VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES AND PREFERRED SECURITIES OF SUBSIDIARIES (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			5 Months Ended	3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2007 acre	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2007	Oct. 31, 2007 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Dec. 31, 2006 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Class B Interests In Entities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Class B Interests In Entities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2006 Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Class B Interests In Entities [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Timber Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2006 Timber Notes [Member] acre	Jun. 21, 2012 Timber Notes [Member] B N P Paribas [Member]	Oct. 07, 2011 Timber Notes [Member] Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Plc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 2007 Financing Entities [Member]	Mar. 27, 2013 Preferred Securities Of Subsidiaries [Member]	Mar. 30, 2003 Preferred Securities Of Subsidiaries [Member] acre	May 31, 2002 2002 Financing Entities [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Financial Assets [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Financial Liabilities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Barclays Private Limited Company [Member] Two Thousand Seven Monetized Notes [Member]	Jun. 21, 2012 Barclays Private Limited Company [Member] Two Thousand Seven Monetized Notes [Member]	Dec. 19, 2012 B N P Paribas [Member] Timber Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Societe Generale Sa [Member] Timber Notes [Member]	Jan. 23, 2012 Societe Generale Sa [Member] Timber Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Societe Generale Sa [Member] Two Thousand Seven Monetized Notes [Member]	Jan. 23, 2012 Societe Generale Sa [Member] Two Thousand Seven Monetized Notes [Member]	Feb. 29, 2012 Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Plc [Member] Timber Notes [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Plc [Member] Timber Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Plc [Member] Timber Notes [Member]	Feb. 10, 2012 Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Plc [Member] Timber Notes [Member]	Nov. 22, 2011 Royal Bank Of Scotland Group Plc [Member] Timber Notes [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Forestlands acreage sales	1,550,000												5,600,000
Amount of consideration received							$ 2,380,000,000	$ 4,800,000,000
Contribution of Class A interests in the Borrower Entities to other newly formed entities in December 2006								200,000,000
Contribution of International Paper promissory notes, to other newly formed entities								400,000,000
Class B interests held in entities in December 2006											5,000,000,000
Letters of credit downgrade period of replacement												60 days				30 days															60 day
Entities acquired International Paper debt obligations for cash								4,800,000,000											500,000,000
International Paper debt obligations held by the Entities		9,683,000,000	9,683,000,000					5,200,000,000	5,300,000,000
Interest, offset against related debt obligations of the entities									5,200,000,000
Remainder of the borrowing included in long-term debt		8,900,000,000	8,900,000,000		9,696,000,000	2,140,000,000			76,000,000	79,000,000
Additional debt included in notes payable and current maturities		783,000,000	783,000,000		444,000,000				79,000,000	79,000,000
Letters of credit issued that support Timber Notes	2,380,000,000													707,000,000	1,600,000,000								500,000,000			666,000,000		506,000,000			797,000,000	135,000,000	707,000,000
Replacement fees incurred																						6,000,000			5,000,000		2,000,000		5,000,000	5,000,000
The percent of letters of credit supporting Timber Notes and Monetized Note that are cash collateralized		100.00%	100.00%
Transferred notes (the Monetized Notes) and cash to entities in exchange for preferred interests																			500,000,000
Long-term notes, maturity term																			10 years
Fair value of notes receivable as of acquisition date				2,090,000,000
Notes receivable, fair value disclosure		2,510,000,000	2,510,000,000
Fair value of financial assets as of acquisition date						2,030,000,000
Long-term debt, fair value		2,390,000,000	2,390,000,000
Preferred third-party interest, included in noncontrolling interest		312,000,000	312,000,000		332,000,000													150,000,000
Forestlands acres held in United States initially by Southeast timber																		1,500,000
Distributions under preferred securities to third party investors		1,000,000	1,000,000	4,000,000
Preferred securities issued to a private investor with future dividend payments based on LIBOR in March 2003																	150,000,000
Goodwill, translation and purchase accounting adjustments																				$ 292,000,000	$ (110,000,000)
Number of days notice to terminate replacement waiver																								30 days