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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

July 2020 North American Transborder Freight Up 11% from June 2020

Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2020

 

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

  • Total Transborder freight: $91.0 billion of transborder freight moved by all modes of transportation, up 10.9% compared to June 2020 and up 62.2% from May 2020.
  • Transborder freight value in July was down 11.2% compared to July 2019.
  • Most-used mode: Trucks moved $60.7 billion of freight, up 7.5% compared to June 2020, down 4.9% compared to July 2019.
  • Second most-used mode: Railways moved $12.9 billion of freight, up 14.7% compared to June 2020, down 13.0% compared to July 2019.

Total Transborder Freight:

  • Compared to June 2020:
U.S.-Canada up 7.3%
U.S.-Mexico up 14.3%
  • Compared to July 2019:
U.S.-Canada down 13.5%
U.S.-Mexico down 9.0%

Truck Freight: $60.7 billion (66.8% of all transborder freight)

  • By border:
U.S.-Canada: $26.2 billion (60.4% of all northern border freight)
U.S.-Mexico: $34.5 billion (72.5% of all southern border freight)
  • Compared to June 2020:
U.S.-Canada up 3.2%
U.S.-Mexico up 11.1%
  • Compared to July 2019:
U.S.-Canada down 4.5%
U.S.-Mexico down 5.2%
  • Top Three Busiest truck border ports (45.5% of total transborder truck freight)
    • Laredo, TX                                     $14.2 billion
    • Detroit, MI                                      $8.0 billion
    • Ysleta, TX                                       $5.4 billion
  • Top three truck commodities (50.2% of total transborder truck freight)
    • Computers and parts                      $12.0 billion
    • Electrical machinery                       $10.7 billion
    • Vehicles and parts                          $7.8 billion

Rail Freight: $12.9 billion (14.2% of all transborder freight)

  • By border:
U.S.-Canada: $6.4 billion (14.6% of all northern border freight)
U.S.-Mexico: $6.5 billion (13.7% of all southern border freight)
  • Compared to June 2020:
U.S.-Canada up 12.4%
U.S.-Mexico up 16.9%
  • Compared to July 2019:
U.S.-Canada down 17.6%
U.S.-Mexico down   8.0%

 

  • Three busiest rail border ports (55.9% of total transborder rail freight)
    • Laredo, TX                            $3.3 billion
    • Detroit, MI                             $2.0 billion
    • Eagle Pass, TX                        $2.0 billion

 

 

Top three rail commodities (61.4% of total transborder rail freight)

  • Motor vehicles and parts                       $6.6 billion
  • Computers and parts                            $0.6 billion
  • Plastics                                                $0.6 billion

 

 

 

 

Total Transborder Freight by Mode:

 

U.S.-Canada (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck:                $26.2
Rail:                   $6.4
Pipeline:             $3.6
Air:                     $2.5
Vessel:               $1.7            

 

 

 

U.S.-Mexico (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck:                $34.5
Rail:                   $6.5
Vessel:               $3.7
Air:                     $1.1
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 August TransBorder numbers for Oct. 27.