SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principle of consolidation

Principle of consolidation

These consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of Lihua International, Inc. and its subsidiaries.  All significant inter-company balances or transactions have been eliminated on consolidation.

Basis of preparation

Basis of preparation

These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Use of estimates

Use of estimates

The preparation of these consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of these consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances.  Accordingly, actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. Significant estimates for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011and 2010 include the allowance for doubtful accounts, the useful life of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, recoverability of the carrying values of property, plant and equipment and the fair values of share-based payments and warrants granted in connection with the private placement of preferred stock in 2008 and the public offering of common stock in 2009.

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of all cash balances and highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less.  Because of the short maturity of these investments, the carrying amounts approximate their fair value.  Restricted cash is excluded from cash and cash equivalents.

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable

Accounts receivable are stated at cost, net of an allowance for doubtful accounts.   The Company maintains allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses, if any, resulting from the failure of customers to make required payments. The Company reviews the accounts receivable on a periodic basis and makes allowances where there is doubt as to the collectability of individual balances. In evaluating the collectability of individual receivable balances, the Company considers many factors, including the age of the balance, the customer’s payment history, its current credit-worthiness and current economic trends.

Inventories

Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost, determined on a weighted average basis, or market. Costs of inventories include purchase and related costs incurred in bringing the products to their present location and condition. Market value is determined by reference to selling prices after the balance sheet date or to management’s estimates based on prevailing market conditions. Management will write down the inventories to market value if it is below cost. Management also regularly evaluates the composition of its inventories to identify slow-moving and obsolete inventories to determine if a valuation allowance is required.

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses, if any. Gains or losses on disposals are reflected as gain or loss in the year of disposal. The cost of improvements that extend the life of buildings, machinery and equipment are capitalized. These capitalized costs may include structural improvements, equipment and fixtures. All ordinary repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.

Depreciation for financial reporting purposes is provided using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets as follows:

	Useful Life
	(In years)
Buildings	20
Machinery	5-10
Office equipment & motor vehicles	5

Construction in progress

Construction in progress

Construction in progress includes direct costs of construction of buildings and equipment.  Interest incurred during the period of construction, if material, is also capitalized. Construction in progress is not depreciated until such time as the assets are completed and put into service. 

Prepaid land use right

Prepaid land use rights

Prepaid land use right represent lump sum payments for land use rights in the PRC.  The amount is expensed over the period the of land use rights of 50 years.

Intangible assets

Intangible assets

The Company’s intangible assets include computer software.  The Company’s amortization policy on intangible assets is as follows:

	Useful Life
	(In years)
Computer software	5

The Company accounts for its intangible assets pursuant to FASB ASC Subtopic 350-30, “General Intangibles Other Than Goodwill”. Under ASC 350-30-35, intangibles with definite lives continue to be amortized on a straight-line basis over the lesser of their estimated useful lives or contractual terms.  Intangibles with indefinite lives are evaluated at least annually for impairment by comparing the asset's estimated fair value with its carrying value, based on cash flow methodology.

Impairment of long-lived assets

Impairment of long-lived assets

The Company reviews and evaluates its long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the related carrying amounts may not be recoverable. Impairment is considered to exist if the total estimated future cash flows on an undiscounted basis are less than the carrying amount of the assets, including goodwill, if any. An impairment loss is measured and recorded based on discounted estimated future cash flows. In estimating future cash flows, assets are grouped at the lowest level for which there is identifiable cash flows that are largely independent of future cash flows from other asset groups.

Derivative financial instruments

Derivative financial instruments

The Company evaluates all its financial instruments to determine if such instruments are derivatives or contain features that qualify as embedded derivatives. For derivative financial instruments that are accounted for as liabilities, the derivative instrument is initially recorded at its fair value and is then re-valued at each reporting date, with changes in the fair value reported in the consolidated statements of income.

The Company’s warrants have been classified as derivatives in accordance with the guidance provided in FASB ASC 815-40-15-7I, because they are denominated in U.S. dollars, which is different from the Company’s functional currency (Renminbi).The Company accounted for the exercise of these warrants as extinguishment of debts in accordance with ASC 815-10-40-1, “Derivatives and Hedges – Derecognition” and ASC 470-50-40, “Debt – Modification and Extinguishments – Derecognition”.

