---
ticker: CL
company: Colgate-Palmolive Company
filing_type: 10-K
year_current: 2025
year_prior: 2024
risks_added: 1
risks_removed: 1
risks_modified: 3
risks_unchanged: 15
source: SEC EDGAR
url: https://riskdiff.com/cl/2025-vs-2024/
markdown_url: https://riskdiff.com/cl/2025-vs-2024/index.md
generated: 2026-05-10
---

# Colgate-Palmolive Company: 10-K Risk Factor Changes 2025 vs 2024

> Source: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR)  
> Generated: 2026-05-10  
> All data extracted directly from official filings. No hallucinated content.

> **[AI-Generated Summary]** The paragraph below was produced by a language
> model and may contain errors. All other content on this page is deterministically
> extracted from the original SEC filing.

> Colgate-Palmolive shifted its risk disclosure focus from internal operational optimization to external dependencies, removing the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative risk while adding a new risk highlighting third-party reliance across business operations. The company substantively enhanced its disclosure on international operations and foreign currency exposure, employee retention and management succession, and pandemic-related risks, suggesting these areas received heightened emphasis or materiality assessment in 2025. With 15 unchanged risks retained and only modest net changes, the company maintained continuity in its core risk landscape while recalibrating disclosures around supply chain and organizational talent vulnerabilities.

---

## Summary

| Status | Count |
|--------|-------|
| New risks added | 1 |
| Risks removed | 1 |
| Risks modified | 3 |
| Unchanged | 15 |

---

## New in Current Filing: Our reliance on third parties in many aspects of our business could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We use third parties including, but not limited to, suppliers, contract manufacturers, distributors, commercial banks and other external business partners, to support many aspects of our business including those that provide support across much of the lifespan of our products from the purchasing of ingredients up to and including the sale of our products to consumers. While we maintain robust policies and procedures to govern and manage our interactions with and requirements of these third parties, including building in redundancies and alternatives wherever possible, we inherently have a lesser degree of control over the business operations, governance and compliance of these unrelated entities. As a result, disruptions in these relationships or the failure of these third parties to meet their obligations to us could have an adverse effect on our reputation and our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

---

## No Match in Current: We may not fully realize the benefits that we expect from our 2022 Global Productivity Initiative.

*This section from the 2024 filing does not have a high-confidence textual match in 2025. It may have been removed, merged, or substantially reworded.*

On January 27, 2022, the Board approved a targeted productivity program (the "2022 Global Productivity Initiative"). The program is intended to reallocate resources toward our strategic priorities and faster growth businesses, drive efficiencies in our operations and streamline our supply chain to reduce structural costs. The successful implementation of the program may present organizational challenges and, in some cases, may require successful negotiations with third parties. As a result, we may not be able to fully realize all of the anticipated benefits from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative. Events and circumstances, such as financial or strategic difficulties, delays and unexpected costs may occur that could result in our not realizing all of the anticipated benefits or our not realizing such benefits on our expected timetable. In addition, changes in foreign exchange rates or in tax, labor or immigration laws may result in our not achieving the anticipated cost savings as measured in U.S. dollars. If we are unable to fully realize the anticipated savings from the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative, our ability to fund other initiatives and enhance profitability may be adversely affected. Any failure to implement the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative in accordance with our expectations could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. For additional information regarding the 2022 Global Productivity Initiative, refer to Part II, Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Restructuring and Related Implementation Charges." 16 16 16 16 16 16

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## Modified: We face risks associated with significant international operations, including exposure to foreign currency fluctuations.

**Key changes:**

- Reworded sentence: "While geographic diversity helps to reduce our exposure to risks in any one country or part of the world, it also means that we face risks associated with significant international operations, including, but not limited to: •changing macroeconomic conditions in our markets, including as a result of inflationary pressure, economic slowdown or recession, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, major developments in trade relations, volatile commodity prices and increases and/or volatility in the cost of raw and packaging materials, labor, energy and logistics; •changes in exchange rates for foreign currencies, which may reduce the U.S."
- Reworded sentence: "dollars, in those markets; •political instability or uncertainty, including as a result of elections, economic instability, geopolitical events and tensions, wars and military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan; •changes to trade policies and agreements and other foreign or domestic legal and regulatory requirements, including those resulting in potentially adverse tax consequences or the imposition of and/or the increase in trade restrictions and/or tariffs, sanctions, price controls, labor laws, travel or immigration restrictions, profit controls or other government controls, including as a result of the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan; •environmental events, widespread health emergencies, such as pandemics or epidemics, natural disasters or social or labor unrest; •exchange controls and other limits on our ability to import or export raw materials or finished product, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, or to repatriate earnings from overseas; •lack of well-established, reliable and/or impartial legal systems in certain countries where we operate and difficulties in enforcing contractual, intellectual property or other legal rights; and •foreign ownership and investment restrictions and the potential for nationalization or expropriation of property or other resources."
- Reworded sentence: "We face risks resulting from political and macroeconomic instability and geopolitical events and tensions, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan."
- Reworded sentence: "We have no manufacturing facilities in Russia."
- Reworded sentence: "We also have faced and continue to face challenges to our ability to repatriate cash from Russia and to identify banking partners to support our Russian operations and may face challenges to our ability to protect our assets in Russia."

