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Commitments and contingent liabilities | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] |
Commitments and contingent liabilities | Commitments and contingent liabilities Environmental: The Company is subject to contingencies as a result of environmental laws and regulations that in the future may require the Company to take further action to correct the effects on the environment of prior disposal practices or releases of chemical or petroleum substances by the Company or other parties. Much of this liability results from the U.S. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, often referred to as Superfund, the U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and similar state laws. These laws require the Company to undertake certain investigative and remedial activities at sites where the Company conducts or once conducted operations or at sites where Company-generated waste was disposed. Remediation activities vary substantially in duration and cost from site to site. These activities, and their associated costs, depend on the mix of unique site characteristics, evolving remediation technologies, the regulatory agencies involved and their enforcement policies, as well as the presence or absence of other potentially responsible parties. At March 31, 2019, the Company has recorded $0.9 million and $6.6 million in accrued liabilities and other liabilities, respectively, relating to these matters. Considerable uncertainty exists with respect to these liabilities and, if adverse changes in circumstances occur, the potential liability may exceed the amount accrued as of March 31, 2019. The time frame over which the accrued amounts may be paid out, based on past history, is estimated to be 10-15 years. Litigation: The Company is a party to various lawsuits and claims arising in the normal course of business. These lawsuits and claims include actions involving product liability, product warranty, commercial disputes, intellectual property, contract, employment, environmental and other matters. As of March 31, 2019, the Company has recorded accrued liabilities of $0.4 million in connection with such contingencies, representing its best estimate of the cost within the range of estimated possible losses that will be incurred to resolve these matters. Based on information currently available, advice of counsel, established reserves and other resources, the Company does not believe that the outcome of any outstanding litigation and claims is likely to be, individually or in the aggregate, material to its business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. However, in the event of unexpected further developments, it is possible that the ultimate resolution of these matters, or other similar matters, if unfavorable, may be materially adverse to the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity. Legal costs such as outside counsel fees and expenses are charged to selling, general and administrative expenses in the period incurred. Tax audits and examinations: The Company and its subsidiaries are routinely subject to tax examinations by various tax authorities. As of March 31, 2019, the most significant tax examination in process is in Germany. The Company may establish reserves with respect to its uncertain tax positions, after which it adjusts the reserves to address developments with respect to its uncertain tax positions, including developments in this tax examination. Accordingly, developments in tax audits and examinations, including resolution of uncertain tax positions, could result in increases or decreases to the Company’s recorded tax liabilities, which could impact the Company’s financial results. Other: The Company has various purchase commitments for materials, supplies and other items occurring in the ordinary conduct of its business. On average, such commitments are not at prices in excess of current market prices.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for commitments and contingencies. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2127136 Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 440 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2144648 + Details
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