Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investments	$ 887								$ 657								$ 887		$ 657
Retained earnings	3,662								3,355								3,662		3,355
International Paper's share of affiliates' earnings (loss)																	61		140		111
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest																	754		1,287		712
Net earnings (loss)	235	[1],[2]	237	[3],[4]	134	[5]	188	[6],[7],[8]	281		468		219		354		794	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]	1,322	[9]	691
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Basic Share	$ 0.52	[1],[2]	$ 0.51	[3],[4]	$ 0.27	[5]	$ 0.42	[6],[8]	$ 0.65		$ 1.08		$ 0.51		$ 0.71	[7]	$ 1.72	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[8]	$ 2.95	[7]	$ 1.61
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ 0.54	[1],[2]	$ 0.54	[3],[4]	$ 0.31	[5]	$ 0.43	[6],[7],[8]	$ 0.65	[1],[2]	$ 1.08	[3],[4]	$ 0.51	[5]	$ 0.82	[6],[7],[8]	$ 1.82	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]	$ 3.06	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]	$ 1.61
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	$ 0.51	[1],[2]	$ 0.51	[3],[4]	$ 0.27	[5]	$ 0.42	[6],[8]	$ 0.65	[1],[2]	$ 1.08	[3],[4]	$ 0.51	[5]	$ 0.70	[6],[8]	$ 1.70	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[8]	$ 2.92	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[8]	$ 1.59
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ 0.53	[1],[2]	$ 0.54	[3],[4]	$ 0.31	[5]	$ 0.43	[6],[7],[8]	$ 0.65	[1],[2]	$ 1.08	[3],[4]	$ 0.51	[5]	$ 0.81	[6],[7],[8]	$ 1.80	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]	$ 3.03	[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]	$ 1.59
Maximum [Member] | Building [Member]
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Annual straight-line depreciation rates																	8.50%
Maximum [Member] | Machinery And Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Annual straight-line depreciation rates																	33.00%
Minimum [Member] | Building [Member]
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Annual straight-line depreciation rates																	2.50%
Minimum [Member] | Machinery And Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Annual straight-line depreciation rates																	5.00%
Brazil [Member]
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Acres of forestlands managed or owned	327,000																327,000
Equity Method Lag Adjustment [Member]
Summary Of Business And Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investments									25										25
Retained earnings									25										25
International Paper's share of affiliates' earnings (loss)																			(19)		47
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest																			(19)		47
Net earnings (loss)																			$ (19)		$ 47
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Basic Share																			$ (0.04)		$ 0.11
Earnings Per Share, Basic																			$ (0.04)		$ 0.11
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations																			$ (0.04)		$ 0.11
Earnings Per Share, Diluted																			$ (0.04)		$ 0.11

[1] (n)Includes a $24 million expense related to internal restructurings, a $9 million expense for costs associated with our acquisition of a majority interest in Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Limited, a $13 million tax benefit related to the release of a deferred tax asset valuation allowance, and a $2 million expense for other items.

[2] Includes a pre-tax charge of $17 million ($13 million after taxes) for an inventory write-off, severance and other costs associated with the restructuring of the Company’s xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $12 million ($7 million after taxes) for costs associated with the signing of an agreement to acquire Temple-Inland, a pre-tax gain of $4 million ($3 million after taxes) for an adjustment to the previously recorded loss to reduce the carrying value of the Company’s Shorewood business, a charge of $3 million (before and after taxes) for asset impairment charges at our Inverurie, Scotland mill which was closed in 2009, and a gain of $6 million (before and after taxes) for interest associated with a tax claim.

[3] Includes a tax benefit of $222 million related to the reduction of the carrying value of the Shorewood business and the write-off of a deferred tax liability associated with Shorewood, and noncontrolling interest income of $8 million (before and after taxes) associated with the fixed asset impairment of Shorewood Mexico.

[4] Includes a pre-tax charge of $16 million ($10 million after taxes) for costs associated with the acquisition of a majority share of Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Limited in India, a pre-tax charge of $18 million ($13 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of the Company’s xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $8 million ($5 million after taxes) for costs associated with signing an agreement to acquire Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $6 million ($4 million after taxes) for costs associated with the sale of the Company’s Shorewood operations, and a pre-tax charge of $82 million (a gain of $140 million after taxes) to reduce the carrying value of the Shorewood business based on the terms of the definitive agreement to sell this business.

[5] Includes a pre-tax charge of $27 million ($17 million after taxes) for an environmental reserve related to the Company’s property in Cass Lake, Minnesota, a pre-tax gain of $21 million ($13 million after taxes) related to the reversal of environmental reserves due to the announced repurposing of a portion of the Franklin mill, a pre-tax charge of $10 million ($6 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of the Company’s xpedx operations, and a pre-tax charge of $129 million ($104 million after taxes) for a fixed-asset impairment of the North American Shorewood business.

[6] Includes a pre-tax charge of $32 million ($19 million after taxes) for early debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax charge of $7 million ($4 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of the Company’s xpedx operations, and a charge of $8 million (before and after taxes) for asset impairment costs associated with the Inverurie, Scotland mill which was closed in 2009.

[7] Includes a pre-tax gain of $50 million ($30 million after taxes) for an earnout provision related to the sale of the Company’s Kraft Papers business completed in January 2007. Also, the Company sold its Brazilian Coated Paper business in the third quarter 2006. Local country tax contingency reserves were included in the business’ operating results in 2005 and 2006 for which the related statute of limitations has expired. The reserves were reversed and a tax benefit of $15 million plus associated interest income of $6 million ($4 million after taxes) was recorded.

[8] Includes a gain of $7 million (before and after taxes) related to a bargain price adjustment on an acquisition by our joint venture in Turkey.

[9] Text selection found with no content.