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Label Element Value
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName GMO TRUST
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jun. 30, 2012
GMO Trust | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading GMO EMERGING COUNTRY DEBT FUND
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock Total return in excess of that of its benchmark, the J.P. Morgan EMBI Global.
Expense [Heading] rr_ExpenseHeading Fees and expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock The tables below describe the fees and expenses that you may pay for each class of shares if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text] rr_ShareholderFeesCaption Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text] rr_OperatingExpensesCaption Annual Fund operating expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination June 30, 2013
Portfolio Turnover [Heading] rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading Portfolio turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block] rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During its fiscal year ended February 29, 2012, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate (excluding short-term investments) was 29% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate 29.00%
Expense Example [Heading] rr_ExpenseExampleHeading Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block] rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same as those shown in the table. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Expense Example by, Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleByYearCaption If you sell your shares
Expense Example, No Redemption, By Year, Caption [Text] rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionByYearCaption If you do not sell your shares
Strategy [Heading] rr_StrategyHeading Principal investment strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block] rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock The Fund invests primarily in external sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt instruments of emerging countries. External debt is debt issued abroad with respect to the issuing country, usually denominated in the currency of the market in which it is issued (e.g., U.S. dollar, Euro, Japanese yen, Swiss franc and British pound sterling). Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests directly and indirectly (e.g., through other GMO Funds or derivatives) at least 80% of its assets in debt investments tied economically to emerging countries (see “Name Policies”). The term “emerging countries” means the world’s less developed countries. In general, similar to the Fund’s benchmark, the Fund considers “emerging countries” to be low- and middle-income countries, as well as countries that have defaulted on their obligations within the last 10 years.

The Fund typically gains its investment exposure by purchasing debt instruments or by using derivatives, typically credit default swaps. The Fund maintains a substantial portion of its assets in below investment grade exposures, which exposures are associated with investments having high risk, speculative characteristics (commonly referred to as “junk”), either through direct holdings or indirectly through derivatives. Generally, at least 75% of the Fund’s assets are denominated in, or hedged into, U.S. dollars. The Fund’s performance is likely to be more volatile than that of its benchmark.

The Manager emphasizes a bottom-up approach to select sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt instruments, using analytical techniques that seek to uncover the most undervalued instrument(s) issued by a particular sovereign or quasi-sovereign entity. The Manager also considers its outlook for a country in making investment decisions and typically uses portfolio cash flows to rebalance the Fund’s portfolio.

In pursuing its investment objective, the Fund typically uses exchange-traded and over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives, including options, swap contracts (in addition to credit default swaps), currency forwards (including currency forwards on currencies of the developed markets), reverse repurchase agreements and futures. The Fund is not limited in its use of derivatives or in the absolute face value of its derivative positions. As a result of its derivative positions, the Fund will typically have gross investment exposures in excess of its net assets (i.e., the Fund will be leveraged) and therefore is subject to heightened risk of loss. The Fund’s performance can depend substantially, if not primarily, on derivative reference assets that the Fund does not own.

The Fund also has direct and indirect holdings in U.S. asset-backed securities. For cash management purposes, the Fund may invest in U.S. Treasury Fund and unaffiliated money market funds.

