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INCOME TAXES (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2010
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Unrecognized Tax Benefits | $ 74,700,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | $ 74,400,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | $ 55,500,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits | $ 102,100,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries | 0 us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries | 1,200,000,000 us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries |  |
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, State and Local | 1,900,000,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal | 157,900,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal |  |
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign | 6,000,000,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign | 3,500,000,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign |  |
Future Economic Realizable Benefit | 108,100,000 clf_FutureEconomicRealizableBenefit |  |  |
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Foreign | 5,800,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign | 5,800,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsForeign |  |
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Alternative Minimum Tax | 267,700,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax | 299,200,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsAlternativeMinimumTax |  |
Income Tax Effects Allocated Directly To Equity, Equity Transactions, Acquisition of Noncontrolling Interest | 0 clf_IncomeTaxEffectsAllocatedDirectlyToEquityEquityTransactionsAcquisitionofNoncontrollingInterest | 102,100,000 clf_IncomeTaxEffectsAllocatedDirectlyToEquityEquityTransactionsAcquisitionofNoncontrollingInterest | 0 clf_IncomeTaxEffectsAllocatedDirectlyToEquityEquityTransactionsAcquisitionofNoncontrollingInterest |
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount | 1,361,000,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount |  |  |
Document Fiscal Year Focus | 2014 |  |  |
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations |
Current Fiscal Year End Date | --12-31 |  |  |
Reversal of Valuation Allowance on MRRT credits [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount | 291,000,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount / us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis = clf_ReversalofValuationAllowanceonMRRTcreditsMember |  |  |
Deferred Tax Asset, Canadian Deferred Tax Asset that will not be realized [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount | 1,273,200,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount / us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis = clf_DeferredTaxAssetForeignDeferredTaxAssetthatwillnotberealizedMember |  |  |
Deferred Tax Asset, Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Not Utilized [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount | 28,600,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount / us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis = clf_DeferredTaxAssetAlternativeMinimumTaxCreditNotUtilizedMember |  |  |
Deferred Ordinary Losses [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount | 18,200,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount / us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis = clf_DeferredOrdinaryLossesMember |  |  |
Deferred Tax Asset, Domestic Deferred Tax Asset that will not be realized [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Valuation Allowance, Deferred Tax Asset, Change in Amount | 402,500,000 us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceDeferredTaxAssetChangeInAmount / us-gaap_ValuationAllowanceByDeferredTaxAssetAxis = clf_DeferredTaxAssetDomesticDeferredTaxAssetthatwillnotberealizedMember |  |  |
Deferred Tax Assets [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Unrecognized Tax Benefits | 49,500,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_DeferredTaxAssetsMember | 48,500,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_DeferredTaxAssetsMember |  |
Other Liabilities [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Unrecognized Tax Benefits | 25,200,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesMember | 25,900,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesMember |  |
Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Income Tax Penalties and Interest Accrued | 2,100,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesMember | 1,200,000 us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesMember |  |
Deferred Tax Asset, Alternative Minimum Tax Credit Not Utilized [Member] |  |  |  |
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, Foreign | $ 540,700,000 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsForeign / clf_IncomeTaxDescriptionAxis = clf_DeferredTaxAssetAlternativeMinimumTaxCreditNotUtilizedMember |  |  |

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