| Basis of Presentation (Policies) | 12 Months Ended |
| Dec. 31, 2018 |
| Accounting Policies [Abstract] | |
| Separation Transaction | Separation Transaction. On November 1, 2016 (the “Separation Date”), ParentCo separated into two standalone, publicly-traded companies, Alcoa Corporation and Arconic, effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (the “Separation Transaction”). Alcoa Corporation includes the Alumina and Primary Metals segments, which comprised the bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminum smelting and casting, and energy operations of ParentCo, as well as the Warrick, Indiana rolling operations and the 25.1% equity interest in the rolling mill at the joint venture in Saudi Arabia, both of which were part of ParentCo’s Global Rolled Products segment. Arconic includes the operations that comprise the Global Rolled Products (except for the aforementioned rolling operations that were included in Alcoa Corporation), Engineered Products and Solutions, and Transportation and Construction Solutions segments. ParentCo shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 20, 2016 (the “Record Date”) received one share of Alcoa Corporation common stock, representing in aggregate 80.1% of the common stock of the Company, for every three shares of ParentCo common stock held as of the close of business on the Record Date (cash was paid by ParentCo to its’ shareholders in lieu of fractional shares). Arconic retained the remaining 19.9% of Alcoa Corporation common stock ( Arconic sold this retained interest in 2017 ). To effect the Separation Transaction, ParentCo undertook a series of transactions to separate the net assets and certain legal entities of ParentCo, resulting in a cash payment of $1,072 to ParentCo by Alcoa Corporation (an additional $247 was paid to Arconic by the Company in 2017, including $243 associated with the sale of certain of the Alcoa Corporation’s energy operations – see Note C) In connection with the Separation Transaction, Alcoa Corporation and Arconic entered into certain agreements to implement the legal and structural separation between the two companies, govern the relationship between the Company and Arconic after the completion of the Separation Transaction, and allocate between Alcoa Corporation and Arconic various assets, liabilities, and obligations, including, among other things, employee benefits, environmental liabilities, intellectual property, and tax-related assets and liabilities. These agreements included a Separation and Distribution Agreement, Tax Matters Agreement, Employee Matters Agreement, Transition Services Agreement, certain Patent, Know-How, Trade Secret License and Trademark License Agreements, and Stockholder and Registration Rights Agreement. ParentCo incurred costs to evaluate, plan, and execute the Separation Transaction, and Alcoa Corporation was allocated a pro rata portion of those costs based on segment revenue (see Cost Allocations below). ParentCo recognized $152 from January 2016 through October 2016 for costs related to the Separation Transaction, of which $68 was allocated to Alcoa Corporation. The allocated amounts were included in Selling, general administrative, and other expenses on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Operations. |
| Basis of Presentation | Basis of Presentation. The Consolidated Financial Statements of Alcoa Corporation are prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). In accordance with GAAP, certain situations require management to make estimates based on judgments and assumptions, which may affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. They also may affect the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates upon subsequent resolution of identified matters. Certain amounts in previously issued financial statements were reclassified to conform to the current period presentation (see Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance in Note B). |
| Principles of Consolidation | Principles of Consolidation. The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company include the accounts of Alcoa Corporation and companies in which Alcoa Corporation has a controlling interest, including those that comprise the Alcoa World Alumina & Chemicals (AWAC) joint venture (see below). Intercompany transactions have been eliminated. The equity method of accounting is applied to investments in affiliates and other joint ventures over which the Company has significant influence but does not have effective control. Investments in affiliates in which Alcoa Corporation cannot exercise significant influence are accounted for on the cost method. AWAC is an unincorporated global joint venture between Alcoa Corporation and Alumina Limited and consists of several affiliated operating entities, which own, have an interest in, or operate the bauxite mines and alumina refineries within the Company’s Bauxite and Alumina segments (except for the Poços de Caldas mine and refinery and a portion of the São Luís refinery, all in Brazil) and a portion (55%) of the Portland smelter (Australia) within the Company’s Aluminum segment. Alcoa Corporation owns 60% and Alumina Limited owns 40% of these individual entities, which are consolidated by the Company for financial reporting purposes and include Alcoa of Australia Limited (AofA), Alcoa World Alumina LLC (AWA), Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda. (AWAB), and Alúmina Española, S.A. (Española). Alumina Limited’s interest in the equity of such entities is reflected as Noncontrolling interest on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet. In 2018, 2017, and 2016, AWAC received $149, $80, and $48, respectively, in contributions from Alumina Limited. Management evaluates whether an Alcoa Corporation entity or interest is a variable interest entity and whether the Company is the primary beneficiary. Consolidation is required if both of these criteria are met. Alcoa Corporation does not have any variable interest entities requiring consolidation. Prior to the Separation Date, the Company did not operate as a separate, standalone entity. Alcoa Corporation’s operations were included in ParentCo’s financial results. Accordingly, for all periods prior to the Separation Date, the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements were prepared from ParentCo’s historical accounting records and were presented on a standalone basis as if Alcoa Corporation’s operations had been conducted independently from ParentCo. Such Consolidated Financial Statements include the historical operations that were considered to comprise Alcoa Corporation’s businesses, as well as certain assets and liabilities that were historically held at ParentCo’s corporate level but were specifically identifiable or otherwise attributable to Alcoa Corporation. ParentCo’s net investment in these operations is reflected as Parent Company net investment on the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. All significant transactions and accounts within Alcoa Corporation have been eliminated. All significant intercompany transactions between ParentCo and Alcoa Corporation were included within Parent Company net investment on the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements. |
| Cost Allocations | Cost Allocations. The description and information on cost allocations is applicable for all periods included in the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements prior to the Separation Date. The Consolidated Financial Statements of Alcoa Corporation include general corporate expenses of ParentCo that were not historically charged to Alcoa Corporation for certain support functions that were provided on a centralized basis, such as expenses related to finance, audit, legal, information technology, human resources, communications, compliance, facilities, employee benefits and compensation, and research and development activities. Such general corporate expenses were included on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Operations within Cost of goods sold, Selling, general administrative and other expenses, and Research and development expenses. These expenses were allocated to Alcoa Corporation on the basis of direct usage when identifiable, with the remainder allocated based on Alcoa Corporation’s segment revenue as a percentage of ParentCo’s total segment revenue for both Alcoa Corporation and Arconic. All external debt not directly attributable to Alcoa Corporation was excluded from the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. Financing costs related to these debt obligations were allocated to Alcoa Corporation based on the ratio of capital invested in Alcoa Corporation to the total capital invested by ParentCo in both Alcoa Corporation and Arconic, and were included on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Operations within Interest expense. The following table reflects the allocations described above:
2016
Cost of goods sold (1)
$
40
Selling, general administrative, and other expenses (2)
150
Research and development expenses
2
Provision for depreciation, depletion, and amortization
18
Restructuring and other charges
1
Interest expense
198
Other income, net
(7
)
(1)
Allocation principally relates to expenses for ParentCo’s retained pension and other postretirement benefits associated with closed and sold operations.
