Figure 1. North American Surface Trade, Five Years: May 2007-April 2012

Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, Canada and Mexico, was 8.2 percent higher in April 2012 than in April 2011, totaling $79.8 billion (Table 1), according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the April 2012 value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico rose 7.4 percent from April 2008, early in the recession, and increased by 60.4 percent from April 2009, late in the recession (Table 3). Numbers in the press release are not adjusted for inflation.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in April increased by 70.5 percent compared to April 2002, a period of 10 years. Importsin April were up 60.2 percent since April 2002, while exports were up 84.3 percent (Table 3).  See Transborder Press Releases for historical data.

Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones, and other modes of transport.  In April, 86.5 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via land, 9.8 percent moved by vessel, and 3.7 percent moved by air (Figure 2).

Figure 2. North American Freight by Mode, April 2012

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico decreased 7.0 percent in April 2012 from March 2012 (Table 2). Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors such as weather.

U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade in April 2012 both increased compared to April 2011 with U.S.-Canada trade reaching $47.2 billion, a 5.6 percent increase, and U.S.-Mexico trade reaching $32.6 billion, a 12.0 percent increase. For trade statistics by mode, see Table 4 for Canada and Table 6 for Mexico.

In April, Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada as it has in previous years, at $5.9 billion, a 1.5 percent increase from April 2011 (Table 5).  Of the top 10 states by value, California had the largest percentage increase over April 2011, at 23.0 percent.

The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada by all surface modes of transportation in April was non-railway vehicles, valued at $9.3 billion (Table 8). 

Texas continued to lead all states in surface trade with Mexico at $11.7 billion, a 15.9 percent increase from April 2011 (Table 7).  Of the top 10 states by value, Tennessee had the biggest percentage increase, 31.4 percent.  The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico by surface modes of transportation in April was electrical machinery with $6.7 billion in trade (Table 9). 

For more information, see Transborder Press Releases for previous press releases and summary tables. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and individual state data.  BTS has scheduled release of May TransBorder numbers for July 31.

TABLE 1. VALUE OF MONTHLY U.S. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION TRADE WITH CANADA AND MEXICO

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

NOTE: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

TABLE 2. U.S. SURFACE TRADE WITH CANADA AND MEXICO BY SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

NOTES: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all surface modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail and pipeline modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation.  For additional detail, please refer to the TransBorder web page:

TABLE 3. APRIL 2012 SURFACE TRADE WITH CANADA AND MEXICO COMPARED WITH APRIL OF PRIOR YEARS

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

TABLE 4. U.S. MERCHANDISE TRADE WITH CANADA BY SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

NOTES: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all surface modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail and pipeline modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation.  For additional detail, please refer to the TransBorder web page:https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

TABLE 5. TOP 10 STATES TRADING WITH CANADA BY ALL SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

Ranked by April 2012 Surface Trade Value

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

NOTES: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

TABLE 6. U.S. MERCHANDISE TRADE WITH MEXICO BY SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

NOTES: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all surface modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail and pipeline modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation.  For additional details, please refer to the TransBorder web page:https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

TABLE 7. TOP 10 STATES TRADING WITH MEXICO BY ALL SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

Ranked by April 2012 Surface Trade Value

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/

NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding

TABLE 8. TOP FIVE COMMODITIES TRANSPORTED BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CANADA BY ALL SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 2012

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, based on Transborder Freight Data, available athttps://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/, as of April 20, 2012.

NOTE: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

TABLE 9. TOP FIVE COMMODITIES TRANSPORTED BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MEXICO BY ALL SURFACE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, APRIL 2012

(millions of current dollars)

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration,Bureau of Transportation Statistics, based on Transborder Freight Data, available athttps://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/, as of April 13, 2012.

NOTE: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.