ck0001137360-20211231

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PROSPECTUS
May 1, 2022
VANECK®
China Growth Leaders ETF    GLCN
ChiNext ETF    CNXT
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange for each Fund: NYSE Arca, Inc.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
800.826.2333    vaneck.com


TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary Information


VANECK® CHINA GROWTH LEADERS ETF
SUMMARY INFORMATION
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
VanEck® China Growth Leaders ETF1 (the “Fund”) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the MarketGrader China All-Cap Growth Leaders Index (the “China Index”).
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fee 0.50  %
Other Expenses(a)
0.90  %
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(b)
1.40  %
Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(b)
-0.80  %
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(a)(b)
0.60  %
(a)    “Other Expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
(b)    Van Eck Associates Corporation (the “Adviser”) has agreed to waive fees and/or pay Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, trading expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.60% of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year until at least May 1, 2023. During such time, the expense limitation is expected to continue until the Fund’s Board of Trustees acts to discontinue all or a portion of such expense limitation.
EXPENSE EXAMPLE
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell or hold all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% annual return and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (except that the example incorporates the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement arrangement for only the first year). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
YEAR EXPENSES
1 $61 
3 $364 
5 $689 
10 $1,610 

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 59% of the average value of its portfolio.
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund will normally invest at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the Fund’s benchmark index and/or in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of the securities that comprise its benchmark index.
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1Prior to September 1, 2021, the Fund's name was VanEck Vectors® China Growth Leaders ETF.
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The China Index is comprised of Chinese equity securities which are generally considered by MarketGrader.com Corp. (the “Index Provider”) to exhibit favorable fundamental characteristics according to the Index Provider’sproprietary scoring methodology. For each company eligible for the China Index, the Index Provider creates a numerical score based on indicators measuring four fundamental characteristics, derived from public company filings and stock prices. The four fundamental characteristics are growth, value, profitability and cash flow. The resulting score is a weighted average of these indicators. To be initially eligible for inclusion in the China Index, companies must be domiciled in China and listed on an eligible stock exchange, as determined by the Index Provider. From this universe of companies, the top-ranked names according to the Index Provider’s proprietary score are included, and then weighted according to their free-float market capitalization.
As of December 31, 2021, the China Index included 198 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of between approximately $0.36 billion and $548 billion and a weighted average market capitalization of $69.9 billion. These amounts are subject to change. The Fund’s 80% investment policy is non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.
The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the China Index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicates the China Index. Unlike many investment companies that try to “beat” the performance of a benchmark index, the Fund does not try to “beat” the China Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its investment objective of seeking to replicate the China Index.
The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by primarily investing directly in A-shares and shares of companies domiciled in China and listed on Chinese or eligible offshore exchanges. A-shares are issued by companies incorporated in the People’s Republic of China (“China” or the “PRC”). A-shares are traded in renminbi (“RMB”) on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchanges. The A-share market in China is made available to domestic PRC investors and foreign investors through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (together, “Stock Connect”), and through licenses obtained under the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“RQFII”) or Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“QFII”) programs. After obtaining a RQFII or QFII license, the RQFII or QFII would register itself with China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”). Because the Fund does not satisfy the criteria to qualify as a RQFII or QFII itself, the Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares via Stock Connect, as described below, or via the license granted to the Fund’s sub-adviser, China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited (the “Sub-Adviser”), by CSRC (“RQFII license”). The Sub-Adviser has obtained RQFII status, which the Sub-Adviser will use to invest in A-shares on behalf of the Fund. The Fund may also invest in A-shares listed and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges through Stock Connect. Stock Connect is a securities trading and clearing program between the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (“CSDCC”) and Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited (“HKSCC”) designed to permit mutual stock market access between mainland China and Hong Kong by allowing investors to trade and settle shares on each market via their local exchanges. Other exchanges in China may participate in Stock Connect in the future. Purchases of A-shares through Stock Connect are subject to a daily quota which does not belong to the Fund and can only be utilized on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once the daily quota is exceeded, buy orders will be rejected. Accordingly, the Fund's investments in A-shares via Stock Connect will be subject to the abovementioned daily quota limits on daily net purchases.
The Fund may also invest a portion of its assets in swaps, futures contracts and other types of derivative instruments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of A-shares and shares of Chinese companies, including swaps on the China Index, swaps on the A-shares and shares of Chinese companies which comprise the China Index and/or swaps on funds that seek to replicate the performance of the China Index or funds that invest in A-shares and shares of Chinese companies or the Fund may invest directly in shares of such funds. The notional values of these swaps, futures contracts and other derivative instruments will count towards the Fund’s 80% investment policy and cash and cash equivalents related to the swaps, futures contracts and other derivative instruments will not be counted towards the calculation of total assets. The Fund may also invest in exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), including ETFs listed on a Hong Kong or other foreign exchange.
The Fund may become “non-diversified” as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), solely as a result of a change in relative market capitalization or index weighting of one or more constituents of the China Index. This means that the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers than would be the case if the Fund were always managed as a diversified management investment company. The Fund intends to be diversified in approximately the same proportion as the China Index. Shareholder approval will not be sought when the Fund crosses from diversified to non-diversified status due solely to a change in the relative market capitalization or index weighting of one or more constituents of the China Index.
The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the China Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of December 31, 2021, each of the consumer discretionary, consumer staples, health care, industrials and information technology sectors represented a significant portion of the Fund.
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PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND
Investors in the Fund should be willing to accept a high degree of volatility in the price of the Fund’s Shares and the possibility of significant losses. An investment in the Fund involves a substantial degree of risk. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund, each of which could significantly and adversely affect the value of an investment in the Fund.
Risk of the RQFII Regime and the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategy. The China Index is comprised of A-shares and shares of companies domiciled in China and listed on Chinese or eligible offshore exchanges. In seeking to replicate the China Index, the Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license and Stock Connect and in other shares directly. Because the Fund will not be able to invest in A-shares beyond the limits that may be imposed by Stock Connect and the RQFII, the size of the Fund’s direct investment in A-shares may be limited. In addition, the RQFII license of the Sub-Adviser may be revoked by the Chinese regulators if, among other things, the Sub-Adviser fails to observe China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”), SAFE and other applicable Chinese regulations. There can be no assurance the Fund could retain a replacement sub-adviser with an RQFII license or other means of investing in A-shares if that became necessary or appropriate for any reason.
The Fund cannot predict what would occur if the RQFII of the Sub-Adviser generally were eliminated, although such an occurrence would likely have a material adverse effect on the Fund, including the requirement that the Sub-Adviser on behalf of the Fund dispose of certain or all of its A-shares holdings, and may adversely affect the willingness and ability of potential swap counterparties to engage in swaps with the Fund linked to the performance of A-shares. These risks are compounded by the fact that there are only a limited number of firms and potential counterparties that have RQFII or QFII status or are willing and able to enter into swap transactions linked to the performance of A-shares. To the extent the Fund invests in swaps, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will be able to invest in appropriate swaps, and the PRC government may at times restrict the ability of firms regulated in the PRC to make such swaps available. Therefore, any such reduction or elimination may have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective. If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to the performance of the China Index due to the limited availability of investments that provide exposure to the performance of A-shares, the Fund, subject to any necessary regulatory relief, could, among other things, as a defensive measure limit or suspend creations until the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser determine that the requisite exposure to the China Index is obtainable. If any of the above events were to occur, the Fund could trade at a significant premium or discount to its net asset value (“NAV”) and could experience substantial redemptions and the Fund could, among other things, change its investment objective by, for example, seeking to track an alternative index focused on Chinese-related stocks other than A-shares or other appropriate investments, or decide to liquidate. Although the regulations on RQFII have recently been revised to relax regulatory restrictions on shore capital management by RQFIIs (including removal of RQFII quota limits and simplifying the repatriation of investment proceeds), it is a very new development that is subject to uncertainties in the implementation in practice, especially at early stages.
There are also risks associated with the taxation of RQFIIs. Please refer to the section titled “PRC Taxation” below for more details.
A-Shares invested via the RQFII will be maintained by a local custodian pursuant to PRC regulations. The Fund may incur losses due to the acts or omissions of the local custodian in execution or settlement of any transaction. Any cash maintained by the local custodian is commingled with cash of other clients of the local custodian. Therefore, in the event of the bankruptcy or liquidation of the local custodian, the Fund may face difficulty and/or encounter delays in recovering such debt, or may not be able to recover it in full or at all, in which case the Fund will suffer losses.
The Fund may also suffer substantial losses if any of the key RQFII key operators or parties defaults, becomes bankrupt or disqualified from performing their obligations.
The Sub-Adviser, as a licensed RQFII, is currently permitted to repatriate RMB daily and is not subject to RMB repatriation restrictions or prior approval, provided that final repatriation of capital and profits at the liquidation of the Fund will be subject to an audit report and tax filing. However, there is no assurance that RQFII may not be subject to restrictions or prior approval requirements in the future. Any additional restrictions imposed on the Sub-Adviser or RQFIIs generally may have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to invest directly in A-shares and its ability to meet redemption requests.
If the Fund’s direct investments in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license become subject to repatriation restrictions, the Fund may be unable to satisfy distribution requirements applicable to regulated investment companies (“RICs”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and be subject to income and excise tax at the Fund level. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions before re- qualifying for taxation as a RIC. See the prospectus under “Shareholder Information—Tax Information—Taxes on Distributions” for more information. The Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat Chinese taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. Even if the Fund is qualified to make that election and does so, this treatment will not apply with respect to amounts the Fund reserves in anticipation of the imposition of withholding taxes not currently in effect (as discussed above). If these amounts are used to pay any tax liability of the Fund in a later year, they will be treated as paid by the shareholders in such later year, even if they are imposed with respect to income of an earlier year. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Tax Information” for a further description of this risk. There is no guarantee that the
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temporary tax exemption or non-taxable treatment with respect to assets traded via QFIIs and RQFIIs described above will continue to apply.
Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China and A-shares. Investments in securities of Chinese issuers, including A-shares, involve risks and special considerations not typically associated with investments in the U.S. securities markets. These risks may include, among others, (i) more frequent (and potentially widespread) trading suspensions and government interventions with respect to Chinese issuers, resulting in lack of liquidity and in price volatility, (ii) currency revaluations and other currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockage, (iii) the nature and extent of intervention by the Chinese government in the Chinese securities markets (including both direct and indirect market stabilization efforts, which may affect valuations of Chinese issuers), whether such intervention will continue and the impact of such intervention or its discontinuation, (iv) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, (v) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs, (vi) limitations on the use of brokers (or action by the Chinese government that discourages brokers from serving international clients), (vii) higher rates of inflation, (viii) greater political, economic and social uncertainty, (ix) market volatility caused by any potential regional or territorial conflicts or natural or other disasters (x) the risk of increased trade tariffs, embargoes, sanctions, investment restrictions and other trade limitations, (xi) custody risks associated with investing via the Stock Connect Program or through a RQFII, where due to requirements regarding establishing a custody account in the joint names of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser the Fund’s assets may not be as well protected from the claims of the Sub-Adviser’s creditors than if the Fund had an account in its name only, (xii) both interim and permanent market regulations which may affect the ability of certain stockholders to sell Chinese securities when it would otherwise be advisable, (xiii) foreign ownership limits of any listed Chinese company and (xiv) the general risks applicable to RQFIIs and the Stock Connect.
The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, interest rates, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. The Chinese central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership and actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China. In addition, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well, potentially having a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China.
The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by greater price volatility relative to U.S. markets. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions as discussed above. Price fluctuations of A-shares are limited per trading day. In addition, there is less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States. Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards in China are different from U.S. standards and, therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made. In addition, less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund’s investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. There is also generally less governmental regulation of the securities industry in China, and less enforcement of regulatory provisions relating thereto, than in the United States. Moreover, it may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in a court outside the United States.
The A-share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or government intervention. Securities on the A-share market, including securities in the China Index, may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities.
The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and the Fund’s investments. Moreover, a slowdown in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would adversely impact the Fund’s investments.
Emerging markets such as China can experience high rates of inflation, deflation and currency devaluation. The value of the RMB may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation due to, among other things, changes in interest rates, the effects of monetary policies issued by the PRC, the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or other national or global political or economic developments. The income received by the Fund for its investments denominated in RMB will principally be in RMB. The Fund’s exposure to the RMB and changes in value of the RMB versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns for the Fund. Moreover, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and RMB. The RMB is currently not a freely convertible currency. The Chinese government places strict regulation on RMB and sets the value of the RMB to levels dependent on the value of the U.S. dollar, but the Chinese government has been under pressure to manage the currency in a less restrictive fashion so that it is less correlated to the U.S.
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dollar. The Chinese government’s imposition of restrictions on the repatriation of RMB out of mainland China may limit the depth of the offshore RMB market and reduce the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. Under exceptional circumstances, payment of redemptions and/or dividend payment in RMB may be delayed due to the exchange controls and restrictions applicable to RMB. Although offshore RMB (CNH) and onshore RMB (CNY) are the same currency, they trade at different rates. Any divergence between CNH and CNY may adversely impact investors. There may not be sufficient amounts of RMB for the Fund to be fully invested because the Fund has to convert U.S. dollars received from the purchase of Creation Units (defined herein) into RMB to purchase A-shares. As a result, these restrictions may adversely affect the Fund and its investments and may increase the risk of index tracking error.
Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. The Fund may invest in A-shares listed and traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through Stock Connect, or on such other stock exchanges in China which participate in Stock Connect from time to time or in the future. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect the Fund’s investments and returns. For example, purchases of A-shares through Stock Connect are subject to a daily quota which does not belong to the Fund and can only be utilized on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once the daily quota is exceeded, buy orders will be rejected. The Fund's ability to invest in A-Shares may therefore be limited. In addition, investments made through Stock Connect are subject to trading, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in the PRC, which could pose risks to the Fund. Furthermore, securities purchased via Stock Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of HKSCC, Hong Kong’s clearing entity, at the CSDCC. The Fund’s ownership interest in Stock Connect securities will not be reflected directly in book entry with CSDCC and will instead only be reflected on the books of its Hong Kong sub-custodian. The Fund may therefore depend on HKSCC’s ability or willingness as record-holder of Stock Connect securities to enforce the Fund’s shareholder rights. PRC law did not historically recognize the concept of beneficial ownership; while PRC regulations and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have issued clarifications and guidance supporting the concept of beneficial ownership via Stock Connect, the interpretation of beneficial ownership in the PRC by regulators and courts may continue to evolve. Moreover, Stock Connect A-shares generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Stock Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
A primary feature of Stock Connect is the application of the home market’s laws and rules applicable to investors in A-shares. Therefore, the Fund’s investments in Stock Connect A-shares are generally subject to PRC securities regulations and listing rules, among other restrictions. Stock Connect is only available on days when markets in both the PRC and Hong Kong are open, which may limit the Fund’s ability to trade when it would be otherwise attractive to do so. Uncertainties in permanent PRC tax rules governing the taxation of income and gains from investments in Stock Connect A-shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Please refer to the section titled “PRC taxation” below.
The Stock Connect program is a relatively new program and may be subject to further interpretation and guidance. There can be no assurance as to the program’s continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect the Fund’s investments or returns. In addition, the application and interpretation of the laws and regulations of Hong Kong and the PRC, and the rules, policies or guidelines published or applied by relevant regulators and exchanges in respect of the Stock Connect program are uncertain, and they may have a detrimental effect on the Fund’s investments and returns.
Risks associated with the Science and Technology Innovation Board (also known as the “STAR Board”). The Fund may access securities listed on the STAR Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Listed companies on the STAR Board are usually of an emerging nature with smaller operating scale, focused on emerging sectors such as new technologies and have a limited history. Rapid changes in technology could render obsolete the products and services offered by these listed companies, and cause severe or complete declines in the prices of the securities of such companies.
In general, the securities on the STAR Board are subject to higher fluctuations in securities prices and liquidity and have higher risks and turnover ratios than companies listed on the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Due to having fewer securities in circulation, securities prices may be more susceptible to manipulation. Securities listed on the STAR Board may be overvalued and such exceptionally high valuations may not be sustainable.
As the STAR Board allows companies to list by way of a registration system, it may be more common and faster for companies listed on the STAR Board to list and delist. If the companies that the Fund invests in are delisted, this may have an adverse impact on the value of the Fund. Also, the rules and regulations regarding companies listed on the STAR Board are less stringent in terms of profitability and share capital than those on the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Listed companies may list on the STAR Board with neither a track record of profitability nor any obligation to forecast future profitability. Investments in securities listed on the STAR Board may result in significant losses for the Fund and its investors.
PRC Taxation. Currently, there are no specific tax rules relating to investment in A-shares via the Stock Connect and RQFII. Instead, the income and gains from such investment are subject to general PRC tax rules and temporary provisions. Under these provisions, a corporation that does not have permanent establishment in the PRC will be subject to withholding income tax of 10% (“PRC WIT”) on its PRC-sourced income, including but not limited to passive income (e.g. dividends, interest, gains arising from transfer of assets) subject to reduction under an applicable double tax treaty and agreement by PRC tax authorities. Value added
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tax of 6%, as well as urban maintenance and construction tax, educational surcharge and local educational surcharge (which are all based on value added tax) should also be levied on gains derived from trading of marketable securities.
Under Circular Caishui [2014] No. 79, the PRC Ministry of Finance (MOF) clarified that capital gains on the transfer of A-shares derived by QFIIs and RQFIIs that do not have permanent establishments in the PRC on or after 17 November 2014 are temporarily exempt from PRC WIT. According to Circular Caishui [2014] No. 81 and Circular Caishui [2016] No. 127, the MOF clarified that capital gains realized from the transfer of A-shares via Stock Connect are temporarily exempt from PRC WIT.
The Fund, prior to December 22, 2014, reserved 10% of its realized and unrealized gains from its A-share investments to apply towards withholding tax liability with respect to realized and unrealized gains from the Fund’s investments in A-shares of “land- rich” enterprises, which are companies that have greater than 50% of their assets in land or real properties in the PRC. The tax reserve was reflected in the Fund’s daily NAV calculations as a deduction from the Fund’s NAV. During 2015, revenue authorities in the PRC made arrangements for the collection of capital gains taxes for investments realized between November 17, 2009 and November 16, 2014.
Actual tax imposed by the PRC tax authorities may be different and may be changed from time to time. There is a possibility of the tax rules being changed and taxes being applied retrospectively. As such, any provision for taxation made by the Fund may be excessive or inadequate to meet the final PRC tax liabilities. Consequently, shareholders may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final tax liabilities, the level of provision and the timing of the shareholder's subscription and redemption.
Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Because certain foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the activity of large traders may have an undue influence on the prices of securities that trade in such markets. The Fund invests in securities of issuers located in countries whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments.
Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Issuers. Investments in securities of emerging market issuers are exposed to a number of risks that may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade. Emerging markets are more likely than developed markets to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. Political risks may include unstable governments, nationalization, restrictions on foreign ownership, laws that prevent investors from getting their money out of a country and legal systems that do not protect property rights as well as the laws of the United States. Market risks may also include economies that concentrate in only a few industries, securities issues that are held by only a few investors, liquidity issues and limited trading capacity in local exchanges and the possibility that markets or issues may be manipulated by foreign nationals who have inside information. The frequency, availability and quality of financial information about investments in emerging markets varies. The Fund has limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets and the ability of U.S. authorities to bring enforcement actions in emerging markets may be limited, and the Fund's passive investment approach does not take account of these risks. All of these factors can make emerging market securities more volatile and potentially less liquid than securities issued in more developed markets.
Foreign Currency Risk. Because all or a portion of the income received by the Fund from its investments and/or the revenues received by the underlying issuer will generally be denominated in foreign currencies, the Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies and changes in the value of foreign currencies versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns for the Fund, and the value of certain foreign currencies may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation. Moreover, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Risk of Investing in the Consumer Discretionary Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the consumer discretionary sector. The consumer discretionary sector comprises companies whose businesses are sensitive to economic cycles, such as manufacturers of high-end apparel and automobile and leisure companies. Companies engaged in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to fluctuations in supply and demand. These companies may also be adversely affected by changes in consumer spending as a result of world events, political and economic conditions, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations.
Risk of Investing in the Consumer Staples Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the consumer staples sector. The consumer staples sector comprises companies whose businesses are less sensitive to economic cycles, such as manufacturers and distributors of food and beverages and producers of non-durable household goods and personal products. Companies in the consumer staples sector may be adversely affected by changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, exploration and production spending. Companies in this sector are also affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions.
Risk of Investing in the Health Care Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the health care sector. Companies in the health care sector may be affected by extensive government
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regulation, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Many health care companies are heavily dependent on patent protection and are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims.
Risk of Investing in the Industrials Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the industrials sector. The industrials sector comprises companies who produce capital goods used in construction and manufacturing, such as companies that make and sell machinery, equipment and supplies that are used to produce other goods. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates.
Risk of Investing in the Information Technology Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the information technology sector. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent protection and the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.
Risk of Investing in Swaps. The Fund may invest in swaps on the China Index or on securities comprising the China Index. The Fund may also invest in swaps on other funds that track the China Index or funds that invest in A-shares and shares of offshore listed Chinese companies. The use of swap agreements entails certain risks, which may be different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying asset for the swap agreement. Investments in swaps linked to the performance of A-shares and shares of offshore listed Chinese companies are subject to general risks associated with investments in China and A-shares and the RQFII/QFII system discussed above in “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund—Risk of the RQFII Regime and the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategy.”
Because a swap is an obligation of the counterparty rather than a direct investment in shares, the Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the swap if the counterparty to a non-controlled cleared swap fails to perform its obligations under the swap as a result of bankruptcy or otherwise. Any loss would result in a reduction in the NAV of the Fund and may impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The counterparty risk associated with the Fund’s investments is expected to be greater than most other funds because there are only a limited number of counterparties that are willing and able to enter into swaps on shares of Chinese companies. In fact, because there are so few potential counterparties, the Fund, subject to applicable law, may enter into swap transactions with as few as one counterparty at any time.
