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SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES  
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2 - SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Principles of consolidation

 

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”), which include the accounts of GS&T, its wholly-owned subsidiaries and Baltic Trading, a subsidiary in which the Company owns a majority of the voting interests and exercises control.  All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

 

Basis of presentation

 

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  In the opinion of management of the Company, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of financial position and operating results have been included in the statements. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted.  These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 (the “2012 10-K”).  The results of operations for the period ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full year.

 

Vessels, net

 

Vessels, net is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Included in vessel costs are acquisition costs directly attributable to the acquisition of a vessel and expenditures made to prepare the vessel for its initial voyage. The Company also capitalizes interest costs for a vessel under construction as a cost which is directly attributable to the acquisition of a vessel. Vessels are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, determined to be 25 years from the date of initial delivery from the shipyard. Depreciation expense for vessels for the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 was $32,739 and $33,091, respectively.

 

Depreciation expense is calculated based on cost less the estimated residual scrap value. The costs of significant replacements, renewals and betterments are capitalized and depreciated over the shorter of the vessel’s remaining estimated useful life or the estimated life of the renewal or betterment. Undepreciated cost of any asset component being replaced that was acquired after the initial vessel purchase is written off as a component of vessel operating expense. Expenditures for routine maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Scrap value is estimated by the Company by taking the estimated scrap value of $245/lwt times the weight of the ship in lightweight tons (lwt).

 

Deferred revenue

 

Deferred revenue primarily relates to cash received from charterers prior to it being earned. These amounts are recognized as income when earned. Additionally, deferred revenue includes estimated customer claims mainly due to time charter performance issues. As of March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had an accrual of $318 and $407, respectively, related to these estimated customer claims.

 

Voyage expense recognition

 

In time charters, spot market-related time charters and pool agreements, operating costs including crews, maintenance and insurance are typically paid by the owner of the vessel and specified voyage costs such as fuel and port charges are paid by the charterer. There are certain other non-specified voyage expenses, such as commissions, which are typically borne by the Company. At the inception of a time charter, the Company records the difference between the cost of bunker fuel delivered by the terminating charterer and the bunker fuel sold to the new charterer as a gain or loss within voyage expenses. These differences in bunkers resulted in net gains of $364 and $720 during the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  Additionally, voyage expenses include the cost of bunkers consumed during short-term time charters pursuant to the terms of the time charter agreement.

 

Noncontrolling interest

 

Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest during the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 reflects the noncontrolling interest’s share of the net loss of Baltic Trading, a subsidiary of the Company, which owns and employs drybulk vessels in the spot market or on spot market-related time charters.  The spot market represents immediate chartering of a vessel, usually for single voyages.  At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the noncontrolling interest held a 75.22% economic interest in Baltic Trading while only holding 16.83% of the voting power.

 

Income taxes

 

Pursuant to certain agreements, GS&T technically and commercially manages vessels for Baltic Trading, as well as provides technical management of vessels for MEP in exchange for specified fees for these services provided.  These services are performed by Genco Management (USA) Limited (“Genco (USA)”), which has elected to be taxed as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.  As such, Genco (USA) is subject to United States federal income tax on its worldwide net income, including the net income derived from providing these services.  Genco (USA) has entered into a cost-sharing agreement with the Company and Genco Ship Management LLC, collectively Manco, pursuant to which Genco (USA) agrees to reimburse Manco for the costs incurred by Genco (USA) for the use of Manco’s personnel and services in connection with the provision of the services for both Baltic Trading and MEP’s vessels.

 

Total revenue earned for these services during the three months ended March 31, 2013 and 2012 was $1,490 and $1,514, respectively, of which $680 and $695, respectively, eliminated upon consolidation.  After allocation of certain expenses, there was taxable income of $592 associated with these activities for the three months ended March 31, 2013.  This resulted in estimated tax expense of $224 for the three months ended March 31, 2013.  After allocation of certain expenses, there was taxable income of $593 associated with these activities for the three months ended March 31, 2012.  This resulted in income tax expense of $264 for the three months ended March 31, 2012.

 

Baltic Trading is subject to income tax on its United States source income.  During the three months ended March 31, 2013, Baltic Trading did not earn any United States source income, therefore there was no income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2013.  During the three months ended March 31, 2012, Baltic Trading had United States operations which resulted in United States source income of $366.  Baltic Trading’s United States income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2012 was $7.

 

Recent accounting pronouncements

 

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-02, “Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income” (“ASU 2013-02”) to improve the transparency of changes in other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”) and items reclassified out of accumulated other income (loss) (“AOCI”).  The amendments in ASU 2013-02 are required to be applied prospectively and are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012.  The adoption of ASU 2013-02 will not have any impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements other than separately disclosing in the footnotes to the consolidated financial statements amounts reclassified out of AOCI and the individual line items in the consolidated Statement of Operations that are affected.  The Company has adopted ASU 2013-02 and the impact of adoption is not material to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.  Refer to Note 12 — Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) for additional disclosure.