Guarantees, Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Guarantees, Commitments, and Contingencies

Guarantees, Commitments and Contingencies

We continue to monitor the conditions that are subject to guarantees and indemnifications to identify whether a liability must be recognized in our financial statements.

The following table provides the estimated undiscounted amount of potential future payments for each major group of guarantees at December 31, 2023. These guarantees arise during the ordinary course of business from relationships with customers and nonconsolidated affiliates. Non-performance by the guaranteed party triggers the obligation requiring us to make payments to the beneficiary of the guarantee. Based on our experience these types of guarantees have not had a material effect on our consolidated financial position or on our liquidity. Our expectation is that future payment or performance related to the non-performance of others is considered unlikely.


(in Millions)
Guarantees:
Guarantees of vendor financing - short term (1)	$	69.6

Other debt guarantees (2)	67.9
Total	$	137.5

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(1)Represents guarantees to financial institutions on behalf of certain customers for their seasonal borrowing. The short-term amount is recorded as "Guarantees of vendor financing" on the consolidated balance sheets.

(2)These guarantees represent the outstanding commitment provided to third-party banks for credit extended to various direct and indirect customers and nonconsolidated affiliates. The liability for the guarantees is recorded at an amount that approximates fair value (i.e. representing the stand-ready obligation) based on our historical collection experience and a current assessment of credit exposure. Historically, the fair value of these guarantees has been and continues to be in the current reporting period, immaterial and the majority of these guarantees have had an expiration date of less than one year.

Excluded from the chart above are parent-company guarantees we provide to lending institutions that extend credit to our foreign subsidiaries. Since these guarantees are provided for consolidated subsidiaries, the consolidated financial position is not affected by the issuance of these guarantees. Also excluded from the chart, in connection with our property and asset sales and divestitures, we have agreed to indemnify the buyer for certain liabilities, including environmental contamination and taxes that occurred prior to the date of sale or provided guarantees to third parties relating to certain contracts assumed by the buyer. Our indemnification or guarantee obligations with respect to certain liabilities may be indefinite as to duration and may or may not be subject to a deductible, minimum claim amount or cap. As such, it is not possible for us to predict the likelihood that a claim will be made or to make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential loss or range of loss. If triggered, we may be able to recover some of the indemnity payments from third parties. Therefore, we have not recorded any specific liabilities for these guarantees. For certain obligations related to our divestitures for which we can make a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential loss or range of loss and is probable, a liability in those instances has been recorded.

Commitments

Purchase Obligations

Our minimum commitments under our take-or-pay purchase obligations associated with the sourcing of materials and energy total approximately $325.4 million as of December 31, 2023. Since the majority of our minimum obligations under these contracts are over the life of the contract on a year-by-year basis, we are unable to determine the periods in which these obligations could be payable under these contracts. However, we intend to fulfill the obligations associated with these contracts through our purchases associated with the normal course of business.

Contingencies

Securities Litigation. On November 9, 2023, a purported FMC shareholder filed a putative class action complaint (Heeg v. FMC Corporation, et al.) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (“EDPA”) and named as defendants FMC and certain of its current executives (the “Defendants”). The complaint alleges, generally, that FMC made misrepresentations regarding business, operations, and prospects, including allegations that the Defendants failed to disclose: (1) the diminishment of patent protection for flagship products in certain markets, including India, China, and Brazil; and (2) the status of proceedings related to FMC’s patent protection efforts. The complaint alleges violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, as well as Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and other relief on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired FMC stock during the period November 2, 2022 to October 20, 2023. On November 14, 2023, a purported FMC shareholder filed Employer-Teamsters Local v. FMC Corporation, et al., a putative class action complaint in the EDPA, asserting similar claims against the same defendants, based on similar substantive allegations as Heeg. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and other relief on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired FMC stock during the period November 2, 2022 to October 20, 2023. On December 7, 2023, a purported FMC shareholder filed Oklahoma Firefighters Pension v. FMC Corporation, et al., a putative class action complaint in the EDPA, asserting similar claims against the same defendants, based on similar substantive allegations as Heeg. The complaint seeks unspecified damages and other relief on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased or otherwise acquired FMC stock during the period February 9, 2022 to October 20, 2023. In January 2024, certain shareholders filed motions to consolidate the various putative cases and to appoint them as lead plaintiff. The district court has not yet ruled on the motions. By stipulation of the parties, the Defendants have no obligation to respond to the complaints until after a lead plaintiff is appointed and an operative complaint is identified or a consolidated amended complaint is filed. FMC believes the Defendants have meritorious defenses and intends to defend itself and the Defendants vigorously.

