Long-Term Debt - Foreign Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Foreign debt	$ 32.5	$ 25.7
Owed To Banks [Member] \| Ryerson China [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Foreign debt	32.5	25.7
Foreign Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Available credit facility	16	22
Letters of credit issued by our foreign subsidiaries	$ 3	$ 4
Foreign Debt [Member] \| Owed To Banks [Member] \| Ryerson China [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rate	4.60%	4.30%

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 22

-Article 5

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant