RELATED PARTIES (Summary Of Other Ownership Interests) (Details)
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Dec. 31, 2012
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Hibbing [Member] | Arcelor Mittal [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Ownership interest, equity method investment |
62.30%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_ArcelorMittalMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_HibbingMember
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Hibbing [Member] | WISCO [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Ownership interest, equity method investment |
0.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_WiscoMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_HibbingMember
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Hibbing [Member] | U. S. Steel Canada [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Ownership interest, equity method investment |
14.70%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_USSteelCanadaMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_HibbingMember
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Empire [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent |
79.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_EmpireMember
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Empire [Member] | Arcelor Mittal [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
21.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_EmpireMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_ArcelorMittalMember
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Empire [Member] | WISCO [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
0.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_EmpireMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_WiscoMember
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Empire [Member] | U. S. Steel Canada [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
0.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_EmpireMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_USSteelCanadaMember
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Tilden [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent |
85.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_TildenMember
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Tilden [Member] | Arcelor Mittal [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
0.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_TildenMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_ArcelorMittalMember
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Tilden [Member] | WISCO [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
0.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_TildenMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_WiscoMember
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Tilden [Member] | U. S. Steel Canada [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
15.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_TildenMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_USSteelCanadaMember
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Bloom Lake [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent |
82.80%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_BloomLakeMember
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75.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_BloomLakeMember
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Bloom Lake [Member] | Arcelor Mittal [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
0.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_BloomLakeMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_ArcelorMittalMember
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Bloom Lake [Member] | WISCO [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
17.20%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_BloomLakeMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_WiscoMember
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Bloom Lake [Member] | U. S. Steel Canada [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Noncontrolling Owners |
0.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByNoncontrollingOwners / clf_NameofOperationAxis = clf_BloomLakeMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = clf_USSteelCanadaMember
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Investments in Ventures [Member] | Hibbing [Member] |
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Related Party Transaction [Line Items] |
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Ownership interest, equity method investment |
23.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = clf_InvestmentsinVenturesMember / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = clf_HibbingMember
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