RETIREMENT BENEFITS

Defined Benefit Plans - Expense

The pre-tax net periodic benefit cost/(income) for our defined benefit pension and OPEB plans for the periods ended March 31 were as follows (in millions):



	First Quarter
	Pension Benefits
	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans						Worldwide OPEB
	2018			2019			2018			2019			2018			2019
Service cost	$	136		$	114		$	152		$	129		$	14		$	11
Interest cost	367			409			176			176			49			53
Expected return on assets	(722		)	(649		)	(334		)	(286		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service costs/(credits)	36			22			6			8			(27		)	(18		)
Net remeasurement (gain)/loss	(26		)	—			—			—			—			—
Separation programs/other	11			1			2			12			—			—
Settlements and curtailments	(15		)	—			—			—			—			—
Net periodic benefit cost/(income)	$	(213	)	$	(103	)	$	2		$	39		$	36		$	46

The service cost component is included in Cost of sales and Selling, administrative, and other expenses. Other components of net periodic benefit cost/(income) are included in Other income/(loss), net on our consolidated income statement.

Pension Plan Contributions

During 2019, we expect to contribute about $650 million (most of which are mandatory contributions) from cash and cash equivalents to our worldwide funded pension plans and to make about $350 million of benefit payments to participants in unfunded plans, for a total of about $1 billion. In the first quarter of 2019, we contributed about $300 million (including $140 million in discretionary contributions in the United States) to our worldwide funded pension plans and made about $100 million of benefit payments to participants in unfunded plans.