SORL Auto Parts Receives High-Tech Enterprise Status and Preferred Tax Rate

- Net Income Guidance Based on 15% Tax Rate is Approximately $12.7 Million in 2012

ZHEJIANG, China--Dec. 31, 2012: SORL Auto Parts, Inc. ("SORL" or "the Company"), a leading supplier of brake and control systems to the global commercial vehicle industry, announced today that the Chinese government has renewed SORL's High-Tech Enterprise status. The Company was also designated as a High-Tech Enterprise beginning in 2009, the first year it was available, through the 2011 fiscal year. As a High-Tech Enterprise, SORL receives a preferred tax rate of 15% for the three years 2012 through 2014, compared with the normal 25% corporate tax rate. 

There are a number of criteria to qualify for the High-Tech Enterprise including: a company must own proprietary intellectual rights, operate in a government-selected industry, R&D expenditures and income from high-tech products/services each must meet a required minimum percentage of annual revenue, and the number of R&D personnel must meet a  required percentage of total employees.

The Company already has received its anticipated tax refund for the first three-quarters of 2012 of approximately $1.2 million (approximately RMB 7.64 million) resulting from this designation.   

For fiscal year 2012, management reiterates its expectation for net sales to be approximately $191.4 million and revises its net income expectation to be approximately $12.7 million. The revised net income guidance is based upon the preferred 15% tax rate from the renewal of the High-Tech Enterprise status. This target is based on the Company's current views on the operating and market conditions, which are subject to change.

Ms. Jinrui Yu, SORL Auto Parts' COO, said, "The High-Tech Enterprise designation reflects the Chinese government's desire to build the domestic technology base by favoring only companies that are advancing technologies. Our research and development program is innovating new products with higher technology content to offer better solutions for our customers' current vehicles and to prepare for future vehicles, especially pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles promoted by the Chinese government. Innovation will enable us to sustain our leading position in the domestic market for brake systems and better penetrate the global auto parts industry to gain momentum for our future growth, strengthen our technology base and build shareholder value."