(2)
Allocation includes costs incurred by ParentCo associated with the Separation Transaction (see Separation Transaction above). Management believes the assumptions regarding the allocation of ParentCo’s general corporate expenses and financing costs were reasonable. Nevertheless, the Consolidated Financial Statements of Alcoa Corporation may not include all of the actual expenses that would have been incurred and may not reflect the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position, and cash flows had it been a standalone company during the periods prior to the Separation Date. Actual costs that would have been incurred if Alcoa Corporation had been a standalone company would depend on multiple factors, including organizational structure, capital structure, and strategic decisions made in various areas, including information technology and infrastructure. Transactions between Alcoa Corporation and ParentCo were considered to be effectively settled for cash at the time the transaction was recorded. The total net effect of the settlement of these transactions is reflected on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows as a financing activity and on Alcoa Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet as Parent Company net investment. |
| Cash Management | Cash Management. The description and information on cash management is applicable for all periods included in the Consolidated Financial Statements prior to the Separation Date. Cash was managed centrally with certain net earnings reinvested locally and working capital requirements met from existing liquid funds. Accordingly, the cash and cash equivalents held by ParentCo at the corporate level were not attributed to Alcoa Corporation for any of the periods prior to the Separation Date. Only cash amounts specifically attributable to Alcoa Corporation were reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. Transfers of cash, both to and from ParentCo’s centralized cash management system, were reflected as a component of Parent Company net investment on Alcoa Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet and as a financing activity on the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. ParentCo had an arrangement with several financial institutions to sell certain customer receivables without recourse on a revolving basis. The sale of such receivables was completed through the use of a bankruptcy-remote special-purpose entity, which was a consolidated subsidiary of ParentCo. In connection with this arrangement, certain of Alcoa Corporation’s customer receivables were sold on a revolving basis to this bankruptcy-remote subsidiary of ParentCo; these sales were reflected as a component of Parent Company net investment on Alcoa Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. ParentCo participated in several accounts payable settlement arrangements with certain vendors and third-party intermediaries. These arrangements provided that, at the vendor’s request, the third-party intermediary advance the amount of the scheduled payment to the vendor, less an appropriate discount, before the scheduled payment date and ParentCo made payment to the third-party intermediary on the date stipulated in accordance with the commercial terms negotiated with its vendors. In connection with these arrangements, certain of Alcoa Corporation’s accounts payable were settled, at the vendor’s request, before the scheduled payment date; these settlements were reflected as a component of Parent Company net investment on Alcoa Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. |
| Related Party Transactions | Related Party Transactions. Alcoa Corporation buys products from and sells products to various related companies, consisting of entities in which the Company retains a 50% or less equity interest, at negotiated prices between the two parties. These transactions were not material to the financial position or results of operations of Alcoa Corporation for all periods presented. |
| Cash Equivalents | Cash Equivalents. Cash equivalents are highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less. |
| Inventory Valuation | Inventory Valuation. Inventories are carried at the lower of cost or market, with cost for a substantial portion of U.S. inventories and a small portion of Canadian inventories determined under the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method. The cost of other inventories is principally determined under the average-cost method. Effective January 1, 2019, Alcoa Corporation will discontinue the use of the LIFO method for the referenced inventories. The cost of these inventories will now be determined on the average-cost method. In accordance with GAAP, all prior periods presented in the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements will be recast to retroactively apply this inventory costing change. Alcoa Corporation is still finalizing this change in accounting principle; however, management does not expect the inventory costing change to have a material impact on the Company’s Statement of Consolidated Operations for the year ended December 31, 2018. |
| Properties, Plants, and Equipment | Properties, Plants, and Equipment. Properties, plants, and equipment are recorded at cost. Also, interest related to the construction of qualifying assets is capitalized as part of the construction costs. Depreciation is recorded principally on the straight-line method at rates based on the estimated useful lives of the assets. For greenfield assets (i.e. construction of new assets on undeveloped land) the units of production method is used to record depreciation. These assets require a significant period (generally greater than one-year) to ramp-up to full production capacity. As a result, the units of production method is deemed a more systematic and rational method for recognizing depreciation on these assets. Depreciation is recorded on temporarily idled facilities until such time management approves a permanent closure. The following table details the weighted-average useful lives of structures and machinery and equipment by type of operation (numbers in years):
Segment
Structures
Machinery and equipment
Bauxite mining
35
16
Alumina refining
30
28
Aluminum smelting and casting
36
22
Energy generation
33
24
Aluminum rolling
31
23
Repairs and maintenance are charged to expense as incurred. Gains or losses from the sale of assets are generally recorded in Other expenses (income), net. Properties, plants, and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of such assets (asset group) may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets is determined by comparing the estimated undiscounted net cash flows of the operations related to the assets (asset group) to their carrying amount. An impairment loss would be recognized when the carrying amount of the assets (asset group) exceeds the estimated undiscounted net cash flows. The amount of the impairment loss to be recorded is calculated as the excess of the carrying value of the assets (asset group) over their fair value, with fair value determined using the best information available, which generally is a discounted cash flow (DCF) model. The determination of what constitutes an asset group, the associated estimated undiscounted net cash flows, and the estimated useful lives of assets also require significant judgments. |
| Equity Investments | Equity Investments. Alcoa Corporation invests in a number of privately-held companies, primarily through joint ventures and consortia, which are accounted for using the equity method. The equity method is applied in situations where Alcoa Corporation has the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investee. Management reviews equity investments for impairment whenever certain indicators are present suggesting that the carrying value of an investment is not recoverable. This analysis requires a significant amount of judgment from management to identify events or circumstances indicating that an equity investment is impaired. The following items are examples of impairment indicators: significant, sustained declines in an investee’s revenue, earnings, and cash flow trends; adverse market conditions of the investee’s industry or geographic area; the investee’s ability to continue operations measured by several items, including liquidity; and other factors. Once an impairment indicator is identified, management uses considerable judgment to determine if the impairment is other than temporary, in which case the equity investment is written down to its estimated fair value. An impairment that is other than temporary could significantly and adversely impact reported results of operations. |
