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Allianz

alv · NYSE Consumer Cyclical
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FY2019 Annual Report · Allianz
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Saving More Lives

 Autoliv Annual Report

Content

03  ��������������������������������������������������������������� 2019 in Summary

05  ����������  The World's Largest Automotive Safety Supplier

06�������������������������������������������������������������� President’s Letter

08����������������������������������������  Our Vision, Mission and Values 

12  ����������������� Our Customers and Major Launches in 2019

14  ���������������������������������������������������������Strategy and Targets

22  �������������������������������  Financial and Sustainability Targets

26�������������������������������������������������������������������������� Operations 

34��������������������������������������������������������������������������� Innovation

42�������������������������������������������������������������������������  Employees

46��������������������������������������������������������������������� Shareholders

52������������������������������������������������������������� Board of Directors

53������������������������������������������  Executive Management Team 

56�����������������������������������������������������  Contacts and Calendar

Autoliv Annual Report 2019

2019 in  
Summary

$8.5 b 

net sales 

1.2% 

organic* sales growth 

9.1% 

adjusted* operating margin

$844 m 

in operating cash flow 1

79% 
cash conversion*,1
$217 m 

in direct shareholder return

41% 

market share

EUROPE

29%

OF '19 SALES

AMERICAS

34%

OF '19 SALES

JAPAN

9%

OF '19 SALES

CHINA

18%

OF '19 SALES

REST OF ASIA

10%

OF '19 SALES

Sales 2019

Renault/Nissan/Mitsubishi

Honda

Hyundai / KIA

Toyota

Daimler

PSA

Great 
Wall

Subaru

*) Non-U.S. GAAP Measure. See "Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures" section in this Annual Report. 
1) Excluding EC antitrust payment.

16%

10%

10%

8%

8%

7%

7%

5% 4%

4% 3% 2%2%

2%

2%

10%

Volkswagen

FCA

Ford

General 
Motors

BMW Volvo

Mazda 

Others

The World’s  
Largest Automotive 
Safety Supplier

A utoliv  is  the  worldwide  leader  in  automotive  

safety  systems,  with  sales  to  all  major  car 
manufacturers.  Our  more  than  65,000  asso-
ciates  in  27  countries  are  passionate  about 
our  vision  of  Saving  More  Lives.  We  develop  prod-
ucts  that  save  over  30,000  lives  each  year  and  prevent 
ten  times  as  many  severe  injuries.  Our  mission  is  to 
provide  world-class,  life-saving  solutions  for  mobil-
ity  and  society.  We  develop,  manufacture  and  sell  

automotive  safety  systems,  such  as  airbags,  seatbelts,  
steering  wheels  and  pedestrian  protection  systems  for 
the vehicles of today and tomorrow. 

We continuously challenge ourselves to bring excel-
lence  into  everything  we  do,  providing  safety  for  road 
users,  consistency  and  quality  for  our  customers,  con-
fidence  and  security  for  our  employees,  stability  and 
growth  for  our  shareholders,  and  pursuing  sustainable 
practices while earning trust within our communities.

Associates >65,000 worldwide

Lives Saved >30,000 per year

Operations in 27 countries

Car Brands ~100 worldwide

Tech Center Locations 14 worldwide

Headquarters Stockholm, Sweden

Crash Test Tracks 20 worldwide

Incorporated Delaware, United States

Dear  
Shareholder

W E DELIVERED IN A CHALLENGING  

MARKET ENVIRONMENT 
As  we  reflect  on  the  past  year,  we  look 
back at one of the most challenging years 
for the automotive industry with light vehi-
cle production down around 6% globally, including a more 
notabable decrease in China of 9%. However Autoliv con-
tinued outpace the market in 2019, and our market share 
increased to more than 41%. We grew organically* more 
than 1%, which was more than 7 percentage points above 
light vehicle production growth. Business cycle manage-
ment  actions  in  response  to  the  rapidly  deteriorating 
market conditions and raw material headwinds helped us 
to  deliver  an  adjusted  operating  margin*  of  9.1%,  down 
1.4  percentage  points  compared  to  2018.  Our  cashflow  
remained solid and our order intake remained high, sup-
porting our growth opportunities for the long term.

WE ARE UNIQUELY PLACED TO BENEFIT FROM  
GROWING DEMAND AND INDUSTRY TRANSFORMATION 
Autoliv  is  a  purpose-driven  company  and  we  exist  be-
cause life matters. Our ambition is to save 100,000 lives 
annually by 2030. By further strengthening our position in 
2019 as the undisputed global leader in our market, we 
are uniquely placed to benefit from the growing long-term 
demand for traffic safety as well as the significant trans-
formation facing our industry including changing driving 
modes, emerging technologies and evolving competition. 
In response to these developments, we have broadened 
our mission to: Provide World Class Life-Saving Solutions 
for Mobility and Society. With the new mission statement, 
we aspire to position Autoliv  as  the global leader in the 
wider mobility safety arena, beyond the light vehicle safety  

industry,  adopting  a  multi-modal  view  of  transport-
ing  people,  goods  and  providing  service  solutions.  This 
means we continue growing our core business – airbags, 
seatbelts  and  steering  wheels  –  while  exploring  oppor-
tunities in key adjacent areas where we can leverage our 
technological  know-how,  operational  capabilities  and 
strong customer relationships.

OUR ROADMAP TO LEVERAGE GROWTH  
INTO HIGHER PROFITABILITY 
Our key priorities in 2019 were to make our business more 
efficient  and  continue  to  build  a  company  that  delivers 
long-term  profitable  growth  and  increased  shareholder 
value.  Furthermore,  we  implemented  business  cycle 
management actions in response to the rapidly deterio-
rating  business  conditions.  As  a  result,  our  headcount 
declined by more than 1,500 in 2019. To continue building 
a  stronger  company,  we  focus  both  on  our  internal  and 
external value chain to drive improvement and excellence 
through a relentless focus on quality, standardization and 
Autoliv  Production  System.  The  recent  years’  surge  in 
orders should also enable us to fully leverage additional 
volumes into higher profitability as they go into produc-
tion while RD&E costs as share of sales should normal-
ize. To accelerate our roadmap to higher profitability, we 
also  invest  in  automation  and  digitalization  in  our  core 
business and support processes. 

OUR FINANCIAL TARGETS AND AMBITIONS 
At  our  Capital  Markets  Day  on  November  19,  2019,  we 
communicated  updated  financial  targets  and  long-term 
ambitions.  To  create  shareholder  value,  we  focus  on 
visible  near-term  and  sustainable  long-term  growth,  

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / President’s Letter

profitability  improvement  and  over-the-cycle  resilience, 
cash flow generation and strong balance sheet and a pru-
dent debt policy. Medium term, our target is to grow sales 
organically*  by  3-4%  more  than  light  vehicle  production 
(LVP) growth per year and we aim to improve our adjusted 
operating margin* to around 12%, based on an assumed 
average LVP growth of 1-2% per year. In addition, we aim 
for  a  cash  conversion  of  at  least  80%  and  to  maintain  a 
net debt leverage ratio* of around 1x, with a range of 0.5x 
to 1.5x. Our long-term ambition is to grow at least in line 
with our market and to increase our earnings capacity to 
an adjusted operating margin* of 13%.

WE INNOVATE FOR BETTER ROAD USER SAFETY  
AND FOR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE 
Autoliv has pioneered automotive safety for over 65 years. 
As  the  clear  market  leader,  the  way  we  innovate  sets  us 
apart from our competitors. Innovation for us is about 
anticipating  safety  needs  for  all  road  users  –  in  cars,  on 
powered  two-wheelers,  cyclists  and  pedestrians  -  by 
studying global real-life accident data, human factors and 
biomechanics. We develop safety solutions meeting these 
needs by collaborating closely with our customers, univer-
sities and business partners. A key success factor for Auto-
liv is our strong customer focus, from innovation to manu-
facturing  and  delivery  of  our  products.  Through  research 
conducted  in  cooperation  with  customers  and  leading 
universities,  we  are  leveraging  our  combined  technologi-
cal expertise to improve safety for road users, today and for 
the future. New industry trends, like autonomous driving, 
electrification  and  more  comfortable  interiors  and  cock-
pits, are generating new safety needs that call for smaller, 
lighter and better integrated safety products to protect road 
users. Innovation is also about continuously improving our 
processes  and  transforming  our  way  of  conducting  busi-
ness  to  drive  excellence  in  quality,  efficiency  and  time  to 
market  through  application  of  automation,  digitalization, 
simplification and standardization and by proactively build-
ing in quality in our upstream value chain.

OUR INNOVATION FOR FUTURE MOBILITY 
Vehicles  of  the  future  place  new  and  more  complex  de-
mands  on  safety  systems  to  protect  all  road  users.  Our 
innovation  efforts  for  future  mobility  focus  on  four  areas. 
Electrification,  ADAS/AD,  Personalization  and  Voulner-
able  Road  Users.  Electrification  provides  opportunity  to 
develop seatbelt systems, integrating mechatronics to re-
duce reaction time, including proactive safety features and 
improving  comfort  and  customization.  Another  important 
area for us is ADAS/AD – as we improve the effectiveness 
of existing airbags, advances in engineering allow designs 
for new interiors and new seating positions to protect peo-
ple traveling in the vehicles of tomorrow, such as the Life 
Cell Airbag, or our research in steering wheel technology 
that  has  resulted  in  improved  ease  of  control.  Two  final 
areas  are  Adaptivity  and  Personalization  of  restraint  sys-

tems for age, size and gender and Vulnerable road users 
(VRU)  –  pedestrians,  cyclists  and  drivers  of  two-wheelers  
such  as  scooters,  motorcycles  and  e-scooters.  VRU’s  ac-
count for nearly half of all road fatalities today. We expect to 
continue to lead the development of safety systems in this 
important area.

SUSTAINABILITY PRIORITIES THAT MATTER TO US
Sustainability is at the core of what we do, and we have a 
global  strategy  to  align  our  sustainability  priorities,  am-
bitions  and  targets,  to  help  ensure  that  our  business  will 
continue to thrive long-term by systematically considering 
all the dimensions of our business in society. As part of our 
sustainability agenda we support UN Sustainable Develop-
ment Goal #3 – Good Health and Well-Being – and in 2019 
we also became a signatory of UN Global Compact which 
means  that  we  are  committed  to  making  the  UN  Global 
Compact and its principles part of our strategy, culture and 
day-to-day  operations.  During  2019  we  continued  to  par-
ticipate in several research collaborations in traffic safety, 
including vulnerable road user protection. Autoliv is a long-
standing  member  in  the  well-established  China  Sweden 
Research Centre for Traffic Safety. This year we expanded 
our involvement in research platforms with regional focus 
to India, continuing a dialogue with the Indian government 
and other stakeholders, working towards a common goal 
to  Save  More  Lives.  Our  Sustainability  Report  details  our 
progression towards our targets

WE ARE BUILDING A WINNING TEAM THROUGH  
TRUST AND EMPOWERMENT
Continuing as the world’s leading supplier of automotive 
To continue to be the world’s leading supplier of automo-
tive safety systems in a changing world requires that all 
of us at Autoliv share a drive for excellence and a passion 
for  saving  more  lives.  The  successful  execution  of  our 
strategy and the fulfilment of our targets rest on a per-
formance- and quality-oriented culture that can respond 
to  sudden  shifts  in  our  circumstances,  whether  this 
means capturing unforeseen opportunities or addressing 
challenges and disruptions. We build a winning team by 
trusting  and  empowering  our  people  and  by  creating  a 
work environment that attracts, retains and engages our 
employees  while  promoting  development,  flexibility  and 
change.

With  our  commitment  to  provide  world  class  life-saving 
solutions for mobility and society,

Mikael Bratt,  
President & CEO  
Stockholm February 21, 2020

06

07

O U R   V I S I O N

Saving More Lives

OUR MISSION

OUR VALUES

Providing World Class,  
Life-Saving Solutions for 
Mobility and Society

One Autoliv
We execute our work while always considering the 
value to our customers and impact to our entire  
company. We respect and rely on one another and  
all our stakeholders for exceptional results. We work 
together across the entire value chain to raise Autoliv 
to its full potential. We value the power of teamwork.

Transparent
Our actions and behaviors are guided by integrity, 
openness and what is in the best interest of our  
company, customers, employees, shareholders  
and society.

Innovative
Our passion for saving lives drives us to constantly 
seek new solutions and improve existing products  
and processes to create unique selling points. We  
are curious and receptive to different perspectives 
and opportunities we are open to challenge the status 
quo and identify opportunity to drive improvements in 
everything we do. We dare to lead with a focus beyond 
tomorrow and take opportunities to learn and grow.

Agile
We are flexible and clever in anticipating  
change, adapting quickly and finding ways to  
deliver excellent results at all times.

08

09

At the 
Forefront of Technology 
to Save More Lives  

New safety systems: A higher level of autonomy allows for  
flexible seating with new layouts and positions that requires new safety  
systems. Improved and new products for Vulnerable Road Users, including  
airbags for pedestrians and cyclists as well as on-bike airbags and  
restraint systems for drivers of powered two-wheelers.

10

11

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Customers

Our Customers and  
Major Launches in 2019 

Autoliv delivers to around 100 car brands worldwide

In 2019, our top five customers represented 52% of sales and the 
ten largest represented 79% of sale. This reflects the concentra-
tion in the automotive industry. The five largest vehicle manufac-
turers (OEMs) in 2019 accounted for 51% of global light vehicle 
production (LVP) and the ten largest for 74%. A contract typically 
covers the lifetime of a vehicle model, which is normally between 
five  and  six  years  depending  on  customer  platform  sourcing 
preferences and strategies. 

CUSTOMER SALES TRENDS
Asian vehicle producers have become increasingly important to 
Autoliv and now represent around 46% of global sales, compared 
to 37% five years ago. Of the Asian OEMs, the Japanese OEMs 

represent  34%  of  our  sales,  compared  to  24%  in  2014.  This  is 
a result of our high order intake with them over the past years, 
built  on  our  strong  local  presence  in  Japan,  technology  lead-
ership  and  our  global  manufacturing  footprint.  Organic  sales 
growth*  in  China  was  more  than  13  percentages  point  higher 
than the declining light vehicle production, further strengthen-
ing our position with both domestic and global OEMs.

Sales  to  European  OEMs  accounted  for  31%  of  our  global 
sales in 2019, this is 2 percentage points less than 2014. The U.S. 
based OEMs (including Tesla) account for 21% of our global sales, 
down from 29% in 2014. This is in part due to the sale of GM's 
European operations, Opel, to PSA. Tesla now accounts for more 
than one percent of our sales. 

Peugeot 2008
Driver airbag, Passenger airbag, Side airbag, Inflatable curtain, Seatbelt w pretensioner, Steering wheel

Honda Fit/Jazz
Side airbag, Inflatable curtain, Front center airbag, Seatbelt  
w pretensioner

Peugeot 208
Driver airbag, Passenger airbag, Side airbag, Inflatable curtain,  
Seatbelt w pretensioner, Steering wheel

Opel Corsa
Driver airbag, Passenger airbag, Side airbag, Inflatable curtain, Seatbelt w 
pretensioner, Steering wheel

Renault Clio 
Passenger airbag, Side airbag, Inflatable curtain, Seatbelt w pretensioner

Mazda CX-30 
Driver airbag, Side airbag, Inflatable curtain, Steering wheel

Ford Escape 
Knee airbag, Passenger airbag, Side airbag, Seatbelt w pretensioner

Toyota Corolla
Driver airbag, Steering wheel

Subaru Outback
Side airbag, Seatbelt w pretensioner

12

13

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Strategy and Targets

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Strategy and Targets

Our Market Continues  
to Grow as the Automotive 
Industry Transforms

O ur  strategy,  business  priorities 

and  targets  are  deeply  rooted 
in  the  growing  global  demand 
for  traffic  safety.  1.35  million 
lives  are  lost  annually  on  the 
roads,  according  to  the  World  Health  
Organization (WHO). Vulnerable road users 
–  pedestrians,  cyclists,  and  motorcyclists 
–  make  up  about  half  of  these  fatalities.  
Road  traffic  accidents  are  a  major  cause 
of  death  among  all  age  groups  and  the 
leading  cause  of  death  for  children  and 
young  adults  between  the  ages  of  5  and 
29. In addition, tens of millions suffer non-
fatal  traffic-related  injuries,  causing  not 
only  human  suffering  but  also  costs  cor-
responding  to  about  3%  of  GDP  in  a  ma-
jority of countries. This underlines the im-
portance of our commitment to save more 
lives  and  reduce  the  number  of  injuries  
on our roads. 

MARKET DEVELOPMENT 
The  automotive  safety  market  is  driven 
by  two  fundamental  factors:  light  vehicle 
production  (LVP)  and  content  per  vehicle 
(CPV).  In  the  long  term  the  introduction 
of new technologies such as autonomous 
driving  (AD)  /  advanced  driver-assist  sys-
tems  (ADAS)  is  expected  to  have  a  posi-
tive effect on the content per vehicle. With 
advanced protective systems for new flex-
ible seating positions, safety integration in 
seats,  human  machine  interface  (HMI)  in 
steering  wheels  and  protection  systems 
outside the car for vulnerable road users 
there is an increasing need for innovations 
in safety systems. 

In  the  medium  term,  content  per  
vehicle is expected to grow by around 1% 
per  year,  mainly  due  to  increased  safety 
content  per  vehicle  in  growth  markets, 
but  also  from  higher  installation  rates  of 
knee airbags and more advanced seatbelt  
systems in more mature markets. 

Distribution of fatalities by road user type

Driver/passengers of 4-wheeled vehicles
Drivers of motorized 2 and 3-wheelers

Cyclists
Pedestrians

Others

WORLD

3%

17%

29%

23%

28%

Source: WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018.

14

AMERICAS

18%

22%

3%

34%

23%

EUROPE

5%

9%

27%

48%

11%

EASTERN
MEDITERRANEAN

2%

10%

39%

34%

15%

AFRICA

7% 4%

40%

40%

9%

28%

38%

SOUTH-EAST
ASIA

2%

16%

25%

14%

43%

WESTERN
PACIFIC

6%

14%

22%

22%

36%

LIGHT VEHICLE PRODUCTION (LVP) 
LVP  has  increased  at  an  average  annual 
growth  rate  of  2.2%  since  1997.  Our  base 
scenario  is  for  an  average  LVP  growth  of 
1-2%  per  year  over  the  next  three  to  five-
year  period.  The  majority  of  the  growth  is 
expected to take place in Asia.

This  is  lower  than  the  historical  growth 
rate, partly due to new regulations regarding 
emissions particularly in Europe.

CONTENT PER VEHICLE (CPV)
A  global  development  towards  increased 
safety  standards  with  stricter  regulations 
and  increasingly  stringent  rating  frame-
works  is  a  strong  driver  of  safety  content 
in  vehicles.  Other  drivers  are  the  premium 
vehicle  trend  and  the  increasing  focus  on 
safety in emerging markets. By continuously 
researching,  developing  and 
introducing 
new  technologies  with  higher  value  added 
features, Autoliv can influence safety content 
per vehicle. As a result of the increasing av-
erage CPV, the automotive safety market has 
outgrown LVP historically and we expect that 
trend  to  continue.  Our  steady  flow  of  new 
technologies,  strong  track  record  of  quality 
and reliability has also enabled us to further 
outpace the market and increase our market 
shares in all product areas and regions.

EVOLVING COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Autoliv is the undisputed leader in automo-
tive  safety  with  a  global  market  share  of 
41% in its core products. We face a variety of 
competitors in a landscape that is constantly 

evolving.  We  consider  our  key  competi-
tors to be Joyson Safety Systems (JSS) and 
ZF,  which  we  regard  as  global,  full-scope  
competitors.  Our  largest  automotive  safety 
competitor  JSS,  formed  through  the  com-
bination  of  KSS  and  Takata  Corporation, 
is  owned  by  the  Chinese  company  Ningbo 
Joyson  Electronic.  ZF,  our  second  larg-
est  competitor,  is  a  broad-based  automo-
tive  supplier.  In  Japan,  Brazil,  South  Korea 
and  China,  we  compete  with  a  number  of 
local  suppliers  with  close  ties  to  domes-
tic  vehicle  manufacturers.  For  example, 
Toyota  uses  Tokai  Rika  for  seatbelts  and 
Toyoda  Gosei  for  airbags  and  steering 
wheels.  These  suppliers  generally  receive 
a significant portion of Toyota's business in 
Japan.  Similarly,  Mobis,  a  major  supplier 
to  Hyundai/Kia  in  South  Korea,  generally  
receives  a  significant  part  of  their  busi-
ness.  Other  competitors 
include  Nihon 
Plast  and  Ashimori  in  Japan,  and  YFK  and  
Jinheng in China. We also face competition 
from product specialists such as ISI. 

Competitive landscape

Global 
Full Scope

China 
Challengers

OEM
Associated

Product 
Specialists

Medium-term organic sales growth*

2019 Content per vehicle
US$ per vehicle

New  
Markets

Outperform
3-4%

LVP 1-2%

400

300

200

100

0

Average: ~$225

*) Non-U.S. GAAP Measure. See "Non-U.S. GAAP Performance 
Measures" section in this Annual Report.

Company estimates. Includes seatbelts, airbags, steering wheels 
and pedestrian safety. 

NA

WEU

Japan

EEU

China

SA

India

15

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Strategy and Targets

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Strategy and Targets

We Exist Because  
Life Matters 

A utoliv  has  pioneered  automo-

tive safety for over 65 years. We 
exist because life matters. Our 
products save over 30,000 lives 
each year and prevent ten times 
as many severe injuries, and our ambition 
is that our products will save over 100,000 
lives  annually  by  2030.  Saving  More  Lives  

represents the essence of what our busi-
ness  is  about.  This  vision  has  guided  our 
company  from  our  first  seatbelt  in  1956 
and drives the culture within our company. 
Ever  since  the  start,  we  have  been  at  the 
forefront of our industry, delivering a string 
of world-first safety innovations to custom-
ers around the world.

Autoliv is uniquely positioned to benefit  
from the industry transformation

Since the formation of Autoliv Inc. in 1997, 
our compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 
has  been  5.3%,  compared  with  a  market 
growth rate of 2.6%. Our ability to consist-
ently outperform market growth is rooted 
in a steady flow of new safety technologies, a 
strong focus on quality and a superior pro-
duction and engineering footprint serving  
around  100  car  brands  globally.  This  has 
enabled  us  to  increase  our  global  mar-
ket share from 27% in 1997 to more than 

41%  in  2019,  with  leading  market  shares 
across all three core products areas - air-
bags, seatbelts and steering wheels. One 
key to this progression in market share is 
our quality leadership. Due to our relent-
less focus on quality, covering all aspects 
of our business, less than 2% of recalled 
vehicles  (passive  safety  recalls)  since 
2010 have been related to Autoliv. This is 
a favorable result given our global market 
share of 41%.

Firm Industry Leader at 41% 1  
with growing market share

Minimal recalls
Less than 2% of recalled vehicles since 2010

40%

41%

2%

Comp. 1

Comp. 2

Comp. 3

Comp. 4

Comp. 5

Comp. 6

Comp. 7

Others

0 

  10 

    20  

       30 

       40 

2018

2019

Autoliv

Others

1) Company estimates. Based on Autoliv's passive safety market definition 
including airbags, seatbelts, steering wheels and pedestrian safety. 

2019 
Market share
Product area

Airbags 

42%

Seatbelts 

41%

Steering Wheels 

38%

16

Our roadmap to leverage  
growth into higher profitability

Autoliv  operates  in  an  industry  undergo-
ing a significant transformation, driven by 
changing driving behavior, emission regu-
lation,  emerging  technologies  and  evolv-
ing  competitors.  Our  strategic  roadmap, 
business priorities and targets are deeply 
rooted  in  the  growing  demand  for  traffic 
safety  and  a  strong  belief  that  the  need 
for our products will continue to grow. Our 
leading  role,  developed  over  many  years, 
places  us  in  the  pole  position  to  spear-
head  the  transformation  in  our  industry. 
We  aspire  to  position  ourselves  as  the 
global  leader  in  the  wider  mobility  safety 
arena,  beyond  the  light  vehicle  safety  in-
dustry. In the coming years, we want to go 

from  a  solid  industry  leader  to  a  true  in-
dustry  transformer.  We  intend  to  not  just 
lead but set the trends in our industry. We 
expect  to  also  expand  our  mission  to  en-
compass  safety  for  mobility  and  society.  
Mobility  refers  to  a  multi-modal  view  of 
transporting  people,  goods  and  services 
beyond  our  traditional  market  of  safety  
for light vehicles. We want to go beyond a 
focus on manufacturing excellence towards 
Business  4.0  throughout  our  entire  value 
chain.  We  expect  to  make  further  use  of 
digitalization,  connectivity  and  automation 
to  enhance  and  streamline  our  business 
processes. This journey goes hand in hand 
with Autoliv's focus on profitable growth.

Autoliv's medium-term intension

We have 
taken the first 
steps into 
new markets

We have moved  
closer to saving 
100,000 lives  
per year

We have raised  
our level of  
profitability and  
cash generation

We have launched 
new products for  
AD, EVs, VRUs  
and personalized  
restraints

We are  
viewed  
by  
our  
customers  
as supplying  
the best value

We  
have  
further  
strengthened  
our market  
position through  
sales outperformance

We have further  
integrated  
sustainability  
into our  
day-to-day  
business

We are well  
on our way in  
our automation  
journey

We  
are  
the preferred  
development  
partner for our  
customers and  
suppliers

17

 
 
Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Strategy and Targets

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Strategy and Targets

Profitable...

...Growth

• Volume Leverage

• Continuous Improvement

• Accelerators
 – Automation
 – Digitalization
 – Modularization
 – Footprint and Review Make vs Buy
 – RD&E Effectiveness

• Core Business Growth

 – Innovation
 – Quality Leadership
 – Customer and Business Management 

• New Markets and  
  Adjacent Business

Agile 
Governance  
Model and
Performance 
Culture

Agile, performance-oriented culture 

The  successful  execution  of  our  strategic 
roadmap  rests  on  the  performance  and 
quality-oriented  culture  at  Autoliv,  com-
bined with agility  in responding to  sudden 

shifts  in  our  circumstances,  whether  this 
means  leveraging  unforeseen  opportuni-
ties,  or  addressing  internal  and  external 
disruptions and challenges.

… Growth
In  the  medium  term,  we  will  continue  to 
grow  our  core  business  –  airbags,  seat-
belts  and  steering  wheels  –  through  suc-
cessful  execution  of  the  current  product 
launch programs and order book. To main-
tain growth momentum beyond the ongoing  
step-change,  we  are  pursuing  an  ambi-
tious  innovation  program  which  includes 
targeting  several  “world  firsts”.  Success-
ful organic growth will also rely on driving  
operational  excellence  while  providing  
superior quality to our customers in terms 
of  product  performance  and  delivery  reli-
ability  prior  to  and  after  the  start  of  se-
rial  production.  We  constantly  review  our  
product  portfolio  and  optimize  it  from  a 
total  life-cycle  perspective.  We  are  also 
addressing  long-term  growth  through  op-
portunities  in  new  markets  and  adjacent 
businesses. We are looking into closely re-
lated areas such as vulnerable road users 
(VRU),  pyro-safety,  commercial  vehicles, 
digital  services  and  seat  safety  modules. 
We  intend  to  explore  opportunities  in  key 
adjacent areas where we can leverage our 
technological know-how, operational capa-
bilities and strong customer relationships. 

Profitable…
Volume leverage: While the recent surge in 
orders and product launches has required 
a  significant  organizational  focus  and 
increased  engineering  costs,  this  step-
change in activity should enable us to fully 
leverage  additional  volumes  into  higher 
profitability.  Upon  successful  completion 
of the current product launches, we should 
be able to normalize our research, devel-
opment  and  engineering  (RD&E)  costs  as 
a  share  of  sales.  This  normalization  will 
be  further  driven  by  RD&E  effectiveness 
programs  geared  toward  enhancing  pro-
ductivity, while some resources will be re-
directed to investments in new technology 
and  product  development  areas.  Continu-
ous  improvement  remains  a  cornerstone 
of  Autoliv’s  ongoing  efforts  to  strengthen 
productivity  and  efficiency.  In  addition  to 
enhanced  RD&E  effectiveness,  Autoliv's 
production system enables us to pursue a 
broad  agenda  of  continuous  improvement 
activities  across  all  functions  including 
sales, operations, supply chain and support 
functions. To accelerate our margin expan-
sion journey, we invest in automation and 
digitalization of our core business and sup-
port processes. We design for modulariza-
tion  to  drive  complexity  reduction.  We  will 
review  opportunities  to  externalize  non-
strategic  manufacturing  processes  which 
lack a financial rationale for remaining in-
house. 

Addressing long-term growth

We have a multi-modal view that extends 
beyond  our  traditional  markets.  To  do 
this we explor new markets and adjacent  

businesses where we can leverage our 
existing customer relationships and our core 
capabilities.

Mobility Safety Solutions

VRUs 
Account for 50% of  
global fatalities

Pyro-Safety 
Technology Leverage

Commercial Vehicles 
New market,  
Existing products

Digital Services 
New service model

Seat Safety Modules 
Evolving end-user model

18

19

AUTOLIV SEATBELTS

No. 1 Life- 
Saving Device 

The seatbelt is the top life-saving device. Seatbelts reduce  
moderate and severe injuries by 45% and – even more  
importantly – reduce fatalities for front row occupants in  
passenger cars for all types of crashes by 

45%

Source: Kahane, C. J. (2015, January). Lives saved by vehicle safety technologies and associated 
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, 1960 to 2012.

20

21

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Financial Targets

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Sustainability Targets

Financial Targets*

Sustainability Targets

Medium term

Organic Growth vs. LVP 
+3-4% per year

Medium term
Cash Conversion2 
 >_ 80%

Medium term
Adj. Operating Margin1 
~12%

Medium term
~1.0x Leverage Ratio 3 
(0.5-1.5x Range)

Targets

Ambitions

1) Excludes costs to capacity alignments and antitrust matters.  
2) Operating cash flow less capex, net in relation to net income excluding anti-trust related costs and payments.
3) Net Debt including pension liabilities in relation to last twelve month EBITDA.
*)  Non-U.S. GAAP Measures. See "Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures" section in this Annual Report.

Long term

Grow at least in  
line with market 
Adj. Operating  
Margin 1  
~13%

In  2019,  Autoliv’s  organic  sales*  increased  by  1.2%, 
compared  with  a  total  light  vehicle  production  (LVP) 
decrease of 5.9%. Sales for airbags (including steering 
wheels)  accounted  for  66%  of  group  sales,  while  seat-
belts  accounted  for  34%.  Autoliv  achieved  an  adjusted  

operating  margin*  of  9.1%  and  a  cash  conversion,  ad-
justed  for  the  EC  antitrust  payment,  was  79%.  During 
2019, Autoliv’s net debt position increased by $31 million 
to $1,650 million. At the end of 2019 the leverage ratio* 
was 1.7 times which is slightly above the target range.

Sustainability is about ensuring that our business will continue to thrive in the long 
term by systematically considering all the dimensions of our business in society.  

See our Sustainability Report for further information.

Our Priorities

Our Targets

Innovate  
Life-Saving  
Products

Limit Our  
Impact on the  
Environment
*) Efficiency target, measured  
per part delivered

Commit to  
Our Employees

Act Ethically  
& Commit to  
Society
*) Completion rate measured from  
the annual target group

Supply Chain  
Sustainability

*) DM = Direct Material

100,000

Lives saved  
By 2030

12%

REDUCTION
C02e Emissions* 
Scope 1 & 2  
By 2023

12%

REDUCTION
Energy 
Consumption*  
By 2023

100%

PERFORMED
Water Risk 
Assessment  
By 2020

Y-o-Y

REDUCTION
Waste and 
Scrap  
Continuous

0.50

Incident Rate  
By 2022 

5.00

Severity Rate  
By 2022 

100%

Anti-corruption 
training completion*  
Continuous 

100%

Antitrust 
training  
completion*  
Continuous

100%

Code of Conduct  
certification* 
Continuous 

100%

100%

95%

New DM* suppliers 
sustainability audited 
Continuous 

All DM* suppliers 
sustainability audited 
By 2021 

DM* suppliers respond 
to conflict minerals  
survey. By 2022 

22

23

AUTOLIV AIRBAGS

New Front Center Airbag   
Enhances Front-Row  
Protection  

The front center airbag can prevent front-row 
passengers from colliding with each other 
during side impacts� The airbag deploys in the 
space between the driver and passenger seats 
and offers protection in far-side collisions�

Beginning in 2020 Euro NCAP incorporates  
assessment of far side protection in their  
rating� Front Center Airbags substantially  
reduce injuries in far-side crashes� Deliveries  
of the new front center airbag started late 2019�

24

25

 Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Operations

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Operations

Driving Excellence  
Through our Global  
Platform

G LOBAL PRODUCTION  

FOOTPRINT 
Autoliv develops, manufactures  
and  sells  protective  systems,  
such  as  airbags,  seatbelts  
and  steering  wheels,  for  the  automotive  
industry. We also provide additional safety 
features, such as battery cut-off switches,  
automatic  bolt  release  and 
integrated 
child  booster  seats.  Autoliv  spun  off  its  
former  Electronics  segment,  Veoneer,  in 
mid-2018,  resulting  in  a  company  with  a 
more  focused  strategy  and  increased  op-
erational  flexibility.  With  operations  in  27 
countries covering all regions, Autoliv has 
the  largest  global  footprint  in  the  indus-
try.  We  strive  to  be  the  supplier  of  choice 
on  global  vehicle  platforms  and  to  grow 
with  our  customers  as  they  expand  their 
global  production.  Component  production 
is  concentrated  to  a  few  locations,  while 

final  assembly  plants  and  tech  centers 
are  located  closer  to  our  customers.  Fin-
ished products are delivered “just in time,” 
sometimes several times a day, to vehicle 
manufacturer  plants.  For  some  custom-
ers,  we  have  established  final  assembly 
centers  inside  or  close  to  their  manufac-
turing plants. Our products are fed into the 
vehicle assembly line in the right order, in 
accordance with the car buyers’ selections 
of colors and optional equipment. Our final 
assembly center receives a new order al-
most  every  minute,  and  within  two  to  five 
hours (depending on the product), the or-
der is executed and the product delivered. 
Our  production  lines  and  equipment 
are  often  developed  by  Autoliv  to  en-
sure  standardization,  productivity,  high  
quality  and  the  integrity  of  proprietary  
production  technologies.  Including  joint  
venture operations, we have approximately  

64 production facilities located in 25 coun-
tries,  consisting  of  component  factories 
and final assembly factories. The products 
manufactured  in  2019  consisted  of  ap-
proximately 146 million complete seatbelt 
systems  (of  which  about  85  million  were 
fitted  with  pretensioners),  approximately 
156  million  airbags  where  of  98  million 
side  airbags  (including  curtain  airbags) 
and  about  57  million  frontal  airbags,  and 
about 21 million steering wheels.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Our reputation for quality and maintaining 
a customer focus in our innovation and op-
erations has created a strong market posi-
tion.  Together  with  effective  standardiza-
tion, One Product One Process (1P1P) and 
our manufacturing philosophy for govern-
ing  processes,  known  as  the  Autoliv  Pro-
duction  System  (APS),  they  represent  our 

tools and methods for to leverage growth 
into  higher  profitability  and  for  laying  a 
strong foundation for continued operational  
excellence.

Operational excellence is our “Roadmap 
to  Winning,”  focusing  on  all  areas  of  our  
operations,  from  managing  our  order  
intake  with  seamless 
launches  and 
smooth ramp-ups to demonstrating best-
in-class quality, cost optimization and im-
proving asset utilization. We have a strong 
customer  focus,  from  innovation  to  man-
ufacturing  and  delivery  of  our  products. 
And  we  continue  to  innovate  and  explore 
adjacent  areas,  leveraging  our  exper-
tise  and  core  competence  to  enable  sus-
tainable  profitable  growth.  As  part  of  our  
strategic roadmap, we are accelerating our  
commitments to commercial excellence.

LOCATIONS AND CAPABILITIES

Headcount

Tech center

Production

  Airbags

  Seatbelts

  Steering wheels

  Other 3)

Sales and support office

BRAZIL1)

CANADA

CHINA1)

ESTONIA1)

FRANCE

GERMANY HUNGARY1)

INDIA1)

INDONESIA1)

ITALY

JAPAN MALAYSIA1,2)

1,009

396

8,227

823

2,144

1,248

2,131

2,292

180

14

2,256















































































MEXICO1)

14,220

NETHER-
LANDS

7

PHILIP-
PINES1)

1,244













POLAND1) ROMANIA1) RUSSIA1)

SOUTH 
AFRICA1)

SOUTH 
KOREA

SPAIN

SWEDEN THAILAND1) TUNISIA1)

TURKEY1)

UNITED 
KINGDOM

3,264

10,047

164

149





























724



352

499

















3,427

2,522

2,896

209



























1) Defined as a best-cost country.  
2) Includes headcount in non-consolidated joint ventures.  
3) Includes weaving and sewing of textile cushions and seatbelt webbing,  
    inflators, and components for airbag and seatbelt products.

26

USA

4,774









27

 
 
 
 
TEDDY BEAR CAMPAIGN PROMOTES PASSION FOR SAVING LIVES

In the fall 2019 Autoliv in Detroit and Salt Lake City USA launched a promo-
tional campaign featuring a cuddly teddy bear, safely buckled into a vehicle 
with a clear message of saving lives and protecting loved ones. The campaign 
was designed to highlight the great pride that every Autoliv employee brings 
the office every day knowing their work matters.

28

29

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Operations

AUTOLIV  
PRODUCTION SYSTEM 
The Autoliv Production System 
is our way to become more ef-
ficient day in and day out. We follow guid-
ing principles like continuous flow, quality 
right the first time, visualization and team-
work to keep us moving in the right direc-
tion. These principles enable us to deliver 
our  goods  and  services  at  the  right  time, 
in the right amount, at the required quality 
and at the lowest cost to all our customers. 
Each  element  in  the  APS  House  provides 
critical support to the other elements. All 
elements (Just in time, Employee involve-
ment,  Quality  first,  Teamwork,  5S,  Waste 
elimination,  Standards,  and  TPM)  are 
needed to reach our goal. APS defines the 
key  target  conditions  necessary  to  move 
all our processes closer to the ideal con-
dition. We are committed to maintain our 
direction while incorporating key elements 
of  automation  and  factory  of  the  future 
to  increase  the  speed  of  our  efficiency. 
As  part  of  our  strategy  we  apply  the  APS 
mindset to our footprint optimization deci-
sions.  Every  step  we  take  moves  us  to  a 
higher level of operational excellence and 
closer to our strategic objectives.

QUALITY
Autoliv exists because life mat-
ters.  We  can  never  compro-
mise on quality as our life-sav-
ing  products  never  get  a  second  chance. 
Since people's lives depend on our safety 
products, at Autoliv, we are committed to 
delivering  the  highest  quality,  safety  and 
performance  while  striving  for  zero  de-
fects  in  all  we  do.  Our  quality  culture  is 
demonstrated  by  daily  efforts  throughout 
the  organization.  Our  pursuit  of  excel-
lence extends throughout the value chain 
to  ensure  robust  product  designs,  flaw-
less  components  from  suppliers  and  our 
own 
in-house  component  companies, 
manufacturing  of  superior  products  with 
a  system  for  verifying  that  our  products 
conform  with  specifications,  and  an  ad-
vanced traceability system in the event of 
a  recall.  Quality  is  also  key  to  our  finan-
cial performance, since excellent quality is  
critical for winning new orders, preventing 
recalls  and  maintaining  low  scrap  rates. 
We implement our quality strategy through 

the  Q5  program,  which  aims  to  create  a 
proactive quality culture of zero defects. Q5 
addresses quality in five dimensions: cus-
tomers,  products,  suppliers,  growth  and 
behavior.  Employee  engagement  through 
our  “It  Starts  with  Me”  philosophy  is  a  
cornerstone  of  our  Q5  program.  Another 
vital  aspect  is  Jidoka,  the  commitment 
that when an operator detects an abnor-
mality, he or she can directly stop the line 
to  take  appropriate  actions.  Our  zero-
defect mindset extends beyond Autoliv to 
our supplier base. All suppliers must ac-
cept  our  strict  quality  standards,  prevent 
bad parts from being produced, and help 
eliminate defective intermediate products 
in our assembly lines as early as possible. 
Our quality management system is regu-
larly audited by both internal and external 
parties. As part of our strategy to leverage 
growth into higher profitability, we intend 
to further enhance our Q5 culture and ze-
ro-defect  mindset  to  realize  and  sustain 
results,  including  further  pursuing  zero 
defects in our supplier base and adopting 
digitalization and data analytics for proac-
tive quality measures.

ONE PRODUCT  
ONE PROCESS – 1P1P
Through effective standardiza-
tion,  we  create  customer  and 
shareholder value. One Product One Pro-
cess (1P1P) promotes total cost manage-
ment  in  engineering,  manufacturing  and 
purchasing.  Reducing  complexity  is  key 
to  lowering  costs  and  increasing  product 
robustness,  resulting  in  higher  custom-
er  satisfaction.  Autoliv’s  1P1P  initiative 
achieves reduced complexity by standard-
izing certain parts, resulting in fewer parts 
needed to satisfy customer projects. Pro-
gress is driven by cross-functional product 
teams with the authority and responsibility 
to manage one or several product families 
with a global mindset in terms of product 
design, manufacturing and supplier man-
agement.  These  product  teams  also  en-
sure proper usage of the products in cus-
tomer  projects  and  manage  the  transfer 
of  product  knowledge.  1P1P  promotes  a  
culture  in  which  lessons  learned  are 
shared  globally, 
incremen-
tally  bringing  us  closer  to  zero  defects. 

thereby 

Q5 is the journey which will shape an Autoliv culture leading  
to zero defects and best value for all our customer 

Behavior

Customer

Product

Supplier

Growth

• Starts with me
• Working together – One Autoliv

• The reason we are here
• Ensure satisfaction

• Delivers value
• Connects directly to the vision

• Partnership for the future
• Creating value together

• Continuous improvement of products and processes
• Develop the right skills and abilities of our people

Main Objectives 
with all products 
and services

• Reduce risk for critical quality issues and "near misses"�  Drive toward zero customer issues and zero defects�
• Provide customers with products and services of value that is and is percieved to be higher than anyone else's 
• Reduce waste and internal errors

REDUCE DIRECT MATERIAL COSTS
Approximately  half  of  our  revenues  are 
spent on direct materials purchasing from 
external  suppliers.  We  mainly  purchase 
manufactured  components,  and  approxi-
mately 50% of our component costs com-
prise raw materials value. We take several  
actions  to  mitigate  higher  commodity 
prices,  such  as  re-designing  products  to 
reduce  material  content  and  weight,  and 
component  standardization 
to  reduce 
complexity and gain cost advantages.

REDUCE LABOR COSTS
Direct labor costs corresponded to 10% of 
our sales. To reduce labor costs while off-
setting the price erosion on our products, 
we  continuously  implement  productivity  
improvement  programs,  expand  produc-
tion in best-cost countries (BCCs),  invest 
in  increased  automation  and  implement 

restructuring  and  capacity  alignment 
activities.  More  than  80%  of  our  workers 
are located in BCCs. Our Continuous im-
provement  strategies  have  enabled  pro-
ductivity improvement above our target of 
5% over the last years, except 2018 due to 
a sharp increase in launch activities. Ex-
cluding impact from Force Majeure situa-
tion in our plant in Mexico, we have come 
back  to  around  historical  performance 
during 2019. This is achieved despite the 
increased launch activities that impacted 
us during 2019. We foresee opportunities 
for  further  productivity  gains  due  to  the 
increasing  use  of  automation  in  our  as-
sembly  as  part  of  our  lean  manufactur-
ing  processes.  Additionally,  automated 
cells typically perform the manufacturing 
process  with  reduced  variability.  This  re-
sults in greater control and consistency of 
product quality.

30

31

 
According to WHO Global Status Report on 
Road Safety 2018, 28% all road fatalities 
occur to motorized 2 & 3 Wheelers.

AUTOLIV SCOOTER AIRBAGS

How Does  
the Motorcycle 
Airbag Work?

Autoliv has developed a revolutionary new airbag system that 
works to protect a motorcyclist’s head and torso. The system 
is  designed  to  protect  riders  in  the  event  of  a  frontal  crash 
with  car  or  larger  object.  The  airbag,  using  crash  detecting 
sensors will deploy in about one twentieth of a second (0.05) in 
tests up to 30 MPH. The scooter airbag was found to substan-
tially reduce injuries to the rider's head and torso. 

32

33

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Innovation

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Innovation

Uniquely Positioned to  
Save More Lives

INNOVATION
Innovation  at  Autoliv  is  about 
anticipating  safety  needs  by 
studying  global  real-life  acci-
dent  data,  human  factors  and 
biomechanics.  We  develop  solutions  to 
meet these needs by collaborating closely 
with  our  customers.  Innovation  at  Autoliv 
is  also  about  continuously  improving  our 
design  processes  and  transforming  our 
way  of  conducting  engineering  to  pursue 
excellence  in  terms  of  quality,  efficiency 
and  time  to  market  through  the  appli-
cation  of  automation  and  digitalization,  
simplification and standardization, and by 
proactively  building  quality  into  our  up-
stream value chain.

Autoliv  has  pioneered  automotive  safe-
ty  for  65  years,  including  the  introduc-
tion  of  several  world  firsts.  Our  product  
portfolio  spans  airbags,  seatbelts,  steer-
ing wheels and pedestrian protection. We 
also  provide  additional  safety  features,  
such as battery cut-off switches and inte-
grated  child  booster  seats.  New  industry 
trends, such as autonomous driving, elec-
trification,  connectivity  and  more  com-
fortable interiors and cockpits, are gener-
ating new safety needs that call for more 
sophisticated and digital safety products. 
Our approach to real-life safety, together 
with our methods and processes, and our 
ambition  and  dedication  to  Saving  More 
Lives, puts Autoliv in a unique position.

Long Track Record of
Commercializing Industry Firsts

Deeply Integrated R&D Dialogue with Global Customer Base

SOLUTIONS BASED ON REAL-LIFE DATA
A key differentiating factor is that we perform research 
and innovate to find solutions based on real-life data. 
Our research and development are based on real traf-
fic accidents and injuries as well as numerous crash  

tests, user clinics, simulations, driving data collection 
and the vast expertise gathered by our specialists over 
many  years.  The  way  we  innovate  solutions  is  a  key 
differentiator that sets us apart from our competitors.

Real-Life Safety 
Autoliv has a research-based approach to Saving More Lives in  
real-lite situations. This approach has allowed us to be a leader in  
automotive safety for 65 years.

Start of Production
Once validated, these new 
technologies move into the 
Autoliv production system.

Validation of New  
Safety Systems 
We then validate the  
feasibility of these  
technologies in real-life  
traffic situations.

Developing New  
Test Methods 
Continued research  
also drives us to develop  
new methods for testing  
real-life safety technologies.

Real-  
Life 
Safety

Start of 
production

Accident  
statistics on  
a macro level

Accident Statistics  
on a Macro Level 
Autoliv's research team  
gathers and analyzes real-life 
safety statistics on a global level 
to understand traffic accidents. 

Validation of
new safety 
systems for  
real-life  
traffic

The Autoliv 
Circle of Life for 
Traffic Safety

In-depth  
studies  
of accidents  
and incidents

ln-Depth Studies of 
Accidents and Incidents 
Autoliv partners with  
leading safety institutions  
to study traffic accidents,  
their causes and outcome.

Developing 
new test 
methods

Biomechanics  
and human  
factors 

Finding the  
best 
technology  
for safety 
needs

Biomechanics and  
Human Factors 
Autoliv is a global leader  
in understanding how 
biomechanics and driver 
behavior affects the  
safety in real-life traffic 
conditions.

Finding the Best Technology 
Our research allows us to develop technologies that meet the  
needs of real-life traffic situations for all people.

First Seatbelt

Belt Grabber*

Steering Wheel 
with Integrated 
Crash Sensor

Knee
Airbag*

Side Curtain
Airbag*

Fixed Hub
Steering 
Wheel*

Safety Passenger
Vent Airbag*

Seatbelt
Locking 
Tongue*

Active Seatbelt

Pedestrian
Airbag*

Bag-in-Belt

Roll-Over Curtain
for Heavy Trucks*

Steering Wheel with 
Hand Sensor Detection*

1956 

1986 

1992 

   1995 

 1998 

2004 

2006 

2010 

2012  

2013 

2016

*) Industry first

34

35

 
 
  
  
  
Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Innovation

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Innovation

Innovation Through  
Collaboration

W e  have  customer  techni-

cal  centers  in  all  our  key 
markets and employ 5,700 
people in research, devel-
opment  and  application 
engineering.  We  support  our  customers 
through our technical centers and manu-
facturing  facilities  located  close  to  their 
assembly plants in Americas, Europe and 
Asia. Our application engineering projects 
are completed at our technical centers lo-
cated close to our customers and in close 
cooperation  with  manufacturing  units. 
A  big  portion  of  the  RD&E  resources  are 
focused in application engineering to sup-
port the development of new vehicles.

We not only develop and engineer tech-
nologies to enable more lives to be saved 
but  also  use  research  to  provide  guid-
ance  on  how  to  accomplish  this  goal.  We 
are  engaged  in  research  activities  with 
universities  in  the  fields  of  biomechanics, 
human  factors  and  traffic  safety  analysis. 
Our  research  and  development  are  based 
on  real  traffic  accidents  and  injuries  as 
well as numerous crash tests, user clinics, 

simulations, field operational tests and the 
vast expertise gathered by our specialists 
over  many  years.  Through  our  research 
and  different  collaborations,  we  aim  to  
improve the safety of car occupants and we 
also actively engage in activities to improve 
the safety of vulnerable road users. 

During  2019,  we  continued  to  partici-
pate in research collaborations to develop 
active human body models for virtual sim-
ulations.  A  new  European  funded  project  
MEDIATOR  was  started,  in  which  we  to-
gether  with  other  partners  will  develop 
guidelines,  protocols  and  recommenda-
tions  for  evaluating  and  assessing  the 
collaboration  between  a  human  and  an 
automated vehicle. We joined the new Fu-
ture  Occupant  Safety  for  Crashes  in  Cars 
(OSCCAR)  project  in  China  in  which  we 
are  partnering  with  car  manufacturers, 
research  organizations  and  other  auto-
motive suppliers to develop the designs of 
future safety systems for self-driving cars. 
Together  with  various  authorities,  OEMs 
and  supplier  organizations,  we  are  lead-
ing  an  initiative  to  share  key  learnings  in 

Images above: 
Autoliv's Board of 
Directors visited  
our Auburn Hills  
Technology Center 
(ATC) Michigan in  
November, 2019.  
To the left, Mikael 
Bratt, President and 
CEO. In the middle, 
Autoliv Board of  
Directors. To the right, 
Jordi Lombarde,  
Chief Technology 
Officer.

how  to  best  implement  a  Vision  Zero  in 
India  as  the  country  plans  for  mobility  in 
its new cities – an initiative known as the 
Road Safety Knowledge Sharing Platform. 
We  continued  to  participate  in  Swedish 
industry  and  academia  research  collabo-
rations  focusing  on  the  assessment  of 
passenger  safety  and  personalized  oc-
cupant  restraints  in  future  cars,  and  we 
also supported PhD research in this area. 

Autoliv  sponsored  and  presented  its  re-
search at numerous traffic safety-related 
conferences. Our outreach is not limited to 
sponsoring or to presenting our research 
at  conferences,  but  also  includes  educa-
tional activities for the general public. We 
were also active in several working groups 
focusing  on  regulatory  and  standardiza-
tion work in traffic safety.

Research Areas 
TRAFFIC SAFETY ANALYSIS 
To  constantly  improve  traffic  safety,  we 
need  to  know  what  is  happening  on  the 
roads  today,  how  current  safety  systems 
perform  in  real-life  traffic,  and  how  to  
design  safety  systems  for  the  future.  We 
use  various  data  sources  and  methods 
to  prioritize  research  topics,  develop  test 
methods,  calculate  retrospective  safety  
benefits  and  predict 
future  benefits. 
The  analysis  and  predictions  from  this  
research  serve  as  requirements  for  the  
development of future safety systems.

HUMAN FACTORS 
We design solutions based on truly cross-
disciplinary  research.  Vehicle  sensing  
capabilities need to be systemized so that 
the  vehicle  can  take  driving  context  and 
driver state into account when responding  
to traffic events. Our research focuses on 

road  user  behavior,  development  of  safe 
and  intuitive  human-machine  interaction 
as well as the usage of safety systems and 
comfort.  All  combined  and  utilized  in  the 
safety score to coach for safety driving. 

BIOMECHANICS 
To Save More Lives in the transport system, 
we need tools that represent a diverse pop-
ulation  in  different  transport  modes,  and 
we  need  to  understand  the  implications  
of  the  change  in  mobility  and  improved 
sensing  to  develop  future  safety  systems 
for  mobility  and  society.  Our  advanced  
omnidirectional human body models sim-
ulate real human bodies containing bones, 
muscles  and  organs.  We  can  depict  the 
characteristics  of  a  diverse  population  of 
various  age,  sex,  weight  and  height.  This 
allows us to study injury mechanisms on a 
very detailed level, which is necessary for 
developing  new  robust  and  sophisticated 
restraint systems.

36

37

 
 
AUTOLIV AIRBAGS

Airbags and Seatbelts  
Together Reduce  
Fatalities by 61% 

In frontal crashes, driver airbags reduce driver fatalities  
by 29%� Combined with a seatbelt it reduces fatalities in 
frontal crashes by 61%� Driver airbags also reduce severe 
injuries in frontal crashes by 32%� Autoliv also offers  
passenger, knee, side, curtain and front center airbags�

Source: Kahane, C� J� (2015, January)� Lives saved by vehicle safety technologies and associated 
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, 1960 to 2012�

38

39

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Innovation

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Innovation

Innovation Driving  
Safety for Mobility  
and Society

W HO  estimates  that  there 

are 1.35 million road traf-
fic fatalities per year in the 
world.  By  2060,  provided 
100  percent  of  the  vehicle 
fleet  is  highly  automated,  road  traffic  fa-
talities  could  be  as  low  as  0.7  million  ac-
cording to research to be published in 2020 
by Autoliv. The study shows that a majority 
of such accidents will involve pedestrians, 
cyclists and drivers of powered two-wheel-
ers.  Electrification,  autonomous  driving, 
shared mobility, digitalization and connec-
tivity are transforming society and the au-
tomotive industry. Mobility in our changing 
society  will  take  many  shapes  and  forms, 
and  our  ambition  is  to  meet  emerging 
safety  needs  through  the  entire  mobility 
chain, from in-vehicle occupants in differ-
ent levels of automation (ADAS/AD) to vul-
nerable road users including pedestrians, 
cyclists and two-wheeler riders.

We are continually developing our air-
bag, steering-wheel and seatbelt systems 
to  improve  safety  features,  comfort  and 
customization to accommodate any kind of 
journey in a constantly changing environ-
ment where a vehicle occupant or a road 
user  meets  a  mixed  fleet  of  vehicles.  In 
addition,  we  innovate  to  constantly  make 
things  smaller  and  lighter  –  such  as  our 
driver front airbags – or better integrated 
– such as our advanced seatbelt solutions 
integrated into seats – as well as applying 
more decentralized intelligence – such as 
our  small  integrated  decentralized  ECUs 
for our future steering wheels. As we inno-
vate to Save More Lives in society through 
development of our core safety solutions, 
we  make  improvements  in  our  engineer-
ing design that will protect individuals for 
years to come. 

Our innovation for future mobility focuses 
on four areas.

First,  electrification  of  vehicles  puts 
demands  on  us  for  electrical  solutions  – 
such  as  mechatronic  or  fully  electric  re-
tractors for seatbelts – as well as on qui-
eter products and battery cut-off switches. 