Investments in swaps may also be subject to liquidity risk if the transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid. Due to the limited number of potential swap counterparties, the liquidity risk associated with the Fund’s investments is expected to be greater than most other funds as the Fund may not be able to initiate or liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
The swap market is subject to extensive regulation under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and certain Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) rules promulgated thereunder. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including new and additional government regulation, could result in higher Fund costs and expenses and could adversely affect the Fund’s ability, among other things, to enter into or to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements. Moreover, certain swap transactions may be subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. Because swaps are generally entered into between two parties and may take longer than seven days to be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business, certain swaps may be considered to be illiquid.
Investments in swaps require additional ongoing payments to the counterparty to the swap. In addition, the Fund’s investments in swaps and other derivative instruments may be less tax-efficient than direct investment in A-shares and may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could negatively affect the Fund. Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could negatively affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by the Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, the Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in A-shares. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, the manner in which they are applied by the Fund may be determined to be incorrect and, as a result the Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability.
Changes to or new regulations applicable to an ETF’s use of derivatives could potentially limit or impact the Fund’s ability to invest in derivatives and negatively affect the Fund’s performance and ability to pursue its stated investment objectives.
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Risk of Investing in Futures. Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified instrument, index or commodity at a specified future time and at a specified price. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. The prices of futures can be highly volatile and using futures can increase the volatility of the Fund’s NAV and/or lower total return. Additionally, as a result of low collateral deposits normally involved in futures trading, a relatively small movement in the price or value of a futures transaction may result in substantial losses to the Fund, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts. Futures contracts involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying indicator. Even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful due to market events. There is also the risk of loss by the Fund of margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in the futures contract. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s futures contract positions at any time.
Risk of Investing in Other Funds. The Fund may invest in shares of other funds, including ETFs. As a result, the Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of an investment in the underlying funds. As a shareholder in a fund (as with ETFs), the Fund would bear its ratable share of that entity’s expenses. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own investment management fees and other expenses. As a result, the Fund and its shareholders will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other funds, including ETFs.
In October 2020, the SEC adopted certain regulatory changes and took other actions related to the ability of an investment company to invest in another investment company, including the rescission of exemptive relief issued by the SEC permitting such investments in excess of statutory limits. These regulatory changes may adversely impact the Fund’s investment strategies and operations.
Risk of Investing in Small- and Medium-Capitalization Companies. Small- and medium-capitalization companies may be more volatile and more likely than large-capitalization companies to have narrower product lines, fewer financial resources, less management depth and experience and less competitive strength. In addition, these companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. Returns on investments in securities of small- and medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of large-capitalization companies.
Risk of Cash Transactions. Unlike other ETFs, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially for cash, rather than wholly for in-kind securities. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and subsequently incur brokerage costs and/or recognize gains or losses on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in kind. As such, investments in Shares may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a conventional ETF.
Equity Securities Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the markets in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Equity securities are subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure with respect to priority in right to a share of corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred securities or debt instruments. In addition, while broad market measures of equity securities have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, equity securities have generally also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns, although under certain market conditions fixed income securities may have comparable or greater price volatility.
Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in the securities market, including general economic conditions, sudden and unpredictable drops in value, exchange trading suspensions and closures and public health risks. These risks may be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest) adversely interrupt the global economy; in these and other circumstances, such events or developments might affect companies world-wide. An investment in the Fund may lose money.
Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures.
Index Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the China Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses, including taxes, not applicable to the China Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the China Index, or (to the extent the Fund effects creations and redemptions for cash) raising cash to meet redemptions or deploying cash in connection with newly created Creation Units, which are not factored into the return of the China Index. Transaction costs, including brokerage costs, will decrease the Fund’s NAV to the extent not offset by the transaction fee payable by an Authorized Participant (“AP”). Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track the China Index. Errors in the China Index data, the China Index computations and/or the construction of the China Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and
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may not be identified and corrected by the China Index provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. Shareholders should understand that any gains from the China Index provider's errors will be kept by the Fund and its shareholders and any losses or costs resulting from the China Index provider's errors will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. When the China Index is rebalanced and the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the Fund’s portfolio and the China Index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may not be fully invested at times either as a result of cash flows into the Fund (if the Fund effects creations and redemptions for cash) or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions or pay expenses. Apart from scheduled rebalances, the China Index provider or its agents may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to the China Index. Therefore, errors and additional ad hoc rebalances carried out by the China Index provider or its agents to the China Index may increase the costs to and the tracking error risk of the Fund. In addition, the Fund may not invest in certain securities included in the China Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the China Index. As discussed above, one or more securities included the China Index may be suspended from trading and such securities would be valued by the China Index at the last closing price. The Fund’s performance may also deviate from the return of the China Index due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries, certain listing standards of the Fund’s listing exchange (the “Exchange”), a lack of liquidity on stock exchanges in which such securities trade, potential adverse tax consequences or other regulatory reasons or legal restrictions or limitations (such as diversification requirements). The Fund may value certain of its investments, underlying securities, underlying currencies and/or other assets based on fair value prices. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the China Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets (i.e., the value of the China Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the China Index may be adversely affected. In addition, any issues the Fund encounters with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase the index tracking risk. The Fund will be required to remit RMB to settle the purchase of A-shares and repatriate RMB to U.S. dollars to settle redemption orders. In the event such remittance is delayed or disrupted, the Fund will not be able to fully replicate the China Index by investing in the relevant A-shares, which may lead to increased tracking error, and may need to rely on borrowings to meet redemptions, which may lead to increased expenses. Because the China Index is priced in Chinese RMB and the Fund is priced in U.S. dollars, the ability of the Fund to track the China Index is in part subject to foreign exchange fluctuations as between the U.S. dollar and the RMB. The Fund’s performance may also deviate from the performance of the China Index due to the impact of withholding taxes, late announcements relating to changes to the China Index and high turnover of the China Index. When markets are volatile, the ability to sell securities at fair value prices may be adversely impacted and may result in additional trading costs and/or increase the index tracking risk. The Fund may underperform the China Index when the value of the U.S. dollar increases relative to the value of the RMB. Additionally, the terms of the swaps require the payment of the U.S. dollar equivalent of the RMB distributions and dividends received by the QFII, meaning that the Fund is exposed to foreign exchange risk and fluctuations in value between the U.S. dollar and the RMB. The Fund may also need to rely on borrowings to meet redemptions, which may lead to increased expenses. For tax efficiency purposes, the Fund may sell certain securities, and such sale may cause the Fund to realize a loss and deviate from the performance of the China Index. In light of the factors discussed above, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the China Index. Changes to the composition of the China Index in connection with a rebalancing or reconstitution of the China Index may cause the Fund to experience increased volatility, during which time the Fund’s index tracking risk may be heightened.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. The Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that act as APs, none of which are obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those APs exit the business, or are unable to or choose not to process creation and/or redemption orders, and no other AP is able to step forward to create and redeem, there may be a significantly diminished trading market for Shares or Shares may trade like closed-end funds at a greater discount (or premium) to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or de-listing. The AP concentration risk may be heightened in scenarios where APs have limited or diminished access to the capital required to post collateral.
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market. While Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will be maintained. Further, secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods in times of market stress because market makers and APs may step away from making a market in the Shares and in executing creation and redemption orders, which could cause a material deviation in the Fund’s market price from its NAV.
Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Passive Management Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund invested in equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. However, because the Fund is not “actively” managed, unless a specific security is removed from the China Index, the Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. Additionally, unusual market conditions may cause the China Index provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance
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or reconstitution, which could cause the China Index to vary from its normal or expected composition. Therefore, the Fund’s performance could be lower than funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
Fund Shares Trading, Premium/Discount Risk and Liquidity of Fund Shares. The market price of the Shares may fluctuate in response to the Fund’s NAV, the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings and supply and demand for Shares. The Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above, below, or at their most recent NAV. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for Shares (including through a trading halt), as well as other factors, may result in Shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings. If a shareholder purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Shares that were bought or sold or the shareholder may be unable to sell his or her Shares. The securities held by the Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the Exchange. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the Exchange is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid/ask spreads on the Exchange and the resulting premium or discount to the Shares’ NAV may widen. Additionally, in stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s Shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell Shares. Investors should consult their financial intermediaries before purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund may become classified as non-diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, solely as a result of a change in relative market capitalization or index weighting of one or more constituents of the China Index. If the Fund becomes non-diversified, it may invest a greater portion of assets in securities of a smaller number of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in share price than would occur in a more diversified fund.
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s assets may be concentrated in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries to the extent the China Index concentrates in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries. To the extent that the Fund is concentrated in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on those sectors and/or industries may negatively impact the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of sectors or industries.
PERFORMANCE
The bar chart that follows shows how the Fund performed for the calendar years shown. The table below the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual returns (before and after taxes). The bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year, five year, ten year and/or since inception periods, as applicable, compared with the Fund’s benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance. Prior to May 1, 2020, the Fund sought to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the CSI 300 Index (the “Prior Index”). Therefore, performance information prior to May 1, 2020 reflects the performance of the Fund while seeking to track the Prior Index. As a result, the Fund’s future performance may differ substantially from the performance information shown below. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after income taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.vaneck.com.
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Annual Total Returns (%)—Calendar Years
     ck0001137360-20211231_g22.jpg            
Best Quarter: 41.64% 4Q 2014
Worst Quarter: -30.54% 3Q 2015
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2021
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Shares of the Fund through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Past
One Year
Past
Five Years
Past
Ten Years
VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF (return before taxes) -14.67% 6.44% 5.98%
VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF (return after taxes distributions) -15.83% 5.07% 5.04%
VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF (return after taxes distributions and sale of Fund Shares) -8.10% 5.03% 4.67%
MarketGrader China All-Cap Growth Leaders Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes, except withholding taxes)* -14.31% 9.31% 8.31%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
28.71% 18.47% 16.55%
*Prior to May 1, 2020, the Fund sought to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Prior Index. Therefore, the performance information prior to May 1, 2020 reflects the performance of the Fund while seeking to track the Prior Index. Prior to May 1, 2020, the index data included in this table reflects that of the Prior Index, which did not reflect withholding taxes. From May 1, 2020, the index data reflects that of the China Index.
See “License Agreements and Disclaimers” for important information.











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PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser. Van Eck Associates Corporation.
Investment Sub-Adviser. China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited
Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:
Name Title with Adviser Date Began Managing the Fund
Peter H. Liao Portfolio Manager October 2010
Guo Hua (Jason) Jin Portfolio Manager March 2018
Name Title with Sub-Adviser Date Began Managing the Fund
Max Lan Portfolio Manager March 2020
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
For important information about the purchase and sale of Fund Shares, tax information and payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries, please turn to the “Summary Information About Purchases and Sales of Fund Shares, Taxes and Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries” section of this Prospectus.
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VANECK® CHINEXT ETF
SUMMARY INFORMATION
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
VanEck® ChiNext ETF1 (the “Fund”) seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the ChiNext Index (the “ChiNext Index”).
FUND FEES AND EXPENSES
The following tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund (“Shares”). You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fee 0.50  %
Other Expenses(a)
0.39  %
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(b)
0.89  %
Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement
-0.24  %
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and Expense Reimbursement(b)
0.65  %
(a)    “Other Expenses” have been restated to reflect current fees.
(b)    Van Eck Associates Corporation (the “Adviser”) has agreed to waive fees and/or pay Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of the Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, trading expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.65% of the Fund’s average daily net assets per year until at least May 1, 2023. During such time, the expense limitation is expected to continue until the Fund’s Board of Trustees acts to discontinue all or a portion of such expense limitation.
EXPENSE EXAMPLE
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. This example does not take into account brokerage commissions that you pay when purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.
The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell or hold all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% annual return and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same (except that the example incorporates the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursement arrangement for only the first year). Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
YEAR EXPENSES
1 $66 
3 $260 
5 $470 
10 $1,074 
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER
The Fund will pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it purchases and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover will cause the Fund to incur additional transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, may affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 59% of the average value of its portfolio.




____________________________
1Prior to December 10, 2021, the Fund's name was VanEck Vectors® ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF.
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PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the Fund’s benchmark index. The ChiNext Index is a free-float adjusted index intended to track the performance of the 100 largest and most liquid stocks listed and trading on the ChiNext Market of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (the “ChiNext Market”). The ChiNext Index is comprised of China A-shares (“A-shares”).
As of December 31, 2021, the ChiNext Index included 100 securities of companies with a market capitalization range of between approximately $1.99 billion and $215.09 billion and a weighted average market capitalization of $55.83 billion. The ChiNext Index may include securities of medium capitalization companies. The Fund’s 80% investment policy is non-fundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval upon 60 days’ prior written notice to shareholders.

The Fund, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the ChiNext Index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicates the ChiNext Index. Unlike many investment companies that try to “beat” the performance of a benchmark index, the Fund does not try to “beat” the ChiNext Index and does not seek temporary defensive positions that are inconsistent with its investment objective of seeking to replicate the ChiNext Index.
The Fund will seek to achieve its investment objective by primarily investing directly in A-shares. A-shares are issued by companies incorporated in the People’s Republic of China (“China” or the “PRC”). A-shares are traded in renminbi (“RMB”) on the Shenzhen or Shanghai Stock Exchanges. The A-share market in China is made available to domestic PRC investors and foreign investors through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect Program (together, “Stock Connect”), and through licenses obtained under the Renminbi Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“RQFII”) or a Qualified Foreign Institutional Investor (“QFII”) programs. After obtaining a RQFII or QFII license, the RQFII or QFII would register itself with China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”). Because the Fund does not satisfy the criteria to qualify as a RQFII or QFII itself, the Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares via Stock Connect, as described below, or via the license granted to the Fund’s sub-adviser, China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited (the “Sub-Adviser”), by CSRC (“RQFII license”). The Sub-Adviser has obtained RQFII status, which the Sub-Adviser will use to invest in A-shares on behalf of the Fund. The Fund may also invest in A-shares listed and traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges through Stock Connect. Stock Connect is a securities trading and clearing program between the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (“CSDCC”) and Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited (“HKSCC”) designed to permit mutual stock market access between mainland China and Hong Kong by allowing investors to trade and settle shares on each market via their local exchanges. Other exchanges in China may participate in Stock Connect in the future. Purchases of A-shares through Stock Connect are subject to a daily quota which does not belong to the Fund and can only be utilized on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once the daily quota is exceeded, buy orders will be rejected. Accordingly, the Fund's investments in A-shares via Stock Connect will be subject to the abovementioned daily quota limits on daily net purchases.
The Fund may become non-diversified as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, solely as a result of a change in relative market capitalization or index weighting of one or more constituents of the ChiNext Index. This means that the Fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a limited number of issuers than would be the case if the Fund were always managed as a diversified management investment company. The Fund intends to be diversified in approximately the same proportion as the ChiNext Index. Shareholder approval will not be sought when the Fund crosses from diversified to non-diversified status due solely to a change in the relative market capitalization or index weighting of one or more constituents of the Fund.
The Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry or group of industries to the extent that the ChiNext Index concentrates in an industry or group of industries. As of December 31, 2021, each of the industrials, health care and information technology sectors represented a significant portion of the ChiNext Index.
PRINCIPAL RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUND
Investors in the Fund should be willing to accept a high degree of volatility in the price of the Fund’s Shares and the possibility of significant losses. An investment in the Fund involves a substantial degree of risk. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Fund, each of which could significantly and adversely affect the value of an investment in the Fund.
Risk of the RQFII Regime and the Fund’s Principal Investment Strategy. The ChiNext Index is comprised of A-shares. In seeking to replicate the ChiNext Index, the Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license and Stock Connect and in other shares directly. Because the Fund will not be able to invest in A-shares beyond the limits that may be imposed by Stock Connect and the RQFII, the size of the Fund’s direct investment in A-shares may be limited. In addition, the RQFII license of the Sub-Adviser may be revoked by the Chinese regulators if, among other things, the Sub-Adviser fails to observe SAFE and other applicable Chinese regulations. There can be no assurance the Fund could retain a replacement sub-adviser with an RQFII license or other means of investing in A-shares if that became necessary or appropriate for any reason.
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The Fund cannot predict what would occur if the RQFII of the Sub-Adviser generally were eliminated, although such an occurrence would likely have a material adverse effect on the Fund, including the requirement that the Sub-Adviser on behalf of the Fund dispose of certain or all of its A-shares holdings. Therefore, any elimination may have a material adverse effect on the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment objective. If the Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to the performance of the ChiNext Index due to the limited availability of investments that provide exposure to the performance of A-shares, the Fund could, subject to any necessary regulatory relief, among other things, as a defensive measure limit or suspend creations until the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser determine that the requisite exposure to the ChiNext Index is obtainable. If any of the above events were to occur, the Fund could trade at a significant premium or discount to its net asset value (“NAV”) and could experience substantial redemptions and the Fund could, among other things, change its investment objective by, for example, seeking to track an alternative index focused on Chinese-related stocks other than A-shares or other appropriate investments, or decide to liquidate. Although the regulations on RQFII have recently been revised to relax regulatory restrictions on offshore capital management by RQFIIs (including removal of RQFII quota limits and simplifying the repatriation of investment proceeds), it is a very new development that is subject to uncertainties in the implementation in practice, especially at early stages.
There are also risks associated with the taxation of RQFIIs. Please refer to the section titled “PRC Taxation” below for more details.
A-Shares invested via the RQFII will be maintained by a local custodian pursuant to PRC regulations. The Fund may incur losses due to the acts or omissions of the local custodian in execution or settlement of any transaction. Any cash maintained by the local custodian is commingled with cash of other clients of the local custodian. Therefore, in the event of the bankruptcy or liquidation of the local custodian, the Fund may face difficulty and/or encounter delays in recovering such debt, or may not be able to recover it in full or at all, in which case the Fund will suffer losses.
The Fund may also suffer substantial losses if any of the RQFII key operators or parties defaults or becomes bankrupt or disqualified from performing their obligations.
The Sub-Adviser, as a licensed RQFII, is currently permitted to repatriate RMB daily and is not subject to RMB repatriation restrictions or prior approval, provided that final repatriation of capital and profits at the liquidation of the Fund will be subject to an audit report and tax filing. However, there is no assurance that RQFII may not be subject to restrictions or prior approval requirements in the future. Any additional restrictions imposed on the Sub-Adviser or RQFIIs generally may have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to invest directly in A-shares and its ability to meet redemption requests.
If the Fund’s direct investments in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license become subject to repatriation restrictions, the Fund may be unable to satisfy distribution requirements applicable to regulated investment companies (“RICs”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and be subject to income and excise tax at the Fund level. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions before re- qualifying for taxation as a RIC. See the prospectus under “Shareholder Information—Tax Information—Taxes on Distributions” for more information. The Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat Chinese taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. Even if the Fund is qualified to make that election and does so, this treatment will not apply with respect to amounts the Fund reserves in anticipation of the imposition of withholding taxes not currently in effect (as discussed above). If these amounts are used to pay any tax liability of the Fund in a later year, they will be treated as paid by the shareholders in such later year, even if they are imposed with respect to income of an earlier year. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Tax Information” for a further description of this risk. There is no guarantee that the temporary tax exemption or non-taxable treatment with respect to assets traded via QFIIs and RQFIIs described above will continue to apply.
Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China and A-shares. Investments in securities of Chinese issuers, including A-shares, involve risks and special considerations not typically associated with investments in the U.S. securities markets. These risks include, among others, (i) more frequent (and potentially widespread) trading suspensions and government interventions with respect to Chinese issuers, resulting in lack of liquidity and in price volatility, (ii) currency revaluations and other currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockage, (iii) the nature and extent of intervention by the Chinese government in the Chinese securities markets (including both direct and indirect market stabilization efforts, which may affect valuations of Chinese issuers), whether such intervention will continue and the impact of such intervention or its discontinuation, (iv) the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, (v) the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs, (vi) limitations on the use of brokers (or action by the Chinese government that discourages brokers from serving international clients), (vii) higher rates of inflation, (viii) greater political, economic and social uncertainty, (ix) market volatility caused by any potential regional or territorial conflicts or natural or other disasters (x) the risk of increased trade tariffs, embargoes, sanctions, investment restrictions and other trade limitations, (xi) custody risks associated with investing via the Stock Connect Program or through a RQFII, where due to requirements regarding establishing a custody account in the joint names of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser the Fund’s assets may not be as well protected from the claims of the Sub-Adviser’s creditors than if the Fund had an account in its name only, (xii) both interim and permanent market regulations which may affect the ability of certain stockholders to sell Chinese securities when it would otherwise be advisable, (xiii) foreign ownership limits of any listed Chinese company and (xiv) the general risks applicable to RQFIIs and the Stock Connect.
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The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, interest rates, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. The Chinese central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership and actions of the Chinese central and local government authorities continue to have a substantial effect on economic conditions in China. In addition, the Chinese government has from time to time taken actions that influence the prices at which certain goods may be sold, encourage companies to invest or concentrate in particular industries, induce mergers between companies in certain industries and induce private companies to publicly offer their securities to increase or continue the rate of economic growth, control the rate of inflation or otherwise regulate economic expansion. It may do so in the future as well, potentially having a significant adverse effect on economic conditions in China.
The Chinese securities markets are emerging markets characterized by greater price volatility relative to U.S. markets. Liquidity risks may be more pronounced for the A-share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions as discussed above. Price fluctuations of A-shares are limited per trading day. In addition, there is less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States. Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards in China are different from U.S. standards and, therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made. In addition, less information may be available to the Fund and other investors than would be the case if the Fund’s investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. There is also generally less governmental regulation of the securities industry in China, and less enforcement of regulatory provisions relating thereto, than in the United States. Moreover, it may be more difficult to obtain a judgment in a court outside the United States.
The A-share market is volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or government intervention. Securities on the A-share market, including securities in the ChiNext Index, may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities.
The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. In addition, the Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and the Fund’s investments. Moreover, a slowdown in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would adversely impact the Fund’s investments.
