Sales and revenues by geographic region (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenue from Related Parties	$ 105	$ 131
Revenues by geographic region	10,635	13,466
Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	10,723	13,582
Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	830	1,103
Construction Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	4,312	5,852
Revenues by geographic region	4,312	5,852
Construction Industries | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	(6)	21
Resource Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	1,979	2,647
Revenues by geographic region	1,979	2,647
Resource Industries | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	105	105
Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	3,618	4,233
Revenues by geographic region	3,618	4,233
Energy & Transportation | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	731	977
All Other | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	28	37
Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	9,914	12,724
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	9,909	12,732
Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	(23)	(45)
Revenues by geographic region	830	1,103
Financial Products
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	721	742
Financial Products | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	(93)	(108)
Financial Products Segment
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenue from Related Parties	105	131
Financial Products Segment | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	814	850
Financial Products Segment | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	0	0
Operating Segments | Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	3,618	4,233
North America
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	4,980	6,523
North America | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	(15)	(41)
North America | Financial Products | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	(54)	(69)
North America | Operating Segments | Construction Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	2,085	2,965
North America | Operating Segments | Resource Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	696	951
North America | Operating Segments | Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	1,738	2,151
North America | Operating Segments | All Other | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	5	8
North America | Operating Segments | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	4,509	6,034
North America | Operating Segments | Financial Products
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	471	489
North America | Operating Segments | Financial Products Segment | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	525	558
Latin America
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	892	1,134
Latin America | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	(2)	1
Latin America | Financial Products | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	(12)	(11)
Latin America | Operating Segments | Construction Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	265	319
Latin America | Operating Segments | Resource Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	320	423
Latin America | Operating Segments | Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	249	332
Latin America | Operating Segments | All Other | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	2	0
Latin America | Operating Segments | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	834	1,075
Latin America | Operating Segments | Financial Products
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	58	59
Latin America | Operating Segments | Financial Products Segment | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	70	70
EAME
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	2,437	2,607
EAME | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	(4)	(3)
EAME | Financial Products | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	(9)	(9)
EAME | Operating Segments | Construction Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	889	1,006
EAME | Operating Segments | Resource Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	395	468
EAME | Operating Segments | Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	1,053	1,032
EAME | Operating Segments | All Other | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	11	11
EAME | Operating Segments | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	2,344	2,514
EAME | Operating Segments | Financial Products
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	93	93
EAME | Operating Segments | Financial Products Segment | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	102	102
Asia Pacific
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	2,326	3,202
Asia Pacific | Machinery, Energy & Transportation | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	(2)	(2)
Asia Pacific | Financial Products | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	(18)	(19)
Asia Pacific | Operating Segments | Construction Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	1,073	1,562
Asia Pacific | Operating Segments | Resource Industries | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	568	805
Asia Pacific | Operating Segments | Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	578	718
Asia Pacific | Operating Segments | All Other | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	10	18
Asia Pacific | Operating Segments | Machinery, Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	2,227	3,101
Asia Pacific | Operating Segments | Financial Products
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	99	101
Asia Pacific | Operating Segments | Financial Products Segment | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenues by geographic region	117	120
Oil and Gas | Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	861	1,131
Power generation | Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	854	1,036
Industrial | Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	801	904
Transportation | Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues by geographic region	$ 1,102	$ 1,162