As the world's largest trading nation, the United States (U.S.) relies heavily on a vast transportation network to expedite the flow of goods and people to and from its trading partners. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) compiles, disseminates, validates, and analyzes a wide variety of data captured from various sources detailing trade trends, movement of goods by land, sea, and air, and personal travel.

BTS' purpose for studying international trade in the context of the U.S. and global transportation network is to assist in making knowledge-based decisions to improve the flow of goods and people. BTS works to ensure high quality international data and analysis are available to all levels of government, the private sector, and individuals studying trade and transportation. The work produced by BTS and the entities that rely on its information help to make the U.S. transportation network more efficient and competitive.

PROGRAMS

North American Transborder Freight Data
The North American Transborder Freight Database, available since April 1993, contains freight flow data by commodity type and by mode of transportation (rail, truck, pipeline, air, vessel, and other) for U.S. exports to and imports from Canada and Mexico. The database includes two sets of tables; one is commodity based while the other provides geographic detail. The purpose of the database is to provide transportation information on North American trade flows. This type of information is being used to monitor trends and changes to freight flows since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) by the U.S., Canada and Mexico on December 1992 and its entry into force on January 1, 1994. The database is also being used for trade corridor studies, transportation infrastructure planning, marketing, logistics planning, and other purposes. It allows users to analyze movement of merchandise by all land modes, waterborne vessels, and by air carriers.

• U.S. Transshipments through Canada or Mexico
  Transshipments are shipments of merchandise from a country of origin to a country of ultimate destination through an intermediary country. U.S. transshipment data provide information on U.S. international merchandise transshipped through an intermediary country (Canada or Mexico) prior to reaching its ultimate destination, as well as shipments from their ultimate origin through Canada or Mexico to the U.S.. For example, U.S. rice moved by rail to Canada before being loaded into a vessel for shipment to China, would be classified as a transshipment and included in this database. Only shipments that include travel between the U.S. and Canada or between the U.S. and Mexico via surface modes of transportation are included in this database.

Border Crossing/Entry Data
BTS provides monthly incoming border crossing/entry data for vehicles, containers, passengers, and pedestrians. The data represents activity at the port level on the U.S.-Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders.

North American Transportation Statistics Interchange
Through the Interchange, U.S., Canada and Mexico have developed the North American Transportation Statistics Database(link is external) that supplies users with relevant, timely and comparable transportation data and information for North America. The Interchange is a forum for the exchange of information and the initiation of joint projects of the transportation and statistical federal agencies in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

PUBLICATIONS

• America's Container Ports (2009)
• America's Freight Transportation Gateways 2009
• BTS Special Report: North American Trade Growth Continued in 2007 - February 2009
• Freight Transportation: Global Highlights 2010
• G-7 Transportation Highlights
• Increase Trade Spurs Growth in North American Freight Transportation - May 2007
• Issue Brief, Number 5 - U.S. International Trade in Transportation-Related Goods
• North American Freight Transportation: U.S. Trade with Canada and Mexico - June 2006
• North American Surface Freight Data
• North American Surface Freight Fast Facts
• North American Transportation in Figures
  • English version
  • French version
  • Spanish version
• North American Transportation Statistics(link is external)
• Top 125 U.S. Freight Gateways
• U.S. border crossings by vehicles, vessels and containers
• U.S. International Travel and Transportation Trends: 2006 Update
• U.S.-China Trade Growth and America's Transportation System - April 2008
• U.S.-North American Trade and Freight Transportation Highlights

GUIDE TO FOREIGN TRADE DATA

For a complete explanation of the international trade statistics, refer to http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/reference/index.html(link is external) the Guide to Foreign Trade Statistics available from the Government Printing Office and on the Census Bureau's web site.

ADDITIONAL DATA FOR U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE WITH ALL COUNTRIES

The International Trade Administration (ITA) maintains a list of international trade data sources as well as sources for other macroeconomic data on their website. From the ITA main page (http://www.trade.gov/)(link is external).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• International Trade and Transportation Data and Sources
  • Overview of U.S. International Trade and Transportation Data
  • Transborder Freight Data
  • Border Crossing/Entry Data
  • Analysis of U.S. International Trade and Transportation
  • Other International Trade and Transportation Questions