Pension and other postretirement benefit expenses consisted of the following: Service cost  Interest cost  Expected return on plan assets Amortization of transition assets Recognized (gains) losses Curtailment Prior service cost (benefits) Benefit (credit) cost  2001 $ 7,436 18,224 (29,130) (442) (2,934) — 1,096 $ (5,750) 2000 $ 6,264 17,707 (27,601) (1,636) (3,420) — 1,113 $ (7,573) 2001 $ 562 5,114 — — 253 — (1,320) $ 4,609 2000 $ 481 5,148 — — 144 — (1,321) $  4,452 2002 $ 776 5,231 — — 731 — (718) $ 6,020 2002 $ 8,034 18,622 (30,153) (191) (1,499) (572) 1,169 $  (4,590) Other Postretirement Benefits Pensions The Company’s accumulated postretirement benefit obligations, exclusive of pensions, take into account certain cost-sharing provisions. The annual rate of increase in the cost of covered benefits (i.e., healthcare cost trend rate) is assumed to be 14% at December 31, 2002, decreasing gradually to an ultimate rate of 5% at December 31, 2012. A one percentage point change in the assumed healthcare cost trend rate would have changed the ABO by approximately $1,490 at December 31, 2002, and would have changed the 2002 aggregate of the service and interest cost components of postretirement benefit expense by approximately $45.  The components of income before income taxes and the income tax provision follow: Back to Table of Contents PAGE 31 Income before income taxes: U.S. International Income before income taxes Income tax provision: Current: U.S. — federal  U.S. — state  International Deferred: U.S. — federal  U.S. — state U.S. — state rate reduction  International Income tax provision 2001 $ 2,368 21,091 $^{$}$23,459 $^{$ }$(3,407) (713) 3,699 (421) 4,470 1,121 — (832) 4,759 $ 4,338 2000 $ 19,763 28,827 $^{$ }$48,590 $  2,353 674 4,035 7,062 3,726 683 1,181 273 5,863 $^{$}$12,925 2002 $ 7,120 25,991 $ 33,111 $ 4,870 2,213 4,050 11,133 (4,350) (1,751) — 928 (5,173) $  5,960 11. Income Taxes NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS BARNES GROUP INC.