Revenue recognition

Revenue recognition

Revenue is recognized when the following four revenue criteria are met: persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the selling price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.

Sales revenue is recognized net of value added tax, sales discounts and returns at the time when the merchandise is sold and delivered to the customer. Based on historical experience, management estimates that sales returns are immaterial and has not made an allowance for estimated sales returns.

Research and development costs

Research and development costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred, and charged to general and administrative expense. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, research and development costs were $1,779,018, $954,299and $184,441, respectively.

Advertising costs

Advertising costs

The Company expenses all advertising costs as incurred. The total amount of advertising costs charged to general and administrative expense were $856, $17,138and $5,265for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Shipping and handling costs

Shipping and handling costs

Substantially all costs of shipping and handling of products to customers are included in selling expenses.  Shipping and handling costs for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 were $2,343,646, $2,051,193 and$1,630,898, respectively.

Income taxes

Income taxes

The Company is subject to income taxes in the United States and other foreign jurisdictions where it operates. The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, “Income Taxes”.  FASB ASC Topic 740 requires an asset and liability approach for financial accounting and reporting for income taxes and allows recognition and measurement of deferred tax assets based upon the likelihood of realization of tax benefits in future years.  Under the asset and liability approach, deferred taxes are provided for the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes.  A valuation allowance is provided for deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not these items will either expire before the Company is able to realize their benefits, or that future deductibility is uncertain.

The Company’s income tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other tax authorities in the locations where it operates. The Company assesses potentially unfavorable outcomes of such examinations based on the criteria of FASB ASC 740-10-25-5 through 740-10-25-7 and 740-10-25-13which the Company adopted on January 1, 2007. The interpretation prescribes a more-likely-than-not threshold for financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken (or expected to be taken) in a tax return. This interpretation also provides guidance on de-recognition of income tax assets and liabilities, classification of current and deferred income tax assets and liabilities, accounting for interest and penalties associated with tax positions, accounting for income taxes in interim periods and income tax disclosures.

Comprehensive income

Comprehensive income

FASB ASC Topic 220, “Comprehensive Income”, establishes standards for reporting and displaying comprehensive income and its components in the consolidated financial statements. Accumulated other comprehensive income includes foreign currency translation adjustments.

Stock based compensation

Stock based compensation

The Company accounts for share-based compensation awards to employees in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation”, which requires that share-based payment transactions with employees be measured based on the grant-date fair value of the equity instrument issued and recognized as compensation expense over the requisite service period.

The Company accounts for share-based compensation awards to non-employees in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 718 and FASB ASC Subtopic 505-50, “Equity-Based Payments to Non-employees”. Under FASB ASC Topic 718 and FASB ASC Subtopic 505-50, stock compensation granted to non-employees has been determined as the fair value of the consideration received or the fair value of equity instrument issued, whichever is more reliably measured and is recognized as an expense as the goods or services are received

Foreign currency

Foreign currency

The Company has its local currency, Renminbi (“RMB”), as its functional currency.  The Company’s subsidiaries maintain their books and records in their functional currency, RMB.  The consolidated financial statements of the Company are translated from RMB into United States dollars (“U.S. Dollars” or “US$” or “$”). Accordingly, assets and liabilities of the PRC subsidiaries are translated from RMB into US Dollars using the applicable exchange rates prevailing at the balance sheet date.  Items on the statement of operations and cash flows are translated at average exchange rates during the reporting period.  Equity accounts are translated at historical rates.  Adjustments resulting from the translation of the Company’s financial statements are recorded as accumulated other comprehensive income. 

The exchange rates used to translate amounts in RMB into U.S. Dollars for the purposes of preparing the consolidated financial statements are based on the rates as published on the website of People’s Bank of China and are as follows:

	2012	2011	2010
Balance sheet items, except for equity accounts	US$1=RMB  6.2855	US$1=RMB 6.3009	US$1=RMB6.6227
Items in the statements of income and cash flows	US$1=RMB  6.3125	US$1=RMB 6.4588	US$1=RMB6.7695

No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars at the above rates. The value of RMB against U.S. dollars and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in China’s political and economic conditions. Any significant revaluation of RMB may materially affect the Company’s financial condition in terms of U.S. dollar reporting.

Segment reporting

Segment reporting

The Company follows FASB ASC Topic 280, “Segment Reporting”, which requires that companies disclose segment data based on how management makes decision about allocating resources to segments and evaluating their performance.

The Company believes that during the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, it operated mainly in one business segment – Manufacturing and sales of refined copper rod and copper anode, as well as copper clad aluminum (CCA) wire and copper wire produced from refined copper rod.  Throughout the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 all of the Company’s operations were carried out mainly in one geographical segment - China.

The Company’s major product categories are (1) wire manufacturing, consisting of (a) CCA fine and superfine wire, which is an electrical conductor consisting of an outer sleeve of copper that is metallurgically bonded to a solid aluminum core, and (b) copper fine and superfine wire, manufactured from recycled copper rod; (2) refined copper rod; and (3) refined copper anode, the latter two of which are fire refined from scrap copper. The manufacturing of refined copper was launched in the first quarter of 2009.

Dividends

Dividends

Dividends are recognized when declared.

PRC regulations currently permit payment of dividends only out of accumulated profits as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. The Company’s PRC subsidiaries can only distribute dividends after they have met the PRC requirements for appropriation to statutory reserves. The PRC government imposes control over its foreign currency reserves in part through direct regulation of the conversion of the RMB into foreign exchange and through restrictions on foreign trade. As the majority of the Company’s revenues are in RMB, any restrictions on currency exchange may limit the Company’s ability to use revenue generated in RMB to fund its business activities outside China or to make dividend payments in U.S. dollars.

Earnings per common share

Earnings per common share

The Company reports earnings per share in accordance with the provisions of FASB ASC Topic 260, “Earnings per Share”. FASB ASC Topic 260 requires presentation of basic and diluted earnings per share in conjunction with the disclosure of the methodology used in computing such earnings per share. Basic earnings per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing income available to common stockholders by the weighted average common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share takes into account the potential dilution (using the treasury stock method) that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised and converted into common stock.

Commitments and contingencies

Commitments and contingencies

The Company follows FASB ASC Subtopic 450-20, “Loss Contingencies” in determining its accruals and disclosures with respect to loss contingencies. Accordingly, estimated losses from loss contingencies are accrued by a charge to income when information available prior to issuance of the financial statements indicates that it is probable that a liability could have been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. Legal expenses associated with the contingency are expensed as incurred. If a loss contingency is not probable or reasonably estimable, disclosure of the loss contingency is made in the financial statements when it is at least reasonably possible that a material loss could be incurred.

Recent accounting pronouncements

Recent accounting pronouncements

In July 2012, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2012-02 Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): The amendments in this update will allow an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative impairment test. Under these amendments, an entity would not be required to calculate the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset unless the entity determines, based on a qualitative assessment, that it is not more likely than not, the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. The amendments include a number of events and circumstances for an entity to consider in conducting the qualitative assessment. The amendments are effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. Early adoption is permitted, including for annual and interim impairment tests performed as of a date before July 27, 2012, if a public entity’s financial statements for the most recent annual or interim period have not yet been issued. The Company does not expect the adoption of the provisions in this update will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2013, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-02 Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): The objective of this update is to improve the reporting of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income. The amendments in this update seek to attain that objective by requiring an entity to report the effect of significant reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income on the respective line items in net income if the amount being reclassified is required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to be reclassified in its entirety to net income. For other amounts that are not required under U.S. GAAP to be reclassified in their entirety to net income in the same reporting period, an entity is required to cross-reference other disclosures required under U.S. GAAP that provide additional detail about those amounts. This would be the case when a portion of the amount reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income is reclassified to a balance sheet account (for example, inventory) instead of directly to income or expense in the same reporting period. For public entities, the amendments are effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012. The Company does not expect the adoption of the provisions in this update will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption.