Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation	3 Months Ended
Apr. 01, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation	Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of General Cable Corporation and Subsidiaries (“General Cable” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Results of operations for the three fiscal months ended April 1, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the full year. The December 31, 2015 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet amounts are derived from the audited financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto in General Cable’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2016. The Company's results from continuing operations do not include the results of the Asia Pacific businesses ("Asia Pacific"). The results of these businesses, which comprised a portion of the Africa/Asia Pacific segment, have been reclassified as discontinued operations. Previously, the results of these businesses included certain allocated corporate costs, which have been reallocated to the remaining continuing operations on a retrospective basis, which are included in the Africa/Asia Pacific segment. Results of these businesses for all periods disclosed in this report have been reclassified as discontinued operations. The Company’s first three fiscal quarters consist of 13-week periods ending on the Friday nearest to the end of the calendar months of March, June and September. The Company's fourth fiscal quarter consists of the first day following the third quarter through December 31. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of wholly-owned subsidiaries and majority-owned controlled subsidiaries. The Company records its investment in each unconsolidated affiliated Company (generally 20-50 percent ownership in which it has the ability to exercise significant influence) at its respective equity in net assets. Other investments (generally less than 20 percent ownership) are recorded at cost. All intercompany transactions and balances among the consolidated companies have been eliminated. Prior to October 2, 2015, the Company included the results of the Venezuelan operations in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements using the consolidation method of accounting. The Company’s Venezuelan earnings and cash flows are reflected in the historical Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements using a combination of official exchange rates, including the SICAD 1, SICAD 2 and SIMADI rates. Evolving conditions in Venezuela, including currency exchange regulations which reduced access to dollars through currency exchange markets and local market dynamics, have resulted in an other-than-temporary lack of exchangeability between the Venezuelan bolivar and U.S. dollar, and have restricted the Company's Venezuelan operations’ ability to pay dividends and satisfy certain other obligations denominated in U.S. dollars. Additionally, the existence of other governmental limitations restricted the Company's ability to control its Venezuelan operations. The Company expects this condition will continue for the foreseeable future. For accounting purposes, this lack of exchangeability and governmental restrictions on operations have resulted in a lack of control over the Company's Venezuelan subsidiary. Therefore, in accordance with ASC 810, the Company deconsolidated its Venezuelan subsidiary as of October 2, 2015 and began accounting for the investment in the Venezuelan subsidiary using the cost method of accounting. The Company's Venezuelan operations’ cash balance of $8.2 million at the date of deconsolidation (previously measured using the SIMADI exchange rates), is no longer reported in Cash and cash equivalents in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. There were no intercompany receivables due from the Venezuelan subsidiary at April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2015. At April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there was an intercompany payable of $2.9 million from the Company's Peru subsidiary that was classified to a third party trade payable in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. Since October 2, 2015, the Company's financial results have not included the operating results of its Venezuelan subsidiary. The Company's financial results will only include U.S. dollar payments received from its Venezuelan subsidiary. Dividends, if any, from the Venezuelan subsidiary are recorded as operating income upon receipt of the cash. We will continue to monitor the conditions in Venezuela and may return to consolidating our Venezuelan subsidiary should the Company’s ability to exert operational control return, as defined under US GAAP accounting rules. As of April 1, 2016, there have been no material developments in the conditions in Venezuela, including currency controls and governmental restrictions on operations, and this cost method investment has zero carrying value. Subsequent to the deconsolidation of the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiary under the majority voting interest framework on October 2, 2015, the subsidiary is considered a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company concluded that it is not deemed to be the primary beneficiary, and accordingly does not consolidate this subsidiary. To assess whether the Company has the power to direct the activities of the subsidiary that most significantly impact the subsidiary’s economic performance, the Company considered all facts and circumstances, including identifying the activities that most significantly impact the subsidiary’s economic performance, and determining if the Company has power over those activities. The Company is not obligated to provide, nor has it provided, any financial support to its Venezuelan subsidiary subsequent to deconsolidation. As such, the risk associated with the Company's involvement in this VIE is limited to the carrying value of the Company's investment in the entity, and any receivables due from the entity. As of April 1, 2016, the Company's maximum risk of loss related to VIEs in which the Company was not the primary beneficiary was zero.

