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Commitments and Contingencies | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and Contingencies | Note 13. Commitments and Contingencies Legal Proceedings: We routinely are involved in legal proceedings, claims and governmental inspections or investigations (“Legal Matters”) arising in the ordinary course of our business. In February 2013 and March 2014, Cadbury India Limited (now known as Mondelez India Foods Private Limited), a subsidiary of Mondelēz International, and other parties received show cause notices from the Indian Central Excise Authority (the “Excise Authority”) calling upon the parties to demonstrate why the Excise Authority should not collect a total of 3.7 billion Indian rupees ($53 million as of September 30, 2019) of unpaid excise tax and an equivalent amount of penalties, as well as interest, related to production at the same Indian facility. We contested these demands for unpaid excise taxes, penalties and interest. On March 27, 2015, after several hearings, the Commissioner of the Excise Authority (the "Commissioner") issued an order denying the excise exemption that we claimed for the Indian facility for these periods and confirming the Excise Authority’s demands for total taxes and penalties in the amount of 5.8 billion Indian rupees ($82 million as of September 30, 2019) plus accrued interest. We have appealed this order. In addition, the Excise Authority issued additional show cause notices in February 2015, December 2015 and October 2017 on the same issue but covering the periods January-October 2014, November 2014-September 2015 and October 2015-June 2017, respectively. These three notices added a total of 4.9 billion Indian rupees ($69 million as of September 30, 2019) of allegedly unpaid excise taxes subject to penalties up to an equivalent amount plus accrued interest. On May 25, 2019, the Commissioner issued an order denying the excise exemption that we claimed for the Indian facility for these three periods and confirming the Excise Authority’s demands for total taxes and penalties in the amount of 9.3 billion Indian rupees ($132 million as of September 30, 2019) plus accrued interest. We have appealed this order. Interest will continue to accrue until the matters are resolved. With the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax in India in July 2017, we will not receive any further show cause notices for additional amounts on this issue. We believe that the decision to claim the excise tax benefit is valid and we are continuing to contest the show cause notices through the administrative and judicial process. As part of a continuing appeals process, we may be required to deposit an amount up to the equivalent of the total demand for unpaid excise taxes under the five show cause notices, which will be repaid if the proceedings conclude in our favor. We do not expect to be required to make any such deposit before 2020. On April 1, 2015, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC") filed a complaint against Kraft Foods Group and Mondelēz Global LLC (“Mondelēz Global”) in the U.S. District Court (the "Court") for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division (the “CFTC action”) following its investigation of activities related to the trading of December 2011 wheat futures contracts that occurred prior to the spin-off of Kraft Foods Group. The complaint alleges that Kraft Foods Group and Mondelēz Global (1) manipulated or attempted to manipulate the wheat markets during the fall of 2011; (2) violated position limit levels for wheat futures and (3) engaged in non-competitive trades by trading both sides of exchange-for-physical Chicago Board of Trade wheat contracts. The CFTC seeks civil monetary penalties of either triple the monetary gain for each violation of the Commodity Exchange Act (the “Act”) or $1 million for each violation of Section 6(c)(1), 6(c)(3) or 9(a)(2) of the Act and $140,000 for each additional violation of the Act, plus post-judgment interest; an order of permanent injunction prohibiting Kraft Foods Group and Mondelēz Global from violating specified provisions of the Act; disgorgement of profits; and costs and fees. On August 15, 2019, the Court approved a settlement agreement between the CFTC and Mondelēz Global. The terms of the settlement, which are available in the Court’s docket, had an immaterial impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. On October 23, 2019, following a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit concerning post-settlement activities, the Court vacated the settlement agreement and reinstated all pending motions that the Court had previously mooted as a result of the settlement. The Court scheduled oral argument on these pending motions for November 20, 2019, unless the parties renegotiate the settlement agreement prior to this scheduled oral argument. Additionally, several class action complaints were filed against Kraft Foods Group and Mondelēz Global in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois by investors in wheat futures and options on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated. The complaints make similar allegations as those made in the CFTC action, and the plaintiffs are seeking class action certification; monetary damages, interest and unjust enrichment; costs and fees; and injunctive, declaratory and other unspecified relief. In June 2015, these suits were consolidated in the Northern District of Illinois. We are contesting the plaintiffs' request for class certification. It is not possible to predict the outcome of these matters; however, based on our Separation and Distribution Agreement with Kraft Foods Group dated as of September 27, 2012, we expect to bear any monetary penalties or other payments in connection with the CFTC action. Although the CFTC action and the class action complaints involve the same alleged conduct, a resolution or decision with respect to one of the matters may not be dispositive as to the outcome of the other matter. On August 21, 2018, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (“VDEQ”) issued a Notice of Violation (“NOV”) to Mondelēz Global. In the NOV, the VDEQ alleges that in our Richmond bakery, one operating line did not have the proper minimum temperature on its pollution control equipment and that the bakery failed to provide certain observation and training records. The VDEQ indicated that the alleged violations may lead to a fine and/or injunctive relief. We are working with the VDEQ to reach a resolution of this matter, and we do not expect this matter to have a material effect on our financial results. We are a party to various legal proceedings incidental to our business, including those noted above in this section. We record provisions in the consolidated financial statements for pending litigation when we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. For matters that are reasonably possible to result in an unfavorable outcome, management is unable to estimate the possible loss or range of loss or such amounts have been determined to be immaterial. At present we believe that the ultimate outcome of these proceedings, individually and in the aggregate, will not materially harm our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, legal proceedings and government investigations are subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable rulings or other events could occur. Unfavorable resolutions could involve substantial monetary damages. In addition, in matters for which conduct remedies are sought, unfavorable resolutions could include an injunction or other order prohibiting us from selling one or more products at all or in particular ways, precluding particular business practices or requiring other remedies. An unfavorable outcome might result in a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations or financial position. Third-Party Guarantees: We enter into third-party guarantees primarily to cover long-term obligations of our vendors. As part of these transactions, we guarantee that third parties will make contractual payments or achieve performance measures. At September 30, 2019, we had no material third-party guarantees recorded on our condensed consolidated balance sheet. Tax Matters: We are a party to various tax matter proceedings incidental to our business. These proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties, and unfavorable outcomes could subject us to additional tax liabilities and could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations or financial position. A tax indemnification matter related to our 2007 acquisition of the LU biscuit business was closed during the quarter ended June 30, 2018. The closure had no impact on net earnings, however, it did result in a $15 million tax benefit that was fully offset by an $11 million expense in selling, general and administrative expenses and a $4 million expense in interest and other expense, net.

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