North American Transborder Freight up 0.4% in December 2020 from December 2019
Release Number: BTS 15-21
Transborder freight between the U.S. and North American countries (Canada and Mexico) in December 2020:
- Total Transborder freight: $96.8 billion of transborder freight moved by all modes of transportation, up 0.9% compared to November 2020 and up 0.4% compared to December 2019.
- Most-used mode: Trucks moved $60.5 billion of freight, down 3.5% compared to November 2020, up 5.8% compared to December 2019.
- Second most-used mode: Railways moved $14.1 billion of freight, up 1.6% compared to November 2020, down 2.0% compared to December 2019.
Total Transborder Freight:
- Compared to November 2020:
- U.S.-Canada up 1.8%
- U.S.-Mexico up 0.1%
- Compared to December 2019:
- U.S.-Canada down 4.3%
- U.S.-Mexico up 5.4%
Truck Freight: $60.5 billion (62.6% of all transborder freight)
- By border:
- U.S.-Canada: $26.6 billion (55.9% of all northern border freight)
- U.S.-Mexico: $34.0 billion (69.0% of all southern border freight)
- Compared to November 2020:
- U.S.-Canada down 3.2%
- U.S.-Mexico down 3.7%
- Compared to December 2019:
- U.S.-Canada up 3.2%
- U.S.-Mexico up 7.9%
- Top three busiest truck border ports (45.8% of total transborder truck freight)
- Laredo, TX $15.0 billion
- Detroit, MI $8.3 billion
- Port Huron, MI $4.4 billion
- Top three truck commodities (49.1% of total transborder truck freight)
- Computers and parts $11.9 billion
- Electrical machinery $9.4 billion
- Vehicles and parts $8.5 billion
| Mode | Value |
|---|---|
| Truck | $60.5B |
| Rail | $14.1B |
| Vessel | $6.9B |
| Pipeline | $5.3B |
| Air | $4.4B |
Rail Freight: $14.1 billion (14.6% of all transborder freight)
- By border:
- U.S.-Canada: $7.4 billion (15.5% of all northern border freight)
- U.S.-Mexico: $6.8 billion (13.8% of all southern border freight)
- Compared to November 2020:
- U.S.-Canada up 1.9%
- U.S.-Mexico up 1.3%
- Compared to December 2019:
- U.S.-Canada down 7.4%
- U.S.-Mexico up 4.7%
- Three busiest rail border ports (55.5% of total transborder rail freight)
- Laredo, TX $3.4 billion
- Detroit, MI $2.2 billion
- Eagle Pass, TX $2.2 billion
- Top three rail commodities (61.4% of total transborder rail freight)
- Motor vehicles and parts $6.8 billion
- Mineral fuels $1.1 billion
- Plastics $0.8 billion
Total Transborder Freight by Mode:
U.S.-Canada (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck: $26.6
Rail: $7.4
Pipeline: $4.8
Air: $2.9
Vessel: $1.8
U.S.-Mexico (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck: $34.0
Rail: $6.8
Vessel: $5.1
Air: $1.5
Pipeline: $0.5
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 2020 annual numbers for March 8 and January TransBorder numbers for March 24.