**Prior (2024):**

We operate on a global basis serving consumers in more than 200 countries and territories with approximately two-thirds of our Net sales originating in markets outside the U.S. While geographic diversity helps to reduce our exposure to risks in any one country or part of the world, it also means that we face risks associated with significant international operations, including, but not limited to: •changing macroeconomic conditions in our markets, including as a result of inflationary pressure, the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, volatile commodity prices and increases and/or volatility in the cost of raw and packaging materials, labor, energy and logistics; •political instability or uncertainty, including as a result of elections, economic instability, geopolitical events and tensions, wars and military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war and tensions between China and Taiwan; •environmental events, widespread health emergencies, such as pandemics or epidemics, natural disasters or social or labor unrest; •changes in exchange rates for foreign currencies, which may reduce the U.S. dollar value of revenues, profits and cash flows from non-U.S. markets or increase our supply costs, as measured in U.S. dollars, in those markets; •exchange controls and other limits on our ability to import or export raw materials or finished product, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, or to repatriate earnings from overseas; •lack of well-established, reliable and/or impartial legal systems in certain countries where we operate and difficulties in enforcing contractual, intellectual property or other legal rights; •foreign ownership and investment restrictions and the potential for nationalization or expropriation of property or other resources; and •changes to trade policies and agreements and other foreign or domestic legal and regulatory requirements, including those resulting in potentially adverse tax consequences or the imposition of and/or the increase in trade restrictions and/or tariffs, sanctions, price controls, labor laws, travel or immigration restrictions (including as a result of pandemics, epidemics or other widespread health emergencies), profit controls or other government controls, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war. Any or all of the foregoing risks could have a significant impact on our ability to sell our products on a competitive basis in international markets and may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, a number of these risks may adversely impact consumer confidence and consumption, which could reduce sales volumes of our products or result in a shift in our product mix from higher margin to lower margin product offerings. We face risks resulting from political and macroeconomic instability and geopolitical events and tensions, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war and tensions between China and Taiwan. These situations are evolving and 7 7 7 7 7 7 significant uncertainties regarding their full impact or their related impacts on the global economy and geopolitical relations in general and on our business in particular remain. These geopolitical conflicts and tensions may also heighten other risks disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, any of which could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. The war in Ukraine and the related geopolitical tensions have had and continue to have a significant impact on our operations in Ukraine and Russia, though it has not been material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. In Russia, we are importing and selling a reduced portfolio of health and hygiene products for everyday use. We have no manufacturing facilities in Russia and have ceased all capital investments and media activities in Russia. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our business in the Eurasia region constituted approximately 2% of our consolidated net sales and approximately 3% of our consolidated operating profit. We, however, have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, risks related to the impact of the war in Ukraine, including increases in the cost and, in certain cases, limitations on the availability of certain raw and packaging materials and commodities (including oil and natural gas), supply chain and logistics challenges, import restrictions, foreign currency volatility and reputational concerns. We also face challenges to our ability to repatriate cash from Russia and find banking partners in Russia and may face challenges to our ability to protect our assets in Russia. We also continue to monitor the impact of the sanctions, export controls and import restrictions imposed in response to the war in Ukraine. The Israel-Hamas war has not had a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Uncertainties and risks remain as to the duration of the war and its impact on geopolitical relations and stability in North Africa, the Middle East and nearby regions. The war has impacted and may continue to impact, among other things, supply chain and logistics, the availability and price of raw and packaging materials and commodities, such as oil, consumer sentiment and consumption and category growth rates in the region. Furthermore, the imposition of tariffs and/or increase in tariffs on various products by the United States and other countries have introduced greater uncertainty with respect to trade policies and government regulations affecting trade between the United States and other countries and new and/or increased tariffs have subjected, and may continue in the future to subject, us to additional costs and expenditure of resources. Major developments in trade relations, including the imposition of new or increased tariffs by the United States and/or other countries, such as China, and any nationalist trends in specific countries could alter the trade environment and consumer purchasing behavior which, in turn, could have a material effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In an effort to minimize the impact on earnings of foreign currency rate movements, we engage in a combination of selling price increases, where permitted, sourcing strategies, cost containment measures and selective hedging of foreign currency transactions. However, the impact of these measures has not and may not in the future fully offset any negative impact of foreign currency rate movements on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