| Deferred Mining Costs | Deferred Mining Costs. Alcoa Corporation recognizes deferred mining costs during the development stage of a mine life cycle. Such costs include the construction of access and haul roads, detailed drilling and geological analysis to further define the grade and quality of the known bauxite, and overburden removal costs. These costs relate to sections of the related mines where Alcoa Corporation is either currently extracting bauxite or is preparing for production in the near term. These sections are outlined and planned incrementally and generally are mined over periods ranging from one to five years, depending on mine specifics. The amount of geological drilling and testing necessary to determine the economic viability of the bauxite deposit being mined is such that the reserves are considered to be proven, and the mining costs are amortized based on this level of reserves. Deferred mining costs are included in Other noncurrent assets on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet. |
| Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets | Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. Goodwill is not amortized; it is instead reviewed for impairment annually (in the fourth quarter) or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist or if a decision is made to sell or exit a business. A significant amount of judgment is involved in determining if an indicator of impairment has occurred. Such indicators may include, among others, deterioration in general economic conditions, negative developments in equity and credit markets, adverse changes in the markets in which an entity operates, increases in input costs that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows, or a trend of negative or declining cash flows over multiple periods. The fair value that could be realized in an actual transaction may differ from that used to evaluate goodwill for impairment. Goodwill is allocated among and evaluated for impairment at the reporting unit level, which is defined as an operating segment or one level below an operating segment. Alcoa Corporation has five reporting units, of which three are included in the Aluminum segment (smelting/casting, energy generation, and rolling operations). The remaining two reporting units are the Bauxite and Alumina segments. Of these five reporting units, only Bauxite and Alumina contain goodwill. As of December 31, 2018, the carrying value of the goodwill for Bauxite and Alumina was $51 and $100, respectively. These amounts include an allocation of goodwill held at the corporate level (see Note K). In reviewing goodwill for impairment, an entity has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not (greater than 50%) that the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If an entity elects to perform a qualitative assessment and determines that an impairment is more likely than not, the entity is then required to perform a quantitative impairment test (described below), otherwise no further analysis is required. An entity also may elect not to perform the qualitative assessment and, instead, proceed directly to the quantitative impairment test. The ultimate outcome of the goodwill impairment review for a reporting unit should be the same whether an entity chooses to perform the qualitative assessment or proceeds directly to the quantitative impairment test. Alcoa Corporation’s policy for its annual review of goodwill is to perform the qualitative assessment for all reporting units not subjected directly to the quantitative impairment test. Generally, management will proceed directly to the quantitative impairment test for each of its two reporting units that contain goodwill at least once during every three-year period, as part of its annual review of goodwill. Under the qualitative assessment, various events and circumstances (or factors) that would affect the estimated fair value of a reporting unit are identified (similar to impairment indicators above). These factors are then classified by the type of impact they would have on the estimated fair value using positive, neutral, and adverse categories based on current business conditions. Additionally, an assessment of the level of impact that a particular factor would have on the estimated fair value is determined using high, medium, and low weighting. Furthermore, management considers the results of the most recent quantitative impairment test completed for a reporting unit and compares the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) between the current and prior years for each reporting unit. During the 2018 annual review of goodwill, management performed the qualitative assessment for the Alumina reporting unit. Management concluded it was not more likely than not that the respective estimated fair value of this reporting unit was less than the respective carrying value. As such, no further analysis was required. Under the quantitative impairment test, the evaluation of impairment involves comparing the current fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. Alcoa Corporation uses a DCF model to estimate the current fair value of its reporting units when testing for impairment, as management believes forecasted cash flows are the best indicator of such fair value. A number of significant assumptions and estimates are involved in the application of the DCF model to forecast operating cash flows, including markets and market share, sales volumes and prices, production costs, tax rates, capital spending, discount rate, and working capital changes. Certain of these assumptions can vary significantly among the reporting units. Cash flow forecasts are generally based on approved business unit operating plans for the early years and historical relationships in later years. The betas used in calculating the individual reporting units’ WACC rate are estimated for each business with the assistance of valuation experts. In the event the estimated fair value of a reporting unit per the DCF model is less than the carrying value, an impairment loss equal to the excess of the reporting unit's carrying value over its fair value not to exceed the total amount of goodwill applicable to that reporting unit would be recognized. During the 2018 annual review of goodwill, management proceeded directly to the quantitative impairment test for the Bauxite reporting unit. The estimated fair value of this reporting unit was substantially in excess of its carrying value, resulting in no impairment. Management last proceeded directly to the quantitative impairment test for the Alumina reporting unit in 2016. At that time, the estimated fair value of the Alumina reporting unit was substantially in excess of its carrying value, resulting in no impairment. Additionally, in all prior years presented, there have been no triggering events that necessitated an impairment test for either the Bauxite or Alumina reporting units. Intangible assets with finite useful lives are amortized generally on a straight-line basis over the periods benefited. The following table details the weighted-average useful lives of software and other intangible assets by type of operation (numbers in years):
Segment
Software
Other intangible assets
Bauxite mining
6
10
Alumina refining
6
20
Aluminum smelting and casting
4
39
Energy generation
3
28
Aluminum rolling
4
20 |
| Asset Retirement Obligations | Asset Retirement Obligations. Alcoa Corporation recognizes asset retirement obligations (AROs) related to legal obligations associated with the standard operation of bauxite mines, alumina refineries, and aluminum smelters. These AROs consist primarily of costs associated with mine reclamation, closure of bauxite residue areas, spent pot lining disposal, and landfill closure. Alcoa Corporation also recognizes AROs for any significant lease restoration obligation, if required by a lease agreement, and for the disposal of regulated waste materials related to the demolition of certain power facilities. The fair values of these AROs are recorded on a discounted basis, at the time the obligation is incurred, and accreted over time for the change in present value. Additionally, Alcoa Corporation capitalizes asset retirement costs by increasing the carrying amount of the related long-lived assets and depreciating these assets over their remaining useful life. Certain conditional asset retirement obligations (CAROs) related to alumina refineries, aluminum smelters, rolling mills, and energy generation facilities have not been recorded in the Consolidated Financial Statements due to uncertainties surrounding the ultimate settlement date. A CARO is a legal obligation to perform an asset retirement activity in which the timing and/or method of settlement are conditional on a future event that may or may not be within Alcoa Corporation’s control. Such uncertainties exist as a result of the perpetual nature of the structures, maintenance and upgrade programs, and other factors. At the date a reasonable estimate of the ultimate settlement date can be made (e.g., planned demolition), Alcoa Corporation would record an ARO for the removal, treatment, transportation, storage, and/or disposal of various regulated assets and hazardous materials such as asbestos, underground and aboveground storage tanks, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), various process residuals, solid wastes, electronic equipment waste, and various other materials. Such amounts may be material to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the period in which they are recorded. |
