| **Segment Information**          | 6 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 - We have offices in the United States and Canada that serve local dealers and customers.•Europe and Caterpillar Power Finance - This segment includes our offices 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 offices in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia that serve local dealers and customers.  •Latin America - We have offices 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 June 30 was as follows: (Millions of dollars) 2012Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atJune 30,2012 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$240 $65 $72 $69 $5 $11,570 $119Europe and CPF113 28 32 20 9 7,281 52Asia/Pacific95 30 36 5 8 5,254 12Latin America94 32 32 15 4 4,292 28Mining116 21 23 62 3 3,129 245Total Segments658 176 195 171 29 31,526 456Unallocated16 (23) 11 1 — 1,437 —Timing(6) (11) 5 — 5 7 1Methodology— 2 (13) — — (24) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (191) —Total$668 $144 $198 $172 $34 $32,755 $457              2011Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2011 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$248 $61 $80 $71 $4 $11,177 $159Europe and CPF127 14 36 23 27 6,601 26Asia/Pacific84 32 32 5 5 4,557 20Latin America89 32 33 10 2 3,947 34Mining115 26 22 66 (4) 2,645 97Total Segments663 165 203 175 34 28,927 336Unallocated17 (12) 3 1 (1) 1,350 3Timing(5) (4) 7 — (2) 67 —Methodology— 3 (4) — — 15 —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (247) —Total$675 $152 $209 $176 $31 $30,112 $339               Supplemental segment data and reconciliations to consolidated external reporting for the six months ended June 30 was as follows:(Millions of dollars) 2012Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atJune 30,2012 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$478 $139 $145 $135 $1 $11,570 $184Europe and CPF233 63 66 39 17 7,281 143Asia/Pacific187 66 67 10 12 5,254 70Latin America189 66 64 29 7 4,292 49Mining228 38 46 127 5 3,129 353Total Segments1,315 372 388 340 42 31,526 799Unallocated32 (44) 24 1 1 1,437 —Timing(11) (14) 2 — 10 7 1Methodology— — (12) — — (24) —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (191) —Total$1,336 $314 $402 $341 $53 $32,755 $800              2011Revenues SegmentProfit InterestExpense Depreciationon equipmentleased toothers Provisionforcreditlosses SegmentAssets atDecember 31,2011 CapitalexpendituresNorth America$495 $103 $163 $141 $26 $11,177 $213Europe and CPF251 44 73 46 39 6,601 49Asia/Pacific155 54 60 8 13 4,557 26Latin America166 52 61 20 11 3,947 74Mining223 40 44 130 (1) 2,645 154Total Segments1,290 293 401 345 88 28,927 516Unallocated36 (25) 12 2 2 1,350 3Timing(11) (3) 5 — (4) 67 —Methodology— 2 (5) — — 15 —Inter-segment Eliminations— — — — — (247) —Total$1,315 $267 $413 $347 $86 $30,112 $519               |

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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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