Question-and-Answer Session
Operator
Thank you. (Operator instructions). Our first question comes from George Staphos from Bank of America-Merrill Lynch. Please proceed with your question.
George Staphos -- Bank of America-Merrill Lynch
Thanks. Hi, everyone, good morning.
Dave Hoover
Good morning.
George Staphos -- Bank of America-Merrill Lynch
First question is on Europe. John, I was wondering if you could, if not precisely, generally break down what the sources of the EBIT variance were year on year, how much was, if anything, attributable to, again inventory costs that hopefully are now behind you?
John Hayes
George, very little of it was related to anything like that. It really had to do with the things I mentioned in my prepared remarks. Number one being a shift from 50 centiliter to 33 centiliter cans. And then the second thing was currency. We talked in the first quarter a little bit about steel and as we go into the second half of the year we think we have some tailwind on that but that was not a big component.
George Staphos -- Bank of America-Merrill Lynch
Okay, fair enough. The second question, as we think about free cash flow for the year, Ray, depending on how you want to adjust for the settlement last year, you're running, I think, anywhere between $60 million and $130 million ahead of last year's free cash flow number, roughly just operating cash minus CapEx, which would suggest that this year's free cash guidance of the range of 375 seems pretty achievable. Can you talk us through what some of the puts and takes around that might be? Because at least from our vantage point looks like that number probably has more upward than downward tension.
Ray Seabrook
Here is I would tell you, George. If you remember last year I think we overshot the mark by either these are $25 million or $35 million of what we thought. And so what happened is, working capital came in, working capital came in a little stronger than expected. These are numbers that hinges on what our year end working capital tends to be. Right now, as we look at it, we have commitments on metal and some other things that are going to make us probably have that working capital go a little higher. So probably, I think the 375 is good. We might see a little upside in that, but what you will probably see when we get to next year, you'll probably see me advertising a real big number, because some of that number that we're talking about coming out that, the amount we increase, the working capital issue will get it out next year. So I'm sticking with the 375, could be a little upside in that, and I think the real upside comes next year.
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