| Environmental Matters | Environmental Matters. Expenditures for current operations are expensed or capitalized, as appropriate. Expenditures relating to existing conditions caused by past operations, which will not contribute to future revenues, are expensed. Liabilities are recorded when remediation costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated. The liability may include costs such as site investigations, consultant fees, feasibility studies, outside contractors, and monitoring expenses. Estimates are generally not discounted or reduced by potential claims for recovery, which are recognized as agreements are reached with third parties. The estimates also include costs related to other potentially responsible parties to the extent that Alcoa Corporation has reason to believe such parties will not fully pay their proportionate share. The liability is continuously reviewed and adjusted to reflect current remediation progress, prospective estimates of required activity, and other factors that may be relevant, including changes in technology or regulations. |
| Litigation Matters | Litigation Matters. For asserted claims and assessments, liabilities are recorded when an unfavorable outcome of a matter is deemed to be probable and the loss is reasonably estimable. Management determines the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome based on many factors such as, among others, the nature of the matter, available defenses and case strategy, progress of the matter, views and opinions of legal counsel and other advisors, applicability and success of appeals processes, and the outcome of similar historical matters. Once an unfavorable outcome is deemed probable, management weighs the probability of estimated losses, and the most reasonable loss estimate is recorded. If an unfavorable outcome of a matter is deemed to be reasonably possible, then the matter is disclosed and no liability is recorded. With respect to unasserted claims or assessments, management must first determine that the probability that an assertion will be made is likely, then, a determination as to the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome and the ability to reasonably estimate the potential loss is made. Legal matters are reviewed on a continuous basis to determine if there has been a change in management’s judgment regarding the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome or the estimate of a potential loss. |
| Revenue Recognition | Revenue Recognition. The Company recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation(s) in accordance with the provisions of a customer order or contract. This is achieved when control of the product has been transferred to the customer, which is generally determined when title, ownership, and risk of loss pass to the customer, all of which occurs upon shipment or delivery of the product. The shipping terms vary across all businesses and depend on the product, the country of origin, and the type of transportation (commercial delivery truck, train, or vessel). Accordingly, except for the sale of electricity, the sale of Alcoa Corporation’s products to its customers represent single performance obligations for which revenue is recognized at a point in time. Based on the foregoing, no significant judgment is required to determine when control of a product has been transferred to a customer. The Company measures revenue based on the consideration it expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for its products. The standard terms and conditions of customer orders and contracts include general rights of return and product warranty provisions related to nonconforming or “out-of-spec” product. Depending on the circumstances, the product is either replaced or a quality adjustment is issued. Historically, such returns and adjustments have not been material to Alcoa Corporation’s Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company considers shipping and handling activities as costs to fulfill the promise to transfer the related products. As a result, customer payments of shipping and handling costs are recorded as a component of revenue. Also, Alcoa Corporation may collect various taxes (e.g., sales, use, value-added, excise) from its customers related to the sale of its products and remit such amounts to governmental authorities. As such, amounts paid to the Company for these types of taxes are excluded from the transaction price used to determine the proper measurement of revenue. |
| Stock-Based Compensation | Stock-Based Compensation. For all periods prior to the Separation Date, eligible employees attributable to Alcoa Corporation operations participated in ParentCo’s stock-based compensation plans. The compensation expense recorded by Alcoa Corporation included the expense associated with these employees, as well as the expense associated with the allocation of stock-based compensation expense for ParentCo’s corporate employees. Beginning on the Separation Date and forward, Alcoa Corporation recorded stock-based compensation expense for all eligible Company employees. The following accounting policy describes how stock-based compensation expense is initially determined for both Alcoa Corporation and ParentCo. Compensation expense for employee equity grants is recognized using the non-substantive vesting period approach, in which the expense (net of estimated forfeitures) is recognized ratably over the requisite service period based on the grant date fair value. The fair value of new stock options is estimated on the date of grant using a lattice-pricing model. Determining the fair value of stock options at the grant date requires judgment, including estimates for the average risk-free interest rate, dividend yield, volatility, annual forfeiture rate, and exercise behavior. These assumptions may differ significantly between grant dates because of changes in the actual results of these inputs that occur over time. Most plan participants can choose whether to receive their award in the form of stock options, stock units, or a combination of both. This choice is made before the grant is issued and is irrevocable. |
| Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans | Pension and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans. For all periods prior to August 1, 2016 (see below), certain employees attributable to Alcoa Corporation operations participated in defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans (the “Shared Plans”) sponsored by ParentCo, which also included participants attributable to non-Alcoa Corporation operations. Alcoa Corporation accounted for these Shared Plans as multiemployer benefit plans. Accordingly, Alcoa Corporation did not record an asset or liability to recognize the funded status of the Shared Plans. However, the related expense recorded by Alcoa Corporation was based primarily on pensionable compensation and estimated interest costs related to employees attributable to Alcoa Corporation operations. Prior to the Separation Date, certain other plans that were entirely attributable to employees of Alcoa Corporation-related operations (the “Direct Plans”) were accounted for as defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans. Accordingly, the funded and unfunded position of each Direct Plan was recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Actuarial gains and losses that had not yet been recognized through earnings were recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of taxes, until they were amortized as a component of net periodic benefit cost. The determination of benefit obligations and recognition of expenses related to the Direct Plans is dependent on various assumptions. The major assumptions primarily relate to discount rates, long-term expected rates of return on plan assets, and future compensation increases. ParentCo’s management developed each assumption using relevant company experience in conjunction with market-related data for each individual location in which such plans exist. In preparation for the Separation Transaction, effective August 1, 2016, certain of the Shared Plans were separated into standalone plans for both Alcoa Corporation and ParentCo (see Note N). Additionally, certain of the other remaining Shared Plans were assumed by Alcoa Corporation (See Note N). Accordingly, beginning on August 1, 2016 and forward, the standalone plans and assumed plans were accounted for as defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans. Additionally, the Direct Plans continued to be accounted for as defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans. |
