Guarantees, Other Contingent Liabilities, And Other Matters (Details)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2011 USD ($) years	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)		Mar. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2010 Philip Morris Brasil Industria E Comercio [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Brazil For Banking Facilities Of Farmers [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2011 Brazil For Banking Facilities Of Farmers [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 Brazil For Banking Facilities Of Farmers [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 Fire Loss [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 Business Interruption [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2011 Business Interruption [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 08, 2010 Spain [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2004 Spain [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2004 Spain [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 30, 2010 Spain [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2010 Spain [Member] EUR (€)	Oct. 31, 2004 Spain [Member] Deltafina's [Member] EUR (€)	Oct. 31, 2004 Spain [Member] Tabacos Espanoles S.A [Member] EUR (€)	Oct. 31, 2004 Spain [Member] Five Companies Active In The Raw Spanish Tobacco Processing Market [Member] EUR (€)	Sep. 09, 2011 Italy [Member] EUR (€)	Nov. 15, 2005 Italy [Member] EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2011 Italy [Member] Deltafina's [Member] years	Nov. 30, 2011 Brazil [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Federal Funds Rate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Prime Rate Or One Month LIBOR [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Additional Margin [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Term Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Previous Revolving Credit Facility [Member] USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Company total exposure under guarantees										$ 33,000,000
Guarantee face amount including unpaid accrued interest										38,000,000	73,000,000	97,000,000
Fair value of the guarantees										5,000,000	21,000,000	20,000,000
Percentage of guarantees expiring within one year										95.00%
Percentage of guarantees expiring within five years										100.00%
Other contingent liabilities										4,000,000
Charge recorded to accrue European Commission fines				49,091,000	[1]	(7,445,000)	[1]										14,900,000	12,000,000
Expected resolution time for appeal, years																										2
Fines imposed by European Commission																					11,880,000	108,000	20,000,000	30,000,000	30,000,000
Accumulated interest on European Commission fine																								5,900,000
General Court decision reduced European Commission fine amount																6,120,000
Not justified percentage of European Commission's corresponding increase of the underlying fine																50.00%
Reversed European Commission fine previously recorded																			7,400,000	5,760,000
Accrued interest income returned on the European Commission fine escrow funds																			1,200,000
Advances to suppliers, current and non-current		187,000,000		187,000,000		245,000,000		271,000,000
Valuation allowance amount related to advances to suppliers		78,000,000		78,000,000		75,000,000		75,000,000
Provision for loss on uncollectible advances to suppliers				10,400,000		19,600,000
Proceeds from insurance settlement, investing activities				9,933,000									9,900,000
Gain on property and equipment fire loss insurance settlement			9,600,000	9,592,000
Proceeds from insurance settlement, operating activities														6,900,000
Gain on business interruption insurance settlement														2,100,000	4,800,000
Reversal of statutory severance liability due to law change in Malawi			4,000,000
Cash received in property exchange																											9,400,000
Number of warehouses acquired in property exchange																											2
Fair value of land and buildings acquired in property exchange																											11,200,000
Gain on sale/ exchange of property				11,111,000																							11,100,000
Assigned tobacco production contracts, number of farmers									8,100
Proceeds from assignment of farmer contracts and sale of related assets		34,900,000				34,946,000
Gain on assignment of farmer contracts and sale of related assets		19,400,000				19,368,000
Goodwill associated with assignment of farmer contracts and sale of related assets				5,800,000
Aggregate balance of recoverable value added tax credits		83,000,000		83,000,000
Valuation allowance on recoverable value added tax credits		25,000,000		25,000,000
Brazil audit assessment for tax, penalties, and interest on recoverable value added tax credits		26,000,000		26,000,000
Liability recorded for Brazil audit assessment for tax, penalties, and interest on recoverable value added tax credits		0		0
Number of years of bank credit agreement	5
Amount under revolving credit facility	450,000,000																																400,000,000
Fully funded amortizing term loan	$ 100,000,000
Margin rate on credit																												0.50%	1.00%	1.00%	1.70%	2.00%
Expiration date of revolving credit facility																																	August 2012
Maturity date of credit facility																															Nov. 01, 2016	Nov. 01, 2016

[1] Item is not included in segment operating income, but is included in consolidated operating income.