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BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule Of Subsidiaries | The consolidated financial statements include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, including the following operations at December 31, 2016:
Name |  | Location |  | Ownership Interest |  | Operation |  | Status of Operations
Northshore |  | Minnesota |  | 100.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
United Taconite |  | Minnesota |  | 100.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
Tilden |  | Michigan |  | 85.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
Empire |  | Michigan |  | 79.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Indefinitely Idled
Koolyanobbing |  | Western Australia |  | 100.0% |  | Iron Ore |  | Active
Depreciation Disclosure [Table Text Block] | Depreciation is provided over the following estimated useful lives:
Asset Class |  | Basis |  | Life
Office and information technology |  | Straight line |  | 3 to 15 Years
Buildings |  | Straight line |  | 45 Years
Mining equipment |  | Straight line/Double declining balance |  | 3 to 20 Years
Processing equipment |  | Straight line |  | 10 to 45 Years
Electric power facilities |  | Straight line |  | 10 to 45 years
Land improvements |  | Straight line |  | 20 to 45 years
Asset retirement obligation |  | Straight line |  | Life of mine
Estimated Useful Lives Of Intangible Assets Subject To Periodic Amortization On Straight Line Basis Table [Text Block] | Other intangible assets are subject to periodic amortization on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives as follows:
Intangible Assets |  | Basis |  | Useful Life (years)
Permits - Asia Pacific Iron Ore |  | Units of production |  | Life of mine
Permits - USIO |  | Straight line |  | Life of mine
Reimbursements Revenue Disclosure [Table Text Block] | The following table is a summary of reimbursements in our U.S. Iron Ore operations for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014:
|  | (In Millions)
|  | Year Ended December 31,
|  | 2016 |  | 2015 |  | 2014
Reimbursements for: |  |  |  |  |  |
Freight |  | $ | 106.8 |  |  | $ | 105.3 |  |  | $ | 163.0 |
Venture partners’ cost |  | 68.0 |  |  | 52.0 |  |  | 108.0 |
Total reimbursements |  | $ | 174.8 |  |  | $ | 157.3 |  |  | $ | 271.0 |
Foreign Currency Transaction [Table Text Block] | The following represents the net gain related to impact of transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014:
|  | (In Millions)
|  | 2016 |  | 2015 |  | 2014
Remeasurement of intercompany loans |  | $ | (16.6 | ) |  | $ | 11.5 |  |  | $ | 19.7 |
Remeasurement of cash and cash equivalents |  | (1.0 | ) |  | 1.5 |  |  | 10.6 |
Other remeasurement |  | 0.8 |  |  | 3.3 |  |  | (1.3 | )
Net gain (loss) related to impact of transaction gains and losses resulting from remeasurement |  | (16.8 | ) |  | 16.3 |  |  | 29.0 |

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- Definition Describes the methodology and periods of time over which an entity anticipates to receive utility from its property, plant and equipment (that is, the periods of time over which an entity allocates the initial cost of its property, plant and equipment and the estimated useful life of the asset in a systematic and rational manner.) + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of subsidiaries or other investments that are consolidated. + References No definition available. + Details
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