Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

v3.7.0.1
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
BASIS OF PRESENTATION 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 (loss) 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 months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017 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, 2016.
We 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 March 31, 2017:
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
 
Indefinitely Idled
Koolyanobbing
 
Western Australia
 
100.0%
 
Iron Ore
 
Active

Intercompany transactions and balances are eliminated upon consolidation.
Equity Method Investments
Our 23% ownership interest in Hibbing is recorded as an equity method investment. As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, our investment in Hibbing was $6.2 million and $8.7 million, respectively, classified as Other liabilities in the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Position.
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 short-term and certain long-term intercompany loans, 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 the Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations.
The following represents the transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016:
 
 
(In Millions)
 
 
Three Months Ended
March 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
Remeasurement of intercompany loans
 
$
15.1

 
$
0.4

Remeasurement of cash and cash equivalents
 
(1.2
)
 
0.8

Other remeasurement
 
(0.3
)
 
(2.4
)
Net impact of transaction gains and (losses) resulting from remeasurement
 
13.6

 
(1.2
)

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, 2016 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. There have been no material changes in our significant accounting policies and estimates from those disclosed therein.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Issued and Not Effective
In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715). The new standard requires the service cost component of pension and other postretirement benefit expenses to be included in the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by employees, with the other components of net benefit cost as defined by paragraphs 715-30-35-4 and 715-60-35-9 to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. The adoption of ASU 2017-07 will impact Statements of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Operations by changing our classification of the components of pension cost; however, it will not impact our Net income (loss).