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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

North American Transborder Freight increased 16.1% May 2026 from May 2025

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

This release is published on a fixed schedule as required by the Office of Management and Budget, and statistics in this release may be revised when inputs to the statistics are corrected or updated. Data on the program page of this website are the most up-to-date and complete.

A data infographic displaying total North American transborder freight for May 2026, totaling $153.4 billion. The graphic highlights the top two transportation modes: Truck Freight: $99.7 billion, representing a 15% increase from the same month last year. Rail Freight: $17.7 billion, representing an 11.1% increase from the same month last year.

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics TransBorder Freight Data.

The transborder freight data program provides comprehensive monthly and annual data on North American cross-border freight activity, detailing the value of U.S. imports and exports with Canada and Mexico by mode of transportation, commodity, and geography. These data inform infrastructure planning, trade corridor studies, and logistics research. This data release is for May 2026 and is also available online on the transborder program homepage.

Total Transborder Freight by Border in May 2026, Compared to May 2025:

Transborder freight between the U.S. and North American countries Canada and Mexico:

  • Total transborder freight: $153.4 billion of transborder freight moved by all modes of transportation, increasing 16.1% compared to May 2025
  • Freight between the U.S. and Canada: $66.1 billion, up 14.8% from May 2025
  • Freight between the U.S. and Mexico: $87.2 billion, up 17.1% from May 2025
  • Trucks moved $99.7 billion of freight, up 15.0% compared to May 2025
  • Railways moved $17.7 billion of freight, up 11.1% compared to May 2025
  • Vessels moved $11.1 billion of freight, up 37.7% compared to May 2025
  • Pipelines moved $10.3 billion of freight, up 24.0% compared to May 2025
  • Air moved $7.1 billion of freight, up 53.6% compared to May 2025
A horizontal bar chart comparing the value of North American transborder freight in billions of U.S. dollars between May 2025 (dark blue bars) and May 2026 (light blue bars) across five transportation modes. The data is organized in descending order based on the 2026 values: Truck: Increased from $86.7 billion in May 2025 to $99.7 billion in May 2026. Rail: Increased from $16.0 billion in May 2025 to $17.7 billion in May 2026. Vessel: Increased from $8.0 billion in May 2025 to $11.1 billion in May 202

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics TransBorder Freight Data.

 

Total Transborder Freight by Border and Mode 

U.S.-Canada (both directions) USD, 
Billions

U.S.-Mexico (both directions) USD, 
Billions

Truck  $    35.0 Truck$     64.7
Pipeline $      9.6Rail$       9.1
Rail $       8.6Vessel$       6.8
Vessel $       4.3Air$       3.8
Air$       3.3Pipeline$       0.6

Detroit, Port Huron, and Buffalo are the top truck ports for U.S. freight flows with Canada, while Laredo, El Paso, and Otay Mesa are the top truck ports with Mexico. 

Detroit, Port Huron, and International Falls are the top rail connection ports for U.S. freight flows with Canada, while Laredo, Eagle Pass, and El Paso are the top rail connection ports with Mexico. 

Chicago, Port Huron, and Minneapolis are the top pipeline connection regions for U.S. energy freight flows with Canada. El Paso, Hidalgo, and Laredo are the top pipeline connection regions with Mexico. 

Port of Boston, Arthur, and Portland are the top water port connections for U.S. energy flows with Canada. The Port of Houston, Arthur, and Texas City are the top water-port connections for U.S. energy flows along the Southern border.

Top 10 Ports and Commodities

Port

USD

Commodity

USD

Laredo - Texas

35,344,345,324

Computer-Related Machinery and Parts

33,095,069,344

Detroit - Michigan

12,447,870,796

Vehicles Other than Railway

21,946,056,788

Ysleta - Texas

12,092,167,278

Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes

19,994,925,264

Port Huron - Michigan

9,524,869,560

Electrical Machinery; Equipment and Parts 

17,499,744,312

Buffalo - New York

6,901,323,647

Plastics and Articles

5,287,410,075

Otay Mesa - California

4,986,348,798

Measuring and Testing Instruments

4,162,136,733

Eagle Pass - Texas

4,150,435,560

Pearls; Stones; Metals and Imitation Jewelry

3,181,262,475

Hidalgo - Texas

3,828,596,007

Aircraft; Spacecraft and Parts

2,608,093,336

Santa Teresa - New Mexico

3,721,412,774

Furniture; Lamps and Prefabricated Buildings

2,025,481,899

Pembina - North Dakota

3,170,261,139

Aluminum and Articles

1,930,668,974

Reporting Notes

All monetary values are in current U.S. dollars and not adjusted for inflation. For previous statistical releases and summary tables, see transborder releases. Visit the transborder freight program homepage for data from previous months, and additional state, port, and commodity data.

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