| Derivatives and Hedging | Derivatives and Hedging. Derivatives are held for purposes other than trading and are part of a formally documented risk management program. Alcoa Corporation accounts for hedges of firm customer commitments for aluminum as fair value hedges. The fair values of the derivatives and changes in the fair values of the underlying hedged items are reported as assets and liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Changes in the fair values of these derivatives and underlying hedged items generally offset and are recorded each period in Sales, consistent with the underlying hedged item. The Company accounts for hedges of foreign currency exposures and certain forecasted transactions as cash flow hedges. The fair values of the derivatives are recorded as assets and liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. The changes in the fair values of these derivatives are recorded in Other comprehensive income (loss) and are reclassified to Sales, Cost of goods sold, or Other expenses (income), net in the period in which earnings are impacted by the hedged items or in the period that the transaction no longer qualifies as a cash flow hedge. These contracts cover the same periods as known or expected exposures, generally not exceeding five years. On April 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted new accounting guidance for hedging activities (see Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance below), which included the elimination of the concept of ineffectiveness, effective on January 1, 2018. Accordingly, there is no longer a requirement to separately measure and report ineffectiveness. Therefore, the following policy description of effectiveness was applicable to periods prior to January 1, 2018. For derivatives designated as fair value hedges, Alcoa Corporation measures hedge effectiveness by formally assessing, at inception and at least quarterly, the historical high correlation of changes in the fair value of the hedged item and the derivative hedging instrument. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, Alcoa Corporation measures hedge effectiveness by formally assessing, at inception and at least quarterly, the probable high correlation of the expected future cash flows of the hedged item and the derivative hedging instrument. The ineffective portions of both types of hedges are recorded in Sales or Other expenses (income), net in the current period. If the hedging relationship ceases to be highly effective or it becomes probable that an expected transaction will no longer occur, future gains or losses on the derivative instrument are recorded in Other expenses (income), net. If no hedging relationship is designated, the derivative is marked to market through Other expenses (income), net. Cash flows from derivatives are recognized in the Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows in a manner consistent with the underlying transactions. |
| Income Taxes | Income Taxes. Beginning on the Separation Date and forward, the provision for income taxes was determined using the asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, the provision for income taxes represents income taxes paid or payable (or received or receivable) for the current year plus the change in deferred taxes during the year. Deferred taxes represent the future tax consequences expected to occur when the reported amounts of assets and liabilities are recovered or paid, and result from differences between the financial and tax bases of Alcoa Corporation’s assets and liabilities and are adjusted for changes in tax rates and tax laws when enacted. In all periods prior to the Separation Date, Alcoa Corporation’s operations were included in the income tax filings of ParentCo. The provision for income taxes in Alcoa Corporation’s Statement of Consolidated Operations was determined in the same manner described above, but on a separate return methodology as if the Company was a standalone taxpayer filing hypothetical income tax returns where applicable. Any additional accrued tax liability or refund arising as a result of this approach was assumed to be immediately settled with ParentCo as a component of Parent Company net investment. Deferred tax assets were also determined in the same manner described above and were reflected in the Consolidated Balance Sheet for net operating losses, credits or other attributes to the extent that such attributes were expected to transfer to Alcoa Corporation upon the Separation Transaction. Any difference from attributes generated in a hypothetical return on a separate return basis was adjusted as a component of Parent Company net investment. Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not (greater than 50%) that a tax benefit will not be realized. In evaluating the need for a valuation allowance, management considers all potential sources of taxable income, including income available in carryback periods, future reversals of taxable temporary differences, projections of taxable income, and income from tax planning strategies, as well as all available positive and negative evidence. Positive evidence includes factors such as a history of profitable operations, projections of future profitability within the carryforward period, including from tax planning strategies, and Alcoa Corporation’s experience with similar operations. Existing favorable contracts and the ability to sell products into established markets are additional positive evidence. Negative evidence includes items such as cumulative losses, projections of future losses, or carryforward periods that are not long enough to allow for the utilization of a deferred tax asset based on existing projections of income. Deferred tax assets for which no valuation allowance is recorded may not be realized upon changes in facts and circumstances, resulting in a future charge to establish a valuation allowance. Existing valuation allowances are re-examined under the same standards of positive and negative evidence. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will be realized, the appropriate amount of the valuation allowance, if any, is released. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are also re-measured to reflect changes in underlying tax rates due to law changes and the granting and lapse of tax holidays. Tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return are recorded when such benefits meet a more likely than not threshold. Otherwise, these tax benefits are recorded when a tax position has been effectively settled, which means that the statute of limitation has expired or the appropriate taxing authority has completed their examination even though the statute of limitations remains open. Interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions are recognized as part of the provision for income taxes and are accrued beginning in the period that such interest and penalties would be applicable under relevant tax law until such time that the related tax benefits are recognized. |
| Foreign Currency | Foreign Currency. The local currency is the functional currency for Alcoa Corporation’s significant operations outside the United States, except for certain operations in Canada and Iceland, where the U.S. dollar is used as the functional currency. The determination of the functional currency for Alcoa Corporation’s operations is made based on the appropriate economic and management indicators. |
| Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance | Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance. On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted changes issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) to the recognition of revenue from contracts with customers. This guidance created a comprehensive framework for all entities in all industries to apply in the determination of when to recognize revenue, and, therefore, supersedes virtually all existing revenue recognition requirements and guidance. This framework is expected to result in less complex guidance in application while providing a consistent and comparable methodology for revenue recognition. The core principle of the 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 this principle, an entity should apply the following steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract(s), (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract(s), and (v) recognize revenue when, or as, the entity satisfies a performance obligation. Management’s assessment of this guidance was applied only to those customer contracts that were open on the date of adoption under the modified retrospective method. Through a previously established project team, the Company completed a detailed review of the terms and provisions of its customer contracts, as well as evaluated these contracts under the new guidance, throughout 2017 and concluded that Alcoa Corporation’s revenue recognition practices were in compliance with this framework. That said, the Company did make some minor modifications to its internal accounting policies and internal control structure to ensure that any future customer contracts that may have different terms and conditions of those that the Company has today are properly evaluated under the new guidance. Other than providing additional disclosure (see Revenue Recognition above and the Product Information section in Note E), the adoption of this guidance had no impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted guidance issued by the FASB to the accounting and reporting of certain equity investments. This guidance requires equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. However, an entity may choose to measure equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. Additionally, the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values has been simplified by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment. The adoption of this guidance had no impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements, as all of Alcoa Corporation’s equity investments are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted guidance issued by the FASB to the presentation of several items in the statement of cash flows. Specifically, the guidance identifies nine cash flow items and the sections where they must be presented within the statement of cash flows, including distributions received from equity method investees, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, and restricted cash. Other than as it relates to restricted cash, the adoption of this guidance had no impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. This guidance requires that restricted cash be aggregated with cash and cash equivalents in both the beginning-of-period and end-of-period line items at the bottom of the statement of cash flows. Previously, the change in restricted cash between the beginning-of-period and end-of period was reflected as either an investing, financing, operating, or non-cash activity based on the underlying nature of the transaction. Accordingly, for the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2018, the Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year and Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year line items include restricted cash of $7 and $3, respectively. Additionally, the Company’s Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 were recast to reflect this change in presentation as follows (only line items impacted are reflected in the table):
2017
2016
For the year ended December 31,
As previously reported
Change
As recast
As previously reported
Change
As recast
Financing activities
Net transfers from former parent company
$
—
$
—
$
—
$
802
$
4
$
806
Additions to debt (original maturities greater than three months *
—
—
—
—
1,228
1,228
Cash (used for) provided from financing activities
(506
)
—
(506
)
(483
)
1,232
749
Investing activities
Net change in restricted cash
—
—
—
1,226
(1,226
)
—
Cash (used for) provided from investing activities
(226
)
—
(226
)
1,077
(1,226
)
(149
)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
13
1
14
13
—
13
Net change in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
505
1
506
296
6
302
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of year
853
6
859
557
—
557
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of year
1,358
7
1,365
853
6
859
*
In September 2016, a subsidiary of the Company issued $1,250 in new senior notes (see Note L) in preparation for the Separation Transaction. The net proceeds of $1,228 from the debt issuance were required to be placed in escrow contingent on completion of the Separation Transaction. As a result, the $1,228 of escrowed cash was recorded as restricted cash. Prior to the adoption of this new guidance, in previously issued reports, the issuance of the new senior notes and the increase in restricted cash were properly excluded from Alcoa Corporation’s Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2016 as noncash financing and investing activities, respectively. However, in this report, the adoption of the new accounting guidance results in the issuance of debt being included in the Company’s Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2016 as a cash transaction. See Note S for a reconciliation of Cash and cash equivalents and Restricted cash reported in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheet that sum to the Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at both the beginning of year and end of year presented on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows for the year ended December 31, 2018. On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted guidance issued by the FASB to the accounting for intra-entity transactions, other than inventory. The guidance requires the current and deferred income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer to be recorded immediately when the transaction occurs; the exception to defer the tax consequences of inventory transactions is maintained. Prior to this guidance, no immediate tax impact was permitted to be recognized in an entity’s financial statements as a result of intra-entity transfers of assets. An entity was precluded from reflecting a tax benefit or expense from an intra-entity asset transfer between entities that file separate tax returns, whether or not such entities are in different tax jurisdictions, until the asset had been sold to a third party or otherwise recovered. The buyer of such asset was prohibited from recognizing a deferred tax asset for the temporary difference arising from the excess of the buyer’s tax basis over the cost to the seller. The adoption of this guidance had an immaterial impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted guidance issued by the FASB to accounting for business combinations. This guidance clarifies the definition of a business for the purposes of evaluating whether a particular transaction should be accounted for as an acquisition or disposal of a business or an asset. Generally, a business is an integrated set of assets and activities that contain inputs, processes, and outputs, although outputs are not required. This guidance provides a “screen” to determine whether an integrated set of assets and activities qualifies as a business. If substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the definition of a business has not been met and the transaction should be accounted for as an acquisition or disposal of an asset. Otherwise, an entity is required to evaluate whether the integrated set of assets and activities include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create output and are no longer to consider whether a market participant could replace any missing elements. This guidance also narrows the definition of an output. Previously, an output was defined as the ability to provide a return in the form of dividends, lower costs, or other economic benefits directly to investors, owners, members, or participants. An output is now defined as the ability to provide goods or services to customers, investment income, or other revenues. The adoption of this guidance had no immediate impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements; however, this guidance will need to be considered in the event Alcoa Corporation acquires or disposes of an integrated set of assets and activities. On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation early adopted guidance issued by the FASB to the assessment of goodwill for impairment as it relates to the quantitative test. Prior to this guidance, there were two steps when performing a quantitative impairment test. The first step required an entity to compare the current fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value. In the event the reporting unit’s estimated fair value was less than its carrying value, an entity performed the second step, which was to compare the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill with the implied fair value of that goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is the excess of the fair value of the reporting unit over the fair value amounts assigned to all of the assets and liabilities of that unit as if the reporting unit was acquired in a business combination and the fair value of the reporting unit represented the purchase price. If the carrying value of goodwill exceeded its implied fair value, an impairment loss equal to such excess was recognized. This guidance eliminates the second step of the quantitative impairment test. Accordingly, an entity would recognize an impairment of goodwill for a reporting