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BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Investments In Unconsolidated Ventures) (Details)
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12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||
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Dec. 31, 2014
USD ($)
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Dec. 31, 2013
USD ($)
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Dec. 31, 2014
Asia Pacific Iron Ore [Member]
Facility
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Dec. 31, 2013
Asia Pacific Iron Ore [Member]
Cockatoo [Member]
AUD
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Dec. 31, 2013
Investments in Ventures [Member]
Amapa [Member]
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Dec. 31, 2014
Investments in Ventures [Member]
Hibbing [Member]
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Dec. 31, 2014
Investments in Ventures [Member]
Other Equity Investees [Member]
USD ($)
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Dec. 31, 2013
Investments in Ventures [Member]
Other Equity Investees [Member]
USD ($)
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Dec. 31, 2014
Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member]
Hibbing [Member]
USD ($)
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Dec. 31, 2013
Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member]
Hibbing [Member]
USD ($)
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| Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items] | |||||||||||||||
| Ownership interest, equity method investment |
30.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_InvestmentsinVenturesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_AmapaMember |
23.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_InvestmentsinVenturesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_HibbingMember |
[1] | ||||||||||||
| Total percentage of Amapa sold |
100.00%clf_TotalPercentageOfAmapaSold / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_InvestmentsinVenturesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_AmapaMember |
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| Investment | $ 7,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments | $ 30,800,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments |
$ 3,900,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_InvestmentsinVenturesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_OtherEquityInvesteesMember |
$ 34,700,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_InvestmentsinVenturesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_OtherEquityInvesteesMember |
$ 3,100,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentLiabilitiesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_HibbingMember |
[1] |
$ (3,900,000)us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherNoncurrentLiabilitiesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_HibbingMember |
[1] | |||||||
| Proceeds from sale of economic interest (in AUD) |
4.00us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfInterestInJointVenture / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_CockatooMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = clf_AsiaPacificIronOreMember |
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| Number Of Mines |
1clf_NumberOfMines / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = clf_AsiaPacificIronOreMember |
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Number of mines No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
Total percentage of Amapa sold No definition available.
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition
The cash inflow from the sale of an investment interest in a joint venture that the reporting entity has not previously accounted for using consolidation or the equity method of accounting. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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| X | ||||||||||
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- Details
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