Joint Ventures

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Joint Ventures

Joint Ventures

The financial results of majority-owned joint ventures are consolidated into the Company’s operating results and financial position, with the minority ownership interest recognized in the consolidated statements of operations as net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, and as equity attributable to the noncontrolling interests within total stockholders’ equity. Investments in which the Company exercises significant influence, but which it does not control (generally a 20% to 50% ownership interest), are accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

Majority-Owned Joint Ventures

STAL:

The Company has a 60% interest in the Chinese joint venture known as STAL. The remaining 40% interest in STAL is owned by China Baowu Steel Group Corporation Limited, a state authorized investment company whose equity securities are publicly traded in the People’s Republic of China. STAL is part of ATI’s AA&S segment and manufactures Precision Rolled Strip stainless products mainly for the electronics and automotive markets located in Asia. Cash and cash equivalents held by STAL as of March 31, 2022 were $45.6 million.

Next Gen Alloys LLC:

The Company has a 51% interest in Next Gen Alloys LLC, a joint venture with GE Aviation for the development of a new meltless titanium alloy powder manufacturing technology. The titanium alloy powders are being developed for use in additive manufacturing applications, including 3D printing. Next Gen Alloys LLC funds its development activities through the sale of shares to the two joint venture partners, and in the first quarter of 2022 the Company received $0.9 million from sales of noncontrolling interests to its joint venture partner, which is reported as a financing activity on the consolidated statements of cash flows. Cash and cash equivalents held by this joint venture as of March 31, 2022 were $2.3 million.

Equity Method Joint Ventures

A&T Stainless:

The Company has a 50% interest in A&T Stainless, a joint venture with an affiliate company of Tsingshan Group (Tsingshan) to produce 60-inch wide stainless sheet products for sale in North America. Tsingshan purchased its 50% joint venture interest in A&T Stainless in 2018 for $17.5 million, of which $12.0 million has been received by ATI. The A&T Stainless operations included the Company’s previously-idled direct roll and pickle (DRAP) facility in Midland, PA. ATI provided hot-rolling conversion services to A&T Stainless using the AA&S segment’s HRPF. ATI accounts for the A&T Stainless joint venture under the equity method of accounting.

In March 2018, ATI filed for an exclusion from the Section 232 tariffs on behalf of A&T Stainless, which imports semi-finished stainless slab products from Indonesia. In April 2019, the Company learned that this exclusion request was denied by the U.S. Department of Commerce. ATI filed new requests on behalf of A&T Stainless for exclusion from the Section 232 tariffs in October 2019. These requests were denied by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the second quarter of 2020, and the 25% tariff remains in place. In April 2022, ATI and A&T Stainless entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. pursuant to which the U.S., without admitting liability, agreed to refund a substantial portion of the Section 232 tariffs previously paid by A&T Stainless. As a result of the settlement agreement, A&T Stainless will receive tariff refunds of approximately $17.8 million plus accrued interest, which will be recognized as income by the joint venture in the second quarter of 2022.

Due to repeated tariff exclusion denials, the DRAP facility was idled in an orderly shut down process that was completed in the third quarter of 2020. ATI’s share of A&T Stainless results was losses of $0.3 million and $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which is included within other income/expense, net, on the consolidated statements of operations and in the AA&S segment’s operating results.

As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, ATI had net receivables for working capital advances and administrative services from A&T Stainless of $2.5 million and $2.9 million, respectively. For the March 31, 2022 balance of net receivables, $0.7 million was reported in prepaid expenses and other current assets and $1.8 million in other long-term assets on the consolidated balance sheet, while for December 31, 2021, $0.7 million was reported in prepaid expenses and other current assets and $2.2 million in other long-term assets. In addition, ATI evaluated the collectability of its remaining $5.5 million receivable from Tsingshan, which is reported in other long-term assets on the consolidated balance sheet, and concluded that no impairment or loss in expected value exists at this time.

Uniti:

ATI has a 50% interest in the industrial titanium joint venture known as Uniti, with the remaining 50% interest held by VSMPO, a Russian producer of titanium, aluminum, and specialty steel products. Uniti is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. ATI’s share of Uniti’s income was $0.7 million and $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, which is included in the AA&S segment’s operating results, and within other income/expense, net on the consolidated statements of operations.

On March 9, 2022, the Company announced the termination of Uniti, LLC. The joint venture is expected to wind up no later than year-end 2022. No impairments were recorded as a result of the decision to terminate the Uniti joint venture.