Postretirement benefits (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2019

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

The components of net pension and other postretirement benefit costs (benefits) reflected in Net income in the Consolidated statements of operations were as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans												Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
	2019						2018						2019			2018
Three Months Ended March 31	U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Service cost	$	12		$	3		$	14		$	3		$	—		$	—
Non-service cost:
Interest cost	30			7			26			7			1			1
Expected return on plan assets	(47		)	(11		)	(53		)	(13		)	(1		)	(1		)
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—			—			(20		)	(21		)
Total non-service (benefit) cost	(17		)	(4		)	(27		)	(6		)	(20		)	(21		)
Net periodic (benefit) cost	$	(5	)	$	(1	)	$	(13	)	$	(3	)	$	(20	)	$	(21	)

The service and non-service cost components of net periodic (benefit) cost reflected in the Consolidated statements of operations were as follows:

	Pension Benefit Plans						Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Three Months Ended March 31	2019			2018			2019			2018
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Service Cost:
Losses and loss expenses	$	2		$	2		$	—		$	—
Administrative expenses	13			15			—			—
Total service cost	15			17			—			—
Non-service Cost:
Losses and loss expenses	(2		)	(3		)	(2		)	(1		)
Administrative expenses	(19		)	(30		)	(18		)	(20		)
Total non-service (benefit) cost	(21		)	(33		)	(20		)	(21		)
Net periodic (benefit) cost	$	(6	)	$	(16	)	$	(20	)	$	(21	)