Asbestos claims. Like hundreds of other industrial companies, we have been named as one of many defendants in asbestos-related personal injury litigation. Most of these cases allege personal injury or death resulting from exposure to asbestos in premises of FMC or to asbestos-containing components installed in machinery or equipment manufactured or sold by discontinued operations.

We intend to continue managing these asbestos-related cases in accordance with our historical experience. We have established a reserve for this litigation within our discontinued operations and believe that any exposure of a loss in excess of the established reserve cannot be reasonably estimated. Our experience has been that the overall trends in asbestos litigation have changed over time. Over the last several years, we have seen changes in the jurisdictions where claims against FMC are being filed and changes in the mix of products named in the various claims. Because these claim trends have yet to form a predictable pattern, we are presently unable to reasonably estimate our asbestos liability with respect to claims that may be filed in the future.

Paraquat cases. Along with Chevron USA Inc. and Syngenta AG, FMC has been named in approximately 500 cases pending in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Mass Tort Program; these cases are in a preliminary pleading phase under review by the presiding judge. In general, plaintiffs allege they were exposed to paraquat, and as a result of this exposure, they developed disease or other health conditions. Chevron and Syngenta (or their predecessors) were registrants of paraquat products in the United States. FMC is not aware of ever having registered any paraquat products in the United States. FMC believes the Company has meritorious defenses and intends to defend itself vigorously.

Other contingent liabilities. In addition to the matters disclosed above, we have certain other contingent liabilities arising from litigation, claims, products we have sold, guarantees or warranties we have made, contracts we have entered into, indemnities we have provided, and other commitments or obligations incident to the ordinary course of business.

In Brazil, we are subject to claims from various governmental agencies regarding alleged additional indirect (non-income) taxes or duties as well as product liability matters and labor cases related to our operations. These disputes take many years to resolve as the matters move through administrative or judicial courts. We have provided reserves for such Brazilian matters that we consider probable and for which a reasonable estimate of the obligation can be made in the amount of $5.8 million and $6.2 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The aggregate estimated reasonably possible loss contingencies related to such Brazilian matters exceed amounts accrued by approximately $92 million at December 31, 2023. We defend these cases vigorously through to final judgment at the final level of adjudication. This reasonably possible estimate is based upon information available as of the date of the filing and the actual future losses may be higher given the uncertainties regarding the ultimate decision by administrative or judicial authorities in Brazil.

In India, we are subject to audits or other proceedings by tax authorities regarding certain alleged additional indirect taxes related to our operations. Indian tax authorities have recently begun auditing or investigating many companies, including our FMC subsidiary in India, on the goods and service tax ("GST") indirect tax law which came into force in 2017. Such proceedings and potential future litigations, in which the tax authorities are challenging the technical tax position taken by the Company, take many years to resolve as the matters are heard and decided upon by tax authorities or courts. We have provided reserves for such historical Indian tax matters that we consider probable and a reasonable estimate of the obligation as of December 31, 2021 was approximately $33.5 million. As of December 31, 2023, the majority of these matters have been settled and the remaining obligation is immaterial. The timing and amount of the remaining obligations will vary based on final negotiations and the reserve will be reduced as these payments are made.

Regarding other contingencies arising from operations, some of these contingencies are known - for example pending product liability litigation or claims - but are so preliminary that the merits cannot be determined, or if more advanced, are not deemed material based on current knowledge. Some contingencies are unknown - for example, claims with respect to which we have no notice or claims which may arise in the future, resulting from products we have sold, guarantees or warranties we have made, or indemnities we have provided. Therefore, we are unable to develop a reasonable estimate of our potential exposure of loss for these contingencies, either individually or in the aggregate, at this time. Based on information currently available and established reserves, we have no reason to believe that the ultimate resolution of our known contingencies, including the matters described in this Note, will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, liquidity or results of operations. However, there can be no assurance that the outcome of these contingencies will be favorable, and adverse results in certain of these contingencies could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations in any one reporting period, or liquidity.

See Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements included within this Form 10-K for the Portland Harbor site for legal proceedings associated with our environmental contingencies.