Truck Freight

The $59.5 billion in North American freight hauled by truck was divided between the two borders: $27.2 billion on the U.S.-Canada border and $32.3 billion on the U.S. Mexico border. Trucks carried 63.3 percent of total U.S.-North American freight, 57.3 percent of U.S.-Canada freight, and 69.3 percent of U.S.-Mexico freight. Compared to the previous year: U.S.-Canada truck freight rose 6.2 percent while U.S.-Mexico truck freight rose 11.2 percent .

• Top three states for truck freight moved through their border ports: (75.6 percent of total truck freight):
  • Texas:             $24.1 billion
  • Michigan:        $13.6 billion
  • New York:        $7.3 billion   

• Busiest three truck border ports (47.4 percent of total truck freight) (Figure 1):
  • Laredo, TX:    $14.2 billion
  • Detroit, MI:       $9.2 billion
  • El Paso, TX:      $4.8 billion

• Top three truck commodities (50.3 percent of total truck freight) (Figure 2):
  • Computers and parts:              $11.0 billion
  • Motor vehicles and parts:         $9.5 billion
  • Electrical machinery:                $9.4 billion

Rail Freight

The $13.6 billion in North American rail freight was divided between the two borders: $7.6 billion on the U.S.-Canada border and $6.0 billion on the U.S.-Mexico border. Trains carried 14.5 percent of total U.S.-North American freight, 16.1 percent of U.S.-Canada freight, and 12.9 percent of U.S.-Mexico freight. Compared to the previous year: U.S.-Canada rail freight rose 1.4 percent while U.S.-Mexico rail freight declined 7.9 percent.

• Top three states for rail freight flowing through their border ports (77.3 percent of total rail freight):
  • Texas:             $5.4 billion
  • Michigan:        $4.0 billion
  • New York:      $1.1 billion

• Busiest three rail border ports (54.5 percent of total rail freight) (Figure 3):
  • Laredo, TX:                $3.5 billion
  • Port Huron, MI:          $2.1 billion
  • Detroit, MI:                 $1.9 billion

• Top three rail commodities (60.5 percent of total rail freight) (Figure 4):
  • Motor vehicles and parts:       $6.6 billion
  • Plastics:                                      $799 million
  • Computers and parts:                 $788 million

Freight by Other Modes

U.S.-Canada freight in both directions in February 2018, were $5.1 billion by pipeline, $2.2 billion by air and $2.2 billion by vessel. Almost all (99.5 percent) of pipeline freight between the U.S. and Canada were mineral fuels, primarily oil and gas. Most of these freight flows were on pipelines linking Canada and the American Midwest.

U.S.-Mexico freight in both directions in February 2018, were $5.0 billion moved by vessel, $1.4 billion moved by air and $334 million moved by pipeline. Of freight by vessel, $3.0 billion, or 59.4 percent were mineral fuels, primarily oil and gas shipments between Gulf of Mexico ports in the U.S. and Mexico – with over half of those shipments going through Texas ports. 

Reporting Notes

Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted and are not adjusted for inflation. For previous statistical releases and summary tables, see TransBorder Releases. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and for additional state, port, and commodity data. BTS has scheduled the release of March TransBorder numbers for May 22.