unit, if under what was previously referred to as the first step, the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value. The impairment would be equal to the excess of the reporting unit’s carrying value over its fair value not to exceed the total amount of goodwill applicable to that reporting unit. The adoption of this guidance had no immediate impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements; however, this guidance will need to be considered each time the Company performs an assessment of goodwill for impairment under the quantitative test (see Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets above). On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted guidance issued by the FASB to the presentation of net periodic benefit cost related to pension and other postretirement benefit plans. This guidance requires that an entity report the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the same line item(s) on its income statement as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during a reporting period. The other components of net periodic benefit cost (see Note N) are required to be reported separately from the service cost component. In other words, these other components may be aggregated and presented as a separate line item or they may be reported in existing line items on the income statement other than such line items that include the service cost component. Previously, Alcoa Corporation reported all components of net periodic benefit cost, except for certain settlements, curtailments, and special termination benefits, in Cost of goods sold (business employees) and Selling, general administrative, and other expenses (corporate employees) consistent with the location of other compensation costs related to the respective employees. The non-service cost components noted as exceptions are reported in Restructuring and other charges, as applicable. Additionally, this guidance only permits the service cost component to be capitalized as applicable (e.g., as a cost of internally manufactured inventory). Upon adoption of this guidance, management began reporting the non-service cost components of net periodic benefit cost, except for certain settlements, curtailments, and special termination benefits that will continue to be reported in Restructuring and other charges, in Other expenses (income), net on the accompanying Statement of Consolidated Operations (see Note N). For the year ended December 31, 2018, the non-service cost components reported in Other expenses, net was $139. Additionally, the Statement of Consolidated Operations for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 was recast to reflect the reclassification of the non-service cost components of net periodic benefit cost to Other expense (income), net from both Cost of goods sold and Selling, general administrative, and other expenses as follows:
2017
2016
For the year ended December 31,
As previously reported
Change
As recast
As previously reported
Change
As recast
Cost of goods sold
$
9,072
$
(81
)
$
8,991
$
7,898
$
(21
)
$
7,877
Selling, general administrative, and other expenses
284
(4
)
280
359
(3
)
356
Other expenses (income), net
(58
)
85
27
(89
)
24
(65
) Under the practical expedient option provided for in the guidance, the Company used previously disclosed amounts for non-service cost components to recast these line items for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016. Furthermore, Alcoa Corporation no longer capitalizes any non-service cost components as part of the cost of inventory prospectively beginning January 1, 2018. On January 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation adopted guidance issued by the FASB to the accounting for stock-based compensation when there has been a modification to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. This guidance requires an entity to account for the modification only when there has been a substantive change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. A substantive change occurs when the fair value, vesting conditions or balance sheet classification (liability or equity) of a share-based payment award is/are different immediately before and after the modification. Previously, an entity was required to account for any modification in the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award. The adoption of this guidance had no immediate impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements; however, this guidance will need to be considered if the Company initiates a modification that is determined to be a substantive change to an outstanding share-based award. Additionally, the Company will no longer account for any future non-substantive change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment awards as a modification. On April 1, 2018, Alcoa Corporation early adopted guidance issued by the FASB to the accounting for hedging activities retroactive to January 1, 2018. This guidance permits hedge accounting for risk components in hedging relationships involving nonfinancial risk and interest rate risk; reduces current limitations on the designation and measurement of a hedged item in a fair value hedge of interest rate risk; removes the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness; provides an election to systematically and rationally recognize in earnings the initial value of any amount excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness for all types of hedges; and eases the requirements of effectiveness testing. Additionally, modifications to existing disclosures, as well as additional disclosures, are required, as applicable, to reflect these changes regarding the measurement and recognition of hedging activities. This guidance is to be initially applied only to hedging instruments that exist as of the adoption date using the modified retrospective method. In other words, any financial statement impact from application of these changes to open hedging instruments as of the adoption date related to periods prior to the adoption year is to be recognized through a cumulative effect adjustment in beginning retained earnings of the adoption year. Accordingly, upon adoption of this guidance, Alcoa Corporation recognized an immaterial cumulative effect adjustment within equity effective January 1, 2018 related to open Level 1 hedging instruments as of the adoption date. The Company had no open Level 2 hedging instruments as of the adoption date and there was no financial statement impact from Alcoa Corporation’s open Level 3 hedging instruments as of the adoption date. This guidance will also be applied prospectively upon the Company entering into any new hedging instruments. See the Derivatives section of Note O for additional information. |
| Recently Issued Accounting Guidance | Recently Issued Accounting Guidance. In January 2018, the FASB issued guidance regarding the assessment of land easements (or rights of way) under the pending lease accounting requirements to be adopted on January 1, 2019 (see below). This guidance provides an entity an option to not evaluate existing or expired land easements as leases in preparation for the adoption of the new lease accounting requirements, as long as such land easements were recorded as something other than leases under current accounting requirements. That said, any new land easement acquired or existing land easement modified on January 1, 2019 or later must be assessed for lease accounting under the new requirements. This guidance becomes effective for Alcoa Corporation on January 1, 2019. Management plans to elect the option to not evaluate existing or expired land easements that are currently accounted for as something other than leases under the new lease accounting requirements. The Company’s land easements are currently accounted for as fixed assets and are immaterial to Alcoa Corporation’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Accordingly, management has determined that the adoption of this guidance will not have an immediate impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. The new lease accounting requirements will need to be considered if the Company acquires a new land easement or modifies an existing land easement on January 1, 2019 or later. In February 2018, the FASB issued guidance regarding the reclassification of certain income tax effects reported in accumulated comprehensive income (loss) in response to U.S. tax legislation enacted on December 22, 2017 known as the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “TCJA”). For corporations, one of the main provisions of the TCJA was the reduction in the corporate income tax rate to 21% from 35%. Under current income tax accounting requirements, an entity was required to remeasure applicable U.S. deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities at the 21% tax rate effective on the TCJA enactment date. This