Electrification

Main challenges: Weight and noise 
• New materials development
• Electrical solutions
• New quieter products

• Battery cut-off switches

Second, Autonomous driving vehicles will 
put new demands on protecting occupants 
in  new  seating  positions.  Integration  of 
seatbelts  and  airbags  in  seats  as  well  as 
new  types  of  airbags  –  such  as  the  Life 
Cell  airbag  that  provides  protection  re-
gardless  of  how  a  driver  or  passenger  is 
seated – or interior concepts with multiple 
airbag  ideas  to  make  future  autonomous 
vehicles  safe  in  the  event  of  a  crash.  Fu-
ture  vehicles  will  also  increasingly  use 
steering  wheel  and  seatbelt  sensors  to 
connect  the  driver  to  the  vehicle’s  ADAS/
AD  systems,  through  the  use  of  sophisti-
cated  human-machine  interfaces  (HMI).  

The  sensors  at  the  steering  wheel  and 
seatbelt  can  also  measure  the  driver’s 
ability  to  handle  the  vehicle  and  add  this 
into a safety score. This safety score can be 
used as a basis for coaching a safer driving 
behavior.

ADAS and Autonomous  
Driving (AD)

Finally,  vulnerable  road  users  (VRU)  –  
pedestrians, cyclists and riders of powered 
two-wheelers – account for nearly half of 
all road fatalities today. Solutions for VRUs 
include pedestrian and cyclist airbags that 
cover a larger area on the vehicle as well 
as on-bike airbags and restraint systems 
for powered two-wheelers such as scoot-
ers and motorcycles.

Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs)
and Others

New seating positions 
•  Safety solutions more complex 
•  Need to adapt to new and varying seating positions
•  Safety integrated into seats

Human machine interface (HMI)
•  HMI driving more technical content in seatbelts  
  and steering wheels.

Third,  adaptivity  and  personalization  of 
restraint  systems  and  airbags  based  on 
age, size and gender is a natural progres-
sion  of  our  real-life  approach  to  safety. 
This includes fully electric retractors with 
multiple  load  levels  for  seatbelts  and 
adaptive  load  limiters  and  airbag  venting 
providing optimal protection depending on 
the occupant and situation.

Adaptability to Size and  
Age of Occupants

Adaptability of restraint system 
• Personalized restraint system
• Occupant diversity
• Child protection

Protection of: 
• Pedestrians, cyclists
• Drivers of powered two-wheelers

VRUs account for ~50% of all  
road fatalities

We are committed to creating a safer soci-
ety by designing products that will one day 
appear in future vehicles and protect road 
users  in  the  future  multi-modal  trans-
port  system.  Autoliv  is  well  positioned  to 
meet  future  automotive  safety  needs  as 
our  portfolio  offers  a  solid  foundation  for 
providing solutions for the entire mobility 
chain. Our solutions for advanced  driver-
assisted  and  autonomous  driving 
vehicles and for vulnerable road 
users  are  a  natural  evolution 
of  our  safety  products,  posi-
tioning us at the forefront of 
innovation driving safety for 
mobility and society.

Life Cell airbag
Developed by Autoliv 
Research, the Life  
Cell airbag provides  
protection regardless  
of how a driver or  
passenger is seated, 
including the seat  
orientation in proximity 
to the steering wheel 
and seatback  
orientation.

40

41

 
 
 
Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Employees

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Employees

Building a  
Winning  
Team

Our drive for excellence is what makes 

us  the  world’s  leading  supplier  of 
automotive safety systems. From the 
earliest  stages  of  product  develop-
ment to sales and design to the final 
delivery of the finished product we are driven by 
our passion to save more lives. The successful 
execution  of  our  strategies  relies  on  our  abil-
ity to shape a quality and performance oriented 
culture,  and  to  adapt  quickly  to  sudden  shifts 
in our circumstances. A turbulent external en-
vironment  presents  many  challenges  but  also 
opportunities. As we move forward we strive to 
respond with agility to new possibilities to grow 
and  improve  our  business  whilst  delivering 
with excellence to our customers. 

We  build  a  winning  team  by  focusing  on 
having  the  right  people  and  the  right  culture, 
and creating a work environment that attracts, 
retains,  and  engages  our  employees.  We  take 
great pride in working together to provide life-
saving  solutions  for  mobility  and  society,  and 
are always looking for new team members who 
share this passion.

DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EMPLOYEES 
We  offer  a  collaborative  and  positive  work  
environment  where  we  tackle  challenges  and 

achieve  great  things  together.  Supporting  the 
development  of  our  employees  is  essential  in 
a  highly  competitive  and  rapidly  changing  en-
vironment.  An  important  cornerstone  of  each 
employee’s  growth  is  the  ongoing  personal, 
transparent communication between the team 
member  and  manager,  which  is  summarized 
during  an  annual  performance  and  develop-
ment  dialogue  (PDD).  During  2019,  99%  of  
targeted  employees  conducted  a  PDD  with 
their managers. To further support the growth 
of  our  employees,  we  have  a  multitude  of  
development channels, including technical and 
specialist  career  paths,  international  assign-
ments and other such programs. We promote 
continuous  development  on  the  job  every  day, 
and  more  than  4,000  employees  attended  at 
least one training program this year.

HEALTH AND SAFETY 
We  are  committed  to  providing  a  work  envi-
ronment  that  promotes  the  health,  safety  and  
welfare  of  our  employees.  Each  Autoliv  facility 
implements our health and safety management 
system, which is supported by leadership teams. 
The implementation of the system is monitored 
through internal and external audits. 

42

DIVERSITY 
We  value  diversity  and  different  backgrounds 
and  experiences  among  our  employees.  Our 
workforce reflects the diversity of the countries 
and cultures in which we operate. At the end of 
2019, 46% of our workforce and 21% of our sen-
ior management positions were filled by wom-
en. We have operations in 27 different countries, 
with 28% of our workforce located in Asia, 31% 
in  the  Americas  and  41%  in  Europe  (including 
Africa, Russia and Turkey).

LABOR RIGHTS 
We  offer  fair  terms  and  conditions  of  employ-
ment.  Our  values,  Code  of  Conduct,  tal-
ent  development  strategies  and  employment 
policies  support  the  principles  in  the  United  
Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights,  
and  the  International  Labor  Organization’s 
Fundamental Principles and Labor Standards.

Well-balanced workforce
By age, group, and gender in %

Men

Women

3%

5%

9%

16%

19%

2%

>60

51-60

41-50

31-40

21-30

<20

1%

4%

10%

15%

14%

2%

43

Seatbelt Webbing  
Process at Autoliv in  
Brasov, Romania

Our plant in Brasov is the largest worldwide supplier  
of seatbelt webbing and the only supplier of spun-dyed  
webbing. It has a capacity of 260 million meters of  
webbing in 225 different color patterns. 

Between 2008 and 2019 Romania has produced and  

supplied more than 1,684,500,000 meters of webbing  
for seatbelts, corresponding to approximately 443 million 
seatbelts or enough to circle the Earth 42 times.

44

45

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Shareholders

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Shareholders

Creating  
Shareholder Value

By ensuring customer satisfaction, maintaining tight cost control  
and developing new products, we generate cash for long-term growth,  
financial stability and competitive returns to our shareholders.

A utoliv  has  generally  had  a 

strong  cash  flow  and  cash 
generation  focus.  Our  oper-
ating  cash  flow  has  always 
exceeded  our  capital  expen-
ditures. On average, our operations have 
generated  around  $757  million  in  cash 
per year over the last five years, while our 
capital  expenditures,  net,  have  averaged 
around  $510  million  per  year  during  the 
same period. 

CAPITAL EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS
Our strong cash flow reflects both Autoliv’s  
earnings  performance  and  our  improve-
ments  in  capital  efficiency.  During  2019, 
our  capital  turnover  rate,  meaning  our 
sales  in  relation  to  average  capital  em-
ployed, was 2.3 times. 

OUR CASH FLOW MODEL
When  analyzing  how  best  to  use  each 
year’s cash flows from operations, Autoliv’s  
Executive  Management  and  the  Board  of 
Directors use a model for creating share-
holder  value  that  considers  important 
variables  such  as  the  marginal  cost  of 
borrowing, the return on marginal invest-
ments  and  the  price  of  Autoliv  shares. 
When  evaluating  the  various  uses  of 
cash,  the  need  for  flexibility  is  weighed 
against  acquisitions  and  other  potential 
settlements.

INVESTING IN OPERATIONS
To  create  long-term  shareholder  value, 
cash  flow  from  operations  should  only 
be  used  to  finance  investments  in  opera-
tions  until  the  point  when  the  return  on 
investment no longer exceeds the cost of 
capital. Our historical pre-tax cost of capi-
tal  has  been  approximately  between  11% 
and 13%. Autoliv’s pre-tax return on capi-
tal employed has generally exceeded this 
level,  except  during  the  financial  crisis  in 
2008-2009. During the last five years, the 
return on capital employed has varied be-
tween 13% and 20%, i.e. one to two times 
the  pre-tax  cost  of  capital.  In  2019,  $476 
million was reinvested in the form of capi-
tal  expenditures,  net.  This  corresponds 
to  74%  of  the  year’s  operating  cash  flow 
of  $641  million.  Capital  expenditure,  net, 
was around 35% higher than depreciation 
and amortization due to our strong order 
intake and the need for additional manu-
facturing capacity.

ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTMENTS AND 
INVESTMENTS IN ASSETS
In  order  to  accelerate  company  growth 
and  create  shareholder  value  over  time, 
we use some of the cash flow generated 
for acquisitions and for investments in as-
sets such as joint ventures and intellectual 
property.  These  investments  are  typically 
made  to  consolidate  our  position  in  the 

Cash flow vs. CapEx
US$ (Millions)

Capital turnover rate
Times, sales in relation to average  
capital employed

1,000

800

600

400

200

0

3

2

1

0

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

*

17

*

18

*

19

**

2015

2016

2017

2018*

2019*

Cash flow from operations
Capital expenditures, net

*)  Continuting Operations
**) 2019 adjusted for the EC antitrust payment

*) Continuting Operations

Assets by category 
US$ (Millions)

Shareholder Returns
US$ (Millions)

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

2018

2019

Operating working capital*
Property, plant and equipment
Goodwill and other intangible assets

*) 2018 excluding the EC antitrust accrual.

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Share buybacks
Dividend

industry, increase our vertical integration 
or expand into new markets. Divestments 
could be carried out, for instance, with the 
objective to optimize the business culture 
and enhance the business focus. In 2018, 
we  distributed  our  former  Electronics 
business segment to our shareholders in 
the form of a dividend. The new company, 
Veoneer, had its first day of trading on July 
2, 2018. 

SHAREHOLDER RETURNS
Autoliv  has  historically  used  both  divi-
dend  payments  and  share  repurchases 
to  create  shareholder  value,  and  we  do 
not  have  a  set  dividend  policy.  Instead, 
the Board of Directors regularly analyzes 
which  method  is  most  effective  in  each 
instance,  in  order  to  create  shareholder 
value. For the full year 2019, the dividend  
was  increased  from  $2.46  to  $2.48  per 

46

47

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Shareholders

Autoliv Annual Report 2019  / Shareholders

Autoliv's Model for Creating Shareholder Value
US$ (millions)

IN                                                 OUT

2019

1
4
6

2018

       591

72

4

7

6

CASH
FLOW

5

5

5

             612         

                754

              28                                   

1

2       

16

                            8

30

Operations
Common stock issue
Change net debt and other

Total acquisitions, net of divestitures
Capital expenditures, net
Restructuring
Dividends paid

share.  In  total,  $217  million  was  used  to 
pay  dividends  to  shareholders  in  2019. 
Historically, the dividend has represented 
a yield of approximately 2-3% in relation to  
Autoliv's average share price. In 2019, this 
yield  was  3.3%.  Repurchases  of  shares 
can  create  more  value  for  shareholders 
than  dividends,  if  the  share  price  appre-
ciates  over  the  long  term.  This  has  been 
the case for Autoliv, since the Company's 
existing  15.6  million  treasury  shares  has 
been  repurchased  at  an  average  cost 
of  $56.13  per  share,  while  the  closing 
price at the end of 2019 was $84.41. Dur-
ing  2019,  Autoliv  did  not  repurchase  any 
shares.  The  remaining  Board  authoriza-
tion pertains to approximately 3.0 million 
shares.

CAPITAL STRUCTURE
Our debt limitation policy is to maintain a  
financial  leverage  commensurate  with  a 
“strong  investment  grade  credit  rating”. 
Our long-term target is to have a leverage 
ratio*  of  around  1  time  and  to  be  within 
the range of 0.5 and 1.5 times. In addition 
to the above, the objective is to provide the 
Company with sufficient flexibility to man-
age  the  inherent  risks  and  cyclicality  in 
Autoliv’s business and allow the Company 
to realize strategic opportunities and fund 
growth  initiatives  while  creating  share-
holder  value.  In  2019,  Autoliv  was  above 
the  target  range  due  to  the  effect  of  the 
EC antitrust payment and weaker EBITDA 
impacted  by  a  falling  light  vehicle  mar-
ket.  On  December  31,  2019,  the  leverage  

ratio was 1.7 times. Autoliv holds a “BBB+ 
with  negative  outlook”  credit  rating  from 
Standard  &  Poor's.  We  aim  to  maintain 
a  strong  investment  grade  rating  as  our 
current  capital  structure  should  provide 
flexibility to generate further shareholder 
returns and the funding of our capital re-
quirements.

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION
Autoliv’s  common  stock  is  traded  on 
the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  ("NYSE") 
while  Autoliv's  Swedish  depositary  re-
ceipts  (SDRs)  are  traded  on  NASDAQ 
Stockholm’s  list  for  large  market  cap 
companies.  During  2019,  the  number  of 
shares outstanding increased by 0.1 mil-
lion to 87.2 million (excluding dilution and 

treasury  shares).  The  weighted  average  
number of shares outstanding for the full 
year  2019,  assuming  dilution,  was  87.4  
million.  Stock  options  (if  exercised)  and 
granted restricted stock units (RSUs) per-
formance shares could increase the num-
ber  of  shares  outstanding  by  0.4  million  
shares in total. Combined, this would add 
0.5% to the Autoliv shares outstanding. 

Autoliv  estimates  that  there  were  ap-
proximately 70,000 beneficial Autoliv own-
ers as of December 31, 2019. Around 22% 
of  Autoliv’s  securities  were  held  by  US-
based  shareholders  and  close  to  53%  by 
Sweden-based shareholders. Most of the 
remaining Autoliv securities were held in 
the  U.K.,  Switzerland,  Norway,  Canada 
and France.

Date

Jan 2, 2019

Dec 18, 2019

May 31, 2019

Dec 31, 2019

Date

Jan 2, 2019

Nov 08, 2019

May 31, 2019

Dec 30, 2019

KEY STOCK PRICE DATA 2019

NYSE

First trading day

Year high

Year low

Closing

Price ($)

70.41

86.79

61.57

84.41

NASDAQ STOCKHOLM

Price (SEK)

First trading day

Year high

Year low

Closing

630

834

588.6

791

THE LARGEST SHAREHOLDERS, December 31, 2019

 Holder name1)

1. Cevian Capital AB

2. Alecta Pension Insurance Mutual

3. Swedbank Robur Fonder AB

4. AMF Pensionsförsäkring AB

5. Henderson Global Investors Ltd.

1) Known to the Company, of approximately 70,000 shareholders, as of December 31, 2019.

48

49

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pyrotechnic  
Initiators

The pyrotechnic initiator is a critical component in Autoliv's 
quest to Save More Lives�  In the event of a vehicle crash which 
requires an airbag deployment, the initiator starts the chain 
of reactions by converting the electrical current sent by the 
restraint control unit (in less than 1 millisecond) to ignite the 
inflator to fill the airbag with gas�  Autoliv produces over 300 
million initiators annually using high precision manufacturing 
equipment with high quality controls to meet stringent cus-
tomer and industry requirements�

50

51

Board of 
Directors

Executive  
Management  
Team

Alt 3: 
Featuring Peter Asplund Big Band
Special guest Isabella Lundgren

From left:

Min Liu
Director since 2019. Member of the Audit Committee 
and the Leadership Development and Compensation 
Committee. 

James M. Ringler 
Director since 2002. Lead Independent Director and 
Chairman of the Leadership Development and  
Compensation Committee. Member of the Nominating 
and Corporate Governance Committee. 

Leif Johansson 
Director since February 2016. Chairman of the  
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. 
Member of the Leadership Development and  
Compensation Committee.

Mikael Bratt
President and CEO of Autoliv Inc. since June 2018, 
and Director since September 2018. 

Franz-Josef Kortüm 
Director since 2014. Member of the Nominating and 
Corporate Governance Committee.

David E. Kepler 
Director since February 2015. Chairman of the  
Risk and Compliance Committee. Member of the 
Audit Committee. 

Jan Carlson 
Chairman since May 2014 and Director since 2007.

Thaddeus “Ted” Senko 
Director since 2018. Chairman of the Audit  
Committee. Member of the Risk and Compliance 
Committee. 

Hasse Johansson 
Director since 2018. Member of the Risk and  
Compliance Committee and the Audit Committee. 

Xiaozhi Liu 
Director since 2011. Member of the Nominating  
and Corporate Governance Committee and the  
Leadership Development and Compensation  
Committee. 

From left:

Anthony Nellis 
Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs 
General Counsel & Secretary
Employed 2002

Jordi Lombarte
Chief Technology Officer
Employed 1991

Jennifer Cheng 
President, Autoliv China
Employed 2006

Magnus Jarlegren
Executive Vice President, Operations
Employed 2019

Sherry Vasa 
Executive Vice President, 
Human Resources & Sustainability
Employed 1992

Mikael Bratt
President and CEO
Employed 2016

Brad Murray 
President, Autoliv Asia 
Employed 1987

Christian Hanke
Interim Chief Financial Officer 1
Employed 2016

Dan Garceau 
President, Autoliv Americas
Employed 1993

Frithjof Oldorff
President, Autoliv Europe
Employed 2019

Christian Swahn
Executive Vice President,  
Supply Chain Management
Employed 2019

Svante Mogefors 
Executive Vice President, Quality 
Employed 1996

52

For more information, refer to the section on  
Corporate Governance and the proxy statement  
on www�autoliv�com

1) New CFO, Frederik Westin, will join in March 2020. 

For more information, refer to the section on  
Corporate Governance and the proxy statement  
on www�autoliv�com

53

 
AUTOLIV AIRBAGS

An Improved  
Passenger Airbag

This new passenger airbag is designed to lower  
the probability of injury in a wide variety of crashes  
by securing the passenger's head like a ball in a 
catcher's mitt� This may be crucial in frontal-oblique 
collisions that causes the occupant to rotate and not 
to hit the center of the passenger airbag�

54

55

Contacts  
and Calendar

AUTOLIV, INC.
Visiting address:  
Klarabergsviadukten 70, Section B,  
7th Floor, Stockholm, Sweden  
Mail: P�O� Box 70381, SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden  
Tel: +46 (0)8 587 20 600  
E-mail: info@autoliv�com  
www�autoliv�com

CONTACT OUR BOARD 
Autoliv, Inc�
P�O� Box 70381, SE-107 24 Stockholm, Sweden 
Tel: +46 (0)8 587 20 600 
Fax: +46 (0)8 587 20 633 
E-mail: legalaffairs@autoliv�com

The Board, individual directors and the committees of  
the Board can be contacted using the address above�  
Contact can be made anonymously and communication  
with individual directors is not screened� The relevant  
chairman receives all such communication after it has  
been determined that the content represents a message  
to such chairman�

STOCK TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR 
www�computershare�com

INVESTOR REQUESTS
Autoliv, Inc�, P�O� Box 70381, SE-107 24, Stockholm, Sweden 
Tel: +46 (0)8 587 20 671 
E-mail: anders�trapp@autoliv�com,  
henrik�kaar@autoliv�com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
Concept and Design: PCG Stockholm  
Photos: Lars Trangius, Christian Wyrwa, Dan Kullberg,  
Jason Loudermilk, Robert Casey and PlainPicture Ltd
3D images: Björn Nilsson, Graphic / PCG

2020 PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL  
CALENDAR DATE EVENT
April 24, Financial Report Q1
May 7, Autoliv General Meeting, Detroit, MI, USA
July 17, Financial Report Q2
October 23, Financial Report Q3

56

57

 
Each year, Autoliv’s  
products save over  
30,000 lives

autoliv.com

UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
Washington, D.C. 20549 

FORM 10-K 

☒  ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

For the fiscal year ended December  31, 2019 

or 

☐  TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

For the transition period from  _________  to _________ 

Commission  file number: 001-12933 

AUTOLIV, INC. 

(Exact name of registrant  as specified in its charter) 

Delaware 
(State  or other  jurisdiction of 
incorporation or organization) 

Klarabergsviadukten  70, Section B7, 
Box 70381, 
Stockholm,  Sweden 
(Address  of principal  executive  offices) 

51-0378542 
(I.R.S. Employer 
Identification No.) 

SE-107 24 
(Zip Code) 

+46 8 587 20 600  
(Registrant’s telephone  number, including  area  code) 

Securities  registered  pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

Title  of each  class: 
Common Stock (par value $1.00 per share) 

Trading Symbol(s): 
ALV 

Name  of each  exchange  on which  registered: 
New York Stock Exchange 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known  seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.   Yes  ☒   No  ☐ 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐   No  ☒ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange  Act 
of  1934  during  the  preceding  12  months  (or  for  such  shorter  period  that  the  registrant  was  required  to  file  such  reports);  and  (2)  has  been 
subject to such filing requirements  for the past 90 days.    Yes:  ☒   No:   ☐ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically  every Interactive  Data File required to be submitted  pursuant to Rule 
405 of Regulation  S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding  12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant  was required to 
submit such files).    Yes:   ☒   No:   ☐ 

Indicate  by  check  mark  whether  the  registrant  is  a  large  accelerated  filer,  an  accelerated  filer,  a  non-accelerated  filer,  smaller  reporting 
company  or  an  emerging  growth  company.  See  the  definitions  of  “large  accelerated  filer,”  “accelerated  filer,”  “smaller  reporting  company”  and 
“emerging growth company”  in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange  Act. 

Non-accelerated filer 

Large accelerated filer 

  ☒ 
  ☐ 
Emerging growth company   ☐ 

   Accelerated filer 

   Smaller reporting company 

  ☐ 
  ☐ 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with 
any new or revised financial accounting standards pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company  (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes:  ☐   No:  ☒ 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting  common equity of Autoliv, Inc. held by non-affiliates  as of the last business day of the 
second fiscal quarter of 2019 amounted  to $6,151 million. 

Number of shares of Common  Stock outstanding  as of February 12, 2020: 87,249,686. 

DOCUMENTS  INCORPORATED  BY REFERENCE 

Portions  of  the  registrant’s  definitive  Proxy  Statement  for  the  annual  stockholders’  meeting  to  be  held  on  May  7,  2020,  to  be  dated  on  or 
around March 23, 2020 (the “2020 Proxy Statement”),  are incorporated  by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10- K. The 2020 
Proxy Statement  will be filed with the Securities  and Exchange  Commission  within 120 days after December  31, 2019. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1. 
Item 1A. 
Item 1B. 
Item 2. 
Item 3. 
Item 4. 

  Business 
  Risk Factors 
  Unresolved  Staff Comments 
  Properties 
  Legal Proceedings 
  Mine Safety Disclosures 

AUTOLIV, INC. 

Index 

PART I 

PART II 

Item 5.  
Item 6.  
Item 7.  
Item 7A. 
Item 8.  
Item 9.  
Item 9A. 
Item 9B. 

  Market for Registrant’s  Common Equity, Related Stockholder  Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 
  Selected Financial Data 
  Management’s  Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 
  Quantitative  and Qualitative  Disclosures  about Market Risk 
  Financial Statements  and Supplementary  Data 
  Changes in and Disagreements  with Accountants  on Accounting  and Financial Disclosure 
  Controls and Procedures 
  Other Information 

PART III 

Item 10. 
Item 11. 
Item 12. 
Item 13. 
Item 14. 

  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 
  Executive Compensation 
  Security Ownership  of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management  and Related Stockholder  Matters 
  Certain Relationships  and Related Transactions,  and Director Independence 
  Principal Accounting  Fees and Services 

Item 15. 

  Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 

PART IV 

3 
9 
22 
23 
26 
26 

27 
29 
30 
48 
50 
88 
88 
88 

89 
89 
89 
89 
89 

90 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

This  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  contains  statements  that  are  not  historical  facts  but  rather  forward-looking  statements  within  the 
meaning of  the  Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include those that address activities, 
events or developments that Autoliv, Inc. (“Autoliv,” the “Company” or “we”) or its management believes or anticipates may occur in  the 
future.  All  forward-looking  statements  are  based  upon  our  current  expectations,  various  assumptions  and/or  data  available  from  third 
parties. Our expectations and assumptions are expressed in  good faith and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, 
there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will materialize or prove to be correct as forward-looking statements are 
inherently  subject  to  known  and  unknown  risks,  uncertainties  and  other  factors  which  may  cause  actual  future  results,  performance  or 
achievements to differ materially from  the future results, performance or achievements expressed in or implied by such forward-looking 
statements. 

In  some  cases,  you  can  identify  these  statements  by  forward-looking  words  such  as  “estimates,”  “expects,”  “anticipates,”  “projects,” 
“plans,”  “intends,”  “believes,”  “may,”  “likely,”  “might,”  “would,”  “should,”  “could,”  or  the  negative  of  these  terms  and  other  comparable 
terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words. 

Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the outcome could differ materially from those set out  in the 
forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including without limitation: changes in light vehicle production;  fluctuation in vehicle 
production  schedules  for  which  the  Company  is  a  supplier;  changes  in  general  industry  and  market  conditions  or  regional  growth  or 
decline; changes in and the successful execution of our capacity alignment: restructuring and cost reduction and efficiency initiatives and 
the  market  reaction  thereto;  loss  of  business  from  increased  competition;  higher  raw  material,  fuel  and  energy  costs;  changes  in 
consumer  and  customer  preferences  for  end  products;  customer  losses;  changes  in  regulatory  conditions;  customer  bankruptcies; 
consolidations  or  restructuring;  or  divestiture  of  customer  brands;  unfavorable  fluctuations  in  currencies  or  interest  rates  among  the 
various jurisdictions in which we operate; component shortages; market acceptance of our new products; costs or difficulties related to the 
integration of any new or acquired businesses and technologies; continued uncertainty in pricing negotiations with customers; successful 
integration  of  acquisitions  and  operations  of  joint  ventures;  successful  implementation  of  strategic  partnerships  and  collaborations;  our 
ability  to  be  awarded  new  business;  product  liability,  warranty  and  recall  claims  and  investigations  and  other  litigation  and  customer 
reactions  thereto  (including  the  resolution  of  the  Toyota  Recall);  higher  expenses  for  our  pension  and  other  postretirement  benefits, 
including higher funding needs for our pension plans; work stoppages or other labor issues; possible adverse results of pending or future 
litigation or infringement claims; our ability to  protect our intellectual property rights; negative impacts of antitrust investigations or other 
governmental  investigations  and  associated  litigation  relating  to  the  conduct  of  our  business;  tax  assessments  by  governmental 
authorities and changes in our effective tax rate; dependence on key personnel; legislative or regulatory changes impacting or limiting our 
business; political conditions; dependence on and relationships with customers and suppliers; and other risks and uncertainties identified 
in Item 1A -“Risk Factors” and Item 7 - “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this 
Form 10-K. 

For  any  forward-looking  statements  contained  in  this  or  any  other  document,  we  claim  the  protection  of  the  safe  harbor  for  forward- 
looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we assume no obligation to update  publicly or 
revise any forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events, except as required by law. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1. Business 

General 

PART I 

Autoliv, Inc. (“Autoliv”, the “Company” or “we”) is a Delaware corporation with its principal executive offices in  Stockholm, Sweden. The 
Company functions as a holding corporation and owns two principal subsidiaries, Autoliv AB and Autoliv ASP, Inc. Our fiscal year ends on 
December 31. 

On  June  29,  2018,  Autoliv  completed  the  spin-off  of  its  former  Electronics  segment  (the  “spin-off”)  through  the  distribution  of  all  of  the 
issued and outstanding stock of Veoneer, Inc. The spin-off is described in more detail in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements 
in this Annual Report.  

Business 

Autoliv  is  a  leading  developer,  manufacturer  and  supplier  of  safety  systems  to  the  automotive  industry  with  a  broad  range  of  product 
offerings, primarily passive safety systems. 

Passive  safety  systems  are  primarily  meant  to  improve  vehicle  safety.  Passive  safety  systems  include  modules  and  components  for 
frontal-impact airbag protection systems, side-impact airbag protection systems, seatbelts, steering wheels, inflator technologies, battery 
cable cutters and protection systems for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. 

Including joint venture operations, Autoliv has around 65 production facilities in 25 countries and its customers include the world’s largest 
car manufacturers. Autoliv’s sales in 2019 were $8.5 billion, approximately 66% of which consisted of airbag and steering wheel products 
and approximately 34% of which consisted of seatbelt products. Our business is conducted in the following geographical regions, Europe, 
the Americas, China, Japan and the Rest of Asia (ROA). 

Autoliv’s  head  office  is  located  in  Stockholm,  Sweden,  where  we  currently  employ  approximately  70  people.  At  December  31,  2019, 
Autoliv  had approximately  59,000  employees  worldwide,  and  a  total  headcount,  including  6,000  temporary  personnel, of  approximately 
65,000. 

Additional information required by this Item 1 regarding developments in the Company’s business during 2019 is contained under Item 7 
in this Annual Report. 

Reportable Segment 

Upon completion of the spin-off of its former Electronics segment on June 29, 2018, Autoliv concluded that it has one reportable segment 
based  on  the  way  the  Company  evaluates  its  financial  performance  and  manages  its  operations.  Autoliv’s  remaining  business  is 
comprised of passive safety  products  -  principally  airbags  (including steering  wheels  and inflators)  and seatbelts.  For more  information 
regarding the Company’s segment reporting, see Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. 

Products, Market and Competition  

Products 

Saving  more  lives  on  the  road  is  a  key  health  priority  as  our  world  population  grows  and  develops.  However,  population  expansion  in 
growth markets and the rise of megacities creates new complexities. To meet this challenge, we develop automotive safety solutions that 
work in real life situations.  

Our safety systems such as seatbelts and airbags substantially mitigate human consequences of traffic accidents. 

The airbag module is designed to inflate extremely rapidly then quickly deflate during a collision or impact. It consists of  the container, 
airbag cushion and an inflator. The purpose of the airbag is to provide the occupants a cushioning and restraint during a crash event to 
prevent any impact or impact-caused injuries between the occupant and the interior of the vehicle.  

Seatbelts can reduce the overall risk of serious injuries in frontal crashes by as much as 60% thanks to advanced seatbelt technologies 
such as pretensioners and load limiters. 

Autoliv also manufactures steering wheels which are crafted to ensure they meet safety requirements and are functional as well as stylish. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Market and Competition 

Consumer research clearly shows that consumers want safe cars, and several significant trends are likely to have a positive influence on 
overall safety content per vehicle. These include: 

1) 

2) 

3) 

Society becoming increasingly focused on Vision Zero, which includes a goal of reducing traffic fatalities and their associated 
costs, 

Demographic trends of increased urbanization, aging driver populations and increased safety focus in growth markets, and 

Evolving  government  regulations and  test  rating  systems to  improve  the safety  of  vehicles in  various  markets,  such  as  the 
updated Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), China NCAP and USNCAP. 

The automotive safety market is driven by two primary factors: light vehicle production (LVP) and content per vehicle (CPV). 

The first growth driver, LVP, has increased at an average annual growth rate of around 2.2% since the start of Autoliv in 1997 despite the 
cyclical nature of the automotive industry. LVP is expected to grow to close to  90 million by 2022 from approximately 86 million in 2019, 
according  to  IHS.  Almost  all  of  this  expansion  will  be  in  growth  markets,  predominantly  in  China,  India,  Southeast  Asia  and  South 
America. 

Unlike  LVP,  where  Autoliv  can  only  aim  to  be  on  the  best-selling  platforms,  Autoliv  can  influence  CPV  more  directly  by  continuously 
developing and introducing new technologies with higher value-added features. Over the long term, this increases average safety  CPV 
and has caused our markets to grow faster than the LVP.  

Since  the  start  of  Autoliv,  Inc.  in  1997,  the  Company’s sales  compound  annual  growth  rate  (CAGR)  for  passive  safety has  been  5.3% 
compared to the market rate of around 2.6% which includes an LVP growth of around 2.2%. Our outperformance is a result of a steady 
flow of new passive safety technologies, strong focus on quality and a superior global footprint both in products and engineering. This has 
enabled Autoliv to increase its market share from 27% in 1997 to more than 41% in 2019. 

In  the  Developed  Markets  (Western  Europe,  North  America,  Japan  and  South  Korea)  the  CPV  is  around  $280.  CPV  growth  in  these 
regions will mainly come from new safety systems such as active seatbelts, knee airbags and front-center airbags along with improved 
protection for pedestrians and rear-seat occupants like bag-in-belt or more advanced seatbelts. 

In our Growth Markets (all markets except the Developed Markets), we see great opportunities for CPV growth from more airbags and 
advanced  seatbelt  products.  Average  CPV  in  our  Growth  Markets  is  around  $170,  approximately  $110  less  than  in  the  Developed 
Markets.  

Despite a negative LVP mix effect from higher growth in low CPV markets, the passive safety market (seatbelts and airbags, including 
steering  wheels),  is  expected  to  grow  from  close  to  $20  billion  to  $23  billion  over  the  next  3-5  years,  based  on  the  current  macro-
economic  outlook  and  our  internal  market  intelligence  and  estimates.  The  highest  growth  rate  is  expected  in  steering  wheels,  where 
Autoliv has a global market share of around 38%, generated by the trend toward higher-value steering wheels with leather and additional 
features. 

The Growth Markets are expected to outgrow the Developed Markets for the period between 2020 and 2023, as the Growth Markets are 
supported by a higher LVP and increasing CPV resulting from higher installation rates of airbags and more advanced seatbelt products. 

In  seatbelts,  Autoliv  has  reached  a  global  market  share  of  around  41%,  primarily  due  to  being  the  technology  leader  with  several 
important  innovations such  as  pretensioners  and  active seatbelts.  Our strong  market  position is also  a  reflection  of  our  superior global 
footprint. Seatbelts are the primary life-saving safety product and are also an important requirement in low-end vehicles for the Growth 
Markets. This provides us with an excellent opportunity to benefit from the expected growth in this segment of the market. 

The market for airbags, where Autoliv has a market share of around 42%, is expected to grow mainly as result of higher installation rates 
of  inflatable  curtains,  side  airbags  and  knee  airbags.  Additionally,  the  new  front  center  airbag  is  expected  to  start  to  contribute  to  the 
market growth.  

Our competitors 

Autoliv is the clear market leader in passive safety with an estimated global market share of more than 41%. Our major competitors are 
Joyson Safety Systems, the successor to Takata, and ZF. 

Our  largest  competitor  is  U.S.-based  Joyson  Safety  Systems  (JSS),  including  its  Chinese  subsidiary  YFK.  JSS  is  a  Chinese  owned 
company and is the result of the merger between Key Safety Systems (KSS) and Takata Corporation after KSS acquired Takata in 2018. 

Our second largest competitor is ZF, a global leader in driveline and chassis technology as well as in passive safety technologies, and is 
one of the largest global automotive suppliers. 

In  Japan,  Brazil,  South  Korea  and  China  there  are  a  number  of  local  suppliers  that  have  close  ties  with  the  domestic  vehicle 
manufacturers.  For  example,  Toyota  uses  “keiretsu”  (in-house)  suppliers  Tokai  Rika  for  seatbelts  and  Toyoda  Gosei  for  airbags  and 
steering wheels. These suppliers generally receive most of the Toyota business in Japan, in the same way,  Mobis, a major supplier to 
Hyundai/Kia in South Korea, generally receives a significant part of their business. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other competitors include Nihon Plast and Ashimori of Japan, Jinheng of China, Samsong in South Korea and Chris Cintos de Seguranca 
in South America. Collectively, these competitors account for the majority of the remaining market share in passive safety. 

Additional information concerning our products, markets and competition is included in the “Risks and Risk Management” section under 
Item 7 of this Annual Report. 

Manufacturing and Production 

See  “Item  2.  Properties”  for  a  description  of  Autoliv’s  principal  properties.  The  component  factories  manufacture  inflators,  propellant, 
initiators, textile cushions, webbing, pressed steel parts, springs and overmoulded steel parts used in seatbelt and airbag assembly and 
steering wheels. The assembly factories source components from a number of parties, including Autoliv’s own component factories, and 
assemble  complete  restraint  systems  for  “just-in-time”  delivery  to  customers.  The  products  manufactured  by  Autoliv’s  consolidated 
subsidiaries in 2019 consisted of approximately 146 million complete seatbelt systems (of which approximately 85 million were fitted with 
pretensioners), approximately 98 million side airbags (including curtain airbags),  approximately 57 million frontal airbags, approximately 
0.7 million other airbags and approximately 21 million steering wheels. 

Autoliv’s “just-in-time” delivery system is designed to accommodate the specific requirements of each customer for low levels of inventory 
and rapid stock delivery service. “Just-in-time” deliveries require final assembly or, at least, distribution centers in geographic areas close 
to  customers  to  facilitate  rapid  delivery.  The  fact  that  the  major  automobile  manufacturers  are  continually  expanding  their  production 
activities into more countries and require the same or similar safety systems as those produced in Europe, Japan or the U.S. increases 
the importance for suppliers to have assembly capacity in several countries. Consolidation among our customers also supports this trend. 

Autoliv’s assembly operations generally are not constrained by capacity considerations unless there is a disruption in the supply of  raw 
materials  and  components.  When  dramatic  shifts  in  LVP  occur,  Autoliv  can  generally  adjust  capacity  in  response  to  any  changes  in 
demand within a few days by adding or removing work shifts and within a few months by adding or removing standardized production and 
assembly lines. Most of Autoliv’s assembly factories can make sufficient space available to  accommodate additional production lines to 
satisfy foreseeable increases in capacity. As a result, Autoliv can usually adjust its manufacturing capacity faster than its customers can 
adjust their capacity as a result of fluctuations in the general demand for vehicles or in the demand for a specific vehicle model, provided 
that customers promptly notify Autoliv when they become aware of such changes in demand. 

When dramatic shifts in LVP occur or when there is a shift in regional  LVP, the capacity  adjustments can take more time and be more 
costly. Additionally, when there is significant demand for a given product due to a major recall of a competitor’s product, like certain of our 
customers have experienced, capacity adjustments may take time. 

We  could  experience  disruption  in  our  supply  or  delivery  chain,  which  could  cause  one  or  more  of  our  customers  to  halt  or  delay 
production. For more information, see Item 1A – “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report. 

Quality Management 

Autoliv believes that superior quality is a prerequisite to being considered a leading global supplier of automotive safety  systems and is 
key  to  our  financial  performance,  because  quality  excellence  is  critical  for  winning  new  orders,  preventing  recalls  and  maintaining  low 
scrap rates. Autoliv has for many years emphasized a “zero-defect” proactive quality policy and continues to strive to improve its working 
methods. This means that Autoliv’s products are expected to always meet performance expectations and be delivered to its customers at 
the  right  times  and  in  the  right  amounts.  Furthermore,  we  believe  our  continued  quality  improvements  further  enhance  our  reputation 
among our customers, employees and governmental authorities. 

Although quality has always been paramount in the automotive industry, especially for safety products, automobile  manufacturers have 
become increasingly focused on quality with even less tolerance for any deviations. This intensified focus on quality is  partially due to an 
increase in the number of vehicle recalls for a variety of reasons (not just safety), including a few high-profile vehicle recalls. This trend is 
likely to continue as automobile manufacturers introduce even stricter quality requirements and regulating agencies and other authorities 
increase  the  level  of  scrutiny  given  to  vehicle  safety  issues.  We  have  not  been  immune  to  the  recalls  that  have  been  impacting  the 
automotive industry. 

We continue to drive our quality initiative called “Q5” which was initiated in the summer of 2010. It is an integral part of  our strategy  of 
shaping a proactive quality culture of zero defects. It is called “Q5” because it addresses quality in five dimensions: products, customers, 
growth,  behavior  and  suppliers.  The  goal  of  Q5  is  to  firmly  tie  together  quality  with  value  within  all  of  our  processes  and  for  all  of  our 
employees,  thereby  leading  to  the  best  value  for  our  customers.  Since  2010,  we  have  continually  expanded  this  quality  initiative  to 
provide additional skills training to more employees and suppliers. These activities have significantly improved our quality performance. 

In our pursuit of excellence in quality, we have developed a chain of four “defense lines” against potential quality issues.  These defense 
lines  consist  of:  1)  robust  product  designs,  2)  flawless  components  from  suppliers  and  our  own  in-house  component  companies,  3) 
manufacturing flawless products with a system for verifying that our products conform with specifications and 4) an advanced traceability 
system in the event of a recall. 

Our  pursuit  of excellence extends  from  the  earliest  phases  of  product development  to  the  proper  disposal of  a  product  following  many 
years  of  use  in  a  vehicle.  Autoliv’s  comprehensive  Autoliv  Product  Development  System  includes  several  key  check  points  during  the 
process of developing new products that are designed to ensure that such products are well-built and have no hidden defects. Through 
this process, we work closely with our suppliers and customers to set clear standards that help to ensure robust component design and 
lowest cost for function in order to proactively prevent problems and ensure we deliver only the best designs to the market. 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Autoliv Production System (“APS”), based on the goals of improving quality and efficiency, is at the core of  Autoliv’s manufacturing 
philosophy. APS integrates essential quality elements, such as mistake proofing, statistical process control and operator involvement, into 
the manufacturing processes so all Autoliv associates are aware of and understand the critical  connection between themselves and our 
lifesaving products. This “zero-defect” principle extends beyond Autoliv to the entire supplier base.  All of our suppliers must accept the 
strict quality standards in the global Autoliv Supplier Manual, which defines our quality requirements and focuses on preventing bad parts 
from being produced by our suppliers and helps eliminate defective intermediate products in our assembly lines as early as possible. In 
addition, Autoliv’s One Product One Process (“1P1P”) initiative is our strategy for  developing and managing standardization of both core 
products and customer-specific features, leading not only to improved quality, but also greater cost efficiency and more efficient supply 
chain management. 

IATF 16949:2016 is one of the automotive industry’s most widely used international standards for quality management. All of our facilities 
that ship products to OEMs are regularly certified according to the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) standards. 

Environmental and Safety Regulations 

For information on how environmental and safety regulations impact our business, see “Risk Factors  – ‘Our business may be adversely 
affected  by  laws  or  regulations,  including  environmental,  occupational  health  and  safety  or  other  governmental  regulations’  and  ‘Our 
business  may  be  adversely  affected  by  changes  in  automotive  safety  regulations  or  concerns  that  drive  further  regulation  of  the 
automobile safety market’” in Item 1A and “Risks and Risk Management” in Item 7 of this Annual Report. 

Raw Materials 

Approximately  50%  of  our  revenues  are  spent  on  direct  material  purchased  directly  from  external  suppliers.  Autoliv  mainly  purchases 
manufactured components and raw materials  for its operations. We take several actions to mitigate higher raw material prices, such as 
competitive sourcing and looking for alternative materials. 

For  information  on  the  sources  and  availability  of  raw  materials,  see  “Risk  Factors  –  ‘Changes  in  the  source,  cost,  availability  of  and 
regulations pertaining to raw materials and components may adversely affect our profit margins’” in Item 1A of this Annual Report. 

Intellectual Property 

We have developed a considerable amount of proprietary technology related to automotive safety systems and rely on many  patents to 
protect  such  technology.  Our  intellectual  property  plays  an  important  role  in  maintaining  our  competitive  position  in  a  number  of  the 
markets  we  serve.  For  information  on  our  use  of  intellectual  property  and  its  importance  to  us,  see  “Risk  Factors  –  ‘If  our  patents  are 
declared invalid or our technology infringes on the proprietary rights of others, our ability to compete may be impaired’” in Item 1A of this 
Annual Report. 

Backlog 

Autoliv has frame contracts with automobile manufacturers and such contracts are typically entered into up to three years before the start 
of production of the relevant car model or platform and provide for a term covering the life of such car model or platform including service 
parts after a vehicle model is no longer produced. However, typically these contracts do not provide  minimum  quantities, firm prices or 
exclusivity but instead permit the automobile manufacturer to resource the relevant products at given intervals (or at any time) from other 
suppliers. 

Dependence on Customers 

In 2019 our top five customers represented around 52% of our annual sales and our top ten customers represented around 79% of our 
annual sales. This reflects the concentration  of manufacturers  in the automotive industry. The five largest OEMs in 2019 accounted for 
51% of global LVP and the ten largest OEMs accounted for 74%. A delivery contract is typically for the lifetime of a vehicle model, which 
is normally between four and six years depending on customer platform sourcing preferences and strategies. 

Customer 
Renault/Nissan/Mitsubishi 
VW 
Honda 
FCA 
Hyundai/Kia 
Ford 
Toyota 
General Motors 
Daimler 
BMW 

1) 

Source: IHS 

% of Autoliv 
Sales 

% of Global 
LVP1) 

16 %   
10 %   
10 %   
8 %   
8 %   
7 %   
7 %   
5 %   
4 %   
4 %   

11 % 
12 % 
6 % 
5 % 
9 % 
5 % 
12 % 
6 % 
3 % 
3 % 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
CUSTOMER SALES TRENDS 

Asian vehicle producers have steadily become increasingly more important to Autoliv, and now represent around 46% of our global sales 
compared  to  37%  five  years  ago.  The  largest  increase  comes  from  Japanese  OEMs  that  represented  24%  five  years  ago,  and  now 
accounts for 34%. This is a result of our stronger market position based on our local presence in Japan. European OEMs accounted for 
31% of our global sales in 2019, this is 2 percentage points less than in 2014. The U.S. based OEMs (including Tesla) account for 21% of 
our global sales, down from 29% in 2014. This is in part due to the sale of GM's European operations, Opel, to PSA. Tesla now accounts 
for more than one percent of our 2019 sales. 

For information on our dependence on customers, see “Risk Factors – ‘Our business could be materially and adversely affected if we lost 
any  of  our  largest  customers  or  if  they  were  unable  to  pay  their  invoices’”  in  Item  1A  of  this  Annual  Report  and  “Dependence  on 
Customers” under the section “Risks and Risk Management” in Item 7 of this Annual Report and Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements. 

Research, Development and Engineering, net (R,D&E) 

No  single  customer  project  accounted  for  more  than  4%  of  Autoliv’s  total  R,D&E,  net  spending  during  2019.  To  fuel  Autoliv’s  product 
portfolio, additional expertise is brought in-house via technology partnerships and licensing agreements. 

Regulatory Costs 

The fitting of seatbelts in most types of motor vehicles is mandatory in almost all countries and many countries have strict laws regarding 
the use of seatbelts while in vehicles. In addition, most developed countries require that seats in intercity buses  and commercial vehicles 
be  fitted  with  seatbelts.  In  the  U.S.,  federal  legislation  requires  frontal  airbags  on  the  driver-side  and  the  passenger-side  of  all  new 
passenger cars since 1998 and in all sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans since 1999. 

For information concerning the material effects on our business relating to our compliance with government safety regulations,  see “Risk 
Factors  –  ‘Our  business  may  be  adversely  affected  by  laws  or  regulations,  including  environmental,  occupational  health  and  safety  or 
other governmental regulations’ and ‘Our business may be adversely affected by changes in automotive safety regulations  or concerns 
that drive further regulation of the automobile safety market’” in Item 1A of this Annual Report and in Item 7 under the section “Risks and 
Risk Management” of this Annual Report. 

Autoliv Personnel  

As  of  December  31,  2019,  Autoliv  and  its  subsidiaries  had  approximately  59,000  employees  and  approximately  6,000  temporary 
personnel. Autoliv considers its relationship with its personnel to be good. While there have been a small number of minor labor disputes 
during the year, such disputes have not had a significant or lasting impact on our relationship with our employees, customer perception of 
our employee practices or our business results. 

Major  unions  to  which  some  of  Autoliv’s  employees  belong  in  Europe  include:  IG  Metall  in  Germany;  Unite  the  union  in  the  United 
Kingdom;  Confédération  Générale  des  Travailleurs  (CGT),  Confédération  Française  Démocratique  du  Travail  (CFDT),  Confédération 
Française de l’Encadrement Confédération Générale des cadres, Force Ouvrière (CFE-CGC), Confédération Française des Travailleurs 
Chrétiens (CFTC), Solidaires, Unitaires, Démocratiques (SUD) and Conféderation Autonome du Travail (CAT) in France; Union General 
de  Trabajadores  (UGT),  Union  Sindical  Obrera  (USO),  Comisiones  Obereras  (CCOO)  and  Confederacion  General  de  Trabajadores 
(CGT)  in  Spain;  IF  Metall,  Unionen,  Sveriges  Ingenjörer  and  Ledarna  in  Sweden;  Industriaal-  ja  Metallitöötajate  Ametiühingute  Liit 
(IMTAL)  in  Estonia;  Vasas  Szakszervezeti  Szövetség  (Hungarian  Metallworkers‘  Federation)  in  Hungary;  Samorządny  NiezaleĪny 
Związek Zawodowy Pracowników and Zakáadowa Organizacja Związkowa NSZZ SolidarnoĞü in Poland; Union Générale des Travailleurs 
Tunisiens (UGTT) and Union des travailleurs Tunisiens (UTT) in Tunisia and Türk Metal Sendikasi in Turkey. 

In  addition,  Autoliv’s  employees  in  other  regions  are  represented  by  the  following  unions:  Unifor  and  the  International  Association  of 
Machinists  and  Aerospace  Workers  (IAM)  in  Canada;  Sindicato  de  Jornaleros  y  Obreros  Industriales  y  de  la  Industria  Maquiladora; 
Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria Metalúrgica y Similares (CTM); Sindicato Industrial de Trabajadores de la Pequeña y 
Mediana  Industria,  Talleres,  Maquiladoras,  Negociaciones  Mercantiles  y  Comercios,  Similares,  Anexos  y  Conexos  del  Estado  de 
Querétaro  (CTM);  “Nueva  Cultura  Laboral”  “de  trabajadores  de  la  fabricación,  manufactura,  ensamble  de  partes  y  componentes  de  la 
industria  Automotriz  de  la  Republica  Mexicana”  in  Mexico;  Sindicato  dos  Metalúrgicos  de  Taubaté  e  Região  in  Brazil;  Autoliv  India 
Employees Association, Bangalore in India; the Korean Metal Workers Union (FKTU) in Korea; Autoliv Japan  Roudou Kumiai in Japan 
and Federasi Perjuangan Buruh Indonesia (FPBI) in Indonesia. 

In many European countries, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Korea, wages, salaries and general working conditions are negotiated  with local 
unions  and/or  are  subject  to  centrally  negotiated  collective  bargaining  agreements.  The  terms  of  our  various  agreements  with  unions 
typically range between 1-3 years. Some of our subsidiaries in Europe, Canada, Brazil and Korea must negotiate with the applicable local 
unions with respect to important changes in operations, working and employment conditions. Twice a year,  members of the Company’s 
management conduct a meeting with the European Works Council (EWC) to provide employee representatives with important information 
about the Company and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. 

In  many  Asia  Pacific  countries,  the  central  or  regional  governments  provide  guidance  each  year  for  salary  adjustments  or  statutory 
minimum wage for workers. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Autoliv’s  employees  may  join  associations  in  accordance  with  local  legislation  and  rules,  although  the  level  of  unionization  varies 
significantly throughout our operations. 

For more information concerning Autoliv’s personnel, see Item 7 of this Annual Report. 

Joint Ventures 

Historically, Autoliv established joint ventures to promote its geographical expansion and technology development and to gain assistance in 
marketing its full product line to automobile manufacturers. While joint ventures are of less importance to our overall business today than in 
the past, joint ventures remain a potential business model in our strategy. 

For information on how the joint ventures are accounted for, including Autoliv’s percentage of ownership, see Note 9 to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements of this Annual Report. 

Available information 

We  file  or  furnish  with  the  United  States  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  (the  “SEC”)  periodic  reports  and  amendments  thereto, 
which include annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, proxy statements  and other 
information.  Such  reports,  amendments,  proxy  statements  and  other  information  are  made  available  free  of  charge  on  our  corporate 
website  at  www.autoliv.com  and  are  available  as  soon  as  reasonably  practicable  after  they  are  electronically  filed  with  the  SEC.  Our 
Corporate Governance Guidelines, committee charters, code of conduct and other documents governing the Company are also available 
on  our  corporate  website  at  www.autoliv.com.  The  SEC  maintains  an  internet  site  that  contains  reports,  proxy  statements  and  other 
information  at  www.sec.gov.  Hard  copies  of  the  above-mentioned  documents  can  be  obtained  free  of  charge  from  the  Company  by 
contacting us at: Autoliv, Inc., P.O. Box 70381, SE-107 24, Stockholm, Sweden. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 1A. Risk Factors 

Our  business,  financial condition,  operating  results  and  cash  flows  may  be  impacted  by  a  number  of  factors.  A  discussion  of  the  risks 
associated with these factors is included below. 

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRY 

The cyclical  nature  of  automotive  sales  and  production  can  adversely  affect  our business.  Our  business  is directly  related  to 
light  vehicle  production  (“LVP”)  in  the  global  market  and  by  our  customers,  and  automotive  sales  and  LVP  are  the  most 
important drivers for our sales  

Automotive sales and production are highly cyclical and can be affected by general or regional economic or industry conditions, the level 
of consumer demand, recalls and other safety issues, labor  relations  issues, technological changes, fuel prices and availability, vehicle 
safety regulations and other regulatory requirements,  governmental  initiatives, trade agreements, political volatility, especially in energy 
producing countries and growth markets, changes in interest rate levels and credit availability and other factors. Some regions around the 
world  may  at  various  times  be  more  particularly  impacted  by  these  factors  than  other  regions.  Economic  declines  that  result  in  a 
significant reduction in automotive sales and production by our customers have in the past had, and may in the future have, a material 
adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. 

Our sales are also affected by inventory levels of our customers. We cannot predict when our customers will decide to either  increase or 
reduce inventory levels or whether new inventory levels will approximate historical inventory levels. This may exacerbate variability in our 
order  intake  and,  as  a  result,  our  revenues  and  financial  condition.  Uncertainty  regarding  inventory  levels  may  be  exacerbated  by 
consumer  financing  programs  initiated  or  terminated  by  our  customers  or  governments  as  such changes  may  affect  the  timing of  their 
sales. 

Changes in automotive sales and LVP and/or customers’ inventory levels will have an impact on our long-term targets, earnings guidance 
and  estimates.  In  addition,  we  base  our  growth  projections  in  part  on  business  awards,  or  order  intake,  made  by  our  customers. 
However, actual production orders from our customers may not approximate the awarded business or our estimated order intake.  Any 
significant reduction in automotive sales and/or LVP by our customers, whether due to general economic conditions or  any other factors 
relevant to sales or LVP, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. 

Growth rates in safety content per vehicle, which can be impacted by changes in consumer trends and political decisions, could 
affect our results in the future 

The average global content of passive safety systems per light vehicle remained unchanged in 2019 at around $225. Vehicles produced 
in different markets may have various passive safety content values. For example, in developed markets such as Western Europe and 
North America, the premium segment has passive safety content values of more than $300 per vehicle, whereas in growth markets such 
as China and India the average passive safety content per vehicle is approximately $180 and $80, respectively. Due to the majority of the 
growth  in  global  LVP  being  concentrated  in  growth  markets  the  operating  results  may  be  impacted  if  the  passive  safety  content  per 
vehicle remains low and if the penetration of more advanced  automotive safety systems does not increase in these regions. As passive 
safety content per vehicle is also an indicator of our sales development, should these trends continue, the average value of passive safety 
systems per vehicle could decline. 

