Name:	cat_AdjustmenttoestimatedtaxformandatorydeemedrepatriationofnonU.S.earnings
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The amount of taxing authority proposed additional income tax and penalty for prior years.

No definition available.

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Income tax (expense) benefit reported discretely in the period and excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate

No definition available.

Name:	cat_Incometaxexpensebenefitreporteddiscretelyintheperiodandexcludedfromtheestimatedannualeffectivetaxrate
Namespace Prefix:	cat_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Amount of gain (loss) from change in actuarial assumptions which (increases) decreases benefit obligation of defined benefit plan. Assumptions include, but are not limited to, interest, mortality, employee turnover, salary, and temporary deviation from substantive plan.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

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Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319

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Amount of tax benefit from exercise of option under share-based payment arrangement.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2A
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=SL79508275-113901

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeTaxContingencyLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

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Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to revisions of previously reported income tax expense (benefit).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32687-109319