This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

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- Definition

This element represents the amount of revenue of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

+ References

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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- Definition

This element represents the amount of any measurement period adjustment (as defined) realized during the reporting period to inventory acquired in connection with a business combination for which the initial accounting was incomplete.

+ References

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4A
-Subparagraph (c)
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- Definition

Useful life of finite-lived intangible assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount after amortization of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 926
-SubTopic 20
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Remaining amortization period of finite-lived intangible assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance and having a projected indefinite period of benefit.

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- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents cash adjustment for consideration of business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The working capital adjustment in consideration transferred from an acquisition.

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No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	zeus_
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Note 2 - Acquisitions (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ in Thousands				12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2023	Jan. 03, 2023	Oct. 01, 2021	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Internally Developed Technology [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)				10 years
Internally Developed Technology [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)				15 years
Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net				$ 1,660	$ 208
Noncompete Agreements [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)				1 year
Noncompete Agreements [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)				5 years
Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net				$ 47,475	$ 10,459
Customer Relationships [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)				10 years
Customer Relationships [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)				26 years
Metal-Fab [Member]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross		$ 131,200
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred		131,000
Business Combination, Consideration Cash Adjustment		200
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs				$ 2,600
Business Combination, Provisional Information, Initial Accounting Incomplete, Adjustment, Inventory				2,100
Metal-Fab [Member] \| Trade Names [Member]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)		11,500
Metal-Fab [Member] \| Internally Developed Technology [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net		$ 5,300
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)		15 years
Metal-Fab [Member] \| Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net		$ 1,400
Metal-Fab [Member] \| Noncompete Agreements [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)		2 years
Metal-Fab [Member] \| Noncompete Agreements [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)		5 years
Metal-Fab [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net		$ 36,500
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)		26 years
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Remaining Amortization Period (Year)		26 years
Central Tube and Bar [Member]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	$ 40,300
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred	37,800
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs				900
Business Combination, Consideration Working Capital Adjustment	2,500
Central Tube and Bar [Member] \| Trade Names [Member]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill)	4,000
Central Tube and Bar [Member] \| Internally Developed Technology [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	$ 1,700
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)	10 years
Central Tube and Bar [Member] \| Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	$ 400
Central Tube and Bar [Member] \| Noncompete Agreements [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)	5 years
Central Tube and Bar [Member] \| Customer Relationships [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net	$ 3,500
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life (Year)	10 years
Shaw Stainless & Alloy, Inc [Member]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			$ 12,100
The 2023 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Revenue of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual				$ 110,300