We operate in a highly competitive market 

The  market  for  occupant  restraint  systems  is  highly  competitive  and  continues  to  consolidate.  We  compete  with  a  number  of  other 
companies  that  produce  and  sell  similar  products.  Among  other  factors,  our  products  compete  on  the  basis  of  price,  quality, 
manufacturing  and  distribution  capability,  design  and  performance,  technological  innovation,  delivery  and  service.  Some  of  our 
competitors are subsidiaries (or divisions, units  or  similar) of companies that are larger and have greater financial and other resources 
than us. Some of our competitors may also have a “preferred status” as a result of special relationships or ownership interests with certain 
customers. Our ability to compete successfully depends, in large part, on our success in continuing to innovate and manufacture products 
that  have  commercial  success  with  consumers,  differentiating  our  products  from  those  of  our  competitors,  continuing  to  deliver  quality 
products in the time frames required by our customers, and maintaining best-cost production. 

We continue to invest in technology and innovation which we believe will be critical to our long-term growth. Our ability to maintain and 
improve existing products, while successfully developing and introducing distinctive new and enhanced products that  anticipate changing 
customer  and  consumer  preferences  and  capitalize  upon  emerging  technologies  will  be  a  significant  factor  in  our  ability  to  remain 
competitive.  If  we  are  unsuccessful  or  are  less  successful  than  our  competitors  in  predicting  the  course  of  market  development, 
developing  innovative  products,  processes,  and/or  use  of materials  or  adapting  to  new  technologies  or  evolving  regulatory,  industry  or 
customer  requirements,  we  may  be  placed  at  a  competitive  disadvantage.  For  example,  the  focus  of  the  automotive  industry  on  the 
development of advanced driver assistance technologies, with the goal of developing and introducing autonomous vehicles, and increase 
in consumer preferences for mobility on demand services may create demand for new and innovative products in response to OEM and 
consumer preferences and our success in providing such products will be critical for our long-term growth. Similarly, the demand for our 
products historically has tracked LVP and a future evolution of the automotive industry to autonomous vehicles and mobility on demand 
services  may  lead  to  a  future  reduction  in  annual  global  LVP.  Our  competitive  environment  continues  to  change,  including because  of 
recent  acquisitions  and  divestitures  by  our  existing  competitors  (including  Delphi  and  Takata)  within  recent  years  as  well  as  increased 
competition from entrants outside the traditional automotive industry, creating uncertainty about the future competitive landscape. Given 
the competitive nature of our business, the amount of awards we are awarded relative to our peers may decrease over time. The inability 
to compete successfully could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The discontinuation, lack of commercial success, or loss of business with respect to a particular vehicle model for which we are 
a significant supplier could reduce our sales and harm our business 

A number of our customer contracts generally require us to supply a customer’s annual requirements for a particular vehicle model and 
assembly  facilities,  rather  than  for  manufacturing  a  specific  quantity  of  products.  Such  contracts  range  from  one  year  to  the  life  of  the 
model, which is generally four to seven years. These contracts are often subject to renegotiation, sometimes as frequent as on an annual 
basis, which may affect product pricing, and generally may be terminated by our customers at any time. Therefore, the discontinuation of, 
the loss of business with respect to, or a lack of commercial success of a particular vehicle model or brand for which we are a significant 
supplier could reduce our sales and harm our business prospects, operating results, cash flows, or financial condition. 

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS 

We may incur material losses and costs as a result of product liability, warranty and recall claims that may be  brought against 
us or our customers 

We face risks related to product liability claims, warranty claims and recalls in the event that any of our products actually or allegedly are 
defective, fail to perform as expected or the use of our products results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury and/or property damage. For 
example, we are cooperating with Toyota Motor Corp. with respect to its voluntary safety recall of approximately 1.4 million vehicles that 
are equipped with a certain model of our side curtain airbags (the “Toyota Recall”). We may not be able to anticipate all of the  possible 
performance  or  reliability  problems  that  could  arise  with  our  products  after  they  are  released  to  the  market.  Additionally,  increasing 
regulation and reporting requirements regarding potentially defective products, particularly in the U.S., may increase the  possibility  that 
we become involved in additional product liability or recall investigations or claims. See  – “Our business may be  adversely  affected by 
changes in automotive safety regulations or concerns that drive further regulation of the automobile safety market”. Although we currently 
carry  product  liability  and  product  recall  insurance,  no  assurance  can  be  made  that  such  insurance  will  provide  adequate  coverage 
against potential claims, such insurance is available or will continue to be available in the appropriate markets or that we will be able to 
obtain such insurance on acceptable terms in the future. Although we have invested and will continue to invest in our engineering, design, 
and quality infrastructure, we cannot give any assurance that our products will not suffer from defects or other deficiencies or that we will 
not experience material warranty claims or additional product recalls. In the future, we could experience additional material warranty or 
product liability losses and incur significant costs to process and defend these claims. 

The Toyota Recall and any additional future recalls from this customer or other customers could result in costs not covered by insurance, 
further government inquiries, litigation and reputational harm and could divert management’s attention away from other matters. The main 
variables affecting the costs of a recall are the number of vehicles ultimately determined to be affected by the  issue, the cost per vehicle 
associated  with  a  recall,  the  determination  of  proportionate  responsibility  among  the  customer,  the  Company,  and  any  relevant  sub-
suppliers, and actual insurance recoveries. Every vehicle manufacturer has its own practices regarding  product recalls and other product 
liability actions relating to its suppliers, and the performance and remedial requirements vary between jurisdictions. Due to recent recall 
activity  in  the  automotive  industry,  some  vehicle  manufactures  have  become  even  more  sensitive  to  product  recall  risks.  As  suppliers 
become  more  integrally  involved  in  the  vehicle  design  process  and  assume  more  of  the  vehicle  assembly  functions,  vehicle 
manufacturers  are  increasingly  looking  to  their  suppliers  for  contribution  when  faced  with  recalls  and  product  liability  claims.  Product 
recalls  in  our  industry,  even  when  they  do  not  involve  our  products,  can  harm  the  reputations  of  our  customers,  competitors,  and  us, 
particularly if those recalls cause consumers to question the safety or reliability of products similar to those we produce. 

In addition, with global platforms and procedures, vehicle manufacturers are increasingly evaluating our quality performance on  a global 
basis;  any  one  or  more  quality,  warranty  or  other  recall  issue(s)  (including  issues  affecting  few  units  and/or  having  a  small  financial 
impact) may cause a vehicle manufacturer to implement measures which may have a severe impact on our operations, such as a global, 
temporary or prolonged suspension of new orders. In addition, as our products more frequently use global designs and  are based on or 
utilize the same or similar parts, components or solutions, there is a risk that the number of vehicles affected globally by a failure or defect 
will  increase  significantly  with  a  corresponding  increase  in  our  costs.  A  warranty,  recall  or  product  liability  claim  brought  against  us  in 
excess  of  our  available  insurance  may  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business.  Vehicle  manufacturers  are  also  increasingly 
requiring  their  outside  suppliers  to  guarantee  or  warrant  their  products  and bear  the  costs  of  repair  and  replacement of  such  products 
under new vehicle warranties. A vehicle manufacturer may attempt to hold us responsible for some or the entire repair or  replacement 
costs  of  defective  products  under  new  vehicle  warranties,  when  the  product  supplied  did  not  perform  as  represented.  Accordingly,  the 
future  costs  of  warranty  claims  by  our  customers  may  be  material.  However,  the  final  amounts  determined  to  be  due  related  to  these 
matters could differ materially from our recorded warranty estimates and our business prospects, operating results, cash flows or financial 
condition may be materially impacted as a result. 

In addition, as we adopt new technology, we face an inherent risk of exposure to the claims of others that we have allegedly  violated their 
intellectual property rights. We cannot assure that we will not experience any material warranty, product liability  or intellectual  property 
claim losses in the future or that we will not incur significant costs to defend such claims. See “If our patents are  declared invalid or our 
technology infringes on the proprietary rights of others, our ability to compete may be impaired”. 

Escalating pricing pressures from our customers may adversely affect our business 

The automotive industry continues to experience aggressive pricing pressure from customers. This trend is partly attributable to the major 
automobile manufacturers’ strong purchasing power. As with other automotive component manufacturers, we are often expected to quote 
fixed  prices  or  are  forced  to  accept  prices  with  annual  price  reduction  commitments  for  long-term  sales  arrangements  or  discounted 
reimbursements for engineering work. Price reductions have impacted our sales and profit margins and are expected to continue to do so 
in the future. Our future profitability will depend upon, among other things, our ability to continuously reduce our cost per unit and maintain 
our cost structure, enabling us to remain cost-competitive. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Our profitability is also influenced by our success in designing and marketing technological improvements in automotive  safety systems, 
which helps us offset price reductions by our customers. If we are unable to offset continued price reductions through improved operating 
efficiencies and reduced expenditures, these price reductions may have a material adverse effect on our  business prospects, operating 
results, cash flows or financial condition. 

We  could  experience  disruption  in  our  supply  or  delivery  chain,  which  could  cause  one  or  more  of  our  customers  to  halt  or 
delay production 

We,  as  with  other  component  manufactures  in  the  automotive  industry,  ship  our  products  to  customer  vehicle  assembly  facilities 
throughout the world on a “just-in-time” basis in order for our customers to maintain low inventory levels. Our suppliers (external suppliers 
as well as our own production sites) use a similar method in providing raw materials to us. However, this “just-in-time” method makes the 
logistics supply chain in our industry very complex and vulnerable to disruption. 

Disruptions  in our  supply  chain  may  result  for many  reasons,  including  closures  of  one  of  our  own  or  one  of our  suppliers’ facilities or 
critical manufacturing lines due to strikes or other labor disputes, mechanical failures, electrical outages, fires, explosions, critical pollution 
levels,  critical  health  and  safety  and  other  working  conditions  issues  (including  epidemics  and  pandemics,  such  as  the  coronavirus 
(COVID-19)), natural disasters political upheaval, as well as logistical complications due to labor disruptions, weather or natural disasters, 
acts of terrorism, mechanical failures and legislation or regulation regarding the transport of hazardous goods.  In particular, if the current 
coronavirus outbreak continues and results in a prolonged period of travel, commercial and other similar restrictions, particularly to and 
from  China,  we  and  our  customers  and  suppliers  could  experience  supply  chain  and  production  disruptions.  The  extent  to  which  the 
coronavirus impacts our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Additionally, we 
may experience  disruptions if there are delays in customs processing, including if we are unable to obtain government authorization to 
export or import certain materials, including materials that may be viewed as dangerous such as the propellant used for our inflators. As 
we  continue  to  expand  in  growth  markets,  the  risk  of  such  disruptions  is  heightened.  The  unavailability  of  even  a  single  small 
subcomponent necessary to manufacture one of our products, for whatever reason, could force us to cease production of that product, 
possibly for a prolonged period. Similarly, a potential quality issue could force us to halt deliveries while we validate the products. Even 
where products are ready to be shipped, or have been shipped, delays may arise before they reach our customer. Also, similar difficulties 
for other suppliers may force our customers to halt production, which may in turn impact our sales shipments to such customers. 

When  we  fail  to  timely  deliver,  we  may  have  to  absorb  our  own  costs  for  identifying  and  resolving  the  ultimate  problem  as  well  as 
expeditiously  producing  and  shipping  replacement  components  or  products.  Generally,  we  must  also  carry  the  costs  associated  with 
“catching up,” such as overtime and premium freight. 

If we are the cause of a customer being forced to halt production, the customer may seek to recoup all of its losses  and expenses from 
us. These losses and expenses could be very significant and may include consequential losses such as lost  profits.  Where a customer 
halts production because of another supplier failing to deliver on time, we may not be fully compensated, if at all. 

Thus,  any  such  supply  chain  disruptions  could  severely  impact  our  operations  and/or  those  of  our  customers  and  force  us  to  halt 
production for prolonged periods of time which could expose us to material claims for compensation and have a material  adverse effect 
on our business prospects, operating results, or financial condition. 

Adverse developments affecting one or more of our major suppliers could harm our profitability 

Any significant disruption in our supplier relationships, particularly relationships with single-source suppliers, could harm our profitability. 
Furthermore, some of our suppliers may not be able to sufficiently manage the currency commodity cost volatility and/or sharply changing 
volumes while still performing as we expect. For example, recalls or field actions from our customers can stress the capacity of our supply 
chain and may inhibit our ability to timely deliver order volumes. Over time, more of our suppliers are located in growth markets. As such, 
there  is  an  increased  risk  for  delivery  delays,  production  delays,  production  issues  or  delivery  of  non-conforming  products  by  our 
suppliers. Even where these risks do not materialize, we may incur costs as we try to make contingency plans for such risks. 

Changes in the source, cost, availability of and regulations pertaining to raw materials and components may adversely  affect 
our profit margins 

Our business uses a broad range of raw materials and components in the manufacture of our products, nearly all of which are generally 
available from a number of qualified suppliers. Our industry may be affected from time to time by limited supplies or price fluctuations of 
certain  key  components  and  materials.  Strong  worldwide  demand  for  certain  raw  materials  has  had  a  significant  impact  on  prices  and 
short-term  availability in  recent  years.  Such  price  increases could materially  increase  our operating  costs and  materially  and  adversely 
affect our profit margin, as direct material costs amounted to approximately 50% of our net sales in 2019, of which approximately half is 
the raw material cost portion. 

Commercial negotiations with our customers and suppliers may not always offset all of the adverse impact of higher raw  material, energy 
and commodity costs. Even where we are able to pass price increases along to our customer, there may be a lapse of time before we are 
able to do so such that we must absorb the cost increase. In addition, no assurances can be given that the magnitude  and duration of 
such cost  increases  or any  future cost increases  could  not have  a  larger adverse  impact  on  our  profitability  and  consolidated  financial 
position than currently anticipated. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The  SEC  requires  companies  that  manufacture  products  containing  certain  minerals  and  their  derivatives  that  are  known  as  “conflict 
minerals”, originating from the Democratic Republic of Congo or adjoining countries to diligence and report the source of such materials. 
There are significant resources associated with complying with these requirements, including diligence efforts to determine the sources of 
conflict minerals used in our products and potential changes to our processes or supplies as a consequence of such diligence efforts. As 
there may be only a limited number of suppliers able to offer certified “conflict free” conflict minerals, there can be no assurance that we 
will be able to obtain necessary conflict free minerals from such suppliers in sufficient quantities or at competitive  prices. We may face 
reputational challenges if we determine that certain of our products contain minerals not determined to be conflict free or if we are unable 
to sufficiently verify the origins for all minerals used in our products through the procedures we  may implement. Accordingly, these rules 
may adversely affect our business prospects, operating results, cash flows or financial condition. 

Our business could be materially and adversely affected if we lost any of our largest customers or if they were unable to  pay 
their invoices 

We are dependent on a few large customers with strong purchasing power. This is the result of customer consolidation during the last few 
decades. In 2019, our top five customers represented 52% of our consolidated sales. Our largest contract accounted for around 2% of our 
total  fiscal  2019  sales.  Although  business  with  any  given  customer  is  typically  split  into  several  contracts  (either  on  the  basis  of  one 
contract  per  vehicle  model  or  on  a  broader  platform  basis),  the  loss  of  business  from  any  of  our  major  customers  (whether  by  lower 
overall  demand  for  vehicles, cancellation  of  existing  contracts  or  the  failure  to  award  us new  business) could  have  a material  adverse 
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Similarly, further consolidation of our customers in the future could 
make us more reliant upon a smaller group of customers for a significant portion of our consolidated sales and negatively impact our 
bargaining power when contracting with such customers.  

Customers may put us on a “new business hold,” which would limit our ability to quote or be awarded all or part of their  future  vehicle 
contracts if quality or other issues arise in the vehicles for which we were a supplier. Such new business holds range in  length and scope 
and are generally accompanied by a certain set of remedial conditions that must be met before we are eligible to bid  for new business. 
Meeting  any  such  conditions  within  the  prescribed  timeframe  may  require  additional  Company  resources.  A  failure  to  satisfy  any  such 
conditions may have a material adverse impact on our financial results in the long term. 

There is a risk that one or more of our major customers may be unable to pay our invoices as they become due or that a  customer will 
simply  refuse  to  make  such  payments  given  its  financial  difficulties.  If  a  major  customer  would  enter  into  bankruptcy  proceedings  or 
similar proceedings whereby contractual commitments are subject to stay of execution and the possibility of legal or other modification, or 
if a major customer otherwise successfully procures protection against us legally enforcing its obligations, it is likely, absent special relief 
such as having a “preferred status”, that we will be forced to record a substantial loss. 

Additional  information  concerning  our  major  customers  is  included  in  Note  21  of  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  in  this  Annual 
Report. 

Our inability to effectively manage the timing, quality and costs of new program launches could adversely affect our  financial 
performance 

To  compete  effectively  in  the  automotive  supply  industry,  we  must  be  able  to  launch  new  products  to  meet  our  customers’  timing, 
performance and quality standards. At times, we face an uneven number of launches, and some launches for various reasons, may have 
shortened launch lead times.  We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to install and certify the  equipment needed to produce 
products for new programs in time for the start of production, or that the transitioning of our  manufacturing facilities and resources to full 
production for such new programs will not impact production rates or other operational efficiency measures at our facilities. In addition, we 
cannot  provide  assurance  that  our  customers  will  execute  on  schedule  the  launch  of  their  new  product  programs,  for  which  we  might 
supply products. Additionally, as a Tier 1 supplier, we must effectively coordinate the activities of numerous suppliers in order to launch 
programs  successfully.  Given  the  complexity  of  new  program  launches,  especially  involving  new  and  innovative  technologies,  we  may 
experience difficulties managing product quality, timeliness and associated costs. In addition, new program launches require a significant 
ramp  up  of  costs;  however,  the  sales  related  to  these  new  programs  generally  are  dependent  upon  the  timing  and  success  of  the 
introduction of new vehicles by the Company’s customers. Our inability to effectively manage the timing, quality and costs of these new 
program launches could adversely affect our business prospects, operating results, cash flows or financial condition. 

Changes in our product mix may impact our financial performance 

We sell products that have varying profit margins. Our financial performance can be impacted depending on the mix of products we sell 
during  a  given period.  Our earnings guidance  and  estimates  assume  a certain  geographic sales  mix  as  well  as  a  product  sales  mix.  If 
actual results vary significantly from this projected geographic and product mix of sales, our operating results and financial condition could 
be negatively impacted. 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
We are involved from time to time in legal proceedings and our business may suffer as a result of adverse outcomes of current 
or future legal proceedings 

We are, from time to time, involved in litigation, regulatory proceedings and commercial or contractual disputes that may be significant. 
These  matters  may  include,  without  limitation,  disputes  with  our  suppliers  and  customers,  intellectual  property  claims,  shareholder 
litigation,  government  investigations,  class  action  lawsuits,  personal  injury  claims,  environmental  issues,  antitrust,  customs  and  VAT 
disputes  and  employment  and  tax  issues.  In  such  matters,  government  agencies  or  private  parties  may  seek  to  recover  from  us  very 
large, indeterminate amounts in penalties or monetary damages (including, in some cases, treble or punitive damages) or seek to limit our 
operations in some way. The possibility exists that claims may be asserted against us and their magnitude may remain unknown for long 
periods of time. These types of lawsuits could require  a significant amount of  management’s time and attention and a substantial legal 
liability  or  adverse  regulatory  outcome  and  the  substantial  expenses  to  defend  the  litigation  or  regulatory  proceedings  may  have  a 
material  adverse  effect  on  our  customer  relationships,  business  prospects,  reputation,  operating  results,  cash  flows  and  financial 
condition. No assurances can be given that such proceedings and claims will not have a  material adverse impact on our profitability and 
consolidated financial position or that our established reserves or our available insurance will mitigate such impact. 

We may be subject to civil antitrust litigation civil antitrust litigation that could negatively impact our business 

The Company may be subject to civil antitrust lawsuits in  the future in countries that permit such civil claims, including lawsuits or other 
actions by our customers. The Company was previously the subject of any investigation by the European Commission (“EC”) regarding 
possible anti-competitive behavior among certain suppliers to the automotive vehicle industry. The Company paid a fine to resolve these 
matters  in  2019.  As  a  result  of  the  outcome  of  the  EC  investigation,  we  could  be  subject  to  subsequent  civil  disputes  with  non-
governmental  third  parties  and  civil  or  stockholder  litigation  stemming  from  the  same  facts  and  circumstances  underlying  the  EC 
investigation.  These types of lawsuits require significant management time and attention and could result in significant expenses as well 
as  unfavorable  outcomes  that  could  have  a  material  adverse  impact  on  our  customer  relationships,  business  prospects,  reputation, 
operating results, cash flows or financial condition, and our insurance may not mitigate such impact. 

See Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. 

We may have exposure to greater than anticipated tax liabilities 

The determination of our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities requires estimation and significant judgment, and 
there  are  many  transactions  and  calculations  where  the  ultimate  tax  determination  is  uncertain.  Like  many  other  multinational 
corporations, we are subject to tax in multiple U.S. and foreign tax jurisdictions. Our determination of our tax liability is always subject to 
audit and review by applicable domestic and foreign tax authorities, and we are currently undergoing a number of investigations, audits 
and reviews by taxing authorities throughout the world. Any adverse outcome of any such audit or review could have a negative effect on 
our business and the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may materially affect our 
financial results in the period or periods for which such determination is made. While we have established reserves based on assumptions 
and estimates  that  we  believe  are  reasonable  to cover such  eventualities,  these  reserves  may  prove  to  be  insufficient.  In addition,  our 
future income taxes could be adversely affected by earnings being lower than anticipated (or by the incurrence of losses) in jurisdictions 
that  have  lower  statutory  tax  rates  and  higher  than  anticipated  in  jurisdictions  that  have  higher  statutory  tax  rates,  by  changes  in  the 
valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws, regulations or accounting principles, as well as certain discrete 
items.  

Work stoppages or other labor issues at our customers’ facilities or at our facilities could adversely affect our operations 

Because the automotive industry relies heavily on “just-in-time” delivery of components during the assembly and manufacture of vehicles, 
a work stoppage at one or more of the Company’s facilities could have material adverse effects on  our business. Similarly, if any of our 
customers were to experience a work stoppage, that customer may halt or limit the purchase of our products. Similarly,  a work stoppage 
at another supplier could interrupt production at one of our customers’ facilities which would have the same effect. While labor contract 
negotiations  at  our  facilities  historically  have  rarely  resulted  in  work  stoppages,  no  assurances  can  be  given  that  we  will  be  able  to 
negotiate acceptable contracts with these unions or that our failure to do so will not result in work stoppages. A work stoppage at one or 
more of our facilities or our customers’ facilities could cause us to shut down production facilities  supplying these products, which could 
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. 

Our ability to operate our company effectively could be impaired if we fail to attract and retain executive officers and other key 
personnel 

Our ability to operate our business and implement our strategies effectively depends, in part, on the efforts of our executive officers and 
other key employees. In addition, our future success will depend on, among other factors, our ability to attract, develop and retain other 
qualified personnel, particularly engineers and other employees with software and technical expertise. The loss of the services of any of 
our executive officers or other key employees or the failure to attract, develop or retain other qualified personnel could have a material 
adverse effect on our business. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Restructuring  and  efficiency  initiatives  and  capacity  alignments  are  complex  and  difficult  and  at  any  time  additional 
restructuring steps may be necessary, possibly on short notice and at significant cost 

Our restructuring and efficiency initiatives and capacity alignments include efforts to adjust our manufacturing capacity and cost structure 
to meet current and projected operational and market requirements, including plant closures, transfer of sourcing to best cost  countries, 
consolidation of our supplier base and standardization of products, to reduce our overhead costs and consolidate our operational centers. 
The  successful  implementation  of  our  restructuring  activities  and  capacity  alignments  will  involve  sourcing,  logistics,  technology  and 
employment arrangements. Because these restructuring and efficiency initiatives and capacity alignments can be complex, there may be 
difficulties  or  delays  in  the  implementation  of  any  such  initiatives  and  capacity  alignments  or  they  may  not  be  immediately  effective, 
resulting in an adverse material impact on our performance. In addition, there is a risk that inflation, high-turnover rates and  increased 
competition may reduce the efficiencies now available in best-cost countries to levels that no longer allow for cost-beneficial restructuring 
opportunities. Therefore, there can be no assurances that any future restructurings or capacity alignments will  be completed as planned 
or achieve the desired results. 

A prolonged recession and/or a downturn in our industry could result in us having insufficient funds to continue our operations 
and external financing may not be available to us or available only on materially different terms than what has historically been 
available 

Our  ability  to  generate  cash  from  our  operations  is  highly  dependent  on  automotive  sales  and  LVP,  the  global  economy  and  the 
economies  of  our  important  markets.  If  LVP  were  to  remain  on  low  levels  for  an  extended  period  of  time,  we  would  experience  a 
significantly negative cash flow. Similarly, if cash losses for customer defaults rise sharply,  we  would experience a negative  cash  flow. 
Such negative cash flow could result in our having insufficient funds to continue our operations unless we can procure  external financing, 
which may not be possible. 

Our access to debt, securitization, or derivative markets around the world at competitive rates or in sufficient amounts could be affected 
by credit rating downgrades, market volatility, market disruption, regulatory requirements, or other factors. Our ability to obtain unsecured 
funding  at  a  reasonable  cost  is  dependent  on  our  credit  ratings  or  our  perceived  creditworthiness.  Our  current  credit  rating  could  be 
lowered  as  a  result  of  us  experiencing  significant  negative  cash  flows,  increasing  our  indebtedness  and  leverage,  or  a  dire  financial 
outlook, which may affect our ability to procure financing. We may also for the same, or other reasons, find it difficult to secure new long-
term  credit  facilities,  at  reasonable  terms,  when  our  principal  credit  facility  expires  in  2023.  Further,  even  our  existing  unutilized  credit 
facilities may not be available to us as agreed, or only at additional cost, if participating banks are unable to raise the necessary funds, 
where, for instance, financial markets are not functioning as expected or one or more banks in our principal credit facility syndicate were 
to default. As a result, we cannot assure you that we will continue to have sufficient liquidity to meet our operating needs. In the even t 
that  we  do  not  have  sufficient  external  financing  we  may  be  required  to  seek  additional  capital,  sell  assets,  reduce  or  cut  back  our 
operating activities or otherwise alter our business strategy. 

Information  concerning  our  credit  facilities  and  other  financings  are  included  in  Item  7  in  this  Annual  Report  in  the  section  headed 
“Treasury Activities” and in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. 

Our indebtedness may harm our financial condition and results of operations 

As of December 31, 2019, we have outstanding debt of $2.1 billion. We may incur additional debt for a variety of reasons. Although  our 
significant credit facilities and debt agreements do not have any financial covenants, our level of indebtedness will have  several important 
effects on our future operations, including, without limitation: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

a portion of our cash flows from operations will be dedicated to the payment of any interest or could be used for amortization 
required with respect to outstanding indebtedness; 

increases  in  our  outstanding  indebtedness  and  leverage  will  increase  our  vulnerability  to  adverse  changes  in  general 
economic and industry conditions, as well as to competitive pressure; 

depending  on  the  levels  of  our  outstanding  debt,  our  ability  to  obtain  additional  financing  for  working  capital,  acquisitions, 
capital expenditures, general corporate and other purposes may be limited; and 

potential  future  tightening  of  the  availability  of  capital  both  from  financial  institutions  and  the  debt  markets  may  have  an 
adverse effect on our ability to access additional capital. 

Governmental restrictions may impact our business adversely 

Some of  our  customers  are  (or  may  be)  owned  by  a  governmental entity,  receive  various  forms of  governmental  aid or  support  or  are 
subject  to  governmental  influence  in  other  forms,  which  may  impact  us  as  a  supplier  to  these  customers.  As  a  result,  they  may  be 
required to partner with local entities or procure components from local suppliers to achieve a specific local content or be  subject to other 
restrictions regarding localized content or ownership. The nature and form of any such restrictions or protections, whatever their basis, is 
very difficult to predict as is their potential impact. However, they are likely to be based on political rather than  economical or operational 
considerations and may materially impact our business. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Impairment  charges  relating  to  our  assets,  goodwill  and  other  intangible  assets  could  adversely  affect  our  financial 
performance 

We periodically review the carrying value of our assets, goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment indicators. If one or more of 
our customers’ facilities cease production or decrease their production volumes, the assets we carry related to our facilities  serving such 
customers may decrease in value because we may no longer be able to utilize or realize them as intended. Where such  decreases are 
significant, such impairments may have a material adverse impact on our financial results. We monitor the various factors  that impact the 
valuation of our goodwill and other intangible assets, including expected future cash flow levels, global economic conditions, market price 
for our stock, and trends with our customers. Impairment of goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets may result from, among other 
things,  deterioration in our  performance  and especially  the cash  flow  performance  of  these  goodwill  assets,  adverse market conditions 
and adverse changes in applicable laws or regulations. If there are changes in these circumstances or the other variables associated with 
the estimates, judgments and assumptions relating to the valuation of goodwill,  when assessing the valuation of our goodwill items, we 
may determine that it is appropriate to write down a portion of our goodwill or  intangible assets and record related non-cash impairment 
charges. In the event that we determine that we are required to write-down a portion of our goodwill items and other intangible assets and 
thereby record related non-cash impairment charges, our financial condition and operating results would be adversely affected. 

For additional information, see Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - 
Significant Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates – Goodwill and Intangibles”. 

We face risks related to our defined benefit pension plans and employee benefit plans, including the need for additional funding 
as well as higher costs and liabilities 

Our  defined  benefit  pension  plans  and  employee  benefit  plans  may  require  additional  funding  or  give  rise  to  higher  related  costs  and 
liabilities  which,  in  some  circumstances,  could  reach  material  amounts  and  negatively  affect  our  operating  results. We  are  required  to 
make  certain  year-end  assumptions  regarding  our  pension  plans.  Our  pension  obligations  are  dependent  on  several  factors,  including 
factors  outside  our  control  such  as  changes  in  interest  rates,  the  market  performance  of  the  diversified  investments  underlying  the 
pension  plans,  actuarial  data  and  adjustments  and  an  increase  in  the  minimum  funding  requirements  or  other  regulatory  changes 
governing the plans. Adverse equity market conditions and volatility in the credit market may have an  unfavorable impact on the value of 
our  pension  assets  and  our  future  estimated  pension  liabilities.  Internal  factors  such  as an  adjustment  to  the  level  of benefits  provided 
under the plans may also lead to an increase in our pension liability. If these or other internal and external risks were to occur, alone or in 
combination, our required contributions to the plans and the costs and net liabilities associated with the plans could increase substantially 
and have a material effect on our business. 

Information concerning our benefit plans is included in Note 19 of the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. 

You should not anticipate or expect the payment of cash dividends on our common stock 

Our dividend policy is subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and depends upon a number of factors, including  our earnings, 
financial  condition,  cash  and  capital  needs,  indebtedness  and  leverage,  and  general  economic  or  business  conditions.  Although  we 
currently use dividends as a way to return value to our stockholders, in the past our Board of Directors suspended our quarterly dividend 
after determining that a suspension was necessary in light of the decline in global LVP, the uncertainty surrounding the recession at that 
time and  the  inherent  risk of customer  defaults. While  we  have  since  resumed  the payment of  dividends  on our common  stock,  in  the 
future, there can be no assurance that the Board of Directors will continue to declare dividends. 

Cybersecurity incidents or other damage to our technology infrastructure could disrupt business operations, result in the loss 
of critical and confidential information, and adversely impact our reputation and operating results 

We  rely  extensively  on  information  technology  (“IT”)  networks  and  systems,  our  global  data  centers  and  services  provided  over  the 
internet  to  process,  transmit  and  store  electronic  information,  and  to  manage  or  support  a  variety  of  business  processes  or  activities 
across our facilities worldwide. The secure operation of our IT networks and systems and the proper processing and maintenance of this 
information are critical to our business operations. We have been, and likely will continue to be, subject to cyber-attacks. To date we have 
seen no material impact on our business from these attacks or events. Although we seek to deploy comprehensive security measures to 
prevent,  detect,  address  and  mitigate  these  threats,  there  has  been  an  increased  level  of  activity,  and  an  associated  level  of 
sophistication,  in  cyber-attacks  against  large  multinational  companies.  The  ever-evolving  threats  mean  we  and  our  third-party  service 
providers and vendors must continually evaluate and adapt our respective systems and processes and overall security environment, as 
well as those of any companies we acquire. There is no guarantee that these measures will be adequate to safeguard against all data 
security breaches, system compromises or misuses of data.   

Our  security  measures  may  be  breached  due  to  human  error,  system  malfunctions  or  attacks  from  uncoordinated  individuals  or 
sophisticated and targeted measures known as advanced persistent threats, directed at the Company, its products, its customers and/or 
its third-party service providers. Because techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently and 
generally are not recognized until they are launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to  implement 
adequate preventative measures. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Disruptions  and  attacks  on  our  IT  systems  or  the  systems  of  third  parties  storing  our  data  could  result  in  the  misappropriation,  loss, 
destruction or corruption of our critical data and confidential or proprietary information, personal information of our employees, the leakage 
of our or our customers’ confidential information, improper use of our systems and networks, production downtimes and both internal and 
external supply shortages, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. It may also result in the theft of intellectual 
property  or  other  misappropriation  of  assets,  or  otherwise  compromise  our  confidential  or  proprietary  information  and  disrupt  our 
operations.  The  potential  consequences  of  a  material  cybersecurity  incident  include  reputational  damage,  theft  of  intellectual  property, 
litigation with third parties, diminution in the value of our investment in research, development and engineering, diversion of the attention 
of management away from the operation of our business and increased cybersecurity protection and remediation costs, legal claims and 
liability, regulatory scrutiny, sanctions, fines or penalties (which may not be covered by our insurance policies), negative  publicity, release 
of  sensitive  and/or  confidential  information,  increases  in  operating  expenses,  or  lost  revenues  which  in  turn  could  adversely  affect  our 
competitiveness  and  results  of  operations.  To  the  extent  that  any  disruption  or  security  breach  results  in  a  misappropriation,  loss, 
destruction or corruption of our customer’s information, it could affect our relationships with our customers, create significant expense 
for us to investigate and remediate damage, lead to claims against the Company and ultimately harm our b usiness. In addition, we may 
be required to incur significant costs to protect against damage caused by these disruptions or security breaches in the futu re.  

In addition, as the  regulatory environment  related to information  security, data collection and  u se, and  privacy  becomes increasingly 
rigorous, with new and constantly changing requirements applicable to our business, compliance with those requirements could  result 
in additional costs. Furthermore, our technology systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from natural disasters, power loss and 
telecommunication failures. 

We continuously seek to maintain a robust program of information security and controls, however,  any future significant compromise or 
breach of our data security, whether external or internal, or misuse of customer, associate, supplier or Company data, could  result in 
significant costs, lost sales, fines, lawsuits, and damage to our reputation.  

Third parties that maintain certain of our confidential and proprietary information could experience a cybersecurity incident  

We rely on third parties to provide or maintain some of our IT systems, data centers and related services and do not exercise  direct 
control over these systems. Despite the implementation of security measures at third party locations, these IT systems, data  centers 
and cloud services are also vulnerable to security breaches or other disruptions. Additionally, we and certain of our third-party vendors, 
collect  and  store  personal  information  in  connection  with  human  resources  operations  and  other  aspects  of  our  business.  While   we 
obtain assurances that any third parties we provide data to will protect this information and, where we believe  appropriate, monitor the 
protections employed by these third parties, there is a risk the confidentiality of data held by us or by third parties may b e compromised 
and expose us to liability for such breach. 

Global climate change could negatively affect our business 

More  regional  and/or  national  requirements  to  reduce  or  mitigate  the  effects  of  greenhouse  gas  emissions  may  adversely  impact  our 
business.  Today  there  is  a  lack  of  consistent  climate  legislation  which  results  in  economic  and  regulatory  uncertainty.  Any  future 
regulations aimed at mitigating climate change may negatively impact the demand for certain of our customer’s products which  could in 
turn impact demand for our products and impact our results of operations. The  costs of compliance and any changes to our operations 
mandated by new or amended laws, may be significant. We may also face unexpected delays in obtaining permits and approvals required 
by  such  laws  in  connection  with  our  manufacturing  facilities,  which  would  hinder  our  operation  of  these  facilities.  Furthermore,  any 
violations of these laws may result in substantial fines and penalties, remediation costs, third party damages, or a suspension or cessation 
of our operations. 

The manifestations of climate change, such as extreme weather conditions or more frequent extreme weather events could disrupt our 
operations,  damage  our  facilities,  disrupt  our  supply  chain,  including  our  customers  or  suppliers,  or  make  it  harder  or  more  difficult  to 
obtain raw materials necessary for the manufacturing of our products. As a result, severe weather or a natural disaster that results in a 
prolonged  disruption  to  our  operations,  or  the  operations  of  our  customers  or  suppliers,  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
operating results, cash flows or financial condition. 

RISKS RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS 

Our business is exposed to risks inherent in international operations 

We  currently  conduct  operations  in  various  countries  and  jurisdictions,  including  locating  certain  of  our  manufacturing  and  distribution 
facilities  internationally,  which  subjects  us  to  the  legal,  political,  regulatory  and  social  requirements  and  economic  conditions  in  these 
jurisdictions. Some of these countries are considered growth markets. International sales and  operations,  especially in growth markets, 
subject us to certain risks inherent in doing business abroad, including: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

exposure to local economic conditions; 

unexpected  changes  in  laws,  regulations,  trade,  or  monetary  or  fiscal  policy,  including  interest  rates,  foreign  currency 
exchange rates, and changes in the rate of inflation in the countries in which we do business; 

foreign tax consequences; 

inability to collect, or delays in collecting, value-added taxes and/or other receivables associated with remittances and other 
payments by subsidiaries; 

exposure to local political turmoil and challenging labor conditions; 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
• 

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• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

expropriation and nationalization; 

enforcing legal agreements or collecting receivables through foreign legal systems; 

wage inflation in growth markets; 

currency controls, including lack of liquidity in foreign currency due to governmental restrictions, trade protection policies and 
currency controls, which may create difficulty in repatriating profits or making other remittances; 

compliance with the requirements of an increasing body of applicable anti-bribery laws; 

reduced intellectual property protection in various markets; 

investment restrictions or requirements; and 

the imposition of product tariffs and the burden of complying with a wide variety of international and U.S. export laws. 

The  Company  is  subject  to  taxation  in  the  U.S.  and  numerous  foreign  jurisdictions.  The  Organization  for  Economic  Co-operation  and 
Development  (“OECD”)  continues  its  base  erosion  and  profit  shifting  (“BEPS”)  project  begun  in  2015  with  new  proposals  for  a  global 
minimum tax, further development of a coordinated set of rules for taxation and the allocation of taxing rights between jurisdictions. These 
proposals,  if  adopted  by  countries  in  which  we  operate,  could  result  in  changes  to  tax  policies,  including  transfer  pricing  policies,  that 
could ultimately impact our tax liabilities. The timing or impact of these proposals and recommendations is unclear at this point. Changes 
in tax laws or policies by the U.S. or foreign jurisdictions could result in a higher effective tax rate on our worldwide earnings, and any 
such change could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects, cash flows, operating results and financial condition.   

Our  international  operations  also  depend  upon  favorable  trade  relations  between  the  U.S.  and  those  foreign  countries  in  which  our 
customers  and  suppliers  have  operations.  The  current  U.S.  presidential  administration  has  created  uncertainty  about  the  future 
relationship  between  the  U.S.  and  certain  of  its  trading  partners,  including  with  respect  to  the  trade  policies  and  agreements,  treaties, 
government  regulations  and  tariffs  that  could  apply  to  trade  between  the  U.S.  and  other  nations.  These  developments  may  have  a 
material adverse effect  on  global  economic  conditions and  the  stability  of  global  financial markets, and may  significantly  reduce  global 
trade and, in particular, trade between these nations and the U.S. It could also impact importing certain foreign-produced vehicles into the 
U.S.  Similarly,  the  political  situations  in  certain  countries,  specifically  Brazil,  China,  France,  Russia,  Turkey,  and  the  United  Kingdom, 
make  it  difficult  to  predict  the  near-term  stability  of  trade  costs  with  these  nations.  Changes  in  national  policy  or  continued  uncertainty 
could depress economic activity and restrict our access to suppliers or customers and have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, 
operating results and financial condition. 

Increasing  our  manufacturing  footprint  in  the  growth  markets  and  our  business  relationships  with  automotive  manufacturers  in  these 
markets are particularly important elements of our strategy. As a result, our exposure to the risks described above may be greater in the 
future,  and  our  exposure  to  risks  associated  with  developing  countries,  such  as  the  risk  of  political  upheaval  and  reliability  of  local 
infrastructure, may increase.  

The exit of the United Kingdom from membership in the European Union may adversely affect our business and profitability 

The  exit  of  the  United  Kingdom  (“U.K.”)  from  the  European  Union  (“EU”)  (“Brexit”)  could  adversely  affect  European  and  worldwide 
economic  and  market  conditions  and  contribute  to  instability  in  global  financial  and  foreign  exchange  markets,  including  increased 
volatility in interest rates and foreign exchange rates. Uncertainty over the final terms of the U.K.’s departure from the EU could cause 
political and economic uncertainty in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. Until final agreements related to Brexit are negotiated 
during the transition period, it is difficult to predict the impact Brexit will have on international trade, and whether we need to renegotiate 
any  of  our  contractual  arrangements  to  accommodate  a  new  trade  regime.  Failure  to  reach  final  agreements  could  have  an  adverse 
impact on and lead to volatility in foreign exchange markets and labor and trade practices and policy. We conduct business in the U.K. 
and several EU nations and the taxation policies of the U.K. and the EU nations may change as a result of Brexit, which could adversely 
impact our  tax  positions. We may  be required  to comply  with  regulatory  requirements  in the  United  Kingdom  that  are  in  addition  to,  or 
inconsistent with, the regulatory requirements of the EU.  

The effects of Brexit could adversely affect our business prospects, operating results, cash flows and financial condition.  

Significant changes in the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”) could adversely affect our financial performance 

In October 2018, the U.S., Mexico and Canada agreed to a trade deal that would replace NAFTA known as The United  States Mexico 
Canada Agreement (“USMCA”). The USMCA has been ratified by Mexico and the U.S. but Canada has not yet done so. If adopted in its 
current form by all three countries, the USMCA will change the automotive rules of origin that dictate what percentage of an automobile 
must be built from parts that originated from countries in the NAFTA region. The new rules would require that at least 75% of parts be 
made  in  North  America  and  that  40-45%  of  an  automobile  must  be  made  by  workers  earning  at  least  $16  an  hour.  Reflective  of  the 
automotive  industry,  our  vehicle parts manufacturing  facilities  in the  U.S.,  Mexico  and  Canada  are  highly  dependent  on  duty-free  trade 
within the NAFTA region. If the USMCA is not ratified and, as a consequence, the U.S. withdraws from NAFTA, such withdrawal could 
have  a  material  adverse  impact  on  our  financial  performance.  The  imposition  of  customs  duties  on  imports  into  the  U.S.,  Mexico  or 
Canada could negatively impact our financial performance.  

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Our foreign operations may subject us to risks relating to laws governing international relations 

Due  to  our  global  operations,  we  are  subject  to  many  laws  governing  international  relations  (including,  but  not  limited  to,  the  Foreign 
Corrupt Practices Act, and other anti-bribery regulations in foreign jurisdictions where we do business), which prohibit improper payments 
to government officials and restrict where and how we can do business, what information or products we can supply to certain countries 
and what information we can provide to authorities in governmental authorities. We also export components and products that are subject 
to certain trade-related U.S. laws, including the U.S. Export Administration Act and various economic sanctions programs administered by 
the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. 

Although we have procedures and policies in place that should mitigate the risk of violating these laws, there is no guarantee that they will 
be  sufficiently  effective.  If  and  when  we  acquire  new  businesses,  we  may  not  be  able  to  ensure  that  the  pre-existing  controls  and 
procedures  meant  to  prevent  violations  of  these  laws  were  effective,  and  violations  may  occur  if  we  are  unable  to  timely  implement 
corrective  and  effective  controls  and  procedures  when  integrating  newly  acquired  businesses.  Any  allegations  of  noncompliance  with 
these laws could harm our reputation, divert management attention and result in significant expenses, and could therefore materially harm 
our business prospects, operating results and financial condition. 

Our business in China is subject to aggressive competition and is sensitive to economic and market conditions 

We  operate  in  the  highly  competitive  automotive  supply  market  in  China  and  face  competition  from  both  international  and  smaller 
domestic  manufacturers.  Due  to  the  significance  of  our  China  market  for  our  profit  and  growth,  we  are  exposed  to  risks  in  China. We 
anticipate  that  additional  competitors,  both  international  and  domestic,  may  seek  to  enter  the  Chinese  market  resulting  in  increased 
competition. Increased competition may result in price reductions, reduced margins and our inability  to gain or hold market share. There 
have been periods of increased market volatility and moderation in the levels of economic growth in China, which resulted in  periods of 
lower automotive production growth rates in China than those previously experienced. Our business in China is sensitive to economic and 
market conditions that drive automotive sales volumes in China and may be impacted if there are reductions in vehicle demand in China. 
If  we  are  unable  to  maintain  our  position  in  the  Chinese  market,  the  pace  of  growth  slows,  or  vehicle  sales  in  China  decrease,  our 
business prospects, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. 

Global integration may result in additional risks 

Because of our efforts to manage costs by integrating our operations globally, we face the additional risk that, should any of the other 
risks  discussed  herein  materialize,  the  negative  effects  could  be  more  pronounced.  For  example,  while  supply  delays  of  a  component 
have typically only affected a few customer vehicle models, such a delay could now affect several vehicle models of  several customers in 
several geographic areas. Similarly, any recall or warranty issue we face due to a product defect or failure is now more likely to involve a 
larger number of units in several geographic areas.  

Exchange rate risks 

As a result of our global presence, a significant portion of our revenues and expenses are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. 
dollar. We are therefore subject to foreign currency risks and foreign exchange exposure. Such risks and exposures include: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

transaction  exposure,  which  arises  because  the  cost  of  a  product  originates  in  one  currency  and  the  product  is  sold  in 
another currency; 

revaluation effects, which arise from valuation of assets denominated in other currencies than the reporting currency of each 
unit; 

translation  exposure  in  the  income  statement,  which  arises  when  the  income  statements  of  non-U.S.  subsidiaries  are 
translated into U.S. dollars; 

translation exposure in the balance sheet, which arises when the balance sheets of non-U.S. subsidiaries are translated into 
U.S. dollars; and 

changes in the reported U.S. dollar amounts of cash flows. 

We  cannot  predict  exchange  rate  volatility  or  the  extent  of  its  impact  on  our  future  financial  results.  We  typically  denominate  foreign 
transactions in foreign currencies to achieve a natural hedge. However, a natural hedge cannot be achieved for  all our currency flows; 
therefore, a net transaction exposure remains within the group. The net exposure can be significant and creates  a transaction exposure 
risk  for  the  Company.  The  Company  does  not  hedge  translation  exposure.  However,  we  do  engage  in  foreign  exchange  rate  hedging 
from time to time related to foreign currency transactions. 

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RISKS RELATED TO ACQUISITIONS 

We face risks in connection with acquisitions and joint ventures 

Our growth has been enhanced through strategic opportunities, including acquisitions of businesses, products and technologies, and joint 
development  agreements  that  we  believe  will  complement  our  business.  We  regularly  evaluate  acquisition  opportunities,  frequently 
engage  in  acquisition  discussions,  conduct  due  diligence  activities  in  connection  with  possible  acquisitions,  and,  where  appropriate, 
engage  in  acquisition  negotiations.  We  may  not  be  able  to  successfully  identify  suitable  acquisition  and  joint  venture  candidates  or 
complete transactions on acceptable terms,  integrate acquired operations into our existing operations or expand into new markets. Our 
failure to identify suitable strategic opportunities may restrict our ability to grow our business. 

These strategic opportunities also involve numerous additional risks to us and our investors, including: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

risks related to retaining acquired management and employees; 

difficulties in integrating acquired technologies, products, operations, services and personnel with our existing businesses; 

diversion of our management’s attention from other business concerns; 

assumption of contingent liabilities; 

adverse financial impacts from the amortization of expenses related to intangible assets; 

adverse financial impacts from potential impairment of goodwill; 

incurrence of indebtedness; and 

potential adverse financial impacts. 

In  the  future,  we  may  pursue  acquisitions  of  businesses  or  products  that  are  complementary  to  our  business  but  for  which  we  have 
historically had little or no direct  experience.  These transactions can involve significant challenges and risks as well as significant time 
and  resources  that  may  divert  management’s  attention  from  other  business  activities.  If  we  fail  to  adequately  manage  these  risks,  the 
acquisitions may not result in revenue growth, operational synergies or service or technology enhancements, which could adversely affect 
our financial condition. 

RISKS RELATED TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

If our patents are declared invalid or our technology infringes on the proprietary rights of others, our ability to compete may be 
impaired 

We  have  developed  a  considerable  amount  of  proprietary  technology  related  to  automotive  safety  systems  and  rely  on  a  number  of 
patents to protect such technology. Our intellectual property plays an important role in maintaining our competitive position in a number of 
the markets we serve. At present, we hold more than 6,000 patents covering a large number of innovations and product ideas, mainly in 
the fields of seatbelt and airbag technologies. In addition to our in-house research and development efforts, we seek to acquire rights to 
new  intellectual  property  through  corporate  acquisitions,  asset  acquisitions,  licensing  and  joint  venture  arrangements.  Our  patents  and 
licenses expire on various dates during the period from  2020 to 2039. We do not expect the expiration of any single patent or license to 
have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. 

Developments  or  assertions  by  or  against  us  relating  to  intellectual  property  rights  could  negatively  impact  our  business. We  primarily 
protect our innovations with patents and vigorously protect and defend our patents, trademarks and know-how against infringement and 
unauthorized use. If we are not able to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary rights and technology, we  could lose those 
rights and incur substantial costs policing and defending those rights. We also generate license revenue from these  patents,  which we 
may lose if we do not adequately protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights. Our means of protecting our intellectual property, 
proprietary rights and technology may not be adequate, and our competitors may independently develop technologies that are similar or 
superior to our proprietary technologies, duplicate our technologies, or design around the patents we own or license.  

In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect our proprietary rights to  as great an extent as the laws of the U.S. and we 
may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending  our intellectual property rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. This could 
make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or misappropriation of our other intellectual property rights. Proceedings to 
enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of 
our business. Accordingly, our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights in such countries may be inadequate. 

We may not be able to protect our proprietary technology and intellectual property rights, which could result in the loss of  our 
rights or increased costs. 

Although we believe that our products and technology do not infringe the proprietary rights of others, third parties may assert infringement 
claims against us in the future. Additionally, we license from third parties proprietary  technology covered by patents, and we cannot be 
certain that any such patents will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented. Such licenses may also be non-exclusive, meaning our 
competition may also be able to access such technology. Further, we expect to continue to expand our products and services and expand 
into new businesses, including through acquisitions, joint ventures and joint development agreements, which could increase our exposure 
to  patent  and  other  intellectual  property  claims  from  competitors  and  other  parties.  If  claims  alleging  patent,  copyright  or  trademark 
infringement  are  brought  against  us  and  are  successfully  prosecuted  against  us,  they  could  result  in  substantial  costs.  If  a  successful 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
claim is made against us and we fail to develop non-infringing technology, our business, operating results and financial condition could be 
materially adversely affected. In addition, certain of our products utilize components that are  developed by third parties and licensed to 
us. If claims alleging patent,  copyright  or  trademark infringement  are  brought  against  such  licensors and  successfully  prosecuted,  they 
could result in substantial costs, and we may not be able to replace  the functions provided by these licensors. Alternate sources for the 
technology currently licensed to us may not be available in a timely manner, may not provide the same functions as currently provided or 
may be more expensive than products currently used. 

We  may  develop  proprietary  information  through  our  in-house  research  and  development  efforts,  consulting  arrangements  or  research 
collaborations  with  other  entities  or  organizations.  We  may  seek  to  protect  this  proprietary  information  by  entering  into  confidentiality 
agreements or consulting, services or employment agreements that contain non-disclosure and non-use provisions with our employees, 
consultants, scientific advisors and other third parties. However, we may fail to enter into the necessary agreements, and even if entered 
into, these agreements may be breached or may otherwise fail to prevent disclosure, third-party infringement or misappropriation of our 
proprietary information.  

We may not be able to respond quickly enough to changes in technology and technological risks and to develop our intellectual 
property into commercially viable products 

Changes in legislative, regulatory or industry requirements or in competitive technologies may render certain of our products obsolete or 
less  attractive  to  our  customers.  We  currently  license  certain  proprietary  technology  to  third  parties  and,  if  such  technology  becomes 
obsolete or less attractive, those licensees could terminate our license agreements, which could adversely affect our results of operations. 
Our ability to anticipate changes in technology and regulatory standards and to successfully develop and introduce  new and enhanced 
products on a timely basis will be a significant factor in our ability to remain competitive. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able 
to achieve the technological advances that may be necessary for us to remain competitive or that certain of our products will not become 
obsolete. We are also subject to the risks generally associated with new product introductions  and applications, including lack of market 
acceptance, delays in product development and failure of products to operate properly. As  part  of our business strategy,  we may from 
time  to  time  seek  to  acquire  businesses  or  assets  that  provide  us  with  additional  intellectual  property.  We  may  experience  problems 
integrating acquired technologies into our existing technologies and products, and  such acquired intellectual property may be subject to 
known or contingent liabilities such as infringement claims. 

Some  of  our  products  and  technologies  may  use  “open  source”  software,  which  may  restrict  how  we  use  or  distribute  our 
products or require that we release the source code of certain products subject to those licenses  

Some  of  our  products  and  technologies may  incorporate  software  licensed  under  so-called  “open source”  licenses.  In  addition  to  risks 
related to license requirements, usage of open source software can lead to greater risks than use of third-party commercial software, as 
open source licensors generally do not provide warranties or controls on origin of the software. Additionally, open source licenses typically 
require  that  source  code subject  to  the  license be  made available  to the public and that  any  modifications  or derivative  works  to  open 
source  software  continue  to  be  licensed  under  open  source  licenses.  These  open  source  licenses  typically  mandate  that  proprietary 
software,  when  combined  in  specific  ways  with  open  source  software,  become  subject  to  the  open  source  license.  If  we  combine  our 
proprietary software in such ways with open source software, we could be required to release the source code of our proprietary software. 
We take steps to ensure that our proprietary software is not combined with, and does not incorporate, open source software in ways that 
would  require  our  proprietary  software  to  be  subject  to  an  open  source  license.  However,  few  courts  have  interpreted  open  source 
licenses; therefore the manner in which these licenses may be interpreted and enforced is subject to some uncertainty. 

RISKS RELATED TO GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS AND TAXES 

Our  business  may  be  adversely  affected  by  laws  or  regulations,  including  environmental,  occupational  health  and  safety  or 
other governmental regulations 

We  are  subject  to  various  federal,  state,  local  and  foreign  laws  and  regulations,  including  those  related  to  the  requirements  of 
environmental,  occupational  health  and  safety,  financial  and  other  matters.  We  cannot  predict  the  substance  or  impact  of  pending  or 
future  legislation  or  regulations,  or  the  application  thereof.  The  introduction  of  new  laws  or  regulations  or  changes  in  existing  laws  or 
regulations, or the interpretations thereof, could increase the costs of doing business for us or our customers or suppliers  or restrict our 
actions and adversely affect our business prospects, operating results, cash flows or financial condition. 

