Cliffs.  The current idling of Northshore operations will reduce the Trust’s royalty income which, in turn, will reduce funds available for cash distributions to unitholders.

Cliffs had not previously notified the Trust of any of the aforementioned operational changes. Separately, Cliffs had not recently requested any changes to the royalty structure and has historically failed to engage in meaningful negotiations requested by Mesabi Trust to address the interpretation of the royalty structure. Pursuant to the Agreement of Trust, any change to the royalty structure would require an amendment to the royalty agreement, which would require the approval of the Trustees as well as approval of 66 2/3% in interest of the Trust Certificate Holders.

Under the Royalty Agreement, Northshore’s obligation to pay base overriding royalties and royalty bonuses with respect to the sale or use of iron ore products generally accrues upon production or shipment of those products from Silver Bay. However, regardless of whether any shipment has occurred, Northshore is obligated to pay to Mesabi Trust a minimum advance royalty. Each year, the amount of the minimum advance royalty is adjusted (but not below $500,000 per annum) for inflation and deflation. The minimum advance royalty was $949,295 for calendar year 2019, $964,659 for calendar year 2020 and $976,765 for calendar year 2021.

Operational decisions about when, how often and for how long to idle Northshore operations are solely in the control of Cliffs and Northshore. The Trustees are not notified in advance of such decisions to idle Northshore operations, and the Trustees cannot predict the frequency or duration of such idling events.

Accordingly, the announced future plans, if and when implemented by Cliffs, as well as the current idling could have a material adverse effect on Mesabi Trust’s future royalty revenue and could materially reduce or potentially eliminate funds available for cash distributions. In addition, the market price of the Trust’s Units, which are listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, could be negatively impacted, and the Trust’s ability to continue to meet the continued listing criteria of the NYSE could be compromised, and could result in delisting of our Units.

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