Asset Impairment, Exit and Implementation Costs

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Asset Impairment, Exit and Implementation Costs

Asset Impairment, Exit and Implementation Costs:

Pre-tax asset impairment, exit and implementation costs consisted of the following:



	For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019							For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
	Asset Impairment and Exit Costs		Implementation Costs ⁽¹⁾			Total		Asset Impairment and Exit Costs			Implementation Costs ⁽²⁾		Total
	(in millions)
Smokeable products	$	50	$	29		$	79	$	(4	)	$	1	$	(3	)
Smokeless products	9		3			12		6			3		9
All other	14		(7		)	7		—			—		—
General corporate	1		—			1		—			—		—
Total	74		25			99		2			4		6
Plus amounts included in net periodic benefit income, excluding service cost ⁽³⁾	12		—			12		—			—		—
Total	$	86	$	25		$	111	$	2		$	4	$	6

⁽¹⁾ Included in cost of sales ($1 million cost reversal) and marketing, administration and research costs ($26 million) in Altria’s condensed consolidated statement of earnings.

⁽²⁾ Included in cost of sales in Altria’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings.

⁽³⁾ Represents curtailment costs. See Note 7. Benefit Plans.



	For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2019						For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
	Asset Impairment and Exit Costs		Implementation Costs ⁽¹⁾		Total		Asset Impairment and Exit Costs			Implementation Costs ⁽²⁾			Total
	(in millions)
Smokeable products	$	—	$	4	$	4	$	(5	)	$	(1	)	$	(6	)
Smokeless products	1		—		1		3			—			3
Total	$	1	$	4	$	5	$	(2	)	$	(1	)	$	(3	)

⁽¹⁾ Included in cost of sales ($1 million) and marketing, administration and research costs ($3 million) in Altria’s condensed consolidated statement of earnings.

⁽²⁾ Included in cost of sales in Altria’s condensed consolidated statements of earnings.

The 2019 pre-tax asset impairment, exit and implementation costs are related to the cost reduction program and the refocus of innovative product efforts discussed below.

The movement in the restructuring liabilities, substantially all of which are severance liabilities, was as follows:



	For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
	(in millions)
Balances at December 31, 2018	$	155
Charges	52
Cash spent	(119		)
Balances at September 30, 2019	$	88

Cost Reduction Program

In December 2018, Altria announced a cost reduction program that includes, among other things, reducing third-party spending and workforce reductions across the businesses. As a result of the cost reduction program, Altria expects to record total pre-tax restructuring charges of approximately $240 million, which includes employee benefit-related curtailment and settlement costs. Of this amount, Altria incurred pre-tax charges of $121 million in 2018 and expects to record the remainder in 2019. The total estimated charges, substantially all of which will result in cash expenditures, relate primarily to employee separation costs of approximately $210 million and other costs of approximately $30 million. For the nine and three months ended September 30, 2019, total pre-tax asset impairment, exit and implementation costs were $99 million and $5 million, respectively. Total pre-tax charges incurred since the inception of this cost reduction program were $220 million at September 30, 2019. Cash payments related to this cost reduction program of $110 million and $38 million were made during the nine and three months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. There were no cash payments related to this program in 2018.

Refocus of Innovative Product Efforts

During the fourth quarter of 2018, Altria refocused its innovative product efforts, which included Nu Mark’s discontinuation of production and distribution of all e-vapor products. During the nine months ended September 30, 2019, Altria incurred pre-tax charges of $12 million, consisting of asset impairment, exit and implementation costs. During 2018, Altria incurred pre-tax charges of $272 million, consisting of asset impairment and exit costs of $209 million primarily related to the impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, and other charges of $63 million related to inventory write-offs and accelerated depreciation. The pre-tax charges related to the refocus of innovative product efforts have been substantially completed. The majority of the charges related to these efforts did not result in cash payments.