Our operations are subject to environmental and safety laws and regulations governing, among other things, emissions to air, discharges 
to  waters  and  the  generation,  handling,  storage,  transportation,  treatment  and  disposal  of  waste  and  other  materials. The  operation  of 
automotive  parts  manufacturing  facilities  entails  risks  in  these  areas,  and  we  cannot  assure  that  we  will  not  incur  material  costs  or 
liabilities as a result. Additionally, environmental laws, regulations, and permits and the enforcement thereof change frequently and have 
tended  to  become  increasingly  stringent  over  time,  which  may  necessitate  substantial  capital  expenditures  or  operating  costs  or  may 
require changes of production processes. Although we have no known pending material environmental issues, there is no assurance that 
we will not be adversely impacted by any environmental costs, liabilities or claims in the future either under present laws and regulations 
or those that may be adopted or imposed in the future. Our costs, liabilities, and obligations relating to environmental matters may have a 
material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows, or financial condition. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Our  facilities in the  U.S. are subject to  regulation by  the  Occupational  Safety and  Health Administration  (“OSHA”),  which  regulates  the 
protection  of  the  health  and  safety  of  workers.  In  addition,  the  OSHA  hazard  communication  standard  requires  that  we  maintain 
information about hazardous materials used or produced in our operations and that we provide this information to employees,  state and 
local governmental authorities and local residents. We are also subject to occupational safety regulations in other countries. Our failure to 
comply  with  government  occupational  safety  regulations,  including  OSHA  requirements,  or  general  industry  standards  relating  to 
employee  health  and  safety,  keep  adequate  records  or  monitor  occupational  exposure  to  regulated  substances  could  expose  us  to 
liability, enforcement, and fines and penalties, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, cash flows, or 
financial condition. 

Although we employ safety procedures in the design and operation of our facilities, there is a risk that an accident or injury to one of our 
employees could occur in one of our facilities. Any accident or injury to our employees could result in litigation, manufacturing delays and 
harm to our reputation, which could negatively affect our business, operating results and financial condition. 

Our business may be adversely affected by changes in automotive safety regulations or concerns that drive further regulation 
of the automobile safety market 

Government vehicle safety regulations are a key driver in our business. Historically, these regulations have imposed ever  more stringent 
safety  regulations  for  vehicles.  Safety  regulations  have  a  positive  impact  on  driver  awareness  and  acceptance  of  automotive  safety 
products  and  technology.  These  more  stringent  safety  regulations  often  require  vehicles  to  have  more  safety  content  per  vehicle  and 
more advanced safety products, which has thus been a driver of growth in our business. 

However, these regulations are subject to change based on a number of factors that are not within our control, including new scientific or 
medical data, adverse publicity regarding the industry recalls and safety risks of airbags or seatbelts (for instance,  to children and small 
adults),  domestic  and  foreign  political  developments  or  considerations,  and  litigation  relating  to  our  products  and  our  competitors’ 
products. Changes in government regulations in response to these and other considerations could have a severe impact on our business. 
Although we believe that over time safety will continue to be a regulatory priority, if government priorities shift and we are unable to adapt 
to changing regulations, our business may suffer material adverse effects. 

The  regulatory  obligation  of  complying  with  safety  regulations  could  increase  as  federal  and  local  regulators  impose  more  stringent 
compliance  and  reporting  requirements  in  response  to  product  recalls  and  safety  issues  in  our  industry.  We  are  subject  to  existing 
stringent  requirements  under  the  National  Traffic  and  Motor  Vehicle  Safety  Act  of  1966  (the  “Vehicle  Safety  Act”),  including  a  duty  to 
report, subject to strict timing requirements, safety defects with our products. The Vehicle Safety Act imposes potentially significant civil 
penalties for violations including the failure to comply with such reporting actions. We are also subject to the existing U.S. Transportation 
Recall  Enhancement,  Accountability  and  Documentation  (TREAD)  Act,  which  requires  equipment  manufacturers,  such  as  Autoliv,  to 
comply  with  “Early  Warning”  requirements  by  reporting  certain  information  to  the  National  Highway  Traffic  Safety  Administration 
(“NHTSA”) such as: information related to defects or reports of injury related to our products. TREAD imposes criminal liability for violating 
such requirements if a defect subsequently causes death or bodily injury. In addition, the Vehicle Safety Act authorizes NHTSA to require 
a manufacturer to recall and repair vehicles that contain safety defects or fail to comply with U.S. federal motor vehicle  safety standards. 
Sales into foreign countries may be subject to similar regulations. 

Due to the recent record recall of airbag inflators of one of our competitors, additional legislation has been proposed in the U.S. Congress 
regarding the reporting requirements for product recalls. NHTSA has also become more active in requesting  information  from suppliers 
and vehicle manufactures regarding potential product defects. For example, in connection with the Toyota Recall, we, in connection with 
Toyota,  have  informed  NHTSA  of  the  reported incidents  and  Toyota  has discussed  with NHTSA  what  action  it  will  take  to  address  the 
issue.  

Negative or unexpected tax developments could adversely affect our effective tax rate, operating results and financial condition 

Changes in, or changes in the application of, U.S. or foreign tax laws, regulations or accounting principles with respect to matters such as 
tax base, tax rates, transfer pricing, dividends and restrictions on certain forms of tax relief or limitations on favorable tax treatment could 
affect the carrying value of our deferred tax assets and/or our effective tax rate. 

Our annual tax rate is based on our income and the tax laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate. Because of our global operations we 
face  uncertainties  and  judgments  in  the  application  of  complex  tax  regulations  in  a  multitude  of  jurisdictions.  Significant  judgment  is 
required  in  determining  our  effective  tax  rate  and  in  evaluating  our  tax  positions.  Although  we  believe  that  our  tax  estimates  are 
reasonable, the final determination of our tax liability may be different from what is reflected in our historical income tax provisions  and 
accruals. 

We  are  regularly  examined  by  tax  authorities  around  the  world  and  in  a  number  of  jurisdictions,  we  are  currently  under  examination, 
which inherently creates uncertainty. Although we periodically assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes, negative or unexpected results 
from  one  or  more  of  such  reviews  and  audits,  including  any  related  interest  or  penalties  imposed  by  governmental  authorities,  could 
increase our effective tax rate and adversely impact our operating results, cash flows or financial condition. 

The  effective  tax  rates  used  for  interim  reporting  are  based  on  our  projected  full-year  geographic  earnings  mix  and  take  into  account 
projected tax costs on intercompany dividends from lower tier subsidiaries.  Changes in currency exchange rates, earnings  mix among 
taxing jurisdictions, or the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends could impact our reported effective tax rates, or cause fluctuations in 
the tax rate from quarter to quarter. Certain anti-trust judgements or settlements may not be tax deductible, which could have a material 
negative impact to our annual tax rate. A number of other factors may also increase our effective tax rate, which could have  an adverse 
impact on our profitability and operating results. Due to our numerous foreign operations, our tax rate may be impacted by our global mix 
of earnings if our pre-tax income is lower than anticipated in countries with lower statutory tax rates and/or is higher than anticipated in 
countries with higher statutory tax rates. Based on U.S. regulatory rules, we do not record current or deferred tax liabilities on permanent 
investments in our foreign subsidiaries and our foreign earnings that are indefinitely reinvested. See Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements in this Annual Report. 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
We may not be able to fully realize our deferred tax assets 

We currently carry deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances, resulting from deductible temporary differences and tax  loss carry-
forwards,  both  of  which  will  reduce  taxable  income  in  the  future.  However,  deferred  tax  assets  may  only  be  realized  against  taxable 
income.  The  amount  of  our  deferred  tax  assets  could  be  reduced,  from  time  to  time,  due  to  adverse  changes  in  our  operations  or  in 
estimates of future taxable income from operations during the carry-forward period as a result of a deterioration in  market conditions or 
other circumstances. Any such reduction would adversely affect our income in the period of the adjustment. Additional information on our 
deferred tax assets is included in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. 

RISKS RELATED TO THE SEPARATION OF VEONEER 

We could incur significant liability if the separation is determined to be a taxable transaction 

We have received an opinion of outside counsel to the effect that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the separation should qualify, for 
both Autoliv and its stockholders, as a reorganization within the meaning of Sections 368(a)(1)(D) and 355 of the U.S. Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986, as amended. The opinion is based on and relies on, among other things, certain facts and assumptions, as well as certain 
representations, statements and undertakings of Autoliv and Veoneer, including those relating to the past and future conduct  of Autoliv 
and Veoneer. If any of these facts, assumptions, representations, statements or undertakings is, or becomes, inaccurate or incomplete, 
reliance on the opinion may be affected. An opinion of outside counsel represents their legal judgment but is not binding on the IRS or any 
court. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge the conclusions reflected in the opinion or that a court would 
not sustain such a challenge.  

Potential indemnification obligations to Veoneer or a refusal of Veoneer to indemnify us pursuant to the agreements executed in 
connection with the internal reorganization and spin-off could materially adversely affect us 

The transaction agreements we entered into with Veoneer in connection with the internal reorganization and the spin-off provide for cross-
indemnities  that  require  Autoliv  and  Veoneer  to  bear  financial  responsibility  for  each  company’s  business  prior  to  the  internal 
reorganization  or  spin-off,  as  applicable,  and  to  indemnify  the  other  party  in  connection  with  a  breach  of  such  party  of  the  transaction 
agreements;  provided,  however,  certain  warranty,  recall  and  product  liabilities  for  electronics  products  manufactured  prior  to  the 
completion of the internal reorganization have been retained by us and we will indemnify Veoneer for any losses associated with such 
warranty, recall or product liabilities pursuant to the distribution agreement entered into as part of the spin-off. Any indemnities that we are 
required to provide to Veoneer may be significant and could negatively affect our business. In addition, there can be no assurance that 
the indemnities from Veoneer will be sufficient to protect us against the full amount of any potential liabilities. Even if we do succeed in 
recovering from Veoneer any amounts for which we are held liable, we may be temporarily required to bear these losses ourselves. In 
addition, each of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition. 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 

Not applicable. 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 2. Properties 

Autoliv’s principal executive offices are located at Klarabergsviadukten 70, Section B7, SE-111 64, Stockholm, Sweden. Autoliv’s various 
businesses  operate  in  a  number  of  production  facilities  and  offices.  Autoliv  believes  that  its  properties  are  adequately  maintained  and 
suitable  for  their  intended  use  and  that  the  Company’s  production  facilities  have  adequate  capacity  for  the  Company’s  current  and 
foreseeable needs. All of Autoliv’s production facilities and offices are owned or leased by operating (either subsidiary or  joint venture) 
companies. 

AUTOLIV MANUFACTURING FACILITIES 

   Location of Facility 

   Items produced at Facility 

   Owned/Leased 

Taubaté 

Seatbelts, airbags, steering 
wheels and seatbelt webbing 

Owned 

Country/Company 
Brazil 
Autoliv do Brasil Ltda. 

Canada 
Autoliv Canada, Inc. 
VOA Canada, Inc. 

China 
Autoliv (Baoding) Vehicle Safety Systems Co., Ltd 
Autoliv (Changchun) Vehicle Safety Systems Co., Ltd. 
Autoliv (China) Steering Wheel Co., Ltd. 
Autoliv (Guangzhou) Vehicle Safety Systems Co., Ltd. 
Autoliv (Nanjing) Vehicle Safety Systems Co., Ltd. 
Autoliv Shenda (Nanjing) Automotive Components Co., Ltd. 
Autoliv (Shanghai) Vehicle Safety Systems Co., Ltd. 
Autoliv Shenda (Tai Cang) Automotive Safety Systems Co., 
Ltd. 
Autoliv (Jiangsu) Automotive Safety Components Co., Ltd. 

Autoliv (China) Automotive Safety Systems Co., Ltd. 
Mei-An Autoliv Co., Ltd. 

Estonia 
AS Norma 

France 
Autoliv France SNC 
Autoliv Isodelta SAS 
Livbag SAS 
N.C.S. Pyrotechnie et Technologies SAS 

Germany 
Autoliv B.V. & Co. KG 

Hungary 
Autoliv Kft. 

India 
Autoliv India Private Ltd. 

Indonesia 
P.T. Autoliv Indonesia 

Japan 
Autoliv Japan Ltd. 

   Tilbury 
   Collingwood 

   Airbag cushions 
   Seatbelt webbing 

   Airbags 
   Airbags and seatbelts 

   Baoding 
   Changchun 
   Fengxian/Shanghai     Steering wheels 
   Guangzhou 
   Nanjing 
   Nanjing 
   Shanghai 
Shanghai 

   Airbags and seatbelts 
   Seatbelts 
   Seatbelt webbing 
   Airbags 

Seatbelt webbing 

Jintan 

   Nantong 
   Taipei 

Propellant, Airbag initiators and 
Airbag inflators 
   Airbag cushions 
   Seatbelts and airbags 

Owned 
Owned 

Leased 
Owned 
Owned 
Owned 
Owned 
Owned 
Owned 
Owned 

Owned 

Owned 
Leased 

   Tallinn 

   Seatbelts and belt components    

Owned 

   Gournay-en-Bray 
   Chiré-en-Montreuil 
   Pont-de-Buis 
Survilliers 

   Seatbelts and airbags 
   Steering wheels and covers 
   Airbag inflators 

Airbag initiators and seatbelt 
micro gas generators 

   Elmshorn 

   Seatbelts 

   Sopronkövesd 

   Seatbelts 

Bangalore 

   Mysore 
Delhi 

Seatbelts, airbags and steering 
wheels 

   Seatbelt webbing 

Seatbelts, airbags and steering 
wheels 

   Chennai 

   Airbags, Seatbelts 

Owned 
Owned 
Owned 
Owned 

Owned 

Owned 

Leased 

Owned 
Leased 

Leased 

   Jakarta 

   Seatbelts and steering wheels 

Owned 

   Steering wheels 
   Airbags and steering wheels 
   Airbag inflators 
   Airbags and seatbelts 

Owned 
Owned 
Owned 
Owned 

   Atsugi 
   Hiroshima 
   Taketoyo 
   Tsukuba 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AUTOLIV MANUFACTURING FACILITIES 

Country/Company 
Malaysia 
Autoliv-Hirotako Sdn Bhd 

   Location of Facility 

   Items produced at Facility 

   Owned/Leased 

Kuala Lumpur 

Seatbelts, airbags and steering 
wheels 

Owned 

Mexico 
Autoliv Mexico East S.A. de C.V. 
Autoliv Mexico S.A. de C.V. 
Autoliv Safety Technology de 
Mexico S.A. de C.V. 
Autoliv Steering Wheels Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V. 

Philippines 
Autoliv Cebu Safety Manufacturing, Inc. 

   Matamoros 
   Lerma 
   Tijuana 
   Querétaro 
   Querétaro 

   Steering wheels 
   Seatbelts 
   Seatbelts 
   Airbag cushions 
   Airbags 

   Cebu 

   Steering wheels 

Poland 
Autoliv Poland Sp. zo.o. 

Romania 
Autoliv Romania S.R.L. 

Russia 
OOO Autoliv 

South Africa 
Autoliv Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. 

South Korea 
Autoliv Corporation 

Spain 
Autoliv BKI S.A.U. 

Sweden 
Autoliv Sverige AB 

Thailand 
Autoliv Thailand Ltd. 

Tunisia 
SWT1 SARL 

ASW3 SARL 

   Krügersdorp 

   Seatbelts and airbags 

Owned 

   Olawa 
   Jelcz-Laskowice 

   Airbag cushions 
   Airbags and seatbelts 

Brasov 

   Lugoj 
   Resita 
   Sfantu Georghe 
   Onesti 
   Rovinari 

Seatbelts, seatbelt webbing, 
airbags, airbag inflators, springs 
for retractors and seatbelt 
components 
   Airbag cushions 
   Airbag cushions 
   Steering wheels 
   Steering wheels 
   Seatbelts 

Togliatti 

Airbags, seatbelts and steering 
wheels 

   Hwasung 
   Wonju 

   Airbags 
   Seatbelts 

   Valencia 

   Airbags 

   Vårgårda 

   Airbag inflators 

   Chonburi 
Chonburi 

El Fahs 

Nadhour 

   Seatbelts 

Airbags, airbag cushions, 
steering wheels 

Leather wrapping of steering 
wheels 
PU Molding and Leather 
wrapping of steering wheels 

Owned 
Owned 
Leased 
Leased 
Leased 

Owned 

Owned 
Owned 

Owned 

Owned 
Leased 
Owned 
Leased 
Owned 

Leased 

Owned 
Owned 

Owned 

Owned 

Owned 
Leased 

Owned & 
Leased 
Owned 

Owned 

Leased 

Turkey 
Autoliv Cankor Otomotiv Emniyet Sistemleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret 
A.S. 
Autoliv Cankor Otomotiv Emniyet Sistemleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret 
A.S. Gebze-Subesi 

Gebze-Kocaeli 

Seatbelts 

Gebze-Kocaeli 

Airbags, Steering wheels and 
Seatbelt components 

United Kingdom 
Airbags International Ltd 

   Congleton 

   Airbag cushions 

Owned 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
Country/Company 

USA 
Autoliv ASP, Inc. 

AUTOLIV MANUFACTURING FACILITIES 

   Location of Facility 

   Items produced at Facility 

   Owned/Leased 

   Brigham City 
   Ogden 
   Ogden 
   Promontory 
Tremonton 

   Airbag inflators 
   Airbags 
   Airbags and service parts 
   Propellant 

Airbag initiators and seatbelt 
micro gas generators 

Owned 
Owned 
Leased 
Owned 
Owned 

AUTOLIV TECHNICAL CENTERS AND CRASH TEST TRACKS 

Country/Company 
China 
Autoliv (Shanghai) Vehicle Safety System Technical 
Center Co., Ltd. 

   Location 

   Product(s) supported 

Shanghai 

Airbags and seatbelts customer applications 
and platform development with full-scale test 
laboratory 

France 
Autoliv France SNC 

Livbag SAS 

Germany 
Autoliv B.V. & Co. KG 

India 
Autoliv India Private Ltd. 

Japan 
Autoliv Japan Ltd. 

Poland 
Autoliv Poland Sp. zo.o. 

Romania 
Autoliv Romania S.R.L. 

South Korea 
Autoliv Corporation 

Sweden 
Autoliv Development AB 
Autoliv Sverige AB 

USA 
Autoliv ASP, Inc. 

Gournay-en-Bray 

Airbags and seatbelts customer applications 
and platform development with full-scale test 
laboratory 

   Pont-de-Buis 

   Inflator and pyrotechnic development 

Dachau 

Customer applications and platform 
development, airbags with full-scale test 
laboratory 

   Elmshorn 

   Seatbelts with full-scale test laboratory 

   Bangalore 

   Airbags and seatbelts with sled testing 

Tsukuba 

Airbags and seatbelts customer applications 
and platform development with sled test 
laboratory 

   Olawa 

   Airbags applications and platform development 

   Brasov 

   Seatbelts with sled test laboratory 

Seoul 

Airbags and seatbelts customer applications 
and platform development with sled test 
laboratory 

   Vårgårda 
Vårgårda 

   Research center 

Airbags customer applications and platform 
development with full-scale test laboratory 

Airbags, steering wheels, and seatbelts 
customer applications and platform 
development with full-scale test laboratory 
Airbags, inflators and pyrotechnics customer 
applications and platform development 

Auburn Hills 

Ogden 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
     
     
     
     
  
  
  
     
     
     
     
  
  
  
     
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
     
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 

In the ordinary course of our business, we are subject to legal proceedings brought by or against us and our subsidiaries. 

See Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements  in this Annual Report for a summary of certain ongoing legal proceedings. Such 
information is incorporated into this Part I, Item 3 – “Legal Proceedings” by reference. 

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 

Not applicable. 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
 
PART II 

Item  5.  Market  for  Registrant’s  Common  Equity,  Related  Stockholder  Matters  and  Issuer  Purchases  of 
Equity Securities 

Shareholder Information 

The  primary  exchange  market  for  Autoliv’s  securities  is  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  (NYSE)  where  Autoliv’s  common  stock  trades 
under  the  symbol  “ALV”.  Autoliv’s  Swedish  Depositary  Receipts  (SDRs)  are  traded  on  NASDAQ  Stockholm’s  list  for  large  market  cap 
companies under the symbol “ALIV SDB”. Options in SDRs trade on Nasdaq Stockholm under the name “Autoliv SDB”.  Options in Autoliv 
shares are traded on NASDAQ OMX PHLX and on NYSE Amex Options under the symbol “ALV”. 

Share price performance* 

* For all periods before the distribution date of Veoneer on June 29, 2018, the Autoliv share prices are adjusted by a factor of 72.04%. 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Number of shares 

During 2019, the average number of shares outstanding remained at 87.3 million (excluding dilution and treasury shares). The weighted 
average number of shares outstanding for the full year 2019, assuming dilution, increased to 87.4 from 87.3 million in 2018.  

Stock  options  (if  exercised)  and  granted  Restricted  Stock  Units  (RSUs)  and  Performance  Shares  (PSs)  could  increase  the  number  of 
shares  outstanding  by  0.4  million  shares  in  the  aggregate.  Combined,  this  would  add  0.5%  to  the  number  of  shares  outstanding.  On 
December 31, 2019, 3.0 million shares were available for repurchase pursuant to the stock repurchase program authorized by the Board 
of Directors in 2014. On December 31, 2019, the Company had 15.6 million treasury shares. 

Shareholders 

As  of  the  end  of  2019  around  22%  of  Autoliv’s  securities  were  held  by  U.S.-based  shareholders  and  close  to  53%  by  Sweden-based 
shareholders. Most of the remaining Autoliv securities were held in the U.K., Switzerland, Norway, Canada and France. 

Dividends 

If declared by the Board of Directors, quarterly dividends are usually paid on the first Thursday in the last month of each quarter. Declared 
dividends are announced in press releases and published on Autoliv’s corporate website. Autoliv has a history of paying quarterly cash 
dividends and intends to pay similar dividends in the future but may not because of certain factors as set forth in  “Risk Factors” – ´You 
should  not  anticipate or  expect  the payment  of  cash dividends  on  our common stock´” in  Item 1A  of  this  Annual  Report.  See  Autoliv’s 
corporate website for additional details regarding historical dividends. 

Stock incentive plan 

Autoliv employees participate in the Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (the “Stock Incentive Plan”) and receive Autoliv 
stock-based awards from time to time. In connection with the spin-off, each outstanding Autoliv stock-based award as of June 29, 2018 
was converted to stock awards that have underlying shares of both Autoliv and Veoneer common stock (see Note 17 to the Consolidated 
Financial  Statements  in  this  Annual  Report).  Additional  information  regarding  the  securities  authorized  for  issuance  under  the  Stock 
Incentive Plan is included in Item 12 of this Annual Report. 

Autoliv has adopted a Stock Ownership Policy for Executives requiring the Company’s CEO to accumulate and hold the number of Autoliv 
shares having a value of twice his annual base salary. For other executives, the minimum requirement is, over time, a holding equal to 
each executive’s annual base salary. 

Stock repurchase  program 

Autoliv initiated its repurchase program in 2000 with 10 million shares and  has subsequently increased the total authorization four times 
between 2000 and 2014 to 47.5 million shares. 

Such purchases may be made from time to time on the open market or otherwise at the discretion of management. There is no expiration 
date for the share repurchase authorization to provide management flexibility in the Company’s repurchases. 

In  total,  Autoliv  repurchased  44.5  million  shares  between  May  2000  and  December  31,  2017  for  cash  of  $2,498  million,  including 
commissions.  No  repurchases  were  made  during  2018  or  2019.  Autoliv  has  made  no  share  repurchases  since  June  30,  2017.  The 
maximum number of shares that may still be purchased under the stock repurchase program amounted to 2,986,288 shares at December 
31, 2019. 

Of the total number of repurchased shares, 23.6 million shares were utilized for the equity units  offering during 2009-2012. In addition, 
approximately 5.4 million shares have been utilized by the Stock Incentive Plan. At December 31,  2019, 15.6 million of the repurchased 
shares remain in treasury stock. 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 6. Selected Financial Data 

Selected financial data for the last five fiscal years ended December 31 for the Continuing Operations, unless noted, is summarized in the 
table below. 

 (DOLLARS IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) 
Sales and Income 
Net sales 
Operating income4) 
Income before income taxes4) 
Net income attributable to controlling interest4) 
Financial Position 
Current assets excluding cash 
Property, plant and equipment, net 
Intangible assets (primarily goodwill) 
Non-interest bearing liabilities 
Capital employed5) 
Net debt6, 8) 
Total equity5) 
Total assets 
Long-term debt6) 
Share data 
Earnings per share (US$) – basic4) 
Earnings per share (US$) – assuming dilution4) 
Total parent shareholders’ equity per share (US$)5) 
Cash dividends paid per share (US$) 
Cash dividends declared per share (US$) 
Share repurchases 
Number of shares outstanding (million)2) 
Ratios 
Gross margin (%) 
Operating margin (%)4) 
Pretax margin (%)4) 
Return on capital employed (%)7) 
Return on total equity (%)4, 7) 
Total equity ratio (%)5) 
Days receivables outstanding 
Days inventory outstanding 
Other data 
Airbag sales3) 
Seatbelt sales 
Capital expenditures, net 
Net cash provided by operating activities1) 
Net cash used in investing activities1) 
Net cash used in financing activities1) 
Number of employees, December 31 

2019 

2018 

2017 

2016 

2015 

  $ 

8,548     $ 
726       
648       
462       

8,678     $ 
686       
612       
376       

8,137     $ 
860       
792       
586       

7,922     $ 
831       
784       
558       

2,557       
1,816       
1,410       
2,397       
3,772       
1,650       
2,122       
6,771       
1,726       

5.29       
5.29       
24.19       
2.48       
2.48       
—       
87.2       

18.5       
8.5       
7.6       
20       
23       
31       
70       
35       

2,670       
1,690       
1,423       
2,595       
3,516       
1,619       
1,897       
6,722       
1,609       

4.32       
4.31       
21.63       
2.46       
2.48       
—       
87.1       

19.7       
7.9       
7.1       
17     
13     
28       
71       
35       

2,598       
1,609       
1,440       
2,418       
4,538       
368       
4,169       
6,947       
1,311       

6.70       
6.68       
46.38       
2.38       
2.40       
157       
87.0       

20.6       
10.6       
9.7       
n/a     
n/a     
49   
76       
35       

2,269       
1,329       
1,430       
2,154       
4,225       
299       
3,926       
6,565       
1,313       

6.33       
6.32       
41.69       
2.30       
2.32       
—       
88.2       

20.6       
10.5       
9.9       
n/a     
n/a     
48       
70       
32       

7,636   
708   
655   
443   

2,259   
1,265   
1,445   
2,049   
3,670   
202   
3,468   
6,518   
1,499   

5.03   
5.02   
39.22   
2.22   
2.24   
104   
88.1   

20.5   
9.3   
8.6   
n/a   
n/a   
46   
71   
31   

5,676       
2,872       
476       
641       
(476 )     
(338 )     
58,900       

5,699       
2,980       
486       
591       
(628 )     
(245 )     
57,700       

5,342       
2,794       
464       
936       
(697 )     
(566 )     
56,700       

5,256       
2,665       
398       
868       
(726 )     
(200 )     
55,800       

5,036   
2,599   
397   
751   
(591 ) 
(319 ) 
51,300   

1) 
2) 
3) 
4) 
5) 
6) 

7) 

8) 

Including Discontinued Operations for all comparable years. 
At year end, excluding dilution and net of treasury shares. 
Including steering wheels, inflators and initiators. 
Including antitrust provision expense of $210 million in 2018. 
Impacted by the distribution of Veoneer on June 29, 2018 of approximately $2 billion recorded as a reduction of equity. 
The  increase  in  debt  in  2018  is  primarily  driven  by  our  capitalization  of  Veoneer  of  approximately  $1  billion  prior  to  the  distribution  to  the 
shareholders. 
The  Company  has  decided  not  to  recalculate  prior  periods  since  the  distribution  of  Veoneer  had  a  significant  impact  on  total  equity  and  capital 
employed making the comparison less meaningful. 
See section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures in Item 7. 

29 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
     
     
  
    
        
        
        
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
        
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
        
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
        
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
        
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 
 
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 

Important Trends 

The  discussions  and  analysis  in  this  section  are  focused  on  our  continuing  operations.  For  more  information  on  our  discontinued 
operations, see  Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. Discussions of our results of operations for the 
year ended December 31, 2018 compared to the year ended December 31, 2017 that have been omitted under this item can be found in 
Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Form 10-K for the year 
ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on February 21, 2019. 

Autoliv,  Inc.  (the  “Company”)  provides  automotive  safety  systems  to  the  automotive  industry  with  a  broad  range  of  product  offerings, 
primarily passive safety systems. In the two-year period ended December 31, 2019, a number of factors have influenced the Company’s 
results of operations. The most notable factors have been: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Substantial decline in global light vehicle production  

Growth of safety content per vehicle 

High order intake share maintained 

Operational initiatives  

Continued focus on operational excellence and quality 

Changes in competitive environment 

YEARS ENDED DEC. 31 (DOLLARS IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT EPS) 
Global light vehicle production (in thousands) 
Consolidated net sales 
Operating income3) 
Operating margin, %3) 
Net income attributable to controlling interest from Continuing 
   Operations3) 
Earnings per share Continuing Operations2, 3) 
Net cash provided by operating activities4) 
Return on capital employed, %5) 

20191) 

20181) 

Reported       

change 

Reported       

change 

$ 

85,862        
8,548        
726        
8.5        

(6 ) %    
(1 ) %  $ 
6   %    
0.6   pp    

91,344        
8,678        
686        
7.9        

462        
5.29        
641        
19.7        

23   %    
23   %    
8   %    
2.9   pp    

376        
4.31        
591        
16.8     

(1 ) % 
7   % 
(20 ) % 
(2.7 ) pp 

(36 ) % 
(35 ) % 
(37 ) % 
n/a   pp 

1) 

2) 
3) 
4) 
5) 

Reported  figures  impacted  by  costs  for  capacity  alignments,  antitrust  related  matters  and  by  separation  costs.  See  section  Items  affecting 
comparability and Notes 3, 12 and 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 
Assuming dilution and net of treasury shares. 
Including antitrust provision expense of $210 million in 2018. 
Including Discontinued Operations in 2018. Including EC antitrust payment of $203 million in 2019. 
The Company has decided not to recalculate prior periods since the distribution of Veoneer had a significant impact on capital employed making the 
comparison less meaningful. 

GROWTH IN LIGHT VEHICLE PRODUCTION AND SAFETY CONTENT PER VEHICLE  

The most important driver for Autoliv’s sales is the light vehicle production (LVP). During  the past ten years LVP has  shown year-over-
year growth with the exception of 2019 and 2018. During 2019 we experienced deterioration of market conditions resulting in declines of 
LVP  in  all  regions.  The most significant  decline  in  LVP,  came in  China  due  to lower  consumer  demand  for  vehicles  and  new  emission 
regulations,  and  in  Europe  from  uncertainty  around  drivetrain  choices,  public  policy  changes  and  declining  consumer sentiments.  As a 
result, full-year 2019 global LVP declined by 6%. This came after a 1% decline in 2018. 

Light Vehicle Production 

Americas 

Europe 
Asia 

Other 
Global Total 

North America 
South America 

China 
Japan 
South Korea 
India 
Other Asia 

2019 

2018 

Change '19 vs ´18 

(000´) 
units 

   % global 

(000´) 
units 

   % global 

(000´) 
units 

% 

18,343        
15,085        
3,258        
20,994        
44,550        
23,292        
9,024        
3,879        
4,168        
4,187        
1,975        
85,862        

19,124        
15,751        
3,373        
21,887        
47,811        
25,696        
9,052        
3,951        
4,712        
4,400        
2,522        
91,344        

21 %      
18 %      
4 %      
24 %      
52 %      
27 %      
11 %      
5 %      
5 %      
5 %      
2 %      

30 

21 %   
17 %   
4 %   
24 %   
52 %   
28 %   
10 %   
4 %   
5 %   
5 %   
3 %   

(781 )      
(666 )      
(115 )      
(893 )      
(3,261 )      
(2,404 )      
(28 )      
(72 )      
(544 )      
(213 )      
(547 )      
(5,482 )      

(4 )% 
(4 )% 
(3 )% 
(4 )% 
(7 )% 
(9 )% 
(0 )% 
(2 )% 
(12 )% 
(5 )% 
(22 )% 
(6 )% 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
    
    
     
    
    
    
     
    
    
    
  
  
  
     
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
          
       
  
Chinese LVP, the world’s largest automotive market, declined by 2.4 million units or by 9% from 2018 to 2019.  In Europe, an important 
market  for  automotive  safety  systems,  LVP  decreased  by  4%  or  by  approximately  0.9  million  light  vehicles  during  the  same  period.  In 
North America, LVP declined by 4% or 0.7 million light vehicles. Affected by political and macro-economic factors, LVP in India decreased 
by 12%, to 4.2 million light vehicles in 2019.  

Europe’s and the Americas share of global LVP has remained unchanged at 24% and 21%, respectively, while  China’s share declined 
from 28% to 27%. Japan’s share increased from 10% to 11% as LVP remained steady. 

Due  to  more  stringent  crash  ratings,  by  institutes  such  as  EuroNCAP;  and  increasing  consumer  demand  for  more  safety  in  emerging 
markets,  we  see  vehicle  manufacturers  installing  more  airbags  and  more  advanced  seatbelt  systems  in  vehicles.  This  generally  takes 
place when new models are introduced. The safety standards of vehicles are increasing in China, India and other growth markets such as 
Brazil, partially due to new regulations and crash test rating programs. For example, the Indian government has decided on a new traffic 
regulation  that  mandates  more  rigid  crash  test  standards  for  light  vehicles.  This  should  eventually  lead  to  a  higher  installation  rate  of 
airbags  and  more  advanced  seatbelts.  In  2019,  the  decline  in  LVP  was  pronounced  in  markets  with  lower  average  safety  content  per 
vehicle (CPV) such as China, India and Other Asia, where the CPV is approximately $180, $80 and $160, respectively. These positive 
trends  were  in  2019  offset  by  negative  currency  translation  effects.  The  average  global  safety  CPV  (airbags,  seatbelts  and  steering 
wheels)  was  therefore  unchanged  at  around  $225.  In  addition,  there  is  a  negative  effect  from  continued  pricing  pressure  from  vehicle 
manufacturers. 

The more stringent crash ratings and consumer demand for more safety should enable the global automotive safety market to grow faster 
than the global LVP during the next three years. 

WELL BALANCED GLOBAL FOOTPRINT  

Autoliv’s  regional  sales  mix  continues  to  be  balanced  with  29%  of  sales  in  Europe,  34%  in  the  Americas  and  37%  in  Asia  in  2019, 
compared to 32%, 31% and 37%, respectively, in 2018. In Asia, our sales in the important Chinese market remained at 18% of total sales 
in  2019.  Regardless  of  the  weakness  in  the  Chinese  market,  we  remain  well  positioned  in  that  market,  which  is  the  world’s  largest 
automotive producing market. 

The balanced regional sales mix has been achieved through timely investments and strengthening of technical and support capabilities in 
growth  markets  and  early  introduction  and  execution  of  our  restructuring  and  capacity  alignment  activities.  To  further  improve  our 
competitiveness,  we  have  also  made  substantial  investments  to  increase  manufacturing  capacity  for  vertical  integration  in  China  and 
Thailand. 

For Asia as a whole, the effect of the higher sales in China, Other Asia and India was partly offset by declining sales in Japan.  

The fastest growing customer from 2018 to 2019 was Honda. Its share of our sales has increased from 8% to 10%. The second largest 
customer based in Asia is Hyundai/Kia, accounting for 8% of Autoliv sales. The local Chinese OEMs as a group accounted for around 4% 
of our sales in 2019, with Great Wall representing 2%.  

Our  sales  to  premium  brand  OEMs  accounted  for  around  17%  of  total  sales  in  2019,  while  their  share  of  global  LVP  is  approximately 
12%. Our strong position with premium OEMs reflects the higher safety content in their vehicles along with our position as a technology 
leader in the automotive safety market.  

The U.S. based OEMs (including Tesla) account for 21% of our global sales, down from 29% in 2014. This is in part due to the sale of 
GM's European operations, Opel, to PSA. Tesla now accounts for more than 1% of our 2019 sales. 

CONTINUED STRONG ORDER INTAKE SHARE 

Building on a strong base, including supplying products to  nearly 1,300 vehicle models and 100 car brands, Autoliv recorded its highest 
order intake share ever during the past five-year period, winning around 50% of available orders. Our share of order intake in prior years 
is significantly above our current sales market share of more than 41% in 2019. The order intake is broad based and we have improved 
our market position in three dimensions – regional, customer and product category. The lead time from order intake to start of production 
is typically 18-36 months. During this period the products are engineered into the vehicle to provide the expected protection for occupants 
in  case  of  a  crash  and  to  meet  legal  and  regulatory  requirements,  as  well  as  other  requirements  from  the  vehicle  manufacturer.  This 
investment in  new  products is  the main  reason for  the  high  level  of  RD&E  expenses,  net.  Additionally,  we  have  to build  up  production 
capacity, in the form of new lines, to meet future product launches. 

Our order intake share for 2019 continued on the same high level as in 2018, supporting our growth opportunities also beyond  2020. We 
estimate that we booked about 50% of available order value in 2019, making 2019 the fifth consecutive year of booking around or more 
than 50% of available order value. The estimated life-time sales for all orders booked in 2019 is $11.0 billion, compared to $15.1 billion in 
2018. 2018 was an exceptional year with sourcing of several large vehicle platforms with  a life-time longer than the typical 4 to 6 years. 
New order intake is defined as the sales value of awards for future business, received within that year. The life time value is calculated 
using detailed assumptions of price and volumes over the years of production and the exchange rates prevailing at the time of receiving 
the order. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Due to the lead time from order to start of production, 2017 was the first year that the increased level of order intake began to impact our 
sales. Over the last two years, sales have substantially outperformed the change in global LVP. In 2019 and 2018 the outperformance 
was  around  7  pp  and  6  pp,  respectively.  During  2019,  growth  was  positively  affected  through  recent launches  of  several  new  models, 
including Honda CR-V, Tesla Model 3, Audi Q3, Ram Trucks and Volkswagen T-Cross. 

OPERATIONAL INITIATIVES  

As  market  weakness  has  continued  in  2019,  we  have  stepped  up  the  cost  improvement  actions,  launching  a  Structural  Efficiency 
Program,  including  targeting  a  reduction  of  our  indirect  workforce  by  approximately  800.  The  cost  for  the  program  is  estimated  to  be 
approximately  $52  million  and  it  is  expected  to  be  fully  implemented  by  mid-2020.  Annualized  savings  is  estimated  to  be  around  $60 
million which is equal to about 5% of indirect labor costs. 

The costs for restructuring activities in 2019 amounted to $54 million compared to $9 million in 2018.  

The current restructuring activities are expected to have a payback period of around 1 year, after cash-out. The cash payments in 2019 
were $30 million compared to $14 million in 2018. As of December 31, 2019, we have $56 million reserved in our balance sheet related to 
restructuring (see Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein). 

We continue to actively manage the business cycle downturn as we reduced the total direct workforce by 1,500 in 2019, despite growing 
our sales organically (see section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures) by 1.2% compared to 2018. 

With  more  than  100  improvement  projects  being  evaluated,  we  have  set  a  high  pace  in  the  planning  and  implementation  of  strate gic 
initiatives and structural improvements. These initiatives are key drivers to our medium-term target and building the foundation to continue 
to create shareholder value.  

IMPROVED EFFICIENCIES THROUGH OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE 

Pricing  pressure  is  an  inherent  part  of  the  automotive  supplier  business.  Price  reductions  are  generally  higher  on  newer  products  with 
strong  volume  growth  compared  to  older  products,  where  both  the  possibilities  to  re-design  the  product  to  reduce  costs  and  market 
growth are less. Price reductions can also depend on the business cycle. For the period 2018-2019, we estimate the average reduction of 
our market prices to have been in the range of 2-4% annually. As described below, to meet these price reductions, we have implemented 
several  programs  and  taken  actions  to  address  our  cost  structure.  Additionally,  during  the  period  2018-2019,  we  have  experienced 
accumulated raw material commodity costs increase of more than $80 million. 

Our  productivity  improvement  target  is  to  achieve  at  least  5%  savings  per  year.  To  meet  this  target,  Autoliv  has  developed  a  set  of 
strategies to reduce costs in manufacturing:  

• 

• 

Autoliv  production  system  (APS)  is  based  on  lean  manufacturing  methodology  which  aims  to  continuously  increase  output 
with less resources. APS provides the target conditions and tools to achieve the delivery of goods and services at the right 
time, in the right amount, at the required quality and at the lowest cost possible to all our customers. 

Our  One  Product  One  Process  (1P1P)  strategy  focuses  on  product  and  process  standardization  and  reducing  cost  and 
complexity.  The  1P1P  strategy,  combined  with  initiatives  to  reduce  costs  for  components  from  external  suppliers,  ensures 
that  we  continuously  optimize  our  supply  base  footprint,  consolidate  purchase  volumes  to  fewer  suppliers,  improve 
productivity in our supply chain, standardize components and redesign our products. 

• 

Strategic Initiatives including Automation, Digitalization, Supply Chain Management Effectiveness and RD&E Effectiveness. 

Our Continuous improvement strategies have enabled productivity improvement above our target of 5% over the last years, except 2018 
due to a sharp increase in launch activities. Excluding impact from Force Majeure situation in our plant in Mexico, we have come back to 
around historical performance during 2019. This is achieved despite the increased launch activities also impacted us during 2019. 

Reducing labor costs to offset the price erosion on our products is achieved through continuously implementing productivity improvement 
programs, expanding production in Best Cost Countries (BCCs) and instituting restructuring and capacity alignment activities. The number 
of employees in the BCCs in relation to total number of associates remains over 80% in 2019. 

These initiatives, in combination with our restructuring activities, investment in vertical integration and several other actions, are in place 
to offset the market price erosion. 

We  foresee  opportunities  for  further  productivity  on  gains  from  increasing  use  of  automation  in  our  assembly  for  lean  manufacturing 
processes.  Additionally,  automated  cells  typically  perform  the  manufacturing  process  with  reduced  variability.  This  results  in  greater 
control and consistency of product quality. 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
FOCUS ON QUALITY 

The number of vehicle recalls in the automotive industry has risen sharply  in recent years. From 2015 to 2019, Takata’s airbag inflators 
recall generated a record number of recalls in the automotive industry. We expect overall recall numbers to remain high for years to come 
and, although we strive for the highest quality in our processes, it cannot be ruled out that we may also be adversely impacted by a future 
recall. 

Quality has been and always will be our number one priority, and we continue to sharpen our focus in this area. We now  hold a market 
share of more than 41% in passive safety while we have been involved in less than 2% of passive safety recalls in the industry in the past 
ten years; an important indicator that we are delivering on our quality strategy. For more information see product warranty and recalls in 
Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. 

CHANGES IN COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE  

During the past five years, we experienced significant changes in our competitive landscape. In 2015, TRW, a key competitor in passive 
safety,  was  acquired  by  German  group  ZF  Friedrichshafen.  Combined,  the  new  company  is  the  third-largest  passive  safety  supplier 
globally. In 2016, Key Safety Systems (“KSS”) was acquired by Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp. Beginning in 2014, Takata, our largest 
competitor at  the  time,  experienced severe issues  and  recalls  related  to  malfunctioning airbag  inflators,  leading  the company  to file  for 
bankruptcy  protection  in  the  U.S.  and  Japan.  In  2018,  Joyson  substantially  acquired  all  of  Takata's  global  assets  and  operations  and 
combined it with KSS, forming the new company JSS. 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION ANTITRUST INVESTIGATION 

Since  2011,  Autoliv  was  subject  to  an  investigation  of  anti-competitive  behavior  among  suppliers  of  occupant  safety  systems  by  the 
European Commission (EC). On March 5, 2019, the EC completed the remaining portion of the investigation and imposed a fine on the 
Company of €179 million (approximately $203 million). In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company had previously accrued €184 million 
(approximately  $210 million)  with  respect  to  the  remaining  portion  of  the  investigation.  The  difference  between  the  actual  fine  and  the 
accrual is reported in Other income (expense), net in the Consolidated statements of net income. The final payment of the actual fine was 
made in June 2019. 

CAPITAL STRUCTURE  

The Company’s net debt stood at $1,650 million on December 31, 2019. This was an increase of $31 million compared to December 31, 
2018. Total interest bearing debt at December 31, 2019 amounted to $2,094 million, a decrease of $136 million compared to December 
31, 2018.  

Cash flow from operations was $641 million in 2019 and $591 million in 2018, including discontinued operations. Capital expenditures, net 
amounted to $476 million in 2019 and $555 million in 2018. During the two-year period 2018-2019, the Company paid dividends of $431 
million. After the latest declared dividend of 62 cents per share, the annualized run rate is $216 million, based on the number of shares 
outstanding at December 31, 2019. 

It is the Company’s policy to maintain a financial leverage commensurate with a “strong investment grade credit rating”. The long-term 
target is to have a leverage ratio (see section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures) of around 1.0 and to be within the range of 0.5 to 
1.5. At December 31, 2019, the current leverage ratio is 1.7. The Company monitors its capital structure and the financial markets closely 
and intends to maintain a high level of financial flexibility while being shareholder friendly. 

As part of the adjustment of the capital structure, the Company historically has repurchased shares of its common stock. During 2019 and 
2018, the Company did not repurchase any shares. At December 31, 2019, the remaining number of shares authorized by the board of 
directors for repurchase is approximately 3.0 million shares. 

CURRENCY IMPACTS  

The  Company  is  exposed  to  around  50  currency  pairs,  with  exposures  in  excess  of  $1  million  each.  We  are  monitoring  our  currency 
exposure  but  do  not  hedge  currency  flows.  Rather  we  strive  to  have  sales  and  costs  in  the  same  currency  to  reduce  the  transaction 
exposure risk. The total net transaction exposure in 2019 was approximately $2.1 billion or 25% of sales. Approximately three quarters of 
our sales are denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars, which is leading to currency translation effects. 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Outlook for 2020  

Our organic sales growth and adjusted operating margin outlook indications for 2020 reflect the continuing high level of uncertainty in the 
automotive markets and assume that global light vehicle production declines by 2-3% in full year 2020 compared to full year 2019. 

Financial measure 
Net sales growth 
Organic sales growth 
Adjusted operating margin 1) 
R,D&E, net % of sales 
Tax rate 2) 
Operating cash flow2) 
Capital expenditures, net % of sales 
Leverage ratio at year end 

   Full year indication 
   3-4% 
   3-4% 
   At least 9.5% 
   Below 2019 level 
   Around 28% 
   Above 2019 level 
   Below 2019 level 
   Within target range 

1) 
2) 

Excluding costs for capacity alignments and anti-trust related matters.  
Excluding unusual items. 

The forward-looking non-U.S. GAAP financial measures above are provided on a non-U.S. GAAP basis. Autoliv has not provided a U.S. 
GAAP  reconciliation  of  these  measures  because  items  that  impact  these  measures,  such  as  costs  related  to  capacity  alignments  and 
antitrust  matters  cannot  be  reasonably  predicted  or  determined.  As  a  result,  such  reconciliation  is  not  available  without  unreasonable 
efforts and Autoliv is unable to determine the probable significance of the unavailable information. 

Significant Legal Matters  

See Item 3. Legal Proceedings and Note 18 Contingent Liabilities to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report. 

Year Ended December 31, 2019 Versus 2018 

Sales by Product 

Airbags products and Other2) 
Seatbelt products2) 
Total 

1) 
2) 

Effects from currency translations. 
Including Corporate and Other sales. 

   Components of Change in Net Sales    

2019 
(MUSD) 

2018 
(MUSD) 

Reported 
change    

   Currency effects1)    

   Organic 

  $ 

  $ 

5,676      $ 
2,872        
8,548      $ 

5,698        
2,980        
8,678        

(0.4 )%     
(3.6 )%     
(1.5 )%     

(2.4 )%      
(3.4 )%      
(2.7 )%      

2.0 % 
(0.2 )% 
1.2 % 

Consolidated  net  sales  decreased  by  1.5%  compared  to  full  year  2018.  Excluding  negative  currency  translation  effects  of  2.7%  the 
organic growth (see section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures) was 1.2%.    

Airbag sales grew  organically  (see section  Non-U.S.  GAAP  Performance  Measures)  by  2.0%, mainly  driven by  strong performance  for 
steering wheels, particularly in Americas, with slight net growth contribution coming from airbags, as a result of growth in  Americas and 
China and a decline in Europe. Inflator sales declined in North America, Japan and China. 

Seatbelt sales declined organically (see section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures) by 0.2%, with main growth contributors being 
China  and  to  a  lesser  degree  Americas,  offset  by  a  decline  in  Europe.  The  trend  of  higher  sales  of  more  advanced  and  higher  value-
added seatbelt systems continued. 

Sales by Region 

Asia 
Whereof: China 
Japan 
Rest of Asia 

Americas 
Europe 
Global 

1) 

Effects from currency translations.  

2019 
(MUSD) 

2018 
(MUSD) 

Reported 
change    

   Currency effects1)    

   Organic 

   Components of Change in Net Sales    

  $ 

  $ 

3,177      $ 
1,525        
811        
841        
2,907        
2,464        
8,548      $ 

3,195        
1,522        
828        
845        
2,735        
2,748        
8,678        

(0.6 )%     
0.2 %      
(2.1 )%     
(0.4 )%     
6.3 %      
(10.3 )%     
(1.5 )%     

(2.3 )%      
(4.3 )%      
1.3 %       
(2.3 )%      
(0.5 )%      
(5.5 )%      
(2.7 )%      

1.7 % 
4.5 % 
(3.4 )% 
1.9 % 
6.8 % 
(4.8 )% 
1.2 % 

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
  
      
  
      
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
    
 
 
 
 
  
    
  
      
  
      
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
    
    
    
    
    
 
For the full year 2019, Autoliv’s sales grew organically  (see section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures)  by 1.2% compared to full 
year 2018, more than 7pp higher than LVP growth according to IHS. The largest contributor to overall growth was North America, followed 
by China and South America. The largest organic sales decline was in Europe followed by Japan.  

Our organic sales growth outperformed LVP by more than 13pp in China and by around 10pp in North America, while we grew organically 
slower than LVP by around 3pp in Japan and by 0.7pp in Europe. In South America, we grew organically around 30pp more than LVP, 
while we outgrew LVP organically by around 8pp in Rest of Asia. 

2019 Organic growth1) 
Autoliv 

Main growth drivers 

Main decline drivers 

1)  Non-U.S. GAAP measure 

   Americas 

Europe 

China 

Japan 

   Rest of Asia    

   Global 

6.8 %      

(4.8) %      

4.5 %      

(3.4) %      

1.9 %      

1.2 % 

Honda,  
Nissan, FCA, 
Tesla 

VW, PSA      

Honda, VW, 
GM 

Daimler, 
Inflators 

Daimler, 
JLR, BMW  

Ford, PSA, 
Great Wall 

Subaru, 
Mazda, 
Honda  
Mitsubishi, 
Toyota, 
Inflators 

Suzuki, 
Renault, 
Mitsubishi 

Ford, Isuzu, 
GM 

Honda, VW, 
Nissan 

Daimler, 
Ford, 
Mitsubishi 

(Dollars in millions, except per share data) 
Net Sales 
Gross profit 
% of sales 

S,G&A 

% of sales 

R,D&E net 

% of sales 

Other income (expense), net 
Operating income 

% of sales 

Adjusted operating income1) 

% of sales 

Financial and non-operating items, net 
Income before taxes 
Tax rate 
Net income from continuing operations 
Earnings per share Continuing Operations, diluted2) 
Adjusted earnings per share, diluted1, 2) 

Years ended December 31 
2018 
2019 

$ 

8,548   
1,584   

   $ 

8,678   
1,711   

   Change 

18.5 %       
(399 ) 
(4.7 )%      
(406 ) 
(4.7 )%      
(43 ) 
726   
8.5 %       
774   
9.1 %       
(77 ) 
648   
28.6 %       
463   
5.29   
5.72   

19.7 % 
(390 ) 
(4.5 )%      
(413 ) 
(4.8 )%      
(211 ) 
686   
7.9 % 
908   
10.5 % 
(74 ) 
612   
38.4 % 
378   
4.31   
6.83   

(1.5 )% 
(7.4 )% 
(1.2 )pp 
2.3 % 
0.2 pp 
(1.7 )% 
(0.1 )pp 
(79.6 )% 
5.8 % 
0.6 pp 
(14.8 )% 
(1.4 )pp 
4.1 % 
5.9 % 
(9.8 )pp 
22.5 % 
22.7 % 
(16.3 )% 

1) 
2) 

Assuming dilution and net of treasury shares. 
Participating share awards with right to receive dividend equivalents are (under the two-class method) excluded from the EPS calculation.  

GROSS PROFIT 

The  gross  profit  for  the  full  year  2019  declined  by  $127  million  and  the  gross margin  declined  by  1.2pp  compared  to  2018.  The  gross 
margin was adversely impacted by the decline in global light vehicle production, resulting in a lower utilization of our production assets, 
raw material headwinds and the social unrest in Matamoros, Mexico. This was offset to some degree by organic growth (see section Non-
U.S.  GAAP  Performance  Measures)  from  launches  of  new  products,  which  have  a  lower  contribution  margin  in  the  early  phase  of  the 
ramp-up. 

OPERATING INCOME 

Operating income increased by around $40 million to $726 million. The reported operating margin was 8.5% of sales, compared to 7.9% 
of sales in the prior year. The increase of 0.6pp of sales was mainly due to lower costs for antitrust related matters, reported as Other 
income (expense), net, partly offset by the lower gross profit. 

Selling,  General  and  Administrative  (S,G&A)  expenses  increased  by  $9  million  or  0.2pp  of  sales  driven  mainly  by  investments  in 
digitalization and slightly higher legal fees, partly offset by slightly lower personnel costs. Research, Development & Engineering (R,D&E) 
expenses, net declined by $7 million, mainly due to higher engineering income. In relation to sales, it improved to 4.7% in 2019 from 4.8% 
in 2018. 

FINANCIAL AND NON-OPERTING ITEMS, NET 

Financial and non-operating items, net in full year 2019 was $77 million. The increase of $3 million compared to $74 million in full year 
2018 was mainly due to higher net interest costs due to higher average net interest bearing debt in 2019. 

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INCOME TAXES 

The effective tax rate of 28.6% was 9.8pp lower than last year primarily due to the 2018 unfavorable tax impact from the antitrust accrual 
in 2018. 

NET INCOME AND EARNINGS PER SHARE 

Net income attributable to controlling interest from Continuing Operations increased by $85 million compared  to 2018 primarily driven by 
lower cost for antitrust accrual as noted above.  

Earnings per share (EPS), diluted increased by 98 cents where the main drivers were 209 cents from lower costs for capacity alignment, 
the separation of our business segments and antitrust matters, 108 cents from lower tax partially offset by 213 cents from lower adjusted 
operating income (see section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures). 

The weighted average number of shares outstanding assuming dilution in 2019 was 87.4 million compared to 87.3 million in 2018. 

Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures  

In  this  annual  report  we  sometimes  refer  to  non-U.S.  GAAP  measures  that  we  and  securities  analysts  use  in  measuring  Autoliv’s 
performance. 

We believe that these measures assist investors and management in analyzing trends in the Company’s business for the reasons given 
below.  Investors  should  not  consider  these  non-U.S.  GAAP  measures  as  substitutes  for,  but  rather  as  additions  to,  financial  reporting 
measures prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. 

These  non-U.S.  GAAP  measures  have  been  identified,  as  applicable,  in  each  section  of  this  annual  report  with  tabular  presentations 
provided below, reconciling them to U.S. GAAP. 

It should be noted that these measures, as defined, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. 

ORGANIC SALES 

We  analyze  the  Company’s  sales  trends  and  performance  as  changes  in  “organic  sales  growth”,  because  the  Company  currently 
generates approximately three quarters of net sales in currencies other than the reporting currency (i.e. U.S. dollars) and currency rates 
have  proven  to  be  rather  volatile.  We  also  use  organic  sales  to  reflect  the  fact  that  the  Company  has  made  several  acquisitions  and 
divestitures. 

Organic sales present the increase or decrease in the overall U.S. dollar net sales on a comparable basis, allowing separate discussions 
of the impact of acquisitions/divestitures and exchange rates. 

The following tabular reconciliation presents changes in “organic sales growth” as reconciled to the change in total U.S. GAAP net sales. 

