RESTRUCTURING AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET

Charges for restructuring programs and other asset related charges, which includes other asset impairments, were $65 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 ($40 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018) and $221 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 ($127 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018). These charges were recorded in "Restructuring and asset related charges - net" in the consolidated statements of income. Further details on these charges are as follows.

Restructuring Plans

DowDuPont Cost Synergy Program

In September and November 2017, DowDuPont approved post-merger restructuring actions under the DowDuPont Cost Synergy Program (the "Synergy Program") which was designed to integrate and optimize the organization following the Merger and in preparation for the business separations. The following table summarizes the activities related to the Synergy Program, which are reflected on a continuing operations basis. The Company expects actions related to the Synergy Program to be substantially complete by the end of 2019.



DowDuPont Synergy Program	Severance and Related Benefit Costs			Asset Write-downs and Write-offs			Costs Associated with Exit and Disposal Activities			Total
In millions	Severance and Related Benefit Costs			Asset Write-downs and Write-offs			Costs Associated with Exit and Disposal Activities			Total
Reserve balance at Dec 31, 2017	$	270		$	—		$	5		$	275
Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure	$	—		$	—		$	11		$	11
Packaging & Specialty Plastics	—			—			3			3
Corporate	68			3			—			71
Total restructuring charges	$	68		$	3		$	14		$	85
Charges against the reserve	—			(3		)	—			(3		)
Cash payments	(48		)	—			(3		)	(51		)
Reserve balance at Mar 31, 2018	$	290		$	—		$	16		$	306
Corporate	$	17		$	13		$	—		$	30
Total restructuring charges	$	17		$	13		$	—		$	30
Charges against the reserve	—			(13		)	—			(13		)
Cash payments	(54		)	—			(6		)	(60		)
Reserve balance at Jun 30, 2018	$	253		$	—		$	10		$	263
Packaging & Specialty Plastics	$	—		$	4		$	—		$	4
Corporate	43			—			—			43
Total restructuring charges	$	43		$	4		$	—		$	47
Charges against the reserve	—			(4		)	—			(4		)
Cash payments	(56		)	—			—			(56		)
Reserve balance at Sep 30, 2018	$	240		$	—		$	10		$	250
Performance Materials & Coatings	$	—		$	7		$	—		$	7
Packaging & Specialty Plastics	—			6			—			6
Corporate	9			—			—			9
Total restructuring charges	$	9		$	13		$	—		$	22
Charges against the reserve	—			(13		)	—			(13		)
Cash payments	(39		)	—			(3		)	(42		)
Reserve balance at Dec 31, 2018	$	210		$	—		$	7		$	217
Packaging & Specialty Plastics	$	—		$	—		$	1		$	1
Corporate	52			76			15			143
Total restructuring charges	$	52		$	76		$	16		$	144
Charges against the reserve	—			(76		)	—			(76		)
Cash payments	(79		)	—			(4		)	(83		)
Reserve balance at Mar 31, 2019	$	183		$	—		$	19		$	202
Performance Materials & Coatings	$	—		$	22		$	—		$	22
Corporate	25			7			5			37
Total restructuring charges	$	25		$	29		$	5		$	59
Charges against the reserve	—			(29		)	(2		)	(31		)
Cash payments	(71		)	—			—			(71		)
Reserve balance at Jun 30, 2019	$	137		$	—		$	22		$	159

At June 30, 2019, $139 million was included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" ($205 million at December 31, 2018) and $20 million was included in "Other noncurrent obligations" ($12 million at December 31, 2018) in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.

The Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $786 million inception-to-date under the Synergy Program, consisting of severance and related benefit costs of $521 million, asset write-downs and write-offs of $225 million and costs associated with exit and disposal activities of $40 million.

Asset Write-downs and Write-offs

The restructuring charges related to the write-down and write-off of assets for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, related primarily to miscellaneous asset write-downs and write-offs, including the shutdown of several small manufacturing facilities and the write-off of non-manufacturing assets and certain corporate facilities.

Costs Associated with Exit and Disposal Activities

The restructuring charges for costs associated with exit and disposal activities for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, included contract cancellation penalties and environmental remediation liabilities.

The Company expects to incur additional costs in the future related to its restructuring activities. Future costs are expected to include demolition costs related to closed facilities and restructuring plan implementation costs; these costs will be recognized as incurred. The Company also expects to incur additional employee-related costs, including involuntary termination benefits, related to its other optimization activities. These costs cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

Asset Related Charges

The Company recognized an additional pretax impairment charge of $6 million and $18 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, related primarily to capital additions made to a biopolymers manufacturing facility in Santa Vitoria, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which was impaired in 2017 (charge of $3 million and $6 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018). The impairment charge was included in “Restructuring and asset related charges - net” in the consolidated statements of income and related to the Packaging & Specialty Plastics segment. See Note 20 for additional information.