NOTE 18 - RELATED PARTIES

One of our four operating U.S. iron ore mines is a co-owned joint venture with companies that are integrated steel producers or their subsidiaries. We are the manager of such co-owned mine and rely on our joint venture partners to make their required capital contributions and to pay for their share of the iron ore pellets that we produce. Our joint venture partners are also our customers. The following is a summary of the mine ownership of the co-owned iron ore mine at December 31, 2017:



Mine	Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.		ArcelorMittal		U.S. Steel
Hibbing	23.0	%	62.3	%	14.7	%

During 2017, our ownership interest in Empire increased to 100% as we reached an agreement to distribute the noncontrolling interest net assets of $132.7 million to ArcelorMittal, in exchange for its interest in Empire. The net assets were agreed to be distributed in three installments of $44.2 million each, the first of which was paid upon the execution of the agreement and the remaining distributions are due in August 2018 and August 2019. The remaining two outstanding installments are reflected in Partnership distribution payable and Other liabilities in the Statements of Consolidated Financial Position as of December 31, 2017. We accounted for the increase in ownership as an equity transaction, which resulted in a $12.1 million decrease in equity attributable to Cliffs' shareholders and a $116.7 million decrease in Noncontrolling interest.

As part of a 2014 extension agreement between us and ArcelorMittal, which amended certain terms of the Empire partnership agreement, distributions of the partners' equity amounts were required to be made on a quarterly basis beginning in the first quarter of 2015. These equity distributions were made through the termination of the partnership agreement on December 31, 2016. We paid $8.7 million in January 2017 related to 2016 distributions. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recorded distributions of $57.5 million to ArcelorMittal under this agreement, of which $48.8 million was paid as of December 31, 2016. During the year ended December 31, 2015, we recorded distributions of $51.7 million under this agreement, of which $40.6 million was paid as of December 31, 2015 and $11.1 million was paid in January 2016.

During 2017, we also acquired the remaining 15% equity interest in Tilden for $105.0 million. With the closing of this transaction, we now have 100% ownership of the mine. We accounted for the increase in ownership as an equity transaction, which resulted in an $89.1 million decrease in equity attributable to Cliffs' shareholders and a $15.9 million decrease in Noncontrolling interest.

Product revenues from related parties were as follows:



	(In Millions)
	Year Ended December 31,
	2017			2016			2015
Product revenues from related parties	$	806.7		$	830.1		$	671.1
Total product revenues	2,089.2			1,913.5			1,832.4
Related party product revenue as a percent of total product revenue	38.6		%	43.4		%	36.6		%

The following table presents the classification of related party assets and liabilities in the Statements of Consolidated Financial Position as of December 31, 2017 and 2016:



	(In Millions)
	Balance Sheet Location	December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
Amounts due from related parties	Accounts receivable, net	$	68.1		$	46.9
Customer supply agreements and provisional pricing agreements	Derivative assets	37.9			26.8
Amounts due to related parties	Partnership distribution payable	(44.2		)	(8.7		)
Amounts due to related parties	Other current liabilities	(12.3		)	—
Amounts due to related parties	Other liabilities	(41.4		)	—
Net amounts due from related parties		$	8.1		$	65.0

Certain supply agreements with one U.S. Iron Ore customer provide for supplemental revenue or refunds to the customer based on the customer's average annual steel pricing or based on the average annual daily market price for hot-rolled coil steel at the time the product is consumed in the customer’s blast furnace. The supplemental pricing is characterized as a freestanding derivative. Refer to NOTE 13 - DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES for further information.