COMPONENTS IN SALES INCREASE/DECREASE (DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 

China 

Japan 

RoA1) 

2019 VS. 2018 
Reported change 
Currency effects2) 
Organic change 

$ 

     % 

   % 
     % 
     0.2     $  3.1        (2.1 )   $ (17.6 )      (0.4 )   $  (3.8 )      6.3     $ 172.1       (10.3 )   $ (284.4 )      (1.5 )   $ (130.6 ) 
     (4.3 )     (65.0 )      1.3        10.8        (2.3 )     (19.9 )      (0.5 )      (12.9 )      (5.5 )     (151.7 )      (2.7 )     (238.7 ) 
     4.5        68.1        (3.4 )      (28.4 )       1.9         16.1         6.8        185.0         (4.8 )      (132.7 )       1.2         108.1   

     % 

     % 

     % 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Americas 
$ 

Europe 

Total 

1) 
2) 

Rest of Asia.  
Effects from currency translations. 

RECONCILIATION OF U.S. GAAP MEASURE TO “OPERATING WORKING CAPITAL” (DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 

DECEMBER 31 
Total current assets Continuing Operations 
Total current liabilities Continuing Operations 
Working capital 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Short-term debt 
Derivative (asset) and liability, current 
Dividends payable 
Operating working capital 

36 

2019 

2018 

   $ 

   $ 

3,002.1      $ 
(2,410.2 )      
591.9        
(444.7 )      
368.1        
(4.2 )      
54.1        
565.2      $ 

3,285.4   
(2,865.5 ) 
419.9   
(615.8 ) 
620.7   
(0.8 ) 
54.0   
478.0   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
    
    
    
    
    
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
RECONCILIATION OF U.S. GAAP MEASURE TO “NET DEBT” (DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 

DECEMBER 31 
Short-term debt 
Long-term debt 
Total debt 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Debt issuance cost/Debt-related derivatives, net 
Net debt 

2019 

2018 

2017 

2016 

   $ 

   $ 

368.1      $ 
1,726.1        
2,094.2        
(444.7 )      
0.3        
1,649.8      $ 

620.7      $ 
1,609.0        
2,229.7        
(615.8 )      
4.9        
1,618.8      $ 

19.7      $ 
1,310.7        
1,330.4        
(959.5 )      
(2.5 )      
368.4      $ 

216.3      $ 
1,312.5        
1,528.8        
(1,226.7 )      
(3.4 )      
298.7      $ 

2015 

39.6   
1,499.4   
1,539.0   
(1,333.5 ) 
(3.9 ) 
201.6   

OPERATING WORKING CAPITAL 

Due to the need to optimize cash generation to create value for our shareholders, management focuses on operationally derived working 
capital as defined in the table above. 

The reconciling items used to derive this measure are, by contrast, managed as part of our overall management of cash and debt, but 
they are not part of the responsibilities of day-to-day operations management. 

NET DEBT 

As part of efficiently managing the Company’s overall cost of funds, we routinely enter into “debt-related derivatives” (DRD) as part of our 
debt management. 

Creditors and credit rating agencies use net debt adjusted for DRD in their analyses of the Company’s debt and therefore we provide this 
non-U.S. GAAP measure. DRD are fair value adjustments to the carrying value of the underlying debt. Also included in the DRD is the 
unamortized fair value adjustment related to discontinued fair value hedges, which will be amortized over the remaining life of the debt. By 
adjusting for DRD, the total financial liability of net debt is disclosed without grossing debt up with currency or interest fair values. 

ADJUSTED OPERATING INCOME AND OPERATING MARGIN AND ADJUSTED EPS 

Adjusted  operating  margin  and  adjusted  EPS  are  non-GAAP  measures  our  management  uses  to  evaluate  our  business,  because  we 
believe  they  assist  investors  and  analysts  in  comparing  our  performance  across  reporting  periods  on  a  consistent  basis  by  excluding 
items that are non-operational or non-recurring in nature (such as costs related to capacity alignments, costs related to antitrust matters, 
separation  costs,  impairment  charges  and  for  EPS  unusual  tax  items)  and  that  we  do  not  believe  are  indicative  of  our  core  operating 
performance and underlying business trends. Adjusted operating margin and adjusted EPS should be considered in addition to, but not as 
a substitute for, other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP, including operating margin and EPS. 

ITEMS AFFECTING COMPARABILITY 

(DOLLARS IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT EPS) 
Operating income 
Operating margin, % 
Income before taxes from Continuing 
   Operations 
Net income attributable to controlling 
   interest from Continuing Operations 
Capital employed 
Return on capital employed, % 2) 
Return on total equity, % 3) 
Earnings per share Continuing 
   Operations, diluted 4, 5) 
Total parent shareholders' equity per share 

2019 

2018 

Adjust- 
ments1)      

Non- 
U.S. 
GAAP        Reported       

Adjust- 
ments1)      

49      $ 
0.6        

775      $ 
9.1        

686      $ 
7.9        

222      $ 
2.6        

Non- 
U.S. 
GAAP    
908   
10.5   

   Reported       
   $ 

726      $ 
8.5        

   $ 

648      $ 

49      $ 

697   

  $ 

612      $ 

222      $ 

834   

   $ 
   $ 

462      $ 
3,772      $ 
19.7        
23.1        

38   
38   
1.2        
1.7        

  $ 
500   
  $  3,810   

  $ 
  $ 
20.9        
24.8        

376      $ 
3,516      $ 
16.8        
13.0        

220   
220   
5.2        
7.3        

  $ 
596   
  $  3,736   
22.0   
20.3   

   $ 
   $ 

5.29      $ 
24.19      $ 

0.43   
0.43   

  $ 
5.72   
  $  24.62   

  $ 
  $ 

4.31      $ 
21.63      $ 

2.52   
2.52   

  $ 
6.83   
  $  24.15   

1) 

2) 
3) 
4) 
5) 

Adjustments  for  capacity  alignments,  antitrust  matters  and  separation  of  our  business  segments.  See  table  below  for  a  disaggregation  of  these 
costs.  
Operating income and income from equity method investments Continuing Operations, relative to average capital employed. 
Income from Continuing Operations relative to average total equity. 
Assuming dilution and net of treasury shares. 
Participating share awards with right to receive dividend equivalents are (under the two-class method) excluded from the EPS calculation. 

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Items included in Non-GAAP adjustments 

Capacity alignment 
Antitrust related matters 
Separation costs 
Total adjustments to operating income 
Tax on non-U.S. GAAP adjustments1) 
Total adjustments to Income from Continuing 
   operations 

Weighted average number of shares outstanding 
   - diluted 
Return on capital employed2, 3) 
Adjustment Return on Capital employed, % 

Return on total equity4, 5) 
Adjustment Return on Total equity, % 

Full Year 2019 

Full Year 2018 

Adjustment 
Millions 

Adjustment 
Per share    

Adjustment 
Millions 

   $ 

   $ 

54       $ 
(6 )       
1         
49       $ 
(11 )       

0.61      $ 
(0.07 )   
0.01     
0.55      $ 
(0.12 )   

Adjustment 
Per share    
0.05   
2.43   
0.06   
2.54   
(0.02 ) 

5       $ 
212         
5         
222       $ 
(2 )       

   $ 

38       $ 

0.43      $ 

220       $ 

2.52   

   $ 

   $ 

49           
1.2 %        

38           
1.7 %        

87.4     

     $ 

     $ 

222           
5.2 %        

220           
7.3 %        

87.3   

1) 
2) 
3) 
4) 
5) 

The tax is calculated based on the tax laws in the respective jurisdiction(s) of the adjustment(s).  
After adjustment for annualized non-U.S. GAAP EBIT adjustment.  
Operating income and income from equity method investments Continuing Operations, relative to average capital employed.  
Income from Continuing Operations relative to average total equity.  
After adjustment for annualized non-U.S. GAAP Net income adjustment. 

QUARTERLY 2019 RECONCILIATION OF ADJUSTED “OPERATING MARGIN” AND ADJUSTED “EPS” 

Operating margin, % 
EPS Continuing 
   operations, diluted2,3) 

First quarter 2019 
Adjust- 
ments1)     
(0.3 )     

  Reported     
8.0       

Non- 

U.S. GAAP     Reported     
7.9       
7.7       

Second quarter 2019 
Adjust- 
ments1)     
0.6       

Non- 

U.S. GAAP     Reported     
7.6       
8.5       

Third quarter 2019 
Adjust- 
ments1)     
1.4       

Non- 

U.S. GAAP     Reported     
10.5       
9.0       

Fourth quarter 2019 
Adjust- 
ments1)     
0.6       

Non- 
U.S. GAAP   
11.1   

  $ 

1.27     $  (0.07 )   $ 

1.20     $ 

1.25     $  0.13     $ 

1.38     $ 

0.98     $  0.32     $ 

1.30     $ 

1.78     $  0.06     $ 

1.84   

1) 
2) 
3) 

Adjustments for capacity alignments, antitrust matters and separation of our business segments. 
Assuming dilution and net of treasury shares. 
Participating share awards with right to receive dividend equivalents are (under the two-class method) excluded from the EPS calculation. 

Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financial Position 

(DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 
Net cash provided by operating activities 
Net cash used in investing activities 
Net cash used in financing activities 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 

NET CASH PROVIDED BY OPERATING ACTIVITIES 

Years ended December 31 

2019 

2018 

   $ 

   $ 

641      $ 
(476 )      
(338 )      
2        
(171 )      
616        
445      $ 

591   
(628 ) 
(245 ) 
(62 ) 
(344 ) 
960   
616   

Cash flow from operations, together with available financial resources and credit facilities, are expected to be sufficient to fund Autoliv’s 
anticipated  working  capital  requirements,  capital  expenditures  and  future  dividend  payments.  Cash  flow  items  are  presented  on  a 
consolidated basis, for 2018 including both Continuing and Discontinued Operations. 

Cash provided by operating activities was $641 million in 2019 compared to $591 million in 2018. The net increase compared to previous 
year  was  primarily  due  to  higher  contribution  from  changes  in  operating  assets  and  liabilities  offset  by  the  $203  million  EU  antitrust 
payment in 2019.  

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While  management  of  cash  and  debt  is  important  to  the  overall  business,  it  is  not  part  of  the  operational  management’s  day-to-day 
responsibilities. We  therefore focus  on  operationally  derived  working capital  (see  section Non-U.S.  GAAP  Performance  Measures)  and 
have set a policy that the operating working capital should not exceed 10% of the last 12-month net sales. 

At  December  31,  2019,  operating  working  capital  for  Continuing  Operations  (see  section  Non-U.S.  GAAP  Performance  Measures) 
amounted to $565 million corresponding to 6.6% of net sales compared to $478 million and 5.5%, respectively, at December 31,  2018. 
Operating working capital excluding the EC antitrust provision, at December 31, 2018, amounted to $688 million, corresponding to 7.9% 
of net sales. 

Days  receivables  outstanding  (see  Glossary  and  Definitions  for  definition)  were  70  at  December  31,  2019,  compared  to  71  in  2018. 
Factoring agreements did not have any material effect on days receivables outstanding for 2019 or 2018. 

Days inventory outstanding (see Glossary and Definitions for definition) were 35 at December 31, 2019, compared to 35 in 2018. 

NET CASH USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES 

In  2019  and  2018  cash  used  in  investing  activities  amounted  to  $476  million  and  $628  million,  respectively.  In  2019  all  cash  used  for 
investing activities was attributable to Continuing Operations compared to $486 million of the $628 million in 2018. Our investing activities 
primarily consists of investments in property, plant and equipment and acquisition of businesses, net of cash. For further information, see 
Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 

Cash generated by operating activities continued to sufficiently cover capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment. 

Capital  expenditures,  net  for  Continuing  Operations  was  $476  million  in  2019  and  $486  million  in  2018,  corresponding  to  5.6%  of  net 
sales for both years. 

Depreciation and amortization in Continuing Operations totaled $351 million in 2019 compared to $342 million in 2018. 

During  the  years  2018  and  2019,  a  majority  of  our  investments  were  for  production  capacity  to  support  the  high  level  of  new  product 
launches. Major investments were mainly made in Europe, North America, China and Japan. 

In 2019, expansion of facilities in Europe was commenced for manufacturing of seatbelts and airbags to meet increased demand. In North 
America, the higher investments were mainly related to production equipment to increase capacity for new program launches and a new 
technical center. In addition, Asia made large investments to increase manufacturing capacity to support new product launches.  

NET CASH USED IN FINANCING ACTIVITIES 

Cash used in financing activities amounted to $338 million and $245 million for the years 2019 and 2018, respectively. In 2019, the net 
issuance of debt amounted to $31 million; whereas, in 2018 the net issuance of debt amounted to $938  million. In 2019, the Company 
paid dividends of $217 million, compared to dividends paid of $214 million in 2018. In 2019, the Company made a $203 million payment 
relating to the EC antitrust investigation. In 2018, the Company capitalized Veoneer with $972 million prior to the spin-off. 

INCOME TAXES  

The Company has reserves for taxes that may become payable in future periods as a result of tax audits. At any given time, the Company 
is undergoing tax audits covering multiple years in several tax jurisdictions. Ultimate outcomes are uncertain but could, in  future periods, 
have  a  significant  impact  on  the  Company’s  cash  flows.  See  discussions  of income  taxes  under  Significant  Accounting  Policies  in  this 
section, Note 2 and Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

PENSION ARRANGEMENTS  

The  Company  has  defined  benefit  pension  plans  covering  nearly  half  of  the  U.S.  employees.  In  a  prior  year,  the  Company  froze 
participation  in  the  U.S.  plans  to  exclude  employees  hired after  December  31,  2003.  Many  of  the  Company’s  non-U.S.  employees are 
also covered by pension arrangements. 

At December 31,  2019, the Company’s pension liability (i.e. the actual funded status) for its U.S. and non-U.S. plans  was $240 million 
compared to $198 million one year earlier. The plans had a net unamortized actuarial loss of $115 million recorded in Accumulated Other 
Comprehensive (Loss) Income in the Consolidated Statement of Equity at December 31, 2019, compared to $82 million at December 31, 
2018. The increase in the actuarial loss was mainly due to a decrease in the discount rate for the U.S. plans. The amortization of this loss 
is expected to be $5 million in 2020. 

The liability increase in 2019 of $42 million was mainly due to the decrease in discount rates.  The liability decrease in 2018 of $9 million 
was mainly due to the increase in discount rates, partly offset by lower than expected plan assets return. 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Pension expense associated with the defined benefit plans was $27 million in 2019, $20 million in 2018 and $29 million in 2017 and is 
expected to be $27 million in 2020. The increase in pension expense in 2019 of $7 million was mainly due to a prior year decrease in 
discount rates. The decrease in pension expense in 2018 of $9 million was mainly due to lower amortization of the unrecognized losses 
resulting from the amendment of the U.S. defined benefit plan.  

The  Company  contributed  $17  million  to  its  defined  benefit  plans  in  2019,  $16  million  in  2018  and  $13  million  in  2017.  The  Company 
expects to contribute $19 million to these plans in 2020 and is currently projecting a yearly funding at approximately the same level in the 
subsequent years. 

For further information about retirement plans see Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

SHAREHOLDER RETURNS  

Total cash dividends paid were $217 million in 2019 and $214 million in 2018. The Company has raised the dividend from 60 cents per 
share for the first quarter of 2018 to 62 cents per share in 2019 (see following table). The Board of Directors has declared a dividend of 62 
cents per share for both the first and second quarter of 2020. The annualized dividend amount of $217 million, is based on 62 cents per 
share and the number of shares outstanding at December 31, 2019. 

The Company did not repurchase any shares during 2019 and 2018. During the second quarter of 2017, the Company repurchased 1.4 
million shares for cash of $157 million, including commissions. In total, Autoliv has repurchased 44.5 million shares between May 2000 
and  December  2019  for  cash  of  $2,498  million,  including  commissions.  The  maximum  number  of  shares  that  are  available  to  be 
purchased under the stock repurchase program at December 31, 2019 is 3.0 million. There is no expiration date for the share repurchase 
authorization in order to provide management flexibility in the Company’s share repurchases. For further information see Note 15 to the 
Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

DIVIDENDS PAID 
1st Quarter 
2nd Quarter 
3rd Quarter 
4th Quarter 

1) 

Declared. 

EQUITY  

2017 

2016 

2018 
   $  0.56      $  0.58      $  0.60      $  0.62      $  0.62   1) 
0.62   1) 

2020 

2019 

0.58        
0.58        
0.58        

0.60        
0.60        
0.60        

0.62        
0.62        
0.62        

0.62        
0.62        
0.62        

During 2019, total equity increased by 11.9% or $226 million to $2,122 million. This was mainly due to a net income of $463 million, partly 
offset by $217 million for dividends to shareholders. 

During 2018,  total  equity  decreased  by  54.5%  or $2,273 million  to  $1,897  million.  This  was mainly  due  to  $2,123  million  related  to  the 
spin-off  of  Veoneer,  $214  million  in  dividends  to  shareholders  and  $150  million  currency  translation  effects.  The  decrease  was  partly 
offset by $184 million from net income. 

IMPACT OF INFLATION AND RAW MATERIAL PRICES 

Inflation has generally not had a significant impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.  In many growth markets, 
inflation  is  relatively  high,  especially  labor  inflation.  We  have  managed  to  offset  this  negative  effect  mainly  by  labor  productivity 
improvements. However, no assurance can be given that this will continue to be possible going forward. 

The Company has experienced headwind from raw material prices in both 2018 and 2019. During 2018, the headwinds were mainly form 
high cost for steel. The headwinds in 2019 were mainly coming from higher cost for steel and Nylon 66, used in airbag cushions. 

PERSONNEL  

During  the  past  two  years,  total  headcount  (permanent  employees  and  temporary  personnel)  has  risen  by  1.0%  from  the  beginning  of 
2018 to 65,200 at the end of 2019. This reflects the strong order intake we have recognized in past quarters, which drive the need for 
additional manufacturing and R,D&E personnel. 

During 2019, headcount decreased by 1,500 people, compared to the 2,200 people increase during 2018.  

At the end of 2019, 81% of total headcount was in BCC compared to 80% at the beginning of 2018. Furthermore, 71% of total headcount 
at December 31, 2019 was direct workers in manufacturing compared to 71% at the beginning of 2018, while 10% of total headcount at 
December 31, 2019 were temporary employees, compared to 12% at the beginning of 2018. 

Compensation  to  directors  and  executive  officers  is  reported,  as  is  customary  for  U.S.  public  companies,  in  Autoliv’s  proxy  statement, 
which will be available to shareholders in March 2020. 

40 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
    
    
    
     
     
     
      
     
      
 
 
 
Treasury Activities  

CREDIT ARRANGEMENTS 

In June 2019, the Company issued and sold €100 million of 18-month floating rate notes under its EMTN program. The floating rate notes 
carry a coupon of 3M Euribor +0.50%.                                                      

In June 2019, the Company also utilized a 3-year loan facility of SEK 1,200 million with a floating interest rate of 3M STIBOR +0.54%. 

In June 2018, the Company priced and issued 5-year notes for a total of €500 million in the Eurobond market. The notes carry a coupon 
of 0.75%. 

In  July  2016,  the  Company  refinanced  its  existing  revolving  credit  facility  (RCF)  of  $1,100  million.  The  facility,  syndicated  among  14 
banks, originally maturing in July 2021 with two extension options, each for an additional year. The extension options have been used by 
the Company and the maturity date for the facility has been extended to July 2023. The Company pays a commitment fee on the undrawn 
amount of 0.1%, representing 35% of the applicable margin, which is 0.275% (given the Company’s rating of “BBB+” from S&P Global 
Ratings at December 31, 2018). Borrowings under the facility are unsecured and bear interest based on the relevant LIBOR or IBOR rate.  

At December 31, 2019, the Company’s unutilized long-term credit facilities were $1.1 billion, represented by the RCF. This facility is not 
subject to  any  financial covenants nor  is  any  other  substantial  financing  of  Autoliv.  The Company  had  a  net debt  position  (see section 
Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures) at year end 2019 and 2018 of $1,650 million and $1,619 million, respectively. 

In 2014, the Company issued and sold long-term debt securities in a U.S. Private Placement pursuant to a Note Purchase and Guaranty 
Agreement dated April 23, 2014, by and among Autoliv ASP Inc., the Company and the  purchasers listed therein. As of December 31, 
2019, $1,042 million remains outstanding from the 2014 issuance. See Note 12 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein 
for additional information. 

During 2019 and 2018, the Company sold receivables and discounted notes related to selected customers. These factoring arrangements 
increase cash while reducing accounts receivable and customer risks. At December 31, 2019, the Company had received $163 million for 
sold receivables without recourse and discounted notes with a discount  cost of $3 million during the year, compared to $193 million at 
year-end 2018 with a discount cost of $6 million recorded in Other non-operating items, net. 

In September 2019, Autoliv’s long-term credit rating was downgraded from A- to BBB+ by S&P Global Ratings while maintaining negative 
outlook on the rating. The company aims to maintain a strong investment grade credit rating. 

NUMBER OF SHARES 

At December 31, 2019, 87.2 million shares were outstanding (net of 15.6 million treasury shares), a 0.12% increase from 87.1 million one 
year earlier. 

The number of shares outstanding is expected to increase by 0.4 million when all Restricted Stock Units (RSU) and Performance Shares 
(PSs) vest and if all stock options (SOs) to key employees are exercised, see Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included 
herein. 

In total, Autoliv has repurchased 44.5 million shares under its stock repurchase program between May 2000 and December 2019 for cash 
of  $2,498  million,  including  commissions.  The  average  cost  per  share  for  all  repurchased  shares  to  date  is  $56.13.  Purchases  can  be 
made  from  time  to  time  as  market  and  business  conditions  warrant  in  open  market,  negotiated  or  block  transactions.  There  is  no 
expiration  date  for  the  repurchase  program  in  order  to  provide  management  flexibility  in  the  Company’s  share  repurchases.  No  stock 
repurchases were made in 2019. 

Contractual Obligations and Commitments  

AGGREGATE CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS1) 
(DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 
Debt obligations 
Fixed-interest obligations 
Operating lease obligations 
Pension contribution requirements2) 
Other non-current liabilities reflected on the balance sheet 
Total 

Payments due by Period 

   Total 
  $  2,099     $ 
234       
172       
19       
8       
  $  2,532     $ 

    Less than 1 year      1-3 years      3-5 years     More than 5 years   
470   
51   
47   
—   
8   
576   

857     $ 
59       
33       
—       
—       
949     $ 

404     $ 
77       
51       
—       
—       
532     $ 

368     $ 
47       
41       
19       
—       
475     $ 

1) 
2) 

Excludes contingent liabilities arising from litigation, arbitration, regulatory actions or income taxes.  
Expected contributions for funded and unfunded defined benefit plans exclude payments beyond 2019. 

Contractual  obligations  include  debt,  lease  and  purchase  obligations  that  are  enforceable  and  legally  binding  on  the  Company.  Non-
controlling interest and restructuring obligations are not included in this table. The major employee obligations as a result of restructuring 
are disclosed in Note 12 to Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
    
    
    
    
 
Debt obligations: For material contractual provisions, see Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein.  

Fixed-interest  obligations:  These  obligations  include  interest  on  debt  and  credit  agreements  relating  to  periods  after  December  31, 
2019, excluding fees on the revolving credit facility and interest on debts with no defined amortization plan. 

Operating lease obligations: These obligations represent the payment obligations (undiscounted cash flows) under leases classified as 
operating leases.  The Company leases certain offices, manufacturing and research buildings, machinery, automobiles, data processing 
and other equipment. Such operating leases, some of which are non-cancelable and include renewals, expire on various dates.  Capital 
lease obligations are not material. See Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

Unconditional  purchase  obligations:  There  are  no  unconditional  purchase  obligations  other  than  short-term  obligations  related  to 
inventory, services, tooling, and property, plant and equipment purchased in the ordinary course of business. 

Purchase agreements with suppliers entered into in the ordinary course of business do not generally include fixed quantities. Quantities 
and delivery dates are established in “call off plans” accessible electronically for all customers and suppliers involved. Communicated “call 
off plans” for production material from suppliers are normally reflected in equivalent commitments from Autoliv customers. 

Pension  contribution  requirements:  The  Company  sponsors  defined  benefit  plans  that  cover  a  significant  portion  of  our  U.S. 
employees  and  certain  non-U.S.  employees.  The  pension  plans  in  the  U.S.  are  funded  in  conformity  with  the  minimum  funding 
requirements  of  the  Pension  Protection  Act  of  2006.  Funding  for  our  pension  plans  in  other  countries  is  based  upon  plan  provisions, 
actuarial recommendations and/or statutory requirements. 

In 2020, the expected contribution to all plans, including direct payments to retirees, is $19 million, of which the major contribution is $13 
million for our U.S. pension plans. Due to volatility associated with future changes in interest rates and plan asset returns, the Company 
cannot  predict  with  reasonable  reliability  the  timing  and  amounts  of  future  funding  requirements,  and  therefore  the  above  excludes 
payments  beyond  2020.  We  may  elect  to  make  contributions  in  excess  of  the  minimum  funding  requirements  for  the  U.S.  plans  in 
response to investment performance and changes in interest rates, or when we believe that it is financially advantageous to do so and 
based on other capital requirements. See Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

Other non-current liabilities reflected on the balance sheet: These consist mainly of local governmental liabilities.  

OFF-BALANCE SHEET ARRANGEMENTS 

The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have, or are reasonably likely to have, a material current or future 
effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. 

Risks and Risk Management  

The Company is exposed to several categories of risks. They can broadly be categorized as operational risks, strategic risks and financial 
risks. Some of the major risks in each category are described below. There are also other  risks that could have a material effect on the 
Company’s results and financial position, and the description below is not complete but should be read in conjunction with the discussion 
of risks described in Item 1A above, which contains a description of our material risks. 

As  described below,  the  Company  has taken several mitigating  actions,  applied  numerous strategies, adopted  policies,  and  introduced 
control  and  reporting  systems  to  reduce  and  mitigate  these  risks.  In  addition,  the  Company  from  time  to  time  identifies  and  evaluates 
emerging or changing risks to the Company in order to ensure that identified risks and related risk management are updated in this fast-
moving environment. 

Operational Risks  

LIGHT VEHICLE PRODUCTION 

Around  30%  of  Autoliv’s  costs  are  fixed;  therefore,  short-term  earnings  are  dependent  on  sales  volumes  and  highly  dependent  on 
capacity utilization in the Company’s plants. 

Global LVP is an indicator of the Company’s sales development. Ultimately, however, sales are determined by the production levels for 
the individual vehicle models for which Autoliv is a supplier (see Dependence on Customers). The Company’s sales are split over several 
hundred contracts covering almost 1,300 vehicle models. This moderates the effect of changes in vehicle demand of individual countries 
and regions as well as production issues. The risk of fluctuating sales has also been mitigated by Autoliv’s rapid expansion  in Asia and 
other growth markets, which has reduced the Company’s former high dependence on sales in Europe to a diversified mix with Europe, the 
Americas and Asia each accounting for roughly 30% to 40% of our 2019 total sales.  

It is the Company’s strategy to reduce the risk of fluctuating LVP by using a high number of temporary employees instead of permanent 
employees in direct production. During 2019 and 2018, the level of temporary employees in relation to total headcount in direct production 
was 11% and 17%, respectively. To reduce the potential impact of unusual fluctuations in  the production of vehicle models supplied by 
the  Company  –  such as  during  the  financial  crisis  of  2008 and  2009  –  it  is also  necessary  for  the  Company  to  be prepared  to  quickly 
adapt the level of permanent employees as well as fixed cost production capacity.  

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
PRICING PRESSURE 

Pricing pressure from customers is an inherent part of the automotive components business. The extent of price reductions varies from 
year to year and takes the form of one time give backs, reductions in direct sales prices or  discounted reimbursements for engineering 
work. 

In  response,  Autoliv  is  continuously  engaged  in  efforts  to  reduce  costs  and  to  provide  customers  added  value  by  developing  new 
products.  Generally,  the  speed  by  which  these  cost-reduction  programs  generate  results  will,  to  a  large  extent,  determine  the  future 
profitability of the Company. The various cost-reduction programs are, to a considerable extent, interrelated. This interrelationship makes 
it difficult to isolate the impact of costs on any single program, therefore, we monitor key measures such as costs in relation to sales and 
productivity. 

COMPONENT COSTS 

The cost of direct materials was approximately 50% of sales in 2019. 

The main raw materials being used as input material for Autoliv operations are textiles, plastic, steel and non-ferrous metals. Increased 
headwinds on raw materials in 2019 were primarily caused by a global shortage of Nylon 66 and the effects coming from the import tariffs 
imposed by the United States on steel and aluminum products, impacting the raw material market and creating uncertainty.  

We take several actions to mitigate raw material price increases, such as competitive sourcing and exploring alternative materials. 

LEGAL 

The Company is involved from time to time in regulatory, commercial and contractual legal proceedings that may be significant, and the 
Company’s  business  may  suffer  as  a  result  of  adverse  outcomes  of  current  or  future  legal  proceedings.  These  claims  may  include, 
without  limitation,  commercial  or  contractual  disputes,  including  disputes  with  the  Company’s  suppliers  and  customers,  intellectual 
property  matters,  alleged  violations  of  laws,  rules  or  regulations,  governmental  investigations,  personal  injury  claims,  product  liability 
claims, environmental issues, tax and customs matters, and employment matters. 

A substantial legal liability or adverse regulatory outcome and the substantial cost to defend the litigation or regulatory proceedings may 
have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, operating results, financial condition, cash flows and reputation. 

No assurances can be given that such proceedings and claims will not have a material adverse impact on the Company’s profitability and 
consolidated  financial  position,  or  that  reserves  or  insurance  will  mitigate  such  impact.  See  Note  18  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements included herein and Item 3 – Legal Proceedings. 

PRODUCT WARRANTY AND RECALLS 

If our products are alleged to fail to perform as expected or are defective, the Company may be exposed to various claims for damages 
and compensation. Such claims may result in costs and other losses to the Company even where the relevant product is eventually found 
to  have  functioned  properly.  If  a  product  (actually  or  allegedly)  fails  to  perform  as  expected  or  is  defective,  we  may  face  warranty  and 
recall claims. If such actual or alleged failure or defect results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury and/or property damage, we may also 
face product liability and other claims. The Company may experience material warranty, recall, product or other liability claims or losses in 
the future, and the Company may incur significant cost to defend against such claims. The Company may be required to participate in a 
recall involving its products. Each vehicle manufacturer has its own practices regarding product recalls and other product liability actions 
relating to its suppliers. Government safety regulators also have policies and practices with respect to recalls. As suppliers become more 
integrally  involved  in  the  vehicle  design  process  and  assume  more  of  the  vehicle  assembly  functions,  vehicle  manufacturers  are 
increasingly looking to their suppliers for contribution when faced with recalls and product liability claims. In addition, with global platforms 
and procedures, vehicle manufacturers are increasingly evaluating our quality performance on a global basis. Any one or more quality, 
warranty  or  other  recall  issue(s),  including  the  ones  affecting  few  units  and/or  having  a  small  financial  impact,  may  cause  a  vehicle 
manufacturer to implement measures which may have a severe impact on the Company’s operations, such as a temporary or prolonged 
suspension of new orders or the Company’s ability to bid for new business. 

In addition, over time, there is a  risk that the number of vehicles affected by a failure or defect will increase significantly (as would the 
Company’s  costs),  since  our  products  often  use  global  designs  and  are  increasingly  based  on  or  utilize  the  same  or  similar  parts, 
components or solutions. 

Although quality has always been a central focus in the automotive industry, especially for safety products, our customers and regulators 
have become increasingly attentive to quality with even less tolerance for any deviations, which has resulted in an increase in the number 
of  automotive  recalls.  This  trend  is  likely  to  continue  as  automobile  manufacturers  introduce  even  stricter  quality  requirements  and 
regulating  agencies  and  other  authorities  increase  the  level  of  scrutiny  given  to  vehicle  safety  issues.  A  warranty  recall  or  a  product 
liability claim  brought  against the  Company  in  excess of  the  Company’s insurance may have  a  material adverse  effect  on  its  business 
and/or  financial  results.  Vehicle  manufacturers  are  also  increasingly  requiring  their  external  suppliers  to  guarantee  or  warrant  their 
products  and  bear  the  costs  of  repair  and  replacement  of  such  products  under  new  vehicle  warranties.  A  vehicle  manufacturer  may 
attempt  to  hold  the  Company  responsible  for  some  or  all  of  the  repair  or  replacement  costs  of  defective  products  under  new  vehicle 
warranties when the product supplied did not perform as represented. Additionally, a customer may not allow us to bid for expiring or new 
business until certain remedial steps have been taken. Accordingly, the future costs of warranty claims by the Company’s customers may 
be material.  

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Company’s  warranty  reserves  are  based  upon  management’s  best  estimates  of  amounts  necessary  to  settle  future  and  existing 
claims. Management regularly evaluates the appropriateness of these reserves and adjusts them when we believe it is appropriate to do 
so.  However,  the  final  amounts  determined  to  be  due  could  differ  materially  from  the  Company’s  recorded  estimates.  We  believe  our 
established reserves are adequate to cover potential warranty settlements typically seen in our business. 

The  Company’s  strategy  is  to  follow  a  stringent  procedure  when  developing  new  products  and  technologies  and  to  apply  a  proactive 
“zero-defect” quality policy (see section Quality Management). In addition, the Company carries insurance for potential recall and  product 
liability  claims  at  coverage  levels  that  management  believes  are  generally  sufficient  to  cover  the  risks  based  on  the  Company’s  prior 
claims  experience.  However,  such  insurance  may  not  be  sufficient  to  cover  every  possible  claim  that  can  arise  in  the  Company’s 
businesses, now or in the future, or may not always will be available should the Company, now or in the future, wish to extend, renew, 
increase or otherwise adjust such insurance. Management’s decision regarding what insurance to procure is also impacted by the cost for 
such insurance. As a result, the Company may face material losses in excess of the insurance coverage procured. A substantial recall or 
liability in excess of coverage levels could therefore have a material adverse effect on the Company. 

ENVIRONMENTAL 

Most of the Company’s manufacturing processes consist of the assembly of components. As a result, the environmental impact from the 
Company’s plants is generally modest. While the Company’s businesses from time to time are subject to environmental investigations, 
there are no material environmental-related cases pending against the Company. Therefore, Autoliv does not incur (or expect to incur) 
any  material  costs  or  capital  expenditures  associated  with  maintaining  facilities  compliant  with  U.S.  or  non-U.S.  environmental 
requirements. To reduce environmental risk, the Company has implemented an environmental management system in all plants globally 
and has adopted an environmental policy (see corporate website www.autoliv.com). 

Autoliv is subject to a number of environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations. Such requirements are complex 
and are generally becoming more stringent over time. There can be no assurance that these requirements will not change in the future, or 
that we will at all times be in compliance with all such requirements and regulations, despite our intention to be. The Company  may also 
find  itself  subject,  possibly  due  to  changes  in  legislation  or  other  regulation,  to  environmental  liabilities  based  on  the  activities  of  its 
predecessor entities or of businesses acquired. Such liability could be based on activities which are not related to the Company’s current 
activities. 

TRADE 

Autoliv is subject to various international trade regulations and regimes and changes in these regimes could lead to increased compliance 
costs  and costs  of  raw  materials and other components.  In  addition,  political  conditions leading  to  trade  conflicts  and  the  imposition of 
tariffs or other trade barriers between countries in which we do business could increase our costs of doing business.  

Strategic Risks 

REGULATIONS 

In addition to vehicle production, the Company’s market is driven by the safety content per vehicle, which is affected by new regulations 
and new vehicle rating programs, in addition to consumer demand for new safety technologies. 

The  most  important  regulations  are the  seatbelt  installation laws  that  exist  in  all  vehicle-producing  countries.  Many  countries also have 
strict enforcement laws on the wearing of seatbelts. Another significant vehicle safety regulation is the U.S. federal law that, since 1997, 
requires frontal airbags for both the driver and the front-seat passenger in all new vehicles sold in the U.S. In 2007, the U.S. adopted new 
regulations for side-impact protection which now have been fully phased-in. China introduced a vehicle rating program in 2006, and Latin 
America  introduced  a  similar  program  in  2010  followed  by  ASEAN  NCAP  in  Southeast  Asia  in  2011.  The  United  States  upgraded  its 
vehicle  rating  program  in  2010  and  Europe  upgraded  the  Euro  NCAP  rating  system  during  2018.  Euro  NCAP  has  initiated  the  next 
upgrade,  which  will  be  fully  implemented  by  2025.  Japan  and  South  Korea  are  continuously  upgrading  their  respective  vehicle  rating 
programs,  JNCAP  and  KNCAP  respectively.  India  requires  frontal  airbags  for  the  driver  for  all  new  passenger  vehicles  (M1)  from  July 
2019.  There  are  also  other  plans  for  improved  automotive  safety,  both  in  these  countries  and  other  countries  that  could  affect  the 
Company’s market. 

However, there can be no assurance that changes in regulations will not adversely affect the demand for the Company’s products or, at 
least, result in a slower increase in the demand for them. 

DEPENDENCE ON CUSTOMERS 

In 2019, the five largest vehicle manufacturers accounted for 51% of global LVP and the ten largest manufacturers for 74%. 

As  a  result  of  this  highly  consolidated  market,  the  Company  is  dependent  on  a  relatively  small  number  of  customers  with  strong 
purchasing power. 

In 2019, the Company’s five largest customers accounted for 52% of revenues and the ten largest customers for 79% of revenues. For a 
list of the largest customers, see Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

44 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Our  largest  customer  contract  accounted  for  around  2%  of sales  in  2019.  Although  business  with  every  major  customer  is  split  into  at 
least  several  contracts  (usually  one  contract  per  vehicle  platform)  and  although  the  customer  base  has  become  more  balanced  and 
diversified as a result of Autoliv’s significant expansion in China and other rapidly-growing markets, the loss of all business from a major 
customer (whether by a cancellation of existing contracts or not awarding Autoliv new business), the consolidation of one or  more major 
customers  or  a  bankruptcy  of  a  major  customer  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  the  Company.  In  addition,  a  quality  issue, 
shortcomings in our service to a customer or uncompetitive prices or products could result in the customer not awarding us new business, 
which will gradually have a negative impact on our sales when current contracts start to expire. 

CUSTOMER PAYMENT RISK 

Another risk related to our customers is the risk that one or more of our customers will be unable to pay their invoices that become due. 
We seek to limit this customer payment risk by invoicing our major customers through their local subsidiaries in each country, even for 
global contracts. By invoicing this way, we attempt to avoid having the receivables with a multinational customer group exposed to the risk 
that  a  bankruptcy  or  similar  event  in  one  country  would  put  all  receivables  with  such  customer  group  at  risk.  In  each  country,  we  also 
monitor invoices becoming overdue. 

Even so, if a major customer is unable to fulfill its payment obligations, it is likely that we would be forced to record a substantial loss on 
such receivables. 

DEPENDENCE ON SUPPLIERS 

Autoliv relies on internal and/or external suppliers in order to meet its delivery commitments to the customers. In some  cases, suppliers 
are dictated by the customers based on very specific qualification requirements. In other areas, Autoliv is dependent on a single supplier 
for a specific component. Autoliv supply chain organization is reviewing sourcing risks and actively working on mitigating related supply 
chain risks. 

Autoliv’s ambition is to maintain an optimal number of suppliers in all significant component technologies. 

NEW COMPETITION 

Increased  competition  may  result  in  price  reductions,  reduced  margins  and  our  inability  to  gain or  hold market  share. OEMs  rigorously 
evaluate suppliers  on  the  basis  of  product  quality,  price,  reliability  and  delivery  as  well  as  engineering  capabilities,  technical  expertise, 
product innovation, financial viability, application of lean  principles, operational flexibility, customer service and overall management. To 
maintain our competitiveness and position as a market leader, it is important to focus on all of these aspects of supplier evaluation and 
selection.   

Although  the  market  for  occupant  restraint  systems  has  undergone  a  significant  consolidation  during  the  past  ten  years,  the  passive 
safety  market  remains  very  competitive.  It cannot  be  excluded  that additional  competitors,  both  global  and  local,  will  seek  to  enter  the 
market or grow beyond their current Keiretsu group or traditional customer base. Particularly in China, South Korea and Japan there are 
numerous small domestic competitors often supplying just one OEM group. 

PATENTS AND PROPRIETARY TECHNOLOGY 

The Company’s strategy is to protect its innovations with patents, and to vigorously protect and defend its patents, trademarks and know-
how against infringement and unauthorized use. At the end of 2019, the Company held more than 6,000 patents. These patents expire on 
various dates during the period from 2020 to 2039. The expiration of any single patent is not expected to have a material adverse effect 
on the Company’s financial results. 

Although  the  Company  believes  that  its  products  and  technology  do  not infringe  upon  the  proprietary  rights  of others, there can be  no 
assurance that third parties will not assert infringement claims against the Company in the future. Also, there can be no assurance that 
any  patent  now  owned  by  the  Company  will  afford  protection  against  competitors  that  develop  similar  technology.  As  the  Company 
continues to expand its products and expand into new businesses, it will increase its exposure to intellectual property claims. 

Financial Risks  

The Company is exposed to financial risks through its  operations. To reduce the financial risks and to take advantage of economies of 
scale,  the  Company  has  a  central  treasury  department  supporting  operations  and  management.  The  treasury  department  handles 
external financial transactions and functions as the Company’s in-house bank for its subsidiaries. 

The  Board of  Directors  monitors compliance  with  the  financial  risk  policy  on  an  on-going  basis.  For  information  about specific  financial 
risks, see Item 7A – Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk. 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Significant Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates  

NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS 

The  Company  has  considered  all  applicable  recently  issued  accounting  standards.  The  Company  has  summarized  in  Note  2  to  the 
Consolidated Financial  Statements each of the recently issued accounting standards and stated the impact or whether management is 
continuing to assess the impact. 

The Company adopted the new standard for Leases (ASU 842), which resulted in recording operating lease assets and lease liabilities of 
$155 million in the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of January 1, 2019.    

APPLICATION OF CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

The Company’s significant accounting policies are disclosed in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. Senior 
management has discussed the development and selection of critical accounting estimates and disclosures with the Audit Committee of 
the Board of Directors. The application of accounting policies necessarily requires judgments and the use of estimates by a Company’s 
management.  Actual  results  could  differ  from  these  estimates.  By  their  nature,  these  judgments  are  subject  to  an  inherent  degree  of 
uncertainty. These judgments are based on our historical experience, terms of existing contracts, and management’s evaluation of trends 
in  the  industry,  information  provided  by  our  customers  and  information  available  from  other  outside  sources,  as  appropriate.  The 
Company considers an accounting estimate to be critical if: 

• 

• 

It requires management to make assumptions about matters that were uncertain at the time of the estimate, and 

Changes  in  the  estimate  or  different  estimates  that  could  have  been  selected  would  have  had  a  material  impact  on  our 
financial condition or results of operations. The accounting estimates that require management’s most significant judgments 
include  the  estimation  of  retroactive  price  adjustments,  estimations  associated  with  purchase  price  allocations  regarding 
business  combinations,  assessment  of  recoverability  of  goodwill  and  intangible  assets,  estimation  of  pension  benefit 
obligations based on actuarial assumptions, estimation of accruals for warranty and recalls , restructuring charges, uncertain 
tax positions, valuation allowances and legal proceedings. 

The  Company  has  summarized  its  critical  accounting  policies  requiring  judgment  below.  These  might  change  over  time  based  on  the 
current facts and circumstances. 

REVENUE RECOGNITION 

In  accordance  with  ASC  606,  Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers,  revenue  is  measured  based  on  consideration  specified  in  a 
contract  with  a  customer,  adjusted  for  any  variable  consideration  (i.e.  price  concessions)  and  estimated  at  contract  inception.  The 
estimated  amount  of  variable  consideration  that  will  be  received  by  the  Company  are  based  on  historical  experience  and  trends, 
management´s  understanding  of  the  status  of  negotiations  with  customers  and  anticipated  future  pricing  strategies.  The  Company 
recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product to a customer. 

In addition, from time to time,  the Company may make payments to customers in connection with ongoing and future business. These 
payments to customers are generally recognized as a reduction to revenue at the time of the commitment to make these payments unless 
the payment concession can be clearly linked to the future business award. If the payments are capitalized, the amounts are amortized to 
revenue as the related goods are transferred. 

INVENTORY RESERVES 

Inventories are evaluated based on individual or, in some cases, groups of inventory items. Reserves are established to reduce the value 
of  inventories  to  the  lower  of  cost  or  net  realizable  value.  Net  realizable  value  is  the  estimated  selling  prices  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
business,  less  reasonably  predictable  costs  of  completion,  disposal  and  transportation.  Excess  inventories  are  quantities  of  items  that 
exceed anticipated sales or usage for a reasonable period. The Company has guidelines for calculating provisions for excess inventories 
based  on  the  number  of  months  of  inventories  on  hand  compared  to  anticipated  sales  or  usage.  Management  uses  its  judgment  to 
forecast sales or usage and to determine what constitutes a reasonable period. 

There  can  be  no  assurance  that  the  amount  ultimately  realized  for  inventories  will  not  be  materially  different  than  that  assumed  in  the 
calculation of the reserves. 

GOODWILL  

The  Company  performs  an  annual  impairment  review  of  goodwill  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  each  year  following  the  Company’s  annual 
forecasting  process.  Management  used  a  qualitative  assessment  approach  for  2019  goodwill  impairment  testing  purposes.  When 
evaluating whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, an entity shall assess 
relevant events and circumstances. Examples of such events and circumstances include macroeconomic conditions, industry and market 
considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance, etc.  Management has used the following approach: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Determine the starting point 

Identify the most relevant drivers of fair value 

Identify events and circumstances 

4.  Weight the identified factors 

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  Company  had significant  head  room  from  its  latest  fair  value  assessment performed  in  2017,  which  determined  the  starting  point.  
The most relevant drivers of fair value for the Company is the expected future cash flows and the discount rate used. Considering the 
nature  of  the  Company’s  business  with  long  production  cycles  and  our  strong  credit  rating  as  well  as  industry  factors,  management 
concluded that goodwill was not impaired. 

RECALL PROVISIONS AND WARRANTY OBLIGATIONS 

The  Company  records  liabilities  for  product  recalls  when  probable  claims  are  identified  and  when  it  is  possible  to  reasonably  estimate 
costs.  Recall  costs  are  costs  incurred  when  the  customer  decides  to  formally  recall  a  product  due  to  a  known  or  suspected  safety 
concern. Product recall costs are estimated based on the expected cost of replacing the product and the customer´s cost of carrying out 
the  recall,  which is  affected by  the  number  of  vehicles  subject  to  recall and the cost  of labor  and  materials  to  remove  and  replace  the 
defective  product.  In some  cases, portions  of  the  product  recall  costs  are  reimbursed  by  an  insurance company.  Actual  costs incurred 
could  differ  from  the  amounts  estimated,  requiring  adjustments  to  these  reserves  in  future  periods.  It  is  possible  that  changes  in  our 
assumptions or future product recall issues could materially affect our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. 

Estimating warranty obligations requires the Company to forecast the resolution of existing claims and expected future claims on products 
sold. The Company bases the estimate on historical trends of units sold and payment amounts, combined with our current understanding 
of  the  status  of  existing  claims  and  discussions  with  our  customers.  These  estimates  are  re-evaluated  on  an  ongoing  basis.  Actual 
warranty  obligations  could  differ  from  the  amounts  estimated  requiring  adjustments  to  existing  reserves  in  future  periods.  Due  to  the 
uncertainty and potential volatility of the factors contributing to  developing these estimates, changes in our assumptions could materially 
affect our results of operations. 

RESTRUCTURING PROVISIONS 

The Company defines restructuring expense to include costs directly associated with capacity alignment programs, plus exit or disposal 
activities.  Estimates  of  restructuring  charges  are  based  on  information  available  at  the  time  such  charges  are  recorded.  In  general, 
management anticipates that restructuring activities will be completed within a time frame such that significant  changes to the exit plan 
are not likely. 

Due to inherent uncertainty involved in estimating restructuring expenses, actual amounts paid for such activities may differ from amounts 
initially estimated. 

DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION PLANS 

The Company has defined benefit pension plans in eleven countries. The most significant plans exist in the U.S. These plans represent 
approximately  61%  of  the  Company’s  total  pension  benefit  obligation.  See  Note  19  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  included 
herein. 

The  Company,  in  consultation  with  its  actuarial  advisors,  determines  certain  key  assumptions  to  be  used  in  calculating  the  projected 
benefit obligation and annual pension expense. For the U.S. plans, the assumptions used for calculating the 2019 pension expense were 
a discount rate of 4.35%, expected rate of increase in  compensation levels of 2.65%, and an expected long-term rate of return on plan 
assets of 5.05%. 

The assumptions used in calculating the U.S. benefit obligations disclosed as of December 31, 2019 were a discount rate of 3.25% and 
an expected age-based rate of increase in compensation levels of 2.65%. The discount rate for the U.S. plans has been set based on the 
rates  of  return  of  high-quality  fixed-income  investments  currently  available  at  the  measurement  date  and  are  expected  to  be  available 
during the period the benefits will be paid. The expected rate of increase in compensation levels and long-term return on plan assets are 
determined based on a number of factors and must take into account long-term expectations and reflect the financial environment in the 
respective local markets. At December 31, 2019, 40% of the U.S. plan assets were invested in equities, which is in-line with the target of 
40%. 

The table below illustrates the sensitivity of the U.S. net periodic benefit cost and projected U.S. benefit obligation to a 1pp change in the 
discount rate, decrease in return on plan assets and increase in compensation levels for the U.S. plans (in millions). The use of actuarial 
assumptions is an area of management’s estimate. 

Assumption 
(in millions) 
Discount rate 
Discount rate 
Compensation levels 
Return on plan assets 

2019 net 
periodic 
benefit 
cost increase 
(decrease) 

2019 projected 
benefit 
obligation 
increase 
(decrease) 

(2 )    $ 
6     
0     
3     

(63 ) 
81   
2   
n/a   

Change 

1pp increase    $ 
1pp decrease   
1pp increase   
1pp decrease   

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
INCOME TAXES 

Significant judgment is required in determining the worldwide provision for income taxes. In the ordinary course of a global business, there 
are  many  transactions  for  which  the  ultimate  tax  outcome  is  uncertain.  Many  of  these  uncertainties  arise  as  a  consequence  of 
intercompany transactions. 

Although the Company believes that its tax return positions are supportable, no assurance can be given that the final outcome of these 
matters will not be materially different than that which is reflected in the historical income tax provisions and accruals. Such differences 
could have a material effect on the income tax provisions or benefits in the periods in which such determinations are made. See also the 
discussion of reserves for uncertain tax positions, and the determinations of valuation allowances on our deferred tax assets in Note 6, 
Income Taxes. 

CONTINGENT LIABILITIES 

Various claims, lawsuits and proceedings are pending or threatened against the Company or its subsidiaries, covering a range of matters 
that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities with respect to commercial, product liability or other matters. 

The  Company  diligently  defends  itself  in  such  matters  and,  in  addition,  carries  insurance  coverage  to  the  extent  reasonably  available 
against insurable risks. 

The Company records liabilities for claims, lawsuits and proceedings when they are probable and it is possible to reasonably  estimate the 
cost  of  such  liabilities.  Legal  costs  expected  to  be  incurred  in  connection  with  a  loss  contingency  are  expensed  as  such  costs  are 
incurred. 

A loss contingency is accrued by a charge to income if it is probable that an asset has been impaired or a liability has been incurred and 
the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. In determining whether a loss should be accrued management evaluates, among 
other factors, the degree of probability of an unfavorable outcome and the ability to make a reasonable estimate of the amount of loss. 
Changes in these factors could materially impact our consolidated financial statements. 

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 

See also Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this Annual Report included with this Form 10-K for information about how 
these risks are quantified. 

CURRENCY RISKS 

1. Transaction Exposure and Revaluation effects 

Transaction  exposure  arises  because  the  cost  of  a  product  originates  in  one  currency  and  the  product  is  sold  in  another  currency. 
Revaluation effects come from valuation of assets denominated in other currencies than the reporting currency of each unit. 

The Company’s gross transaction exposure for 2019 was approximately $2.3 billion. A part of the currency flows had counter-flows in the 
same currency pair, which reduced the net exposure to approximately  $2.1 billion. The four largest net exposures are U.S. dollars (sell) 
against  the  Mexican  Peso,  Romanian  Lei  (buy)  against  the  Euro,  U.S.  dollars  (buy)  against  Korean  Won,  Euro  (buy)  against  Chinese 
Renminbi. Together these currencies accounted for approximately 40% of the Company’s net currency transaction exposure. 

Since the Company can only effectively hedge these currency flows in the short term, periodic hedging would only reduce the impact of 
fluctuations  temporarily.  Over  time,  periodic  hedging  would  postpone  but  not  reduce  the  impact  of  fluctuations.  In  addition,  the  net 
exposure is limited to only around one quarter of net sales and is made up of around 50 different currency pairs with exposures  of more 
than $1 million each. Autoliv generally does not hedge these flows.  

2. Translation Exposure in the Income Statement and Balance Sheet  

Another effect of exchange rate fluctuations arises when the income statements of non-U.S. subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars. 
Outside  the  U.S.,  the  Company’s  most  significant  currency  is  the  Euro.  We  estimate  that  28%  of  the  Company’s  net  sales  will  be 
denominated  in  Euro  or  other  European  currencies  during  2020,  while  approximately  a  quarter  of  net  sales  is  estimated  to  be 
denominated in U.S. dollars. 

The Company estimates that a 1% increase in the value of the U.S. dollar versus European currencies will decrease reported U.S. dollar 
annual net sales in 2020 by $26 million or by 0.3% while operating income for 2020 will decline by approximately  0.3% or by about $2 
million, assuming reported corporate average margin. 

The Company’s policy is not to hedge this type of translation exposure. 

A  translation exposure  also arises  when  the  balance  sheets  of non-U.S. subsidiaries  are  translated  into  U.S. dollars. The  policy  of  the 
Company  is  to  finance  major  subsidiaries  in  the  country’s  local  currency  and  to  minimize  the  amounts  held  by  subsidiaries  in  foreign 
currency accounts. 

Consequently,  changes  in  currency  rates  relating  to  funding  and  foreign  currency  accounts  normally  have  a  small  impact  on  the 
Company’s income. 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
 
INTEREST RATE RISK 

Interest rate risk refers to the risk that interest rate changes will affect the Company’s borrowing costs. Autoliv’s interest rate risk policy 
states that the average interest rate fixing period should be minimum 1 year and maximum 5 years.  

At December 31, 2019, the average interest rate fixing period for the Company’s outstanding debt was 3.4 years.  

Given the Company’s current capital structure, we estimate that a one-percentage point interest rate increase would increase net interest 
expense by approximately $0.5 million, both in 2020 and 2021. This is based on the capital structure at the end of 2019 when the gross 
fixed-rate debt was $1,598 million while the Company had a net debt position of $1,650 million (see section Non-U.S. GAAP Performance 
Measures). Thus, a change in the interest rate environment would not have a notable impact on the Company’s interest expense. As of 
December 31, 2019, the Company had $445 million in cash and cash equivalents of which the majority were subject to a floating interest 
rate. Taking the cash and cash equivalents of $445 million (which is primarily subject to floating interest rates) minus the portion of debt 
carrying floating interest rates, we estimated that a one-percentage point interest rate increase would increase net interest expense by 
approximately $0.5 million, both in 2020 and 2021. 

Fixed interest rate debt is achieved both by issuing fixed rate notes and through interest rate swaps. The most notable debt  carrying fixed 
interest rates is the $1.3 billion U.S. private placement notes issued in 2014 and in June 2018, the Company issued €500 million of 5-year 
notes  in  the  Eurobond market,  see  Note 14  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  included  herein.  The  most  notable  debt carrying 
floating interest rates is $231 million of commercial paper, EUR 100 million of 18-month floating rate notes issued in June 2019 and a 3-
year loan facility of SEK 1,200 million utilized in June 2019, see Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. 