Emerging markets such as China can experience high rates of inflation, deflation and currency devaluation. The value of the RMB may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation due to, among other things, changes in interest rates, the effects of monetary policies issued by the PRC, the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or other national or global political or economic developments. The income received by the Fund for its investments denominated in RMB will principally be in RMB. The Fund’s exposure to the RMB and changes in value of the RMB versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns for the Fund. Moreover, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and RMB. The RMB is currently not a freely convertible currency. The Chinese government places strict regulation on RMB and sets the value of the RMB to levels dependent on the value of the U.S. dollar, but the Chinese government has been under pressure to manage the currency in a less restrictive fashion so that it is less correlated to the U.S. dollar. The Chinese government’s imposition of restrictions on the repatriation of RMB out of mainland China may limit the depth of the offshore RMB market and reduce the liquidity of the Fund’s investments. Under exceptional circumstances, payment of redemptions and/or dividend payment in RMB may be delayed due to the exchange controls and restrictions applicable to RMB. Although offshore RMB (CNH) and onshore RMB (CNY) are the same currency, they trade at different rates. Any divergence between CNH and CNY may adversely impact investors.There may not be sufficient amounts of RMB for the Fund to be fully invested because the Fund has to convert U.S. dollars received from the purchase of Creation Units (defined herein) into RMB to purchase A-shares. As a result, these restrictions may adversely affect the Fund and its investments and may increase the risk of index tracking error.
Risks associated with the ChiNext Market. The Fund may, through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, access securities listed on the ChiNext Market. Listed companies on the ChiNext Market are usually of an emerging nature with smaller operating scale. They are subject to higher fluctuation in stock prices and liquidity and have higher risks and turnover ratios than companies listed on the main board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Securities listed on the ChiNext may be overvalued and such exceptionally high valuation may not be sustainable. Stock prices may be more susceptible to manipulation due to fewer circulating shares. It may be more common and faster for companies listed on ChiNext to delist. This may have an adverse impact on the Fund if the companies that they invest in are delisted. Also, the rules and regulations regarding companies listed on ChiNext Market are less stringent in terms of profitability and share capital than those on the main board. Investments in the ChiNext Market may result in significant losses for the Fund and its investors.
Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. The Fund may invest in A-shares listed and traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through Stock Connect, or on such other stock exchanges in China which
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participate in Stock Connect from time to time or in the future. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect the Fund’s investments and returns. For example, trading through Stock Connect is subject to daily quotas that limit the maximum daily net purchases on any particular day, which may restrict or preclude the Fund’s ability to invest in Stock Connect A-shares. In addition, investments made through Stock Connect are subject to trading, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in the PRC, which could pose risks to the Fund. Furthermore, securities purchased via Stock Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of HKSCC, Hong Kong’s clearing entity, at the CSDCC. The Fund’s ownership interest in Stock Connect securities will not be reflected directly in book entry with CSDCC and will instead only be reflected on the books of its Hong Kong sub-custodian. The Fund may therefore depend on HKSCC’s ability or willingness as record-holder of Stock Connect securities to enforce the Fund’s shareholder rights. PRC law did not historically recognize the concept of beneficial ownership; while PRC regulations and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have issued clarifications and guidance supporting the concept of beneficial ownership via Stock Connect, the interpretation of beneficial ownership in the PRC by regulators and courts may continue to evolve. Moreover, Stock Connect A-shares generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Stock Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
A primary feature of Stock Connect is the application of the home market’s laws and rules applicable to investors in A-shares. Therefore, the Fund’s investments in Stock Connect A-shares are generally subject to PRC securities regulations and listing rules, among other restrictions. Stock Connect is only available on days when markets in both the PRC and Hong Kong are open, which may limit the Fund’s ability to trade when it would be otherwise attractive to do so. Uncertainties in permanent PRC tax rules governing the taxation of income and gains from investments in Stock Connect A-shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Please refer to the section titled “PRC Taxation” below.
The Stock Connect program is a relatively new program and may be subject to further interpretation and guidance. There can be no assurance as to the program’s continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect the Fund’s investments or returns. In addition, the application and interpretation of the laws and regulations of Hong Kong and the PRC, and the rules, policies or guidelines published or applied by relevant regulators and exchanges in respect of the Stock Connect program are uncertain, and they may have a detrimental effect on the Fund’s investments and returns.
PRC Taxation. Currently, there are no specific tax rules relating to investment in A-shares via the Stock Connect and RQFII. Instead, the income and gains from such investment are subject to general PRC tax rules and temporary provisions. Under these provisions, a corporation that does not have a permanent establishment in the PRC will be subject to withholding income tax of 10% (“PRC WIT”) on its PRC sourced income, including but not limited to passive income (e.g. dividends, interest, gains arising from transfer of assets), subject to reduction under an applicable double tax treat and agreement by PRC tax authorities. Value added tax of 6%, as well as urban maintenance and construction tax, educational surcharge and local educational surcharge (which are all based on value added tax) should also be levied on gains derived from trading of marketable securities.
Under Circular Caishui [2014] No. 79, the PRC Ministry of Finance (MOF) clarified that capital gains on the transfer of A-shares derived by QFIIs and RQFIIs that do not have a permanent establishment in the PRC on or after 17 November 2014 are temporarily exempt from PRC WIT. According to Circular Caishui [2014] No. 81 and Circular Caishui [2016] No. 127, the MOF clarified that capital gains realized from the transfer of A-shares via Stock Connect are temporarily exempt from PRC WIT.
The Fund, prior to December 22, 2014, reserved 10% of its realized and unrealized gains from its A-share investments to apply towards withholding tax liability with respect to realized and unrealized gains from the Fund’s investments in A-shares of “land-rich” enterprises, which are companies that have greater than 50% of their assets in land or real properties in the PRC. The tax reserve was reflected in the Fund’s daily NAV calculations as a deduction from the Fund’s NAV. During 2015, revenue authorities in the PRC made arrangements for the collection of capital gains taxes for investments realized between November 17, 2009 and November 16, 2014.
Actual tax imposed by the PRC tax authorities may be different and may be changed from time to time. There is a possibility of the tax rules being changed and taxes being applied retrospectively. As such, any provision for taxation made by the Fund may be excessive or inadequate to meet the final PRC tax liabilities. Consequently, shareholders may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final tax liabilities, the level of provision and the timing of the shareholder's subscription and redemption.
Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Because certain foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the activity of large traders may have an undue influence on the prices of securities that trade in such markets. The Fund invests in securities of issuers located in countries whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund’s investments.
Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Issuers. Investments in securities of emerging market issuers are exposed to a number of risks that may make these investments volatile in price or difficult to trade. Emerging markets are more likely than developed markets to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local
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banks, agents and depositories. Political risks may include unstable governments, nationalization, restrictions on foreign ownership, laws that prevent investors from getting their money out of a country and legal systems that do not protect property rights as well as the laws of the United States. Market risks may also include economies that concentrate in only a few industries, securities issues that are held by only a few investors, liquidity issues and limited trading capacity in local exchanges and the possibility that markets or issues may be manipulated by foreign nationals who have inside information. The frequency, availability and quality of financial information about investments in emerging markets varies. The Fund has limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets and the ability of U.S. authorities to bring enforcement actions in emerging markets may be limited, and the Fund's passive investment approach does not take account of these risks. All of these factors can make emerging market securities more volatile and potentially less liquid than securities issued in more developed markets.
Foreign Currency Risk. Because the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities denominated in foreign currencies, the proceeds received by the Fund from its investments and/or the revenues received by the issuer will generally be in foreign currencies. The Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies and changes in the value of foreign currencies versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns for the Fund, and the value of certain foreign currencies may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation. Moreover, the Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and foreign currencies.
Risk of Investing in the Health Care Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the health care sector. Companies in the health care sector may be affected by extensive government regulation, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Many health care companies are heavily dependent on patent protection and are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims.
Risk of Investing in the Industrials Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the industrials sector. The industrials sector comprises companies who produce capital goods used in construction and manufacturing, such as companies that make and sell machinery, equipment and supplies that are used to produce other goods. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates.
Risk of Investing in the Information Technology Sector. The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the information technology sector. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent protection and the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.
Risk of Investing in Medium-Capitalization Companies. Medium-capitalization companies may be more volatile and more likely than large-capitalization companies to have narrower product lines, fewer financial resources, less management depth and experience and less competitive strength. In addition, these companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. Returns on investments in securities of medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of large-capitalization companies.
Risk of Cash Transactions. Unlike other ETFs, the Fund expects to effect its creations and redemptions at least partially for cash, rather than wholly for in-kind securities. Therefore, it may be required to sell portfolio securities and subsequently incur brokerage costs and/or recognize gains or losses on such sales that the Fund might not have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in kind. As such, investments in Shares may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a conventional ETF.
Equity Securities Risk. The value of the equity securities held by the Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the markets in which the issuers of securities held by the Fund participate, or factors relating to specific issuers in which the Fund invests. Equity securities are subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure with respect to priority in right to a share of corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred securities or debt instruments. In addition, while broad market measures of equity securities have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, equity securities have generally also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns, although under certain market conditions fixed income securities may have comparable or greater price volatility.
Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Fund are subject to the risks associated with investing in the securities market, including general economic conditions, sudden and unpredictable drops in value, exchange trading suspensions and closures and public health risks. These risks may be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest) adversely interrupt the global economy; in these
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and other circumstances, such events or developments might affect companies world-wide. An investment in the Fund may lose money.
Operational Risk. The Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including, but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures.
Index Tracking Risk. The Fund’s return may not match the return of the ChiNext Index for a number of reasons. For example, the Fund incurs a number of operating expenses, including taxes, not applicable to the ChiNext Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities and entering into derivatives transactions, especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the ChiNext Index, or (to the extent the Fund effects creations and redemptions for cash) raising cash to meet redemptions or deploying cash in connection with newly created Creation Units, which are not factored into the return of the ChiNext Index. Transaction costs, including brokerage costs, will decrease the Fund’s NAV to the extent not offset by the transaction fee payable by an Authorized Participant (“AP”). Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track the ChiNext Index. Errors in the ChiNext Index data, the ChiNext Index computations and/or the construction of the ChiNext Index in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the ChiNext Index provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the Fund and its shareholders. When the ChiNext Index is rebalanced and the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the Fund’s portfolio and the ChiNext Index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne directly by the Fund and its shareholders. Shareholders should understand that any gains from the ChiNext Index provider's errors will be kept by the Fund and its shareholders and any losses or costs resulting from the ChiNext Index provider's errors will be borne by the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may not be fully invested at times either as a result of cash flows into the Fund (if the Fund effects creations and redemptions for cash) or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions or pay expenses. Apart from scheduled rebalances, the ChiNext Index provider or its agents may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to the ChiNext Index. Therefore, errors and additional ad hoc rebalances carried out by the ChiNext Index provider or its agents to the Fund’s Index may increase the costs to and the tracking error risk of the Fund. In addition, the Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities included in the ChiNext Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in the ChiNext Index. As discussed above, one or more securities included the ChiNext Index may be suspended from trading and such securities would be valued by the ChiNext Index at the last closing price. The Fund’s performance may also deviate from the return of the ChiNext Index due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries, certain listing standards of the Fund’s listing exchange (the “Exchange”), a lack of liquidity on stock exchanges in which such securities trade, potential adverse tax consequences or other regulatory reasons or legal restrictions or limitations (such as diversification requirements). The Fund may value certain of its investments, underlying securities, underlying currencies and/or other assets based on fair value prices. To the extent the Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of the ChiNext Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets (i.e., the value of the ChiNext Index is not based on fair value prices), the Fund’s ability to track the ChiNext Index may be adversely affected. In addition, any issues the Fund encounters with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase the index tracking risk. The Fund will be required to remit RMB to settle the purchase of A-shares and repatriate RMB to U.S. dollars to settle redemption orders. In the event such remittance is delayed or disrupted, the Fund will not be able to fully replicate the ChiNext Index by investing in the relevant A-shares, which may lead to increased tracking error, and may need to rely on borrowings to meet redemptions, which may lead to increased expenses. Because the ChiNext Index is priced in Chinese RMB and the Fund is priced in U.S. dollars, the ability of the Fund to track the ChiNext Index is in part subject to foreign exchange fluctuations as between the U.S. dollar and the RMB. The Fund’s performance may also deviate from the performance of the ChiNext Index due to the impact of withholding taxes, late announcements relating to changes to the ChiNext Index and high turnover of the ChiNext Index. When markets are volatile, the ability to sell securities at fair value prices may be adversely impacted and may result in additional trading costs and/or increase the index tracking risk. The Fund may underperform the ChiNext Index when the value of the U.S. dollar increases relative to the value of the RMB. The Fund may also need to rely on borrowings to meet redemptions, which may lead to increased expenses. For tax efficiency purposes, the Fund may sell certain securities, and such sale may cause the Fund to realize a loss and deviate from the performance of the ChiNext Index. In light of the factors discussed above, the Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the ChiNext Index. Changes to the composition of the ChiNext Index in connection with a rebalancing or reconstitution of the ChiNext Index may cause the Fund to experience increased volatility, during which time the Fund’s index tracking risk may be heightened.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. The Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that act as APs, none of which are obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those APs exit the business, or are unable to or choose not to process creation and/or redemption orders, and no other AP is able to step forward to create and redeem, there may be a significantly diminished trading market for Shares or Shares may trade like closed-end funds at a greater discount (or premium) to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or de-listing. The AP concentration risk may be heightened in scenarios where APs have limited or diminished access to the capital required to post collateral.
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No Guarantee of Active Trading Market. While Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will be maintained. Further, secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods in times of market stress because market makers and APs may step away from making a market in the Shares and in executing creation and redemption orders, which could cause a material deviation in the Fund’s market price from its NAV.
Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on the Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on the Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Passive Management Risk. An investment in the Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund invested in equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. However, because the Fund is not “actively” managed, unless a specific security is removed from the ChiNext Index, the Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. Additionally, unusual market conditions may cause the ChiNext Index provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance or reconstitution, which could cause the ChiNext Index to vary from its normal or expected composition. Therefore, the Fund’s performance could be lower than funds that may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
Fund Shares Trading, Premium/Discount Risk and Liquidity of Fund Shares. The market price of the Shares may fluctuate in response to the Fund’s NAV, the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings and supply and demand for Shares. The Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade above, below, or at their most recent NAV. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for Shares (including through a trading halt), as well as other factors, may result in Shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of the Fund’s holdings. If a shareholder purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Shares that were bought or sold or the shareholder may be unable to sell his or her Shares. The securities held by the Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the Exchange. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the Exchange is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid/ask spreads on the Exchange and the resulting premium or discount to the Shares’ NAV may widen. Additionally, in stressed market conditions, the market for the Fund’s Shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell Shares. Investors should consult their financial intermediaries before purchasing or selling Shares of the Fund.
Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund may become classified as non-diversified under the Investment Company Act of1940, as amended, solely as a result of a change in relative market capitalization or index weighting of one or more constituents of the ChiNext Index. If the Fund becomes non-diversified, it may invest a greater portion of assets in securities of a smaller number of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in share price than would occur in a more diversified fund.
Concentration Risk. The Fund’s assets may be concentrated in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries to the extent the ChiNext Index concentrates in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries. To the extent that the Fund is concentrated in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries, the Fund will be subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on those sectors and/or industries may negatively impact the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of sectors or industries.
PERFORMANCE
The bar chart that follows shows how the Fund performed for the calendar years shown. The table below the bar chart shows the Fund’s average annual returns (before and after taxes). The bar chart and table provide an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by comparing the Fund’s performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund’s average annual returns for the one year, five year, ten year and/or since inception periods, as applicable, compared with the Fund’s benchmark index and a broad measure of market performance. Prior to December 10, 2021, the Fund sought to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the SME-ChiNext 100 Index (the “Prior Index”). Therefore, performance information prior to December 10, 2021 reflects the performance of the Fund tracking the Prior Index. All returns assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions. The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily indicative of how the Fund will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available online at www.vaneck.com.
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Annual Total Returns (%)—Calendar Years
ck0001137360-20211231_g23.jpg
Best Quarter: 49.51% 1Q 2015
Worst Quarter: -29.80% 3Q 2015
Average Annual Total Returns for the Periods Ended December 31, 2021
The after-tax returns presented in the table below are calculated using the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns will depend on your specific tax situation and may differ from those shown below. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold Shares of the Fund through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.
Past One Year Past Five Years
Since Inception (07/23/2014)
VanEck ChiNext ETF (return before taxes) 8.21% 12.80% 10.91%
VanEck ChiNext ETF (return after taxes on distributions) 6.37% 12.41% 10.65%
VanEck ChiNext ETF (return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund Shares) 6.16% 10.27% 8.90%
ChiNext Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)*
9.12% 15.11% 13.63%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
28.71% 18.47% 14.68%
*Prior to December 10, 2021, the Fund sought to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Prior Index. Therefore, performance information prior to December 10, 2021 reflects the performance of the Fund while seeking to track the Prior Index. Prior to December 10, 2021, the index data reflects that of the Prior Index. From December 10, 2021, the index data reflects that of the ChiNext Index.
See “License Agreements and Disclaimers” for important information.












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PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Investment Adviser. Van Eck Associates Corporation.
Investment Sub-Adviser. China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited.
Portfolio Managers. The following individuals are primarily and jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:
Name Title with Adviser Date Began Managing the Fund
Peter H. Liao Portfolio Manager July 2014
Guo Hua (Jason) Jin Portfolio Manager March 2018
Name Title with Sub-Adviser Date Began Managing the Fund
Max Lan Portfolio Manager March 2020
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
For important information about the purchase and sale of Fund Shares, tax information and payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries, please turn to the “Summary Information About Purchases and Sales of Fund Shares, Taxes and Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries” section of this Prospectus.
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SUMMARY INFORMATION ABOUT PURCHASES AND SALES OF FUND SHARES, TAXES AND PAYMENTS TO
BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Individual Shares of a Fund may only be purchased and sold in secondary market transactions through a broker or dealer at a market price. Shares of the Funds are listed on the Exchange, and because Shares trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares of the Funds may trade at a price greater than NAV (i.e., a “premium”) or less than NAV (i.e., a “discount”).
An investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase Shares of a Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for Shares (ask) when buying or selling Shares in the secondary market (the “bid/ask spread”).
Recent information, including information about each Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid/ask spreads, is included on the Fund’s website at www.vaneck.com.
TAX INFORMATION
Each Fund’s distributions are taxable and will generally be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains.
PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES
The Adviser and its related companies may pay broker-dealers or other financial intermediaries (such as a bank) for the sale of the Fund Shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing your broker-dealer or other intermediary or its employees or associated persons to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUNDS’ INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
The Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser anticipate that, generally, the portion of each Fund for which they are responsible will hold or gain exposure to all of the securities that comprise its benchmark index (the “Index”) in proportion to their weightings in such Index. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of those securities in those weightings. In these circumstances, a Fund may purchase a sample of securities in its Index. There also may be instances in which the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser may choose to underweight or overweight a security in a Fund’s Index, purchase securities not in a Fund’s Index that the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser believe are appropriate to substitute for certain securities in such Index or utilize various combinations of other available investment techniques in seeking to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Fund’s Index. Each Fund may sell securities that are represented in its Index in anticipation of their removal from such Index or purchase securities not represented in its Index in anticipation of their addition to such Index. Each Fund may also, in order to comply with the tax diversification requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, temporarily invest in securities not included in its Index that are expected to be highly correlated with the securities included in its Index.
VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF’s assets will be primarily invested in A-shares and shares of companies domiciled in China and listed on Chinese or eligible offshore exchanges. In addition, VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF’s assets that are not allocated to the Sub-Adviser for investment will be managed by the Adviser for investment either in shares of Chinese companies or directly in A-shares through Stock Connect and/or in swaps, futures contracts and other types of derivative instruments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of A-shares or shares of Chinese companies, including swaps on the China Index, swaps on the A-shares or shares of Chinese companies which comprise the China Index and/or swaps on funds that seek to replicate the performance of the China Index or funds that invest in A-shares or shares of Chinese companies. Additionally, VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF may invest directly in shares of such funds. The notional values of these swaps, futures contracts and other derivative instruments will count towards VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF’s 80% investment policy and cash and cash equivalents related to the swaps, futures contracts and other derivative instruments will not be counted towards the calculation of total assets. The Adviser on behalf of VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF may also invest, to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), in other affiliated and unaffiliated funds, such as open-end or closed-end management investment companies, including other ETFs. Assets managed by the Adviser on behalf of VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF that are not invested in other funds, including ETFs listed on a Hong Kong or other foreign exchange, swaps and other derivatives will be invested primarily in money market instruments.
VanEck ChiNext ETF’s assets will be primarily invested in A-shares. In addition, VanEck ChiNext ETF’s assets that are not allocated to the Sub-Adviser for investment will be managed by the Adviser for investment through Stock Connect, to the extent available.
Because the Funds do not satisfy the criteria to qualify as a RQFII or QFII themselves, each Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares via the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license and may also invest through Stock Connect (to the extent available). In the event that the Sub-Adviser is unable to maintain its RQFII status or to seek to replicate a Fund’s Index through the other means described in this Prospectus, a Fund may retain one or more additional sub-advisers that maintain RQFII licenses and/or the Adviser may obtain a RQFII or QFII license and the Adviser or additional sub-adviser(s), on behalf of the Fund, may invest in A-shares and other permitted China securities listed on the Shenzhen and Shanghai Stock Exchanges.
FUNDAMENTAL AND NON-FUNDAMENTAL POLICIES
Each Fund’s investment objective and each of its other investment policies are non-fundamental policies that may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board of Trustees”) without shareholder approval, except as noted in this Prospectus or the Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) under the section entitled “Investment Policies and Restrictions—Investment Restrictions.”
RISKS OF INVESTING IN THE FUNDS
The following section provides additional information regarding the principal risks identified under “Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund” in each Fund’s “Summary Information” section followed by additional risk information. The risks listed below are applicable for each Fund unless otherwise noted.
Investors in the Funds should be willing to accept a high degree of volatility in the price of the Funds’ Shares and the possibility of significant losses. An investment in the Funds involves a substantial degree of risk. An investment in the Funds is not a deposit with a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Therefore, you should consider carefully the following risks before investing in the Funds, each of which could significantly and adversely affect the value of an investment in a Fund.
