Form 40-F
 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 40-F
[Check One]
     
o   REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
     
þ   ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13(a) OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
     
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008   Commission File Number 0-20115
METHANEX CORPORATION
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
CANADA
(Province or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
     
2869   N.A.
(Primary Standard Industrial
Classification Code (if applicable))
  (I.R.S. Employer Identification
Number (if applicable))
1800 Waterfront Centre, 200 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6C 3M1
Telephone: (604) 661-2600

 
(Address and telephone number of Registrant’s principal executive office)
CT Corporation System, 1633 Broadway, New York, New York 10019
Telephone: (202) 664-1666

 
(name, address (including zip code)and telephone number
(including area code) of agent for service in the United States)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act.
     
Title of each class   Name of each exchange on which registered
     
Common Shares   Nasdaq Global Market
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act.
None
(Title of each class)
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act.
8.75% Senior Notes due August 15, 2012
6.00% Senior Notes due August 15, 2015
(Title of each class)
For annual reports, indicate by check mark the information filed with this Form:
þ Annual Information Form       þ Audited Annual Financial Statements
Indicate number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report.
92,031,392 Common Shares were outstanding as of December 31, 2008
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by filing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). If “Yes” is marked, indicate the file number assigned to the Registrant in connection with such Rule.
Yes o 82 -  _____        No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act 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 þ                             No o
 
 

 

 


 

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Disclosure controls and procedures are defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission as those controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Registrant’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms. The Registrant’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have evaluated the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2008 and have determined that such disclosure controls and procedures are effective.
Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, senior management, and effected by the Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), including a reconciliation to United States GAAP. These controls include policies and procedures that:
    pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company;
    provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and
    provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the annual financial statements or interim financial statements.
There have been no changes during the year ended December 31, 2008 to internal control over financial reporting that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, internal controls over financial reporting.
The design of any system of controls and procedures is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events. There can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions, regardless of how remote.

 

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INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting is provided on page 42 of the Registrants’ Management’s Discussion and Analysis in Exhibit 99.2.
AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
The Registrant’s Board of Directors has determined that it has at least one audit committee financial expert serving on its Audit Committee. Mr. A. Terence Poole has been determined to be such audit committee financial expert and is independent, as that term is defined by Nasdaq’s corporate governance standards applicable to the Registrant. The Commission has indicated that the designation of Mr. Poole as an audit committee financial expert does not make Mr. Poole an “expert” for any other purpose, impose any duties, obligations or liability on Mr. Poole that are greater than those imposed on members of the audit committee and board of directors who do not carry this designation or affect the duties, obligations or liability of any other member of the audit committee.
CODE OF ETHICS
The Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to directors, officers and employees including the Registrant’s principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. A copy of the Registrant’s code, entitled “Code of Business Conduct”, can be found on the Registrant’s website at www.methanex.com. No waivers from or material amendments to the provisions of the Code were made in 2008.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
KPMG LLP, Chartered Accountants, Vancouver, are the independent auditors of the Company and the holders of the Company’s common shares have resolved to have the directors of the Company determine the auditor’s remuneration.
Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures
The Company’s Audit Committee annually reviews and approves the terms and scope of the external auditors’ engagement. The Audit Committee oversees the Audit and Non-Audit Pre-Approval Policy which sets forth the procedures and the conditions pursuant to which permissible services proposed to be performed by KPMG LLP, the Company’s external auditors, are pre-approved. The Audit Committee has delegated to the Chair of the Audit Committee pre-approval authority for any services not previously approved by the Audit Committee. All such services approved by the Chairman of the Audit Committee are subsequently reviewed by the Audit Committee.
All non-audit service engagements, regardless of the cost estimate, are required to be coordinated and approved by the Chief Financial Officer to further ensure that adherence to this policy is monitored.
Fees billed by KPMG LLP during the years ended December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007 were as follows:
                 
US$000s   2008     2007  
Audit Fees
    1,409       1,810  
Audit-Related Fees
    26       42  
Tax Fees
    217       393  
All Other Fees
           
 
           
Total
    1,652       2,245  
 
           
Each fee category is described below.
Audit Fees
Audit fees were billed for professional services rendered by the external auditors for the audit of the Company’s consolidated financial statements; statutory audits of the financial statements of the Company’s subsidiaries; quarterly reviews of the Company’s financial statements; consultations as to the accounting or disclosure treatment of transactions reflected in the financial statements; and services associated with registration statements, prospectuses, periodic reports and other documents filed with securities regulators.

 

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Audit fees billed in 2008 were in respect of an “integrated audit” performed by KPMG LLP. The integrated audit encompasses an opinion on the fairness of presentation of the Company’s financial statements as well as an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
Audit-Related Fees
Audit-related fees were billed for professional services rendered by the auditors for financial audits of employee benefit plans; procedures and audit or attest services not required by statute or regulation; and consultations as to the accounting or disclosure treatment of other transactions.
Tax Fees
Tax fees were billed for professional services rendered for tax compliance and tax advice. These services consisted of: tax compliance, including the review of tax returns; assistance in completing routine tax schedules and calculations; and advisory services relating to domestic and international taxation.
OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
Disclosure of off-balance sheet arrangements is made on page 26 of the Registrant’s “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” for the year ended December 31, 2008, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this report.
TABULAR DISCLOSURE OF CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
Tabular disclosure of contractual obligations is made on page 22 of the Registrant’s “Management’s Discussion and Analysis” for the year ended December 31, 2008, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to this report.
IDENTIFICATION OF THE AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Registrant has a separately designated standing Audit Committee established in accordance with section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. The Registrant’s audit committee is comprised of the following directors:
     
 
  A. Terence Poole, Chair
 
  Phillip Cook
 
  John Reid
 
  Janice Rennie
 
  Graham Sweeney
UNDERTAKING
The Registrant undertakes to make available, in person or by telephone, representatives to respond to inquiries made by the Commission staff, and to furnish promptly, when requested to do so by the Commission staff, information relating to: the securities in relation to which the obligation to file an annual report on Form 40-F arises, or transactions in the said securities.
CONSENT TO SERVICE OF PROCESS
A Form F-X signed by the Registrant and the Registrants’ agents for service of process with respect to the Common Shares was filed with the Commission together with the Form 40-F of the Registrant on June 16, 1995; with respect to the 8.75% Senior Notes due August 15, 2012 was filed with the Commission together with the Form F-9 of the Registrant on May 31, 2002, and; with respect to the 6.0% Senior Notes due August 15, 2015 was filed with the Commission together with the Form F-9 of the Registrant on July 21, 2005.

 

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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 40-F, and has duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereto duly authorized.
         


Date: March 27, 2009 
METHANEX CORPORATION


 
 
  By:   /s/ RANDY MILNER    
    Name:   Randy Milner   
    Title:   Senior Vice President,
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
 

 

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EXHIBITS
         
Exhibit No   Description
       
 
  23.1    
Consent of KPMG LLP dated March 27, 2009 and Report of Independent Accountants
       
 
  31.1    
Certification of President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
       
 
  31.2    
Certification of Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
       
 
  32.1    
Certification of President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
       
 
  32.2    
Certification of Senior Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
       
 
  99.1    
Annual Information Form of the Registrant dated March 17, 2009
       
 
  99.2    
Management’s Discussion and Analysis for the Year Ended December 31, 2008
       
 
  99.3    
Audited Consolidated Financial Statements of the Registrant for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the Independent Auditor’s Report thereon