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BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] |
BUSINESS SUMMARY AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | NOTE 1 - BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with SEC rules and regulations and, in the opinion of management, include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly, the financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income and cash flows for the periods presented. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Management bases its estimates on various assumptions and historical experience, which are believed to be reasonable; however, due to the inherent nature of estimates, actual results may differ significantly due to changed conditions or assumptions. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015 or any other future period. These unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. As more fully described in NOTE 14 - DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS, in January 2015, we announced that the Bloom Lake Group commenced restructuring proceedings in Montreal, Quebec under the CCAA. At that time, we had recently suspended Bloom Lake operations and for several months had been exploring options to sell certain of our Canadian assets, among other initiatives. Effective January 27, 2015, following the CCAA filing of the Bloom Lake Group, we deconsolidated the Bloom Lake Group and certain other wholly-owned subsidiaries comprising substantially all of our Canadian operations. Additionally, on May 20, 2015, the Wabush Group commenced restructuring proceedings in Montreal, Quebec under the CCAA which resulted in the deconsolidation of the remaining Wabush Group entities that were not previously deconsolidated. The Wabush Group was no longer generating revenues and was not able to meet its obligations as they came due. As a result of this action, the CCAA protections granted to the Bloom Lake Group were extended to include the Wabush Group to facilitate the reorganization of each of their businesses and operations. Financial results prior to the respective deconsolidations of the Bloom Lake and Wabush Groups and subsequent expenses directly associated with the Canadian Entities are included in our financial statements and classified within discontinued operations. Additionally, as we continue to re-focus our strategy on strengthening our U.S. Iron Ore operations, management determined that our North American Coal operating segment as of the period ended March 31, 2015 met the criteria to be classified as held for sale under ASC 205 - Presentation of Financial Statements. As such, all current and historical North American Coal operating segment results are included in our financial statements and classified within discontinued operations. We now report our results from continuing operations in two reportable segments: U.S. Iron Ore and Asia Pacific Iron Ore. Basis of Consolidation The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, including the following operations as of September 30, 2015:
Name |  | Location |  | Ownership Interest |  | Operation |  | Status of Operations
Northshore |  | Minnesota |  | 100.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
United Taconite |  | Minnesota |  | 100.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
Tilden |  | Michigan |  | 85.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
Empire |  | Michigan |  | 79.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
Koolyanobbing |  | Western Australia |  | 100.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
Pinnacle |  | West Virginia |  | 100.0% |  | Coal |  | Active - Held for Sale
Oak Grove |  | Alabama |  | 100.0% |  | Coal |  | Active - Held for Sale
Wabush 1 |  | Newfoundland and Labrador/ Quebec, Canada |  | 100.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Permanent closure
Bloom Lake 1 |  | Quebec, Canada |  | 82.8% |  | Iron Ore |  | Care-and-maintenance
1 As of January 27, 2015 and May 20, 2015, we deconsolidated substantially all of our Canadian operations following the CCAA filing. See NOTE 14 - DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS for further information.
Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated upon consolidation. Equity Method Investments Investments in unconsolidated ventures that we have the ability to exercise significant influence over, but not control, are accounted for under the equity method. The following table presents the detail of our investments in unconsolidated ventures and where those investments are classified in the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014.
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (In Millions)
Investment |  | Classification |  | Accounting Method |  | Interest Percentage |  | September 30, 2015 |  | December 31, 2014
Hibbing |  | Other non-current assets |  | Equity Method |  | 23% |  | $ | 2.1 |  |  | $ | 3.1 |
Other |  | Other non-current assets |  | Equity Method |  | Various |  | 1.1 |  |  | 1.0 |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ | 3.2 |  |  | $ | 4.1 |
Foreign Currency Our financial statements are prepared with the U.S. dollar as the reporting currency. The functional currency of our Australian subsidiaries is the Australian dollar. The functional currency of all other international subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar. The financial statements of international subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at each balance sheet date for assets and liabilities and a weighted average exchange rate for each period for revenues, expenses, gains and losses. Where the local currency is the functional currency, translation adjustments are recorded as Accumulated other comprehensive loss. Income taxes generally are not provided for foreign currency translation adjustments. To the extent that monetary assets and liabilities, inclusive of intercompany notes, are recorded in a currency other than the functional currency, these amounts are remeasured each reporting period, with the resulting gain or loss being recorded in the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations. Transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement of short-term intercompany loans are included in Miscellaneous - net in our Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, net gains of $2.4 million and $15.2 million, respectively, related to the impact of transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement. Of these amounts, for the three months ended September 30, 2015, gains of $0.1 million and $1.3 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, gains of $11.1 million and $2.0 million, respectively, resulted from remeasurement of short-term intercompany loans and cash and cash equivalents. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, net gains of $25.8 million and $8.4 million, respectively, related to the impact of transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement. Of these transaction gains and losses, for the three months ended September 30, 2014, gains of $17.7 million and $9.6 million, respectively, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, gains of $4.7 million and $4.5 million, respectively, resulted from remeasurement of short-term intercompany loans and cash and cash equivalents. Significant Accounting Policies A detailed description of our significant accounting policies can be found in the audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. The significant accounting policies requiring updates have been included within the disclosures below. Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities According to our global hedge policy, the policy allows for hedging not more than 75 percent, but not less than 40 percent for up to 12 months and not less than 10 percent for up to 15 months, of forecasted net currency exposures that are probable to occur. Full hedge compliance under the policy has been waived through December 31, 2015. The waiver was a result of the evaluation of the potential risk of being over hedged and the uncertainty of the 2015 currency exposures. During 2015, we have not entered into any new foreign currency exchange contracts to hedge our foreign currency exposure and we do not expect to enter into any during the remainder of 2015. In the future, we may enter into additional hedging instruments as needed in order to further hedge our exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Recent Accounting Pronouncements Issued and Not Effective In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory, which specifies that an entity should measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. The new standard does not apply to inventory that is measured using LIFO; therefore, it is not applicable to our U.S. Iron Ore inventory values, but does apply to our Asia Pacific Iron Ore inventories which are valued using the average cost method. The update is effective for financial statement periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments in ASU 2015-11 should be applied prospectively with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. We do not expect the adoption of this pronouncement to have an impact on our financial statements and related disclosures. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. This ASU requires retrospective adoption and will be effective for us beginning in our first quarter of 2016. Early adoption is permitted. We do not expect this adoption to have an impact on our Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations or Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows. The impact of the adoption of the guidance will result in reclassification of the unamortized debt issuance costs on the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position, which were $40.1 million and $25.6 million at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenues from Contracts with Customers. The new revenue guidance broadly replaces the revenue guidance provided throughout the Codification. The core principle of the revenue guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity should apply the following steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (3) determine the transaction price, (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract, and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The new revenue guidance also requires the capitalization of certain contract acquisition costs. Reporting entities must prepare new disclosures providing qualitative and quantitative information on the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. New disclosures also include qualitative and quantitative information on significant judgments, changes in judgments, and contract acquisition assets. At issuance, ASU 2014-09 was effective starting in 2017 for calendar-year public entities, and interim periods within that year. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, which defers the adoption of ASU 2014-09 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. Earlier application is permitted only as of annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim reporting periods within that reporting period. We are still evaluating the impact of the updated guidance on the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position, Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations or Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Cash Flows.

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