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Derivative Instruments
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Derivative Instruments  
Derivative Instruments

7. Derivative Instruments

        The Company has certain derivative assets and liabilities which consist of natural gas forwards and foreign exchange option and forward contracts. The Company uses an income approach to value these contracts. Natural gas forward rates and foreign exchange rates are the significant inputs into the valuation models. These inputs are observable in active markets over the terms of the instruments the Company holds, and accordingly, the Company classifies its derivative assets and liabilities as Level 2 in the hierarchy. The Company also evaluates counterparty risk in determining fair values.

Commodity Futures Contracts Designated as Cash Flow Hedges

        In North America, the Company enters into commodity futures contracts related to forecasted natural gas requirements, the objectives of which are to limit the effects of fluctuations in the future market price paid for natural gas and the related volatility in cash flows. The Company continually evaluates the natural gas market and related price risk and periodically enters into commodity futures contracts in order to hedge a portion of its usage requirements. The majority of the sales volume in North America is tied to customer contracts that contain provisions that pass the price of natural gas to the customer. In certain of these contracts, the customer has the option of fixing the natural gas price component for a specified period of time. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company had entered into commodity futures contracts covering approximately 7,000,000 MM BTUs and 5,100,000 MM BTUs, respectively, primarily related to customer requests to lock the price of natural gas.

        The Company accounts for the above futures contracts as cash flow hedges at December 31, 2012 and recognizes them on the balance sheet at fair value. The effective portion of changes in the fair value of a derivative that is designated as, and meets the required criteria for, a cash flow hedge is recorded in the Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income component of share owners' equity ("OCI") and reclassified into earnings in the same period or periods during which the underlying hedged item affects earnings. At December 31, 2012 and 2011, an unrecognized loss of $1 million and $6 million, respectively, related to the commodity futures contracts was included in Accumulated OCI, and will be reclassified into earnings over the next twelve to twenty-four months. Any material portion of the change in the fair value of a derivative designated as a cash flow hedge that is deemed to be ineffective is recognized in current earnings. The ineffectiveness related to these natural gas hedges for the year ended December 31, 2012 and 2011 was not material.

        The effect of the commodity futures contracts on the results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 is as follows:

Amount of Loss Recognized in OCI
on Commodity Futures Contracts
(Effective Portion)
  Amount of Loss Reclassified from
Accumulated OCI into Income
(reported in manufacturing,
shipping and delivery)
(Effective Portion)
 
2012   2011   2010   2012   2011   2010  
$(3 ) $ (10 ) $ (11 ) $ (8 ) $ (7 ) $ (9 )

Senior Notes Designated as Net Investment Hedge

        During December 2004, a U.S. subsidiary of the Company issued senior notes totaling €225 million. These notes were designated by the Company's subsidiary as a hedge of a portion of its net investment in a non-U.S. subsidiary with a Euro functional currency. Because the amount of the senior notes matched the hedged portion of the net investment, there was no hedge ineffectiveness. Accordingly, the Company recorded the impact of changes in the foreign currency exchange rate on the Euro-denominated notes in OCI. The amount of gain (loss) recognized in OCI related to this net investment hedge for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 was $(25) million and $24 million, respectively. During the second quarter of 2011, the senior notes designated as the net investment hedge were redeemed by a subsidiary of the Company. The amount recorded in OCI related to this net investment hedge will be reclassified into earnings when the Company sells or liquidates its net investment in the non-U.S. subsidiary.

Forward Exchange Contracts not Designated as Hedging Instruments

        The Company's subsidiaries may enter into short-term forward exchange or option agreements to purchase foreign currencies at set rates in the future. These agreements are used to limit exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates for significant planned purchases of fixed assets or commodities that are denominated in currencies other than the subsidiaries' functional currency. Subsidiaries may also use forward exchange agreements to offset the foreign currency risk for receivables and payables, including intercompany receivables and payables, not denominated in, or indexed to, their functional currencies. The Company records these short-term forward exchange agreements on the balance sheet at fair value and changes in the fair value are recognized in current earnings.

        At December 31, 2012 and 2011, various subsidiaries of the Company had outstanding forward exchange and option agreements denominated in various currencies covering the equivalent of approximately $750 million and $550 million, respectively, related primarily to intercompany transactions and loans.

        The effect of the forward exchange contracts on the results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 is as follows:

 
  Amount of Gain
(Loss) Recognized in
Income on Forward
Exchange Contracts
 
Location of Gain (Loss) Recognized in
Income on Forward Exchange Contracts
  2012   2011   2010  

Other expense

  $ 6   $ (11 ) $ 18  

Balance Sheet Classification

        The Company records the fair values of derivative financial instruments on the balance sheet as follows: (a) receivables if the instrument has a positive fair value and maturity within one year, (b) deposits, receivables, and other assets if the instrument has a positive fair value and maturity after one year, and (c) other accrued liabilities or other liabilities (current) if the instrument has a negative fair value and maturity within one year. The following table shows the amount and classification (as noted above) of the Company's derivatives as of December 31, 2012 and 2011:

 
  Fair Value  
 
  Balance
Sheet
Location
  2012   2011  

Asset Derivatives:

                 

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:

                 

Foreign exchange contracts

  a   $ 4   $ 13  
               

Total asset derivatives

      $ 4   $ 13  
               

Liability Derivatives:

                 

Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:

                 

Commodity futures contracts

  c   $ 1   $ 6  

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:

                 

Foreign exchange contracts

  c     9     4  
               

Total liability derivatives

      $ 10   $ 10