FINANCING RISK 

Financing risk refers to the risk that it will be difficult and/or expensive to finance new or existing debt to meet the financing needs of the 
Autoliv Group.  

The  management  of  the  financing  risk ensures  access  to  funding  in  a  cost-efficient  way  by  diversification  of  funding  sources  and  debt 
maturities. 

Autoliv  has  diversified  its  long-term  funding  sources  by  issuing  notes  in  the  USPP  and  Eurobond  markets,  and  by  signing  a  long-term 
credit  agreement  with  14  banks.  The  Company  also  has  established  programs  for  short-term  issuance  of  commercial  paper  in  the 
Swedish and US markets and short-term credit agreements, e.g. bank overdrafts and money market loans. 

To ensure diversification of debt maturities, no more than 20% of the Autoliv Group’s total debt may mature the next 12 months, unless 
such  maturities  (in  excess  of  20%)  are  covered  by  unutilized  committed  credit  facilities  with  maturity  in  excess  of  12  months.  As  of 
December 31, 2019, 18% of Autoliv Group’s total debt, or $368 million, had maturity less than 12 months. This amount was fully covered 
by unutilized committed credit facilities with maturity in excess of 12 months.  

CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND CREDIT RATING 

The  overall  objective  relating to  Autoliv’s  target capital structure  and  credit  rating  is  to  provide  the  Company  with  sufficient  flexibility  to 
manage the inherent risks and cyclicality in Autoliv’s business and allow the Company to realize strategic opportunities and fund growth 
initiatives while creating shareholder value. 

Autoliv is committed to maintain a “strong investment grade credit rating”. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had a long-term credit 
rating from S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”) of BBB+. 

The amount of interest-bearing debt held impacts the future financial flexibility as well as the credit rating. Management uses the non-U.S. 
GAAP measure “Leverage Ratio” to analyze the amount of debt the Company can incur under its debt policy. Management believes that 
this  policy  also  provides  guidance  to  credit  and  equity  investors  regarding  the  extent  to  which  the  Company  would  be  prepared  to 
leverage its operations. Autoliv’s long-term target for the leverage ratio (sum of net debt plus pension liabilities divided by EBITDA) is 1.0x 
with  the  aim  to  operate  within  the  range  of  0.5x  to  1.5x.  At  December  31,  2019,  the  leverage  ratio  (non-U.S.  GAAP  measure,  see 
calculation table below) was 1.7. For details and calculation of leverage ratio, refer to the table below. 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CALCULATION OF LEVERAGE RATIO (DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 

Net debt1) 
Pension liabilities 
Debt per the Policy 

Net income2) 
Less; Net Loss, Discontinued Operations2) 
Net income, Continuing Operations2) 
Income taxes2) 
Interest expense, net2, 3) 
Depreciation and amortization of intangibles2) 
Antitrust related matters and capacity alignments costs2, 4) 
EBITDA per the Policy (Adjusted EBITDA) 
Leverage ratio 

   December 31, 2019      December 31, 2018   
1,618.8   
   $ 
198.2   
1,817.0   

1,649.8      $ 
240.2        
1,890.0        

462.8        
—        
462.8        
185.6        
65.9        
350.6        
48.6        
1,113.5      $ 
1.7        

183.7   
193.8   
377.5   
234.9   
59.2   
342.0   
216.5   
1,230.1   
1.5   

   $ 

1) 
2) 
3) 
4)  

Net debt is short- and long-term debt and debt-related derivatives less cash and cash equivalents (non-U.S. GAAP measure).  
Latest 12 months.  
Interest expense, net is interest expense including cost for extinguishment of debt, if any, less interest income. 
For 2019 including separation costs.  

CREDIT RISK IN FINANCIAL MARKETS 

Credit risk refers to the risk of a financial counterparty being unable to fulfill an agreed-upon obligation. 

In  the  Company’s  financial  operations,  credit  risk  arises  when  cash  is  deposited  with  banks  and  when  entering  into  forward  exchange 
agreements, swap contracts or other financial instruments. 

The policy of the Company is to work with banks that have a high credit rating and that participate in Autoliv’s financing. 

To further reduce credit risk, deposits and financial instruments can only be entered into with core banks up to a calculated risk amount of 
$150 million per bank for banks rated A- or above and up to $50 million for banks rated BBB+. In addition, deposits can be made in U.S. 
and  Swedish  government  short-term  notes  and  certain  AAA  rated  money  market  funds,  as  approved  by  the  Company’s  Board  of 
Directors. At year-end 2019, the Company held $24 million in AAA rated money market funds. 

IMPAIRMENT RISK 

Impairment risk refers to the risk that the Company will write down a material amount of its goodwill of close to $1.4 billion as of December 
31, 2019. This risk is assessed at least annually in the fourth quarter each year when the Company performs its impairment testing. 

In 2019, a qualitative method has been used for determining whether there is any impairment risk. Both historical data and forecasts have 
been used to assess the impairment risk. 

It  has  been  concluded  that  presently  the  Company  is  not  “at  risk”  of  failing  the  goodwill  impairment  test.  However,  there  can  be  no 
assurance  that  goodwill  will  not  be  impaired  due  to  future  significant  declines  in  LVP,  due  to  our  technologies  or  products  becoming 
obsolete or for any other reason. We could also acquire companies where  goodwill could turn out to be less resilient to deteriorations  in 
external  conditions.  See  also  discussion  under  Goodwill  and  Intangible  Assets  in  Note  2  and  Note  11  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements included herein. 

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 

The  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  of  Autoliv  as  of  December  31,  2019  and  2018  and  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Net  Income, 
Comprehensive Income, Cash Flows and Total Equity for each of the three years in the period ended December 31,  2019, the Notes to 
the Consolidated Financial Statements, and the Reports of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm are included below. 

All of the schedules specified under Regulation S-X to be provided by Autoliv have been omitted either because they are not applicable, 
are not required or the information required is included in the financial statements or notes thereto. 

50 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
  
     
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Autoliv, Inc. 

Opinion on the Financial Statements  

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Autoliv, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the 
related  consolidated  statements  of  net  income,  comprehensive  income,  total  equity  and  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  three  years  in  the 
period  ended  December  31,  2019,  and  the  related  notes  (collectively  referred  to  as  the  “consolidated  financial  statements”).  In  our 
opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 
31,  2019  and  2018, and the  results  of  its  operations  and  its  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  three  years  in the period  ended  December  31, 
2019, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), 
the  Company's  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  December  31,  2019,  based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control-
Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  (2013  framework)  and  our 
report dated February 21, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion  

These  financial  statements  are  the  responsibility  of  the  Company's  management.  Our  responsibility  is  to  express  an  opinion  on  the 
Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be 
independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of 
the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to 
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our 
audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of  material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or 
fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding 
the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  Our  audits  also  included  evaluating  the  accounting  principles  used  and 
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our 
audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

Critical Audit Matters 

The  critical  audit  matters  communicated  below  are  matters  arising  from  the  current  period  audit  of  the  financial  statements  that  were 
communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to 
the  financial  statements  and  (2)  involved  especially  challenging, subjective,  or  complex  judgments.  The  communication  of  critical  audit 
matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical 
audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate. 

  Revenue recognition – Variable consideration 

Description of the 
Matter 

As  discussed  in  Note  2  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  the  Company  measures  revenue  based  on 
consideration  specified  in  a  contract  with  a  customer,  adjusted  for  any  variable  consideration.  Variability  in 
consideration typically results from price concessions. The estimated amount of variable consideration that will be 
received by the Company is based on historical experience and trends, management’s understanding of the status 
of negotiations with customers, and anticipated future pricing strategies. This estimate includes significant judgment 
by management and affects the amount of revenue recorded in the financial statements.   

Auditing  the  amount  of  variable  consideration  expected  to  be  received  was  complex  because  of  the  uncertainty 
inherent in the assumptions and estimates management uses in its calculations. These assumptions and estimates 
are affected by ongoing negotiations with customers and other factors including economic and industry conditions 
and historical trends.  

How We 
Addressed the 
Matter in Our Audit 

We  obtained  an  understanding,  evaluated  the  design,  and  tested  the  operating  effectiveness  of  internal  controls 
related  to  variable  consideration,  including  controls  related  to  management’s  review  of  ongoing  negotiations  with 
customers. 

To test the estimated amount of variable consideration that will be received, our audit procedures included, among 
others, evaluating the Company’s estimation methodology and testing significant  assumptions and estimates used 
in  the  calculations.  We  obtained  information  from  management  and  sales  department  representatives  who  were 
responsible for negotiations with customers to assess the reasonableness of assumptions used in the calculations. 
We evaluated the Company’s ability to estimate by comparing actual results to previous estimates and judgments 
made  by management. We also performed journal entry testing focused on unusual and manual entries  affecting 
revenue  and  on  entries  that  could  be  indicative  of  price  concessions  that  may  not  have  been  considered  in  the 
Company’s assumptions and calculations.  

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Description of the 
Matter 

Product recalls 

As  discussed  in  Notes  2  and  13  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  the  Company  is  exposed  to  product 
liability claims in the event that the Company’s products fail to perform as represented and such failure results, or is 
alleged to result, in bodily injury, and/or property damage or other loss. The Company records liabilities for product 
recalls  when  probable  claims  are  identified  and  when  it  is  possible  to  reasonably  estimate  costs.  Actual  costs 
incurred  could  differ  from  the  amounts  estimated,  requiring  adjustments  to  these  reserves  in  future  periods. 
Provisions  for  product  recalls  are  estimated  based  on  the  expected  cost  of  replacing  the  product  and  the 
customer’s cost of carrying out the recall, which is affected by the number of vehicles subject to recall and the cost 
of labor and materials to remove and replace the defective product. The balance for product recall liabilities was 
included in accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheet.  

Auditing the product recall liabilities was complex due to the uncertainty inherent in the assumptions and estimates 
management  uses  to  calculate  these  liability  balances.  These  assumptions  and  estimates  include  the  nature, 
likelihood, timing, and anticipated cost of known and potential claims.  

How We 
Addressed the 
Matter in Our Audit 

We  obtained  an  understanding,  evaluated  the  design,  and  tested  the  operating  effectiveness  of  internal  controls 
over  the  Company’s  product  recall  process,  including  controls  related  to  management’s  review  of  the  estimation 
calculations and significant assumptions discussed above.  

To test product recall liabilities, our audit procedures included, among others, evaluating the Company’s estimation 
methodology and testing significant assumptions discussed above used in the estimation calculations. We obtained 
information  from  Company  personnel  who  are  responsible  for  monitoring  the  status  of  product  recalls  with 
customers  to  assess  the  reasonableness  of  assumptions  used  in  the  calculations.  We  evaluated  the  Company’s 
ability to estimate by comparing actual results to previous estimates and judgments made by management. We also 
obtained letters from the Company’s external legal counsel addressing material claims against the Company, if any, 
and examined relevant third-party automotive safety regulatory information to identify potential unrecorded product 
recall liabilities related to the Company.  

/s/ Ernst & Young AB 

We have served as the Company´s auditor since 1984. 

Stockholm, Sweden 
February 21, 2020 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Autoliv, Inc. 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting  

We have audited Autoliv, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on criteria established in Internal 
Control—Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of the  Treadway  Commission  (2013  framework) 
(the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Autoliv, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial 
reporting as of December 31, 2019, based on the COSO criteria. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), 
the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the related consolidated statements of net income, 
comprehensive income, total equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2019, and the  related 
notes and our report dated February 21, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Basis for Opinion  

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the 
effectiveness  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  included  in  the  accompanying  Management’s  Report  on  Internal  Control  over 
Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our 
audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to  be independent with respect to the Company in 
accordance  with  the  U.S. federal securities  laws  and  the  applicable  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission 
and the PCAOB. 

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to 
obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.  

Our  audit  included  obtaining  an  understanding  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  assessing  the  risk  that  a  material  weakness 
exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such 
other  procedures  as  we  considered  necessary  in  the  circumstances.  We  believe  that  our  audit  provides  a  reasonable  basis  for  our 
opinion. 

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting  

A  company’s internal  control over  financial  reporting  is a  process designed to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of 
financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting 
principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance 
of  records  that,  in  reasonable  detail,  accurately  and  fairly  reflect  the  transactions  and  dispositions  of  the  assets  of  the  company;  (2) 
provide reasonable  assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation of financial  statements  in accordance 
with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with 
authorizations  of  management  and  directors  of  the  company;  and  (3)  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or  timely 
detection  of  unauthorized  acquisition,  use,  or  disposition  of  the  company’s  assets  that  could  have  a  material  effect  on  the  financial 
statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of 
any  evaluation  of  effectiveness  to  future  periods  are  subject  to  the  risk  that  controls  may  become  inadequate  because  of  changes  in 
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.  

/s/ Ernst & Young AB 

Stockholm, Sweden 
February 21, 2020 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
Consolidated Statements of Net Income 

(DOLLARS AND SHARES IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) 
Net sales 
Cost of sales 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Research, development and engineering expenses, net 
Amortization of intangibles 
Other income (expense), net 
Operating income 
Income from equity method investment 
Interest income 
Interest expense 
Other non-operating items, net 
Income from continuing operations before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Income from continuing operations 
Loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes 
Net income 
Less: Net income from continuing operations attributable to 
   non-controlling interest 
Less: Net loss from discontinued operations attributable to 
   non-controlling interest 
Net income attributable to controlling interest 

Amounts attributable to controlling interest: 
Net income from continuing operations 
Net loss from discontinued operations 
Net income attributable to controlling interest 

Earnings per share continuing operations - basic1) 
Loss per share discontinuing operations - basic1) 
Basic earnings per share 

Earnings per share continuing operations - diluted 1) 
Loss per share discontinuing operations - diluted 1) 
Diluted earnings per share 

Weighted average number of shares outstanding, net of 
   treasury shares (in millions) 
Weighted average number of shares outstanding, assuming 
   dilution and net of treasury shares (in millions) 

Cash dividend per share - declared 
Cash dividend per share - paid 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Years ended December 31 
2018 

2017 

2019 

Note 11      
   Notes 12, 18      

Note 21    $  8,547.6      $  8,678.2      $  8,136.8   
        (6,963.2 )       (6,966.9 )       (6,457.1 ) 
        1,584.4         1,711.3         1,679.7   
(406.6 ) 
(370.6 ) 
(11.2 ) 
(31.7 ) 
859.6   
1.7   
7.4   
(61.1 ) 
(15.2 ) 
792.4   
(204.4 ) 
588.0   
(285.0 ) 
303.0   

(390.3 )      
(412.6 )      
(11.3 )      
(211.1 )      
686.0        
3.6        
6.9        
(66.1 )      
(18.0 )      
612.4        
(234.9 )      
377.5        
(193.8 )      
183.7        

(398.9 )      
(405.5 )      
(11.5 )      
(42.7 )      
725.8        
2.0        
3.6        
(69.5 )      
(13.5 )      
648.4   
(185.6 )      
462.8        
—        
462.8        

Note 14      

Note 9      

Note 6      

Note 3      

1.3        

1.6        

2.0   

—        
461.5      $ 

(8.3 )      
  $ 

190.4   

(126.1 ) 
427.1   

461.5      $ 
—        
461.5      $ 

375.9   
(185.5 ) 
190.4   

  $ 

  $ 

586.0   
(158.9 ) 
427.1   

5.29      $ 
—        
5.29      $ 

4.32   
  $ 
(2.13 )      
  $ 
2.19   

5.29      $ 
—        
5.29      $ 

  $ 
4.31   
(2.13 )      
  $ 
2.18   

6.70   
(1.82 ) 
4.88   

6.68   
(1.81 ) 
4.87   

     $ 

     $ 

     $ 

     $ 

     $ 

     $ 

     $ 

87.2        

87.1        

87.5   

87.4        

87.3        

87.7   

     $ 
     $ 

2.48      $ 
2.48      $ 

2.48      $ 
2.46      $ 

2.40   
2.38   

1) 

Participating  share  awards  with  the  right  to  receive  dividend  equivalents  are  (under the two  class method)  excluded  from  the  earnings  per  share 
calculation (see Note 22 in this Annual Report). 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
       
  
       
  
  
       
  
  
       
  
  
       
  
       
    
  
  
       
  
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
  
  
       
         
    
    
    
  
       
         
    
    
    
  
  
       
    
  
  
  
       
         
         
    
  
  
       
  
  
  
          
     
     
     
     
  
  
  
       
  
  
  
       
         
         
    
  
       
  
       
  
  
       
         
         
    
  
  
 
 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 

(DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 
Net income 
Other comprehensive (loss) income before tax: 
Change in cumulative translation adjustments 
Net change in cash flow hedges 
Net change in unrealized components of defined benefit plans 
Other comprehensive (loss) income, before tax 
Tax effect allocated to other comprehensive (loss) income 
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax 
Comprehensive income 
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest 
Comprehensive income attributable to controlling interest 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Years ended December 31 
2018 

2017 

2019 

   $ 

462.8      $ 

183.7      $ 

303.0   

2.0        
—        
(34.6 )      
(32.6 )      
6.8        
(25.8 )      
437.0        
1.2        
435.8      $ 

(150.2 )      
0.9        
14.2        
(135.1 )      
(4.1 )      
(139.2 )      
44.5        
(7.4 )      
51.9      $ 

272.1   
(8.9 ) 
31.9   
295.1   
(7.8 ) 
287.3   
590.3   
(114.8 ) 
705.1   

   $ 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 

(DOLLARS AND SHARES IN MILLIONS) 
Assets 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Receivables, net 
Inventories, net 
Income tax receivable 
Prepaid expenses 
Related party receivable 
Other current assets 
Total current assets 
Property, plant and equipment, net 
Investments and other non-current assets 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 
Goodwill 
Intangible assets, net 
Total assets 
Liabilities and equity 
Short-term debt 
Accounts payable 
Accrued expenses 
Related party liabilities 
Income tax payable 
Operating lease liabilities, current 
Other current liabilities 
Total current liabilities 
Long-term debt 
Pension liability 
Operating lease liabilities, non-current 
Other non-current liabilities 
Total non-current liabilities 
Commitments and contingencies 
Common stock1) 
Additional paid-in capital 
Retained earnings 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss 
Treasury stock (15.6 and 15.7 shares, respectively) 
Total controlling interest’s equity 
Non-controlling interest 
Total equity 
Total liabilities and equity 

At December 31 

2019 

2018 

444.7      $ 
1,623.9        
740.9        
26.8        
157.0        
2.8        
6.0        
3,002.1        
1,815.7        
386.4        
156.8        
1,387.9        
22.3        
6,771.2      $ 

368.1      $ 
941.0        
816.9        
17.4        
38.8        
37.8        
190.2        
2,410.2        
1,726.1        
240.2        
119.4        
152.9        
2,238.6        

615.8   
1,652.1   
757.9   
34.1   
208.6   
15.0   
1.9   
3,285.4   
1,690.1   
323.5   
—   
1,389.9   
32.7   
6,721.6   

620.7   
978.3   
935.4   
63.7   
64.9   
—   
202.5   
2,865.5   
1,609.0   
198.2   
—   
152.1   
1,959.3   

102.8        
1,329.3        
2,283.5        
(448.9 )      
(1,157.5 )      
2,109.2        
13.2        
2,122.4        
6,771.2      $ 

102.8   
1,329.3   
2,041.8   
(423.2 ) 
(1,167.0 ) 
1,883.7   
13.1   
1,896.8   
6,721.6   

     $ 
Note 7      
Note 8      

Note 20      

Note 10      
Note 9      
Note 4      
Note 11      
Note 11      
     $ 

Note 14    $ 

   Notes 12, 13      
Note 20      

Note 4      

Note 14      
Note 19      
Note 4      

Note 18      

Note 15      

     $ 

1) 

Number of shares: 350 million  authorized, 102.8 million  issued for both years, and 87.2 and 87.1 million  outstanding, net of treasury shares, for 2019 
and 2018, respectively. 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
     
  
  
       
         
    
  
  
  
  
       
  
       
  
  
       
  
       
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
       
         
    
  
  
       
  
  
       
  
  
       
  
       
  
  
  
  
       
  
       
  
         
    
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 

(DOLLARS IN MILLIONS) 
Operating activities 
Net income continuing operations 
Net income discontinued operations 
Adjustments (non-cash items) to reconcile net income to cash provided by 
   operating activities: 

Depreciation and amortization 
EC antitrust non-cash provision 
Goodwill, impairment charge 
Deferred income taxes 
Loss from equity method investments, net of dividends 

Net change in: 

EC antitrust payment 
Receivables and other assets, gross 
Inventories, gross 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 
Income taxes 

Other, net 
Net cash provided by operating activities 
Investing activities 
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment 
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment 
Acquisition of businesses and interest in affiliates, net of cash acquired 
Net proceeds from divestitures 
Other 
Net cash used in investing activities 
Financing activities 
Net (decrease) increase in short-term debt 
Issuance of long-term debt, net of discount 
Debt issuance costs 
Dividends paid to non-controlling interest 
Dividends paid 
Shares repurchased 
Common stock options exercised 
Capital contribution to Veoneer 
Other, net 
Net cash used in financing activities 
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents 
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Years ended December 31 
2018 

2017 

2019 

   $ 

462.8      $ 
—        

377.5      $ 
(193.8 )      

588.0   
(285.0 ) 

350.6        
—        
—        
(16.0 )      
4.0        

(203.0 )      
25.4        
15.4        
35.7        
(29.3 )      
(4.9 )      
640.7        

(483.4 )      
7.3        
—        
—        
—        
(476.1 )      

(364.1 )      
243.5        
(0.3 )      
(1.1 )      
(217.0 )      
—        
0.9        
—        
—        
(338.1 )      
2.4        
(171.1 )      
615.8        
444.7      $ 

397.1        
210.0        
—        
3.0        
31.9        

—        
(48.4 )      
(123.9 )      
(37.8 )      
(19.2 )      
(5.8 )      
590.6        

(560.0 )      
5.2        
(72.0 )      
—        
(0.9 )      
(627.7 )      

355.4        
582.2        
(2.6 )      
(2.1 )      
(214.3 )      
—        
8.2        
(971.8 )      
—        
(245.0 )      
(61.6 )      
(343.7 )      
959.5        
615.8      $ 

425.8   
—   
234.2   
(47.2 ) 
38.1   

—   
(102.2 ) 
(21.0 ) 
112.3   
10.6   
(17.7 ) 
935.9   

(580.1 ) 
10.5   
(125.3 ) 
1.4   
(3.8 ) 
(697.3 ) 

(208.6 ) 
—   
—   
(0.1 ) 
(208.7 ) 
(157.0 ) 
7.9   
—   
0.3   
(566.2 ) 
60.4   
(267.2 ) 
1,226.7   
959.5   

   $ 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
     
     
  
     
         
         
    
     
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
Consolidated Statements of Total Equity 

     Additional        

    Accumulated        
     other com-         

    Total parent        Non- 

(DOLLARS AND SHARES 
IN MILLIONS) 
Balance at December 31, 2016 
Comprehensive Income: 

Net income 
Net change in cash flow hedges 
Foreign currency translation 
Pension liability 

Total Comprehensive Income 
Stock-based compensation 
Cash dividends declared 
Dividends paid to non-controlling 
   interest on subsidiary shares 
Repurchased shares 
Balance at December 31, 2017 
Comprehensive Income: 

Net income 
Net change in cash flow hedges 
Foreign currency translation 
Pension liability 

Adjustment due to adoption of 
   ASU 2018-02 
Total Comprehensive Income 
Stock-based compensation 
Cash dividends declared 
Dividends paid to non-controlling 
   interest on subsidiary shares 
Adjustment due to adoption of 
   ASU 2014-09 
Distribution of Veoneer 
Other 
Balance at December 31, 2018 
Comprehensive Income: 

Net income 
Foreign currency translation 
Pension liability 

Total Comprehensive Income 
Stock-based compensation 
Cash dividends declared 
Dividends paid to non-controlling 
   interest on subsidiary shares 
Distribution of Veoneer 
Balance at December 31, 2019 

  Number of      Common       paid in 
      capital 
      stock 
   shares 
102.8     $  102.8     $  1,329.3     $  3,861.8     $ 

      Retained       prehensive        Treasury      shareholders’      controlling       Total 
      equity1) 
      earnings      (loss) income       stock 

      interest 

equity 

(565.5 )   $ (1,051.2 )   $ 

3,677.2      $ 

249.2      $  3,926.4   

427.1       

(209.7 )     

(8.9 )     
263.0       
23.9       

19.5       

427.1       
(8.9 )     
263.0       
23.9       
705.1       
19.5       
(209.7 )     

(124.1 )     

9.1       
0.2       
(114.8 )     

303.0   
(8.9 ) 
272.1   
24.1   
590.3   
19.5   
(209.7 ) 

102.8      $  102.8      $  1,329.3     $  4,079.2     $ 

(157.0 )     
(287.5 )   $ (1,188.7 )   $ 

(157.0 )     
4,035.1      $ 

190.4       

0.9       
(149.5 )     
10.1       

10.2       

(10.2 )     

(216.7 )     

21.7       

190.4       
0.9       
(149.5 )     
10.1       

0.0       
51.9       
21.7       
(216.7 )     

(0.1 )     

(0.1 ) 
(157.0 ) 
134.3      $  4,169.4   

(6.7 )     

(0.7 )     

(7.4 )     

183.7   
0.9   
(150.2 ) 
10.1   

0.0   
44.5   
21.7   
(216.7 ) 

(2.2 )     

(2.2 ) 

3.3       
        (2,024.3 )     
(0.3 )     
102.8     $  102.8     $  1,329.3     $  2,041.8     $ 

13.0       

(423.2 )   $ (1,167.0 )   $ 

3.3       
(2,011.3 )     
(0.3 )     
1,883.7     $ 

3.3   
(111.6 )     (2,122.9 ) 
(0.3 ) 
13.1     $  1,896.8   

461.5       

(217.1 )     

2.1       
(27.8 )     

9.5       

(2.7 )     
102.8     $  102.8     $  1,329.3     $  2,283.5     $ 

(448.9 )   $ (1,157.5 )   $ 

461.5       
2.1       
(27.8 )     
435.8       
9.5       
(217.1 )     

1.3       
(0.1 )     

1.2       

462.8   
2.0   
(27.8 ) 
437.0   
9.5   
(217.1 ) 

0.0       
(2.7 )     
2,109.2     $ 

(1.1 )     

(1.1 ) 
(2.7 ) 
13.2     $  2,122.4   

1) 

See Note 15 for further details – includes tax effects where applicable.  

See Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
  
      
  
       
  
       
  
  
  
    
  
       
  
  
  
       
  
  
  
    
  
    
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
 
 
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements 

(DOLLARS IN MILLIONS, EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) 

1. Basis of Presentation 

NATURE OF OPERATIONS 

Through its operating subsidiaries, Autoliv is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of safety systems to the automotive industry. 
The  Company  has  a  broad  range  of  product  offerings,  primarily  passive  safety  systems,  including  modules  and  components  for 
passenger  and  driver  airbags,  side  airbags,  curtain  airbags,  seatbelts  and  steering  wheels.  The  Company  is  also  a  supplier  of  anti-
whiplash systems and pedestrian protection systems. 

PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION 

The  consolidated  financial  statements  have  been  prepared  in  accordance  with  United  States  (U.S.)  Generally  Accepted  Accounting 
Principles (GAAP) and include Autoliv, Inc. and all companies over which Autoliv, Inc. directly or indirectly exercises control, which as a 
general rule means that the Company owns more than 50% of the voting rights. 

Consolidation is  also  required  when  the  Company  has both  the  power  to  direct  the  activities  of a  variable  interest  entity  (VIE)  and  the 
obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could be significant to the VIE. 

All intercompany accounts and transactions within the Company have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements. 

Investments in affiliated companies in which the Company exercises significant influence over the operations and financial policies, but 
does  not  control,  are  reported  using  the  equity  method  of  accounting.  Generally,  the  Company  owns  between  20-50%  of  such 
investments. 

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS 

On  June  29,  2018  (the  “Distribution  Date”),  Autoliv  completed  the spin-off of its  former  Electronics  segment  (the  “spin-off”)  through  the 
distribution of all of the issued and outstanding stock of Veoneer, Inc. (“Veoneer”). To effect the spin-off, Autoliv distributed to each Autoliv 
stockholder  one  share  of  Veoneer  common  stock,  par  value  $1.00  per  share,  for  every  one  share  of  Autoliv  common  stock,  par  value 
$1.00  per  share,  held  by  such  person  on  the  common  stock  record  date,  and  each  Autoliv  Swedish  Depository  Receipt  (SDR)  holder 
received one Veoneer SDR for each Autoliv SDR held by such person on the applicable SDR record date. The Company did not retain 
any equity interest in Veoneer.  

In accordance with U.S. GAAP, the financial position and results of operations of the Electronics business are presented as discontinued 
operations and, as such, have been excluded from continuing operations for all periods presented. The sum of the individual earnings per 
share amounts from continuing operations and discontinued operations may not equal the total company earnings per share amounts due 
to rounding. The cash flows and comprehensive income related to the Electronics business have not been segregated and are included in 
the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Cash  Flows  and  Comprehensive  Income,  respectively,  for  all  comparison  periods  presented. With  the 
exception  of  Note  3,  the  Notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  reflect  the  continuing  operations  of  Autoliv.  See  Note  3, 
Discontinued Operations, below for additional information regarding discontinued operations.  

On April 1, 2018, in preparation for the spin-off, pursuant to the terms of a master transfer agreement entered into between Autoliv and 
Veoneer, assets related to the Electronics business were transferred to, and liabilities related to the Electronics business were retained or 
assumed by Veoneer, however, responsibility for certain product, warranty and recall liabilities for Electronics products manufactured prior 
to April 1, 2018 was retained by Autoliv as provided in the Distribution Agreement between Autoliv and Veoneer. 

Certain amounts in prior year’s consolidated financial statements and related footnotes thereto have been reclassified, unless otherwise 
noted, to conform with the current year presentation as a result of the spin-off of Veoneer.  

SEGMENT REPORTING 

Prior  to  the  spin-off,  Autoliv  had  two  reportable  operating  segments:  Passive  Safety  and  Electronics.  After  completion  of  the  spin-off, 
Autoliv’s  remaining  business  is  comprised  of  passive  safety  products  -  principally  airbags  (including  steering  wheels  and  inflators)  and 
seatbelts.  In  addition,  as  of  August  1,  2019,  Autoliv  implemented  a  new  organizational  structure  which  has  been  considered  when 
evaluating the operating and reportable segments in the Company after the spin-off. 

In accordance with ASC 280, Segment Reporting, the operating segments are determined based on the information provided to the Chief 
Operating Decision Maker (CODM) on a regular basis and used for the purpose of assessing performance and allocating resources within 
the Company. The CEO is deemed to be the CODM of Autoliv since he is the person who makes all major decisions on how to allocate 
the resources and assess the performance of the Company for both strategic and operational initiatives. 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ASC 280 indicates that a component is an operating segment if it meets the following criteria: 

• 

• 

• 

It engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses. 

Its operating results are regularly reviewed by the CODM to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment 
and assess its performance. 

Its discrete financial information is available.   

The  Company  as  a  whole  has  met  the  definition  of  an  operating  segment  as  it  engages  in  business  activities  from  which  it  may  earn 
revenues  and  incur  expenses,  the  consolidated  operating  results  are  regularly  reviewed  by  the  CEO/CODM  to  allocate  resources  and 
assess performance, and discrete financial information is available.  Additionally, as Autoliv supplies customers on a global basis it also 
manages  the business  on a  global  basis.  Therefore,  based on  the  above analysis,  we  have  concluded  that  the  Company  is  the  single 
operating and reportable segment under ASC 280, Segment Reporting.  

For more information on our segment, see Note 21. 

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

BUSINESS COMBINATIONS 

Transactions in which the Company obtains control of a business are accounted for according to the acquisition method as described in 
ASC 805, Business Combinations. The assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recognized and measured at their fair values as of the 
date  control  is  obtained.  Acquisition  related  costs  in  connection  with  a  business  combination  are  expensed  as  incurred.  Contingent 
consideration  is  recognized  and  measured  at  fair  value  at  the  acquisition  date  and  until  paid  is  re-measured  on  a  recurring  basis  and 
classified as a liability. 

EQUITY METHOD INVESTMENT 

Investments  accounted  for  under  the  equity  method,  means  that  a  proportional  share  of  the  equity  method  investment’s  net  income 
increases the investment, and a proportional share of losses and payment of dividends decreases it. In the Consolidated Statements of 
Net Income, the proportional share of the net income (loss) is reported as Income from equity method investment. 

USE OF ESTIMATES 

The  preparation  of  consolidated  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  U.S.  GAAP  requires  management  to  make  estimates  and 
assumptions  that  affect  the  reported amounts  of  assets  and  liabilities,  disclosures  of  contingent assets  and  liabilities  at the  date  of  the 
consolidated  financial  statements,  and  the  reported  amounts  of  net  sales  and  expenses  during  the  reporting  period.  The  accounting 
estimates  that  require  management’s  most  significant  judgments  include  the  estimation  of  variable  consideration  for  our  contracts  with 
customers,  valuation  of  stock  based  payments,  assessment  of  recoverability  of  goodwill  and  intangible  assets,  estimation  of  pension 
benefit obligations based on actuarial assumptions, estimation of accruals for warranty and  recalls, restructuring charges, uncertain tax 
positions, valuation allowances and legal proceedings. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

REVENUE RECOGNITION 

In  accordance  with  ASC  606,  Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers,  revenue  is  measured  based  on  consideration  specified  in  a 
contract  with  a  customer,  adjusted  for  any  variable  consideration  (i.e.  price  concessions)  and  estimated  at  contract  inception.  The 
estimated  amount  of  variable  consideration  that  will  be  received  by  the  Company  is  based  on  historical  experience  and  trends, 
management´s  understanding  of  the  status  of  negotiations  with  customers  and  anticipated  future  pricing  strategies.  The  Company 
recognizes revenue when it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring control over a product to a customer. 

In addition, from time to time,  the Company may make payments to customers in connection with ongoing and future business. These 
payments to customers are generally recognized as a reduction to revenue at the time of the commitment to make these payments unless 
the payment can be clearly linked to the future business. If the payments are capitalized, the amounts are amortized to revenue as the 
related goods are transferred. 

Taxes assessed by a governmental authority that are both imposed on and concurrent with a specific revenue-producing transaction and 
collected by the Company from a customer, are excluded from revenue. 

Shipping and handling costs associated with outbound freight before control of a product has transferred to a customer are accounted for 
as a fulfillment cost and are included in cost of sales. 

Nature of goods and services 

The  Company  generates  revenue  from  the  sale  of  parts,  which  includes  airbag  and  seatbelt  products  and  components,  to  original 
equipment manufacturers (“OEMs”). 

The Company accounts for individual products separately if they are distinct (i.e., if a product is separately identifiable from other items 
and if a customer can benefit from it on its own or with other resources that are readily available to the customer). The consideration for 
each  of  the  products,  including  any  price  concessions,  is  based  on  their  stand-alone  selling  prices.  The  stand-alone  selling  prices  are 
determined based on the cost-plus margin approach. 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Company recognizes revenue for parts primarily at a point in time. 

For parts with revenue recognized at a point in time, the Company recognizes revenue upon shipment to the customers and transfer of 
title  and  risk  of  loss  under  standard  commercial  terms  (typically  FOB  shipping  point).  There  are  certain  contracts  where  the  criteria  to 
recognize revenue over time have been met (e.g., there is no alternative use to the Company and the Company has an enforceable right 
to payment). In such cases, at period end, the Company recognizes revenue and a related asset and associated cost of goods sold and 
inventory. However, the financial impact of these contracts is immaterial considering the very short production cycles and limited inventory 
days  on  hand.  The  contract  balances  with  customers,  included  in other current  assets,  amounted  to $19.5  million  as  of  December  31, 
2019. 

The amount of revenue recognized is based on the purchase order price and adjusted for variable consideration (i.e. price concessions). 
Customers typically pay for the parts based on customary business practices. 

RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND ENGINEERING, NET (R,D&E) 

Research  and  development  and  most  engineering  expenses  are  expensed  as  incurred.  These  expenses  are  reported  net  of  expense 
reimbursements from contracts to perform engineering design and product development fulfillment activities related to the production of 
parts.  

Certain engineering expenses related to long-term supply arrangements are capitalized when defined criteria, such as the existence of a 
contractual guarantee for reimbursement, are met. The aggregate amount of such assets is not significant in any period presented. 

Tooling is generally agreed upon as a separate contract or a separate component of an engineering contract, as a pre-production project. 
Capitalization of tooling costs is made only when the specific criteria for capitalization of customer funded tooling is met or the criteria for 
capitalization as Property, Plant & Equipment (P,P&E) for tools owned by the Company are fulfilled. Depreciation on the Company’s own 
tooling is recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Net Income as Cost of sales. 

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION 

The compensation costs for all of the Company’s stock-based compensation awards are determined based on the fair value method as 
defined in ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. The Company records the compensation expense for awards under the Stock 
Incentive Plan, including Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), Performance Shares (PSs) and stock options (SOs), over the respective vesting 
period. For further details, see Note 17. 

INCOME TAXES 

Current tax liabilities and assets are recognized for the estimated taxes payable or refundable on the tax returns for the current year. In 
certain  circumstances,  payments  or  refunds  may  extend  beyond  twelve  months,  in  such  cases  amounts  would  be  classified  as  non-
current  taxes  payable  or  receivable.  Deferred  tax  liabilities  or  assets  are  recognized  for  the  estimated  future  tax  effects  attributable  to 
temporary differences and carryforwards that result from events that have been recognized in either the financial statements or the tax 
returns,  but  not  both.  The  measurement  of  current  and  deferred  tax  liabilities  and  assets  is  based  on  provisions  of  enacted  tax  laws. 
Deferred  tax  assets  are  reduced  by  the  amount  of  any  tax  benefits  that  are  not  expected  to  be  realized.  A  valuation  allowance  is 
recognized if, based on the weight of all available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax asset will 
not be realized. Evaluation of the realizability of deferred tax assets is subject to significant judgment requiring careful consideration of all 
facts and circumstances.  The Company classifies deferred tax assets and liabilities  as non-current in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. 
Tax assets and liabilities are not offset unless attributable to the same tax jurisdiction and netting is possible according to law and, as it 
relates to payables and receivables, expected to take place in the same period. 

Tax benefits associated with tax positions taken in the Company’s income tax returns are initially recognized when it is more likely than 
not  that  those  tax  positions  will  be sustained  upon  examination  by  the  relevant  taxing  authorities.  The  Company’s  evaluation  of  its  tax 
benefits is based on the probability of the tax position being upheld if challenged by the taxing authorities (including through  negotiation, 
appeals, settlement and litigation). Whenever a tax position does not meet the initial  recognition criteria, the tax benefit is subsequently 
recognized if there is a substantive change in the facts and circumstances that cause a change in judgment concerning the sustainability 
of the tax position upon examination by the relevant taxing authorities. In cases where tax benefits meet the initial  recognition criterion, 
the  Company  continues,  in  subsequent  periods,  to  assess  its  ability  to  sustain  those  positions.  A  previously  recognized  tax  benefit  is 
derecognized  when  it  is  no  longer  more  likely  than  not  that  the  tax  position  would  be  sustained  upon  examination.  Liabilities  for 
unrecognized  tax  benefits  are  classified  as  non-current  unless  the  payment  of  the  liability  is  expected  to  be  made  within  the  next  12 
months. 

EARNINGS PER SHARE 

The  Company  calculates  basic  earnings  per  share  (EPS)  by  dividing  net  income  attributable  to  controlling  interest  by  the  weighted-
average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period (net of treasury shares). The Company’s unvested RSUs and PSs, 
of which some include the right to receive non-forfeitable dividend equivalents, are considered participating securities. The diluted EPS 
reflects the potential dilution that could occur if common stock was issued for awards under the Stock Incentive Plan and is calculated 
using the more dilutive method of either the two-class method or the treasury stock method. The treasury stock method assumes that the 
Company uses the proceeds from the exercise of stock option awards to repurchase ordinary shares at the average market price during 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
the  period.    For  unvested  restricted  stock,  assumed proceeds  under  the  treasury  stock  method  will  include  unamortized  compensation 
cost and  windfall  tax  benefits or  shortfalls.  Post spin-off  assumed proceeds  under  the  treasury  stock method  related  to  RSUs  will  only 
include  unamortized  compensation  cost  related  to  Autoliv  employees  holding  Autoliv  RSUs.  Calculations  of  EPS  under  the  two-class 
method exclude from the numerator any dividends paid or owed on participating securities and  any undistributed earnings considered to 
be  attributable  to  participating  securities.  The  related  participating  securities  are  similarly  excluded  from  the  denominator.  For  further 
details, see Notes 17 and 22. 

CASH EQUIVALENTS 

The Company considers all highly liquid investment instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. 

RECEIVABLES 

In  determining  the  amount  of  a  bad  debt  allowance,  management  uses  its  judgment  to  consider  factors  such  as  the  age  of  the 
receivables,  the  Company’s  prior  experience  with  the  customer,  the  customer’s  ability  to  pay,  and/or  an  appraisal  of  current  economic 
conditions. Collateral is typically not required. There can be no assurance that the amount ultimately realized for receivables will not be 
materially different than that assumed in the calculation of the allowance. 

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES 

All derivatives are recognized at fair value. 

Hedge accounting is not applied either because non-hedge accounting treatment creates the same accounting result or the hedge does 
not  meet  the  hedge  accounting  requirements,  although  entered  into  applying  the  same  rationale  concerning mitigating market  risk  that 
occurs from changes in interest and foreign exchange rates. 

For further details on the Company’s financial instruments, see Notes 5 and 14. 

INVENTORIES 

The cost of inventories is computed according to the first-in first-out method (FIFO). Cost includes the cost of materials, direct labor and 
the  applicable  share  of  manufacturing  overhead.  Inventories  are  evaluated  based  on  individual  or,  in  some  cases,  groups  of  inventory 
items. Reserves are established to reduce the value of inventories to the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the 
estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. 
Excess  inventories  are  quantities  of  items  that  exceed  anticipated  sales  or  usage  for  a  reasonable  period.  The  Company  calculates 
provisions  for  excess  inventories  based  on  the  number  of  months  of  inventories  on  hand  compared  to  anticipated  sales  or  usage. 
Management  uses  its  judgment  to  forecast  sales  or  usage  and  to  determine  what  constitutes  a  reasonable  period.  There  can  be  no 
assurance  that  the  amount  ultimately  realized  for  inventories  will  not  be materially  different  than  that  assumed  in the calculation of  the 
reserves. 

PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT 

Property,  Plant  and  Equipment  is  recorded  at  historical  cost.  Construction  in  progress  generally  involves  short-term  projects  for  which 
capitalized  interest  is  not  significant.  The  Company  provides  for  depreciation  of  property,  plant  and  equipment  computed  under  the 
straight-line method over the assets’ estimated useful lives, or in the case of leasehold improvements over the shorter of the useful life or 
the  lease  term.  Amortization  on  capital  leases  is  recognized  with  depreciation  expense  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Net  Income 
over the shorter of the assets’ expected life or the lease contract term. Repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. 

LEASES 

In accordance with ASC 842, Leases, the Company recognizes contracts that is, or contains, a lease when the contract conveys the right 
to control the use of a physically identified asset for a period of time in exchange for consideration  in the balance sheet as a right-of-use 
asset and lease liability. The Company recognizes a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at lease commencement. The lease liability for 
both  finance  and  operating  leases  is  measured  at  the  present  value  of  the  remaining  lease  payments,  discounted  at  the  Company's 
incremental borrowing rate (if the implicit interest rate in the lease contract is not readily determinable). The right-of-use asset (ROU) for 
finance  and  operating  leases  is  initially  measured  at  the  sum  of  the  Initial  lease  liability  plus  initial  direct  costs  plus  prepaid  lease 
payments  minus  lease  incentives  received.  Lease  payments  include  undiscounted  fixed  payments  plus  optional  payments  that  are 
reasonably certain to be owed. Lease payments do not include variable lease payments other than those that depend on an index or rate. 
Variable lease payments that depend on an index or a rate are included in the calculation of lease payments and in the measurement of 
the lease liability. 

If  the  rate  implicit  in  the  lease  is  not  readily  determinable,  the  Company  uses  its  incremental  borrowing  rate  as  the  discount  rate.  The 
Company uses its best judgement when determining the incremental borrowing rate, which is the rate of interest that the Company would 
have to pay to borrow on a collateralized basis over a similar term to the lease payments in a similar currency. 

The Company has elected the practical expedient of not separating lease components from non-lease components for all its classes of 
underlying assets. The Company has also elected to recognize the lease payments for short-term leases in its consolidated statement of 
income on a straight-line basis over the lease term and recognize the variable lease payments in the period in which the obligation for 
those payments is incurred. 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For further details on the Company’s leases, see Note 4. 

LONG-LIVED ASSET IMPAIRMENT 

The  Company  evaluates  the  carrying  value  and  useful  lives  of  long-lived  assets,  other  than  goodwill  and  intangible  assets,  when 
indications  of  impairment  are  evident  or  it  is  likely  that  the  useful  lives  have  decreased,  in  which  case  the  Company  depreciates  the 
assets over the remaining useful lives. Impairment testing is primarily done by using the cash flow method based on undiscounted future 
cash flows. Estimated undiscounted cash flows for a long-lived asset being evaluated for recoverability are compared with the respective 
carrying amount of that asset. If the estimated undiscounted cash flows exceed the carrying amount of the assets, the carrying amounts 
of the long-lived asset are considered recoverable and an impairment cannot be recorded. However, if the carrying amount of a group of 
assets  exceeds  the  undiscounted  cash  flows,  an  entity  must  then  measure  the  long-lived  assets’  fair  value  to  determine  whether  an 
impairment  loss  should  be  recognized,  generally  using  a  discounted  cash  flow  model.  Generally,  the  lowest  level  of  cash  flows  for 
impairment assessment is customer platform level. 

GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS 

Goodwill  represents  the  excess  of  the  fair  value  of  consideration  transferred  over  the  fair  value  of  net  assets  of  businesses  acquired. 
Goodwill is not amortized but subject to at least an annual review for impairment. Other intangible assets, principally related to acquired 
technology, are amortized over their useful lives which range from 3 to 25 years. 

The Company performs its annual impairment testing in the fourth quarter of each year. Impairment testing is required more often than 
annually if an event or circumstance indicates that an impairment, or decline in value, may have occurred. Since 2018, the Company has 
opted to use a qualitative assessment  for impairment testing. The qualitative assessment permits the Company to assess whether it is 
more  than  likely  than  not  (i.e.  a  likelihood  of  greater  than  50%)  that  goodwill  or  an  indefinite-lived  intangible  asset  is  impaired.  If  the 
Company concludes based on the qualitative assessment that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of goodwill or an indefinite-
lived intangible asset is less than its carrying amount, it would not have to quantitatively determine the asset’s fair value. 

In  conducting its  qualitative  impairment  testing,  the  Company  has  used  the  most recent  fair  value  calculation  performed  in  2017  for its 
goodwill  as  the  starting  point  for  the  qualitative  assessment.  The  Company  has  also  considered  external  factors  that  could  affect  the 
significant inputs used to determine fair value. 

There were no impairments of goodwill related to the Company’s continuing operations from 2017 through 2019. 

WARRANTIES AND RECALLS 

The  Company  records  liabilities  for  product  recalls  when  probable  claims  are  identified  and  when  it  is  possible  to  reasonably  estimate 
costs.  Recall  costs  are  costs  incurred  when  the  customer  decides  to  formally  recall  a  product  due  to  a  known  or  suspected  safety 
concern. Product recall costs are estimated based on the expected cost of replacing the product and the customer´s cost of carrying out 
the  recall,  which is  affected by  the  number  of  vehicles  subject  to  recall and the cost  of labor  and  materials  to  remove  and  replace  the 
defective  product.  Insurance  receivables,  related  to  recall  issues  covered  by  the  insurance,  are  included  within  other  current  and  non-
current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

Provisions for warranty claims are estimated based on prior experience, likely changes in performance of newer products and the mix and 
volume of products sold. The provisions are recorded on an accrual basis. 

RESTRUCTURING PROVISIONS 

The Company defines restructuring expense to include costs directly associated with rightsizing, exit or disposal activities. 

Estimates of restructuring charges are based on information available at the time such charges are recorded. In general,  management 
anticipates that restructuring activities will be completed within a timeframe such that significant changes to the exit plan are not likely. 
Due to inherent uncertainty involved in estimating restructuring expenses, actual amounts paid for such activities may differ from amounts 
initially estimated. 

PENSION OBLIGATIONS 

The Company provides for both defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans. A defined contribution plan generally specifies the 
periodic  amount  that  the  employer  must  contribute  to  the  plan  and  how  that  amount  will  be  allocated  to  the  eligible  employees  who 
perform services during the same period. A defined benefit pension plan is one that contains pension benefit formulas,  which generally 
determine  the  amount  of  pension  benefits  that  each  employee  will  receive  for  services  performed  during  a  specified  period  of 
employment. 

The  amount  recognized  as  a  defined  benefit  liability  is  the  net  total  of  projected  benefit  obligation  (PBO)  minus  the  fair  value  of  plan 
assets (if any) (see Note 19).  

63 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTINGENT LIABILITIES 

Various claims, lawsuits and proceedings are pending or threatened against the Company or its subsidiaries, covering a range of matters 
that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities with respect to commercial, product liability or other matters (see Note 18). 

The  Company  diligently  defends  itself  in  such  matters  and,  in  addition,  carries  insurance  coverage  to  the  extent  reasonably  available 
against insurable risks. 

The Company records liabilities for claims, lawsuits and proceedings when they are probable and it is possible to reasonably estimate the 
cost  of  such  liabilities.  Legal  costs  expected  to  be  incurred  in  connection  with  a  loss  contingency  are  expensed  as  such  costs  are 
incurred. 

The  Company  believes,  based  on  currently  available  information,  that  the  resolution  of  outstanding  matters,  other  than  any  antitrust 
related matters described in Note  18, after taking into account recorded liabilities and available insurance coverage, should  not have a 
material effect on the Company’s financial position or results of operations. 

However,  due  to  the  inherent  uncertainty  associated  with  such  matters,  there  can  be  no  assurance  that  the  final  outcomes  of  these 
matters will not be materially different than currently estimated. 

TRANSLATION OF NON-U.S. SUBSIDIARIES 

The  balance  sheets  of  subsidiaries  with  functional  currency  other  than  U.S.  dollars  are  translated  into  U.S.  dollars  using  year-end 
exchange rates. 

The  Statements  of  Net  Income  of  these  subsidiaries  is  translated  into  U.S.  dollars  using  the  average  exchange  rates  for  the  year. 
Translation differences are reflected in equity as a component of OCI. 

RECEIVABLES AND LIABILITIES IN NON-FUNCTIONAL CURRENCIES 

Receivables  and  liabilities  not  denominated  in  functional  currencies  are  converted  at  year-end  exchange  rates.  Net  transaction  losses, 
reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Net Income amounted to $(15.3) million in 2019, $(22.1) million in 2018 and $(27.0) million in 
2017, and are recorded in operating income if they relate to operational receivables and liabilities or are recorded in other non-operating 
items, net if they relate to financial receivables and liabilities. 

NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS 

Adoption of New Accounting Standards 

In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-12, Derivative and 
Hedging  (Topic  815),  Targeted  improvements  to  accounting  for  hedging  activities.  The  amendments  in  ASU  2017-12  better  align  an 
entity’s  risk  management  activities  and  financial  reporting  for  hedging  relationships  through  changes  to  both  the  designation  and 
measurement guidance for qualifying hedging relationships and the presentation of hedge results. The amendments in ASU 2017-12 also 
include certain targeted improvements to ease the application of current guidance related to the assessment of hedge effectiveness. The 
amendments in ASU 2017-12 modify disclosures required in current U.S. GAAP. Those modifications include a tabular disclosure related 
to the effect on the income statement of fair value and cash flow hedges and eliminate the requirement to disclose the ineffective portion 
of  the  change  in  fair  value  of  hedging  instruments.  The  amendments  also  require  new  tabular  disclosures  related  to  cumulative  basis 
adjustments  for  fair  value  hedges.  The  amendments  in  ASU  2017-12  were  effective  for  public  business  entities  for  annual  periods 
beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual years, with early adoption permitted. For cash flow and net 
investment  hedges  existing  at  the  date  of  adoption,  an  entity  should  apply  a  cumulative-effect  adjustment  related  to  eliminating  the 
separate measurement of ineffectiveness to accumulated other comprehensive income with a corresponding adjustment to the opening 
balance  of  retained  earnings  as  of  the  beginning  of  the  annual  period  that  an  entity  adopts  the  amendments  in  ASU  2017-12. The 
Company adopted ASU 2017-12 in the annual period beginning January 1, 2019. The adoption of ASU 2017-12 did not have a material 
impact on the consolidated financial statements since the Company had no cash flow hedges at the date of adoption. 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), to increase transparency and comparability among organizations 
by recognizing lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 affects any 
entity that enters into a lease, with some specified scope exceptions. For public business entities, the amendments in ASU 2016-02 were 
effective  for  annual  periods  beginning  after  December  15,  2018,  and  interim  periods  within  those  annual  periods.  Early  adoption  is 
permitted.  The  Company  adopted  ASU  2016-02  in  the  annual  period  beginning  January  1,  2019.  The  Company  applied  the  modified 
retrospective transition method and elected the transition option to use the effective date January 1, 2019 as the date of initial application. 
The  Company  did  not  adjust  its  comparative  period  financial  statements  for  effects  of  ASU  2016-02,  nor  has  it  made  the  new  lease 
disclosures  for  periods  before  the  effective  date.  The  Company  has  recognized  its  cumulative  effect  transition  adjustment  as  of  the 
effective date. In addition, the Company has elected the package of practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance within 
the new standard, which among other things, allows the Company to carry forward the historical lease classification. The adoption of the 
new standard resulted in recording operating lease assets and lease liabilities of $155.4 million as of January 1, 2019, which is shown in 
the  table  below. No  material  finance  leases  were  identified  as  of  January  1,  2019.  In  addition,  there  was  no  material  impact  on  the 
consolidated financial statements where the Company is deemed to be the lessor in an “embedded lease” arrangement.  

64 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance Sheet 
(Dollars in millions) 
Assets 
Right-of-use asset, operating leases 
Current liabilities 
Operating lease liabilities, current 
Non-current liabilities 
Operating lease liabilities, non-current 

Balance at 
December 31, 
2018 

Adjustments 
due to 

ASU 2016-02      

Balance at 
January 1, 
2019 

  $ 

—     $ 

155.4     $ 

155.4   

—       

38.7       

38.7   

—       

116.7       

116.7   

In  August  2018,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2018-13,  Fair  Value  Measurement  (Topic  820),  Disclosure  Framework  –  Changes  to  the 
Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements in Topic 
820.  The  amendments  in  ASU  2018-13  are  effective  for  all  entities  for  annual  periods  beginning  after  December  15,  2019,  including 
interim  periods  within  these  annual  periods.  The  amendments  on  changes  in  unrealized  gains  and  losses,  the  range  and  weighted 
average  of  significant  unobservable  inputs  used  to  develop  Level  3  fair  value  measurements,  and  the  narrative  description  of 
measurement uncertainty should be applied prospectively for only the most recent interim or annual period presented in the initial annual 
year of adoption. All other amendments should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented upon their effective date. An entity is 
permitted to early adopt either the entire standard or only the provisions that eliminate or modify disclosures upon issuance of ASU 2018-
13. The Company early adopted ASU 2018-13 as of December 31, 2019 as there were no financial or disclosure impact. 