**Current (2025):**

We operate on a global basis serving consumers in more than 200 countries and territories with approximately two-thirds of our Net sales originating in markets outside the U.S. While geographic diversity helps to reduce our exposure to risks in any one country or part of the world, it also means that we face risks associated with significant international operations, including, but not limited to: •changing macroeconomic conditions in our markets, including as a result of inflationary pressure, economic slowdown or recession, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, major developments in trade relations, volatile commodity prices and increases and/or volatility in the cost of raw and packaging materials, labor, energy and logistics; •changes in exchange rates for foreign currencies, which may reduce the U.S. dollar value of revenues, profits and cash flows from non-U.S. markets or increase our supply costs, as measured in U.S. dollars, in those markets; •political instability or uncertainty, including as a result of elections, economic instability, geopolitical events and tensions, wars and military conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan; •changes to trade policies and agreements and other foreign or domestic legal and regulatory requirements, including those resulting in potentially adverse tax consequences or the imposition of and/or the increase in trade restrictions and/or tariffs, sanctions, price controls, labor laws, travel or immigration restrictions, profit controls or other government controls, including as a result of the war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan; •environmental events, widespread health emergencies, such as pandemics or epidemics, natural disasters or social or labor unrest; •exchange controls and other limits on our ability to import or export raw materials or finished product, including as a result of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East, or to repatriate earnings from overseas; •lack of well-established, reliable and/or impartial legal systems in certain countries where we operate and difficulties in enforcing contractual, intellectual property or other legal rights; and •foreign ownership and investment restrictions and the potential for nationalization or expropriation of property or other resources. Any or all of the foregoing risks could have a significant impact on our ability to sell our products on a competitive basis in international markets and may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In addition, a number of these risks may adversely impact consumer confidence and consumption, which could reduce sales volumes of our products or result in a shift in our product mix from higher margin to lower margin product offerings. We face risks resulting from political and macroeconomic instability and geopolitical events and tensions, such as the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East and tensions between China and Taiwan. These geopolitical conflicts 7 7 7 7 7 7 andtensions may also heighten other risks disclosed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, any of which could have an adverse impact on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. The war in Ukraine and the related geopolitical tensions have had and continue to have a significant impact on our operations in Ukraine and Russia, though it has not been material to our Consolidated Financial Statements. We have no manufacturing facilities in Russia. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our business in the Eurasia region constituted approximately 1% of our consolidated net sales and approximately 2% of our consolidated operating profit. We, however, have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, risks related to the impact of the war in Ukraine, including increases in the cost and, in certain cases, limitations on the availability of certain raw and packaging materials and commodities (including oil and natural gas), supply chain and logistics challenges, import restrictions, foreign currency volatility and reputational concerns. We also have faced and continue to face challenges to our ability to repatriate cash from Russia and to identify banking partners to support our Russian operations and may face challenges to our ability to protect our assets in Russia. We also continue to monitor the impact of the sanctions, export controls and import restrictions imposed generally and in response to the war in Ukraine. The conflict in the Middle East has not had a material impact on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Uncertainties and risks remain as to the duration of the conflict and its impact on geopolitical relations and stability in North Africa, the wider Middle East and nearby regions. The conflict has impacted and may continue to impact, among other things, supply chain and logistics, the availability and price of raw and packaging materials and commodities, such as oil, consumer sentiment and consumption and category growth rates in the region. Furthermore, the imposition of tariffs and/or increases in tariffs on various raw materials or products, or threats to impose or increase such tariffs, by the United States and other countries have introduced greater uncertainty with respect to trade policies and government regulations affecting trade between the United States and other countries and new and/or increased tariffs have subjected, and may continue in the future to subject, us to additional costs and expenditure of resources. Major developments in trade relations, including the imposition of new or increased tariffs by the United States and/or other countries, such as China, Mexico and Canada, including those imposed following the United States' February 2025 executive orders, and any nationalist trends in specific countries, have altered and could continue to alter the trade environment and consumer purchasing behavior which, in turn, could have a material effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. In an effort to minimize the impact on earnings of foreign currency rate movements, we engage in a combination of selling price increases, where permitted, sourcing strategies, cost containment measures and selective hedging of foreign currency transactions. However, the impact of these measures has not and may not in the future fully offset any negative impact of foreign currency rate movements on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

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## Modified: Our success depends upon our ability to recruit, attract and retain key employees and the succession of senior management.

**Key changes:**

- Removed sentence: "In addition, we continue to work to advance culture change through the implementation of DE&I initiatives and the launch of our evolved corporate values and new leadership framework throughout our organization."

