North American Transborder Freight down 2.9% in January 2021 from January 2020
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Release Number: BTS 22-21
Transborder freight between the U.S. and North American countries (Canada and Mexico) in January 2021:
- Total Transborder freight: $94.3 billion of transborder freight moved by all modes of transportation, down 2.6% compared to December 2020 and down 2.9% compared to January 2020.
- Most-used mode: Trucks moved $61.1 billion of freight, up 0.9% compared to December 2020, up 0.1% compared to January 2020.
- Second most-used mode: Railways moved $13.9 billion of freight, down 1.9% compared to December 2020, up 3.7% compared to January 2020.
Total Transborder Freight:
- Compared to December 2020:
- U.S.-Canada down 3.7%
- U.S.-Mexico down 1.4%
- Compared to January 2020:
- U.S.-Canada down 4.5%
- U.S.-Mexico down 1.3%
Truck Freight: $61.1 billion (64.8% of all transborder freight)
- By border:
- U.S.-Canada: $26.6 billion (58.1% of all northern border freight)
- U.S.-Mexico: $34.5 billion (71.1% of all southern border freight)
- Compared to December 2020:
- U.S.-Canada up 0.1%
- U.S.-Mexico up 1.6%
- Compared to January 2020:
- U.S.-Canada up 1.9%
- U.S.-Mexico down 1.3%
- Top three busiest truck border ports (45.3% of total transborder truck freight)
- Laredo, TX $14.8 billion
- Detroit, MI $8.4 billion
- Ysleta, TX $4.5 billion
- Top three truck commodities (47.6% of total transborder truck freight)
- Computers and parts $11.7 billion
- Electrical machinery $9.6 billion
- Vehicles and parts $7.8 billion
Rail Freight: $13.9 billion (14.7% of all transborder freight)
- By border:
- U.S.-Canada: $7.4 billion (16.2% of all northern border freight)
- U.S.-Mexico: $6.4 billion (13.3% of all southern border freight)
- Compared to December 2020:
- U.S.-Canada up 0.8%
- U.S.-Mexico down 4.8%
- Compared to January 2020:
- U.S.-Canada up 0.9%
- U.S.-Mexico up 7.2%
- Three busiest rail border ports (54.6% of total transborder rail freight)
- Laredo, TX $3.5 billion
- Detroit, MI $2.1 billion
- Eagle Pass, TX $1.9 billion
- Top three rail commodities (57.0% of total transborder rail freight)
- Motor vehicles and parts $5.8 billion
- Mineral fuels $1.2 billion
- Plastics $0.9 billion
U.S.-Canada (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck: $26.6
Rail: $7.4
Pipeline: $4.7
Air: $2.3
Vessel: $1.8
U.S.-Mexico (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
Truck: $34.5
Rail: $6.4
Vessel: $4.5
Air: $1.2
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 February TransBorder numbers for April 28.