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Business Description and Basis of Presentation | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION [Abstract] |
Business Description and Basis of Presentation Disclosure | BUSINESS DESCRIPTION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (“Mettler-Toledo” or the “Company”) is a leading global supplier of precision instruments and services. The Company manufactures weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial, packaging, logistics, and food retailing applications. The Company also manufactures several related analytical instruments and provides automated chemistry solutions used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development. In addition, the Company manufactures metal detection and other end-of-line inspection systems used in production and packaging and provides solutions for use in certain process analytics applications. The Company’s primary manufacturing facilities are located in China, Switzerland, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The Company’s principal executive offices are located in Columbus, Ohio and Greifensee, Switzerland. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and include all entities in which the Company has control, which are its wholly-owned subsidiaries. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, as well as disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results may differ from those estimates. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts to conform to the current year presentation.

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