3. Business Segment Information

Ball’s operations are organized and reviewed by management along its product lines and geographical areas and presented in the four reportable segments outlined below:

Beverage packaging, North and Central America: Consists of operations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that manufacture and sell metal beverage containers throughout those countries.

Beverage packaging, South America: Consists of operations in Brazil, Argentina and Chile that manufacture and sell metal beverage containers throughout most of South America.

Beverage packaging, Europe: Consists of operations in numerous countries in Europe, including Russia, that manufacture and sell metal beverage containers throughout most of Europe.

Aerospace: Consists of operations that manufacture and sell aerospace and other related products and provide services used in the defense, civil space and commercial space industries.

As presented in the table below, Other consists of non-reportable segments located in Africa, Middle East and Asia (beverage packaging, AMEA) and Asia Pacific (beverage packaging, Asia Pacific) that manufacture and sell metal beverage containers; a non-reportable segment that manufactures and sells aerosol containers, extruded aluminum aerosol containers and aluminum slugs (aerosol packaging); undistributed corporate expenses; intercompany eliminations and other business activities.

The accounting policies of the segments are the same as those in the consolidated financial statements and are discussed in Note 1. The company also has investments in operations in Guatemala, Panama, South Korea, the U.S. and Vietnam that are accounted for under the equity method of accounting and, accordingly, those results are not included in segment sales or earnings.

Summary of Business by Segment


	Three Months Ended March 31,
($ in millions)	2019		2018

Net sales
Beverage packaging, North and Central America	$	1,131	$	1,035
Beverage packaging, South America		441		459
Beverage packaging, Europe		638		609
Aerospace		328		264
Reportable segment sales		2,538		2,367
Other		247		418
Net sales	$	2,785	$	2,785

Comparable operating earnings
Beverage packaging, North and Central America	$	118	$	113
Beverage packaging, South America		68		98
Beverage packaging, Europe		64		60
Aerospace		30		25
Reportable segment comparable operating earnings		280		296
Reconciling items
Other (a)		(5)		4
Business consolidation and other activities		(14)		(30)
Amortization of acquired Rexam intangibles		(40)		(44)
Earnings before interest and taxes		221		226
Interest expense		(77)		(73)
Debt refinancing and other costs		(4)		(1)
Total interest expense		(81)		(74)
Earnings before taxes	$	140	$	152

(a)

Includes undistributed corporate expenses, net, of $23 million and $22 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The company does not disclose total assets by segment as it is not provided to the chief operating decision maker.