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of General Cable Corporation and Subsidiaries (“General Cable” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Results of operations for the three fiscal months ended April 1, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the full year. The December 31, 2015 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet amounts are derived from the audited financial statements. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and notes thereto in General Cable’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2016. The Company's results from continuing operations do not include the results of the Asia Pacific businesses ("Asia Pacific"). The results of these businesses, which comprised a portion of the Africa/Asia Pacific segment, have been reclassified as discontinued operations. Previously, the results of these businesses included certain allocated corporate costs, which have been reallocated to the remaining continuing operations on a retrospective basis, which are included in the Africa/Asia Pacific segment. Results of these businesses for all periods disclosed in this report have been reclassified as discontinued operations.

The Company’s first three fiscal quarters consist of 13-week periods ending on the Friday nearest to the end of the calendar months of March, June and September. The Company's fourth fiscal quarter consists of the first day following the third quarter through December 31.

The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of wholly-owned subsidiaries and majority-owned controlled subsidiaries. The Company records its investment in each unconsolidated affiliated Company (generally 20-50 percent ownership in which it has the ability to exercise significant influence) at its respective equity in net assets. Other investments (generally less than 20 percent ownership) are recorded at cost. All intercompany transactions and balances among the consolidated companies have been eliminated.

Prior to October 2, 2015, the Company included the results of the Venezuelan operations in the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements using the consolidation method of accounting. The Company’s Venezuelan earnings and cash flows are reflected in the historical Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements using a combination of official exchange rates, including the SICAD 1, SICAD 2 and SIMADI rates. Evolving conditions in Venezuela, including currency exchange regulations which reduced access to dollars through currency exchange markets and local market dynamics, have resulted in an other-than-temporary lack of exchangeability between the Venezuelan bolivar and U.S. dollar, and have restricted the Company's Venezuelan operations’ ability to pay dividends and satisfy certain other obligations denominated in U.S. dollars. Additionally, the existence of other governmental limitations restricted the Company's ability to control its Venezuelan operations. The Company expects this condition will continue for the foreseeable future. For accounting purposes, this lack of exchangeability and governmental restrictions on operations have resulted in a lack of control over the Company's Venezuelan subsidiary. Therefore, in accordance with ASC 810, the Company deconsolidated its Venezuelan subsidiary as of October 2, 2015 and began accounting for the investment in the Venezuelan subsidiary using the cost method of accounting.

The Company's Venezuelan operations’ cash balance of $8.2 million at the date of deconsolidation (previously measured using the SIMADI exchange rates), is no longer reported in Cash and cash equivalents in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. There were no intercompany receivables due from the Venezuelan subsidiary at April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2015. At April 1, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there was an intercompany payable of $2.9 million from the Company's Peru subsidiary that was classified to a third party trade payable in the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Since October 2, 2015, the Company's financial results have not included the operating results of its Venezuelan subsidiary. The Company's financial results will only include U.S. dollar payments received from its Venezuelan subsidiary. Dividends, if any, from the Venezuelan subsidiary are recorded as operating income upon receipt of the cash. We will continue to monitor the conditions in Venezuela and may return to consolidating our Venezuelan subsidiary should the Company’s ability to exert operational control return, as defined under US GAAP accounting rules. As of April 1, 2016, there have been no material developments in the conditions in Venezuela, including currency controls and governmental restrictions on operations, and this cost method investment has zero carrying value.

Subsequent to the deconsolidation of the Company’s Venezuelan subsidiary under the majority voting interest framework on October 2, 2015, the subsidiary is considered a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company concluded that it is not deemed to be the primary beneficiary, and accordingly does not consolidate this subsidiary. To assess whether the Company has the power to direct the activities of the subsidiary that most significantly impact the subsidiary’s economic performance, the Company considered all facts and circumstances, including identifying the activities that most significantly impact the subsidiary’s economic performance, and determining if the Company has power over those activities.

The Company is not obligated to provide, nor has it provided, any financial support to its Venezuelan subsidiary subsequent to deconsolidation. As such, the risk associated with the Company's involvement in this VIE is limited to the carrying value of the Company's investment in the entity, and any receivables due from the entity. As of April 1, 2016, the Company's maximum risk of loss related to VIEs in which the Company was not the primary beneficiary was zero.