The Manager normally seeks to maintain the Fund’s interest rate duration to that of its benchmark (approximately 7.1 years as of 05/31/12). For an additional discussion of duration, see “Additional Information About the Funds’ Investment Strategies, Risks, and Expenses – Fixed Income Funds – Duration.”
Risk [Heading] rr_RiskHeading Principal risks of investing in the Fund
Risk Narrative [Text Block] rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock The value of the Fund’s shares changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors can affect this value, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The Fund is a non-diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and therefore a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect the Fund’s performance more than if the Fund were a diversified investment company. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are summarized below. For a more complete discussion of these risks, see “Description of Principal Risks.”
  • Market Risk – Fixed Income Investments – The market price of a fixed income investment can decline due to a number of market-related factors, including rising (or, in some limited cases, declining) interest rates and widening credit spreads, or decreased liquidity that reflect the market’s uncertainty about the value of a fixed income investment (or class of fixed income investments). In addition, the market price of emerging country sovereign and quasi-sovereign debt instruments can decline due to market uncertainty about their credit quality and the reliability of their payment streams.
  • Credit Risk – The Fund runs the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income investment will be unable or unwilling to satisfy its obligation to pay principal and interest or otherwise to honor its obligations in a timely manner. The market price of a fixed income investment will normally decline as a result of the issuer’s or guarantor’s failure to meet its payment obligations. In addition, investments in emerging country sovereign debt involve a heightened risk that the issuer responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to pay interest and repay principal when due, and the Fund may lack recourse against the issuer in the event of default. Investments in quasi-sovereign debt are also subject to the risk that the issuer will default independently of its sovereign. Below investment grade securities have speculative characteristics, and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to impair the capacity of issuers to make principal and interest payments than is the case with issuers of investment grade securities.
  • Liquidity Risk – Low trading volume, lack of a market maker, large position size, or legal restrictions may limit or prevent the Fund from selling particular securities or unwinding derivative positions at desirable prices. In addition, because the Fund typically invests in securities that are less liquid than those in its benchmark, in rapidly declining markets the percentage decline in the Fund’s investments is likely to exceed that of its benchmark.
  • Leveraging Risk – The use of reverse repurchase agreements and other derivatives and securities lending creates leverage. Leverage increases the magnitude of the Fund’s losses when the value of its investments (including derivatives) declines.
  • Derivatives Risk – The use of derivatives involves the risk that their value may not move as expected relative to the value of the relevant underlying assets, rates, or indices. Derivatives also present other risks, including market risk, liquidity risk, currency risk and counterparty risk.
  • Market Risk – Asset-Backed Securities – The market price of fixed income investments with complex structures, such as asset-backed securities, can decline due to a number of factors, including market uncertainty about their credit quality and the reliability of their payment streams. Payment streams associated with asset-backed securities held by the Fund depend on many factors (e.g., the cash flow generated by the assets backing the securities, the deal structure, the credit worthiness of any credit-support provider, and the reliability of various other service providers with access to the payment stream) and a problem in any one of these areas can lead to a decrease in the payment stream expected by the Fund at the time it purchased the asset-backed security.
  • Currency Risk – Fluctuations in exchange rates can adversely affect the market value of the Fund’s non-U.S. currency holdings and investments denominated in non-U.S. currencies.
  • Management and Operational Risk – The Fund runs the risk that GMO’s investment techniques will fail to produce desired results. The Fund’s portfolio managers may use quantitative analyses and models, and any imperfections or limitations in those analyses and models could affect the ability of the portfolio managers to implement the strategies they wish to pursue. By necessity, these analyses and models make simplifying assumptions that limit their efficacy. Models that appear to explain prior market data can fail to predict future market events. Further, the data used in models may be inaccurate and may not include the most recent information about a company or a security. The Fund also runs the risk that GMO’s fundamental assessment of an investment may be wrong or that deficiencies in GMO’s or another service provider’s internal systems or controls will cause losses for the Fund or impair Fund operations.
  • Counterparty Risk – The Fund runs the risk that the counterparty to an OTC derivatives contract or a borrower of the Fund’s securities will be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations. The risk of counterparty default is particularly acute in economic environments in which financial services firms are exposed to systemic risks of the type evidenced by the insolvency of Lehman Brothers in 2008 and subsequent market disruptions.
  • Focused Investment Risk – Focusing investments in a limited number of countries, regions, sectors, or companies creates more risk than if the Fund’s investments were less correlated.
  • Market Disruption and Geopolitical Risk – Geopolitical and other events may disrupt securities markets and adversely affect global economies and markets. Those events, as well as other changes in non-U.S. and U.S. economic and political conditions, could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments.
  • Large Shareholder Risk – To the extent that a large number of shares of the Fund is held by a single shareholder (e.g., an institutional investor or another GMO Fund) or a group of shareholders with a common investment strategy (e.g., GMO asset allocation accounts), the Fund is subject to the risk that a redemption by those shareholders of all or a large portion of their Fund shares will disrupt the Fund’s operations.
Risk Lose Money [Text] rr_RiskLoseMoney Many factors can affect this value, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text] rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus The Fund is a non-diversified investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and therefore a decline in the market value of a particular security held by the Fund may affect the Fund’s performance more than if the Fund were a diversified investment company.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading] rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading Performance
Performance Narrative [Text Block] rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s annual total returns from year to year for the periods indicated and by comparing the Fund’s average annual total returns for different calendar periods with those of the Fund’s benchmark (which is a broad-based index) and a composite index computed by the Manager. Purchase premiums and redemption fees are not reflected in the bar chart, but are reflected in the table; as a result, the returns in the table are lower than the returns in the bar chart. Returns in the table reflect current purchase premiums and redemption fees. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant if you are tax-exempt or if you hold your Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements (such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account). After-tax returns are shown for Class III shares only; after-tax returns for other classes will vary. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text] rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund’s annual total returns from year to year for the periods indicated and by comparing the Fund’s average annual total returns for different calendar periods with those of the Fund’s benchmark (which is a broad-based index) and a composite index computed by the Manager.
