Rail Freight

The $13.3 billion in North American rail freight was divided between the two borders: $7.5 billion on the U.S.-Canada border and $5.8 billion on the U.S.-Mexico border (Figures 3 and 4).

Compared to the previous year: U.S.-Canada rail freight rose 4.0 percent while U.S.-Mexico rail freight declined 3.4 percent compared to January 2017.

• Top states for shipments flowing through their ports: Texas with $5.2 billion a 3.3 percent decline from 2017 and Michigan with $3.8 billion in rail freight down 4.7 percent.
• Busiest border crossings: Laredo, accounting for $3.4 billion or 25.6 percent of the total, Port Huron, accounting for $1.9 billion or 14.2 percent of the total, and Detroit, accounting for $1.8 billion or 13.6 percent of the total. Motor vehicles and parts was the top commodity at all three ports.
• Top commodities: Motor vehicles and parts valued at $6.0 billion, plastics valued at $915 million, and mineral fuels at $872 million.

Freight by Other Modes

U.S.-Canada freight flows in both directions in January 2018, were $6.8 billion by pipeline, $2.2 billion by vessel, and $2.1 billion by air. Almost all (99.4 percent) of pipeline freight between the U.S. and Canada were mineral fuels, primarily oil and gas. Most of these flows were on pipelines linking Canada and the American Midwest. In January 2018, $1.9 billion, or 85.9 percent of shipments between the U.S. and Canada by vessel were shipments of mineral fuels.  Electrical machinery was the top commodity shipped by air, with $428 million or 20.3 percent of all U.S.-Canada shipments by air consisting of that commodity. 

U.S.-Mexico freight flows in both directions in January 2018, were $4.6 billion moved by vessel, $1.4 billion moved by air and $805 million moved by pipeline.  Of freight flows by vessel, $2.8 billion, or 62.3 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.  In January 2018, $444 million or 32.6 percent of shipments by air between the U.S. and Mexico were of electrical machinery.  Almost all (99.95 percent) of pipeline freight flows between the U.S. and Mexico were of mineral fuels, primarily oil and gas, with almost two-thirds of those shipments (65.9 percent) going through El Paso. 

Reporting Notes

Data in this press 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 February TransBorder numbers for April 24.