remeasurement was required to be recognized in an entity’s income tax provision in its income statement. However, certain of these deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities relate to income tax effects initially recognized at the 35% tax rate through other comprehensive income (loss) on items reported within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) on an entity’s balance sheet. Consequently, an entity’s financial statements will reflect an inconsistency between the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities measured at 21% and the related income tax effects in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) recorded at 35%. Accordingly, this guidance provides a one-time option to remeasure the income tax effects within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at the 21% income tax rate. The impact from this remeasurement is to be recorded directly in retained earnings on an entity’s balance sheet. This guidance becomes effective for Alcoa Corporation on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. Management has concluded its analysis and decided not to elect this option as permitted in the new guidance. In June 2018, the FASB issued guidance regarding the accounting for nonemployee share-based payment transactions. This guidance effectively changes the accounting for such transactions to be consistent with the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions. The nonemployee share-based payment transactions subject to this guidance are those in which a grantor acquires goods or services to be used or consumed in a grantor’s own operations by issuing share-based payment awards. This guidance is not to be applied to other nonemployee share-based payment transactions, such as those used to effectively provide (1) financing to the issuer or (2) awards granted in conjunction with selling goods or services to customers as part of a contract accounted for under revenue recognition principles. This guidance becomes effective for Alcoa Corporation on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The only nonemployees to receive share-based payments from Alcoa Corporation are the members of the Company’s Board of Directors. Accordingly, management does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued separate guidance regarding the respective disclosure requirements associated with fair value measurements and defined benefit plans. This guidance makes changes to the disclosures of fair value measurements and defined benefit plans through several removals, modifications, additions, and/or clarifications of the existing requirements. The following are the changes that will have an immediate disclosure impact for Alcoa Corporation upon adoption of the guidance for fair value measurements: (i) disclosure of the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements is no longer required, (ii) changes in unrealized gains and losses for the reporting period included in other comprehensive income (loss) for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period is a new disclosure requirement, and (iii) the range and weighted average (or other reasonable and rational method) of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements is a new disclosure requirement. The following are the changes that will have an immediate disclosure impact for Alcoa Corporation upon adoption of the guidance for defined benefit plans: (i) disclosure of the amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year is no longer required, (ii) disclosure of the effects of a one-percentage-point change in assumed health care cost trend rates on both the aggregate of the service and interest cost components of net periodic benefit costs and the benefit obligation for postretirement health care benefits is no longer required, and (iii) an explanation of the reasons for significant gains and losses related to changes in the benefit obligation for the reporting period is a new disclosure requirement. The guidance for fair value measurements and defined benefit plans becomes effective for Alcoa Corporation on January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020, respectively, with early adoption permitted. Other than updating the applicable disclosures, the adoption of this guidance will not have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance regarding the accounting for implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract (in other words, does not contain a software license). This guidance aligns the accounting for cloud computing implementation costs with that of costs to develop or obtain internal-use software, meaning such costs that are part of the application development stage are capitalized as an asset and amortized over the term of the arrangement, otherwise, such costs are expensed as incurred. Additionally, this guidance requires applying existing impairment guidance for long-lived assets to the capitalized implementation costs. Furthermore, this guidance requires the following presentation in an entity’s financial statements: (i) payments for the capitalized implementation costs should be classified on the cash flows statement in the same manner as payments for the service fees associated with the arrangement, (ii) the capitalized implementation costs should be presented in the same asset line item on the balance sheet as any prepayment for the service fees associated with the arrangement, and (iii) the amortization of the capitalized implementation costs should be reflected in the same expense line item on the income statement as the service fees associated with the arrangement. This guidance becomes effective for Alcoa Corporation on January 1, 2020, with early adoption permitted. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact of this guidance on the Consolidated Financial Statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance regarding the accounting for leases. This guidance requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for leases classified as operating leases. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize a right of use asset and lease liability. Additionally, when measuring assets and liabilities arising from a lease, optional payments should be included only if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise an option to extend the lease, exercise a purchase option, or not exercise an option to terminate the lease. A right-of-use asset represents an entity’s right to use the underlying asset for the lease term, and a lease liability represents an entity’s obligation to make lease payments. Currently, an asset and liability only are recorded for leases classified as capital leases (financing leases). The measurement, recognition, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from leases by a lessee remains the same. This guidance becomes effective for Alcoa Corporation on January 1, 2019. Through a previously established cross-functional project team, the Company has completed the accumulation of all leases into a lease management system and has validated the information for accuracy and completeness. Additionally, the project team has finished the system implementation. This system will be the primary source for the Company’s lease information and the related accounting. Upon adoption of the new lease guidance, management expects to record a right-of-use asset and lease liability, each in the amount of $181, on Alcoa Corporation’s Consolidated Balance Sheet for several types of operating leases, including land and buildings, alumina refinery process control technology, plant equipment, vehicles, and computer equipment. This amount is equivalent to the aggregate future minimum lease payments on a discounted basis. Additionally, in July 2018, the FASB issued guidance to provide for an alternative transition method to the new lease guidance, whereby an entity can choose to not reflect the impact of the new lease guidance in the prior periods included in its financial statements. The Company intends to elect this alternative transition method on the January 1, 2019 adoption date. In June 2016, the FASB added a new impairment model (known as the current expected credit loss (CECL) model) that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under the new guidance, an entity recognizes as an allowance its estimate of expected credit losses. The CECL model applies to most debt instruments, trade receivables, lease receivables, financial guarantee contracts, and other loan commitments. The CECL model does not have a minimum threshold for recognition of impairment losses and entities will need to measure expected credit losses on assets that have a low risk of loss. These changes become effective for Alcoa Corporation on January 1, 2020. Management is currently evaluating the potential impact of these changes on the Consolidated Financial Statements. |
