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While the large majority of our worldwide dealers are independently owned and operated, we own and operate a dealership in Japan that covers approximately 80% of the Japanese market: Nippon Caterpillar Division. We are currently operating this Japanese dealer directly and its results are reported in the All Other operating segments. There are also three independent dealers in the Southern Region of Japan. 

For Caterpillar branded products, the company’s relationship with each of its independent dealers is memorialized in standard sales and service agreements. Pursuant to these agreements, the company grants the dealer the right to purchase and sell its products and to service the products in a specified geographic service territory. Prices to dealers are established by the company after receiving input from dealers on transactional pricing in the marketplace. The company also agrees to defend its intellectual property and to provide warranty and technical support to the dealer. The agreement further grants the dealer a non-exclusive license to use the company’s trademarks, service marks and brand names. In some instances, a separate trademark agreement exists between the company and a dealer. 

In exchange for these rights, the agreement obligates the dealer to develop and promote the sale of the company’s products to current and prospective customers in the dealer’s service territory. Each dealer agrees to employ adequate sales and support personnel to market, sell and promote the company’s products, demonstrate and exhibit the products, perform the company’s product improvement programs, inform the company concerning any features that might affect the safe operation of any of the company’s products and maintain detailed books and records of the dealer’s financial condition, sales and inventories and make these books and records available at the company’s reasonable request. 

These sales and service agreements are terminable at will by either party primarily upon 90 days written notice. 

## Employment 

As of December 31, 2018, we employed about 104,000 full-time persons of whom approximately 59,400 were located outside the United States. In the United States, we employed approximately 44,600 employees, most of whom are at-will employees and, therefore, not subject to any type of employment contract or agreement. At select business units, certain highly specialized employees have been hired under employment contracts that specify a term of employment, pay and other benefits. 

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As of December 31, 2018, there were approximately 9,560 U.S. hourly production employees who were covered by collective bargaining agreements with various labor unions, including The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW), The International Association of Machinists and The United Steelworkers. Approximately 7,980 of such employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements with the UAW that expire on December 17, 2020 and March 1, 2023. Outside the United States, the company enters into employment contracts and agreements in those countries in which such relationships are mandatory or customary. The provisions of these agreements generally correspond in each case with the required or customary terms in the subject jurisdiction. 

