Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 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 nine fiscal months ended September 30, 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 results of the Asia Pacific businesses ("Asia Pacific") are presented in continuing operations for all periods disclosed in this report. Previously, the results of these businesses were presented as discontinued operations; however, in the third quarter of 2016 management determined that the held for sale criteria is no longer met for its China, New Zealand and Australia businesses primarily driven by management’s belief that the probability of a sale within one year is uncertain. The Company’s Asia Pacific businesses that have been sold to date, in the aggregate, are not considered a strategic shift; therefore, the Company no longer presents the Asia Pacific operations as discontinued operations in its financial statements for all periods presented. 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 were 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, prior to the Company's sale of the business, including currency exchange regulations which reduced access to dollars through currency exchange markets and local market dynamics, resulted in an other-than-temporary lack of exchangeability between the Venezuelan bolivar and U.S. dollar, and 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. For accounting purposes, this lack of exchangeability and governmental restrictions on operations resulted in a lack of control. 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. Since October 2, 2015, and through the date of the sale, the Company's financial results did not include the operating results of its Venezuelan subsidiary and the carrying value of the cost method investment was zero. On July 6, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its Venezuelan subsidiary, see Note 3 - Divestitures.

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 nine fiscal months ended September 30, 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 results of the Asia Pacific businesses ("Asia Pacific") are presented in continuing operations for all periods disclosed in this report. Previously, the results of these businesses were presented as discontinued operations; however, in the third quarter of 2016 management determined that the held for sale criteria is no longer met for its China, New Zealand and Australia businesses primarily driven by management’s belief that the probability of a sale within one year is uncertain. The Company’s Asia Pacific businesses that have been sold to date, in the aggregate, are not considered a strategic shift; therefore, the Company no longer presents the Asia Pacific operations as discontinued operations in its financial statements for all periods presented.

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 were 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, prior to the Company's sale of the business, including currency exchange regulations which reduced access to dollars through currency exchange markets and local market dynamics, resulted in an other-than-temporary lack of exchangeability between the Venezuelan bolivar and U.S. dollar, and 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. For accounting purposes, this lack of exchangeability and governmental restrictions on operations resulted in a lack of control. 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. Since October 2, 2015, and through the date of the sale, the Company's financial results did not include the operating results of its Venezuelan subsidiary and the carrying value of the cost method investment was zero.

On July 6, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its Venezuelan subsidiary, see Note 3 - Divestitures.