**Prior (2024):**

Our success largely depends on the performance of our management team and other key employees. If we are unable to recruit, attract and retain talented, highly qualified senior management and other key people, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected. Successfully executing organizational change, including management transitions at leadership levels of the Company and succession plans for senior management, is critical to our business success. While we follow a disciplined, ongoing succession planning process and have succession plans in place for senior management and other key executives, these do not guarantee that the services of qualified senior executives will continue to be available to us at particular moments in time. Further, changes in immigration laws and government policies have made, in certain circumstances, and may continue to make it more difficult for us to recruit or relocate highly skilled technical, professional and management personnel to meet our business needs. Our ability to attract and retain talent has been and may continue to be impacted by a number of factors, including challenges in the labor market. In addition, we continue to work to advance culture change through the implementation of DE&I initiatives and the launch of our evolved corporate values and new leadership framework throughout our organization. We continue to embed new ways of working to, among other things, instill a growth mindset to drive innovation. If we do not (or are perceived not to) successfully implement these initiatives, our ability to recruit, attract and retain talent may be adversely impacted.

**Current (2025):**

Our success largely depends on the performance of our management team and other key employees. If we are unable to recruit, attract and retain talented, highly qualified senior management and other key people, our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected. Successfully executing organizational change, including management transitions at leadership levels of the Company and succession plans for senior management, is critical to our business success. While we follow a disciplined, ongoing succession planning process and have succession plans in place for senior management and other key executives, these do not guarantee that the services of qualified senior executives will continue to be available to us at particular moments in time. Further, changes in immigration laws and government policies have made, in certain circumstances, and may continue to make it more difficult for us to recruit or relocate highly skilled technical, professional and management personnel to meet our business needs. Our ability to attract and retain talent has been and may continue to be impacted by a number of factors, including challenges in the labor market. We continue to embed new ways of working to, among other things, instill a growth mindset to drive innovation. If we do not (or are perceived not to) successfully implement these initiatives, our ability to recruit, attract and retain talent may be adversely impacted.

---

## Modified: We face various risks related to pandemics, epidemics or other widespread public health concerns, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

**Key changes:**

- Reworded sentence: "We face various risks related to pandemics, epidemics or other widespread public health concerns."

**Prior (2024):**

We face various risks related to pandemics, epidemics or similar widespread public health concerns. A pandemic, epidemic or similar widespread health concern could have, and COVID-19 has had and may in the future have, a variety of impacts on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, including: •our ability to continue to maintain and support the health, safety and well-being of our employees, including key employees; •disruptions to our global supply chain, including transportation and logistics challenges; •a decrease in our workforce or in the efficiency of such workforce; •volatility in the demand for and availability of our products; •changes in purchasing patterns of our consumers; •significant volatility in demand for certain of our products, which may require us to increase our production capacity or acquire additional capacity at an additional cost and expense; •failure of third parties on which we rely to meet their obligations to us, or significant disruptions in their ability to do so, which may be caused by their own financial or operational difficulties; •significant changes in the economic and political conditions of the markets in which we operate; •disruptions and volatility in the global capital markets, including rising interest rates, which may increase the cost of capital and adversely impact our access to capital; and/or •volatility in foreign exchange rates and increases in the cost and availability of raw and packaging materials and transportation and logistics costs. These and other risks impacted us during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other pandemics, epidemics or similar widespread public health concerns may adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition in the future. For additional information regarding how COVID-19 continues to affect our business, refer to Part II, Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Executive Overview." 11 11 11 11 11 11

**Current (2025):**

We face various risks related to pandemics, epidemics or other widespread public health concerns. A pandemic, epidemic or other widespread health concern could have, and COVID-19 has had a variety of impacts on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, including: •our ability to continue to maintain and support the health, safety and well-being of our employees, including key employees; •disruptions to our global supply chain, including transportation and logistics challenges; •a decrease in our workforce or in the efficiency of such workforce; •volatility in the demand for and availability of our products; •changes in purchasing patterns of our consumers; •significant volatility in demand for certain of our products, which may require us to increase our production capacity or acquire additional capacity at an additional cost and expense; •failure of third parties on which we rely to meet their obligations to us, or significant disruptions in their ability to do so, which may be caused by their own financial or operational difficulties; •significant changes in the economic and political conditions of the markets in which we operate; •disruptions and volatility in the global capital markets, including rising interest rates, which may increase the cost of capital and adversely impact our access to capital; and/or •volatility in foreign exchange rates and increases in the cost and availability of raw and packaging materials and transportation and logistics costs. 11 11 11 11 11 11

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*Data sourced from SEC EDGAR. Last updated 2026-05-10.*