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Variable Interest Entities | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2012
Variable Interest Entities [Abstract] |
Variable Interest Entities [Text Block] | Variable Interest Entities Consolidated VIEs Automotive Variable interest entities (VIEs) that we do not control through a majority voting interest that are consolidated because we are the primary beneficiary include certain vehicle assembling, manufacturing and selling venture arrangements, the most significant of which is GM Egypt. At March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011: (1) Total assets recognized for these consolidated VIEs were $493 million and $463 million, which were comprised of Cash and cash equivalents, Accounts and notes receivables, net, Inventories and Property, net; and (2) Total liabilities were $309 million and $298 million, which were comprised of Accounts payable (principally trade) and Accrued and other liabilities. Liabilities recognized as a result of consolidating VIEs generally do not represent claims against us or our other subsidiaries and assets recognized generally are for the benefit of the VIEs' operations and cannot be used to satisfy our obligations. In the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011 Total net sales and revenue recorded for these consolidated VIEs were $236 million and $110 million and Net income (loss) was $(5) million and $3 million. GM Korea, a non-wholly owned consolidated subsidiary that we control through a majority voting interest, is also a VIE because in the future it may require additional subordinated financial support. The creditors of GM Korea's short-term debt of $116 million and $171 million, current derivative liabilities of $26 million and $44 million and long-term debt of $6 million and $7 million at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 do not have recourse to our general credit. In February 2011 we provided a guarantee to a minority shareholder in GM Korea to repurchase GM Korea's preferred shares according to the redemption schedule should GM Korea not repurchase the shares. This guarantee decreased the amount of long-term debt which did not have recourse to our general credit in the three months ended March 31, 2011. Automotive Financing - GM Financial GM Financial finances its loan and lease origination volume through the use of credit facilities and securitization trusts that issue asset-backed securities to investors. GM Financial retains a residual interest in these entities and is not required to provide any additional financial support to its sponsored credit facilities and securitization SPEs. The SPEs are considered VIEs because they do not have sufficient equity at risk and are consolidated because GM Financial has the power over those activities that most significantly affect the economic performance of the SPEs. The finance receivables, leased assets and other assets held by these subsidiaries are not available to our creditors or creditors of our other subsidiaries. Refer to Notes 5, 6 and 13 for additional information on GM Financial's involvement with the SPEs. Nonconsolidated VIEs Automotive VIEs that are not consolidated include certain vehicle assembling, manufacturing and selling venture arrangements and other automotive related entities to which we provided financial support including Ally Financial and HKJV. We concluded these entities are VIEs because they do not have sufficient equity at risk or may require additional subordinated financial support. We currently lack the power through voting or similar rights to direct those activities of these entities that most significantly affect their economic performance. Our variable interests in these nonconsolidated VIEs include accounts and notes receivable, equity in net assets, guarantees and financial support, some of which were provided to certain current or previously divested suppliers in order to ensure that supply needs for production were not disrupted due to a supplier's liquidity concerns or possible shutdowns. The following table summarizes the amounts recorded for nonconsolidated VIEs and the related off-balance sheet guarantees and maximum exposure to loss, excluding Ally Financial that is disclosed in Note 22 (dollars in millions):
| March 31, 2012 |  | December 31, 2011
| Carrying Amount |  | Maximum Exposure to Loss |  | Carrying Amount |  | Maximum Exposure to Loss
Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts and notes receivable, net | $ | 8 |  |  | $ | 8 |  |  | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | 1 |
Equity in net assets of nonconsolidated affiliates | 193 |  |  | 189 |  |  | 190 |  |  | 186 |
Other assets | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |
Total assets | $ | 202 |  |  | $ | 198 |  |  | $ | 192 |  |  | $ | 188 |
Liabilities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other liabilities | $ | 197 |  |  |  |  | $ | 198 |  |  |
Off-Balance Sheet |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan commitments |  |  | $ | 15 |  |  |  |  | $ | 15 |
Other liquidity arrangements(a) |  |  | 227 |  |  |  |  | 220 |
Total off-balance sheet arrangements |  |  | $ | 242 |  |  |  |  | $ | 235 |
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(a) | Amounts at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 represented additional contingent future capital funding requirements related to HKJV.
Refer to Note 22 for additional information on Ally Financial, including our maximum exposure to loss under agreements with Ally Financial and our recorded investment in Ally Financial. Refer to Note 8 for additional information on our investment in HKJV.

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- Definition Disclosure of the significant judgments and assumptions made in determining whether a variable interest (as defined) held by the entity requires the variable interest entity (VIE) (as defined) to be consolidated and (or) disclose information about its involvement with the VIE, individually or in aggregate (as applicable); the nature of restrictions, if any, on the consolidated VIE's assets and on the settlement of its liabilities reported by an entity in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets and liabilities; the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with involvement in the VIE; how involvement with the VIE affects the entity's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows; the lack of recourse if creditors (or beneficial interest holders) of the consolidated VIE have no recourse to the general credit of the primary beneficiary (if applicable); the terms of arrangements, giving consideration to both explicit arrangements and implicit variable interests, if any, that could require the entity to provide financial support to the VIE, including events or circumstances that could expose the entity to a loss; the methodology used by the entity for determining whether or not it is the primary beneficiary of the variable interest entity; the significant factors considered and judgments made in determining that the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance are shared (as defined); the carrying amounts and classification of assets and liabilities of the VIE included in the statement of financial position; the entity's maximum exposure to loss, if any, as a result of its involvement with the VIE, including how the maximum exposure is determined and significant sources of the entity's exposure to the VIE; a comparison of the carrying amounts of the assets and liabilities and the entity's maximum exposure to loss; information about any liquidity arrangements, guarantees, and (or) other commitments by third parties that may affect the fair value or risk of the entity's variable interest in the VIE; whether or not the entity has provided financial support or other support (explicitly or implicitly) to the VIE that it was not previously contractually required to provide or whether the entity intends to provide that support, including the type and amount of the support and the primary reasons for providing the support; and supplemental information the entity determines necessary to provide. + References No definition available. + Details
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