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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
 
Three Months Ended
June 30,
 
Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
2014
 
2013
 
2014
 
2013
 
(In percentages)
Effective income tax rate
27
 
36
 
28
 
36

The decrease in the effective income tax rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 was primarily due to lower losses in jurisdictions without income tax benefit and fewer valuation allowances established in certain jurisdictions against net deferred tax assets compared to the three and six months ended June 30, 2013.
Liabilities for uncertain tax positions and related interest and penalties are recorded in Uncertain tax positions and current Other liabilities in the unaudited consolidated balance sheets. For the six months ended June 30, 2014, the Company's uncertain tax positions decreased $42 million primarily as a result of the reclassification of uncertain tax positions for net operating loss carryforwards in certain jurisdictions to deferred income tax assets in accordance with ASU 2013-11, Presentation of Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists, which was effective January 1, 2014.
The Company's US tax returns for the years 2009 through 2012 are currently under audit by the US Internal Revenue Service and certain of the Company's subsidiaries are under audit in jurisdictions outside of the US. In addition, certain statutes of limitations are scheduled to expire in the near future. It is reasonably possible that a further change in the unrecognized tax benefits may occur within the next twelve months related to the settlement of one or more of these audits or the lapse of applicable statutes of limitations. Such amounts have been reflected in the current portion of uncertain tax positions (Note 8).