Receivables, Net

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Receivables, Net

Receivables, Net

8. Receivables, Net

	December 31,
($ in millions)	2021		2020
Trade accounts receivable	$	1,304	$	825
Unbilled receivables		727		528
Less: Allowance for doubtful accounts		(9)		(9)
Net trade accounts receivable		2,022		1,344
Other receivables		538		394
	$	2,560	$	1,738

Net accounts receivable under long-term contracts, due primarily from agencies of the U.S. government and their prime contractors, were $278 million and $232 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and included $233 million and $157 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, representing the recognized sales value of performance that was not yet billable to customers. The average length of the long-term contracts is approximately three years, and the average length remaining on those contracts at December 31, 2021, was one year. At December 31, 2021, $264 million of net accounts receivables is expected to be collected within the next year and is related to customary fees and cost withholdings that will be paid upon milestone or contract completions, as well as final overhead rate settlements.

Other receivables include income and sales tax receivables, aluminum scrap sale receivables and other miscellaneous receivables.

The company has entered into several regional uncommitted and committed accounts receivable factoring programs with various financial institutions for certain receivables of the company. Programs accounted for as true sales of the receivables, without recourse to Ball, had combined limits of approximately $1.7 billion and $1.6 billion at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. A total of $308 million and $232 million were available for sale under these programs as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The company has recorded $41 million, $29 million and $41 million of expense related to its factoring programs in 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and has presented these amounts in selling, general, and administrative in its consolidated statements of earnings.