Percent Change in Value of U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode: December 2013 - 2014

U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $95.8 billion in December 2014 as four out of five transportation modes – truck, rail, air, and pipeline – carried more U.S.-NAFTA freight than in December 2013, according to data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (Table 1). Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows by all modes increased by 5.4 percent, with December marking the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year increases.

The value of NAFTA trade by vessel declined in December due to the reduced price of mineral fuels. The rise in total pipeline freight value took place despite a decline in cost per unit, due to an increase in the volume of freight.

Freight by Mode

In December 2014 compared to December 2013, the value of commodities moving by truck grew by the largest percentage of any mode, 9.3 percent. Rail freight increased by 8.3 percent, air rose by 6.3 percent, and pipeline grew by 4.0 percent (Table 2). Vessel freight decreased by 22.6 percent, mainly due to lower mineral fuel prices.

Trucks carried 59.2 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and were the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $28.4 billion of the $52.5 billion of imports (54.0 percent) and $28.4 billion of the $43.3 billion of exports (65.6 percent) (Table 2).

Rail remained the second largest mode, moving 15.1 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 8.3 percent; pipeline, 8.0 percent; and air, 4.1 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.3 percent of the total U.S.-NAFTA freight flows (Table 2).

U.S.-Canada Freight

Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode: December 2013 - 2014

U.S.-Canada freight totaled $53.1 billion in December 2014 as three out of five transportation modes – rail, truck, and pipeline – carried more U.S.-Canada freight than in December 2013. Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows by all modes increased by 4.7 percent. The value of U.S.-Canada trade by rail increased the most of any mode, growing by 8.1 percent. Truck freight increased by 5.2 percent and pipeline rose by 2.6 percent. The rise in total pipeline freight value took place despite a decline in cost per unit, due to an increase in the volume of U.S. imports of mineral fuels.  Air freight decreased by 1.8 percent.  Vessel freight fell by 12.5 percent mainly due to lower mineral fuel prices (Table 3).

Trucks carried 52.6 percent of the $53.1 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail, 16.0 percent; pipeline, 13.6 percent; vessel, 5.9 percent and air, 4.5 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.2 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows (Table 3).

U.S.-Mexico Freight

Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode: December 2013 - 2014

U.S.-Mexico freight totaled $42.8 billion in December 2014 as four out of five transportation modes – pipeline, air, truck and rail – carried more U.S.-Mexico freight than in December 2013. Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows by all modes increased by 6.3 percent. The value of U.S.-Mexico pipeline freight rose 34.5 percent, the largest percentage increase of any mode. The rise in total pipeline freight value took place despite a decline in cost per unit, due to an increase in the volume of U.S. exports of mineral fuels. Pipeline freight remained 1.0 percent of total U.S.-Mexico freight value, the lowest value of any mode. Freight moved by air increased 22.3 percent, truck rose by 13.7 percent and rail rose by 8.5 percent. Freight carried by vessel decreased 28.0 percent mainly due to lower mineral fuel prices (Table 5).

Trucks carried 67.5 percent of the $42.8 billion of freight to and from Mexico, followed by rail, 14.0 percent; vessel, 11.3 percent; air, 3.5 percent; and pipeline, 1.0 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.5 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 5).

Commodities

In December 2014, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada was mineral fuels, of which $7.2 billion, or 60.7 percent, moved by pipeline (Table 4). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico in December 2014 was electrical machinery, of which $7.0 billion, or 90.8 percent, moved by trucks (Table 6).

Reporting Notes

Press releases and the BTS website define surface transportation modes as truck, rail and pipeline. See North American TransBorder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004. The category of all modes of transportation cited in the following tables includes freight movements by truck, rail, vessel, pipeline, air, other, and unknown modes of transport.       

Data in this press release are not adjusted for inflation. Additional summary data adjusted for inflation and exchange rates can be found on the BTS website under TransBorder Indexed Freight Flow Data. The BLS indexes used in the adjustments for inflation and exchange rates may be revised in each of the three months after original publication. For more information, see TransBorder Press Releases  for previous press releases and summary tables. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and more state, port, or commodity data.  BTS has scheduled the release of January TransBorder numbers for March 31.

Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent change based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 2. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air 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/myhq-rm6q.

Table 3. Value of Monthly U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air 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/myhq-rm6q.

Table 4. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Canada for Each Mode of Transportation, December 2014

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

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

Table 5. Value of Monthly U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air 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/myhq-rm6q.

Table 6. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Mexico for Each Mode of Transportation, December 2014

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

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