DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Net fair values of derivative financial instruments

The net fair values of derivative financial instruments at December 31, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:



	As of December 31,
	2018		2017

Contracts with positive fair value
Interest rate swap contracts	818		302
Foreign exchange contracts	770		2,002

	1,588		2,304

Contracts with negative fair value
Foreign exchange contracts	(12,981	)	(6,001	)

	(12,981	)	(6,001	)

Derivative financial instruments breakdown is as follows:

(a) Interest rate contracts

Fluctuations in market interest rates create a degree of risk by affecting the amount of the Company’s interest payments and the value of its floating-rate debt. As of December 31, 2018, most of the Company’s long-term borrowings were at variable rates.

During 2012 and 2013, Tenigal entered into several forward starting interest rate swap agreements in order to fix the interest rate to be paid over an aggregate amount of $100 million, at an average rate of 1.92%. These agreements are effective from July 2014, will due on July 2022 and have been accounted for as cash flow hedges. As of December 31, 2018, the after-tax cash flow hedge reserve related to these agreements amounted to $0.5 million.

Changes in fair value of derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges for each of the years presented are included below:



	Cash flow hedges
	Gross amount		Income tax		Total

At December 31, 2016	75		(22	)	53

(Decrease) / Increase	363		3		366
Reclassification to income statement	372		(110	)	262

At December 31, 2017	810		(129	)	681

(Decrease) / Increase	(14	)	(108	)	(122	)
Reclassification to income statement	(117	)	35		(82	)

At December 31, 2018	679		(202	)	477

The gross amount of the pre-tax reserve recorded in other comprehensive income at December 31, 2018 (amounting to a gain of $0.7 million) is expected to be reclassified to the income statements in accordance to the payments of interests in connection with the borrowings hedged by these derivative contracts, during 2019 and up to the end of the life of the borrowing in 2022.

(b) Foreign exchange contracts

From time to time, Ternium’s subsidiaries enter into derivative agreements to manage their exposure to currencies other than the $, in accordance with the Company’s policy for derivative instruments.

During 2018, 2017 and 2016, Prosid Investments entered into several non-deliverable forward agreements in order to manage the exchange rate exposure generated by Ternium Argentina’s debt in ARS. As of December 31, 2018, there were no outstanding agreements.

Furthermore, during 2018, 2017 and 2016, Ternium Colombia S.A.S. has entered into non-deliverable forward agreements to manage the exposure of certain trade receivables denominated in its local currency. As of December 31, 2018, the notional amounts on these agreements amounted to $30.0 million.

As part of the acquisition of the subsidiary in Brazil, the Company maintained several non-deliverable forward agreements which were entered into to manage the exchange rate exposure generated by financial debt in BRL. As of December 31, 2018, the outstanding notional amounts in $ are offset on these agreements.

During 2018 and 2017, Ternium Mexico entered into a forward agreement in order to manage the exchange rate exposure generated by future payables in EUR related to the investment plan. As of December 31, 2018, the notional amount on this agreement amounted to $228.2 million.

During 2018, Ternium Investments S.à.r.l., entered into a several non-deliverable forward and forward agreements in order to manage the exchange rate exposure generated by Ternium Argentina´s debt in ARS, future payables in EUR related to the investment plan of Ternium Colombia and future receivables in EUR related to sales of Ternium International España. As of December 31,2018 the notional amount on these agreements amounted to $28.7 million.

The net fair values of the exchange rate derivative contracts as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 were as follows:



			Fair value at December 31,
Currencies	Contract	Notional amount	2018		2017

EUR/$	ND Forward - Buy EUR	212.9 million EUR	(12,954	)	224
BRL/$	ND Forward - Buy BRL	34.5 million BRL	(493	)	1,514
EUR/$	ND Forward - Sell EUR	1.9 million EUR	(27	)	—
BRL/$	ND Forward - Sell BRL	32.0 million BRL	1,154		247
COP/$	ND Forward - Sell COP	194.9 billion COP	109		17
ARS/$	ND Forward - Buy ARS	6.4 billion ARS	—		(6,534	)
ARS/$	ND Forward - Sell ARS	187.0 million ARS	—		533

			(12,211	)	(3,999	)

ARS: Argentine pesos; COP: Colombian pesos; EUR: E.U. euros; $: U.S. dollars; BRL: Brazilian reais.