WORLD KINECT CORPWKC
WORLD KINECT CORP Commitments Disclosure
10. Commitments and Contingencies
Surety Bonds
In the normal course of business, we are required to post bid, performance, and other surety-related bonds. The majority of the surety bonds posted relate to our aviation and land segments. We had outstanding bonds that were executed in order to satisfy various security requirements of $65.5 million and $65.8 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Sales and Purchase Commitments
As of December 31, 2025, the notional value associated with fixed sales and purchase commitments under our derivative programs amounted to $761.6 million and $246.4 million, respectively, with delivery dates from 2026 through 2033. Additionally, we have a fixed purchase contract that extends through 2026, under which we have agreed to purchase annually approximately 2.0 million barrels of aviation fuel at future market prices.
Deferred Compensation Plans
We maintain a 401(k) defined contribution plan which covers all U.S. employees who meet minimum requirements and elect to participate. We make a matching contribution of 50% for each 1% of the participants' contributions up to a maximum of 6% of the participants' contributions, subject to applicable IRS limits. Annual Company contributions are made at our sole discretion, as approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the
"Compensation Committee"). Additionally, certain of our foreign subsidiaries have defined contribution plans, which allow for voluntary contributions by the employees. In some cases, we make employer contributions on behalf of the employees. The expenses for our contributions under these plans were not material during each of the years presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income.
We offer a non-qualified deferred compensation ("NQDC") plan to certain eligible employees, whereby the participants may defer a portion of their compensation. We do not match any participant deferrals under the NQDC plan. Participants can elect from a variety of investment choices for their deferred compensation and gains and losses on these investments are credited to their respective accounts. The deferred compensation payable amount under this NQDC plan is subject to the claims of our general creditors and was $18.5 million and $17.9 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, which was principally included in Other long-term liabilities within our Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Environmental and Other Liabilities; Uninsured Risks
Our business is subject to numerous federal, state, local and foreign environmental laws and regulations, including those relating to fuel storage and distribution, terminals, underground storage tanks, the release or discharge of regulated materials into the air, water and soil, the generation, storage, handling, use, transportation and disposal of hazardous materials, and the exposure of persons to regulated materials. A violation of, liability under, or noncompliance with these laws and regulations, or any future environmental law or regulation, could result in material liabilities, including administrative, civil or criminal penalties, remediation costs as well as third-party damages. From time to time, we may be responsible for remediating contamination at properties we own or lease and can be entitled to reimbursement for certain of these costs from state trust funds, as well as various third-party contractual indemnities and insurance policies, subject to eligibility requirements, deductibles, and aggregate caps. Although we continuously review the adequacy of our insurance coverage, we may lack adequate coverage for various risks, including environmental claims. If we are uninsured or under‑insured for a claim or claims of sufficient magnitude arising out of our activities, it will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.
We accrue for environmental assessment and remediation expenses when the future costs are probable and reasonably estimable. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, accrued liabilities for remediation reserves were not material. It is not presently possible to estimate the ultimate amount of all remediation costs that might be incurred or the penalties that may be imposed.
Tax Matters
From time to time, we are also under review by various domestic and foreign tax authorities regarding indirect tax matters and are involved in various challenges and litigation in a number of countries, including, in particular, South Korea, where the amounts in controversy may be material. During 2016 and 2017, the South Korean branch of one of our subsidiaries received assessments totaling approximately $23.8 million (KRW 34.3 billion) from the regional tax authorities of Seoul, South Korea. The assessments primarily consist of fines and penalties for allegedly failing to issue Value Added Tax ("VAT") invoices and report certain transactions during the period 2011-2014. These assessments do not involve failure to pay or collect VAT. We believe we have substantial defenses to these assessments and expect to continue to pursue available administrative and judicial remedies to resolve this matter.
When we deem it appropriate and the amounts are reasonably estimable, we establish reserves for potential adjustments to our provision for the accrual of indirect taxes that may result from examinations or other actions by tax authorities. If events occur which indicate payment of these amounts is unnecessary, the reversal of the liabilities will result in the recognition of benefits in the period we determine the liabilities are no longer necessary. If our estimates of any of our federal, state, and foreign indirect tax liabilities are less than the ultimate assessment, it could result in a further charge to expense. Except with respect to the tax matters described in the preceding paragraph, we believe that the final outcome of any pending examinations, agreements, administrative or judicial proceedings relating to tax matters will not have a material effect on our results of operations or cash flows.Other Matters
On November 23, 2023, one of our subsidiaries submitted an erroneous bid in the Finnish power market. During the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company recognized related extraordinary losses totaling $48.8 million, which were primarily included in Cost of revenue in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. In December 2023, the subsidiary received a request for information from Energiavirasto, the Finnish energy regulatory authority ("EA") indicating that EA had initiated an investigation in relation to the events
surrounding the erroneous bid submission. On December 11, 2025, EA issued its decision in which it found the subsidiary had breached the prohibition on market manipulation in wholesale energy markets under E.U. law. In its decision, EA stated it will recommend that the Finnish Market Court impose a penalty fee in separate proceedings. Those proceedings have not yet commenced, and the Finnish Market Court will ultimately determine whether any penalty should be assessed and, if so, the amount. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves in any proceeding before the Finnish Market Court.
We are also a party to various claims, complaints and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business including, but not limited to, environmental claims, commercial and governmental contract claims, such as property damage, demurrage, personal injury, billing and fuel quality claims, as well as bankruptcy preference claims and tax and administrative claims. We have established loss provisions for matters in which losses are probable and can be reasonably estimated. As of December 31, 2025, our reserves for such claims were not material. For those matters where a reserve has not been established and for which we believe a loss is reasonably possible, we believe that such losses will not have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements. However, any adverse resolution of one or more such claims, complaints or proceedings during a particular period could have a material adverse effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements or disclosures for that period. Our estimates regarding potential losses and materiality are based on our judgment and assessment of the claims utilizing currently available information. Although we will continue to reassess our reserves and estimates based on future developments, our objective assessment of the legal merits of such claims may not always be predictive of the outcome and actual results may vary from our current estimates.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 24, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 25, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 23, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 24, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 25, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 1, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Mar 2, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 1, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 28, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 21, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 16, 2016 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.