Hot Water Heater gouge

[Dl5577]

I have a question about a water heater I purchased. To give some background I shipped it from the states to the Bahamas and when I opened it, I noticed a pretty large gouge in the side. Curious to get a professional opinion on this. Is it salvageable or no? I have alum bond and JB Weld. Or should I ship another unit down here and try to get this one covered. I would like to avoid installing anything that could be dangerous. Leaks aren’t as much of a concern as it sits under the back of the house on a concrete pad directly adjacent to the backyard.