Sale of Accounts Receivable

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Transfers and Servicing [Abstract]

Sale of Accounts Receivable

Sale of Accounts ReceivableThe Company has an accounts receivable securitization program (the “First Program”) with certain commercial paper conduit purchasers and committed purchasers (collectively, the “First Purchasers”).  Under the First Program, certain U.S.-originated trade accounts receivable are sold to a wholly-owned bankruptcy-remote entity, ADM Receivables, LLC (“ADM Receivables”). Prior to October 1, 2020, ADM Receivables transferred such purchased accounts receivable in their entirety to the First Purchasers pursuant to a receivables purchase agreement.  In exchange for the transfer of the accounts receivable, ADM Receivables received a cash payment up to a certain amount and an additional amount upon the collection of the accounts receivable (deferred consideration). On October 1, 2020, the Company restructured the First Program from a deferred purchase price to a pledge structure. Under the new structure, ADM Receivables transfers certain of the purchased accounts receivable to each of the First Purchasers together with a security interest in all of its right, title, and interest in the remaining purchased accounts receivable. In exchange, ADM Receivables receives a cash payment of up to $1.4 billion, an increase from $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2020, for the accounts receivable transferred. The First Program terminates on May 18, 2021, unless extended.

The Company also has an accounts receivable securitization program (the “Second Program”) with certain commercial paper conduit purchasers and committed purchasers (collectively, the “Second Purchasers”). Under the Second Program, certain non-U.S.-originated trade accounts receivable are sold to a wholly-owned bankruptcy-remote entity, ADM Ireland Receivables Company (ADM Ireland Receivables). Prior to April 1, 2020, ADM Ireland Receivables transferred such purchased accounts receivable in their entirety to the Second Purchasers pursuant to a receivables purchase agreement. In exchange for the transfer of the accounts receivable, ADM Ireland Receivables received a cash payment up to a certain amount and an additional amount upon the collection of the accounts receivable (deferred consideration). On April 1, 2020, the Company restructured the Second Program from a deferred purchase price to a pledge structure. Under the new structure, ADM Ireland Receivables transfers certain of the purchased accounts receivable to each of the Second Purchasers together with a security interest in all of its right, title, and interest in the remaining purchased accounts receivable. In exchange, ADM Ireland Receivables receives a cash payment of up to $0.6 billion (€0.5 billion) for the accounts receivables transferred. The Second Program terminates on February 14, 2022, unless extended.

Under the First and Second Programs (collectively, the “Programs”), ADM Receivables and ADM Ireland Receivables use the cash proceeds from the transfer of receivables to the First Purchasers and Second Purchasers (collectively, the “Purchasers”) and other consideration, as applicable, to finance the purchase of receivables from the Company and the ADM subsidiaries originating the receivables. The Company accounts for these transfers as sales. The Company has no retained interests in the transferred receivables, other than collection and administrative responsibilities. At March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company did not record a servicing asset or liability related to its retained responsibility, based on its assessment of the servicing fee, market values for similar transactions, and its insignificant cost of servicing the receivables sold.

As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the fair value of trade receivables transferred to the Purchasers under the Programs and derecognized from the Company’s consolidated balance sheets was $1.7 billion and $1.6 billion, respectively. Total receivables sold were $12.1 billion and $8.7 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Cash collections from customers on receivables sold were $10.5 billion and $8.5 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Of this amount, $3.3 billion were cash collections on the deferred receivables consideration reflected as cash inflows from investing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2020. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, receivables pledged as collateral to the Purchasers were $0.6 billion and $0.4 billion, respectively.

Under the Programs’ previous structure, the Company’s risk of loss following the transfer of accounts receivable was limited to the deferred receivables consideration outstanding. The Company carried the deferred receivables consideration at fair value determined by calculating the expected amount of cash to be received and was principally based on observable inputs (a Level 2 measurement under the applicable accounting standards) consisting mainly of the face amount of the receivables adjusted for anticipated credit losses and discounted at the appropriate market rate. Payment of deferred receivables consideration was not subject to significant risks other than delinquencies and credit losses on accounts receivable transferred under the Programs which had historically been insignificant.

Transfers of receivables under the Programs resulted in an expense for the loss on sale of $4 million and $2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, which is classified as selling, general, and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings.

In accordance with the amended guidance of Topic 230, the Company reflected cash flows related to the deferred receivables consideration as investing activities in its consolidated statements of cash flows. All other cash flows are classified as operating activities because the cash received from the Purchasers upon both the sale and collection of the receivables is not subject to significant interest rate risk given the short-term nature of the Company’s trade receivables.