In  August  2018,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2018-14,  Compensation-Retirement  Benefits-Defined  Benefit  Plans-General  (Subtopic  715-20), 
Changes  to  the  Disclosure  Requirements  for  Defined  Benefit  Plans,  which  modifies  the  disclosure  requirements  for  employers  that 
sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. The amendments in ASU 2018-14 remove disclosures that no longer are 
considered cost beneficial,  clarify  the  specific  requirements  of  disclosures, and  add  disclosure  requirements  identified as  relevant.  The 
amendments in ASU 2018-14 are effective for public business entities for annual periods ending after December 15, 2020. Early adoption 
is  permitted.  An  entity  should apply  the  amendments  in  ASU  2018-14 on a  retrospective  basis  to all  periods  presented.  The  Company 
early adopted ASU 2018-14 as of December 31, 2019 and removed a few disclosures to the consolidated financial statements that were 
considered not cost beneficial. 

Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted 

In  June  2016,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2016-13,  Financial  Instruments  –  Credit  Losses  (Topic  326),  Measurement  of  Credit  Losses  on 
Financial  Instruments,  which  requires  measurement  and  recognition  of  expected  credit  losses  for  financial  assets  held  and  requires 
enhanced disclosures regarding significant estimates and judgments used in estimating credit losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for public 
business  entities  for  annual  periods  beginning  after  December  15,  2019,  and  early  adoption  is  permitted  for  annual  periods  beginning 
after  December  15,  2018.  The  Company has  finalized  its  evaluation  of  the  impact  of  its  pending  adoption  of  ASU  2016-13  on  the 
consolidated financial statements. The Company has concluded that the pending adoption of ASU 2016-13 will not have a material impact 
on the consolidated financial statements. 

In  August  2018,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2018-15,  Intangibles-Goodwill  and  Other-Internal  Use  Software  (Subtopic  350-40),  Customer’s 
accounting for implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract, which align the requirements 
for  capitalizing  implementation  costs  incurred  in  a  hosting  arrangement  that  is  a  service  contract  with  the  requirements  for  capitalizing 
implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal-use software 
license). The accounting for the service element of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract is not affected by the amendments in 
ASU 2018-15. The amendments in ASU 2018-15 are effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 
15,  2019,  and  interim  periods  within  those  annual  years.  Early  adoption  of  the  amendments  in  ASU  2018-15  is  permitted,  including 
adoption  in  any  interim  period.  The  amendments  in  ASU  2018-15  should  be  applied  either  retrospectively  or  prospectively  to  all 
implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. The Company will adopt ASU 2018-15 as of January 1, 2020. As the Company 
will  apply  ASU  2018-15  prospectively,  the  impact  to  our  financial  statements  will  depend  on  the  nature  of  our  future  cloud  computing 
arrangements.  

In  December  2019,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2019-12,  Income  Taxes  (Topic  740),  Simplifying  the  Accounting  for  Income  Taxes,  which 
simplify  the  accounting  for  income  taxes  by  removing  certain  exceptions  to  the  general  principles  in  Topic  740  and  also  improve 
consistent application of and simplify U.S. GAAP for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending existing guidance. ASU 2019-12 
is effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, and early adoption is permitted, including 
adoption in any interim period. An entity that elects to early adopt the amendments in an interim period should reflect any adjustments as 
of the beginning of the annual period that includes that interim period. Additionally, an entity that elects early adoption must adopt all the 
amendments in the same period. The amendments in ASU 2019-12 related to separate financial statements of legal entities that are not 
subject to tax should be applied on a retrospective basis for all periods presented. The amendments related to changes in ownership of 
foreign equity method investments or foreign subsidiaries should be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect 
adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The amendments related to franchise taxes that are 
partially  based  on  income  should  be  applied  on  either  a  retrospective  basis  for  all  periods  presented  or  a  modified  retrospective  basis 
through  a  cumulative-effect  adjustment  to  retained  earnings  as  of  the  beginning  of  the  fiscal  year  of  adoption.  All  other  amendments 
should be applied on a prospective basis. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of our pending adoption of ASU 2019-12 on the 
consolidated financial statements. 

65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
  
      
        
        
  
      
        
        
  
    
      
        
        
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
RECLASSIFICATIONS 

Certain prior-year amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation (see Note 1 and Note 3 regarding discontinued 
operations). 

3. Discontinued Operations 

As discussed in Note 1, Basis of Presentation, on June 29, 2018, the Company completed the spin-off of Veoneer and the requirements 
for the presentation of Veoneer as a discontinued operation were met on that date. Accordingly, Veoneer’s historical financial results are 
reflected  in  the  Company’s  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  as  discontinued  operations.  The  Company  did  not  allocate  any  general 
corporate overhead or interest expense to discontinued operations. 

The financial results of Veoneer are presented as loss from discontinued operations, net of income taxes in the Consolidated Statements 
of Income. The following table presents the financial results of Veoneer for the years 2018 and 2017 (dollars in millions).  

Net sales 
Cost of sales 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Research, development and engineering 
   expenses, net 
Goodwill, Impairment charge 
Amortization of intangibles 
Other income (expense), net 
Operating loss 
Loss from equity method investments 
Interest income 
Interest expense 
Other non-operating items, net 
Loss before income taxes 
Income tax (expense) benefit 
Loss from discontinued operations, net of 
   income taxes 
Less: Net loss attributable to non-controlling interest 
Net loss from discontinued operations 

  $ 

Years ended December 31 

2018 

2017 

1,122.9      $ 
(896.4 )      
226.5        
(59.7 )      

2,245.8   
(1,776.5 ) 
469.3   
(83.1 ) 

(224.0 )      
—        
(10.5 )      
(53.4 )      
(121.1 )      
(29.9 )      
0.7        
(0.4 )      
0.5        
(150.2 )      
(43.6 )      

(193.8 )      
(8.3 )      
(185.5 )    $ 

(370.3 ) 
(234.2 ) 
(35.8 ) 
(0.2 ) 
(254.3 ) 
(30.7 ) 
—   
(0.1 ) 
(0.8 ) 
(285.9 ) 
0.9   

(285.0 ) 
(126.1 ) 
(158.9 ) 

  $ 

The  Company  incurred  $76.3  million  in separation costs  related to  the spin-off  of  Veoneer  for  2018  and  was  reported  in  Other income 
(expense), net. These costs are primarily related to professional fees associated with planning the spin-off, as well as spin-off activities 
within finance, tax, legal and information system functions and certain investment banking fees incurred upon the completion of the spin-
off. 

Veoneer Capital Contribution  

In  connection  with  the  spin-off,  Autoliv  capitalized  Veoneer  with  approximately  $1  billion  of  cash.  Net  assets  of  $2,129  million  were 
transferred  to  Veoneer  on  or  prior  to  the  Distribution  Date,  including  $13  million  of  accumulated  other  comprehensive  loss  (primarily 
related to pension and cumulative translation adjustment) and the non-controlling interest of $112 million. This resulted in a $2,030 million 
reduction to retained earnings. In the second half of 2018, an adjustment to the cash contribution amount of $5 million was made reducing 
the net assets contributed to Veoneer to $2,123 million. In the second quarter of 2019, an adjustment of $0.2 million was made to true-up 
the $2.5 million contribution made to Veoneer as an adjustment of deferred tax assets related to Veoneer. 

The following table presents depreciation, amortization, capital expenditures, acquisition of businesses and significant non-cash items of 
the discontinued operations related to Veoneer for the years 2018 and 2017 (dollars in millions).  

Depreciation 
Amortization of intangible assets 
Capital expenditures 
Acquisition in affiliate, net 
M/A-COM earn-out adjustment 
Undistributed loss from equity method investment 

  $ 

Years ended December 31 

2018 

2017 

44.8      $ 
10.5        
71.1        
71.0        
(14.0 )      
29.9        

82.9   
35.8   
109.6   
123.9   
(12.7 ) 
30.7   

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4. Leases 

The Company has operating leases for offices, manufacturing and research buildings, machinery, automobiles, data processing and other 
equipment. The Company’s leases have remaining lease terms of 1-47 years, some of which include options to extend the leases for up 
to 25 years, and some of which include options to terminate the leases within 1 year. 

Finance lease right-of-use assets are presented together with other property, plant and equipment assets and finance lease liabilities are 
presented together  with  other  short-term  and  long-term liabilities in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.  The  Company has  not  identified 
any material finance leases as of December 31, 2019. 

As of December 31, 2019, the Company has no additional material operating leases that have not yet commenced. 

The  following  tables  provide  information  about  the  Company’s  leases.  Since  finance  leases  are  not  material  the  finance  lease  cost 
components have not been disclosed in the tables below. 

Lease cost 
(in millions) 

Operating lease cost 
Short-term lease cost 
Variable lease cost 
Sublease income 
Total lease cost 

Other information 
(in millions) 

Year ended 
December 31    
2019 

  $ 

  $ 

48.5   
6.8   
3.6   
(2.4 ) 
56.5   

Year ended 
or as of 
December 31, 
2019 

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of 
   operating lease liabilities 
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new 
   operating lease liabilities 
Weighted-average remaining lease term - operating leases   
Weighted-average discount rate - operating leases 

  $ 

47.6   

55.9   
7 years   

2.3 % 

Maturities of operating lease liabilities (undiscounted cash 
flows) are as follows: 
(in millions) 

2020 
2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 
Thereafter 
Total operating lease payments 
Less imputed interest 
Total operating lease liabilities 

5. Fair Value Measurements 

   Maturities 
  $ 

40.8   
28.4   
22.2   
18.7   
14.6   
47.3   
172.0   
(14.8 ) 
157.2   

  $ 

ASSETS AND LIABILITIES MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE ON A RECURRING BASIS 

The  carrying  value  of  cash  and  cash  equivalents,  accounts  receivable,  accounts  payable,  other  current  liabilities  and  short-term  debt 
approximate their fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments.  

The Company uses derivative financial instruments, “derivatives”, as part of its debt management to mitigate the market risk  that occurs 
from its  exposure to changes in  interest and  foreign  exchange  rates.  The  Company  does  not enter  into  derivatives  for trading  or  other 
speculative purposes. The Company’s use of derivatives is in accordance with the strategies contained in the Company’s overall financial 
policy.  All  derivatives  are  recognized  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements  at  fair  value.  Certain  derivatives  are  from  time  to  time 
designated either as fair value hedges or cash flow hedges in line with the hedge accounting criteria. For certain other derivatives hedge 
accounting is not applied either because non-hedge accounting treatment creates the same accounting result or the hedge does not meet 
the hedge accounting requirements, although entered into applying the same rationale concerning mitigating market risk that occurs from 
changes in interest and foreign exchange rates. 

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
    
 
       
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
    
 
       
  
      
  
  
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 
 
 
The  degree  of  judgment  utilized  in measuring  the  fair  value  of  the instruments  generally  correlates  to  the  level of  pricing  observability. 
Pricing observability is impacted by several factors, including the type of asset or liability, whether the asset or liability has an established 
market  and  the  characteristics  specific  to  the  transaction.  Instruments  with  readily  active  quoted  prices  or  for  which  fair  value  can  be 
measured from actively quoted prices generally will have a higher degree of pricing observability and a lesser degree of judgment utilized 
in measuring fair value. Conversely, assets rarely traded or not quoted will generally have less, or no, pricing observability and a higher 
degree of judgment utilized in measuring fair value. 

Under U.S. GAAP, there is a disclosure framework hierarchy associated with the level of pricing observability utilized in measuring assets 
and liabilities at fair value. The three broad levels defined by the hierarchy are as follows: 

Level 1 - Quoted prices are available in active markets for identical assets or liabilities as of the reported date. 

Level 2 - Pricing inputs are other than quoted prices in active markets, which are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reported 
date. The nature of these assets and liabilities include items for which quoted prices are available but traded less frequently, and items 
that are fair valued using other financial instruments, the parameters of which can be directly observed. 

Level 3 - Assets and liabilities that have little to no pricing observability as of the reported date. These items do not have two-way markets 
and are measured using management’s best estimate of fair value, where the inputs into the determination of fair value require significant 
management judgment or estimation. 

The Company’s derivatives are all classified as Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.  

The tables below present information about the Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis for 
the continuing operations as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018. The carrying value is the same as the fair value as these 
instruments  are  recognized  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements  at  fair  value.  Although  the  Company  is  party  to  close-out  netting 
agreements  (ISDA  agreements)  with  all  derivative  counterparties,  the  fair  values  in  the  tables  below  and  in  the  Consolidated  Balance 
Sheets  at  December  31,  2019  and  December  31,  2018  have  been  presented  on  a  gross  basis.  According  to  the  close-out  netting 
agreements,  transaction  amounts  payable  to  a  counterparty  on  the  same  date  and  in  the  same  currency  can  be  netted.  The  amounts 
subject to netting agreements that the Company choose not to offset are presented below. 

DERIVATIVES DESIGNATED AS HEDGING INSTRUMENTS 

There were no derivatives designated as hedging instruments as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 related to the continuing 
operations. 

DERIVATIVES NOT DESIGNATED AS HEDGING INSTRUMENTS 

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments, relate to economic hedges and are marked to market with all amounts recognized in 
the Consolidated Statements of Net Income. The derivatives not designated as hedging instruments outstanding at December 31, 2019 
and December 31, 2018 were foreign exchange swaps.  

For  2019,  the  gains  and  losses  recognized  in  other  non-operating  items,  net  are  a  gain  of  $3.5  million  for  derivative  instruments  not 
designated  as  hedging  instruments.  For  2018,  the  Company  recognized  a  loss  of  $1.5  million  in  other  non-operating  items,  net  for 
derivative  instruments  not  designated  as  hedging  instruments.  For  2017,  the  Company  recognized  a  gain  of  $1.2  million  in  other  non-
operating items, net for derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments.  For 2019, 2018 and 2017, the gains and losses 
recognized as interest expense were immaterial. 

Description 
DERIVATIVES NOT DESIGNATED 
   AS HEDGING INSTRUMENTS 
Foreign exchange swaps, less 
   than 6 months 
TOTAL DERIVATIVES NOT 
   DESIGNATED AS HEDGING 
   INSTRUMENTS 

DECEMBER 31, 2019 

Fair Value Measurements 

DECEMBER 31, 2018 

Fair Value Measurements 

   Nominal 
volume 

   Derivative asset   
   (Other current    
assets) 

  Derivative liability   
(Other current 
liabilities) 

   Nominal 
volume 

   Derivative asset   
   (Other current    
assets) 

  Derivative liability   
(Other current 
liabilities) 

934.2    1)   

6.0    2)   

1.8    3)   

659.1    4)   

1.9    5)   

1.1    6) 

   $ 

934.2       $ 

6.0       $ 

1.8       $ 

659.1       $ 

1.9       $ 

1.1      

1) 
2) 
3) 
4) 
5) 
6) 

Net nominal amount after deducting for offsetting swaps under ISDA agreements is $860.6 million.  
Net amount after deducting for offsetting swaps under ISDA agreements is $5.8 million.  
Net amount after deducting for offsetting swaps under ISDA agreements is $1.6 million.   
Net nominal amount after deducting for offsetting swaps under ISDA agreements is $659.1 million.  
Net amount after deducting for offsetting swaps under ISDA agreements is $1.9 million.  
Net amount after deducting for offsetting swaps under ISDA agreements is $1.1 million. 

68 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
     
     
 
 
FAIR VALUE OF DEBT 

The fair value of long-term debt is determined either from quoted market prices as provided by participants in the secondary market or for 
long-term debt without quoted market prices, estimated using a discounted cash flow method based on the Company’s current borrowing 
rates  for  similar  types  of  financing.  The  fair  value  and  carrying  value  of  debt  is  summarized  in  the  table  below.  The  Company  has 
determined that each of these fair value measurements of debt reside within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. 

In  the  table  below,  “Bonds”  relates  to  multiple  USPP  bonds  and  Euro  denominated  bonds.  “Loans”  relates  to  utilized  long-term  loan 
facilities. In June 2019, the Company issued a €100 million bond and utilized a SEK 1,200 million long-term loan facility. 

The fair value and carrying value of debt for the continuing operations are summarized in the table below (dollars in millions). 

DECEMBER 31, 
2019 
CARRYING 
VALUE1) 

DECEMBER 31, 
2019 
FAIR 
VALUE 

DECEMBER 31, 
2018 
CARRYING 
VALUE1) 

DECEMBER 31, 
2018 
FAIR 
VALUE 

LONG-TERM DEBT 
Bonds 
Loans 
TOTAL 

SHORT-TERM DEBT 
Commercial paper 
Short-term portion of long-term debt 
Overdrafts and other short-term debt 
TOTAL 

1) 

Debt as reported in balance sheet. 

   $ 

   $ 

   $ 

   $ 

1,597.5      $ 
128.6        
1,726.1      $ 

1,671.1      $ 
128.6        
1,799.7      $ 

1,609.0      $ 
—        
1,609.0      $ 

1,628.9   
—   
1,628.9   

230.7      $ 
112.0        
25.4        
368.1      $ 

230.7      $ 
112.1        
25.3        
368.1      $ 

342.6      $ 
268.1        
10.0        
620.7      $ 

342.6   
270.4   
10.0   
623.0   

ASSETS AND LIABILITIES MEASURED AT FAIR VALUE ON A NON-RECURRING BASIS 

In addition to assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a  recurring basis, the Company also has assets and liabilities in its 
balance  sheet  that  are  measured  at  fair  value  on  a  nonrecurring  basis  including  certain  long-lived  assets,  including  equity  method 
investments, goodwill and other intangible assets, typically as it relates to impairment. 

The  Company  has  determined  that  the  fair  value  measurements  included  in  each  of  these  assets  and  liabilities  rely  primarily  on 
Company-specific inputs and the Company’s assumptions about the use of the assets and settlements of liabilities, as observable inputs 
are  not  available.  The  Company  has  determined  that  each  of  these  fair  value  measurements  reside  within  Level  3  of  the  fair  value 
hierarchy.  To  determine  the  fair  value  of  long-lived  assets  as  of  the  reporting  date,  the  Company  utilizes  the  projected  cash  flows 
expected to be generated by the long-lived assets, then discounts the future cash flows over the expected life of the long-lived assets. 

For  the  period  2017-2019,  the  Company  did  not  record  any  material  impairment  charges  on  its  long-lived  assets  for  its  continuing 
operations. 

6. Income Taxes 

INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES 
U.S. 
Non-U.S. 
Total 

PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES 
Current 

U.S. federal 
Non-U.S. 
U.S. state and local 

Deferred 

U.S. federal 
Non-U.S. 
U.S. state and local 
Total income tax expense 

69 

2019 

2018 

2017 

   $ 

66.5      $ 
581.9        

89.0   
703.4   
   $  648.4      $  612.4      $  792.4   

47.0      $ 
565.4        

2019 

2018 

2017 

   $ 

18.6      $ 
178.2        
4.8        

31.6      $ 
192.7        
10.1        

53.4   
162.8   
9.9   

(2.8 )      
(12.6 )      
(0.6 )      

21.8   
(44.4 ) 
0.9   
   $  185.6      $  234.9      $  204.4   

0.8        
(0.2 )      
(0.1 )      

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
    
    
    
  
     
  
       
  
       
  
       
  
  
     
  
     
         
         
         
    
     
         
         
         
    
     
     
 
 
 
 
  
    
    
  
     
 
  
    
    
  
     
         
         
    
     
     
  
     
         
         
    
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
EFFECTIVE INCOME TAX RATE 
U.S. federal income tax rate 
Foreign tax rate variances 
Tax credits 
Change in Valuation Allowances 
Current year losses with no benefit 
Net operating loss carry-forwards 
Changes in tax reserves 
U.S. Expense Allocation 
Earnings of equity investments 
Withholding taxes 
State taxes, net of federal benefit 
Antitrust settlement 
U.S. FDII Deducation 
U.S. GILI Tax 
Change in U.S. tax rate 
Deemed mandatory repatriation 
Other, net 
Effective income tax rate 

2019 

2018 

2017 

21.0   %   
4.1        
(1.7 )      
0.0        
0.2        
(0.1 )      
1.7        
0.0        
(0.1 )      
2.4        
0.4        
0.0        
(0.5 )      
1.8        
—        
—        
(0.6 )      
28.6   %   

21.0   %   
5.5        
(3.9 )      
(3.2 )      
0.5        
(0.1 )      
3.4        
0.0        
(0.1 )      
3.5        
1.1        
9.9        
—        
1.7        
—        
—        
(0.9 )      
38.4   %   

35.0   % 
(7.4 )   
(3.3 )   
(4.8 )   
0.3     
(3.7 )   
0.8     
2.0     
(0.1 )   
2.1     
0.3     
—     
—     
—     
3.0     
3.1     
(1.5 )   
25.8   % 

Deferred  income  taxes  reflect  the  net  tax  effects  of  temporary  differences  between  the  carrying  amounts  of  assets  and  liabilities  for 
financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. On December 31, 2019, the Company had net operating loss 
carryforwards (NOL’s) of approximately $252 million, of which approximately $242 million have no expiration date. The remaining losses 
expire on various dates through 2029. The Company also has $7 million of U.S. Foreign Tax Credit carry forwards, which begin to expire 
in 2026. 

Valuation  allowances  have  been  established  which  partially  offset  the  related  deferred  assets.  Such  allowances  are  primarily  provided 
against NOL’s of companies that have perennially incurred losses, as well as the NOL’s of companies that are start-up operations and 
have not established a pattern of profitability. The Company assesses all available evidence, both positive and negative, to determine the 
amount of any required valuation allowance.  

The foreign tax rate variance reflects the fact that approximately two-thirds of the Company’s non-U.S. pre-tax income is generated by 
business operations located in tax jurisdictions where the tax rate is between 20-30%. The tax rate from quarter to quarter and from year 
to year is also impacted by the mix of earnings and tax rates in various jurisdictions compared to the same periods or prior years. 

The  Company  has  reserves  for  income  taxes  that  may  become  payable  in  future  periods  as  a  result  of  tax  audits.  These  reserves 
represent  the  Company’s  best  estimate  of  the  potential  liability  for  tax  exposures.  Inherent  uncertainties  exist  in  estimates  of  tax 
exposures due to changes in tax law, both legislated and concluded through the various jurisdictions’ court systems. The Company files 
income tax returns in the United States federal jurisdiction, and various states and non-U.S. jurisdictions. 

At any given time, the Company is undergoing tax audits in several tax jurisdictions, covering multiple years. The Company is no longer 
subject to income tax examination by the U.S. Federal tax authorities for years prior to 2015. With few exceptions, the Company is no 
longer subject to income tax examination by U.S. state or local tax authorities or by non-U.S. tax authorities for years before 2010. The 
Company  is  undergoing  tax  audits  in  several  non-U.S.  jurisdictions  and  several  U.S.  state  jurisdictions,  covering  multiple  years.  As  of 
December 31, 2019, as a result of those tax examinations, the Company is not aware of any proposed income tax adjustments that would 
have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements, however, other audits could result in additional increases or decreases to 
the unrecognized tax benefits in some future period or periods. 

The Company recognizes interest and potential penalties accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in tax expense. As of December 
31, 2018, the Company had recorded $54.4 million for unrecognized tax benefits related to prior years, including $6.6 million of accrued 
interest and  penalties.  During  2019,  the  Company  recorded  a net increase of  $4.8 million  to income  tax  reserves  for unrecognized  tax 
benefits related to tax positions taken in prior years. Also during 2019, the Company recorded a net increase of $6.1 million to income tax 
reserves for unrecognized tax benefits based on tax positions  taken in the current year. The Company had $8.2 million accrued for the 
payment of interest and penalties as of December 31, 2019. Of the total unrecognized tax benefits of $65.3 million recorded at December 
31, 2019, $1.8 million is classified as current income tax payable, and $63.5 million is classified as non-current tax payable included in 
Other Non-Current Liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Substantially all of these reserves would impact the effective tax rate if 
released into income. The following table summarizes the activity related to the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits: 

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UNRECOGNIZED TAX BENEFITS 
Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of year 

2019 

2018 

2017 

   $ 

49.6      $ 

29.6      $ 

27.2   

Increases as a result of tax positions taken during a prior 
   period 
Increases as a result of tax positions taken during the current 
   period 
Decreases as a result of tax positions taken during the 
   current period 
Decreases relating to settlements with taxing authorities 
Decreases resulting from the lapse of the applicable statute 
   of limitations 
Translation Difference 

Total unrecognized tax benefits at end of year 

3.8        

24.0        

2.0   

6.1        

4.7        

6.8   

—        
—        

(3.1 )      
(3.2 )      

(0.6 )      
0.1        
59.0      $ 

(1.5 )      
(0.9 )      
49.6      $ 

   $ 

—   
(7.1 ) 

(0.3 ) 
1.0   
29.6   

The tax effect of temporary differences and carryforwards that comprise significant portions of deferred tax assets and liabilities were as 
follows. 

DEFERRED TAXES 
DECEMBER 31 
Assets 
Provisions 
Costs capitalized for tax 
Property, plant and equipment 
Retirement Plans 
Tax receivables, principally NOL’s 
Deferred tax assets before allowances 
Valuation allowances 
Total 

Liabilities 
Acquired intangibles 
Statutory tax allowances 
Distribution taxes 
Other 
Total 
Net deferred tax asset 

2019 

2018 

2017 

25.5        
9.8        
60.6        
93.8        

   $  105.2      $  104.9      $  107.3   
18.6   
14.2   
50.0   
150.2   
   $  294.9      $  300.1      $  340.3   
(110.6 ) 
   $  234.2      $  229.1      $  229.7   

18.2        
13.0        
50.1        
113.9        

(60.7 )      

(71.0 )      

   $ 

(3.8 )    $ 
(0.2 )      
(15.4 )      
(6.5 )      
(25.9 )    $ 

(6.6 ) 
—   
(22.8 ) 
(3.9 ) 
   $ 
(33.3 ) 
   $  208.3      $  189.5      $  196.4   

(6.1 )    $ 
(0.5 )      
(22.9 )      
(10.1 )      
(39.6 )    $ 

The following table summarizes the activity related to the Company’s valuation allowances: 

VALUATION ALLOWANCES AGAINST DEFERRED TAX ASSETS 
DECEMBER 31 
Allowances at beginning of year 
Benefits reserved current year 
Benefits recognized current year 
Write-offs and other changes 
Translation difference 
Allowances at end of year 

2019 

2018 

2017 

   $ 

   $ 

71.0      $  110.6      $  199.6   
22.9   
6.4        
(117.0 ) 
(36.9 )      
(0.1 ) 
—        
5.2   
(9.1 )      
71.0      $  110.6   

3.9        
(10.5 )      
—        
(3.7 )      
60.7      $ 

7. Receivables 

DECEMBER 31 
Receivables 
Allowance at beginning of year 

Reversal of allowance 
Addition to allowance 
Write-off against allowance 
Translation difference 
Allowance at end of year 
Total receivables, net of allowance 

71 

2017 

2019 

2018 
   $  1,632.4      $  1,659.4      $  1,703.0   
(4.2 ) 
   $ 
0.9   
(3.9 ) 
1.2   
(0.3 ) 
   $ 
(6.3 ) 
   $  1,623.9      $  1,652.1      $  1,696.7   

(6.3 )    $ 
0.9        
(3.8 )      
1.6        
0.3        
(7.3 )    $ 

(7.3 )    $ 
1.6        
(5.1 )      
2.3        
0.0        
(8.5 )    $ 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
     
     
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
 
    
  
       
  
       
  
  
  
     
     
  
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
  
     
         
         
    
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
 
 
  
     
     
  
     
     
     
     
 
 
  
     
     
  
     
     
     
     
 
8. Inventories 

DECEMBER 31 
Raw material 
Work in progress 
Finished products 
Inventories 
Inventory reserve at beginning of year 

Reversal of reserve 
Addition to reserve 
Write-off against reserve 
Translation difference 

Inventory reserve at end of year 
Total inventories, net of reserve 

9. Investments and Other Non-Current Assets 

DECEMBER 31 
Equity method investments 
Deferred tax assets 
Income tax receivables 
Other non-current assets 
Investments and other non-current assets 

2017 

2019 

277.4        
194.7        

257.4        
200.4        

2018 
   $  366.3      $  370.9      $  333.2   
263.8   
187.9   
   $  824.1      $  843.0      $  784.9   
(76.7 ) 
   $ 
4.8   
(7.3 ) 
5.2   
(6.6 ) 
   $ 
(80.6 ) 
   $  740.9      $  757.9      $  704.3   

(85.1 )    $ 
11.3        
(13.2 )      
8.3        
(4.5 )      
(83.2 )    $ 

(80.6 )    $ 
1.4        
(13.9 )      
5.3        
2.7        
(85.1 )    $ 

2019 

2018 

   $ 

8.6      $ 
244.6        
25.2        
108.0        

12.5   
235.6   
33.6   
41.8   
   $  386.4      $  323.5   

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had one equity method investment. The Company has ownership of 49% in Autoliv-
Hirotako  Safety  Sdn,  Bhd  (parent  and subsidiaries)  in  Malaysia  which  it  currently  does  not  control,  but  in  which  it  exercises  significant 
influence over operations and financial position.  

10. Property, Plant and Equipment 

DECEMBER 31 
Land and land improvements 
Buildings 
Machinery and equipment 
Construction in progress 
Property, plant and equipment 
Less accumulated depreciation 
Net of depreciation 

DEPRECIATION INCLUDED IN 
Cost of sales 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Research, development and engineering expenses, net 
Total 

Estimated 
life 

2019 

888.2        

2018 
   $  114.3      $  114.7      n/a to 15 
20-40 
3-12 
n/a 

822.9     
      3,810.5         3,496.8     
374.3     
   $  5,142.0      $  4,808.7     
      (3,326.3 )       (3,118.6 )   
   $  1,815.7      $  1,690.1     

329.0        

2017 

2019 

2018 
   $  307.0      $  300.9      $  268.9   
12.5   
14.5   
   $  339.1      $  330.7      $  295.9   

13.4        
18.7        

13.9        
15.9        

No significant fixed asset impairments related to the Company’s continuing operations were recognized during 2019, 2018 or 2017. 

The net book value of machinery and equipment and buildings and land under finance lease contracts recorded at December 31, 2019 
and  December  31,  2018  were  immaterial.  The  amortization  expense  related  to  finance  leases  is  included  with  depreciation  expenses 
disclosed in the table above. 

11. Goodwill and Intangible Assets 

GOODWILL 
Carrying amount at beginning of year 
Translation differences 
Carrying amount at end of year 

2019 

2018 

   $  1,389.9     $  1,397.0   
(2.0 )     
(7.1 ) 
   $  1,387.9     $  1,389.9   

Approximately  $1.2  billion  of  the  Company’s  goodwill  is  associated  with  the  1997  merger  of  Autoliv  AB  and  the  Automotive  Safety 
Products  Division  of  Morton  International,  Inc.  No  goodwill  impairment  charges  were  recognized  in  continuing  operations  during  2019, 
2018 or 2017. 

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AMORTIZABLE INTANGIBLES 
Gross carrying amount 
Accumulated amortization 
Carrying value 

2019 

2018 

   $  398.9     $  391.6   
(358.9 ) 
32.7   

(376.6 )     
22.3     $ 

   $ 

At  December  31,  2019,  intangible  assets  subject  to  amortization  mainly  relate  to  acquired  technology.  No  significant  impairments  of 
intangible assets were recognized during 2019, 2018 or 2017. 

Amortization expense related to intangible assets was $11.5 million, $11.3 million and $11.2 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 
Estimated future amortization expense is (in millions): 2020: $10.5; 2021: $10.0; 2022: $7.6; 2023: $7.5 and 2024: $7.5. 

12. Restructuring 

Restructuring provisions are made on a case-by-case basis and primarily include severance costs incurred in connection with headcount 
reductions and plant consolidations. The Company expects to finance restructuring programs over the next several years through cash 
generated from its ongoing operations or through cash available under its existing credit facilities. The Company does not expect that the 
execution  of  these  programs  will  have  an  adverse  impact  on  its  liquidity  position.  The  changes  in  the  employee-related  reserves  have 
been charged against Other income (expense), net in the Consolidated Statements of Net Income. 

2019 

The provision recorded in 2019 of $56.9 million mainly relates to the Structural efficiency program initiated in the second quarter of 2019 
and is expected to be concluded in the second quarter of 2020. The total cost of the Structural efficiency program is expected to be $52.0 
million, and as of December 31, 2019, approximately $23 million out of the $56.1 million total reserve balance can be attributed to these 
activities. The remaining balance relates to older restructuring programs, primarily in Western Europe, which is expected to be settled in 
2021.  Cash  payments  in  2019  mainly  relates  to  the  Structural  efficiency  program  initiated  in  2019.  The  table  below  summarizes  the 
change in the balance sheet position of the restructuring reserves from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2019 (dollars in millions). 

Restructuring employee-related 
Other 
Total reserve 

2018 

  December 31       Provision/        Provision/       

Cash 

     Translation      December 31   

2018 

      Charge 

      Reversal 

      payments        difference       

2019 

  $ 

  $ 

33.2     $ 
0.2       
33.4     $ 

56.9     $ 
—       
56.9     $ 

(3.0 )   $ 
—       
(3.0 )   $ 

(30.3 )   $ 
—       
(30.3 )   $ 

(0.9 )   $ 
0.0       
(0.9 )   $ 

55.9   
0.2   
56.1   

In 2018, the employee-related restructuring provisions, made on a case-by-case basis, and cash payments related mainly to headcount 
reductions  in  high-cost  countries  in  Western  Europe.  The  table  below  summarizes  the  change  in  the  balance  sheet  position  of  the 
restructuring reserves from December 31, 2017 to December 31, 2018 (dollars in millions). 

Restructuring employee-related 
Other 
Total reserve 

2017 

  December 31       Provision/        Provision/       

Cash 

     Translation      December 31   

2017 

      Charge 

      Reversal 

      payments        difference       

2018 

  $ 

  $ 

39.4     $ 
0.2       
39.6     $ 

9.0     $ 
0.2       
9.2     $ 

(0.1 )   $ 
—       
(0.1 )   $ 

(13.6 )   $ 
—       
(13.6 )   $ 

(1.5 )   $ 
(0.2 )     
(1.7 )   $ 

33.2   
0.2   
33.4   

In 2017, the employee-related restructuring provisions, made on a case-by-case basis, and cash payments related mainly to headcount 
reductions in high-cost countries in Western Europe and Japan. The table below summarizes the change in the balance sheet position of 
the restructuring reserves from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2017 (dollars in millions). 

Restructuring employee-related 
Other 
Total reserve 

13. Product Related Liabilities 

  December 31       Provision/        Provision/       

Cash 

     Translation      December 31   

2016 

      Charge 

      Reversal 

      payments        difference       

2017 

  $ 

  $ 

35.7     $ 
0.1       
35.8     $ 

29.3     $ 
0.2       
29.5     $ 

(6.9 )   $ 
—       
(6.9 )   $ 

(23.3 )   $ 
—       
(23.3 )   $ 

4.6     $ 
(0.1 )     
4.5     $ 

39.4   
0.2   
39.6   

Autoliv is exposed to product liability and warranty claims in the event that the Company’s products fail to perform as represented and 
such failure results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury, and/or property damage or other loss. The Company has reserves for product 
risks.  Such  reserves  are  related  to  product  performance  issues  including  recall,  product  liability  and  warranty  issues.  For  further 
information, see Note 18. 

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The  Company  records  liabilities  for  product  related  risks  when  probable  claims  are  identified  and  when  it  is  possible  to  reasonably 
estimate costs. Provisions for warranty claims are estimated based on prior experience, likely changes in performance of newer products, 
and the mix and volume of the products sold. The provisions are recorded on an accrual basis. 

Pursuant  to  the  Spin-off  Agreements,  Autoliv  is  also  required  to  indemnify  Veoneer  for  recalls  related  to  certain  qualified  Electronics 
products. At December 31, 2019, the indemnification liabilities are approximately $8 million within accrued expenses on the Consolidated 
Balance Sheet. 

In  2017-2019  provisions  and  cash  payments  primarily  relate  to  recall  and  warranty  related  issues.  A  majority  of  the  Company’s  recall 
related  issues  as  of  December  31,  2019  are  covered  by  insurance.  Insurance  receivables  are  included  within  other  current  and  non-
current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheet.  

The table below summarizes the change in the balance sheet position of the product related liabilities (dollars in millions). 

Reserve at beginning of the year 
Change in reserve 
Cash payments 
Translation difference 
Reserve at end of the year 

14. Debt and Credit Agreements 

SHORT-TERM DEBT 

2019 

2018 

2017 

   $ 

   $ 

62.2      $ 
39.3        
(29.1 )      
(0.3 )      
72.1      $ 

95.6      $ 
20.6        
(54.3 )      
0.3        
62.2      $ 

90.6   
32.2   
(29.4 ) 
2.2   
95.6   

As of December 31, 2019, total short-term debt was $368 million (2018: $621 million). Short-term debt consisted mainly of $231 million 
commercial paper loans with maturities in January 2020 and $112 million bond with maturity in December 2020. 

The Company’s subsidiaries have credit agreements, principally in the form of overdraft facilities with several local banks.  Total available 
short-term  facilities  as  of  December  31,  2019,  excluding  commercial  paper  facilities  as  described  below,  amounted  to  $387  million,  of 
which approximately $25 million was utilized. The weighted average interest rate on total short-term debt outstanding at December 31, 
2019 and 2018, excluding the short-term portion of long-term debt, was 1.0% and 1.4%, respectively. 

LONG-TERM DEBT  

As of December 31, 2019, total long-term debt was $1,726 million.  

In  June  2019,  the  Company  issued  a  €100 million  bond  and  utilized  a  SEK 1,200 million  long  term  loan  facility.  In  June  2018,  the 
Company also issued €500 million of 5-year notes in the Eurobond market. The notes carry a coupon of 0.75%. 

In  2014,  the  Company  issued long-term  debt  securities  in  a  U.S.  Private  Placement.  The  current  long-term  debt  outstanding  from  the 
2014  issuance  consist  of:  $275  million  aggregate  principal  amount  of  7-year  senior  notes  with  an  interest  rate  of  3.51%;  $297  million 
aggregate  principal  amount  of  10-year  senior notes  with  an  interest  rate  of  4.09%;  $285 million aggregate  principal  amount  of 12-year 
senior notes with an interest rate of 4.24%; and $185 million aggregate principal amount of 15-year senior notes with an interest rate of 
4.44%. 

CREDIT FACILITIES 

In July 2016, the Company signed a $1,100 million senior unsecured revolving credit facility with 14 banks. The term of the facility was 5 
years with two one-year extension options. The Company has utilized these extension options and extended the maturity to July 2023. 
The  Company  pays  a  commitment  fee  on  the  undrawn  amount.  The  commitment  fee  is  35%  of  the  applicable  margin.  The  applicable 
margin  is  related  to  the  Company’s  credit  rating.  Given  the  Company’s  current  credit  rating  of  BBB+  from  S&P  Global  Ratings,  the 
applicable margin is 0.275%.  As of December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2018, the facility was not utilized. 

The  Company  has  two  commercial  paper  programs: one  SEK  7  billion (approx.  $751 million)  Swedish program  and  a $1.0 billion  U.S. 
program. At December 31, 2019 a total of $231 million had been issued under these programs.  

The Company is not subject to any financial covenants, i.e. performance related restrictions, in any of its significant long-term borrowings 
or commitments. 

CREDIT RISK 

In  the  Company’s  financial  operations,  credit  risk  arises  in  connection  with  cash  deposits  with  banks  and  when  entering  into  forward 
exchange agreements, swap contracts or other financial instruments. In order to reduce this risk, deposits and financial instruments are 
only entered with a limited number of banks up to a calculated risk amount of $150 million per bank for banks rated A- or above and up to 
$50 million for banks rated BBB+. The policy of the Company is to work with banks that have a strong credit rating and that participate in 
the  Company’s  financing.  In  addition  to  this,  deposits  of  up  to  an  aggregate  amount  of  $2  billion  can  be  placed  in  U.S.  and  Swedish 
government  paper  and  in  certain  AAA  rated  money  market  funds.  As  of  December  31,  2019,  the  Company  had  placed  $24  million  in 
money market funds. 

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The table below shows debt maturity as cash flow. For a description of hedging instruments used as part of debt management, see the 
Financial Instruments section of Note 2 and Note 5. 

DEBT PROFILE 

PRINCIPAL AMOUNT BY EXPECTED MATURITY 
(dollars in millions) 
Bonds 
Loans 
Commercial papers 
Other short-term debt 
Total principal amount 

   2020        2021        2022        2023       2024       Thereafter      
  $  112     $  275     $  —     $  560     $  297     $ 
     —        —        129        —        —       
     231        —        —        —        —       
25        —        —        —        —       
  $  368     $  275     $  129     $  560     $  297     $ 

      Total         
long- 
term        Total       
470     $ 1,602     $ 1,714     
—        129        129     
—        —        231     
25     
—        —       
470     $ 1,731     $ 2,099   1) 

1) 

The difference between reported total debt and total principal amount is mainly related to capitalized debt issuance costs. 

15. Shareholders’ Equity 

The number of shares outstanding as of December 31, 2019 was 87,245,675. 

DIVIDENDS 
Cash dividend paid per share 
Cash dividend declared per share 

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS / ENDING BALANCE1) 
Cumulative translation adjustments 
Net loss of cash flow hedge derivatives 
Net pension liability 
Distribution to Veoneer 
Total (ending balance) 
Deferred taxes on the pension liability 

2019 

2018 

2017 

   $ 
   $ 

2.48      $ 
2.48      $ 

2.46      $ 
2.48      $ 

2.38   
2.40   

2019 
(364.9 )    $ 
—        
(84.0 )      
—        
(448.9 )    $ 
24.6      $ 

2018 
(381.2 )    $ 
—        
(55.0 )      
13.0        
(423.2 )    $ 
15.4      $ 

2017 
(230.5 ) 
(0.8 ) 
(56.2 ) 
—   
(287.5 ) 
16.5   

   $ 

   $ 
   $ 

1) 

The components of Other Comprehensive Loss are net of any related income tax effects. 

SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM 

The Company’s Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program in 2000 authorizing the repurchase of 10 million shares  and 
subsequently expanded the authorization four times between 2000 and 2014 to 47.5 million shares.  There were no share repurchases 
made during  2019  and  2018. The  Company  made  repurchases during  the second  quarter  of  2017.  There  is  no  expiration  date  for  the 
share repurchase program. The Company is authorized to repurchase an additional  2,986,288 shares under the program at December 
31, 2019. 

SHARES 
Shares repurchased (shares in millions) 
Cash paid for shares 

2019 

2018 

2017 

   $ 

—        
—      $ 

—        
1.4   
—      $  157.0   

16. Supplemental Cash Flow Information 

Payments for interest and income taxes were as follows: 

Interest 
Income taxes 

17. Stock Incentive Plan 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

72     $ 
192       

66     $ 
214       

64   
204   

Eligible  employees  and  non-employee  directors  of  Autoliv  participate  in  the  Autoliv,  Inc.  1997  Stock  Incentive  Plan,  as  amended  and 
received Autoliv stock-based awards which include stock options (SOs), restricted stock units (RSUs) and performance shares (PSs). In 
connection  with  the  Veoneer  spin-off,  each  outstanding  Autoliv  stock-based  award  as  of  June  29,  2018  (the  Distribution  Date)  was 
converted to a stock award that has underlying shares of both Autoliv and Veoneer common shares.  

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The conversion that occurred on the Distribution Date was based on the following: 

• 

• 

• 

SOs  -  A  number  of  SOs  comprising  50%  of  the  value  of  the  outstanding  SOs  calculated  immediately  prior  to  the  spin-off 
continued to be applicable to Autoliv common stock. A number of SOs comprising the remaining 50% percent of the pre-spin-
off value were replaced with options to acquire shares of Veoneer common stock.  

RSUs - A number of RSUs comprising 50% of the value of the outstanding RSUs calculated immediately prior to the spin-off 
continued  to  be  applicable  to  Autoliv  common  stock.  A  number  of  RSUs  comprising  the  remaining  50%  of  the  pre-spin-off 
value were replaced with RSUs with underlying Veoneer common stock.  

PSs  -  Outstanding  PSs  pre-spin-off  were  converted  to  time-based  RSUs  and  were  divided  between  Autoliv  and  Veoneer 
common stock in the same manner as other outstanding RSUs (as described above) on the Distribution Date. The number of 
outstanding PSs pre-spin-off to be converted was determined based on pro-ration of the performance period such as: 

1) 

2) 

The level of actual achievement of performance goals for each outstanding PS for the period between the first day of 
the  performance  period  and  December  31,  2017  (the  “Performance  Measurement  Date”),  referred  to  as  “Level  of 
Performance-to-Date”; and 

The  greater  of  the  Level  of  Performance-to-Date  and  the  target  performance  level  for  the  period  between  the 
Performance Measurement Date and the last day of the performance period. 

In  each  case  above,  the  conversion  was  intended  to  generally  preserve  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  original  award  determined  as  of  the 
Distribution Date. The number of converted RSUs and SOs for Autoliv and Veoneer was based on the average of Autoliv closing stock 
prices for the last 5 trading days prior to the spin-off and the average of closing stock prices of Autoliv and Veoneer, respectively, for the 
first  5 trading  days  after  the  spin-off.  Accordingly,  50%  of  the  outstanding  awards  as  of  the  Distribution  Date,  and  the related  exercise 
price, were converted to Adjusted Autoliv Awards using a conversion factor of 1.41.  

As a result of the spin-off and the related conversion, it was determined that the stock based awards were modified in accordance with 
ASC 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation. The fair value of the RSUs and SOs immediately before and after the modification was 
assessed  in  order  to  determine  if  the  modification  resulted  in  any  incremental  compensation  cost  related  to  the  awards,  including 
consideration of the impact of conversion using the 5 trading day average. Based on the valuation performed, it was determined that the 
conversion  did  not  result  in  any  incremental  compensation  cost  for  any  of  the  outstanding  awards.  The  post  spin-off  stock-based 
compensation expense will be based on the original grant date fair value related to only Autoliv employees. 

With certain limited exceptions, including the freezing of the Performance Measurement Date to December 31, 2017 as noted above, the 
adjusted SOs and RSUs outstanding after the spin-off are subject to the same terms and conditions (including with respect to vesting and 
expiration) that were applicable to such Autoliv stock-based awards immediately prior to the conversion and as described below. 

The fair value of the RSUs and PSs is calculated as the grant date fair value of the shares expected to be issued.  The RSUs granted in 
2019,  2018  and  2017  entitle  the  grantee  to  receive  dividend  equivalents  in  the  form  of  additional  RSUs  subject  to  the  same  vesting 
conditions as the underlying RSUs. The RSUs granted prior to 2017 do not have dividend equivalent rights. For the grants made during 
2019, 2018 and 2017, the fair value of a PS and a RSU was calculated by using the closing stock price on the grant date. For the grants 
made during 2016 and earlier, the fair value of a RSU and a PS was estimated using the Black Scholes valuation model to account for the 
difference in the value  of the awards resulting from such awards not having dividend equivalent rights. The grant date fair value during 
2019 was $6.6 million for the RSUs and $5.0 million for the PSs. 

Pursuant to the Company’s director compensation policy, the Company’s non-employee directors receive RSUs as payment of 50% of 
their annual base retainer, which RSUs vest in one installment on the earlier of the date of the next AGM or the first anniversary of the 
grant  date,  in  each  case  subject  to  the  grantee’s  continued  service  as  a  non-employee  director  on  the  vesting  date  with  certain 
exceptions. The RSUs granted to the Company’s non-employee directors entitle the grantee to receive dividend equivalents in the form of 
additional RSUs subject to the same vesting conditions as the underlying RSUs. The grant date fair value for the RSUs granted in 2019 to 
the Company’s non-employee directors was $1.2 million. 

The  source  of  the  shares  issued  upon  vesting  of  awards  is  generally  from  treasury  shares.  The  Stock  Incentive  Plan  provides  for  the 
issuance of up to 9,585,055 common shares for awards. At December 31, 2019, 6,532,856 of these shares have been issued for awards 
which includes  52,629 shares of common stock issued to non-employee directors in satisfaction of all or a portion of his or her annual 
base retainer for service on the Board. Included within the RSUs granted in 2019 are 15,785 RSUs issued to non-employee directors in 
satisfaction of all or a portion of his or her annual base retainer for service on the Board. 

In 2015 and earlier, stock awards were granted in the form of SOs and RSUs. All SOs were granted for 10-year terms, had an exercise 
price equal to the fair value of the share at the date of grant, and became exercisable after one year of continued employment following 
the grant date. The average grant date fair values of SOs were calculated using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The Company used 
historical exercise data for determining the expected life assumption. Expected volatility was based on historical and implied volatility.  

The Company recorded $8.4 million, $9.1 million and $6.1 million stock-based compensation expense in continuing operations related to 
RSUs and PSs for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The total compensation cost related to non-vested awards not yet recognized is 
$12.0 million for RSUs  and the weighted average period over which this cost is expected to be recognized is approximately  1.5 years. 
There are no remaining unrecognized compensation costs associated with SOs. 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Information on the number of RSUs, PSs and SOs related to the Stock Incentive Plan during the period of 2017 to 2019 is as follows. 

RSUs 
Weighted average fair value at grant date 1) 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

76.85     $ 

131.51     $ 

105.64   

Outstanding at beginning of year 
Granted 
Shares issued 
Cancelled/Forfeited/Expired 
Spin conversion 2) 
Outstanding at end of year3) 

262,074       
109,653       
(86,086 )     
(30,446 )     
—       
255,195       

188,410       
131,246       
(84,425 )     
(6,485 )     
33,328       
262,074       

188,494   
84,771   
(70,795 ) 
(14,060 ) 
—   
188,410   

1) 

2) 

3) 

Weighted average fair value at grant date pre spin-off in 2018 and 2017. 
Reflects the  impact of the cancellation of PS awards outstanding as of the Distribution Date, and the conversion to RSUs in accordance with the 
conversion factor described above. 
Outstanding at the end of 2018 reflects the RSUs held by employees of Autoliv and Veoneer, in accordance with the conversion  factor described 
above. Outstanding at the end of 2017 reflects RSUs held by employees of Autoliv. The corresponding weighted average grant date fair value after 
applying the conversion factor is $100.74 as of December 31, 2018. 

The aggregate intrinsic value for RSUs outstanding at December 31, 2019 was $21.5 million. 

PSs 
Weighted average fair value at grant date 1) 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

77.00     $ 

105.87     $ 

105.87   

Outstanding at beginning of year 
Change in performance conditions 
Granted 2) 
Cancelled/Forfeited/Expired 
Spin conversion 3) 
Outstanding at end of year 4) 

—       
12,530       
66,542       
(2,751 )     
—       
76,321       

139,891       
—       
588       
(3,076 )     
(137,403 )     
—       

138,548   
(69,274 ) 
75,379   
(4,762 ) 
—   
139,891   

1) 

2) 

3) 

4) 

Weighted average fair value at grant date pre spin-off in 2018 and 2017. 
2018 grants reflect awards issued pre-spin-off as a result of dividend equivalent rights. 
Reflects the replacement of awards due to the spin-off. Outstanding PS awards were converted to RSU awards in accordance with the conversion 
factor described above. 
Outstanding at the end of 2017 reflects PSs held by employees of Autoliv. 

The PSs granted include assumptions regarding the ultimate number of shares that will be issued based on the probability of achievement 
of the performance conditions. Changes in those assumptions result in changes in the estimated shares to be issued which is reflected in 
the “Change in performance conditions” line above.  

SOs 
Outstanding at Dec 31, 2016 
Exercised 
Cancelled/Forfeited/Expired 
Outstanding at Dec 31, 2017 
Exercised 
Spin conversion 1) 
Outstanding at Dec 31, 2018 2) 
Exercised 
Cancelled/Forfeited/Expired 
Outstanding at Dec 31, 2019 2) 

OPTIONS EXERCISABLE 
At December 31, 2017 
At December 31, 2018 
At December 31, 2019 

Number 
of options      

411,109     $ 
(100,184 )     
(10,976 )     
299,949       
(92,485 )     
(65,390 )     
142,074       
(20,928 )     
(5,271 )     
115,875     $ 

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price 

87.47   
79.58   
112.20   
89.20   
86.59   
88.75   
63.43   
42.11   
80.40   
66.70   

299,949     $ 
142,074       
115,875       

89.20   
63.43   
66.70   

1) 

2) 

Reflects the cancellation of SOs outstanding as of the Distribution Date, and the conversion to new awards in accordance with the conversion factor 
described above. The weighted average exercise price reflects the exercise price of the shares cancelled due to the spin-off. 
Reflects outstanding SOs held by employees of Autoliv and Veoneer at the end of the year and the weighted average exercise price after applying 
the conversion factor described above. 

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The following summarizes information about SOs outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2019: 

RANGE OF EXERCISE PRICES 
$31.71 
$47.52 
$49.07 
$51.74 
$67.29 
$80.40 

Number 
outstanding & 

exercisable      

Remaining 
contract life 
(in years)      

Weighted 
average 
exercise 
price 

3,805       
7,521       
15,306       
7,759       
34,567       
46,917       
115,875       

0.13     $ 
2.15       
3.14       
1.15       
4.14       
5.13       
7.90       

31.71   
47.52   
49.07   
51.74   
67.29   
80.40   
66.70   

The total aggregate intrinsic value, which is the difference between the exercise price and $84.41 (closing price per share at December 
31, 2019), for all “in the money” SOs, both outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2019, was $2.1 million.  

18. Contingent Liabilities 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 

Various claims, lawsuits and proceedings are pending or threatened against the Company or its subsidiaries, covering a range of matters 
that  arise  in  the  ordinary  course  of  its  business  activities  with  respect  to  commercial,  product  liability  and  other  matters.  Litigation  is 
subject to many uncertainties, and the outcome of any litigation cannot be assured. After discussions with counsel, and with the exception 
of losses resulting from the antitrust proceedings described below, it is the opinion of management that the various legal proceedings and 
investigations to which the Company currently is a party will not have a material adverse impact on the consolidated financial position of 
Autoliv, but the Company cannot provide assurance that Autoliv will not experience material litigation, product liability or  other losses in 
the future. 

ANTITRUST MATTERS 

Authorities  in  several  jurisdictions  are  currently  or  have  been  conducting  broad,  and  in  some  cases,  long-running  investigations  of 
suspected anti-competitive behavior among parts suppliers in the global automotive vehicle industry. These investigations include, but are 
not  limited  to,  the  products  that  the  Company  sells.  In  addition  to  concluded  and  pending  matters,  authorities  of  other  countries  with 
significant  light  vehicle  manufacturing  or  sales  may  initiate  similar  investigations.  It  is  the  Company’s  policy  to  cooperate  with 
governmental investigations. 

European Commission (“EC”) Investigations: 

On  June  7-9,  2011,  representatives  of  the  European  Commission  (“EC”),  the  European  antitrust  authority,  visited  two  facilities  of  a 
Company  subsidiary  in  Germany  to  gather  information  for  an  investigation  of  anti-competitive  behavior  among  suppliers  of  occupant 
safety systems.  

On  November  22,  2017,  the  EC  concluded  a  discrete  portion  of  its  investigation  and  imposed  a  fine  on  the  Company  of  €8.1  million 
(approximately $9.7 million) with respect to this portion of the EC’s overall investigation while it continued the more significant portion of its 
investigation. The Company paid this amount during the first quarter of 2018, and had previously accrued €8.3 million (approximately $9.9 
million) in 2017 with respect to this discrete portion of the investigation. 

On  March  5,  2019,  the  EC  completed  the  remaining  portion  of  the  investigation  and  imposed  a  fine  on  the  Company  of  €179 million 
(approximately $203 million). In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company had previously accrued €184 million (approximately $210 million) 
with  respect  to  the  remaining  portion  of  the  investigation.  The  difference  between  the  actual  fine  and  the  accrual  is  reported  in  Other 
income (expense), net in the Consolidated Statements of Net Income. The final payment of the actual fine was made in June 2019. 

