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RESTRUCTURING, GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET (Notes)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]  
RESTRUCTURING, GOODWILL IMPAIRMENT AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET RESTRUCTURING AND ASSET RELATED CHARGES - NET
The "Restructuring and asset related charges - net" line in the consolidated statements of income is used to record charges for restructuring programs and other asset related charges, which includes other asset impairments.

Restructuring Programs
2023 Restructuring Program
On January 25, 2023, the Board approved restructuring actions to achieve the Company's structural cost improvement initiatives in response to the continued economic impact from the global recessionary environment and to enhance its agility and long-term competitiveness across the economic cycle. As a result of these actions the Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $541 million in the first quarter of 2023, additional pretax restructuring charges of $8 million in the second quarter of 2023, and a $14 million net credit adjustment in the fourth quarter of 2023. These actions are expected to be substantially complete by the end of 2024.

The following table summarizes the activities related to the 2023 Restructuring Program, including segment information:

2023 Restructuring ProgramSeverance and Related Benefit CostsAsset Write-downs and Write-offsTotal
In millions
Packaging & Specialty Plastics$— $$
Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure— 50 50 
Performance Materials & Coatings— 49 49 
Corporate344 91 435 
Total restructuring charges$344 $191 $535 
Charges against the reserve— (191)(191)
Cash payments(222)— (222)
Reserve balance at Dec 31, 2023$122 $— $122 

At December 31, 2023, $101 million of the reserve balance was included in "Accrued and other current liabilities" and $21 million was included in "Other noncurrent obligations" in the consolidated balance sheets.

The Company recorded pretax restructuring charges of $535 million inception-to-date under the 2023 Restructuring Program, consisting of severance and related benefit costs of $344 million and asset write-downs and write-offs of $191 million.
Severance and Related Benefit Costs
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 2023 Restructuring Program included a charge for severance and related benefit costs of $344 million for a global workforce reduction of approximately 2,000 employees. The majority of separations occurred by the end of the second quarter of 2023 with the remaining occurring primarily through the end of 2024.

Asset Write-downs and Write-offs
The 2023 Restructuring Program included charges related to the write-down and write-off of assets totaling $191 million. Details regarding the asset write-downs and write-offs are as follows:

Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure charges relate to the shutdown of certain polyurethanes assets and the write-off of other assets. The majority of the impacted facilities are expected to be shutdown by the end of 2024.
Performance Materials & Coatings recorded charges to rationalize its asset footprint by shutting down certain coatings assets. These facilities are expected to be shutdown by the end of 2024.
Corporate recorded charges related to the write-down of Company owned and leased, non-manufacturing facilities, primarily related to office space rationalization.

Restructuring implementation costs, primarily decommissioning and demolition activities related to asset actions and costs associated with the Company's productivity and efficiency actions, are expected to result in additional cash expenditures of approximately $285 million, primarily through the end of 2024.

Asset Related Charges
In 2023, the Company recorded pretax asset related credits of $7 million in Corporate related to a prior restructuring program.

In 2022, the Company recorded pretax asset related charges of $118 million due to the Russia and Ukraine conflict and the expectation that certain assets would not be recoverable. These charges included the write-down of inventory, the recording of bad debt reserves and the impairment of other assets. Asset related charges by segment in 2022 were as follows: $8 million in Packaging & Specialty Plastics, $73 million in Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure, $6 million in Performance Materials & Coatings and $31 million in Corporate.