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RESTRUCTURING AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET (Notes)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]  
Restructuring and Related Activities Disclosure [Text Block] RESTRUCTURING AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET
Charges for restructuring programs and other asset related charges, which includes asset impairments, are recorded in "Restructuring and asset related charges - net" in the consolidated statements of income and were insignificant for the three months ended March 31, 2021 ($96 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020). For additional information on the Company's restructuring programs, see Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the 2020 10-K.

Restructuring Plans
2020 Restructuring Program
On September 29, 2020, the Board of Directors ("Board") of Dow Inc. approved restructuring actions to achieve the Company's structural cost improvement initiatives in response to the continued economic impact from the coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") pandemic. The restructuring program is designed to reduce structural costs and enable the Company to further enhance competitiveness while the COVID-19 economic recovery gains traction. This program includes a global workforce cost reduction of approximately 6 percent and actions to rationalize the Company's manufacturing assets, which include asset write-down and write-off charges, related contract termination fees and environmental remediation costs ("2020 Restructuring Program"). These actions are expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2021.
The following table summarizes the activities related to the 2020 Restructuring Program:

2020 Restructuring ProgramSeverance and Related Benefit CostsAsset Write-downs and Write-offsCosts Associated with Exit and Disposal ActivitiesTotal
In millions
Packaging & Specialty Plastics$— $11 $— $11 
Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure— 22 — 22 
Performance Materials & Coatings— 117 57 174 
Corporate297 47 24 368 
Total restructuring charges$297 $197 $81 $575 
Charges against the reserve— (197)— (197)
Cash payments(1)— — (1)
Reserve balance at Sep 30, 2020$296 $— $81 $377 
Performance Materials & Coatings— (1)4 3 
Corporate— — (5)(5)
Total restructuring charges$— $(1)$(1)$(2)
Charges against the reserve— 1 (5)(4)
Cash payments(7)— — (7)
Reserve balance at Dec 31, 2020$289 $— $75 $364 
Cash payments(37)— (12)(49)
Reserve balance at Mar 31, 2021$252 $— $63 $315 

At March 31, 2021, $246 million of the reserve balance was included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" ($227 million at December 31, 2020) and $69 million was included in "Other noncurrent obligations" ($137 million at December 31, 2020) in the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $573 million inception-to-date under the 2020 Restructuring Program, consisting of severance and related benefit costs of $297 million, asset write-downs and write-offs of $196 million and costs associated with exit and disposal activities of $80 million.

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. For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $90 million for severance and related benefit costs, related to Corporate. Cash expenditures related to the Synergy Program were substantially complete at December 31, 2020.

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 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
For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company recognized a pretax impairment charge of $6 million, related to capital additions made to a bio-ethanol manufacturing facility in Santa Vitoria, Minas Gerais, Brazil, which was impaired in 2017 and divested in 2020. The impairment charge was included in “Restructuring and asset related charges - net” in the consolidated statements of income and related to Packaging & Specialty Plastics.