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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies  
Commitments and Contingencies

Note 9 - Commitments and Contingencies

Legal Proceedings

On June 28, 2018, twelve indirect purchasers of pork products filed a class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota (the “District Court”) against several pork processors, including Seaboard Foods LLC, and Agri Stats, Inc., a company described in the complaint as a data sharing service. The complaint also named Seaboard Corporation as a defendant. Additional class action complaints making similar claims on behalf of putative classes of direct and indirect purchasers were later filed in the District Court, and three additional actions by standalone plaintiffs (including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) were filed in or transferred to the District Court. The consolidated actions are styled In re Pork Antitrust Litigation. The operative complaints allege, among other things, that beginning in January 2009, the defendants conspired and combined to fix, raise, maintain, and stabilize the price of pork products in violation of U.S. antitrust laws by coordinating their output and limiting production, allegedly facilitated by the exchange of non-public information about prices, capacity, sales volume and demand through Agri Stats, Inc. The complaints on behalf of the putative classes of indirect purchasers also assert claims under various state laws, including state antitrust laws, unfair competition laws, consumer protection statutes, and common law unjust enrichment. The relief sought in the respective complaints includes treble damages, injunctive relief, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees. On October 16, 2020, the District Court denied defendants’ motions to dismiss the amended complaints, but the District Court later dismissed all claims against Seaboard Corporation without prejudice. Seaboard intends to defend these cases vigorously. It is impossible at this stage either to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from these suits, or to reasonably estimate the amount of potential loss or range of potential loss, if any, resulting from the suits.

On March 20, 2018, the bankruptcy trustee (the “Trustee”) for Cereoil Uruguay S.A. (“Cereoil”) filed a suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay that was served during the second quarter of 2018 naming as parties Seaboard and Seaboard’s subsidiaries, Seaboard Overseas Limited (“SOL”) and Seaboard Uruguay Holdings Ltd. (“Seaboard Uruguay”). Seaboard has a 45% indirect ownership of Cereoil. The suit seeks an order requiring Seaboard, SOL and Seaboard Uruguay to reimburse Cereoil the amount of $22 million, contending that deliveries of soybeans to SOL pursuant to purchase agreements should be set aside as fraudulent conveyances. Seaboard intends to defend this case vigorously. It is impossible at this stage to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from this suit. In the event of an adverse ruling, Seaboard and its two subsidiaries could be ordered to pay the amount of $22 million. Any award in this case would offset against any award in the additional case described below filed by the Trustee on April 27, 2018.

On April 27, 2018, the Trustee for Cereoil filed another suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay that was served during the second quarter of 2018 naming as parties Seaboard, SOL, Seaboard Uruguay, all directors of Cereoil, including two individuals employed by Seaboard who served as directors at the behest of Seaboard, and the Chief Financial Officer of Cereoil, an employee of Seaboard who also served at the behest of Seaboard (collectively, the “Cereoil Defendants”). The Trustee contends that the Cereoil Defendants acted with willful misconduct to cause Cereoil’s insolvency, and thus should be ordered to pay all liabilities of Cereoil, net of assets. The bankruptcy filing lists total liabilities of $53 million and assets of $30 million. Seaboard intends to defend this case vigorously. It is impossible at this stage to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from this suit. In the event of an adverse ruling, Seaboard and the other Cereoil Defendants could be ordered to pay the amount of the net indebtedness of Cereoil, which based on the bankruptcy schedules would total $23 million. It is possible that the net indebtedness could be higher than this amount if Cereoil’s liabilities are greater than $53 million and/or Cereoil’s assets are worth less than $30 million. In addition, in the event of an adverse ruling, the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance could order payment of the Trustee’s professional fees, interest, and other expenses. Any award in this case would offset against any award in the case described above filed on March 20, 2018.

A creditor of Cereoil which has a claim in the bankruptcy proceeding pending in Uruguay of approximately $10 million, plus accrued interest, has threatened to bring legal action in the U.S. against Seaboard alleging on various legal theories that Seaboard is responsible for this same indebtedness. Seaboard will vigorously defend this action should it be brought.

On May 15, 2018, the Trustee for Nolston S.A. (“Nolston”) filed a suit in the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance in Uruguay that was served during the second quarter of 2018 naming as parties Seaboard and the other Cereoil Defendants. Seaboard has a 45% indirect ownership of Nolston. The Trustee contends that the Cereoil Defendants acted with willful misconduct to cause Nolston’s insolvency, and thus should be ordered to pay all liabilities of Nolston, net of assets. The bankruptcy filing lists total liabilities of $29 million and assets of $15 million. Seaboard intends to defend this case vigorously. It is impossible at this stage to determine the probability of a favorable or unfavorable outcome resulting from this suit. In the event of an adverse ruling, Seaboard and the other Cereoil Defendants could be ordered to pay the amount of the net indebtedness of Nolston, which based on the bankruptcy schedules would total $14 million. It is possible that the net indebtedness could be higher than this amount if Nolston’s liabilities are greater than $29 million and/or Nolston’s assets are worth less than $15 million. In addition, in the event of an adverse ruling, the Bankruptcy Court of First Instance could order payment of the Trustee’s professional fees, interest, and other expenses.

Seaboard is subject to various administrative and judicial proceedings and other legal matters related to the normal conduct of its business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate resolution of these items is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial statements of Seaboard.

Guarantees

Certain of the non-consolidated affiliates and third-party contractors who perform services for Seaboard have bank debt supporting their underlying operations. From time to time, Seaboard will provide guarantees of that debt in order to further Seaboard’s business objectives. Seaboard does not issue guarantees for compensation. As of December 31, 2020, guarantees outstanding were not material. Seaboard has not accrued a liability for any of the guarantees as management considers the likelihood of loss to be remote.

Commitments

As of December 31, 2020, Seaboard had various non-cancelable commitments under contractual agreements:

Years ended December 31,

 

 

(Millions of dollars)

    

2021

    

2022

    

2023

    

2024

    

2025

Thereafter

    

Totals

Hog procurement contracts (a)

$

99

$

95

$

94

$

92

$

96

$

107

$

583

Grain commitments (b)

 

153

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

154

Grain purchase contracts for resale (c)

916

916

Fuel supply contracts (d)

 

28

 

45

 

45

 

46

 

47

 

235

 

446

Construction commitments (e)

120

120

Equipment and other commitments

 

146

 

5

 

3

 

3

 

3

 

25

 

185

Total unrecognized non-cancelable commitments

$

1,462

$

146

$

142

$

141

$

146

$

367

$

2,404

(a)The Pork segment has contracted with third parties for the purchase of hogs to support its operations. The amounts are based on projected market prices as of December 31, 2020. During 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Pork segment paid $108 million, $121 million and $77 million, respectively, for hogs purchased under committed contracts.
(b)The Pork segment enters into grain purchase contracts to support its hog operations. The amounts are based on projected commodity prices as of December 31, 2020.
(c)The CT&M segment enters into grain purchase contracts, primarily to support firm sales commitments. The amounts are based on projected commodity prices as of December 31, 2020.
(d)The Power segment has a natural gas supply contract for a significant portion of the fuel required for the barge under construction. The commitment has both fixed and variable price components and the amount included is partially based on market prices as of December 31, 2020. The Marine segment also has fuel purchase contracts.
(e)The Pork segment’s renewable diesel production facility, expected to be operational in early 2022, has commitments of approximately $100 million. The other amounts are for completion of the barge at the Power segment and other construction projects.