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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation

February 2020 North American Transborder Freight Numbers

Thursday, May 28, 2020
Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2020
 

Transborder freight between the U.S. and other North American countries (Canada and Mexico) in February 2020:

  • Total Transborder freight: $95.9 billion of transborder freight moved by all modes of transportation, up 1.9% compared to February 2019.
  • Most-used mode: Trucks moved $60.8 billion of freight, up 0.9% compared to February 2019
  • Second most-used mode: Railways moved $14.4 billion of freight, up 10.3% compared to February 2019
  • TransBorder freight in February declined 1.2% from January, which is a smaller decline than the 1.5% decline a year earlier between January 2019 and February 2019.

Truck Freight: $60.8 billion (63.3% of all transborder freight)

  • By border:
U.S.-Canada: $26.9 billion (56.6% of all northern border freight)
U.S.-Mexico: $33.9 billion (69.9% of all southern border freight)
  • Compared to February 2019:
U.S.-Canada up 0.9%
U.S.-Mexico up 0.9%
  • Three busiest truck border ports (47.4% of total transborder truck freight)
    • Laredo, TX                                 $14.5 billion
    • Detroit, MI                                    $9.0 billion
    • El Paso, TX                                   $5.4 billion
  • Top three truck commodities (49.6% of total transborder truck freight)
    • Computers and parts                  $11.9  billion
    • Electrical machinery                   $9.3  billion
    • Motor vehicles and parts               $9.0  billion

Rail Freight: $14.4 billion (15.0% of all transborder freight)

  • By border:
U.S.-Canada: $7.3 billion (15.5% of all northern border freight)
U.S.-Mexico: $7.0 billion (14.5% of all southern border freight)
  • Compared to February 2019:
U.S.-Canada up 2.9%
U.S.-Mexico up 19.3%. The U.S.-Mexico rail increase was driven by a 29.6% rise in imports of vehicles other than railway. Non-railway vehicles are 76.9% of imports by rail from Mexico.

 

  • Three busiest rail border ports (54.3% of total transborder rail freight)
    • Laredo, TX                            $3.7 billion
    • Detroit, MI                             $2.3 billion
    • Eagle Pass, TX                        $1.8 billion

 

  • Top three rail commodities (65.5% of total transborder rail freight)
    • Motor vehicles and parts        $7.4 billion
    • Mineral fuels                           $1.2 billion
    • Computers and parts               $0.7 billion

 

Total Transborder Freight by Mode:

 

U.S.-Canada (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck:              $26.9
Rail:                   $7.3
Pipeline:             $5.3
Air:                     $2.8
Vessel:               $2.1

 

 

 

U.S.-Mexico (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck:              $33.9
Rail:                   $7.0
Vessel:               $4.7
Air:                     $1.2
Pipeline:             $0.4

 

 

Reporting Notes

Data in this Bureau of Transportation Statistics 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 27.