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RESTRUCTURING, GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET (Notes)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]  
RESTRUCTURING, GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET RESTRUCTURING, GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET
The "Restructuring, goodwill impairment and asset related charges - net" line in the consolidated statements of income is used to record charges for restructuring programs, goodwill impairments, and other asset related charges, which includes other asset impairments.

Restructuring Programs
2020 Restructuring Program
On September 29, 2020, the Board of Dow Inc. approved restructuring actions to achieve the Company's structural cost improvement initiatives in response to the continued economic impact from the coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") pandemic. The restructuring program was designed to reduce structural costs and enable the Company to further enhance competitiveness while the COVID-19 economic recovery gained traction. This program included a global workforce cost reduction of approximately 6 percent and actions to rationalize the Company's manufacturing assets, which included asset write-down and write-off charges, related contract termination fees and environmental remediation costs ("2020 Restructuring Program"). Severance benefits are provided to employees primarily under Dow's ongoing benefit arrangements and are accrued against the Corporate segment once management commits to a plan of termination. The actions related to the 2020 Restructuring Program were substantially complete by the end of 2021, except for certain cash payments expected to be made in 2022.

In the third quarter of 2020, the Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $575 million, consisting of severance and related benefit costs of $297 million, asset write-downs and write-offs of $197 million and costs associated with exit and disposal activities of $81 million. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company recorded net favorable pretax restructuring credits of $1 million related to asset write-downs and write-offs and $1 million related to costs associated with exit and disposal activities (related to Performance Materials & Coatings and Corporate). The adjustment to costs associated with exit and disposal activities included curtailment costs associated with a defined benefit pension plan. See Note 20 for additional information. In 2021, the Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $12 million for asset write-downs and write-offs and $10 million for costs associated with exit and disposal activities. In addition, the Company reduced pretax restructuring charges by $10 million for severance and related benefit costs.

The following table summarizes the activities related to the 2020 Restructuring Program:

2020 Restructuring ProgramSeverance and Related Benefit CostsAsset Write-downs and Write-offsCosts Associated with Exit and Disposal ActivitiesTotal
In millions
Packaging & Specialty Plastics$— $11 $— $11 
Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure— 22 — 22 
Performance Materials & Coatings— 116 61 177 
Corporate297 47 19 363 
Total restructuring charges$297 $196 $80 $573 
Charges against the reserve— (196)(5)(201)
Cash payments(8)— — (8)
Reserve balance at Dec 31, 2020$289 $— $75 $364 
Packaging & Specialty Plastics$— $— $$
Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure— — 
Performance Materials & Coatings— 10 
Corporate(10)— (7)
Total restructuring charges$(10)$12 $10 $12 
Charges against the reserve— (12)— (12)
Cash payments(175)— (21)(196)
Reserve balance at Dec 31, 2021$104 $— $64 $168 

At December 31, 2021, $112 million ($227 million at December 31, 2020) of the reserve balance was included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" and $56 million ($137 million at December 31, 2020) was included in "Other noncurrent obligations" in the consolidated balance sheets.
The Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $585 million inception-to-date under the 2020 Restructuring Program, consisting of severance and related benefit costs of $287 million, asset write-downs and write-offs of $208 million and costs associated with exit and disposal activities of $90 million.

Asset Write-downs and Write-offs
The 2020 Restructuring Program included charges related to the write-down and write-off of assets totaling $196 million in 2020. Details regarding the asset write-downs and write-offs are as follows:
Packaging & Specialty Plastics recorded a charge of $11 million to rationalize its production capacity by shutting down a small-scale production unit.
Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure recorded a charge of $22 million to rationalize its asset footprint by shutting down certain amines and solvents facilities in the United States and Europe as well as select, small-scale downstream polyurethanes manufacturing facilities.
Performance Materials & Coatings recorded a charge of $116 million to shut down manufacturing assets, primarily related to small-scale coatings reactors, and will also rationalize its upstream asset footprint in Europe and the U.S. & Canada by adjusting the supply of siloxane and silicon metal to balance to regional needs.
Corporate recorded a charge of $47 million related to the write-down of leased, non-manufacturing facilities and the write-down of miscellaneous assets.

The 2020 Restructuring Program included charges related to the write-down and write-off of assets totaling $12 million in 2021, which included additional write-down and write-off of assets related to the actions listed above, impacting Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure ($1 million) and Performance Materials & Coatings ($8 million), and the write-down of an additional non-manufacturing facility impacting Corporate ($3 million).

Shut down related activities for impacted facilities were substantially complete by the end of 2021.

Costs Associated with Exit and Disposal Activities
The 2020 Restructuring Program included charges of $80 million for costs associated with exit and disposal activities in 2020, which included $19 million for contract termination fees related to the asset actions listed above, impacting Performance Materials & Coatings ($9 million) and Corporate ($10 million), as well as $56 million for environmental remediation, impacting Performance Materials & Coatings ($52 million) and Corporate ($4 million) and $5 million related to curtailment costs associated with a defined benefit pension plan, impacting Corporate.

