Commitments and Contingencies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 28, 2015

Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Note 2 – Commitments and Contingencies

The Company is involved in certain litigation as a result of claims that arose in the ordinary course of business, which management believes will not have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.  The Company may also realize the benefit of certain legal claims and litigation in the future; these gain contingencies are not recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

United States Department of Commerce Antidumping Review

On December 23, 2009, the Department of Commerce (DOC) initiated an antidumping administrative review of the antidumping duty order covering circular welded non-alloy steel pipe and tube from Mexico for the November 1, 2008  through October 31, 2009 period of review.  The DOC selected Mueller Comercial de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. (Mueller Comercial) as a respondent in the review.  On June 21, 2011, the DOC published the final results of the review and assigned Mueller Comercial an antidumping duty rate of 19.8 percent.  On August 22, 2011, the Company appealed the final results to the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT).  On December 21, 2012, the CIT issued a decision upholding the DOC’s final results in part.  The CIT issued its final judgment on May 2, 2013. On May 6, 2013, the Company appealed the CIT decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit).  On May 29, 2014, the Federal Circuit issued its decision vacating the CIT’s decision and remanding the case back to the DOC to reconsider the Company’s rate.  The Company and the United States have reached an agreement to settle the appeal.  In accordance with that agreement, on February 18, 2015, the DOC published the amended final results of the review and assigned Mueller Comercial an amended antidumping rate of 13.70 percent.  The Company anticipates that certain of its subsidiaries will incur antidumping duties on subject imports made during the period of review and, as such, has previously established a reserve of approximately $1.1 million for this matter.

Subsequent to October 31, 2009, Mueller Comercial did not ship subject merchandise to the United States.  Therefore, there is zero antidumping duty liability for periods of review after October 31, 2009.

Guarantees

Guarantees, in the form of letters of credit, are issued by the Company generally to assure the payment of insurance deductibles and certain retiree health benefits.  The terms of the Company’s guarantees are generally one year but are renewable annually as required.  These letters are primarily backed by the Company’s revolving credit facility.  The maximum payments that the Company could be required to make under its guarantees at March 28, 2015 were $10.2 million.