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DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014
Canadian Entities [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Discontinued Operation, Tax Effect of Discontinued Operation | $ 0 us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationTaxEffectOfDiscontinuedOperation / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember | $ 44,300,000 us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationTaxEffectOfDiscontinuedOperation / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember |
Business Exit Costs | (818,700,000)us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1 / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember | 0 us-gaap_BusinessExitCosts1 / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember |
Cost Method Investments | 0 us-gaap_CostMethodInvestments / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember |  |
North American Coal [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Pension and Other Postretirement Defined Benefit Plans, Liabilities | 330,000,000 us-gaap_PensionAndOtherPostretirementDefinedBenefitPlansLiabilitiesCurrentAndNoncurrent / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_NorthAmericanCoalMember |  |
Discontinued Operation, Tax Effect of Discontinued Operation | 100,000 us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationTaxEffectOfDiscontinuedOperation / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_NorthAmericanCoalMember | 7,200,000 us-gaap_DiscontinuedOperationTaxEffectOfDiscontinuedOperation / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_NorthAmericanCoalMember |
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges | (73,400,000)us-gaap_TangibleAssetImpairmentCharges / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_NorthAmericanCoalMember |  |
Asia Pacific Iron Ore [Member] | Asia Pacific Iron Ore [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Tangible Asset Impairment Charges |  |  | 526,500,000 us-gaap_TangibleAssetImpairmentCharges / clf_AssetgroupAxis = clf_AsiaPacificIronOreMember / clf_ReportingUnitAxis = clf_AsiaPacificIronOreMember
Other Current Assets [Member] | Canadian Entities [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Loans, Associated Interest and Accounts Receivable recognized in Consolidated Financials at Fair Value | 112,100,000 clf_LoansAssociatedInterestandAccountsReceivablerecognizedinConsolidatedFinancialsatFairValue / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherCurrentAssetsMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember |  |
Other Current Liabilities [Member] | Bloom Lake Group [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Contingent Liabilities recognized in Consolidated Financials | 166,100,000 clf_ContingentLiabilitiesrecognizedinConsolidatedFinancials / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherCurrentLiabilitiesMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_BloomLakeGroupMember |  |
Short-term Liabilities of Discontinued Operations [Member] | Canadian Entities [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities Recorded for Wholly-owned Subsidiaries of Bloom Lake Group that did not file CCAA | 51,400,000 clf_LiabilitiesRecordedforWhollyownedSubsidiariesofBloomLakeGroupthatdidnotfileCCAA / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_ShorttermLiabilitiesofDiscontinuedOperationsMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember |  |
Long-term Liabilities of Discontinued Operations [Member] | Canadian Entities [Member] |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |
Liabilities Recorded for Wholly-owned Subsidiaries of Bloom Lake Group that did not file CCAA | $ 125,200,000 clf_LiabilitiesRecordedforWhollyownedSubsidiariesofBloomLakeGroupthatdidnotfileCCAA / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_LongtermLiabilitiesofDiscontinuedOperationsMember / us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsAxis = clf_CanadianEntitiesMember |  |

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- Definition Amount of expenses associated with exit or disposal activities pursuant to an authorized plan. Includes, but is not limited to, one-time termination benefits, termination of an operating lease or other contract, consolidating or closing facilities, and relocating employees, and termination benefits associated with an ongoing benefit arrangement. Excludes expenses associated with special or contractual termination benefits, a discontinued operation or an asset retirement obligation. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 420 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6394359&loc=d3e17939-110869 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 420 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.P.4(b)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011515&loc=d3e140904-122747 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 420 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.P.3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011515&loc=d3e140864-122747 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section P -Subsection 3, 4 + Details
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- Definition Tax effect allocated to a disposal group that is classified as a component of the entity reported as a separate component of income before extraordinary items. Includes the tax effects of the following: income (loss) from operations during the phase-out period, gain (loss) on disposal, provision (or any reversals of earlier provisions) for loss on disposal, and adjustments of a prior period gain (loss) on disposal. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b),(c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6360339&loc=d3e1361-107760 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32672-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18498875&loc=d3e38679-109324 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6892542&loc=d3e957-107759 + Details
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