The 2020 Restructuring Program included charges of $10 million for costs associated with exit and disposal activities in 2021, which included contract termination fees and environmental remediation, impacting Packaging & Specialty Plastics ($8 million) and Performance Materials & Coatings ($2 million).

DowDuPont Cost Synergy Program
In September and November 2017, DowDuPont approved post-Merger restructuring actions under the DowDuPont Cost Synergy Program (the "Synergy Program") which was designed to integrate and optimize the organization following the Merger and in preparation for the business separations. The Company expected (prior to the impact of any discontinued operations) to record total pretax restructuring charges of approximately $1.3 billion, which included initial estimates of approximately $525 million to $575 million of severance and related benefit costs, $400 million to $440 million of asset write-downs and write-offs, and $290 million to $310 million of costs associated with exit and disposal activities. The restructuring charges below reflect charges from continuing operations.

The Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $292 million in 2019, consisting of severance and related benefit costs of $123 million, assets write-downs and write-offs of $143 million and costs associated with exit and disposal activities of $26 million.

In 2020, the Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $86 million and reduced pretax restructuring charges by $6 million in 2021, both for severance and related benefit costs. Cash expenditures related to the Synergy Program were substantially complete at December 31, 2020.

At December 31, 2021, $4 million was included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" ($21 million at December 31, 2020) and $10 million ($13 million at December 31, 2020) was included in "Other noncurrent obligations" in the consolidated balance sheets.
The Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $955 million inception-to-date under the Synergy Program on a continuing operations basis, consisting of severance and related benefit costs of $647 million, asset write-downs and write-offs of $263 million and costs associated with exit and disposal activities of $45 million.

Asset Write-downs and Write-offs
The restructuring charges related to the write-down and write-off of assets in 2019 under the Synergy Program were as follows:
The Company recorded a charge of $143 million for other miscellaneous asset write-downs and write-offs, including the shutdown of several small manufacturing facilities and the write-off of non-manufacturing assets and certain corporate facilities. The charge related to Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure ($2 million), Performance Materials & Coatings ($28 million) and Corporate ($113 million). These manufacturing facilities were substantially shut down by the end of 2020.

There were no restructuring charges related to the write-down and write-off of assets in 2020 and 2021 under the Synergy Program.

Costs Associated with Exit and Disposal Activities
The restructuring charges for costs associated with exit and disposal activities, including contract cancellation penalties and environmental remediation liabilities, totaled $26 million in 2019 and zero in 2020 and 2021.

The Company expects to incur additional costs in the future related to its restructuring activities. Future costs are expected to include demolition costs related to closed facilities and restructuring implementation costs. These costs will be recognized as incurred. The Company also expects to incur additional employee-related costs, including involuntary termination benefits, related to its other optimization activities. These costs cannot be reasonably estimated at this time.

2019 Goodwill Impairment
Upon completion of the goodwill impairment testing in the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company determined the fair value of the Coatings & Performance Monomers reporting unit was lower than its carrying amount. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $1,039 million in the fourth quarter of 2019, related to Performance Materials & Coatings. See Note 13 for additional information.

Asset Related Charges
2020 Charges
In 2020, the Company recognized pretax impairment charges of $49 million, including additional pretax impairment charges for capital additions made to a bio-ethanol manufacturing facility in Santa Vitoria, Minas Gerais, Brazil ("Santa Vitoria"), which was impaired in 2017 and divested in 2020, as well as charges for miscellaneous write-offs and write-downs of non-manufacturing assets and the write-down of certain corporate leased equipment. The impairment charges related to Packaging & Specialty Plastics ($19 million), Performance Materials & Coatings ($15 million) and Corporate ($15 million). See Note 23 for additional information.

2019 Charges
On August 13, 2019, the Company entered into a definitive agreement to sell its acetone derivatives business to ALTIVIA Ketones & Additives, LLC. The transaction closed on November 1, 2019 and included the Company's acetone derivatives related inventory and production assets, located in Institute, West Virginia, in addition to the site infrastructure, land, utilities and certain railcars. The Company remains at the Institute site as a tenant. As a result of the planned transaction, the Company recognized a pretax impairment charge of $75 million in the third quarter of 2019, related to Packaging & Specialty Plastics ($24 million) and Corporate ($51 million). See Note 23 for additional information.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, upon completion of an evaluation of its equity method investment in Sadara Chemical Company ("Sadara") for other-than-temporary impairment, the Company determined that its investment in Sadara was other-than-temporarily impaired and it was written down to zero. Additionally, as part of Dow's evaluation of Sadara, the Company reserved certain of its notes and accounts receivable with Sadara due to uncertainty on the timing of collection. As a result, the Company recorded a $1,755 million charge, related to Packaging & Specialty Plastics ($370 million), Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure ($1,168 million) and Corporate ($217 million). See Notes 12 and 23 for additional information.
In 2019, the Company recognized pretax impairment charges of $58 million related primarily to capital additions at Santa Vitoria, and related to Packaging & Specialty Plastics ($44 million), Performance Materials & Coatings ($9 million) and Corporate ($5 million). See Note 23 for additional information.