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text] rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture Past performance (before and after taxes) is not an indication of future performance.
Bar Chart [Heading] rr_BarChartHeading Annual Total Returns/Class III Shares
Years Ending December 31
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text] rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads Purchase premiums and redemption fees are not reflected in the bar chart, but are reflected in the table; as a result, the returns in the table are lower than the returns in the bar chart.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block] rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock Highest Quarter: 20.29% (3Q2009)
Lowest Quarter: –23.39 (4Q2008)
Year-to-Date (as of 3/31/12): 9.05%
Performance Table Heading rr_PerformanceTableHeading Average Annual Total Returns
Periods Ending December 31, 2011
Performance Table Does Reflect Sales Loads rr_PerformanceTableDoesReflectSalesLoads Returns in the table reflect current purchase premiums and redemption fees.
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred Actual after-tax returns depend on your tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns shown are not relevant if you are tax-exempt or if you hold your Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements (such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account).
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text] rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown After-tax returns are shown for Class III shares only; after-tax returns for other classes will vary.
GMO Trust | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Purchase premium (as a percentage of amount invested) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 0.50%
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption 0.50%
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.35% [1]
Shareholder service fee rr_DistributionOrSimilarNon12b1FeesOverAssets 0.15% [1]
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.22% [2]
Total annual operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.72%
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 175 [3]
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 335
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 510
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 1,016
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 123 [3]
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 279
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 449
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 940
2002 rr_AnnualReturn2002 19.35%
2003 rr_AnnualReturn2003 36.39%
2004 rr_AnnualReturn2004 19.00%
2005 rr_AnnualReturn2005 15.77%
2006 rr_AnnualReturn2006 14.81%
2007 rr_AnnualReturn2007 9.19%
2008 rr_AnnualReturn2008 (33.25%)
2009 rr_AnnualReturn2009 50.17%
2010 rr_AnnualReturn2010 25.64%
2011 rr_AnnualReturn2011 7.50%
Year to Date Return, Label rr_YearToDateReturnLabel Year-to-Date
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return, Date rr_BarChartYearToDateReturnDate Mar. 31, 2012
Bar Chart, Year to Date Return rr_BarChartYearToDateReturn 9.05%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel Highest Quarter:
Highest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate Sep. 30, 2009
Highest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn 20.29%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel Lowest Quarter:
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn (23.39%)
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 6.43%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 7.92%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 14.18%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 16.44%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 19, 1994
GMO Trust | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class IV
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Purchase premium (as a percentage of amount invested) rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice 0.50%
Redemption fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed) rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption 0.50%
Management fee rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.35% [1]
Shareholder service fee rr_DistributionOrSimilarNon12b1FeesOverAssets 0.10% [1]
Other expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets 0.22% [2]
Total annual operating expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.67%
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 170 [3]
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 320
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear05 483
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear10 956
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01 118 [3]
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03 263
5 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05 421
10 Years rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10 880
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 6.48%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 7.99%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 14.26%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 12.41%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 09, 1998
GMO Trust | Return After Taxes on Distributions | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 2.81%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.10%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.58%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 10.46%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 19, 1994
GMO Trust | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 3.82%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 4.46%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 9.62%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 10.55%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 19, 1994
GMO Trust | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global (Fund benchmark) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 8.46%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.08%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 11.04%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 11.87%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 19, 1994
GMO Trust | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global (Fund benchmark) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class IV
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 8.46%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.08%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 11.04%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 9.84%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 09, 1998
GMO Trust | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global+ (Composite index) | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class III
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 8.46%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.08%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 11.04%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 11.78%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Apr. 19, 1994
GMO Trust | J.P. Morgan EMBI Global+ (Composite index) | GMO Emerging Country Debt Fund | Class IV
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
1 Year rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01 8.46%
5 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05 8.08%
10 Years rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10 11.04%
Incept. rr_AverageAnnualReturnSinceInception 9.74%
Inception Date rr_AverageAnnualReturnInceptionDate Jan. 09, 1998
[1] Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC (the "Manager" or "GMO") has agreed to waive and/or reduce the Fund's management fees and shareholder service fees to the extent necessary to offset the management fees and shareholder service fees directly or indirectly paid to the Manager as a result of the Fund's direct or indirect investments in other GMO Funds. Management fees and shareholder service fees will not be waived below zero. These waivers will continue through at least June 30, 2013, and may not be terminated prior to this date without the action or consent of the Fund's Board of Trustees.
[2] The amounts include interest expense incurred by the Fund as a result of entering into reverse repurchase agreements. "Other expenses" (before addition of interest expense) and interest expense were 0.13% and 0.09%, respectively.
[3] After reimbursement