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Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Apr. 01, 2023
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
17. Commitments and Contingencies
Commitments
The Company had no material changes to the purchase obligations presented in its 2022 Form 10-K that were outside the normal course of business during the three months ended April 1, 2023. The Company’s purchase obligations continue to primarily consist of commitments for the purchase of natural gas, steam energy and wood chips.
The Company leases certain buildings, machinery and equipment under various operating leases. See Note 5—Leases for further information.
Litigation and Contingencies
Duties on Canadian softwood lumber sold to the U.S.
The Company previously operated six softwood lumber mills in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, and exported softwood lumber into the U.S. from Canada. In connection with these exports, the Company paid approximately $112 million in softwood lumber duties through August 28, 2021, recorded as expense in the periods incurred. As part of the sale of its lumber assets, the Company retained all rights and obligations to softwood duties generated or incurred through the closing date of the transaction. As of April 1, 2023, the Company had a $38 million long-term receivable associated with the USDOC’s December 2020, December 2021 and August 2022 determinations of the revised rates for the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 periods. Preliminary results of the USDOC’s fourth administrative review were released in January 2023, with final results expected later in 2023. Cash is not expected to return to the Company until final resolution of the softwood lumber dispute, which remains subject to legal challenges and to USDOC administrative review of the remaining 2021 period.
Other
In addition to the above, the Company is engaged in various legal and regulatory actions and proceedings and has been named as a defendant in various lawsuits and claims arising in the ordinary course of business. While the Company has procured reasonable and customary insurance covering risks normally occurring in connection with its businesses, the Company has, in certain cases, retained some risk through the operation of self-insurance, primarily in the areas of workers’ compensation, property insurance, business interruption and general liability. These other lawsuits and claims, either individually or in the aggregate, are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Guarantees and Other
The Company provides financial guarantees as required by creditors, insurance programs and various governmental agencies. As of April 1, 2023, the Company had net exposure of $36 million from various standby letters of credit, primarily for financial assurance relating to environmental remediation, credit support for natural gas and electricity purchases and guarantees related to foreign retirement plan obligations. These standby letters of credit represent a contingent liability; the Company would only be liable upon its default on the related payment obligations. The standby letters of credit have various expiration dates and are expected to be renewed as required.
The Company had surety bonds of $86 million as of April 1, 2023, primarily to comply with financial assurance requirements relating to environmental remediation and post closure care, to provide collateral for the Company’s workers’ compensation program and to guarantee taxes and duties for products shipped internationally. These surety bonds expire at various dates and are expected to be renewed annually as required.
LTF is a venture in which the Company owns 45 percent and its partner, Borregaard ASA, owns 55 percent. The Company is a guarantor of LTF’s financing agreements and, in the event of default, expects it would only be liable for its proportional share of any repayment under the agreements. The Company proportion of the LTF financing agreement guarantee was $32 million at April 1, 2023.
The Company has not recorded any liabilities for these financial guarantees in its consolidated balance sheets, either because the Company has recorded the underlying liability associated with the guarantee or the guarantee is dependent on the Company’s own performance and, therefore, is not subject to the measurement requirements or because the Company has calculated the estimated fair value of the guarantee and determined it to be immaterial based upon the current facts and circumstances that would trigger a payment obligation.
It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount of liability under these potential obligations due to the unique set of facts and circumstances likely to be involved with each provision.
As of December 31, 2022, a collective bargaining agreement covering approximately 575 unionized employees was expired. The employees have continued to work under the terms of the expired contract while negotiations continue. While there can be no assurances, the Company expects to reach agreements with the union. However, a work stoppage could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.