Ownership Threshold for Accounting for an Investment as Equity Method

No definition available.

Name:	bgc_OwnershipThresholdForAccountingForInvestmentAsEquityMethod
Namespace Prefix:	bgc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 323

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (a)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized.

+ References

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 210.5-02.12)

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

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 323

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35755396&loc=d3e33749-111570

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the entity's proportionate share for the period of the net income (loss) of its investee (such as unconsolidated subsidiaries and joint ventures) to which the equity method of accounting is applied. This item includes income or expense related to stock-based compensation based on the investor's grant of stock to employees of an equity method investee.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 28

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 9

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 323

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35755396&loc=d3e33749-111570

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.12)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 11

-Article 7

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=bgc_ColadaContinuaChileanSaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=bgc_KeystoneElectricWireCableCoLtdMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=bgc_NostagGmbhCoKgMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=bgc_PakistanCablesLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=bgc_PdtlTradingCompanyLtdMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=bgc_ThaiCopperRodCompanyLtdMember
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Unconsolidated Affiliated Companies (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Ownership threshold, investment as equity method	50.00%
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies	$ 1.4	$ 1.7	$ 1.7
Unconsolidated affiliated companies	$ 17.5us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments	$ 19.0us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestments
PDTL Trading Company Ltd. [Member]
Ownership percentage in affiliated companies, less than	49.00%
Colada Continua Chilean, S.A. [Member]
Ownership percentage in affiliated companies, less than	41.00%
Nostag GmbH & Co. KG [Member]
Ownership percentage in affiliated companies, less than	33.00%
Pakistan Cables Limited [Member]
Ownership percentage in affiliated companies, less than	24.60%
Keystone Electric Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. [Member]
Ownership percentage in affiliated companies, less than	20.00%
Thai Copper Rod Company Ltd. [Member]
Ownership percentage in affiliated companies, less than	18.00%