Risk of the RQFII Regime and the Funds’ Principal Investment Strategies. The China Index is comprised of A-shares and shares of companies domiciled in China and listed on Chinese or eligible offshore exchanges and the ChiNext Index is comprised of A-shares. In seeking to replicate its Index, each Fund intends to invest directly in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license and Stock Connect. Because the Funds will not be able to invest in A-shares beyond the limits that may be imposed by Stock Connect and the RQFII, the size of each Fund’s direct investment in A-shares may be limited. In addition, the RQFII license of the Sub-Adviser may be revoked by the Chinese regulators if, among other things, the Sub-Adviser fails to observe SAFE and
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other applicable Chinese regulations. There can be no assurance a Fund could retain a replacement sub-adviser with an RQFII license or other means of investing in A-shares if that became necessary or appropriate for any reason.
The Funds cannot predict what would occur if the RQFII license of the Sub-Adviser generally were eliminated, although such an occurrence would likely have a material adverse effect on the Funds, including the requirement that the Sub-Adviser on behalf of the Funds dispose of certain or all of its A-shares holdings, and may adversely affect the willingness and ability of potential swap counterparties to engage in swaps with the Funds linked to the performance of A-shares. These risks are compounded by the fact that, at present, there are only a limited number of firms and potential counterparties that have RQFII or QFII status or are willing and able to enter into swap transactions linked to the performance of A-shares. To the extent a Fund invests in swaps, there can be no guarantee that the Fund will be able to invest in appropriate swaps, and the PRC government may at times restrict the ability of firms regulated in the PRC to make such swaps available. Therefore, any such elimination may have a material adverse effect on the ability of a Fund to achieve its investment objective. If a Fund is unable to obtain sufficient exposure to the performance of its Index due to the limited availability of investments that provide exposure to the performance of A-shares, the Fund, subject to any necessary regulatory relief, could, among other things, as a defensive measure limit or suspend creations until the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser determine that the requisite exposure to the Index is obtainable. If any of the above events were to occur, a Fund could trade at a significant premium or discount to its net asset value (“NAV”) and could experience substantial redemptions and a Fund could, among other things, change its investment objective by, for example, seeking to track an alternative index focused on Chinese-related stocks other than A-shares or other appropriate investments, or decide to liquidate the Fund.
Although the regulations on RQFII have recently been revised to relax regulatory restrictions on offshore capital management by RQFIIs (including removal of RQFII quota limits and simplifying the repatriation of investment proceeds), it is a very new development that is subject to uncertainties in the implementation in practice, especially at early stages.
There are also risks associated with the taxation of RQFIIs. Please refer to the section titled “PRC Taxation” below for more details.
The Sub-Adviser, as a licensed RQFII, is currently permitted to repatriate RMB daily and is not subject to RMB repatriation restrictions or prior approval, provided that final repatriation of capital and profits at the liquidation of the Fund will be subject to an audit report and tax filing. However, there is no assurance that RQFII may not be subject to restrictions or prior approval requirements in the future. Any additional restrictions imposed on the Sub-Adviser or RQFIIs generally may have adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to invest directly in A-shares and its ability to meet redemption requests.
If a Fund’s direct investments in A-shares through the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license become subject to repatriation restrictions, the Fund may be unable to satisfy distribution requirements applicable to RICs under the Internal Revenue Code, and be subject to income and excise tax at the Fund level. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions before re-qualifying for taxation as a RIC. See below under “Shareholder Information—Tax Information—Taxes on Distributions” for more information. Each Fund may elect, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, to treat Chinese taxes (including withholding taxes) paid by the Fund as paid by its shareholders. Even if a Fund is qualified to make that election and does so this treatment will not apply with respect to amounts the Fund reserves in anticipation of the imposition of withholding taxes not currently in effect (as discussed above). If these amounts are used to pay any tax liability of a Fund in a later year, they will be treated as paid by the shareholders in such later year, even if they are imposed with respect to income of an earlier year. See the section of this prospectus entitled “Shareholder Information—Tax Information” for a further description of this risk.
Special Risk Considerations of Investing in China. Investments in securities of Chinese issuers involve risks and special considerations not typically associated with investments in the U.S. securities markets, including the following:
Political and Economic Risk. The economy of China, which has been in a state of transition from a planned economy to a more market oriented economy, differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including the level of government involvement, its state of development, its growth rate, control of foreign exchange, and allocation of resources. Although the majority of productive assets in China are still owned by the PRC government at various levels, in recent years, the PRC government has implemented economic reform measures emphasizing utilization of market forces in the development of the economy of China and a high level of management autonomy. The economy of China has experienced significant growth in the past 30 years, but growth has been uneven both geographically and among various sectors of the economy. Economic growth has also been accompanied by periods of high inflation. The PRC government has implemented various measures from time to time to control inflation and restrain the rate of economic growth.
For more than 30 years, the PRC government has carried out economic reforms to achieve decentralization and utilization of market forces to develop the economy of the PRC. These reforms have resulted in significant economic growth and social progress. There can, however, be no assurance that the PRC government will continue to pursue such economic policies or, if it does, that those policies will continue to be successful. Any such adjustment and modification of those economic policies may have an adverse impact on the securities market in the PRC as well as the underlying securities of a Fund’s Index. Further, the PRC government may from time to time adopt corrective measures to control the growth of the PRC economy which may also have an adverse impact on the capital growth and performance of a Fund.
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Political changes, social instability and adverse diplomatic developments in the PRC could result in the imposition of additional government restrictions including expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxes or nationalization of some or all of the property held by the issuers of a Fund’s A-share investments or contained in a Fund’s Index.
Market volatility caused by potential regional or territorial conflicts, including military conflicts, either in response to internal social unrest or conflicts with other countries, popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions, the impact of regional conflict on the economy and hostile relations with neighboring countries, or natural or other disasters, may have an adverse impact on the performance of the Fund.
The laws, regulations, including the investment regulations allowing RQFIIs (and QFIIs) to invest in A-shares, government policies and political and economic climate in China may change with little or no advance notice. Any such change could adversely affect market conditions and the performance of the Chinese economy and, thus, the value of the A-shares in a Fund’s portfolio.
Since 1949, the PRC has been a socialist state controlled by the Communist party. China has only recently opened up to foreign investment and has only begun to permit private economic activity. There is no guarantee that the Chinese government will not revert from its current open-market economy to the economic policy of central planning that it implemented prior to 1978.
Under the economic reforms implemented by the Chinese government, the Chinese economy has experienced tremendous growth, developing into one of the largest economies in the world. There is no assurance, however, that such growth will be sustained in the future.
The Chinese government continues to be an active participant in many economic sectors through ownership positions and regulation. The allocation of resources in China is subject to a high level of government control. The Chinese government strictly regulates the payment of foreign currency denominated obligations and sets monetary policy. Through its policies, the government may provide preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. The policies set by the government could have a substantial adverse effect on the Chinese economy and a Fund’s investments.
The Chinese economy is export-driven and highly reliant on trade, and much of China’s growth in recent years has been the result of focused investments in economic sectors intended to produce goods and services for export purposes. The performance of the Chinese economy may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, currency revaluation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and balance of payments position. Adverse changes to the economic conditions of its primary trading partners, such as the United States, Japan and South Korea, would adversely impact the Chinese economy and a Fund’s investments. International trade tensions involving China and its trading counterparties may arise from time to time which can result in trade tariffs, embargoes, sanctions, investment restrictions, trade limitations, trade wars and other negative consequences. Such actions and consequences may ultimately result in a significant reduction in international trade, an oversupply of certain manufactured goods, devaluations of existing inventories and potentially the failure of individual companies and/or large segments of China’s export industry with a potentially severe negative impact to a Fund.
Moreover, the current slowdown or any future recessions in other significant economies of the world, such as the United States, the European Union and certain Asian countries, may adversely affect economic growth in China. An economic downturn in China would adversely impact a Fund’s investments.
Inflation. Economic growth in China has also historically been accompanied by periods of high inflation. Beginning in 2004, the Chinese government commenced the implementation of various measures to control inflation, which included the tightening of the money supply, the raising of interest rates and more stringent control over certain industries. Rising inflation may, in the future, adversely affect the performance of the Chinese economy and a Fund’s investments.
Tax Changes. The Chinese system of taxation is not as well settled as that of the United States. China has implemented a number of tax reforms in recent years and may amend or revise its existing tax laws and/or procedures in the future, possibly with retroactive effect. Changes in applicable Chinese tax law, such as the cessation of tax exemptions in respect of investments in A-shares via RQFII and/or the Stock Connect, could reduce the after-tax profits of the Fund, directly or indirectly, including by reducing the after-tax profits of companies in China in which a Fund invests. Uncertainties in Chinese tax rules could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Should legislation limit U.S. investors’ ability to invest in specific Chinese companies through A-shares or other share class listings that are part of the underlying holdings, these shares may be excluded from Fund holdings. In addition, changes in the Chinese tax system may have retroactive effects.
Nationalization and Expropriation. After the formation of the Chinese socialist state in 1949, the Chinese government renounced various debt obligations and nationalized private assets without providing any form of compensation. There can be no assurance that the Chinese government will not take similar actions in the future. Accordingly, an investment in a Fund involves a risk of a total loss.
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Hong Kong Policy. As part of Hong Kong’s transition from British to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, China agreed to allow Hong Kong to maintain a high degree of autonomy with regard to its political, legal and economic systems for a period of at least 50 years. China controls matters that relate to defense and foreign affairs. Under the agreement, China does not tax Hong Kong, does not limit the exchange of the Hong Kong dollar for foreign currencies and does not place restrictions on free trade in Hong Kong. However, there is no guarantee that China will continue to honor the agreement, and China may change its policies regarding Hong Kong at any time. As of July 2020, the Chinese Standing Committee of the National People's Congress enacted the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. As of the same month, Hong Kong is no longer afforded preferential economic treatment by the United States under US law, and there is uncertainty as to how the economy of Hong Kong will be affected. Any further changes in PRC’s policies could adversely affect market conditions and the performance of the Hong Kong economy and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio.
Any such change could adversely affect market conditions and the performance of the Chinese economy and, thus, the value of securities in the Fund’s portfolio. Furthermore, as demonstrated by Hong Kong protests in recent years over political, economic, and legal freedoms, and the Chinese government's response to them, there continues to exist political uncertainty within Hong Kong.
Chinese Securities Markets. The securities markets in China have a limited operating history and are not as developed as those in the United States. These markets tend to have had greater volatility than markets in the United States and some other countries. In addition, there is less regulation and monitoring of Chinese securities markets and the activities of investors, brokers and other participants than in the United States. Accordingly, issuers of securities in China are not subject to the same degree of regulation as are U.S. issuers with respect to such matters as insider trading rules, tender offer regulation, stockholder proxy requirements and the requirements mandating timely disclosure of information. During periods of significant market volatility, the Chinese government has, from time to time, intervened in its domestic securities markets to a greater degree than would be typical in more developed markets. Stock markets in China are in the process of change and further development. This may lead to trading volatility, unpredictable trading suspensions, difficulty in the settlement and recording of transactions and difficulty in interpreting and applying the relevant regulations. These risks may be more pronounced for the A-share market than for Chinese securities markets generally because the A-share market is subject to greater government restrictions and control, including trading suspensions, as described in greater detail above.
Available Disclosure About Chinese Companies. Disclosure and regulatory standards in emerging market countries, such as China, are in many respects less stringent than U.S. standards. There is substantially less publicly available information about Chinese issuers than there is about U.S. issuers. The Chinese government has taken positions that prevent the United States Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) from inspecting the audit work and practices of accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong for compliance with U.S. law and professional standards. Audits performed by PCAOB-registered accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong may be less reliable than those performed by firms subject to PCAOB inspection. Therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made, and less information may be available to a Fund and other investors than would be the case if a Fund’s investments were restricted to securities of U.S. issuers. Chinese issuers are subject to accounting, auditing and financial standards and requirements that differ, in some cases significantly, from those applicable to U.S. issuers. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a Chinese issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had such financial statements been prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. As a result, there is substantially greater risk that disclosures will be incomplete or misleading and, in the event of investor harm, that there may be substantially less access to recourse, in comparison to U.S. domestic companies. Furthermore, under amendments to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enacted in December 2020, which require that the PCAOB be permitted to inspect the accounting firm of a U.S.-listed Chinese issuer, Chinese companies with securities listed on U.S. exchanges may be delisted if the PCAOB is unable to inspect the accounting firm.
Chinese Corporate and Securities Law. The regulations on investments and repatriation of capital by QFIIs and RQFIIs are relatively new. As a result, the application and interpretation of such investment regulations are therefore relatively untested. In addition, PRC authorities have broad discretion in this regard. A Fund’s rights with respect to its investments in A-shares through Stock Connect or the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license will not be governed by U.S. law, and instead will be governed by Chinese law. China operates under a civil law system, in which court precedent is not binding. Because there is no binding precedent to interpret existing statutes, there is uncertainty regarding the implementation of existing law.
Legal principles relating to corporate affairs and the validity of corporate procedures, directors’ fiduciary duties and liabilities and stockholders’ rights often differ from those that may apply in the United States and other countries. Chinese laws providing protection to investors, such as laws regarding the fiduciary duties of officers and directors, are undeveloped and will not provide investors, such as a Fund, with protection in all situations where protection would be provided by comparable law in the United States. China lacks a national set of laws that address all issues that may arise with regard to a foreign investor such as a Fund.
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It may therefore be difficult for a Fund to enforce its rights as an investor under Chinese corporate and securities laws, and it may be difficult or impossible for a Fund to obtain a judgment in court. Moreover, as Chinese corporate and securities laws continue to develop, these developments may adversely affect foreign investors, such as a Fund.
Special Risk Considerations of Investing in A-shares. Each Fund’s investments in A-shares via the Stock Connect are limited by the market- wide quotas imposed by Stock Connect. In addition, there may be significant restrictions on the repatriation of gains and income related to the Sub-Adviser’s RQFII license that may affect a Fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests. Currently, there are two stock exchanges in mainland China, the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges, and there is one stock exchange in Hong Kong. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are supervised by the China Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) and are highly automated with trading and settlement executed electronically. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges are more volatile than the major securities markets in the United States. In comparison to the mainland Chinese securities markets, the securities markets in Hong Kong are relatively well developed and active.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange commenced trading on December 19, 1990, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange commenced trading on July 3, 1991 and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange commenced trading on April 2, 1986. The Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges divide listed shares into two classes: A-shares and B-shares. Companies whose shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges that are incorporated in mainland China may issue both A-shares and B-shares. In China, the A-shares and B-shares of an issuer may only trade on one exchange. A-shares and B-shares may both be listed on either the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. Both classes represent an ownership interest comparable to a share of common stock and all shares are entitled to substantially the same rights and benefits associated with ownership. A-shares are traded on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges in RMB.
Stock Connect provides a daily market-wide quota of approximately $8 billion. Because restrictions continue to exist and capital therefore cannot flow freely into the A-share market, it is possible that in the event of a market disruption, the liquidity of the A-share market and trading prices of A-shares could be more severely affected than the liquidity and trading prices of markets where securities are freely tradable and capital therefore flows more freely. A Fund cannot predict the nature or duration of such a market disruption or the impact that it may have on the A-share market and the short-term and long-term prospects of its investments in the A-share market.
The A-share market may be considered volatile with a risk of suspension of trading in a particular security or government intervention. Securities on the A-share market, including one or more securities in an Index, may be suspended from trading without an indication of how long the suspension will last, which may impair the liquidity of such securities.
The Chinese government has in the past taken actions that benefited holders of A-shares. As A-shares become more available to foreign investors, such as a Fund, the Chinese government may be less likely to take action that would benefit holders of A-shares. In addition, there is no guarantee that the Sub-Adviser will continue to maintain its RQFII if the RQFII license is eliminated by SAFE at some point in the future. A Fund cannot predict what would occur if an RQFII license of the Sub-Adviser were eliminated, although such an occurrence would likely have a material adverse effect on a Fund.
From time to time, certain of the companies in which a Fund expects to invest may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. A company may suffer damage to its reputation if it is identified as a company which operates in, or has dealings with, countries subject to sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. As an investor in such companies, a Fund will be indirectly subject to those risks.
Investment Restrictions. The Chinese government limits foreign investment in the securities of certain Chinese issuers entirely if foreign investment is banned in respect of the industry in which the relevant Chinese issuers are conducting their business. These restrictions or limitations may have adverse effects on the liquidity and performance of the Fund holdings as compared to the performance of its Index. This may increase the risk of tracking error and may adversely affect a Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.
Tax Risk. For a discussion regarding the tax risks applicable to the Fund’s investments in A-shares, please see “PRC Taxation” below.
The sale or transfer by the Sub-Adviser of A-shares or B-shares will be subject to PRC Stamp Duty at a rate of 0.1% on the transacted value. However, the Sub-Adviser will not be subject to PRC Stamp Duty when it acquires A-shares and B-shares.
It is unclear how China’s business tax may apply to activities of an RQFII and how such application may be affected by tax treaty provisions. A Fund’s shareholder’s ability to claim a credit for certain Chinese taxes may be limited under general U.S. tax principles. There is no guarantee that the temporary tax exemption or non-taxable treatment with respect to assets traded via QFIIs and RQFIIs described below will continue to apply. Such uncertainties may operate to the advantage or disadvantage of investors and may result in an increase or decrease in NAV of the Fund.
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Risk of Loss of Favorable U.S. Tax Treatment. Each Fund intends to distribute annually all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain. However, if a Fund does not repatriate funds associated with direct investment in A-shares on a timely basis, it may be unable to satisfy the distribution requirements required to qualify for the favorable tax treatment otherwise generally afforded to RICs under the Internal Revenue Code. If a Fund fails to qualify for any taxable year as a RIC, the Fund would be treated as a corporation subject to U.S. federal income tax, thereby subjecting any income earned by the Fund to tax at the corporate level currently at a 21% U.S. federal tax rate and, when such income is distributed, to a further tax at the shareholder level to the extent of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits. In addition, the Fund would not be eligible for a deduction for dividends paid to shareholders. In addition, the Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (any of which could be subject to interest charges) before re-qualifying for taxation as a RIC. See below under “Shareholder Information—Tax Information—Taxes on Distributions” for more information.
Tax on Retained Income and Gains. To the extent a Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income and excise tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund’s return. A Fund may elect to treat its net capital gain as having been distributed to shareholders. In that case, shareholders of record on the last day of the Fund’s taxable year will be required to include their attributable share of the retained gain in income for the year as a long-term capital gain despite not actually receiving the dividend, and will be entitled to a tax credit or refund for the tax deemed paid on their behalf by the Fund as well as an increase in the basis of their shares to reflect the difference between their attributable share of the gain and the related credit or refund.
Foreign Exchange Control. The Chinese government heavily regulates the domestic exchange of foreign currencies within China. Chinese law requires that all domestic transactions must be settled in RMB, places significant restrictions on the remittance of foreign currency and strictly regulates currency exchange from RMB. Under SAFE regulations, Chinese corporations may only purchase foreign currencies through government approved banks. In general, Chinese companies must receive approval from or register with the Chinese government before investing in certain capital account items, including direct investments and loans, and must thereafter maintain separate foreign exchange accounts for the capital items. Foreign investors may only exchange foreign currencies at specially authorized banks after complying with documentation requirements. These restrictions may adversely affect a Fund and its investments. There may not be sufficient amounts of RMB for a Fund to be fully invested because the Fund has to convert U.S. dollars received from the purchase of Creation Units into RMB to purchase RMB denominated investments. It should also be noted that that the PRC government’s policies on exchange control and repatriation restrictions are subject to change, and any such change may adversely impact a Fund. There can be no assurance that the RMB exchange rate will not fluctuate widely against the US dollar or any other foreign currency in the future. Under exceptional circumstances, payment of redemptions and/or dividend payment in RMB may be delayed due to the exchange controls and restrictions applicable to RMB.
Custody Risks of Investing in A-shares. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited (“ICBC” or the “PRC sub- custodian”), which is approved by CSRC and SAFE as a qualified RQFII custodian, has been appointed to provide custody services to the Funds’ assets invested in A-shares and investments in the PRC. The PRC sub-custodian maintains the Funds’ RMB deposit accounts and oversees the Funds’ investments in A-shares to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations of the CSRC and the People’s Bank of China. A-shares that are traded on the Shanghai or Shenzhen Stock Exchange are dealt and held in book-entry form through the CSDCC. The securities purchased by the Sub-Adviser, in its capacity as a RQFII, on behalf of a Fund, will be received by the CSDCC as credited to a securities trading account maintained by the PRC sub-custodian in the joint names of the Fund and the Sub-Adviser, and the Fund will pay the cost of the account. The Sub-Adviser may not use the account for any other purpose than for maintaining the Fund’s assets. However, given that the securities trading account will be maintained in the joint names of the Sub-Adviser and the Fund, the Fund’s assets may not be as well protected as they would be if it were possible for them to be registered and held solely in the name of the Fund. In particular, there is a risk that creditors of the Sub-Adviser may assert that the securities are owned by the Sub-Adviser and not the Fund, and that a court would uphold such an assertion, in which case creditors of the Sub-Adviser could seize assets of the Fund.
Investment via Stock Connect is subject to similar custody risks. Securities purchased by the Fund through Stock Connect will be held via a book entry in an omnibus account in the name of HKSCC, Hong Kong’s clearing entity, at CSDCC. The Fund’s ownership interest in Stock Connect securities will not be reflected directly in the book entry with CSDCC and will instead only be reflected on the books of its Hong Kong sub-custodian.
Investors should also note that cash deposits in a Fund’s account with the PRC sub-custodian will not be segregated from the proprietary assets of the PRC sub-custodian or the assets of its other clients. Therefore, to the extent a Fund’s assets are commingled, the cash deposits will be vulnerable in the event of a liquidation or bankruptcy by the PRC sub-custodian. Under such circumstances, a Fund will not have any proprietary rights to the cash deposited in the account, and the Fund will become an unsecured creditor, and would have no priority over the claims of any other unsecured creditors to the assets of the PRC sub-custodian. A Fund may encounter difficulties or delays in recovering such debt, or may not be able to recover it in full or at all, in which case the Fund will suffer losses.
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Use of Brokers. CSRC and SAFE regulations specify that all securities traded by the Sub-Adviser, as a licensed RQFII, on behalf of a Fund must be executed through one of the specified brokers per exchange. As a result, the Sub-Adviser will have less flexibility to choose among brokers on behalf of a Fund than is typically the case for investment managers.
Foreign Currency Considerations. Emerging markets such as China can experience high rates of inflation, deflation and currency devaluation. The value of the RMB may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation due to, among other things, changes in interest rates, the effects of monetary policies issued by the PRC, the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or other national or global political or economic developments. Each Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in investments denominated in RMB and the income received by each Fund will principally be in RMB. A Fund’s exposure to the RMB and changes in value of the RMB versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns for the Fund. Moreover, a Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and RMB. The RMB is currently not a freely convertible currency. The value of the RMB is based on a managed floating exchange rate based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of foreign currencies. The daily trading price of the RMB is allowed to float within a narrow band around the central parity published by the People’s Bank of China. The Chinese government’s imposition of restrictions on the repatriation of RMB out of mainland China may limit the depth of the offshore RMB market and reduce the liquidity of a Fund’s investments. These restrictions as well as any accelerated appreciation or depreciation of RMB may adversely affect a Fund and its investments. Under exceptional circumstances, payment of redemptions and/or dividend payment in RMB may be delayed due to the exchange controls and restrictions applicable to RMB.
Each Fund’s assets are expected to be primarily invested in the A-shares of Chinese issuers and the income received by each Fund will be principally in RMB. Meanwhile, each Fund will compute and expects to distribute its income in U.S. dollars, and the computation of income will be made on the date that the income is earned by the Fund at the foreign exchange rate in effect on that date. Therefore, if the value of the RMB falls relative to the U.S. dollar between the earning of the income and the time at which a Fund converts the RMB to U.S. dollars, the Fund may be required to liquidate certain positions in order to make distributions if the Fund has insufficient cash in U.S. dollars to meet distribution requirements under the Internal Revenue Code. The liquidation of investments, if required, may also have an adverse impact on a Fund’s performance.
Furthermore, a Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and RMB. Foreign exchange dealers realize a profit based on the difference between the prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer normally will offer to sell a foreign currency to a Fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the Fund desire immediately to resell that currency to the dealer. A Fund will conduct its foreign currency exchange transactions either on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market, or through entering into forward, futures or options contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies.
RMB can be further categorized into onshore RMB (“CNY”), which can be traded only in the PRC, and offshore RMB (“CNH”), which can be traded outside the PRC. CNY and CNH are traded at different exchange rates and their exchange rates may not move in the same direction. Although there has been a growing amount of RMB held offshore, CNH cannot be freely remitted into the PRC and is subject to certain restrictions, and vice versa. A Fund may also be adversely affected by the exchange rates between CNY and CNH. In addition, there may not be sufficient amounts of RMB for a Fund to be fully invested because the Fund has to convert U.S. dollars received from the purchase of Creation Units into RMB to purchase A-shares, and this may result in settlement delays and increased tracking error. A Fund will be required to remit CNH to settle the purchase of A-shares by the Fund from time to time. In the event such remittance is disrupted, a Fund will not be able to fully replicate its Index by investing in the relevant A-shares, which may lead to increased tracking error. Moreover, the trading and settlement of RMB-denominated securities are recent developments in Hong Kong and there is no assurance that problems will not be encountered with the systems or that other logistical problems will not arise.
Currently, there is no market in China in which the Funds may engage in hedging transactions to minimize RMB foreign exchange risk, and there can be no guarantee that instruments suitable for hedging currency will be available to the Funds in China at any time in the future. In the event that in the future it becomes possible to hedge RMB currency risk in China, a Fund may seek to protect the value of some portion or all of its portfolio holdings against currency risks by engaging in hedging transactions. In that case, such Fund may enter into forward currency exchange contracts and currency futures contracts and options on such futures contracts, as well as purchase put or call options on currencies, in China. Currency hedging would involve special risks, including possible default by the other party to the transaction, illiquidity and, to the extent the Adviser’s and/or the Sub-Adviser’s view as to certain market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of hedging could result in losses greater than if they had not been used. The use of currency transactions could result in a Fund’s incurring losses as a result of the imposition of exchange controls, exchange rate regulation, suspension of settlements or the inability to deliver or receive a specified currency.
Disclosure of Interests and Short Swing Profit Rule. A Fund may be subject to shareholder disclosure of interest regulations promulgated by the CSRC. These regulations currently require a Fund to make certain public disclosures when the Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund acquire 5% or more of the issued securities of a listed company (which include A-shares and B-shares of the listed company). If the reporting requirement is triggered, a Fund will be required to
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report information which includes, but is not limited to: (a) information about the Fund and the type and extent of its holdings in the company; (b) a statement of the Fund’s purposes for the investment and whether the Fund intends to increase its holdings over the following 12-month period; (c) a statement of the Fund’s historical investments in the company over the previous six months; (d) the time of, and other information relating to, the transaction that triggered the Fund’s holding in the listed company reaching the 5% reporting threshold; and (e) other information that may be required by the CSRC or the stock exchange. Additional information may be required if a Fund and its concerted parties constitute the largest shareholder or actual controlling shareholder of the listed company. The report must be made to the CSRC, the stock exchange, the invested company, and the CSRC local representative office where the listed company is located. A Fund would also be required to make a public announcement through a media outlet designated by the CSRC. The public announcement must contain the same content as the official report.
The relevant PRC regulations presumptively treat all affiliated investors and investors under common control as parties acting in concert. As such, under a conservative interpretation of these regulations, a Fund may be deemed as a “concerted party” of other funds managed by the Adviser and its affiliates and/or the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates and therefore may be subject to the risk that the Fund’s holdings may be required to be reported in the aggregate with the holdings of such other funds should the aggregate holdings trigger the reporting threshold under the PRC law.
If the 5% shareholding threshold is triggered by a Fund and parties acting in concert with the Fund, the Fund would be required to file its report within three days of the date the threshold is reached. During the time limit for filing the report, a trading freeze applies and the Fund would not be permitted to make subsequent trades in the invested company’s securities. Any such trading freeze may negatively impact a Fund’s performance, if the Fund would otherwise make trades during that period but is prevented from doing so by the regulation.
Once a Fund and parties acting in concert reach the 5% trading threshold as to any listed company, any subsequent incremental increase or decrease of 5% or more will trigger a further reporting requirement and an additional three-day trading freeze, and also an additional freeze on trading within two days of the Fund’s report and announcement of the incremental change. These trading freezes may undermine a Fund’s performance as described above. Also, Shanghai Stock Exchange requirements currently require a Fund and parties acting in concert, once they have reached the 5% threshold, to disclose whenever their shareholding drops below this threshold (even as a result of trading which is less than the 5% incremental change that would trigger a reporting requirement under the relevant CSRC regulation).
CSRC regulations also contain additional disclosure (and tender offer) requirements that apply when an investor and parties acting in concert reach thresholds of 20% and greater than 30% shareholding in a company. Because no single underlying foreign investor investing through a RQFII or QFII (e.g., a Fund) may currently hold more than 10% of the total outstanding shares in one listed company, it is currently unlikely that a Fund’s trading would trigger the more detailed reporting or tender offer requirements at the higher thresholds.
Subject to the interpretation of PRC courts and PRC regulators, the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule may be applicable to the trading of a Fund with the result that where the holdings of the Fund (possibly with the holdings of other accounts managed by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser) exceed 5% of the total issued shares of a listed company, the Fund may not reduce its holdings in the company within six months of the last purchase of shares of the company. If a Fund violates the rule, it may be required by the listed company to return any profits realized from such trading to the listed company. In addition, the rule limits the ability of a Fund to repurchase securities of the listed company within six months of such sale. Moreover, under PRC civil procedures, a Fund’s assets may be frozen to the extent of the claims made by the company in question. If the operation of the PRC short swing profit rule is triggered as described above, it may greatly impair the performance of a Fund.
Risks associated with the ChiNext Market. (VanEck ChiNext ETF only.) The Fund may, through the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, access securities listed on the ChiNext Market. Listed companies on the ChiNext Market are usually of an emerging nature with smaller operating scale. They are subject to higher fluctuation in stock prices and liquidity and have higher risks and turnover ratios than companies listed on the main board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Securities listed on the ChiNext Market may be overvalued and such exceptionally high valuation may not be sustainable. Stock prices may be more susceptible to manipulation due to fewer circulating shares. It may be more common and faster for companies listed on ChiNext Market to delist. This may have an adverse impact on the Fund if the companies that they invest in are delisted. Also, the rules and regulations regarding companies listed on ChiNext Market are less stringent in terms of profitability and share capital than those on the main board. Investments in the ChiNext Market may result in significant losses for the Fund and their investors.
Risks associated with the Science and Technology Innovation Board (also known as the “STAR Board”). (VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF only.) The Fund may access securities listed on the STAR Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Listed companies on the STAR Board are usually of an emerging nature with smaller operating scale, focused on emerging sectors such as new technologies and have a limited history. Rapid changes in technology could render obsolete the products and services offered by these listed companies, and cause severe or complete declines in the prices of the securities of such companies.
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In general, the securities on the STAR Board are subject to higher fluctuations in securities prices and liquidity and have higher risks and turnover ratios than companies listed on the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Due to having fewer securities in circulation, securities prices may be more susceptible to manipulation. Securities listed on the STAR Board may be overvalued and such exceptionally high valuations may not be sustainable.
As the STAR Board allows companies to list by way of a registration system, it may be more common and faster for companies listed on the STAR Board to list and delist. If the companies that the Fund invests in are delisted, this may have an adverse impact on the value of the Fund. Also, the rules and regulations regarding companies listed on the STAR Board are less stringent in terms of profitability and share capital than those on the main board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Listed companies may list on the STAR Board with neither a track record of profitability nor any obligation to forecast future profitability. Investments in securities listed on the STAR Board may result in significant losses for the Fund and its investors.
Risks of Investing through Stock Connect. Each Fund may invest in A-shares listed and traded on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through Stock Connect, or on such other stock exchanges in China which participate in Stock Connect from time to time or in the future. Trading through Stock Connect is subject to a number of restrictions that may affect a Fund’s investments and returns. For example, trading through Stock Connect is subject to daily quotas that limit the maximum daily net purchases on any particular day, which may restrict or preclude the Fund’s ability to invest in Stock Connect A-shares. In addition, investments made through Stock Connect are subject to trading, clearance and settlement procedures that are relatively untested in the PRC, which could pose risks to a Fund. Furthermore, securities purchased via Stock Connect will be held via a book entry omnibus account in the name of HKSCC, Hong Kong’s clearing entity, at the CSDCC. A Fund’s ownership interest in Stock Connect securities will not be reflected directly in book entry with CSDCC and will instead only be reflected on the books of its Hong Kong sub-custodian. A Fund may therefore depend on HKSCC’s ability or willingness as record-holder of Stock Connect securities to enforce the Fund’s shareholder rights. PRC law did not historically recognize the concept of beneficial ownership; while PRC regulations and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange have issued clarifications and guidance supporting the concept of beneficial ownership via Stock Connect, the interpretation of beneficial ownership in the PRC by regulators and courts may continue to evolve. Moreover, Stock Connect A-shares generally may not be sold, purchased or otherwise transferred other than through Stock Connect in accordance with applicable rules.
A primary feature of Stock Connect is the application of the home market’s laws and rules applicable to investors in A-shares. Therefore, a Fund’s investments in Stock Connect A-shares are generally subject to PRC securities regulations and listing rules, among other restrictions. Stock Connect is only available on days when markets in both the PRC and Hong Kong are open, which may limit the Fund’s ability to trade when it would be otherwise attractive to do so. Uncertainties in permanent PRC tax rules governing the taxation of income and gains from investments in Stock Connect A-shares could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Please refer to the section titled “PRC Taxation” below.
The Stock Connect program is a relatively new program and may be subject to further interpretation and guidance. There can be no assurance as to the program’s continued existence or whether future developments regarding the program may restrict or adversely affect a Fund’s investments or returns. In addition, the application and interpretation of the laws and regulations of Hong Kong and the PRC, and the rules, policies or guidelines published or applied by relevant regulators and exchanges in respect of the Stock Connect program are uncertain, and they may have a detrimental effect on a Fund’s investments and returns.
PRC Taxation. Currently, there are no specific tax rules relating to investment in A-shares via the Stock Connect and RQFII. Instead, the income and gains from such investment are subject to general PRC tax rules and temporary provisions. Under these provisions, a corporation that does not have a permanent establishment in the PRC will be subject to withholding income tax of 10% (“PRC WIT”) on its PRC sourced income, including but not limited to passive income (e.g. dividends, interest, gains arising from transfer of assets), subject to reduction under an applicable double tax treaty and agreement by PRC tax authorities. Value added tax of 6%, as well as urban maintenance and construction tax, educational surcharge and local educational surcharge (which are all based on value added tax) should also be levied on gains derived from trading of marketable securities.
Under Circular Caishui [2014] No. 79, the PRC Ministry of Finance (MOF) clarified that capital gains on the transfer of A-shares derived by QFIIs and RQFIIs that do not have a permanent establishment in the PRC on or after 17 November 2014 are temporarily exempt from PRC WIT. According to Circular Caishui [2014] No. 81 and Circular Caishui [2016] No. 127, the MOF clarified that capital gains realized from the transfer of A-shares via Stock Connect are temporarily exempt from PRC WIT.
The Fund, prior to December 22, 2014, reserved 10% of its realized and unrealized gains from its A-share investments to apply towards withholding tax liability with respect to realized and unrealized gains from the Fund’s investments in A-shares of “land- rich” enterprises, which are companies that have greater than 50% of their assets in land or real properties in the PRC. The tax reserve was reflected in the Fund’s daily NAV calculations as a deduction from the Fund’s NAV. During 2015, revenue authorities in the PRC made arrangements for the collection of capital gains taxes for investments realized between November 17, 2009 and November 16, 2014.
Actual tax imposed by the PRC tax authorities may be different and may be changed from time to time. There is a possibility of the tax rules being changed and taxes being applied retrospectively. As such, any provision for taxation made by the Fund may be
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excessive or inadequate to meet the final PRC tax liabilities. Consequently, shareholders may be advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the final tax liabilities, the level of provision and the timing of the shareholder's subscription and redemption.
Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities. These additional risks include greater market volatility, the availability of less reliable financial information, higher transactional and custody costs, taxation by foreign governments, decreased market liquidity and political instability. Because certain foreign securities markets may be limited in size, the activity of large traders may have an undue influence on the prices of securities that trade in such markets. Certain foreign markets that have historically been considered relatively stable may become volatile in response to changed conditions or new developments. Increased interconnectivity of world economies and financial markets increases the possibility that adverse developments and conditions in one country or region will affect the stability of economies and financial markets in other countries or regions. Each Fund invests in securities of issuers located in countries whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on a Fund’s investments. Because each Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies and some of the income received by each Fund may be in foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates may negatively impact each Fund’s return. The risks of investing in emerging and frontier market countries are greater than risks associated with investments in foreign developed countries.
Foreign issuers are often subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are U.S. issuers, and therefore, not all material information may be available or reliable. Securities exchanges or foreign governments may adopt rules or regulations that may negatively impact a Fund’s ability to invest in foreign securities or may prevent the Fund from repatriating its investments. A Fund may also invest in depositary receipts which involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. In addition, a Fund may not receive shareholder communications or be permitted to vote the securities that it holds, as the issuers may be under no legal obligation to distribute shareholder communications.
Certain foreign markets may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, organizations, entities and/or individuals, changes in international trade patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. The United States and other nations or international organizations may impose economic sanctions or take other actions that may adversely affect issuers of specific countries. Economic sanctions could, among other things, effectively restrict or eliminate a Fund’s ability to purchase or sell securities or groups of securities for a substantial period of time, and may make the Fund’s investments in such securities harder to value. These sanctions, any future sanctions or other actions, or even the threat of future sanctions or other actions, may negatively affect the value and liquidity of a Fund.
Also, certain issuers located in foreign countries in which a Fund invests may operate in, or have dealings with, countries subject to sanctions and/or embargoes imposed by the U.S. Government and the United Nations and/or countries identified by the U.S. Government as state sponsors of terrorism. As a result, an issuer may sustain damage to its reputation if it is identified as an issuer which operates in, or has dealings with, such countries. A Fund, as an investor in such issuers, will be indirectly subject to those risks.
Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Issuers. The Funds invest their assets in securities of emerging market issuers. Investment in securities of emerging market issuers involves risks not typically associated with investments in securities of issuers in more developed countries that may negatively affect the value of your investment in the Funds. Such heightened risks may include, among others, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets, restrictions on and government intervention in international trade, confiscatory taxation, political instability, including authoritarian and/or military involvement in governmental decision making, armed conflict, the impact on the economy as a result of civil war, crime (including drug violence) and social instability as a result of religious, ethnic and/or socioeconomic unrest. Issuers in certain emerging market countries are subject to less stringent requirements regarding accounting, auditing, financial reporting and record keeping than are issuers in more developed markets, and therefore, all material information may not be available or reliable. Emerging markets are also more likely than developed markets to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades, as well as the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets may make trades harder to complete and settle, and governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that may not be subject to independent evaluation. Local agents are held only to the standards of care of their local markets. In general, the less developed a country’s securities markets are, the greater the likelihood of custody problems. The frequency, availability and quality of financial information about investments in emerging markets varies. The Fund has limited rights and few practical remedies in emerging markets and the ability of U.S. authorities to bring enforcement actions in emerging markets may be limited, and the Fund's passive investment approach does not take account of these risks. All of these factors can make emerging market securities more volatile and potentially less liquid than securities issued in more developed markets.
Foreign Currency Risk. Because a Fund’s assets that are invested in equity securities of issuers in foreign countries may be denominated in foreign currencies, the proceeds received by the Fund from these investments will generally be in foreign currencies. A Fund’s exposure to foreign currencies and changes in the value of foreign currencies versus the U.S. dollar may result in reduced returns for the Fund. Moreover, a Fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between U.S. dollars and
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foreign currencies. The value of certain emerging market countries' currency may be subject to a high degree of fluctuation. This fluctuation may be due to changes in interest rates, investors’ expectations concerning inflation and interest rates, the emerging market country’s debt levels and trade deficit, the effects of monetary policies issued by the United States, foreign governments, central banks or supranational entities, the imposition of currency controls or other national or global political or economic developments. For example, certain emerging market countries have experienced economic challenges and liquidity issues with respect to their currency. The economies of certain emerging market countries can be significantly affected by currency devaluations. Certain emerging market countries may also have managed currencies which are maintained at artificial levels relative to the U.S. dollar rather than at levels determined by the market. This type of system could lead to sudden and large adjustments in the currency, which in turn, may have a negative effect on a Fund and its investments.
Risk of Investing in the Consumer Discretionary Sector. (VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF only.) A Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the consumer discretionary sector. The consumer discretionary sector comprises companies whose businesses are sensitive to economic cycles, such as manufacturers of high-end apparel and automobile and leisure companies. Companies in the consumer discretionary sector are subject to fluctuations in supply and demand. These companies may also be adversely affected by changes in consumer spending as a result of world events, political and economic conditions, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations.
Risk of Investing in the Consumer Staples Sector. (VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF only.) A Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the consumer staples sector. Companies in the consumer staples sector may be adversely affected by changes in the worldwide economy, consumer spending, competition, demographics and consumer preferences, exploration and production spending. Companies in this sector are also affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions.
Risk of Investing in the Health Care Sector. A Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the health care sector. Companies in the health care sector may be affected by extensive government regulation, restrictions on government reimbursement for medical expenses, rising costs of medical products and services, pricing pressure, an increased emphasis on outpatient services, limited number of products, industry innovation, changes in technologies and other market developments. Many health care companies are heavily dependent on patent protection. The expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Many health care companies are subject to extensive litigation based on product liability and similar claims. Health care companies are subject to competitive forces that may make it difficult to raise prices and, in fact, may result in price discounting. Many new products in the health care sector may be subject to regulatory approvals. The process of obtaining such approvals may be long and costly. Companies in the health care sector may be thinly capitalized and may be susceptible to product obsolescence.
Risk of Investing in the Industrials Sector. A Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the industrials sector. The industrials sector comprises companies who produce capital goods used in construction and manufacturing, such as companies that make and sell machinery, equipment and supplies that are used to produce other goods. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by environmental damages, product liability claims and exchange rates. The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrial sector products in general. The products of manufacturing companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. In addition, the industrials sector may also be adversely affected by changes or trends in commodity prices, which may be influenced or characterized by unpredictable factors.
Risk of Investing in the Information Technology Sector. A Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition of the information technology sector. Information technology companies face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Information technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of information technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Companies in the information technology sector are heavily dependent on patent protection and the expiration of patents may adversely affect the profitability of these companies.
Risk of Investing in Swaps. (VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF only.) A Fund also expects to invest in swaps and other types of derivative instruments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the economic characteristics of A-shares or shares of Chinese companies, including swaps on the China Index, swaps on the A-shares or shares of Chinese companies which comprise the China Index and/or swaps on funds that seek to replicate the performance of the China Index or funds that invest in A-shares or shares of Chinese companies. The use of swap agreements entails certain risks, which may be different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in the underlying asset for the swap agreement. These risks include:
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Limited Availability of Swaps. A Fund’s ability to achieve its stated investment objective may depend upon the continuing availability of A-shares and the willingness and ability of potential swap counterparties to engage in swaps with the Fund linked to the performance of A-shares. To the extent that the RQFII or QFII license of a potential swap counterparty eliminated due to actions by the Chinese government or as a result of transactions entered into by the counterparty with other investors, the counterparty’s ability to continue to enter into swaps or other derivative transactions with a Fund may be reduced or eliminated, which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. These risks are compounded by the fact that at present there are only a limited number of potential counterparties willing and able to enter into swap transactions linked to the performance of A-shares. Furthermore, swaps are of limited duration and there is no guarantee that swaps entered into with a counterparty will continue indefinitely. Accordingly, the duration of a swap depends on, among other things, the ability of a Fund to renew the expiration period of the relevant swap at agreed upon terms. Therefore, subject to interpretation by SAFE, QFIIs or RQFIIs may be limited or prohibited from providing a Fund access to RQFII licenses by entering into swap or other derivative transactions, which, in turn, could adversely affect the Fund.
Counterparty Risk. Because a swap is an obligation of the counterparty rather than a direct investment in A-shares or shares of Chinese companies, a Fund may suffer losses potentially equal to, or greater than, the full value of the swap if the counterparty to an “over- the-counter” swap fails to perform its obligations under the swap as a result of bankruptcy or otherwise. Any loss would result in a reduction in the NAV of a Fund and will likely impair the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective. The counterparty risk associated with a Fund’s investments is expected to be greater than most other funds because there are only a limited number of counterparties that are willing and able to enter into swaps on A-shares. In fact, because there are so few potential counterparties, a Fund, subject to applicable law, may enter into swap transactions with as few as one counterparty at any time.
Liquidity Risk. Swap agreements may be subject to liquidity risk, which exists when a particular swap is difficult to purchase or sell. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid, it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses to a Fund. This is especially true given the limited number of potential counterparties willing and able to enter into swap transactions on A-shares.
Tax Risk. A Fund’s investments in swaps and other derivative instruments may be less tax-efficient than a direct investment in A-shares. Investments in swaps and other derivatives may be subject to special U.S. federal income tax rules that could negatively affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by the Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Also, a Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in swaps and derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in A-shares. For example, swaps in which a Fund may invest may need to be reset on a regular basis in order to maintain compliance with the 1940 Act or for other reasons, which may increase the likelihood that the Fund will generate short-term capital gains. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, the manner in which they are applied by a Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, a Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability. Moreover, a Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as passive foreign investment companies for U.S. federal income tax purposes (“PFICs”). Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to a Fund and its shareholders.
In addition, a swap transaction may be subject to a Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. Because swaps are generally entered into between two parties and may take longer than seven days to be sold or disposed of in the ordinary course of business, certain swaps may be considered to be illiquid. Swap agreements may be subject to pricing risk, which exists when a particular swap agreement becomes extraordinarily expensive (or inexpensive) relative to historical prices or the prices of corresponding cash market instruments. The swaps market is subject to extensive regulation under the Dodd-Frank Act and certain SEC and CFTC rules promulgated thereunder. It is possible that developments in the swaps market, including new and additional government regulation, could result in higher Fund costs and expenses and could adversely affect a Fund’s ability, among other things, to enter into or to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements.
Risk of Investing in Futures. (VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF only.) Futures contracts generally provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another party of a specified instrument, index or commodity at a specified future time and at a specified price. The value of a futures contract tends to increase and decrease in tandem with the value of the underlying instrument. The prices of futures can be highly volatile and using futures can increase the volatility of a Fund’s NAV and/or lower total return. Additionally, as a result of the low collateral deposits normally involved in futures trading, a relatively small movement in the price or value of a futures transaction may result in substantial losses to a Fund, and the potential loss from futures can exceed the Fund’s initial investment in such contracts. Futures contacts involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a futures contract may not correlate perfectly with the underlying indicator. Even a well-conceived futures transaction may be unsuccessful due to market events. There is also the risk of loss by a Fund of margin deposits in the
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event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Fund has an open position in the futures contract. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the Fund’s futures contract positions at any time.
Risk of Investing in Other Funds. (VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF only.) A Fund may invest in shares of other funds, including ETFs that track the China Index. As a result, a Fund will indirectly be exposed to the risks of an investment in the underlying funds. Shares of other funds have many of the same risks as direct investments in common stocks or bonds. In addition, the market value of such funds’ shares is expected to rise and fall as the value of the underlying index or bond rises and falls. The market value of such funds’ shares may differ from the NAV of the particular fund. As a shareholder in a fund (as with ETFs), the Fund would bear its ratable share of that entity’s expenses. At the same time, the Fund would continue to pay its own investment management fees and other expenses. As a result, the Fund and its shareholders will be absorbing duplicate levels of fees with respect to investments in other funds, including ETFs. Such fees will not, however, be counted towards the Fund’s expense cap.
In October 2020, the SEC adopted certain regulatory changes and took other actions related to the ability of an investment company to invest in another investment company, including the rescission of exemptive relief issued by the SEC permitting such investments in excess of statutory limits. These regulatory changes may adversely impact the Fund’s investment strategies and operations.
Risk of Investing in Small- and/or Medium-Capitalization Companies. A Fund may invest in small- and/or medium- capitalization companies and, therefore will be subject to certain risks associated with small- and/or medium-capitalization companies. These companies are often subject to less analyst coverage and may be in early and less predictable periods of their corporate existences, with little or no record of profitability. In addition, these companies often have greater price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than larger more established companies. These companies tend to have smaller revenues, narrower product lines, less management depth and experience, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer financial resources and less competitive strength than large-capitalization companies. Returns on investments in securities of small- and/or medium-capitalization companies could trail the returns on investments in securities of larger companies.
Risk of Cash Transactions. Unlike most other ETFs, VanEck ChiNext ETF effects all of its creations and redemptions for cash, rather than wholly for in-kind securities, and VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF effects its creations and redemptions at least partially for cash, rather than wholly for in-kind securities, due to various legal and operational constraints in certain countries in which the Funds invest. Because these Funds currently intend to effect all or a portion of redemptions for cash, rather than in-kind distributions, they may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds, which involves transaction costs that the Funds may not have incurred had they effected redemptions entirely in kind. These costs may include brokerage costs and/or taxable gains or losses, which may be imposed on a Fund and decrease the Fund’s NAV to the extent such costs are not offset by a transaction fee payable by an AP. If a Fund recognizes gain on these sales, this generally will cause the Fund to recognize gain it might not otherwise have recognized if it were to distribute portfolio securities in-kind or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required. As a result, an investment in such Fund may be less tax-efficient than an investment in a more conventional ETF. Other ETFs generally are able to make in-kind redemptions and avoid realizing gains in connection with transactions designed to raise cash to meet redemption requests. The Funds generally intend to distribute these gains to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the Fund level and otherwise comply with the special tax rules that apply to it. This strategy may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains they would not otherwise be subject to, or at an earlier date than, if they had made an investment in a different ETF. Additionally, transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable transaction fees and taxes.
Equity Securities Risk. The value of the equity securities held by each Fund may fall due to general market and economic conditions, perceptions regarding the markets in which the issuers of securities held by a Fund participate, or factors relating to specific issuers in which a Fund invests. For example, an adverse event, such as an unfavorable earnings report, may result in a decline in the value of equity securities of an issuer held by a Fund; the price of the equity securities of an issuer may be particularly sensitive to general movements in the securities markets; or a drop in the securities markets may depress the price of most or all of the equities securities held by a Fund. In addition, the equity securities of an issuer in a Fund’s portfolio may decline in price if the issuer fails to make anticipated dividend payments. Equity securities are subordinated to preferred securities and debt in a company’s capital structure with respect to priority in right to a share of corporate income, and therefore will be subject to greater dividend risk than preferred securities or debt instruments. In addition, while broad market measures of equity securities have historically generated higher average returns than fixed income securities, equity securities have generally also experienced significantly more volatility in those returns, although under certain market conditions fixed income securities may have comparable or greater price volatility.
A change in the financial condition, market perception or the credit rating of an issuer of securities included in a Fund’s Index may cause the value of its securities to decline.
Market Risk. The prices of the securities in the Funds are subject to the risks associated with investing in the securities market, including general economic conditions, sudden and unpredictable drops in value, exchange trading suspensions and closures and public health risks. These risks may be magnified if certain social, political, economic and other conditions and events (such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest) adversely interrupt the global economy; in these
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and other circumstances, such events or developments might affect companies world-wide. Overall securities values could decline generally or could underperform other investments. An investment in the Funds may lose money.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may engage in active and frequent trading of its portfolio securities. High portfolio turnover may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund, including brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction costs on the sale of the securities and on reinvestment in other securities. Additionally, the sale of Fund portfolio securities may result in the realization and/or distribution to shareholders of higher capital gains or losses as compared to a fund with less active trading. These effects of higher than normal portfolio turnover may adversely affect Fund performance. High portfolio turnover may also result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account.
Operational Risk. Each Fund is exposed to operational risk arising from a number of factors, including but not limited to, human error, processing and communication errors, errors of the Fund’s service providers, counterparties or other third- parties, failed or inadequate processes and technology or system failures.
Index Tracking Risk. A Fund’s return may not match the return of its Index for a number of reasons. For example, a Fund incurs a number of operating expenses, including taxes, not applicable to its Index and incurs costs associated with buying and selling securities and entering into derivatives transactions (if applicable), especially when rebalancing the Fund’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of its Index or (to the extent a Fund effects creations and redemptions are effected in cash) raising cash to meet redemptions or deploying cash in connection with newly created Creation Units, which are not factored into the return of each Fund's Index. Transaction costs, including brokerage costs, will decrease a Fund’s NAV to the extent not offset by the transaction fee payable by an AP. Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to adjust its exposure to the required levels in order to track its respective Index. Unusual market conditions may cause the Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance, which could cause the Index to vary from its normal or expected composition. There is no assurance that an Index Provider (as defined herein) or any agents that may act on its behalf will compile each Fund’s Index accurately, or that each Index will be determined, composed or calculated accurately. Errors in respect of the quality, accuracy and completeness of the data used to compile an Index may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the Index Providers for a period of time or at all, particularly where the indices are less commonly used as benchmarks by funds or managers. Therefore, gains, losses or costs associated with errors of the Index Providers or their agents will generally be borne by the applicable Fund and its shareholders. For example, during a period where a Fund’s Index contains incorrect constituents, the Fund would have market exposure to such constituents and would be underexposed to an Index’s other constituents. Such errors may negatively or positively impact a Fund and its shareholders. Any gains due to the Index Providers’ or others’ errors will be kept by the applicable Fund and its shareholders and any losses resulting from an Index Provider’s or others’ errors will be borne by the applicable Fund and its shareholders. When a Fund’s Index is rebalanced and the Fund in turn rebalances its portfolio to attempt to increase the correlation between the Fund’s portfolio and its respective Index, any transaction costs and market exposure arising from such portfolio rebalancing will be borne directly by the applicable Fund and its shareholders. The Fund may not be fully invested at times either as a result of cash flows into the Fund (if the Fund effects creations and redemptions for cash) or reserves of cash held by the Fund to meet redemptions or pay expenses. Apart from scheduled rebalances, the Index Provider or their agents may carry out additional ad hoc rebalances to a Fund's Index. Therefore, errors and additional ad hoc rebalances carried out by the Index Provider or their agents to a respective Index may increase the costs to and the tracking error risk of the Funds. In addition, a Fund may not be able to invest in certain securities and/or other assets included in its Index, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are represented in its Index, due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries, certain Exchange listing standards, a lack of liquidity on markets in which such securities trade, potential adverse tax consequences or other regulatory reasons (such as diversification requirements). A lack of liquidity may be due to various events, including market events, economic conditions or investor perceptions. Illiquid securities may be difficult to value and their value may be lower than the market price of comparable liquid securities, which would negatively affect a Fund's performance. To the extent a Fund is unable to invest in A-shares or enter into swaps or other derivatives linked to the performance of its Index or securities comprising its Index, it may enter into swaps or other derivatives linked to the performance of other funds that seek to track the performance of its Index. These funds may trade at a premium or discount to NAV, which may result in additional tracking error for a Fund. Moreover, the ability of a Fund to track its Index may be affected by foreign exchange fluctuations as between the U.S. dollar and the RMB. When markets are volatile, the ability to sell securities at fair value prices may be adversely impacted and may result in additional trading costs and/or increase the index tracking risk. A Fund may underperform its Index when the value of the U.S. dollar increases relative to the value of the RMB. Moreover, a Fund may be delayed in purchasing or selling securities included in its Index. The Funds may also need to rely on borrowings to meet redemptions, which may lead to increased expenses. For tax efficiency purposes, a Fund may sell certain securities, and such sale may cause the Fund to realize a loss and deviate from the performance of its Index.
A Fund may encounter issues with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) or repatriation, which may increase the tracking error risk. A Fund will be required to remit RMB to settle the purchase of A-shares and repatriate RMB to U.S. dollars to settle redemption orders. In the event such remittance or repatriation is delayed or disrupted, a Fund will not be able to fully replicate its Index by investing in the relevant A-shares, which may lead to increased tracking error. These and any other issues a Fund encounters with regard to investment restrictions, trade settlements, currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase the index tracking risk.
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Relevant PRC laws and regulations may limit the ability of the Adviser and/or potential swap counterparties to acquire A-shares in certain PRC issuers from time to time. In addition, a potential swap counterparty may not be able to acquire A-shares to hedge the swaps in which the Fund invests. In such cases, this may restrict a Fund’s ability to invest in certain A-shares and also may restrict the issuance, and therefore the purchase, of swaps linked to these A-shares by a Fund. Furthermore, the tracking error of a Fund may be increased by the overall costs of maintaining the swaps. As a result of such costs the value of the swaps may differ from the price of the A-shares to which such swaps are linked, leading to an increased tracking error.
As discussed above, one or more securities in each Fund’s respective Index may be suspended from trading and such securities would be valued by such Index at the last closing price. Each Fund may fair value certain of the foreign securities and/or underlying currencies or other assets it holds, except those securities primarily traded on exchanges that close at the same time the Fund calculates its NAV. To the extent a Fund calculates its NAV based on fair value prices and the value of its Index is based on securities’ closing prices on local foreign markets (i.e., the value of its Index is not based on fair value prices) or if a Fund otherwise calculates its NAV based on prices that differ from those used in calculating its Index, the Fund’s ability to track its Index may be adversely affected. The need to comply with the tax diversification and other requirements of the Internal Revenue Code may also impact a Fund’s ability to replicate the performance of its Index. In addition, if a Fund utilizes depositary receipts and other derivative instruments, its return may not correlate as well with the return of its Index as would be the case if the Fund purchased all the securities in its Index directly. Actions taken in response to proposed corporate actions may result in increased tracking error. In light of the factors discussed above, a Fund’s return may deviate significantly from the return of its Index.
Each Fund’s performance may also deviate from the performance of its respective Index due to the impact of withholding taxes, late announcements relating to changes to the Fund’s respective Index and high turnover of the Fund’s Index.
Index tracking risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Changes to the composition of a Fund’s Index in connection with a rebalancing or reconstitution of the Index may cause the Fund to experience increased volatility, during which time the Fund’s index tracking risk may be heightened.
Authorized Participant Concentration Risk. A Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that act as APs, none of which are obligated to engage in creation and/or redemption transactions. To the extent that those APs exit the business, or are unable to or choose not to process creation and/or redemption orders, and no other AP is able to step forward to create and redeem, there may be a significantly diminished trading market for Shares or Shares may trade like closed-end funds at a discount (or premium) to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or de-listing. The AP concentration risk may be heightened in scenarios where APs have limited or diminished access to the capital required to post collateral.
No Guarantee of Active Trading Market. While Shares are listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for the Shares will be maintained. Further, secondary markets may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods in times of market stress because market makers and APs may step away from making a market in the Shares and in executing creation and redemption orders, which could cause a material deviation in a Fund’s market price from its NAV. The Distributor (defined herein), does not maintain a secondary market in the Shares. Investors purchasing and selling Shares in the secondary market may not experience investment results consistent with those experienced by those APs creating and redeeming directly with a Fund.
Decisions by market makers or APs to reduce their role or “step away” from these activities in times of market stress could inhibit the effectiveness of the arbitrage process in maintaining the relationship between the underlying value of a Fund’s portfolio securities and the Fund’s market price. This reduced effectiveness could result in Fund Shares trading at a price which differs materially from NAV and also in greater than normal intraday bid/ask spreads for Fund Shares.
Trading Issues. Trading in Shares on an Exchange may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in Shares on an Exchange is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the relevant Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. If a trading halt or unanticipated early close of an Exchange occurs, a shareholder may be unable to purchase or sell Shares of a Fund. There can be no assurance that the requirements of an Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.
Passive Management Risk. Unlike many investment companies, the Funds are not “actively” managed. Therefore, unless a specific security is removed from its Index, a Fund generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer is in financial trouble. If a specific security is removed from a Fund’s Index, the Fund may be forced to sell such security at an inopportune time or for prices other than at current market values. An investment in a Fund involves risks similar to those of investing in any fund that invests in equity securities traded on an exchange, such as market fluctuations caused by such factors as economic and political developments, changes in interest rates and perceived trends in security prices. Each Fund’s Index may not contain the appropriate or a diversified mix of securities for any particular economic cycle. The timing of changes in the securities of a Fund’s portfolio in seeking to replicate its Index could have a negative effect on the Fund. Unlike with an actively managed fund, the Adviser and/or the Sub-Adviser do not use techniques or defensive strategies designed to lessen the effects of market volatility or to reduce the impact of periods of market decline. Additionally, unusual market conditions may cause a Fund's Index Provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance or reconstitution, which could cause a Fund's Index to vary from its normal or expected composition. This means that, based on market and economic conditions, a Fund’s performance could be lower than funds that
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may actively shift their portfolio assets to take advantage of market opportunities or to lessen the impact of a market decline or a decline in the value of one or more issuers.
Fund Shares Trading, Premium/Discount Risk and Liquidity of Fund Shares. Disruptions to creations and redemptions, the existence of market volatility or potential lack of an active trading market for Shares (including through a trading halt), as well as other factors, may result in Shares trading at a significant premium or discount to NAV or to the intraday value of a Fund’s holdings. The NAV of the Shares will fluctuate with changes in the market value of a Fund’s securities holdings. The market price of Shares will fluctuate, in some cases materially, in accordance with changes in NAV and the intraday value of a Fund’s holdings, as well as supply and demand on the Exchange. The Adviser cannot predict whether Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Given the fact that Shares can be created and redeemed by APs in Creation Units, the Adviser believes that large discounts or premiums to the NAV of Shares should not be sustained in the long-term. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that Shares normally will trade close to the value of a Fund’s holdings, market prices are not expected to correlate exactly to the Fund’s NAV due to timing reasons, supply and demand imbalances and other factors. The price differences may be due, in large part, to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for Shares may be closely related to, but not necessarily identical to, the same forces influencing the prices of the securities of a Fund’s portfolio of investments trading individually or in the aggregate at any point in time. If a shareholder purchases Shares at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells Shares at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may pay significantly more or receive significantly less than the underlying value of the Shares that were bought or sold or the shareholder may be unable to sell his or her Shares. Any of these factors, discussed above and further below, may lead to the Shares trading at a premium or discount to a Fund’s NAV. In addition, because certain of a Fund’s underlying securities trade on exchanges that are closed when the Exchange (i.e., the exchange that Shares of the Fund trade on) is open, there are likely to be deviations between the expected value of an underlying security and the closing security’s price (i.e., the last quote from its closed foreign market) resulting in premiums or discounts to NAV that may be greater than those experienced by other ETFs. In addition, the securities held by a Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the Exchange. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the Exchange is open but after the applicable market closing, fixing or settlement times, bid/ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the Shares’ NAV may widen. Additionally, in stressed market conditions, the market for a Fund’s Shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings. There are various methods by which investors can purchase and sell Shares. Investors should consult their financial intermediaries before purchasing or selling Shares of the Funds.
When you buy or sell Shares of a Fund through a broker, you will likely incur a brokerage commission or other charges imposed by brokers. In addition, the market price of Shares, like the price of any exchange-traded security, includes a bid/ask spread charged by the market makers or other participants that trade the particular security. The spread of a Fund’s Shares varies over time based on the Fund’s trading volume and market liquidity and may increase if the Fund’s trading volume, the spread of the Fund’s underlying securities, or market liquidity decrease. In times of severe market disruption, including when trading of a Fund’s holdings may be halted, the bid/ask spread may increase significantly. This means that Shares may trade at a discount to a Fund’s NAV, and the discount is likely to be greatest during significant market volatility.
Non-Diversification Risk. A Fund may become classified as non-diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, solely as a result of a change in relative market capitalization or index weighting of one or more constituents of the respective Index. If a Fund becomes non-diversified, it may invest a greater portion of assets in securities of a smaller number of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the market value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in share price than would occur in a more diversified fund.
Concentration Risk. Each Fund’s assets may be concentrated in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries to the extent that its respective Index concentrates in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries. The securities of many or all of the companies in the same sector or industry may decline in value due to developments adversely affecting such sector or industry. By concentrating its assets in a particular sector or sectors or industry or group of industries, a Fund is subject to the risk that economic, political or other conditions that have a negative effect on those sectors and/or industries may negatively impact the Fund to a greater extent than if the Fund’s assets were invested in a wider variety of sectors or industries.
ADDITIONAL NON-PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
Each Fund may invest in securities not included in their respective Index, money market instruments, including repurchase agreements or other funds which invest exclusively in money market instruments, convertible securities, structured notes (notes on which the amount of principal repayment and interest payments are based on the movement of one or more specified factors, such as the movement of a particular stock or stock index), and/or certain derivatives, which the Adviser and/or Sub-Adviser believes will help a Fund track its Index.
As an additional investment strategy, VanEck ChiNext ETF may also seek to invest a portion of its assets in swaps, futures contracts and other types of derivative instruments that have economic characteristics that are similar to the economic characteristics of A-shares, including swaps on the ChiNext Index, swaps on A-shares which comprise the ChiNext Index and/or
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swaps on funds that seek to replicate the performance of the ChiNext Index or funds that invest in A-shares or the VanEck ChiNext ETF may invest directly in shares of such funds. In addition, the Funds may invest in B-shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China that are traded in the mainland B-share markets; China H-shares, which are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; securities of Red Chip Companies, which are companies with certain minimum proportions of mainland Chinese entity shareholders that are incorporated outside mainland China and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; and securities of Chinese-related companies, which are companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the Singapore Stock Exchange or other exchanges. Depositary receipts and derivative instruments such as swaps, options, warrants, futures contracts, currency forwards, structured notes and participation notes may be used by VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF in seeking performance that corresponds to the China Index, and in managing cash flows, and may count towards compliance with the Fund’s 80% policy. Depositary receipts may be used by VanEck ChiNext ETF in seeking performance that corresponds to the ChiNext Index, and in managing cash flows, and may count towards compliance with the Fund’s 80% policy.
BORROWING MONEY
Each Fund may borrow money from a bank up to a limit of one-third of the market value of its assets. Each Fund has entered or intends to enter into a credit facility to borrow money for temporary, emergency or other purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests, trade settlements and as necessary to distribute to shareholders any income required to maintain such Fund’s status as a regulated investment company. To the extent that a Fund borrows money, it may be leveraged; at such times, the Fund will appreciate or depreciate in value more rapidly than its Index. Leverage generally has the effect of increasing the amount of loss or gain a Fund might realize, and may increase volatility in the value of such Fund’s investments.
