Employee Benefit Obligations

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Employee Benefit Obligations

Employee Benefit Obligations

17.    Employee Benefit Obligations

	March 31,		December 31,
($ in millions)	2021		2020
Underfunded defined benefit pension liabilities	$	809	$	955
Less: Current portion		(23)		(24)
Long-term defined benefit pension liabilities		786		931
Long-term retiree medical liabilities		152		156
Deferred compensation plans		399		439
Other		58		87
	$	1,395	$	1,613

Components of net periodic benefit cost associated with the company’s defined benefit pension plans were as follows:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2021						2020
($ in millions)	U.S.		Non-U.S.		Total		U.S.		Non-U.S.		Total
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost	$	21	$	3	$	24	$	16	$	4	$	20
Interest cost		13		9		22		20		14		34
Expected return on plan assets		(31)		(16)		(47)		(31)		(21)		(52)
Amortization of prior service cost		—		1		1		—		1		1
Recognized net actuarial loss		13		1		14		10		1		11
Total net periodic benefit cost	$	16	$	(2)	$	14	$	15	$	(1)	$	14

Non-service pension income of $10 million and $6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, is included in selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses.

Contributions to the company’s defined benefit pension plans were $162 million for the first three months of 2021 compared to $11 million for the first three months of 2020, and such contributions are expected to be approximately $185 million for the full year of 2021. This estimate may change based on changes to the U.S. Pension Protection Act, the effects of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Acts and the actual returns achieved on plan assets, among other factors.