Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees
Guarantees
The Company is required, at the time a guarantee is issued, to recognize a liability for the fair value or market value of the obligation it assumes. In the normal course of business, the Company does not routinely provide significant third-party guarantees. Generally, third-party guarantees provided by Corning are limited to certain financial guarantees, including stand-by letters of credit and performance bonds, and the incurrence of contingent liabilities in the form of purchase consideration adjustments related to attainment of milestones. These guarantees have various terms and none of these guarantees are individually significant. The Company believes a significant majority of these guarantees and contingent liabilities will expire without being funded.
Purchase Commitments
Purchase obligations are enforceable and legally binding obligations. The Company has purchase commitments primarily for raw materials and energy-related take-or-pay contracts. Commitments made under these obligations as of December 31, 2025 are as follows (in millions):
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Amount of commitment expiration per period |
| | Less than 1 year | | 1 to 3 years | | 3 to 5 years | | 5 years and thereafter |
| Purchase obligations | $ | 283 | | | $ | 181 | | | $ | 103 | | | $ | 332 | |
Litigation, Environmental and Indemnifications
Corning is a defendant in various lawsuits and is subject to various claims that arise in the normal course of business, the most significant of which are summarized below. In the opinion of management, the likelihood that the ultimate disposition of these matters will have a material adverse effect on Corning’s consolidated financial position, liquidity, or results of operations, is remote.
Dow Corning Environmental Claims
Beginning in September 2019, The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) formally notified Corning of certain environmental matters for which Dow asserts that it has or will experience losses arising from remediation and response at a number of sites. Subject to certain conditions and limits, Corning may have been required to indemnify Dow for up to 50% of such losses. In September 2025, Corning entered into a settlement agreement with Dow to fully resolve all outstanding environmental matters previously asserted under historical indemnification provisions. The resolution did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the periods presented. No further obligation remains under the settlement agreement.
Environmental Claims
Corning has been designated by federal or state governments under environmental laws, including Superfund, as a potentially responsible party that may be liable for cleanup costs associated with 20 hazardous waste sites. It is Corning’s policy to accrue for its estimated liability related to such hazardous waste sites and other environmental liabilities related to property owned by Corning based on expert analysis and continual monitoring by both internal and external consultants. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, Corning had accrued approximately $89 million and $78 million, respectively, for the estimated undiscounted liability for environmental cleanup and related litigation. Based upon the information developed to date, management believes that the accrued reserve is a reasonable estimate of the Company’s liability.