Sales and revenues by geographic region (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	$ 9,881	$ 12,758	$ 30,513	$ 40,656
Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	10,757	13,916	33,096	44,246
Nonreportable Subsegments Including Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	(982)	(1,269)	(2,913)	(3,947)
Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	9,951	12,881	30,720	41,017
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	(95)	(150)	(288)	(459)
Intersegment Eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	0	0	0	0
Intersegment Eliminations | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	806	1,035	2,376	3,229
Intersegment Eliminations | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	(887)	(1,119)	(2,625)	(3,488)
North America
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	4,251	6,102	13,617	19,959
North America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	4,300	6,206	13,764	20,262
North America | Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	(59)	(105)	(169)	(326)
Latin America
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	772	1,211	2,394	3,574
Latin America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	783	1,219	2,426	3,604
Latin America | Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	(12)	(14)	(36)	(37)
EAME
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	2,384	2,763	7,154	8,176
EAME | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	2,393	2,770	7,169	8,194
EAME | Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	(10)	(15)	(32)	(41)
Asia/Pacific
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	2,474	2,682	7,348	8,947
Asia/Pacific | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	2,475	2,686	7,361	8,957
Asia/Pacific | Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Corporate items and eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	(14)	(16)	(51)	(55)
Construction Industries | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	4,056	5,289	12,410	17,629
Construction Industries | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	4,048	5,275	12,392	17,573
Construction Industries | Intersegment Eliminations | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	8	14	18	56
Construction Industries | North America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1,781	2,728	5,470	9,206
Construction Industries | Latin America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	230	413	707	1,124
Construction Industries | EAME | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	796	1,048	2,618	3,162
Construction Industries | Asia/Pacific | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1,241	1,086	3,597	4,081
Resource Industries | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1,816	2,310	5,726	7,881
Resource Industries | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1,704	2,179	5,393	7,537
Resource Industries | Intersegment Eliminations | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	112	131	333	344
Resource Industries | North America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	487	789	1,690	2,798
Resource Industries | Latin America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	269	349	859	1,220
Resource Industries | EAME | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	384	396	1,158	1,310
Resource Industries | Asia/Pacific | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	564	645	1,686	2,209
Energy & Transportation
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	3,475	4,562	10,634	13,319
Energy & Transportation | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	4,161	5,452	12,659	16,148
Energy & Transportation | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	3,475	4,562	10,634	13,319
Energy & Transportation | Intersegment Eliminations | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	686	890	2,025	2,829
Energy & Transportation | North America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1,584	2,129	5,138	6,577
Energy & Transportation | Latin America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	221	378	667	1,035
Energy & Transportation | EAME | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1,113	1,224	3,095	3,416
Energy & Transportation | Asia/Pacific | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	557	831	1,734	2,291
Financial Products Segment
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Revenue from Related Parties	81	131	274	398
Financial Products Segment | Reportable Segments Including Intersegment Eliminations
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	724	865	2,301	2,588
Financial Products Segment | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	724	865	2,301	2,588
Financial Products Segment | Intersegment Eliminations | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	0	0	0	0
Financial Products Segment | North America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	448	560	1,466	1,681
Financial Products Segment | Latin America | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	63	79	193	225
Financial Products Segment | EAME | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	100	102	298	306
Financial Products Segment | Asia/Pacific | Operating Segments | Reportable Segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	113	124	344	376
All Other Operating Segments | Nonreportable Subsegments Including Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	106	111	330	357
All Other Operating Segments | Operating Segments | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	25	27	81	98
All Other Operating Segments | Intersegment Eliminations | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	81	84	249	259
All Other Operating Segments | North America | Operating Segments | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	10	1	22	23
All Other Operating Segments | Latin America | Operating Segments | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1	6	4	7
All Other Operating Segments | EAME | Operating Segments | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	1	8	17	23
All Other Operating Segments | Asia/Pacific | Operating Segments | All Other operating segments
Sales and revenues by geographic region
Sales and revenues	$ 13	$ 12	$ 38	$ 45