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FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS (Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, Notional Amount $ 374invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount $ 459invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount  
AOCI, Net gain (loss) in net investment in foreign operations 15dow_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromForeignCurrencyHedgesEffectNetOfTax 27dow_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromForeignCurrencyHedgesEffectNetOfTax  
Commodity swaps futures and option contracts [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, Higher Remaining Maturity Range 72 months 36 months  
Commodity Forward Contract Corn [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives 1,300,000.0dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractCornMember
2,700,000.0dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractCornMember
 
Commodity Contract [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
AOCI, Net gain (loss) in cash flow hedging instruments (96)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_CommodityContractMember
14us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_CommodityContractMember
 
Commodity Forward Contract Crude Oil [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives 0.5dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractCrudeOilMember
0.5dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractCrudeOilMember
 
Commodity Forward Contract Natural Gas [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives 192.5dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractNaturalGasMember
82.9dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractNaturalGasMember
 
Commodity Contract Ethane [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives 0.9dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractEthaneMember
1.0dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractEthaneMember
 
Derivative, nonmonetary notional amount 0.2invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractEthaneMember
0.3invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractEthaneMember
 
Commodity Contract Naphtha [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives 0dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractNaphthaMember
3,000.0dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractNaphthaMember
 
Commodity Contract Gasoline [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, nonmonetary notional amount 15,000.0invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractGasolineMember
0invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractGasolineMember
 
Commodity Contract Naphtha Price Spread [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, nonmonetary notional amount 91,000.0invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractNaphthaPriceSpreadMember
0invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractNaphthaPriceSpreadMember
 
Commodity Contract Natural Gas [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, nonmonetary notional amount 0.5invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractNaturalGasMember
5.2invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityContractNaturalGasMember
 
Foreign Currency Contract [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, Notional Amount 20,156invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
17,228invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
 
AOCI, Net gain (loss) in cash flow hedging instruments 31us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
(11)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
 
Interest Rate Contract [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, Notional Amount 0invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
   
AOCI, Net gain (loss) in cash flow hedging instruments (8)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
(3)us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossCumulativeChangesInNetGainLossFromCashFlowHedgesEffectNetOfTax
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
 
Commodity Forward Contract Soybeans [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Nonmonetary notional amount of price risk cash flow hedge derivatives 1,200,000.0dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractSoybeansMember
800,000.0dow_NonmonetaryNotionalAmountOfPriceRiskCashFlowHedgeDerivativesMeasurement
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= dow_CommodityForwardContractSoybeansMember
 
Other Expense [Member] | Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] | Foreign Currency Contract [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income, Net (333)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember
89us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember
(9)us-gaap_DerivativeGainLossOnDerivativeNet
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
/ us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis
= us-gaap_NondesignatedMember
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_OtherExpenseMember
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Commodity Contract [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Price Risk Cash Flow Hedge Unrealized Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months (64)us-gaap_PriceRiskCashFlowHedgeUnrealizedGainLossToBeReclassifiedDuringNext12Months
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_CommodityContractMember
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember
   
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Foreign Currency Contract [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months 31us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyCashFlowHedgeGainLossToBeReclassifiedDuringNext12Months
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember
   
Scenario, Forecast [Member] | Interest Rate Contract [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Interest Rate Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months, Net (4)us-gaap_InterestRateCashFlowHedgeGainLossToBeReclassifiedDuringNext12MonthsNet
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
/ us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis
= us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember
   
Interest Rate Derivative [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Derivative, Notional Amount 434invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ dow_InterestRateDerivativeAxis
= dow_InterestRateDerivativeMember
417invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
/ dow_InterestRateDerivativeAxis
= dow_InterestRateDerivativeMember
 
Foreign Currency Denominated Debt [Member]      
Financial Instruments [Line Items]      
Nonderivative Instruments Notional $ 167dow_NonderivativeInstrumentsNotional
/ dow_NetForeignInvestmentHedgeAxis
= dow_ForeignCurrencyDenominatedDebtMember
$ 190dow_NonderivativeInstrumentsNotional
/ dow_NetForeignInvestmentHedgeAxis
= dow_ForeignCurrencyDenominatedDebtMember