| **Segment Information**          | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      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| **Segment Reporting [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              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| Segment Information              | Segment InformationA.       Description of segmentsOur segment data is based on disclosure requirements of accounting guidance on segment reporting, which requires that financial information be reported on the basis that is used internally for measuring segment performance.  Internally, we report information for operating segments based on management responsibility.  Our operating segments offer primarily the same types of services within each of the respective segments.  The operating segments are as follows:•North America - Includes our operations in the United States and Canada that serve local dealers and customers.•Europe and Caterpillar Power Finance - This segment includes our operations that serve dealers and customers in Europe, Africa, Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States.  This segment also includes Caterpillar Power Finance (CPF), which finances marine vessels with Caterpillar engines worldwide and also provides debt financing for Caterpillar electrical power generation, gas compression and co-generation systems, as well as non-Caterpillar equipment that is powered by these systems worldwide. •Asia/Pacific - This segment includes our operations in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia that serve local dealers and customers.  •Latin America - Includes our operations in Brazil, Mexico and Chile that serve local dealers and customers in Central and South America. •Mining - This segment includes large mining customers worldwide.  This segment also provides project financing in various countries. To align with changes in our executive management responsibilities at Cat Financial, our management reporting structure was updated effective January 1, 2012.  Prior year data has been revised to conform to the 2012 presentation.B.       Measurement and reconciliationsDebt and other expenses are allocated to operating segments based on their respective portfolios.  The related Interest expense is calculated based on the amount of allocated debt and the rates associated with that debt.  The Provision for credit losses included in each operating segment's profit is based on each operating segment's share of the Company's Allowance for credit losses. Reconciling items are created based on accounting differences between operating segment reporting and our consolidated external reporting. For the reconciliation of profit before income taxes, we have grouped the reconciling items as follows:•Unallocated - This item is related to corporate requirements and strategies that are considered to be for the benefit of the entire organization.  Also included are the consolidated results of the special purpose corporation (see Note 7 for additional information) and other miscellaneous items.•Timing - Timing differences in the recognition of costs between operating segment reporting and consolidated external reporting.•Methodology - Methodology differences between our operating segment reporting and our external reporting are as follows:◦Segment assets include other managed assets for which we typically maintain servicing responsibilities.◦Interest expense includes realized forward points on foreign currency forward contracts, with the mark-to-market elements of the forward exchange contracts included as a methodology difference.◦The profit attributable to noncontrolling interests is considered a component of segment profit.As noted above, the operating segment information is presented on a management-reporting basis.  Unlike financial reporting, there is no authoritative guidance for management reporting equivalent to U.S. GAAP.Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the three months ended September 30 was as follows: (Millions of dollars) 2012Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atSeptember 30,2012 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$235 $59 $74 $69 $4 $11,969 $201Europe and CPF118 27 29 19 18 7,516 41Asia/Pacific105 35 41 7 7 5,442 25Latin America98 20 32 17 16 4,367 41Mining114 17 23 63 5 3,239 124Total Segments670 158 199 175 50 32,533 432Unallocated14 (21) 10 (1) (1) 1,408 —Timing(6) 7 1 — (10) 38 —Methodology— 9 (9) — — (15) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (130) —Total$678 $153 $201 $174 $39 $33,834 $432              2011Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2011 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$239 $73 $78 $69 $(9) $11,177 $167Europe and CPF121 (9) 38 22 43 6,601 24Asia/Pacific89 34 35 4 5 4,557 8Latin America93 37 35 11 (3) 3,947 18Mining114 18 22 66 3 2,645 93Total Segments656 153 208 172 39 28,927 310Unallocated18 (8) 3 1 (2) 1,350 —Timing(6) (8) 3 — 1 67 1Methodology— (11) (3) — — 15 —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (247) —Total$668 $126 $211 $173 $38 $30,112 $311               Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the nine months ended September 30 was as follows:(Millions of dollars) 2012Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atSeptember 30,2012 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$713 $198 $219 $204 $5 $11,969 $385Europe and CPF351 90 95 58 35 7,516 184Asia/Pacific292 101 108 17 19 5,442 95Latin America287 86 96 46 23 4,367 90Mining342 55 69 190 10 3,239 477Total Segments1,985 530 587 515 92 32,533 1,231Unallocated46 (65) 34 — — 1,408 —Timing(17) (7) 3 — — 38 1Methodology— 9 (21) — — (15) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (130) —Total$2,014 $467 $603 $515 $92 $33,834 $1,232              2011Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2011 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$734 $176 $241 $210 $17 $11,177 $380Europe and CPF372 35 111 68 82 6,601 73Asia/Pacific244 88 95 12 18 4,557 34Latin America259 89 96 31 8 3,947 92Mining337 58 66 196 2 2,645 247Total Segments1,946 446 609 517 127 28,927 826Unallocated54 (33) 15 3 — 1,350 3Timing(17) (11) 8 — (3) 67 1Methodology— (9) (8) — — 15 —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (247) —Total$1,983 $393 $624 $520 $124 $30,112 $830               |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for reporting segments including data and tables. Reportable segments include those that meet any of the following quantitative thresholds a) it's reported revenue, including sales to external customers and intersegment sales or transfers is 10 percent or more of the combined revenue, internal and external, of all operating segments b) the absolute amount of its reported profit or loss is 10 percent or more of the greater, in absolute amount of 1) the combined reported profit of all operating segments that did not report a loss or 2) the combined reported loss of all operating segments that did report a loss c) its assets are 10 percent or more of the combined assets of all operating segments.
+ References
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