Recently Issued Accounting Standards

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]

Recently Issued Accounting Standards [Text Block]

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS:

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2013-04, Liabilities (Topic 405): Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements for Which the Total Amount of the Obligation is Fixed at the Reporting Date, which specifies how an entity should measure obligations resulting from joint and several liability arrangements for which the total amount of the obligation within the scope of the guidance is fixed at the reporting date and requires entities to disclose the nature and amount of the obligation as well as other information about those obligations. This guidance is effective for and was adopted by the Company in the first quarter of 2014 and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In March 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-05, Foreign Currency Matters (Topic 830): Parent’s Accounting for the Cumulative Translation Adjustment Upon Derecognition of Certain Subsidiaries or Groups of Assets within a Foreign Entity or of an Investment in a Foreign Entity, which provides clarification of when to release the cumulative translation adjustment into net income when a parent either sells a part or all of its investment in a foreign entity or no longer holds a controlling financial interest in a subsidiary or group of assets within a foreign entity. This guidance is effective for and was adopted by the Company in the first quarter of 2014 and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, but it could impact the accounting for potential future sales of investments or changes in control of foreign entities.

In April 2013, the FASB issued ASU 2013-07, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205): The Liquidation Basis of Accounting, which clarifies when an entity should apply the liquidation basis of accounting and provides principles for the recognition and measurement of assets and liabilities using the liquidation basis of accounting. This guidance is effective for and was adopted by the Company in the first quarter of 2014 and did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Effective

In January 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-05, Service Concession Arrangements (Topic 853), which specifies that an operating entity should not account for a service concession arrangement that is within the scope of this guidance as a lease in accordance with Topic 840. This guidance will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and the interim periods within those annual periods. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which changes the requirements for reporting discontinued operations by limiting discontinued operations reporting to disposals of components of an entity that represent strategic shifts that have (or will have) a major effect on the entity’s operations and financial results. This guidance should be applied prospectively and will be effective for all disposals (or classifications as held for sale) of components of an entity that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within those years, and for all businesses that, on acquisition, are classified as held for sale that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods within those years. Early adoption is permitted, but only for disposals (or classifications as held for sale) that have not been reported in financial statements previously issued or available for sale. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.