Long-Term Debt (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified											1 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended					6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012 Acofran [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Foreign Debt [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Foreign Debt [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Foreign Debt [Member] Acofran [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Foreign Debt [Member] China [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Foreign Debt [Member] China [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Foreign bank [Member] Acofran [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other party [Member] Acofran [Member]	Mar. 14, 2011 Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jan. 29, 2010 Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Aug. 01, 2011 Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Jul. 31, 2011 Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 [Member]	Mar. 14, 2011 Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 [Member] Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 [Member] Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 2014 Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 2015 Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 12% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 [Member]	Mar. 14, 2011 12% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 [Member] Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 12% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 [Member] Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 [Member]	May 01, 2009 12% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 [Member] Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 12% Senior Secured Notes due 2015 [Member] Floating Rate Senior Secured Notes due 2014 [Member] Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Owed to banks [Member] Foreign Debt [Member] China [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Owed to other parties [Member] Foreign Debt [Member] China [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Owed to other parties [Member] Foreign Debt [Member] China [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 February 1, 2015 [Member] Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	May 01, 2012 February 1, 2015 [Member] Ryerson Holding Notes [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Base Rate and Canadian Prime Rate [Member] Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Base Rate and Canadian Prime Rate [Member] Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 LIBOR and Banker's Acceptance Rate [Member] Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member] Maximum [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 LIBOR and Banker's Acceptance Rate [Member] Ryerson Secured Credit Facility [Member] Minimum [Member]
Long-Term Debt (Textual) [Abstract]
Amended and restated credit facility agreement	$ 22	$ 22									$ 1,350	$ 1,350
Notes maturity date																						Nov. 01, 2014						Nov. 01, 2015
Outstanding borrowings												521.0	520.0
Available Credit Facility				22	22							279	274
Prior to the scheduled maturity date of the floating rate senior secured notes																								90 days					90 days
All present and future shares of capital stock or other equity interests of each of our and each guarantor's directly owned domestic subsidiaries																														65.00%
2015 Notes states interest rate																												12.00%
Notes states interest rate																						7.375%																1.50%	0.75%	2.50%	1.75%
2014 Notes bear interest at a rate																									LIBOR plus 7.375%
Borrowing Percentage														0.50%	0.375%
Letters of credit issued by our foreign subsidiaries				10	6
Outstanding credit facility for notes	1,017.4	1,023.6																								102.9	368.7
Additional interest paid																															0.6
Weighted average interest rate on borrowing Credit Facility						11.70%				0.00%		2.60%	2.40%																				6.20%	5.40%	0.90%
Foreign debt	24.8	32.0	0.9				23.9	32.0	0.8	0.1																							30.1		1.9
Percentage of interest rate increase																			16.50%	15.50%	14.50%																17.00%
Extend the maturity date of agreement											Mar. 14, 2016
Default bear interest rate												2.00%
Ryerson Notes and guarantees secured																														1
Maximum percentage of dividend of future net income																									50.00%							50.00%
Principle of amount of offer rate of notes																														101.00%
Debt instrument accreted value																$ 455.98
Frequency of accretion																Semi-annual
Debt instrument face value per note																$ 1,000
Cash interest accrues on the Ryerson Holding Notes																	No cash interest accrues
Holding issued																483.0						102.9	102.9
Debt instrument increased interest rate																		1.00%		1.00%																0.50%
Accreted value of the Ryerson Holding Notes																	$ 317.0