LENDING PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
Each Fund may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial institutions desiring to borrow securities to complete transactions and for other purposes. In connection with such loans, a Fund receives cash, U.S. government securities and stand-by letters of credit not issued by the Fund’s bank lending agent equal to at least 102% of the value of the portfolio securities being loaned. This collateral is marked-to-market on a daily basis. Although a Fund will receive collateral in connection with all loans of its securities holdings, the Fund would be exposed to a risk of loss should a borrower fail to return the borrowed securities (e.g., the Fund would have to buy replacement securities and the loaned securities may have appreciated beyond the value of the collateral held by the Fund) or become insolvent. A Fund may pay fees to the party arranging the loan of securities. In addition, a Fund will bear the risk that it may lose money because the borrower of the loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. A Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of any cash collateral or in the value of investments made with the cash collateral. These events could trigger adverse tax consequences for a Fund. Substitute payments for dividends received by a Fund for securities loaned out by the Fund will not be considered qualified dividend income.
ADDITIONAL NON-PRINCIPAL RISKS
Risk of Investing in Derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments whose values are based on the value of one or more reference assets or indicators, such as a security, currency, interest rate, or index. The Funds’ use of derivatives involves risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other more traditional investments. Moreover, although the value of a derivative is based on an underlying asset or indicator, a derivative typically does not carry the same rights as would be the case if a Fund invested directly in the underlying securities, currencies or other assets. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks, such as potential changes in value in response to market developments or, in the case of “over-the-counter” derivatives, as a result of a counterparty’s credit quality and the risk that a derivative transaction may not have the effect the Adviser anticipated. Derivatives also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not achieve the desired correlation with the underlying asset or indicator. Derivative transactions can create investment leverage, and may be highly volatile, and a Fund could lose more than the amount it invests. The use of derivatives may increase the amount and affect the timing and character of taxes payable by shareholders of a Fund. Many derivative transactions are entered into “over-the-counter” without a central clearinghouse; as a result, the value of such a derivative transaction will depend on, among other factors, the ability and the willingness of a Fund’s counterparty to perform its obligations under the transaction. If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, a Fund’s contractual remedies against such counterparty may be subject to bankruptcy and insolvency laws, which could affect the Fund’s rights as a creditor (e.g., the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it is contractually entitled to receive). A liquid secondary market may not always exist for a Fund’s derivative positions at any time, and a Fund may not be able to initiate or liquidate a swap position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses.
In October 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted a final rule related to the use of derivatives, short sales, reverse repurchase agreements and certain other transactions by registered investment companies that will rescind and withdraw the guidance of the SEC and its staff regarding asset segregation and cover transactions. The final rule requires funds to trade derivatives and other transactions that create future payment or delivery obligations (except reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions) subject to a value-at-risk (“VaR”) leverage limit, certain derivatives risk management program and reporting requirements. Generally, these requirements apply unless a fund qualifies as a “limited derivatives user,” as defined in the final rule. Under the final rule, when a fund trades reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions, including certain tender option bonds, it needs to aggregate the amount of indebtedness associated with the reverse repurchase
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agreements or similar financing transactions with the aggregate amount of any other senior securities representing indebtedness when calculating the fund’s asset coverage ratio or treat all such transactions as derivatives transactions. Reverse repurchase agreements or similar financing transactions aggregated with other indebtedness do not need to be included in the calculation of whether a fund is a limited derivatives user, but for funds subject to the VaR testing, reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions must be included for purposes of such testing whether treated as derivatives transactions or not. The SEC also provided guidance in connection with the new rule regarding use of securities lending collateral that may limit a fund's securities lending activities. Compliance with these new requirements will be required after an eighteen-month transition period.
Risk of Investing in Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts involve similar risks to those associated with investments in foreign securities. Depositary receipts are receipts listed on U.S. exchanges issued by banks or trust companies that entitle the holder to all dividends and capital gains that are paid out on the underlying foreign shares. The issuers of certain depositary receipts are under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications to the holders of such receipts, or to pass through to them any voting rights with respect to the deposited securities. Investments in depositary receipts may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market and, if not included in an Index, may negatively affect a Fund’s ability to replicate the performance of the Index. In addition, investments in depositary receipts that are not included in a Fund’s Index may increase tracking error. The issuers of depositary receipts may discontinue issuing new depositary receipts and withdraw existing depositary receipts at any time, which may result in costs and delays in the distribution of the underlying assets to the Fund and may negatively impact the Fund’s performance and the Fund’s ability to replicate/track the performance of its Index.
Shareholder Risk. Certain shareholders, including other funds advised by the Adviser, may from time to time own a substantial amount of a Fund’s Shares. In addition, a third party investor, the Adviser or an affiliate of the Adviser, an AP, a market maker, or another entity may invest in a Fund and hold its investment for a limited period of time. There can be no assurance that any large shareholder would not redeem its investment. Redemptions by shareholders could have a negative impact on a Fund. In addition, transactions by large shareholders may account for a large percentage of the trading volume on the Exchange and may, therefore, have a material effect on the market price of the Shares.
Leverage Risk. To the extent that a Fund borrows money or utilizes certain derivatives, it may be leveraged. Leveraging generally exaggerates the effect on NAV of any increase or decrease in the market value of a Fund’s portfolio securities. To manage the risk associated with leveraging, under current SEC guidance a Fund may segregate liquid assets, or otherwise “cover” its derivatives position in a manner consistent with the 1940 Act and the rules and SEC interpretations thereunder. A Fund may modify its asset segregation policies at any time to comply with any changes in the SEC’s positions regarding asset segregation.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
A description of each Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio securities is available in the Funds’ SAI.
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MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees of the Trust has responsibility for the general oversight of the management of the Funds, including general supervision of the Adviser and other service providers, but is not involved in the day-to-day management of the Trust. A list of the Trustees and the Trust officers, and their present positions and principal occupations, is provided in the Funds’ SAI.
Investment Adviser and Sub-Adviser. Under the terms of an investment management agreement between the Trust and Van Eck Associates Corporation with respect to each Fund (the “Investment Management Agreement”), Van Eck Associates Corporation serves as the adviser to each Fund and, subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees, is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the Funds. China Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited acts as investment sub-adviser to each Fund and, subject to the oversight of the Adviser, is responsible for the day-to-day investment management of the assets allocated to it by the Adviser. The Sub-Adviser serves as investment sub-adviser to the Funds pursuant to an investment sub-advisory agreement between the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser (each, an “Investment Sub-Advisory Agreement”).
As of December 31, 2021, the Adviser managed approximately $81.93 billion in assets. The Adviser has been an investment adviser since 1955 and also acts as adviser or sub-adviser to mutual funds, other exchange-traded funds, other pooled investment vehicles and separate accounts. The Adviser’s principal business address is 666 Third Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10017.
The Sub-Adviser was established in September 2008 as a wholly owned subsidiary of China Asset Management Co., Ltd. (“ChinaAMC”). The Sub-Adviser has been licensed by Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission to engage in asset management activities, dealing in securities and advising on securities. As of December 31, 2021, assets under management were approximately $271.7 billion for ChinaAMC and $7.3 billion for the Sub-Adviser. The Sub-Adviser currently provides both asset management and advisory services to Hong Kong and overseas clients, including institutional mandates from Taiwan region, Japan, Korea, Australia and Germany. The Sub-Adviser’s principal place of business is 37F, Bank of China Tower, 1 Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong.
A discussion regarding the Board of Trustees’ approval of the Investment Management Agreement and the Investment Sub- Advisory Agreement is available in the Trust’s semi-annual report for the period ended June 30, 2021.
For the services provided to each Fund under the Investment Management Agreement, each Fund pays the Adviser monthly fees based on a percentage of each Fund’s average daily net assets at the annual rate of 0.50%.
Until at least May 1, 2023, the Adviser has agreed to waive fees and/or pay Fund expenses to the extent necessary to prevent the operating expenses of each Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses, trading expenses, taxes and extraordinary expenses) from exceeding 0.60% (with respect to VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF) and 0.65% (with respect to VanEck ChiNext ETF) of its average daily net assets per year.
Each Fund is responsible for all of its expenses, including the investment advisory fees, costs of transfer agency, custody, legal, audit and other services, interest, taxes, any distribution fees or expenses, offering fees or expenses and extraordinary expenses. For the services provided and the expenses assumed by the Sub-Adviser pursuant to the Investment Sub-Advisory Agreements, the Adviser (not the Funds) will pay a monthly fee to the Sub-Adviser based on a percentage of the management fee paid to the Adviser after taking into account the Index license fees and expenses paid by the Adviser.
Manager of Managers Structure. The Adviser and the Trust may rely on an exemptive order (the “Order”) from the SEC that permits the Adviser to enter into investment sub-advisory agreements with unaffiliated sub-advisers without obtaining shareholder approval. The Adviser, subject to the review and approval of the Board of Trustees, may select sub-advisers for each Fund and supervise, monitor and evaluate the performance of each sub-adviser.
The Order also permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, to replace sub-advisers and amend investment sub-advisory agreements, including fees, without shareholder approval whenever the Adviser and the Board of Trustees believe such action will benefit a Fund and its shareholders. The Adviser thus would have the responsibility (subject to the oversight of the Board of Trustees) to recommend the hiring and replacement of sub-advisers as well as the discretion to terminate any sub-adviser and reallocate a Fund’s assets for management among any other sub-adviser(s) and itself. This means that the Adviser would be able to reduce the sub-advisory fees and retain a larger portion of the management fee, or increase the sub-advisory fees and retain a smaller portion of the management fee. The Adviser would compensate each sub-adviser out of its management fee.
Administrator, Custodian and Transfer Agent. Van Eck Associates Corporation is the administrator for the Funds (the “Administrator”), and State Street Bank and Trust Company is the custodian of the Funds’ assets and provides transfer agency and fund accounting services to the Funds. The Administrator is responsible for certain clerical, recordkeeping and/or bookkeeping services which are required to be provided pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement.
All of the Funds’ China A-share assets in the PRC (including onshore PRC cash deposits and its onshore A-shares portfolio) will be held by ICBC, the PRC sub-custodian. A securities account shall be opened with CSDCC in the joint names of the Sub-Adviser (as the RQFII holder) and a Fund. An RMB cash account shall also be established and maintained with the PRC sub-custodian in
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the joint names of the Sub-Adviser (as the RQFII holder) and a Fund. The PRC sub-custodian shall, in turn, have a cash clearing account with CSDCC for trade settlement according to applicable regulations.
Distributor. Van Eck Securities Corporation is the distributor of the Shares (the "Distributor"). The Distributor will not distribute Shares in less than a specified number of Shares, each called a "Creation Unit," and does not maintain a secondary market in the Shares. The Shares are traded in the secondary market.
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS
Peter H. Liao, CFA, has been employed by the Adviser as an analyst since the summer of 2004 and has been a portfolio manager since 2006. Mr. Liao graduated from New York University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Mathematics. Guo Hua (Jason) Jin has been employed by the Adviser as an analyst since January 2007 and has been a portfolio manager since 2018. Mr. Jin graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Financial Analysis. Messrs. Liao and Jin also serve as portfolio managers for certain other investment companies and pooled investment vehicles advised by the Adviser.
Max Lan joined the Sub-Adviser as a Portfolio Manager in April 2016. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser, Mr. Lan worked as a portfolio manager at Hang Seng Investment Management Limited from November 2006 to April 2016.
See the Funds’ SAI for additional information about the portfolio managers’ compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and their respective ownership of Shares of each Fund.
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
DETERMINATION OF NAV
The NAV per Share for each Fund is computed by dividing the value of the net assets of the Fund (i.e., the value of its total assets less total liabilities) by the total number of Shares outstanding. Expenses and fees, including the management fee, are accrued daily and taken into account for purposes of determining NAV. The NAV of each Fund is determined each business day as of the close of trading (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time) on the New York Stock Exchange.
The values of each Fund’s portfolio securities are based on the securities’ closing prices on the markets on which the securities trade, when available. Due to the time differences between the United States and certain countries in which certain Funds invest, securities on these exchanges may not trade at times when Shares of the Fund will trade. In the absence of a last reported sales price, or if no sales were reported, and for other assets for which market quotes are not readily available, values may be based on quotes obtained from a quotation reporting system, established market makers or by an outside independent pricing service. Debt instruments with remaining maturities of more than 60 days are valued at the evaluated mean price provided by an outside independent pricing service. If an outside independent pricing service is unable to provide a valuation, the instrument is valued at the mean of the highest bid and the lowest asked quotes obtained from one or more brokers or dealers selected by the Adviser. Prices obtained by an outside independent pricing service may use information provided by market makers or estimates of market values obtained from yield data related to investments or securities with similar characteristics and may use a computerized grid matrix of securities and its evaluations in determining what it believes is the fair value of the portfolio securities. Short-term debt instruments having a maturity of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost. Any assets or liabilities denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are converted into U.S. dollars at the current market rates on the date of valuation as quoted by one or more sources. If a market quotation for a security or other asset is not readily available or the Adviser believes it does not otherwise accurately reflect the market value of the security or asset at the time a Fund calculates its NAV, the security or asset will be fair valued by the Adviser in accordance with the Trust’s valuation policies and procedures approved by the Board of Trustees. Each Fund may also use fair value pricing in a variety of circumstances, including but not limited to, situations when the value of a security in the Fund’s portfolio has been materially affected by events occurring after the close of the market on which the security is principally traded (such as a corporate action or other news that may materially affect the price of a security) or trading in a security has been suspended or halted. In addition, each Fund that holds foreign equity securities currently expects that it will fair value certain of the foreign equity securities held by the Fund, if any, each day the Fund calculates its NAV, except those securities principally traded on exchanges that close at the same time the Fund calculates its NAV.
Accordingly, a Fund’s NAV may reflect certain portfolio securities’ fair values rather than their market prices at the time the exchanges on which they principally trade close. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security or other asset is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of such security or asset. In addition, fair value pricing could result in a difference between the prices used to calculate a Fund’s NAV and the prices used by such Fund’s respective Index. This may adversely affect a Fund’s ability to track its Index. With respect to
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securities that are principally traded on foreign exchanges, the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities may change on days when you will not be able to purchase or sell your Shares.
INTRADAY VALUE
The trading prices of the Funds’ Shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Funds’ daily NAV and are affected by market forces such as the supply of and demand for Fund Shares and underlying securities held by each Fund, economic conditions and other factors. Information regarding the intraday value of the Funds’ Shares (“IIV”) may be disseminated throughout each trading day by an Exchange or by market data vendors or other information providers. The IIV is based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. The IIV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by each Fund at a particular point in time or the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. Therefore, the IIV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the Funds’ NAV, which is computed only once a day. The IIV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers and other market intermediaries that may trade in the portfolio securities held by each Fund and valuations based on current market rates. The quotations and/or valuations of certain Fund holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the United States. Each Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IIV and makes no warranty as to its accuracy.
RULE 144A AND OTHER UNREGISTERED SECURITIES
An AP (i.e., a person eligible to place orders with the Distributor to create or redeem Creation Units of a Fund) that is not a “qualified institutional buyer,” as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), will not be able to receive, as part of a redemption, restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A or other unregistered securities.
BUYING AND SELLING EXCHANGE-TRADED SHARES
The Shares of the Funds are listed on the Exchange. If you buy or sell Shares in the secondary market, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the “spread,” which is any difference between the bid price and the ask price. The spread varies over time for a Fund’s Shares based on the Fund’s trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Funds have high trading volume and market liquidity, and generally higher if the Funds have little trading volume and market liquidity (which is often the case for funds that are newly launched or small in size). In times of severe market disruption or low trading volume in a Fund’s Shares, this spread can increase significantly. It is anticipated that the Shares will trade in the secondary market at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the NAV of the Shares. During periods of disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility, the market prices of Shares are more likely to differ significantly from the Shares’ NAV.
The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) serves as securities depository for the Shares. (The Shares may be held only in book-entry form; stock certificates will not be issued.) DTC, or its nominee, is the record or registered owner of all outstanding Shares. Beneficial ownership of Shares will be shown on the records of DTC or its participants (described below). Beneficial owners of Shares are not entitled to have Shares registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of certificates in definitive form and are not considered the registered holder thereof. Accordingly, to exercise any rights of a holder of Shares, each beneficial owner must rely on the procedures of: (i) DTC; (ii) “DTC Participants,” i.e., securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC; and (iii) “Indirect Participants,” i.e., brokers, dealers, banks and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly, through which such beneficial owner holds its interests. The Trust understands that under existing industry practice, in the event the Trust requests any action of holders of Shares, or a beneficial owner desires to take any action that DTC, as the record owner of all outstanding Shares, is entitled to take, DTC would authorize the DTC Participants to take such action and that the DTC Participants would authorize the Indirect Participants and beneficial owners acting through such DTC Participants to take such action and would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners owning through them. As described above, the Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the owner of all Shares for all purposes. For more information, see the section entitled “Book Entry Only System” in the Funds’ SAI.
Each Exchange is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Because non-U.S. exchanges may be open on days when a Fund does not price its Shares, the value of the securities in the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell a Fund’s Shares.
The right of redemption by an AP may be suspended or the date of payment postponed (1) for any period during which an Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on an Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the Shares of a Fund or determination of its NAV is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.
Market Timing and Related Matters. The Funds impose no restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions. Frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund Shares may attempt to take advantage of a potential arbitrage opportunity presented by a lag between a change in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities after the close of the primary markets for a
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Fund’s portfolio securities and the reflection of that change in a Fund’s NAV (“market timing”). The Board of Trustees considered the nature of each Fund (i.e., a fund whose Shares are expected to trade intraday), that the Adviser monitors the trading activity of APs for patterns of abusive trading, that the Funds reserve the right to reject orders that may be disruptive to the management of or otherwise not in the Funds’ best interests, and that each Fund may fair value certain of its securities. Given this structure, the Board of Trustees determined that it is not necessary to impose restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions for the Funds at the present time.
DISTRIBUTIONS
Net Investment Income and Capital Gains. As a shareholder of a Fund, you are entitled to your share of such Fund’s distributions of net investment income and net realized capital gains on its investments. Each Fund pays out substantially all of its net earnings to its shareholders as “distributions.”
Each Fund typically earns income dividends from stocks and interest from debt securities. These amounts, net of expenses, are typically passed along to Fund shareholders as dividends from net investment income. Each Fund realizes capital gains or losses whenever it sells securities. Net capital gains are distributed to shareholders as “capital gain distributions.” Distributions from the Fund’s net investment income, including net short-term capital gains, if any, are taxable to you as ordinary income. Any long-term capital gains distributions you receive from the Fund are taxable as long-term capital gain.
Net investment income, if any, and net capital gains, if any, are typically distributed to shareholders at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently to improve index tracking or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code. In addition, in situations where a Fund acquires investment securities after the beginning of a dividend period, a Fund may elect to distribute at least annually amounts representing the full dividend yield net of expenses on the underlying investment securities, as if the Fund owned the underlying investment securities for the entire dividend period. If a Fund so elects, some portion of each distribution may result in a return of capital, which, for tax purposes, is treated as a return of your investment in Shares. You will be notified regarding the portion of the distribution which represents a return of capital.
Distributions in cash may be reinvested automatically in additional Shares of a Fund only if the broker through which you purchased Shares makes such option available.
TAX INFORMATION
As with any investment, you should consider how your Fund investment will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in a Fund, including the possible application of foreign, state and local taxes. Unless your investment in a Fund is through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when: (i) the Fund makes distributions, (ii) you sell Shares in the secondary market or (iii) you create or redeem Creation Units.
Taxes on Distributions. As noted above, each Fund expects to distribute net investment income, if any, at least annually, and any net realized long-term or short-term capital gains, if any, annually. Each Fund may also pay a special distribution at any time to comply with U.S. federal tax requirements.
If a Fund fails to distribute on a timely basis with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of its “investment company taxable income” and its net tax-exempt interest income, the Fund would fail to qualify for the special tax treatment applicable to RICs. In such a case, a Fund would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates on its taxable income, including its net capital gain, even if such income were distributed to its shareholders, and all distributions out of earnings and profits would be taxed to shareholders as ordinary dividend income. Such distributions generally would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders and may be eligible to be qualified dividend income for a non-corporate shareholder. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay taxes and make distributions (any of which could be subject to interest charges) before re-qualifying for taxation as a RIC. Additionally, to the extent a Fund does not distribute to shareholders all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain in a given year, it will be required to pay U.S. federal income tax on the retained income and gains, thereby reducing the Fund’s return.
A Fund will be subject to a 4% excise tax on certain undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year in an amount at least equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income (taking into account certain deferrals and elections) for the calendar year, 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year and 100% of any undistributed amounts from the prior years. Although a Fund generally intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax, the Fund may elect to retain a portion of its income and gains, and in such a case, the Fund may be subject to excise tax.
In general, your distributions are subject to U.S. federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in a Fund. Distributions of net investment income, including net short-term gains, if any, are generally taxable as ordinary income. Whether distributions of capital gains represent long-term or short-term capital gains is determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long you have owned your Shares. Distributions of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, if any, are generally taxable as ordinary income. Distributions of net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses, if any, that are properly reported as capital gain dividends are
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generally taxable as long-term capital gains. Long-term capital gains of a non-corporate shareholder are generally taxable at a maximum rate of 15% or 20%, depending on whether the shareholder’s income exceeds certain threshold amounts.
The Funds may receive dividends, the distribution of which a Fund may report as qualified dividends. In the event that a Fund receives such a dividend and reports the distribution of such dividend as a qualified dividend, the dividend may be taxed at the maximum capital gains rates of 15% or 20%, provided holding period and other requirements are met at both the shareholder and the Fund level. There can be no assurance that any significant portion of a Fund’s distributions will be eligible for qualified dividend treatment.
Distributions in excess of a Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated as a tax-free return of your investment to the extent of your basis in the Shares, and generally as capital gain thereafter. A return of capital, which for tax purposes is treated as a return of your investment, reduces your basis in Shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition of Shares. A distribution will reduce a Fund’s NAV per Share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or capital gain even though, from an economic standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.
