Figure 1: North American Surface Trade, Month of January 1995-2012 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012 - Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American neighbors, Canada and Mexico, was 11.5 percent higher in January 2012 than in January 2011, totaling $75.5 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 January 2012 value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico, the United States North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, rose 15.9 percent from January 2008, which was one month after the start of the recession, and 59.2 percent from January 2009, in the middle of the recession (Table 3).

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in January increased by 82.8 percent compared to January 2002, a period of 10 years. Imports in January were up 72.7 percent since January 2002, while exports were up 96.5 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. In January, 86.3 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via land, 9.8 percent moved by vessel, and 3.9 percent moved by air (Figure 2). By All modes of transportation, U.S.-Canada trade and U.S.-Mexico trade accounted for 16.2 percent and 12.8 percent, respectively, of total U.S.-world trade in January 2012.

North American Surface Freight by Mode, January 2012 

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico increased 1.8 percent in January 2012 from December 2011 (Table 2). Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.

U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade both increased compared to January 2011 with U.S.-Canada reaching $44.1 billion, a 9.6 percent increase, and U.S.-Mexico reaching $31.4 billion, a 14.3 percent increase. For trade statistics by mode, see Table 4 for Canada and Table 6 for Mexico.

In January trade by state, Michigan led All states in surface trade with Canada as it has in previous years, at $5.6 billion, a 14.0 percent increase from January 2011 (Table 5). Of the top 10 states by value, Illinois had the largest percentage increase over January 2011, at 26.2 percent. About half of the $5.0 billion in Illinois-Canada trade was in the importation of oil and gas via pipeline. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada by surface modes of transportation in January was oil and gas, valued at $8.3 billion (Table 8). Most of this trade, $7.3 billion, consisted of U.S. imports from Canada, including $6.7 billion of oil and gas imports via pipeline. U.S. imports of oil and gas from Canada via All surface modes peaked in July 2008 at $9.5 billion.

Texas also continued to lead All states in surface trade with Mexico at $11.5 billion, a 20.1 percent increase from January 2011 (Table 7). January 2012 was the second highest month on record for Texas Mexico trade, which peaked in August 2011 at $11.9 billion. Of the top 10 states by value, Tennessee had the biggest percentage increase, 32.3 percent. Of the $703 million in Tennessee Mexico trade, $188 million was in computer related machinery and parts. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico by surface modes of transportation in January was electrical machinery with $6.4 billion in trade (Table 8).

The news release and summary tables can be found at www.bts.gov. More information on TransBorder Freight Data, data from previous months, and individual state data are available online on the BTS website at https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/TransBorder-Freight-Data/myhq-rm6q/. BTS has scheduled release of February TransBorder numbers for May 1.

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

(millions of 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 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 3. JANUARY 2012 SURFACE TRADE WITH CANADA AND MEXICO COMPARED WITH JANUARY 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 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 January 2012 Surface Trade Value

(millions of 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 dollars)

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

Ranked by January 2012 Surface Trade Value

(millions of 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, JANUARY 2012

(millions of 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 March 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, JANUARY 2012

(millions of 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 March 13, 2012.

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