Current Report Filing (8-k)

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): October 28, 2022

MESABI TRUST

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


New York	1-4488	13-6022277
(State or other jurisdiction of	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification
incorporation)		No.)


c/o Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas Trust & Agency Services 1 Columbus Circle, 17th Floor Mail Stop: NYC01-1710 New York, New York	10019
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(904) 271-2520

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

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 each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on

which registered

Units of Beneficial Interest, no par value

MSB

New York 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 2.02Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

Announcement of Receipt of Quarterly Royalty Report

On October 28, 2022, Mesabi Trust received the quarterly royalty report of iron ore shipments out of Silver Bay, Minnesota during the quarter ended September 30, 2022 (the “Royalty Report”) from Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (“Cliffs”), the parent company of Northshore Mining Company (“Northshore”). The Royalty Report indicated that, because of the current and ongoing idling of Northshore, the Trust received no royalty payment.

Item 7.01Regulation FD.

Quarterly Royalty Report

On October 28, 2022, the Trustees of Mesabi Trust received the Royalty Report from Cliffs, the parent company of Northshore.

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 September 30, 2022, Mesabi Trust was credited with a base royalty of zero dollars ($0.00). For the three months ended September 30, 2022, Mesabi Trust was also credited with a bonus royalty in the amount of zero dollars ($0.00). No adjustments were taken by Cliffs for the quarter. In addition, because of the current idling of Northshore, a royalty payment of zero dollars ($0.00) was paid to the Mesabi Land Trust. Accordingly, the total royalty payments received by Mesabi Trust on October 28, 2022 from Cliffs was zero dollars ($0.00).

The royalties paid to Mesabi Trust are based on the volume of iron ore pellets 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 shipments from Mesabi Trust lands rather than from non-Mesabi Trust lands. In the third calendar quarter of 2022, Cliffs credited Mesabi Trust with zero (0) tons of iron ore shipped, as compared to 1,169,461 tons shipped during the third calendar quarter of 2021.

The volume of iron ore pellets (and other iron ore products) produced and shipped by Northshore varies from quarter to quarter and year to year based on a number of factors, including, among others, Cliffs’ decisions to idle Northshore operations, the requested delivery schedules of customers, general economic conditions in the iron ore industry, production schedules and weather conditions on the Great Lakes. 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. 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.

As previously announced by Cliffs on July 22, 2022, the current idling of Northshore operations was extended until at least April 2023 and maybe beyond.

Cliffs’ Royalty Report stated that the reported royalty amounts were based on estimated iron ore pellet prices that 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.

Forward-looking Statements

This report contains certain forward-looking statements based on Cliffs’ publicly announced plans with respect to Northshore in the future, which statements are intended to be made under the safe harbor protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. The length of the idling of Northshore operations could differ materially from current expectations due to inherent risks and uncertainties such as general adverse business and industry economic trends, uncertainties arising from war, terrorist events, recession, potential future impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and other global events, higher or lower customer demand for steel and iron ore, decisions by mine operators regarding

curtailments or idling of production lines or entire plants, announcements and implementation of trade tariffs, 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, and other factors. Cliffs’ implementation of, or changes to, these plans are beyond Mesabi Trust’s control. As such, such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially. Additional information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties is contained in Mesabi Trust’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2022 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended April 30, 2022 and July 31, 2022. Mesabi Trust undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

In accordance with general instruction B.2 to Form 8-K, the information in this Form 8-K shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section.

SIGNATURE

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.