Special tax rules may change the normal treatment of gains and losses recognized by a Fund if the Fund makes certain investments such as investments in structured notes, swaps, options and futures transactions. Those special tax rules can negatively affect the character, timing and amount of income earned by a Fund (e.g., by causing amounts that would be capital gain to be taxed as ordinary income or to be taken into income earlier than would otherwise be necessary). Each Fund intends to invest in swaps and other derivative instruments that are linked to the performance of A-shares. The U.S. tax treatment of such investments may generally be less efficient than a direct investment in A- shares. Furthermore, a Fund may be required to periodically adjust its positions in these swaps or derivatives to comply with certain regulatory requirements which may further cause these investments to be less efficient than a direct investment in A-shares. In addition, because the application of these special rules may be uncertain, it is possible that the manner in which they are applied by a Fund may be determined to be incorrect. In that event, a Fund may be found to have failed to maintain its qualification as a RIC or to be subject to additional U.S. tax liability.
Each Fund may make investments, both directly and through swaps or other derivative positions, in companies classified as PFICs for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Investments in PFICs are subject to special tax rules which may result in adverse tax consequences to the Fund and its shareholders. Each Fund generally intends to elect to “mark to market” these investments at the end of each taxable year. By making this election, a Fund will recognize as ordinary income any increase in the value of such shares as of the close of the taxable year over their adjusted basis and as ordinary loss any decrease in such investment (but only to the extent of prior income from such investment under the mark to market rules). Gains realized with respect to a disposition of a PFIC that a Fund has elected to mark to market will be ordinary income. By making the mark to market election, a Fund may recognize income in excess of the distributions that it receives from its investments. Accordingly, a Fund may need to borrow money or dispose of some of its investments in order to meet its distribution requirements. If a Fund does not make the mark to market election with respect to an investment in a PFIC, the Fund could become subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to certain distributions from, and gain on the dispositions of, the PFIC which cannot be avoided by distributing such amounts to the Fund’s shareholders.
Dividends, interest and gains from non-U.S. investments of a Fund may give rise to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may, in some cases, reduce or eliminate such taxes.
If more than 50% of a Fund’s total assets at the end of its taxable year consist of foreign securities, the Fund may elect to “pass through” to its investors certain foreign income taxes paid by the Fund, with the result that each investor will (i) include in gross income, even though not actually received, the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s foreign income taxes, and (ii) either deduct (in calculating U.S. taxable income) or credit (in calculating U.S. federal income), subject to certain holding period and other limitations, the investor’s pro rata share of the Fund’s foreign income taxes. This treatment will not apply with respect to amounts a Fund reserves in anticipation of the imposition of Chinese withholding taxes not currently in effect (if any). If these amounts are used to pay any tax liability of a Fund in a later year, they will be treated as paid by the shareholders in such later year, even if they are imposed with respect to income of an earlier year. It is expected that more than 50% of each Fund's assets will consist of foreign securities.
Backup Withholding. Each Fund may be required to withhold a percentage of your distributions and proceeds if you have not provided a taxpayer identification number or social security number or otherwise established a basis for exemption from backup withholding. The backup withholding rate for individuals is currently 24%. This is not an additional tax and may be refunded, or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, provided certain required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.
Taxes on the Sale or Cash Redemption of Exchange Listed Shares. Currently, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Shares is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short term capital gain or loss if held for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited. To the extent that a Fund shareholder’s Shares are redeemed for cash is normally treated as a sale for tax purposes.
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Taxes on In-Kind Creations and In-Kind Redemptions of Creation Units. To the extent a person exchanges securities or securities and cash for Creation Units, such person generally will recognize a gain or loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of exchange and the sum of the exchanger’s aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the amount of any cash paid for such Creation Units. A person who exchanges Creation Units for securities or securities and cash will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger’s basis in the Creation Units and the sum of the aggregate market value of the securities received and the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units. The IRS, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of primarily securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing “wash sales,” or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging primarily securities for Creation Units or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax adviser with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible and the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction.
Under current U.S. federal income tax laws, any capital gain or loss realized upon a redemption (or creation) of Creation Units held as capital assets is generally treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares (or securities surrendered) have been held for one year or less.
If you create or redeem Creation Units, you will be sent a confirmation statement showing how many Shares you created or sold and at what price.
Medicare Tax. An additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund Shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person’s “modified adjusted gross income” (in the case of an individual) or “adjusted gross income” (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds certain threshold amounts.
Non-U.S. Shareholders. Dividends paid by the Funds to Non-U.S. shareholders are generally subject to withholding tax at a 30% rate or a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty to the extent derived from investment income and short-term capital gains. Dividends paid by the Funds from net tax-exempt income or long-term capital gains are generally not subject to such withholding tax. Properly-reported dividends are generally exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they (i) are paid in respect of the Funds’ “qualified net interest income” (generally, the Funds’ U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Funds are at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income); or (ii) are paid in respect of the Funds’ “qualified short-term capital gains” (generally, the excess of the Funds’ net short-term capital gain over the Fund’s long-term capital loss for such taxable year). However, depending on its circumstances, the Funds may report all, some or none of their potentially eligible dividends as such qualified net interest income or as qualified short-term capital gains and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding.
Any capital gain realized by a Non-U.S. shareholder upon a sale of Shares of a Fund will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax unless (i) the gain is effectively connected with the shareholder’s trade or business in the United States, or in the case of a shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual, the shareholder is present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and certain other conditions are met or (ii) the Fund is or has been a U.S. real property holding corporation, as defined below, at any time within the five-year period preceding the date of disposition of the Fund’s Shares or, if shorter, within the period during which the Non-U.S. shareholder has held the Shares. Generally, a corporation is a U.S. real property holding corporation if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code and applicable regulations, equals or exceeds 50% of the aggregate fair market value of its worldwide real property interests and its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. A Fund may be, or may prior to a Non-U.S. shareholder’s disposition of Shares become, a U.S. real property holding corporation. If a Fund is or becomes a U.S. real property holding corporation, so long as the Fund’s Shares are regularly traded on an established securities market, only a Non-U.S. shareholder who holds or held (at any time during the shorter of the five year period preceding the date of disposition or the holder’s holding period) more than 5% (directly or indirectly as determined under applicable attribution rules of the Code) of the Fund’s Shares will be subject to United States federal income tax on the disposition of Shares.
As part of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, (“FATCA”), a Fund may be required to withhold 30% tax on certain types of U.S. sourced income (e.g., dividends, interest, and other types of passive income) paid to (i) foreign financial institutions (“FFIs”), including non-U.S. investment funds, unless they agree to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. account holders and (ii) certain nonfinancial foreign entities (“NFFEs”), unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. To avoid possible withholding, FFIs will need to enter into agreements with the IRS which state that they will provide the IRS information, including the names, account numbers and balances, addresses and taxpayer identification numbers of U.S. account holders and comply with due diligence procedures with respect to the identification of U.S. accounts as well as agree to withhold tax on certain types of withholdable payments made to non- compliant foreign financial institutions or to applicable foreign account holders who fail to provide the required information to the IRS, or similar account information and required documentation to a local revenue authority, should an applicable intergovernmental agreement be
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implemented. NFFEs will need to provide certain information regarding each substantial U.S. owner or certifications of no substantial U.S. ownership, unless certain exceptions apply, or agree to provide certain information to the IRS.
A Fund may be subject to the FATCA withholding obligation, and also will be required to perform due diligence reviews to classify foreign entity investors for FATCA purposes. Investors are required to agree to provide information necessary to allow a Fund to comply with the FATCA rules. If a Fund is required to withhold amounts from payments pursuant to FATCA, investors will receive distributions that are reduced by such withholding amounts.
Non-U.S. shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Funds, including the possible applicability of the U.S. estate tax.
The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current U.S. federal income tax law of an investment in a Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. Consult your own tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in a Fund under all applicable tax laws. Changes in applicable tax authority could materially affect the conclusions discussed above and could adversely affect the Funds, and such changes often occur.
INDEX PROVIDERS
The China Index is published by MarketGrader.com Corp. (“MarketGrader”), an independent global equity research, and index provider and the ChiNext Index is published by the Shenzhen Securities Information Co., Ltd. (“Shenzhen Securities”), which is a subsidiary of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
MarketGrader and Shenzhen Securities are each referred to herein as an “Index Provider” and collectively, the “Index Providers.” The Index Providers do not sponsor, endorse, or promote the Funds and bear no liability with respect to the Funds or any security.
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MARKETGRADER CHINA ALL-CAP GROWTH LEADERS INDEX
The China Index is a modified market capitalization weighted, float adjusted index designed to track Chinese companies that MarketGrader has determined exhibit favorable fundamental characteristics according to MarketGrader’s proprietary scoring methodology. MarketGrader creates a numerical score based on indicators measuring four fundamental characteristics for companies that are eligible for index inclusion, derived from public company filings and stock prices. The four fundamental characteristics are growth, value, profitability and cash flow. The resulting score is an aggregate of these indicators.
To be initially eligible for the China Index, companies must be domiciled in China and listed on an eligible stock exchange, as determined by MarketGrader. From this universe of companies, the top-ranked names according to MarketGrader’s proprietary score are included, and then weighted according to their free-float market capitalization.
The China Index is rebalanced semi-annually. MarketGrader may delay or change a scheduled rebalancing or reconstitution of the China Index or the implementation of certain rules at its sole discretion.
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CHINEXT INDEX
The ChiNext Index is a free-float adjusted index intended to track the performance of the 100 largest and most liquid stocks listed and trading on the ChiNext Market. The ChiNext Index is comprised of A-shares.
When selecting constituent stocks for the ChiNext Index, Shenzhen Securities: (1) calculates the daily average total market capitalization and daily average trading value during the previous six months for all the stocks in the stock universe; (2) ranks the stocks in the stock universe in descending order according to daily average trading value and excludes the bottom 10%; and (3) ranks the remaining stocks in descending order according to daily average total market capitalization and selects those which rank in the top 100 as constituent stocks of the ChiNext Index. The weighting of a company in the ChiNext Index is intended to be a reflection of the current representativeness of that company in the market as a whole.
The periodic reviews are implemented semi-annually on the next trading day after market closing of the second Friday in June and December. The number of new constituents in each periodic review shall not exceed 10% of the total number of index constituents. Announcements of periodic reviews are published two weeks before implementation. Shenzhen Securities may delay or change a scheduled rebalancing or reconstitution of the ChiNext Index or the implementation of certain rules at its sole discretion.
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LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND DISCLAIMERS
The Adviser has entered into a licensing agreement with MarketGrader to use the China Index. The Fund is entitled to use the China Index pursuant to a sub-licensing arrangement with the Adviser.
VanEck China Growth Leaders ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MarketGrader. MarketGrader's only relationship to Van Eck Associates Corporation (“Licensee”) is the licensing of the China Index which is determined, composed and calculated by MarketGrader and Solactive AG, as Index Calculation Agent, without regard to Licensee. MarketGrader has no obligation to take the needs of Licensee or the owners of the Fund into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the China Index.
MARKETGRADER SHALL NOT BE A PARTY TO THE TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREBY, AND IS NOT PROVIDING ANY ADVICE, RECOMMENDATION, REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF THIS TRANSACTION OR THE FUND OR THE ABILITY OF THE CHINA INDEX TO TRACK INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE. MARKETGRADER HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, STATUTORY OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THIS TRANSACTION AND ANY USE OF THE CHINA INDEX, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT AND ALL WARRANTIES ARISING FROM COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, COURSE OF DEALING AND USAGE OF TRADE OR THEIR EQUIVALENTS UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY JURISDICTION. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDER NO THEORY OF LAW, TORT, CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, SHALL MARKETGRADER OR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON FOR ANY DAMAGES, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY ARE DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY CHARACTER, INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR TRADING LOSSES OR LOST PROFITS, OR FOR ANY CLAIM OR DEMAND BY ANY THIRD PARTY, EVEN IF MARKETGRADER KNEW OR HAD REASON TO KNOW OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, CLAIM OR DEMAND.
The China Index is not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported in any other manner by Solactive AG nor does Solactive AG offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance either with regard to the results of using the China Index and/or the Index Price at any time or in any other respect. The China Index is calculated and published by Solactive AG. Solactive AG uses its best efforts to ensure that the China Index is calculated correctly. Irrespective of its obligations towards MarketGrader, Solactive AG has no obligation to point out errors in the China Index to third parties including but not limited to investors and/or financial intermediaries of the financial instrument. Neither publication of the China Index by Solactive AG nor the licensing of the China Index or for the purpose of use in connection with the financial instrument constitutes a recommendation by Solactive AG to invest capital in said financial instrument nor does it in any way represent an assurance or opinion of Solactive AG with regard to any investment in this financial instrument.
The information contained herein regarding the ChiNext Index was provided by Shenzhen Securities Information Co., Ltd (the “Index Provider”).
Shares of the VanEck ChiNext ETF are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Shenzhen Securities. Shenzhen Securities makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Shares of VanEck ChiNext ETF or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Shares of the Fund particularly or the ability of the ChiNext Index to track the performance of the securities markets. The ChiNext Index is determined and composed by Shenzhen Securities without regard to the Adviser or the Shares of the Fund. Shenzhen Securities has no obligation to take the needs of the Adviser or the owners of the Shares of VanEck ChiNext ETF into consideration in determining or composing the ChiNext Index. Shenzhen Securities is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Shares of VanEck ChiNext ETF to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Shares of VanEck ChiNext ETF are to be converted into cash. Shenzhen Securities has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Shares of VanEck ChiNext ETF.
SHENZHEN SECURITIES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE CHINEXT INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND SHENZHEN SECURITIES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. SHENZHEN SECURITIES MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ADVISER, OWNERS OF THE SHARES OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE CHINEXT INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. SHENZHEN SECURITIES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE CHINEXT INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL SHENZHEN SECURITIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
The S&P 500® Index included in the Fund’s performance table is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by the Adviser. Copyright© 2021 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global, Inc., and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Redistribution or reproduction in whole or in part are prohibited without written permission of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. For more information on any of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC’s indices please visit www.spdji.com. S&P® is a registered trademark of S&P Global and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors make any
51

LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND DISCLAIMERS
representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the ability of any index to accurately represent the asset class or market sector that it purports to represent and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC, their affiliates nor their third party licensors shall have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of any index or the data included therein.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO, OR ANY COMMUNICATION INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ADVISER, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDEX, OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME, OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND THE ADVISER, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The financial highlights tables which follow are intended to help you understand the Funds’ financial performance for the past five years or as indicated. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in a Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions).
The information below has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Funds’ financial statements, are included in the Funds’ Annual Report, which is available upon request.
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For a share outstanding throughout each year:
China Growth Leaders ETF
Year Ended December 31,
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Net asset value, beginning of year $ 46.83  $ 42.14  $ 31.58  $ 48.37  $ 37.08 
Net investment income (a) 0.26 0.38 0.63 0.41 0.41
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (7.13) 10.29 10.55 (14.35) 11.40
Payment from Adviser 0.05 (b)
Total from investment operations (6.87) 10.72 11.18 (13.94) 11.81
Distributions from:
Net investment income (0.36) (0.07) (0.62) (0.31) (0.52)
Net realized capital gains (1.65) (5.96) —  (2.54) — 
Total distributions (2.01) (6.03) (0.62) (2.85) (0.52)
Net asset value, end of year $ 37.95  $ 46.83  $ 42.14  $ 31.58  $ 48.37 
Total return (c) (14.67) % 25.95  %(b) 35.40  % (28.79) % 31.86  %
Ratios to average net assets
Gross expenses 1.40  % 1.27  % 1.07  % 1.17  % 0.82  %
Net expenses 0.60  % 0.60  % 0.61  % 0.85  % 0.78  %
Net expenses excluding interest expense (d) 0.60  % 0.60  % 0.61  % 0.72  % 0.72  %
Net Investment Income 0.57  % 0.90  % 1.60  % 0.95  % 0.96  %
Supplemental data
Net assets, end of year (in millions) $ 27  $ 52  $ 67  $ 54  $ 94 
Portfolio turnover rate (e) 59  % 199  % 42  % 34  % 37  %
(a)Calculated based upon average shares outstanding.
(b)For the year ended December 31, 2020, 0.12% of total return, representing $0.05 per share, consisted of a payment from the Adviser.
(c)Returns include adjustments in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Net asset values and returns for financial reporting purposes may differ from those for shareholder transactions.
(d)Effective January 10, 2019, the Fund includes interest expense in the calculation of the expense limitation. The ratio only excludes interest expense accrued prior to January 10, 2019 and not waived under the expense limit agreement.
(e)Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
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For a share outstanding throughout each year:
ChiNext ETF
Year Ended December 31,
2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
Net asset value, beginning of year $ 48.95  $ 29.81  $ 20.97  $ 34.79  $ 29.20 
Net investment income (loss) (a) (0.06) 0.03 0.10 0.03 (0.01)
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments 4.03 19.09 8.88 (13.85) 5.67
Payment from Adviser 0.02 (b) 0.02 (c)
Total from investment operations 3.99 19.14 8.98 (13.82) 5.66
Distributions from:
Net investment income —  —  (d) (0.14) —  (0.07)
Net realized capital gains (3.74) —  —  — 
Return of capital (0.73) —  —  — 
Total distributions (4.47) —  (0.14) —  (0.07)
Net asset value, end of year $ 48.47  $ 48.95  $ 29.81  $ 20.97  $ 34.79 
Total return (e) 8.21  %(b) 64.23  %(c) 42.80  % (39.72) % 19.37  %
Ratios to average net assets
Gross expenses 0.89  % 1.15  % 1.08  % 1.33  % 1.38  %
Net expenses 0.65  % 0.65  % 0.65  % 0.82  % 0.82  %
Net expenses excluding interest expense (f) 0.65  % 0.65  % 0.65  % 0.78  % 0.78  %
Net investment income (loss) (0.12) % 0.07  % 0.39  % 0.09  % (0.04) %
Supplemental data
Net assets, end of year (in millions) $41  $49  $30  $16  $23 
Portfolio turnover rate (g) 59  % 96  % 43  % 36  % 34  %
(a)Calculated based upon average shares outstanding.
(b)For the year ended December 31, 2021, 0.04% of total return, representing $0.02 per share, consisted of a payment from the Adviser.
(c)For the year ended December 31, 2020, 0.07% of total return, representing $0.02 per share, consisted of a payment from the Adviser.
(d)Amount represents less than $0.005 per share.
(e)Returns include adjustments in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Net asset values and returns for financial reporting purposes may differ from those for shareholder transactions.
(f)Effective January 10, 2019, the Fund includes interest expense in the calculation of the expense limitation. The ratio only excludes interest expense accrued prior to January 10, 2019 and not waived under the expense limit agreement.
(g)Portfolio turnover rate excludes in-kind transactions.
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PREMIUM/DISCOUNT INFORMATION
Information regarding how often the closing trading price of the Shares of each Fund was above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund for the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarter(s) since that year (or the life of the Fund, if shorter) can be found at www.vaneck.com.
GENERAL INFORMATION
CONTINUOUS OFFERING
The method by which Creation Units are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Trust on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act, may occur at any point. Broker dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares, and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a categorization as an underwriter.
Broker dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted to ordinary secondary trading transactions), and thus dealing with Shares that are part of an “unsold allotment” within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(A) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to Shares are reminded that, under Rule 153 of the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on an Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the prospectus is available at an Exchange upon request. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an Exchange.
In addition, certain affiliates of the Funds and the Adviser may purchase and resell Fund shares pursuant to this Prospectus.
OTHER INFORMATION
The Trust was organized as a Delaware statutory trust on March 15, 2001. Its Declaration of Trust currently permits the Trust to issue an unlimited number of Shares of beneficial interest. If shareholders are required to vote on any matters, each Share outstanding would be entitled to one vote. Annual meetings of shareholders will not be held except as required by the 1940 Act and other applicable law. See the Funds’ SAI for more information concerning the Trust’s form of organization. Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies, including Shares of a Fund. Registered investment companies are permitted to invest in the Funds beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in SEC regulations, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Funds.
The Prospectus, SAI and any other Fund communication do not create any contractual obligations between the Funds’ shareholders and the Trust, the Funds, the Adviser and/or the Trustees. Further, shareholders are not intended third party beneficiaries of any contracts entered into by (or on behalf of) any Fund, including contracts with the Adviser or other parties who provide services to the Fund.
Dechert LLP serves as counsel to the Trust, including the Funds. Ernst & Young LLP serves as the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and will audit the Fund’s financial statements annually.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This Prospectus does not contain all the information included in the Registration Statement filed with the SEC with respect to the Funds’ Shares. The Funds’ Registration Statement, including this Prospectus, the Funds’ SAI and the exhibits are available on the EDGAR database at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov), and copies may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected].
The SAI for the Funds, which has been filed with the SEC, provides more information about the Funds. The SAI for the Funds is incorporated herein by reference and is legally part of this Prospectus. Additional information about the Funds’ investments is available in each Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In each Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. The SAI and the Funds’ annual and semi-annual reports may be obtained without charge by writing to the Funds at Van Eck Securities Corporation, the Funds’ Distributor, at 666 Third Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10017 or by calling the Distributor at the following number: Investor Information: 800.826.2333.
Shareholder inquiries may be directed to the Funds in writing to 666 Third Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10017 or by calling 800.826.2333.
The Funds’ SAI is available at www.vaneck.com.
(Investment Company Act file no. 811-10325)

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For more detailed information about the Funds, see the SAI dated May 1, 2022, as may be supplemented from time to time. Additional information about each of the Funds’ investments is or will be available in each Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In each Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during its last fiscal year.
Call VanEck at 800.826.2333 to request, free of charge, the annual or semi-annual reports, the SAI, or other information about the Funds or to make shareholder inquiries. You may also obtain the SAI or a Fund’s annual or semi-annual reports, by visiting the VanEck website at www.vaneck.com.
Reports and other information about the Funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s internet site at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: [email protected].
ck0001137360-20211231_g11.jpg
Transfer Agent: State Street Bank and Trust Company
SEC Registration Number: 333-123257
1940 Act Registration Number: 811-10325
800.826.2333
vaneck.com
CHINAPRO