Civil Litigation:  

The Company is subject to civil litigation alleging anti-competitive conduct in the U.S. and Canada. Specifically, the Company, several of 
its subsidiaries and its competitors were named as defendants in a total of nineteen purported antitrust class action lawsuits filed between 
June 2012 and June 2015. Fifteen of these lawsuits were filed in the U.S. and were consolidated in the Occupant Safety Systems (OSS) 
segment of the Automobile Parts Antitrust Litigation, a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) proceeding in the United States District Court for the 
Eastern District of Michigan. Plaintiffs in the U.S. cases sought to represent four purported classes - direct purchasers, auto dealers, end-
payors, and, as of the filing of the last class action in June 2015, truck and equipment dealers - who purchased occupant safety systems 
or  components  directly  from  a  defendant,  indirectly  through  purchases  or  leases  of  new  vehicles  containing  such  systems,  or  through 
purchases of replacement parts. 

In May 2014, the Company, without admitting any liability, entered into separate settlement agreements with the direct purchasers, auto 
dealers  and  end-payors  plaintiff  classes,  which  were  granted  final  approval  by  the  MDL  court  in  2015  and  2016.  In  April  2016,  the 
Company entered into a settlement agreement with the truck and equipment dealers’ class, which was granted final approval by the MDL 
court  in  2016.  The  class  settlements  do  not  resolve  any  claims  of  settlement  class  members  who  opt-out  of  the  settlements  or  the 
unasserted claims of any purchasers of occupant safety systems who are not otherwise included in a settlement class, such as states and 
municipalities.  

78 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
  
    
 
 
 
PRODUCT WARRANTY, RECALLS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 

Autoliv is exposed to various claims for damages and compensation if its products fail to perform as expected. Such claims can be made, 
and result in costs and other losses to the Company, even where the product is eventually found to have functioned properly.  Where a 
product (actually or allegedly) fails to perform as expected or is defective, the Company may face warranty and recall claims. Where such 
(actual or alleged) failure or defect results, or is alleged to result, in bodily injury and/or property damage, the Company  may also face 
product liability and other claims. There can be no assurance that the Company will not experience material warranty, recall or product (or 
other)  liability  claims  or  losses  in  the  future,  or  that  the  Company  will  not  incur  significant  costs  to  defend  against  such  claims.  The 
Company  may  be  required  to  participate  in  a  recall  involving  its  products.  Each  vehicle  manufacturer  has  its  own  practices  regarding 
product  recalls  and  other  product  liability  actions  relating  to  its  suppliers.  As  suppliers  become  more  integrally  involved  in  the  vehicle 
design process and assume more of the vehicle assembly functions, vehicle manufacturers are increasingly looking to their suppliers for 
contribution when faced with recalls and product liability claims. Government safety regulators may also play a role in warranty and recall 
practices.  Recall  decisions  regarding  the  Company’s  products may  require  a  significant amount  of  judgment by  us, our  customers  and 
safety  regulators  and  are  influenced  by  a  variety  of  factors.  Once  a  recall  has  been  made,  the  cost  of  a  recall  is  also  subject  to  a 
significant  amount  of  judgment  and  discussions  between  the  Company  and  its  customers.  A  warranty,  recall  or  product-liability  claim 
brought  against  the  Company  in  excess  of  its  insurance  may  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  the  Company’s  business.  Vehicle 
manufacturers are also increasingly requiring their outside suppliers to guarantee or warrant their products and bear the costs of repair 
and replacement of such products under new vehicle warranties. A vehicle manufacturer may attempt to hold the Company responsible 
for  some,  or  all,  of  the  repair  or  replacement  costs  of  products  when  the  product  supplied  did  not  perform  as  represented  by  us  or 
expected  by  the  customer  in  either  a  warranty  or  a  recall  situation.  Accordingly,  the  future  costs  of  warranty  or  recall  claims  by  the 
customers  may  be  material.  However,  the  Company  believes  its  established  reserves  are  adequate.  Autoliv’s  warranty  reserves  are 
based upon the Company’s best estimates of amounts necessary to settle future and existing claims. The Company regularly evaluates 
the adequacy of these reserves, and adjusts them when appropriate. However, the final amounts actually due related to these matters 
could differ materially from the Company’s recorded estimates. 

In  addition,  as  vehicle  manufacturers  increasingly  use  global  platforms  and  procedures,  quality  performance  evaluations  are  also 
conducted on a global basis. Any one or more quality, warranty or other recall issue(s) (including those affecting few units and/or having a 
small financial impact) may cause a vehicle manufacturer to implement measures such as a temporary or prolonged suspension of new 
orders, which may have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations. 

The Company carries insurance for potential recall and product liability claims at coverage levels based on our prior claims experience. In 
addition, a number of the agreements entered into by the Company, including the Spin-off Agreements, require Autoliv to indemnify the 
other parties for certain claims. Autoliv cannot assure that the level of coverage will be sufficient to cover every possible claim that can 
arise in our businesses or with respect to other obligations, now or in the future, or that such coverage always will be available should we, 
now or in the future, wish to extend, increase or otherwise adjust our insurance.  

Toyota Recall: 

On  June  29,  2016,  the  Company  announced  that  it  is  cooperating  with  Toyota  Motor  Corp.  in  its  recall  of  approximately  1.4  million 
vehicles equipped with a certain model of the Company’s side curtain airbag (the “Toyota Recall”). The Company continues to cooperate 
with Toyota regarding the analysis of the root cause of the issue and potential liability and indemnification obligations of the parties. If the 
Company is obligated to indemnify Toyota for any of the costs associated with the Toyota Recall, the Company expects that its insurance 
will  generally  cover  such  costs  and  liabilities.  The  Company’s  insurance  policies  generally  include  coverage  of  the  costs  of  a  recall, 
although costs related to replacement parts are generally not covered. 

The  Company  has  determined  pursuant  to  ASC  450  that  a  loss  with  respect  to  this  issue  is  probable  and  therefore  has  accrued  an 
immaterial  amount  related  to  potential  costs  for  replacement  parts.  The  ultimate  costs  to  the  Company  of  the  Toyota  Recall  could  be 
materially different from the amount the Company has accrued. However, the Company continues to believe that the Company’s loss, net 
of expected insurance recoveries, will be less than  $20 million. The main variables affecting the ultimate cost for the Company include: 
the  determination  of  proportionate  responsibility  (if  any)  among  Toyota,  the  Company,  and  any  relevant  sub-suppliers;  the  ultimate 
number of vehicles repaired; the cost of repair per vehicle; and the actual recoveries from sub-suppliers and insurers. 

Intellectual property 

In its products, the Company utilizes technologies which may be subject to intellectual property rights of third parties. While the Company 
does seek to procure the necessary rights to utilize intellectual property rights associated with its products, it may fail to do so. Where the 
Company  so  fails,  the  Company  may  be  exposed  to  material  claims  from  the  owners  of  such  rights.  Where  the  Company  has  sold 
products which infringe upon such rights, its customers may be entitled to be indemnified by the Company for the claims they  suffer as a 
result thereof. Such claims could be material. 

The  table  in  Note  13  Product  Related  Liabilities  above  summarizes  the  change  in  the  balance  sheet  position  of  the  product  related 
liabilities for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019. 

79 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
19. Retirement Plans 

DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS 

Many  of  the  Company’s  employees  are  covered  by  government  sponsored  pension  and  welfare  programs.  Under  the  terms  of  these 
programs, the Company makes periodic payments to various government agencies. In addition, in some countries the Company sponsors 
or  participates  in  certain  non-governmental  defined  contribution  plans.  Contributions  to  defined  contribution  plans  for  the  years  ended 
December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were $15.7 million, $19.2 million and $21.7 million, respectively. 

MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS 

The  Company  participates  in  a  multiemployer  plan  in  Sweden.  This  ITP-2  plan  is  funded  through  Alecta  and  covers  employees  born 
before 1979, for whom it provides a final pay pension benefit based on all service with participating employers. The Company must pay 
for wage increases in excess of inflation on service earned with previous employers. The plan also provides disability and family benefits 
and is more than 100% funded. The Company´s contributions to this multiemployer plan for the years ended December 31,  2019, 2018 
and 2017 were $3.9 million, $6.1 million and $9.7 million, respectively. 

DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS 

The  Company  has  a  number  of  defined  benefit  pension  plans,  both  contributory  and  non-contributory,  in  the  U.S.,  France,  Germany, 
India,  Japan,  Mexico,  Philippines,  Sweden,  South  Korea,  Thailand,  Turkey  and  the  United  Kingdom.  There  are  funded  as  well  as 
unfunded plan arrangements which provide retirement benefits to both U.S. and non-U.S. participants. 

The  main  plan  is  the  U.S.  plan  for  which  the  benefits  are  based  on  an  average  of  the  employee’s  earnings  in  the  years  preceding 
retirement  and  on credited  service.  In  a  prior  year,  the  Company  closed  participation  in the  Autoliv  ASP,  Inc.  Pension  Plan  to  exclude 
those employees hired after December 31, 2003. Within the U.S. there is also a non-qualified restoration plan that provides benefits to 
employees whose benefits in the primary U.S. plan are restricted by limitations on the compensation that can be considered in calculating 
their benefits. During December 2017 the Company amended the U.S. defined benefit pension plan, communicating a benefits freeze that 
will begin on December 31, 2021.   

For the Company’s non-U.S. defined benefit plans the most significant individual plan is in the U.K. The Company has closed participation 
in the U.K. defined benefit plan to exclude all employees hired after April 30, 2003 with few members currently accruing benefits. 

CHANGES IN BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS AND PLAN ASSETS FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31 

(Dollars in millions) 
Benefit obligation at beginning of year 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Actuarial (gain) loss due to: 
Change in discount rate 
Experience 
Other assumption changes 

Plan amendments 
Benefits paid 
Plan settlements 
Curtailments 
Special termination benefits 
Translation difference 
Benefit obligation at end of year 

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year 
Actual return on plan assets 
Company contributions 
Benefits paid 
Plan settlements 
Translation difference 
Fair value of plan assets at end of year 
Funded status recognized in the balance sheet 

U.S. 

Non-U.S. 

2019 

2018 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 
  $ 

332.1     $ 
6.9       
14.2       

67.8       
(0.4 )     
3.0       
—       
(23.5 )     
—       
—       
—       
—       
400.1     $ 

273.0     $ 
67.0       
7.3       
(23.5 )     
—       
—       
323.8     $ 
(76.3 )   $ 

368.6      $ 
8.7        
12.8        

(44.6 )      
0.8        
3.5        
—        
(17.7 )      
—        
—        
—        
—        
332.1      $ 

297.9      $ 
(13.9 )      
6.7        
(17.7 )      
—        
—        
273.0      $ 
(59.1 )    $ 

216.9     $ 
10.7       
6.4       

27.7       
(1.0 )     
(1.2 )     
1.6       
(8.4 )     
(1.2 )     
—       
0.5       
0.6       
252.6     $ 

77.8     $ 
8.9       
9.5       
(8.4 )     
(1.2 )     
2.1       
88.7     $ 
(163.9 )   $ 

220.9   
10.8   
5.7   

(12.1 ) 
4.7   
4.8   
(0.1 ) 
(7.9 ) 
(0.8 ) 
—   
0.5   
(9.6 ) 
216.9   

84.8   
(1.9 ) 
9.0   
(7.9 ) 
(0.8 ) 
(5.4 ) 
77.8   
(139.1 ) 

The U.S. plan provides that benefits may be paid in the form of a lump sum if so elected by the participant. In order to more accurately 
reflect a market-derived pension obligation, Autoliv adjusts the assumed lump sum interest rate to reflect market conditions as of each 
December 31. This methodology is consistent with the approach required under the Pension Protection Act of 2006, which provides the 
rules for determining minimum funding requirements in the U.S. 

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COMPONENTS OF NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFINED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PLANS 

(Dollars in millions) 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Expected return on plan assets 
Amortization of prior service credit 
Amortization of actuarial loss 
Curtailment loss 
Net periodic benefit cost 

(Dollars in millions) 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Expected return on plan assets 
Amortization of prior service costs 
Amortization of actuarial loss 
Settlement loss 
Special termination benefits 
Net periodic benefit cost 

2019 

U.S. 
2018 

2017 

6.9     $ 
14.2       
(13.5 )     
0.0       
1.9       
—       
9.5     $ 

8.7     $ 
12.8       
(20.4 )     
0.1       
2.2       
—       
3.4     $ 

9.0   
14.8   
(17.6 ) 
0.0   
6.0   
0.2   
12.4   

2019 

Non-U.S. 
2018 

2017 

10.7     $ 
6.4       
(1.9 )     
0.3       
0.9       
0.6       
0.5       
17.5     $ 

10.8     $ 
5.7       
(2.0 )     
0.3       
1.4       
0.2       
0.5       
16.9     $ 

10.4   
5.5   
(1.9 ) 
0.2   
1.9   
0.1   
0.3   
16.5   

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

The  service  cost  and  amortization  of  prior  service  cost  components  are  reported  among  other  employee  compensation  costs  in  the 
Consolidated  Statements  of  Income.  The  remaining  components,  interest  cost,  expected  returns  on  plan  assets  and  amortization  of 
actuarial loss, are reported as Other non-operating items, net in the Consolidated Statements of Income. 

Amortization of the net actuarial loss from accumulated other comprehensive income is made over the estimated remaining service lives 
of  the  plan  participants,  9  years  for  U.S.  and  from  7  to  32  years  for  non-U.S.  participants,  varying  between  the  different  countries 
depending on the age of the work force. 

COMPONENTS OF ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME BEFORE TAX AS OF DECEMBER 31 

(Dollars in millions) 
Net actuarial loss 
Prior service cost 
Total accumulated other comprehensive income 
   recognized in the balance sheet 

U.S. 

Non-U.S. 

2019 

2018 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

63.1     $ 
0.1       

48.0     $ 
0.1       

47.6     $ 
3.7       

30.8   
3.1   

  $ 

63.2     $ 

48.1     $ 

51.3     $ 

33.9   

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME BEFORE TAX FOR THE PERIODS ENDED DECEMBER 31 

(Dollars in millions) 
Total retirement benefit recognized in accumulated 
   other comprehensive income at beginning of year 
Net actuarial (gain) loss 
Amortization of prior service credit (cost) 
Amortization of actuarial loss 
Translation difference 
Total retirement benefit recognized in accumulated 
   other comprehensive income at end of year 

U.S. 

Non-U.S. 

2019 

2018 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

48.1     $ 
16.9       
0.0       
(1.8 )     
—       

56.3     $ 
(6.0 )     
0.0       
(2.2 )     
—       

33.9     $ 
19.1       
(0.3 )     
(1.5 )     
0.1       

35.5   
1.6   
(0.3 ) 
(1.5 ) 
(1.4 ) 

  $ 

63.2     $ 

48.1     $ 

51.3     $ 

33.9   

The accumulated benefit obligation for the U.S. non-contributory defined benefit pension plans was  $384.4 million and $314.8 million at 
December  31,  2019  and  2018,  respectively.  The  accumulated  benefit  obligation  for  the  non-U.S.  defined  benefit  pension  plans  was 
$194.5 million and $167.8 million at December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. 

Pension plans for which the accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) is notably in excess of the plan assets reside in the following countries: 
U.S., Mexico, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Sweden. 

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PENSION PLANS FOR WHICH ABO EXCEEDS THE FAIR VALUE OF PLAN ASSETS AS OF DECEMBER 31 

(Dollars in millions) 
Projected Benefit Obligation (PBO) 
Accumulated Benefit Obligation (ABO) 
Fair value of plan assets 

U.S. 

Non-U.S. 

2019 

2018 

2019 

2018 

  $ 

400.1     $ 
384.3       
323.8       

332.1     $ 
314.8       
272.9       

169.3     $ 
127.2       
3.8       

143.3   
110.8   
3.9   

The  Company,  in  consultation  with  its  actuarial  advisors,  determines  certain  key  assumptions  to  be  used  in  calculating  the  projected 
benefit obligation and annual net periodic benefit cost. 

ASSUMPTIONS USED TO DETERMINE THE BENEFIT OBLIGATIONS AS OF DECEMBER 31 

% WEIGHTED AVERAGE 
Discount rate 
Rate of increases in compensation level 

U.S. 

2019 

2018 

3.25        
2.65        

4.35     
2.65     

Non-U.S.1) 

2019 
0.25-2.70   
2.00-5.00   

2018 
0.50-3.25 
2.00-5.00 

ASSUMPTIONS USED TO DETERMINE THE NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COST FOR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31 

% WEIGHTED AVERAGE 
Discount rate 
Rate of increases in compensation level 
Expected long-term rate of return on assets 

% WEIGHTED AVERAGE 
Discount rate 
Rate of increases in compensation level 
Expected long-term rate of return on assets 

2019 

4.35        
2.65        
5.05        

U.S. 
2018 

3.55        
2.65        
7.08        

2019 
0.50-3.25   
2.00-5.00   
2.25-2.50   

Non-U.S.1) 
2018 
0.25-3.25   
2.00-5.00   
2.25-2.50   

2017 

4.15   
2.65   
7.08   

2017 
0.50-3.25 
2.00-5.00 
1.50-2.50 

1) 

The Non-U.S. weighted average plan ranges in the tables above have been prepared using significant plans only, which in total represent around 
81% of the total Non-U.S. projected benefit obligation. 

The discount rate for the U.S. plans has been set based on the rates of return on high-quality fixed-income investments currently available 
at the measurement date and expected to be available during the period the benefits will be paid. The expected timing of cash flows from 
the plan has also been considered in selecting the discount rate. In particular, the yields on bonds rated AA or better on the measurement 
date have been used to set the discount rate. The discount rate for the U.K. plan has been set based on the weighted average  yields on 
long-term high-grade corporate bonds and is determined by reference to financial markets on the measurement date. 

The expected rate of increase in compensation levels and long-term rate of return on plan assets are determined based on a number of 
factors  and  must  take  into  account  long-term  expectations  and  reflect  the  financial  environment  in  the  respective  local  market.  The 
expected return on assets for the U.S. and U.K. plans are based on the fair value of the assets as of December 31. 

The level of equity exposure is currently targeted at approximately  40% for the primary U.S. plan. The investment objective is to provide 
an attractive risk-adjusted return that will ensure the payment of benefits while protecting against the risk of substantial investment losses. 
Correlations among the asset classes are used to identify an asset mix that Autoliv believes will provide the most attractive returns. Long-
term  return  forecasts  for  each  asset  class  using  historical  data  and  other  qualitative  considerations  to  adjust  for  projected  economic 
forecasts are used to set the expected rate of return for the entire portfolio. The Company has assumed a long-term rate of return on the 
U.S. plan assets of 5.05% for calculating the 2019 expense and 5.05% for calculating the 2020 expense. 

The Company has assumed a long-term rate of return on the non-U.S. plan assets in a range of 2.25-2.50% for 2019. The closed U.K. 
plan which has a targeted and actual allocation of almost 100% debt instruments accounts for approximately  80% of the total non-U.S. 
plan assets. 

Autoliv made contributions to the U.S. plan during 2019 and 2018 amounting to $7.3 million and $6.7 million, respectively. Contributions to 
the U.K. plan during 2019 and 2018 amounted to $1.2 million and $1.3 million, respectively. The Company expects to contribute $12.5 
million to its U.S. pension plan in 2020 and is currently projecting a yearly funding at approximately the same level in the years thereafter. 
For the UK pension plan, which is the most significant non-U.S. pension plan, the Company expects to contribute $1.2 million in 2020 and 
in the years thereafter. 

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FAIR VALUE OF TOTAL PLAN ASSETS FOR YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31 

ASSETS CATEGORY IN % WEIGHTED AVERAGE 
Equity securities 
Debt instruments 
Other assets 
Total 

U.S. 
Target 

allocation       

U.S. 

Non-U.S. 

2019 

2018 

2019 

2018 

40       
60       
—       
100       

40       
60       
0       
100       

38        
62        
0        
100        

0        
79        
21        
100        

0   
79   
21   
100   

The  following  table  summarizes  the  fair  value  of  the  Company’s  U.S.  and  non-U.S.  defined  benefit  pension  plan  assets  (dollars  in 
millions): 

 (Dollars in millions) 
Assets 
Non-U.S. Bonds 
Corporate 
Insurance Contracts 

Other Investments 
Assets at fair value Level 2 
Investments measured at net asset value (NAV): 

Common collective trusts 

Total 

Fair value 
measurement at 
December 31, 
2019 

Fair value 
measurement at 
December 31, 
2018 

  $ 

  $ 

70.4     $ 
14.7       
6.2       
91.3       

321.2       
412.5     $ 

61.4   
12.6   
4.5   
78.5   

272.3   
350.8   

The fair value measurement level within the fair value hierarchy is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value 
measurement.  Certain  assets  that  are  measured  at  fair  value  using  the  NAV  per share  (or  its  equivalent)  practical  expedient  have  not 
been classified  in  the fair  value  hierarchy.  Plan assets  not  measured  using  the  NAV are  classified  as  Level  2  in  the table above.  Plan 
assets  measured  using  the  NAV  mainly  relate  to  the  U.S.  defined  benefit  pension  plans  and  are  separately  disclosed  as  Common 
collective trusts below the Level 2 assets in the table above.  

The  estimated  future  benefit  payments  for  the  pension  benefits  reflect  expected  future  service,  as  appropriate.  The  amount  of  benefit 
payments in a given year may vary from the projected amount, especially for the U.S. plan since historically this plan pays the majority of 
benefits as a lump sum, where the lump sum amounts vary with market interest rates. 

PENSION BENEFITS EXPECTED PAYMENTS (dollars in millions) 
2020 
2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 
Years 2025-2029 

  $ 

U.S. 

      Non-U.S. 

17      $ 
20        
22        
23        
26        
146        

8   
9   
9   
11   
12   
74   

POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS OTHER THAN PENSIONS 

The Company currently provides postretirement health care and life insurance benefits to most of its U.S. retirees.  

In general, the terms of the plans provide that U.S. employees who retire after attaining age 55, with 15 years of service (5 years before 
December 31, 2006), are reimbursed for qualified medical expenses up to a maximum annual amount. Spouses for certain retirees are 
also eligible for reimbursement under the plan. Life insurance coverage is available for those who elect coverage under the retiree health 
plan.  During  2014,  the  plan  was  amended  to  move  from  a  self-insured  model  where  employees  were  charged  an  estimated  premium 
based  on  anticipated  plan  expenses  for  continued  coverage,  to  a  plan  where  retirees  are  provided  a  fixed  contribution  to  a  Health 
Retirement Account (HRA). Retirees can use the HRA funds to purchase insurance through a private exchange. Employees hired on or 
after January 1, 2004 are not eligible to participate in the plan. 

CHANGES IN BENEFIT OBLIGATION FOR POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS OTHER THAN PENSIONS AS OF DECEMBER 31 

 (Dollars in millions) 
Benefit obligation at beginning of year 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Actuarial loss (gain) 
Benefits paid 
Other 
Benefit obligation at end of year 

2019 

2018 

15.5     $ 
0.2       
0.6       
2.2       
(0.3 )     
0.2       
18.4     $ 

17.8   
0.3   
0.6   
(1.2 ) 
(0.3 ) 
(1.7 ) 
15.5   

  $ 

  $ 

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The liability for postretirement benefits other than pensions is classified as other non-current liabilities in the balance sheet. 

COMPONENTS OF NET PERIODIC BENEFIT COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE POST RETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS OTHER THAN 
PENSIONS 

PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 31 (Dollars in millions) 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Amortization of prior service cost 
Amortization of actuarial loss 
Net periodic benefit (credit) 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

  $ 

0.2     $ 
0.6       
(2.2 )     
(0.3 )     
(1.7 )   $ 

0.3     $ 
0.6       
(2.2 )     
(0.3 )     
(1.6 )   $ 

0.3   
0.6   
(2.2 ) 
(0.5 ) 
(1.8 ) 

COMPONENTS  OF  ACCUMULATED  OTHER  COMPREHENSIVE  INCOME  BEFORE  TAX  ASSOCIATED  WITH  POSTRETIREMENT 
BENEFIT PLANS OTHER THAN PENSIONS AS OF DECEMBER 31 

(Dollars in millions) 
Net actuarial loss (gain) 
Prior service cost (credit) 
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss (income) 
   recognized in the balance sheet 

  $ 

  $ 

U.S. 

2019 

2018 

2.0     $ 
6.1       

(4.6 ) 
(8.2 ) 

8.1     $ 

(12.8 ) 

The weighted average discount rate used to determine the U.S. postretirement benefit obligation was  3.5% in 2019 and 4.45% in 2018. 
The average discount rate used in determining the postretirement benefit cost was 4.45% in 2019, 3.75% in 2018 and 4.40% in 2017. 

The  estimated  future  benefit  payments  for  the  postretirement  benefits  set  forth  below  reflect  expected  future  service  as  appropriate 
(dollars in millions). 

POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS (Dollars in millions) 
2020 
2021 
2022 
2023 
2024 
Years 2025–2029 

20. Related Party Transactions 

  $ 

EXPECTED 
PAYMENTS    
0.4   
0.4   
0.5   
0.6   
0.6   
3.7   

Throughout  the  periods  covered  by  consolidated  financial  statements,  Autoliv  purchased  finished  goods  from  Veoneer.  Related  party 
purchases from Veoneer amounted to approximately $73 million and $78 million for the full year 2019 and 2018, respectively.  

Autoliv also subleases certain office space to Veoneer. However, related party sublease income from Veoneer  is not material for 2019 
and 2018. 

Amounts due to and due from related parties as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018 are summarized in the below table: 

(Dollars in millions) 
Related party receivables 
Related party payables1) 
Related party accrued expenses1) 

As of 

December 31, 
2019 

December 31, 
2018 

  $ 

2.8      $ 
9.7        
7.7        

15.0   
50.7   
13.0   

1) 

Included in Related party liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. 

Related party receivables primarily relate to an agreement between Autoliv and Veoneer.  

The  related  party  payables  are  mainly  driven  by  Reseller  Agreements  entered  into  in  connection  with  the  spin-off.  The  Reseller 
Agreements  are  between  Autoliv  and  Veoneer  to  facilitate  the  temporary  arrangement  of  the  sale  of  Veoneer  products  in  the  interim 
period post spin-off. For further information, see Note 3. Discontinued Operations above.  

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
    
  
    
    
    
 
 
  
  
  
  
    
  
    
 
 
  
    
    
    
    
    
 
 
  
  
  
  
     
  
    
    
 
 
21. Segment Information 

The  Company  has  one  operating  segment,  formerly  its  Passive  Safety  segment,  which  includes  Autoliv’s  airbag  and seatbelt  products 
and components. The operating results of the operating segment are regularly reviewed by the Company’s chief operating decision maker 
to  assess  the  performance  of  the  individual  operating  segment  and  make  decisions  about  resources  to  be  allocated  to  the  operating 
segment. 

The  Company’s  customers  consist  of  all  major  European,  U.S.  and  Asian  automobile  manufacturers.  Sales  to  individual  customers 
representing 10% or more of net sales were: 

In 2019: Renault 16% (including Nissan and Mitsubishi), VW 10% and Honda 10%. 

In 2018: Renault 15% (including Nissan and Mitsubishi) and VW 10%. 

In 2017: Renault 15% (including Nissan and Mitsubishi) and Ford 10%. 

NET SALES BY REGION 
Asia 
Whereof:  China 
Japan 
Rest of Asia 
Americas 
Europe 
Total 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

  $ 

3,176.6     $ 
1,525.3       
810.3       
841.0       
2,907.2       
2,463.8       
8,547.6     $ 

3,194.9     $ 
1,522.2       
827.9       
844.8       
2,735.1       
2,748.2       
8,678.2     $ 

2,998.1   
1,421.2   
787.0   
789.9   
2,435.2   
2,703.5   
8,136.8   

The Company has attributed net sales to the geographic area based on the location of the entity selling the final product. 

External  sales  in  the  U.S.  amounted  to  $2,090  million,  $1,943  million  and  $1,689  million  in  2019,  2018  and  2017,  respectively.  Of  the 
external  sales,  exports  from  the  U.S.  to  other  regions  amounted  to  approximately  $463  million,  $384  million  and  $362  million  in  2019, 
2018 and 2017, respectively. 

NET SALES BY PRODUCT 
Airbag Products1) 
Seatbelt Products1) 
Total net sales 

1) 

Including Corporate and other sales. 

LONG-LIVED ASSETS 
Asia 
Whereof:  China 
Japan 
Rest of Asia 
Americas 
Europe 
Total 

2019 

2018 

2017 

  $ 

  $ 

5,676.3     $ 
2,871.3       
8,547.6     $ 

5,698.6     $ 
2,979.6       
8,678.2     $ 

5,343.2   
2,793.6   
8,136.8   

2019 

2018 

948     $ 
495     $ 
170     $ 
283     $ 
1,862     $ 
959     $ 
3,769     $ 

881   
500   
135   
246   
1,708   
847   
3,436   

  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

Long-lived assets in the U.S. amounted to $1,633 million and $1,527 million for 2019 and 2018, respectively. For 2019, $1,242 million (2018, 
$1,250 million) of the long-lived assets in the U.S. refers to intangible assets, principally from acquisition goodwill. 

85 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
    
  
    
    
    
    
    
 
 
  
    
    
  
    
 
 
  
     
  
 
22. Earnings Per Share 

The computation of basic and diluted EPS under the two-class method were as follows (dollars and shares in millions): 

2019 

2018 

2017 

Numerator: 

Basic and diluted: 

Net income from continuing operations 
Net loss from discontinued operations 
Net income attributable to controlling interest 
Participating share awards with dividend equivalent rights 
Net income available to common shareholders 
Earnings allocated to participating share awards 1) 
Net income attributable to common shareholders 

  $ 

  $ 

Denominator: 1) 

Basic: Weighted average common stock 
Add: Weighted average stock options/share awards 
Diluted: 

461.5     $ 
—        
461.5       
0.0        
461.5        
0.0        
461.5      $ 

87.2       
0.2       
87.4       

375.9     $ 
(185.5 )      
190.4       
0.0        
190.4        
0.0        
190.4      $ 

87.1       
0.2       
87.3       

Basic EPS: 

Continuing operations 
Discontinued operations 
Basic EPS 

Diluted EPS: 

Continuing operations 
Discontinued operations 
Diluted EPS 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

5.29     $ 
—       
5.29     $ 

4.32     $ 
(2.13 )     
2.19     $ 

5.29     $ 
—       
5.29     $ 

4.31     $ 
(2.13 )     
2.18     $ 

586.0   
(158.9 ) 
427.1   
0.0   
427.1   
0.0   
427.1   

87.5   
0.2   
87.7   

6.70   
(1.82 ) 
4.88   

6.68   
(1.81 ) 
4.87   

1) 

The  Company’s  unvested  RSUs  and  PSs,  of  which  some  included  the  right  to  receive  non-forfeitable  dividend  equivalents,  are  considered 
participating securities. Calculations of EPS under the two-class method exclude from the numerator any dividends paid or owed on participating 
securities  and  any  undistributed  earnings  considered  to  be  attributable  to  participating securities. The  related  participating  securities  are  similarly 
excluded from the denominator. 

Antidilutive  shares  outstanding  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019  and  December  31,  2018  were  immaterial.  Approximately  0.1 
million antidilutive shares were outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2017. 

23. Subsequent Events 

There were no reportable events subsequent to December 31, 2019. 

24. Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) 

2019 
Net sales 
Gross profit 
Income from Continuing Operations before income taxes 
Income from Continuing Operations 
Net income attributable to controlling interest from Continuing 
   Operations 
Earnings per share Continuing Operations 
– basic 
– diluted 
Dividends paid 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

Q4 

$  2,174.0      $  2,154.7      $  2,027.7      $  2,191.2   
426.8   
209.7   
155.9   

379.1        
134.4        
86.0        

378.8        
153.6        
111.5        

399.7        
150.8        
109.4        

111.4        

109.1        

85.4        

155.6   

1.28        
1.27        
0.62        

1.25        
1.25        
0.62        

0.98        
0.98        
0.62        

1.78   
1.78   
0.62   

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2018 
Net sales 
Gross profit 
Income from Continuing Operations before income taxes 
Income from Continuing Operations 
Net income attributable to controlling interest from Continuing 
   Operations 
Earnings per share Continuing Operations 
– basic 
– diluted 
Dividends paid 

Quarterly movements 

Q1 

Q2 

Q3 

Q4 

$  2,240.9      $  2,211.5      $  2,033.0      $  2,192.8   
425.2   
2.1   
(92.8 ) 

386.1        
171.3        
118.0        

460.3        
228.9        
159.1        

439.7        
210.1        
193.2        

158.7        

192.7        

117.5        

(93.0 ) 

1.82        
1.82        
0.60        

2.21        
2.20        
0.62        

1.35        
1.34        
0.62        

(1.07 ) 
(1.06 ) 
0.62   

In the fourth quarter of 2018, income from Continuing Operations before taxes was negatively impacted by the Company recognizing an 
accrual of $210 million in connection with the remaining portion of the European Commission’s investigation of anti-competitive behavior 
among suppliers of occupant safety systems in the European Union.  

EXCHANGE RATES FOR KEY CURRENCIES VS. U.S. 

EUR 
CNY 
JPY/1000 
KRW/1000 
MXN 
SEK 
BRL 

2019 

2019 

2018 

2018 

2017 

2017 

2016 

2016 

2015 

2015 

   Average       Year end       Average       Year end       Average       Year end       Average       Year end       Average       Year end   
     1.119        1.120        1.182        1.145        1.129        1.196        1.106        1.052        1.110        1.094   
     0.145        0.143        0.151        0.146        0.148        0.154        0.150        0.144        0.159        0.154   
     9.178        9.157        9.061        9.051        8.916        8.878        9.222        8.544        8.261        8.303   
     0.857        0.870        0.909        0.896        0.885        0.937        0.863        0.832        0.885        0.854   
     0.052        0.053        0.052        0.051        0.053        0.051        0.053        0.048        0.063        0.058   
     0.106        0.107        0.115        0.111        0.117        0.121        0.117        0.110        0.119        0.120   
     0.253        0.247        0.276        0.258        0.313        0.302        0.289        0.307        0.306        0.259   

87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
         
         
         
    
  
  
  
 
 
  
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  
  
 
 
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 

There have been no changes to and no disagreements with our independent auditors regarding accounting or financial disclosure matters 
in our two most recent fiscal years. 

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures 

An evaluation has been carried out by the Company’s management, under the supervision and with the participation of  the Company’s 
Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and 
procedures  (as  such  term  is  defined  in  Rules  13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e)  under  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended  (the 
“Exchange Act”)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based on such evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and 
Interim Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, the Company’s disclosure  controls and procedures are 
effective. 

Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

(a) Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. 

Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or 
under  the  supervision  of,  the  Company’s  principal  executive  and  principal  financial  officers  and  effected  by  the  Company’s  board  of 
directors,  management  and  other  personnel  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the 
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those 
policies and procedures that: 

• 

• 

• 

pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of 
the assets of the Company; 

provide  reasonable  assurance  that  transactions are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of financial statements  in 
accordance  with  generally  accepted  accounting  principles,  and  that  receipts  and  expenditures  of  the  Company  are  being 
made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and 

provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the 
Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any 
evaluation  of  effectiveness  to  future  periods  are  subject  to  the  risks  that  controls  may  become  inadequate  because  of  changes  in 
conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. 

Management  assessed  the  effectiveness  of  Autoliv’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  as  of  December  31,  2019.  In  making  this 
assessment,  we  used  the  criteria  set  forth  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  (COSO)  in 
Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013 framework). 

Based on our assessment, we believe that, as of December 31, 2019, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective. 

(b) Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm 

Ernst & Young AB has issued an attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, which is included herein as 
the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for the year 
ended December 31, 2019. 

(c) Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

There have not been any changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules  13a-15-(f) 
and  15d-15(f)  under  the  Exchange  Act)  during  the  quarter  ended  December  31,  2019  that  have  materially  affected,  or  are  reasonably 
likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Item 9B. Other Information 

None. 

88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 

The  information  required  by  Item  10.  regarding  executive  officers,  directors  and  nominees  for  election  as  directors  of  Autoliv,  Autoliv’s 
Audit Committee, Autoliv’s code of ethics, and compliance with Section 16(A) of the Securities Exchange Act  is incorporated herein by 
reference  from  the  information  under  the  captions  “Executive  Officers  of  the  Company”  and  “Proposal  1:  Election  of  Directors”, 
“Committees  of  the  Board” and  “Audit  Committee  Report”,  “Corporate  Governance  Guidelines and  Codes  of  Conduct  and  Ethics”,  and 
“Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance”, respectively, in the Company’s 2020 Proxy Statement. Information on Board 
meeting attendance is provided under the caption “Board Meetings” in the 2020 Proxy Statement and incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 11. Executive Compensation 

The  information  required  by  Item  11.  regarding  executive  compensation  for  the  year  ended  December  31,  2019  is  included  under  the 
caption “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” in the 2020 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. The information 
required  by  the  same  item  regarding  Leadership  Development  and  Compensation  Committee  is  included  in  the  sections  “Leadership 
Development  and  Compensation  Committee  Interlocks  and  Insider  Participation”  and  “Leadership  Development  and  Compensation 
Committee Report” in the 2020 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item  12.  Security  Ownership  of  Certain  Beneficial  Owners  and  Management  and  Related  Stockholder 
Matters 

The  information  required by  Item  12.  regarding beneficial  ownership  of  Autoliv’s  common  stock is  included under  the  caption  “Security 
Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the 2020 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. 

Shares Previously Authorized for Issuance Under the 1997 Stock Incentive Plan 

The following table provides information as of December 31, 2019, about the common stock that may be issued under the  Autoliv, Inc. 
Stock Incentive Plan. The Company does not have any equity compensation plans that have not been approved by its stockholders. 

(a) Number of 
Securities to 
be issued upon 
exercise of 
outstanding options, 
warrants and rights     

(b) Weighted- 
average exercise 
price of outstanding 
options, warrants 
and rights(2) 

(c) Number of 
securities remaining 
available for future 
issuance under equity 
compensation plans 
(excluding securities 
reflected in column 
(a))(3) 

434,860     $ 

66.70       

3,052,199   

—       
434,860     $ 

—       
66.70       

—   
3,052,199   

Plan Category 
Equity compensation plans approved 
   by security holders (1) 
Equity compensation plans not 
   approved by security holders 
Total 

(1) 

(2) 
(3) 

Autoliv,  Inc. Stock  Incentive  Plan,  as  amended  and  restated  on  May  6,  2009,  as  amended  by  Amendment  No.  1  dated  December  17,  2010  and 
Amendment No. 2 dated May 8, 2012. 
Excludes restricted stock units and performance shares which convert to shares of common stock for no consideration. 
All such shares are available for issuance pursuant to grants of full-value stock awards. 

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 

Information regarding the Company’s policy and procedures concerning related party transactions is included under the caption “Related 
Person Transactions” in the 2020 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. Information regarding director independence 
can be found under the caption “Board Independence” in the 2020 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference. 

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

The  information  required  by  Item  9(e)  of  Schedule  14A  regarding  principal  accounting  fees  and  the  information  required  by  Item  14 
regarding the pre-approval process of accounting services provided to Autoliv is included under the caption “Proposal 3.  Ratification  of 
Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Appointment” in the 2020 Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by 
reference. 

89 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
    
  
    
    
    
 
 
 
 
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules  

(a)  Documents Filed as Part of this Report  

(1)  Financial Statements  

(i) 

Consolidated Statements of Net Income – Years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017;  

(ii)  Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income – Years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017;  

(iii)  Consolidated Balance Sheets – as of December 31, 2019 and 2018;  

(iv)  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows – Years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017;  

(v)  Consolidated Statements of Total Equity – as of December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017;  

(vi)  Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements; and  

(vii)  Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.  

(2)  Financial Statement Schedules  

All of the schedules specified under Regulation S-X to be provided by Autoliv have been omitted either because they are not applicable, 
they are not required, or the information required is included in the financial statements or notes thereto.  

(3)  Exhibits  

Exhibit 
No. 

Description 

  2.1 

  3.1 

  3.2 

  4.1 

  4.2 

  4.3 

  4.4 

  4.5 

  4.6 

  4.7 

  4.8 

  4.9 

  Distribution  Agreement,  dated  June  28,  2018,  between  Veoneer,  Inc.  and  Autoliv,  Inc.,  incorporated  herein  by  reference  to 
Exhibit 2.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 2, 2018). 

  Autoliv’s Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Quarterly 
Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date April 22, 2015). 

  Autoliv’s Third Restated By-Laws, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 
001-12933, filing date December 18, 2015). 

  Indenture, dated March 30, 2009, between Autoliv, Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Autoliv’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-12933, filing date March 30, 2009). 

  Second Supplemental Indenture (including Form of Global Note), dated March 15, 2012, between Autoliv, Inc. and U.S. Bank 
National Association, as trustee, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 
001-12933, filing date March 15, 2012). 

  Form  of  Note  Purchase  and  Guaranty  Agreement  dated  April  23,  2014,  among  Autoliv  ASP,  Inc.,  Autoliv,  Inc.  and  the 
purchasers named therein, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-
12933, filing date April 25, 2014). 

  Amendment and Waiver 2014 Note Purchase and Guaranty Agreement, dated May 24, 2018 among Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv ASP, 
Inc. and the noteholders named therein, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q 
(File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  General Terms and Conditions for Swedish Depository Receipts in Autoliv, Inc., representing common shares in Autoliv, Inc., 
effective as  of  May  30,  2018 with  Skandinaviska  Enskilda Banken  AB  (publ) serving as a  custodian, incorporated  herein by 
reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Agency Agreement dated June 26, 2018 among Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv ASP Inc. and HSBC Bank PLC, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Base listing particulars Agreement, dated April 11, 2019, among Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv ASP, Inc. and the dealers named therein, 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.7 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date April 26, 
2019). 

  Programme  Agreement,  dated  April  11,  2019,  among  Autoliv,  Inc.,  Autoliv  ASP,  Inc.  and  the  dealers  named  therein, 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date April 26, 
2019). 

  Agency Agreement, dated April 11, 2019, among Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv ASP, Inc. and the dealers named therein, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 4.9 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date April 26, 2019). 

  4.10* 

  Description of Registrant´s Securities. 

10.1+ 

  Form of Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers, incorporated herein by reference to 
Exhibit 10.4 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 2, 2002). 

90 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Exhibit 
No. 

10.2+ 

10.3+ 

10.4+ 

10.5+ 

10.6+ 

10.7+ 

10.8 

10.9 

10.10+ 

10.11+ 

10.12+ 

10.13 

10.14+ 

10.15+ 

10.16+ 

Description 

  Form of Supplementary Agreement to the Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers, 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 2, 
2002). 

  Form of Severance Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers, incorporated herein by reference to 
Exhibit 10.7 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K/A (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 2, 2002). 

  Form  of  Amendment  to  Employment  Agreement  between  Autoliv,  Inc.  and  certain  of  its  executive  officers  –  notice, 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date March 14, 
2003). 

  Form of Supplementary Agreement to Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers – 
pension, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date 
March 14, 2003). 

  Form of Pension Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers – additional pension, incorporated herein 
by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date March 14, 2003). 

  Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated on May 6, 2009, incorporated herein by reference to 
Appendix A of the Definitive Proxy Statement of Autoliv, Inc. on Schedule 14A (filing date March 23, 2009). 

  Revolving Credit Facility Agreement, dated June 21, 2010, between Autoliv AB, Autoliv, Inc., and Nordea Bank AB (publ), 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 
23, 2010). 

  Facility Agreement, dated June 21, 2010, among Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv AB, Swedish Export Credit Corporation, National Export 
Credits Guarantee Board and Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to 
the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 23, 2010). 

  Amendment No. 1 to the Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan as amended and restated on May 6, 2009, dated December 
17, 2010, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.24 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date 
February 23, 2011). 

  Form of Amendment to Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers – pension, 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.26 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date February 
23, 2012). 

  Form of Amendment to Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers – non-equity 
incentive award, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.27 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, 
filing date February 23, 2012). 

  Remarketing Agreement, dated as of February 9, 2012, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 1.1 to the Current Report 
on Form 8-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date March 15, 2012). 

  Amendment No. 2 to the Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated on May 6, 2009, dated May 8, 
2012, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date 
July 20, 2012). 

  Form of Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers (with Change-in-Control Severance 
Agreement), incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.34 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing 
date February 22, 2013). 

  Form of Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers (without Change-in-Control 
Severance Agreement), incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.35 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-
12933, filing date February 22, 2013). 

10.17+ 

  Form of Change-in-Control Severance Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.36 to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date February 22, 2013). 

10.18 

  Form of Indemnification Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and its directors and certain of its executive officers, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 99.i to the Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date February 24, 2009). 

10.19† 

  Finance Contract, dated July 16, 2013, among European Investment Bank, Autoliv AB (publ) and Autoliv, Inc., incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 24, 2013). 

10.20 

10.21 

  Guarantee Agreement, dated July 16, 2013, between European Investment Bank and Autoliv, Inc., incorporated herein by reference 
to Exhibit 10.12 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 24, 2013). 

  Form of Note Purchase and Guaranty Agreement, dated April 23, 2014, among Autoliv ASP, Inc., Autoliv, Inc. and the 
purchasers named therein, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-
12933, filing date April 25, 2014). 

91 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Exhibit 
No. 

10.22+ 

10.23 

10.24 

10.25 

Description 

  Form of Supplement to Employment Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and certain of its executive officers, dated August 13, 
2014 and effective as of September 1, 2014, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 
10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 23, 2014). 

  Amendment, dated January 27, 2015, to the Finance Contract, dated July 16, 2013, among European Investment Bank, 
Autoliv AB (publ) and Autoliv, Inc., incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.36 to the Annual Report on Form 10- K (File 
No. 001-12933, filing date February 19, 2015). 

  General Terms and Conditions for Swedish Depository Receipts in Autoliv, Inc. representing common shares in Autoliv, Inc., 
effective as of May 30, 2018, with Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) serving as custodian, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Facilities Agreement of $1,100,000,000, dated July 14, 2016, among Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv ASP, Inc., Autoliv AB, HSBC Bank 
PLC, Mizuho Bank, Ltd. and Investment Banking, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), and the other parties and lenders 
named therein, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, 
filing date October 27, 2016). 

10.26+ 

  Autoliv,  Inc.  Non-employee  Director  Compensation  Policy,  effective  January  1,  2017,  incorporated  herein  by  reference  to 
Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date April 28, 2017). 

10.27+ 

  Amendment No. 3 to the Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated, dated April 24, 2017, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date April 28, 2017). 

10.28+ 

10.29+ 

10.30+ 

10.31 

10.32 

10.33 

10.34 

10.35 

10.36 

10.37 

10.38 

10.39 

10.40 

10.41 

10.42 

  Form of Non-Employee Director restricted stock unit award agreement to be used under the Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive 
Plan, as amended and restated, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File 
No. 001-12933, filing date April 28, 2017). 

  Form of Employee restricted stock unit award agreement (2017) to be used under the Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, 
as  amended  and  restated, incorporated  herein  by  reference  to  Exhibit  10.4  to  the  Quarterly  Report  on  Form  10-Q  (File  No. 
001-12933, filing date April 28, 2017). 

  Form of performance share award agreement (2017) to be used under the Autoliv, Inc. 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as 
amended and restated, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-
12933, filing date April 28, 2017). 

  Employee Matters Agreement, dated June 28, 2018, between Veoneer, Inc. and Autoliv, Inc., incorporated herein by reference 
to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 2, 2018). 

  Tax Matters Agreement, dated June 28, 2018, between Veoneer, Inc. and Autoliv, Inc., incorporated herein by reference to 
Exhibit 10.2 to the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 2, 2018). 

  Amended and Restated Transition Services Agreement, dated June 28, 2018, between Veoneer, Inc. and Autoliv, Inc., 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 2, 
2018). 

  Facilities Agreement, dated May 24, 2018, among Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv ASP, J.P. Morgan Securities PLC and Skandinaviska 
Enskilda Banken AB (publ), incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 
001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Employment Agreement, dated November 20, 2015, between Autoliv, Inc. and Mats Backman, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 22, 2016). 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Mikael Bratt, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Jennifer Cheng, incorporated herein 
by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Daniel Garceau, incorporated herein 
by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Michael A. Hague, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Jordi Lombarte incorporated herein 
by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Bradley J. Murray, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Anthony J.  Nellis, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

92 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Exhibit 
No. 

10.43 

10.44 

10.45+ 

10.46+ 

10.47+ 

10.48 

Description 

  Employment Agreement, effective as of June 29, 2018, by and between Autoliv, Inc. and Sherry Vasa, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 27, 2018). 

  Cooperation Agreement, dated March 1, 2019, between Autoliv, Inc. and Cevian Capital II GP Limited, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-12933, filing date March 1, 2019). 

  Form of Employee restricted stock unit grant agreement (2019) to be used under the Autoliv, Inc 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as 
amended and restated, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-
12933, filing date April 26, 2019). 

  Form of Employee performance share grant agreement (2019) to be used under the Autoliv, Inc 1997 Stock Incentive Plan, as 
amended and restated, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-
12933, filing date April 26, 2019). 

  Addendum, dated April 24, 2019, to the International Assignment Agreement, dated March 21, 2018, between Autoliv, Inc. and 
Brad Murray, incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing 
date July 19, 2019). 

  SEK Facility Agreement dated June 24, 2019 between Autoliv, Inc., Autoliv ASP, Inc. and AB Svensk Exportkredit (Publ), 
incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 19, 
2019).  

10.49+ 

  Supplement to Employment Agreement, dated June 20, 2019, between Autoliv, Inc. and Daniel Garceau, incorporated herein 
by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 19, 2019). 

10.50+ 

  Mutual Separation Agreement, dated July 1, 2019, between Autoliv, Inc. and Mike Hague, incorporated herein by reference to 
Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date July 19, 2019). 

10.51+ 

  Employment Agreement, dated July 14, 2016, between Autoliv, Inc. and Christian Hanke, incorporated herein by reference to 
Exhibit 10.2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 25, 2019). 

10.52+ 

  Employment Agreement, dated April 23, 2019, between Autoliv, Inc. and Frithjof Oldorff, incorporated herein by reference to 
Exhibit 10.3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 25, 2019). 

10.53+ 

  Employment Agreement, dated March 18, 2019, between Autoliv, Inc. and Christian Swahn, incorporated herein by reference 
to Exhibit 10.4 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 25, 2019). 

10.54+ 

10.55  

10.56+* 

10.57+* 

10.58+* 

21* 

23* 

  Employment Agreement, dated February 15, 2019, between Autoliv, Inc. and Magnus Jarlegren, incorporated herein by 
reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 25, 2019). 

  Form of Indemnification Agreement between Autoliv, Inc. and its directors and certain of its executive officers, incorporated 
herein by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (File No. 001-12933, filing date October 25, 2019). 

  Employment Agreement, dated November 26, 2019, between Autoliv, Inc. and Fredrik Westin. 

  Employment Agreement, dated January 23, 2020, between Autoliv, Inc. and Bradley Murray. 

  Employment Agreement, dated January 23, 2020, between Autoliv, Inc. and Svante Mogefors. 

  Autoliv’s List of Subsidiaries. 

  Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. 

31.1* 

  Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 

as amended. 

31.2* 

  Certification of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as 

amended. 

32.1* 

  Certification of Chief Executive Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to section 906 of the 

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

32.2* 

  Certification of Chief Financial Officer, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to section 906 of the 

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

101.INS*    Inline XBRL Instance Document – The instance document does not appear in the Interactive Date File because its XBRL tags are 

embedded within the inline XBRL document. 

101.SCH*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. 

101.CAL*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. 

101.DEF*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. 

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Exhibit 
No. 

Description 

101.LAB*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. 

101.PRE*   Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. 

104* 

  Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the inline XBRL document). 

* 

+ 

† 

Filed herewith. 

Management contract or compensatory plan. 

Confidential treatment requested as to portions of the exhibit. Confidential materials omitted and filed separately with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission. 

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SIGNATURES 

Pursuant  to the requirements  of Section  13 or 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934, the registrant  has duly caused this report 
to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto duly authorized, as of February 21, 2020. 

AUTOLIV,  INC. 
(Registrant) 

By  /s/ Christian Hanke 
Christian Hanke 
Interim Chief Financial Officer 

Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of 1934,  this  report  has  been  signed  below  by  the  following  persons  on 
behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated, as of February 21, 2020. 

Chairman of the Board of Directors 

Title 

Name 

/s/ Jan Carlson 
Jan Carlson 

Chief Executive Officer and President (Principal Executive Officer) 
and Director 

/s/ Mikael Bratt 

  Mikael Bratt 

Interim Chief Financial Officer 
(Principal Financial and Principal Accounting  Officer) 

Director  

Director  

Director  

Director  

Director 

Director  

Director  

Director  

/s/ Christian Hanke 
Christian Hanke 

/s/ Hasse Johansson 
Hasse Johansson 

/s/ Leif Johansson 
Leif Johansson 

/s/ David E. Kepler 
David E. Kepler 

/s/ Franz-Josef  Kortüm 
Franz-Josef  Kortüm 

/s/ Min Liu 

  Min Liu 

/s/ Xiaozhi Liu 
Xiaozhi Liu 

/s/ James M. Ringler 
James M. Ringler 

/s/ Thaddeus Senko 
Thaddeus Senko 

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Glossary and Definitions 

In this report, the following company or industry specific terms and abbreviations are used: 

BCC 

Best Cost Country 

CAPITAL EMPLOYED 

Total equity and net debt (net cash). 

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES 

Investments in property, plant and equipment. 

CAPITAL TURN-OVER RATE 

Annual sales in relation to average capital employed. 

CPV 

Content Per Vehicle, i.e. value of the safety products in a vehicle. 

DAYS INVENTORY OUTSTANDING 

Outstanding inventory relative to average daily sales. 

DAYS RECEIVABLES OUTSTANDING 

Outstanding receivables relative to average daily sales. 

DEVELOPED MARKETS 

Includes North America, Western Europe, Japan and South Korea 

EARNINGS PER SHARE 

Net income attributable to controlling interest relative to  weighted average number of shares (net of treasury shares) assuming dilution 
and basic, respectively. 

EBIT 

Earnings before interest and taxes. 

FREE CASH FLOW, NET 

Cash flows from operating activities less capital expenditures, net. 

GROSS MARGIN 

Gross profit relative to sales. 

GROWTH MARKETS 

Includes all markets except North America, Western Europe, Japan and South Korea 

HCC 

High Cost Country 

HEADCOUNT 

Employees plus temporary personnel. 

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LEVERAGE RATIO 

Debt per the Policy in relation to EBITDA per the Policy (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization), see  Non-U.S. 
GAAP Performance Measures in Item 7 for calculation of this non-U.S. GAAP measure. 

LMPU 

Labor minutes per produced unit. 

LVP 

Light vehicle production of light motor vehicles with a gross weight of up to 3.5 metric tons. 

NET DEBT (CASH) 

Short and long-term debt including debt-related derivatives less cash and cash equivalents, see Non-U.S. GAAP Performance Measures 
in Item 7 for reconciliation of this non-U.S. GAAP measure. 

NET DEBT TO CAPITALIZATION 

Net debt in relation to total equity (including non-controlling interest) and net debt. 

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 

Employees with a continuous employment agreement, recalculated to full time equivalent heads. 

OEM 

Original Equipment Manufacturer referring to customers assembling new vehicles. 

OPERATING MARGIN 

Operating income relative to sales. 

OPERATING WORKING CAPITAL 

Current assets excluding cash and cash equivalents less current liabilities excluding short-term debt. Any current derivatives reported in 
current assets and current liabilities related to net debt are excluded from operating working capital. See Non-U.S. GAAP Performance 
Measures in Item 7 for reconciliation of this non-U.S. GAAP measure. 

OUR MARKET 

Our products include seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels.  

PRETAX MARGIN 

Income before taxes relative to sales. 

RETURN ON CAPITAL EMPLOYED 

Operating income and equity in earnings of affiliates, relative to average capital employed. 

RETURN ON TOTAL EQUITY 

Net income relative to average total equity. 

ROA 

Rest of Asia includes all Asian countries except China and Japan. 

TOTAL EQUITY RATIO 

Total equity relative to total assets. 

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