Restructuring And Other Initiatives

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

We have executed various restructuring and other initiatives and we may execute additional initiatives in the future, if necessary, to streamline manufacturing capacity and reduce other costs to improve the utilization of remaining facilities. To the extent these programs involve voluntary separations, a liability is generally recorded at the time offers to employees are accepted. To the extent these programs provide separation benefits in accordance with pre-existing agreements, a liability is recorded once the amount is probable and reasonably estimable. If employees are involuntarily terminated, a liability is generally recorded at the communication date. Related charges are recorded in Automotive and other cost of sales and Automotive and other selling, general and administrative expense.

The following table summarizes the reserves and charges related to restructuring and other initiatives, including postemployment benefit reserves and charges:


	Years Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
Balance at beginning of period	$	564	$	1,122	$	227
Additions, interest accretion and other	565		629		1,637
Payments	(678)		(1,101)		(600)
Revisions to estimates and effect of foreign currency	(99)		(86)		(142)
Balance at end of period	$	352	$	564	$	1,122

In the year ended December 31, 2020, restructuring and other initiatives primarily included actions in GMI related to the wind-down of Holden sales, design and engineering operations in Australia and New Zealand, the sale of our vehicle and powertrain manufacturing facilities in Thailand and the execution of a binding term sheet to sell our manufacturing facility in India. We recorded charges of $683 million in the year ended December 31, 2020, primarily consisting of $360 million in dealer restructurings, employee separations and supplier claim charges, which are reflected in the table above, and $323 million in property and intangible asset impairments, inventory provisions, sales allowances and other charges, not reflected in the table above. We also recorded a $236 million charge to Income tax expense due to the establishment of a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets in Australia and New Zealand in the year ended December 31, 2020. We incurred $197 million in net cash outflows resulting from these restructuring actions primarily for dealer restructuring payments and employee separation payments, which includes proceeds of $143 million from the sale of our manufacturing facilities in Thailand, in the year ended December 31, 2020. Holden and Thailand programs were substantially complete at December 31, 2020.

In the year ended December 31, 2019, restructuring and other initiatives primarily included actions related to our announced transformation activities, which include unallocation of products to certain manufacturing facilities and other employee separation programs. We recorded charges of $1.8 billion, primarily in GMNA, in the year ended December 31, 2019 consisting of $1.3 billion primarily in non-cash accelerated depreciation and pension curtailment and other charges, not reflected in the table above, and $535 million primarily in supplier-related charges and employee-related separation charges, which are reflected in the table above. We recorded charges of $1.3 billion, primarily in GMNA, in the year ended December 31, 2018 consisting of $1.0 billion in employee separations and other charges, which are reflected in the table above, and $301 million primarily in non-cash accelerated depreciation, not reflected in the table above. These programs have a total cost since inception of $3.1 billion and were complete at December 31, 2019. We incurred $333 million and $1.1 billion in cash outflows resulting from these restructuring actions, primarily for employee separation payments and supplier-related payments in the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. The cash outflows were substantially complete at December 31, 2020.

In the year ended December 31, 2018, restructuring and other initiatives in GMI primarily included the closure of a facility and other restructuring actions in Korea and employee separation programs. We recorded charges of $1.0 billion related to Korea, net of noncontrolling interests. These charges consisted of $537 million in non-cash asset impairments and other charges, not reflected in the table above, and $495 million in employee separation charges, which are reflected in the table above. We incurred $775 million in cash outflows resulting from these Korea restructuring actions, primarily for employee separations and statutory pension payments in the year ended December 31, 2018. These programs were substantially complete at December 31, 2018.