5. Restructuring Accruals

Selected information related to the restructuring accruals for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 is as follows:


	Other
	Restructuring
	Actions
Balance at January 1, 2017	$	85
Charges		38
Write-down of assets to net realizable value		(9)
Net cash paid, principally severance and related benefits		(8)
Other, including foreign exchange translation		(2)
Balance at March 31, 2017	$	104


			Other
	Asia Pacific		Restructuring		Total
	Restructuring		Actions		Restructuring
Balance at January 1, 2016	$	7	$	36	$	43
Charges		1		18		19
Write-down of assets to net realizable value				(7)		(7)
Net cash paid, principally severance and related benefits		(1)		(12)		(13)
Other, including foreign exchange translation		(1)		(1)		(2)
Balance at March 31, 2016	$	6	$	34	$	40

The Company’s decisions to curtail selected production capacity have resulted in write downs of certain long-lived assets to the extent their carrying amounts exceeded fair value or fair value less cost to sell. The Company classified the significant assumptions used to determine the fair value of the impaired assets, which was not material, as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy as set forth in the general accounting principles for fair value measurements.

When a decision is made to take these actions, the Company manages and accounts for them separately from the on-going operations of the business. Information related to major programs (as in the case of the Asia Pacific Restructuring program above) are presented separately. Minor initiatives and discrete restructuring actions are presented on a combined basis as Other Restructuring Actions. When charges related to major programs are completed, remaining accrual balances are classified within Other Restructuring Actions.

Asia Pacific Restructuring

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company recorded charges of $1 million. These charges primarily represented other exit costs as part of the Company’s Asia Pacific Restructuring program. The Company recorded total cumulative charges of $224 million and does not expect to execute any further actions under this program. The Company expects that the majority of the remaining cash expenditures related to the above charges will be paid out by the end of 2017.

Other Restructuring Actions

During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recorded restructuring, asset impairment and other charges of $38 million. These charges primarily consist of employee costs, write-down of assets, and other exit costs in the following regions: Latin America ($23 million), Europe ($13 million) and North America ($2 million). Except for the charges recorded in Europe, the discrete restructuring charges recorded in the first quarter of 2017 are expected to approximate the total cumulative costs for those actions as no significant additional costs are expected to be incurred. Since 2016, the Company has recorded total cumulative charges of $54 million related to a plant closure in Europe and does not expect to execute any further significant actions related to this facility. The restructuring charges recorded in the first quarter of 2017 in the Latin American and European regions primarily relate to capacity curtailments. The Company plans to reallocate the products produced at these facilities to others in their respective regions. The Company expects that the majority of the remaining cash expenditures related to the above charges will be paid out by the end of 2018.

During the three months ended March 31, 2016, the Company recorded charges of $18 million. These charges primarily represented employee costs, write-down of assets, and other exit costs of $14 million for a plant closure in the first quarter of 2016 in Latin America, $3 million related to a previous plant closure in North America and $1 million related to other restructuring actions. The discrete restructuring charges recorded in the first quarter of 2016 are expected to approximate the total cumulative costs for those actions as no significant additional costs are expected to be incurred. The restructuring charges recorded in the first quarter of 2016 in the Latin American region primarily relate to a capacity curtailment. The Company reallocated the products produced at this facility to others in the region. The Company expects that the majority of the remaining cash expenditures related to the above charges will be paid out by the end of 2017.