Figure 1.  Percent Change in Value of U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode: 
November 2013 - November 2014

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $96.3 billion in November 2014 as two transportation modes – truck and pipeline – carried more U.S.-NAFTA freight than in November 2013, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by theU.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (Figure 1, Table 1). Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows by all modes increased by 0.1 percent.  The annual growth in the value of NAFTA trade slowed in November due in part to the reduced value of shipments of mineral fuels and of imported vehicles, parts, and electrical machinery.

Freight by Mode

In November 2014 compared to November 2013, the value of commodities moving by truck grew by the largest percentage of any mode, 1.4 percent, followed by pipeline freight which increased by 1.1 percent (Figure 1, Table 2). Rail freight decreased by 3.0 percent mainly due to reduced value of trade in vehicles and parts, vessel freight decreased by 3.3 percent mainly due to lower mineral fuel prices, and air freight decreased by 7.1 percent due to a decline in trade of precious stones, aircraft parts, and electrical machinery.

Of the $115 million increase in the value of U.S.-NAFTA freight from November 2013, a $787 million increase by truck and a $74 million increase by pipeline offset decreases by the other modes, air, vessel and rail.

Trucks carry three-fifths of U.S.-NAFTA freight and are the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $29.9 billion of exports and $28.7 billion of imports.  

Rail remained the second largest mode, moving 15.3 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 8.7 percent; pipeline, 6.8 percent; and air, 3.7 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.0 percent of the total U.S.-NAFTA freight flows (Table 2).

U.S.-Canada Freight

Figure 2.  Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode:
November 2013 - November 2014

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

Year-over-year, U.S.-Canada freight moved by vessel was the only mode to show an increase, growing 0.2 percent (Figure 2). Freight moved by pipeline decreased 0.3 percent, and truck 1.5 percent. Rail freight decreased 5.2 percent due to a decline in trade of vehicles and auto parts, electrical machinery, and vegetable oils. Air freight decreased 5.6 percent due to a decline in trade of precious stones, aircraft parts, and electrical machinery.

Trucks carried 55.2 percent of the $52.4 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail, 16.3 percent; pipeline, 11.8 percent; vessel, 5.7 percent and air, 4.5 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.3 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows (Table 3).

U.S.-Mexico Freight

Figure 3.  Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode:
November 2013 - November 2014

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-Mexico pipeline freight rose 30.4 percent, the largest percentage increase of any mode, due to an increase in the volume of U.S. exports of mineral fuels. Pipeline freight remained 0.9 percent of total U.S.-Mexico freight value (Figure 3). Freight moved by truck increased 4.3 percent while rail rose 0.3 percent. Freight carried by vessel decreased 5.2 percent mainly due to lower mineral fuel prices and air declined 9.9 percent due to a decline in trade of electrical machinery and precious stones.

Trucks carried 67.6 percent of the $43.9 billion of freight to and from Mexico, followed by rail, 14.2 percent; vessel, 12.2 percent; air, 2.8 percent; and pipeline, 0.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.6 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 5).

Commodities
In November 2014, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada was mineral fuels, of which $6.1 billion, or 57.7 percent, moved by pipeline (Table 4). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico in November 2014 was electrical machinery, of which $7.5 billion, or 92.7 percent, moved by trucks (Table 6).

Reporting Notes
Press releases and the BTS website define surface transportation modes as truck, rail and pipeline. See North American TransBorder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004. The category of all modes of transportation cited in the following tables includes freight movements by truck, rail, vessel, pipeline, air, other, and unknown modes of transport.     

Data in this press release are not adjusted for inflation. Additional summary data adjusted for inflation and exchange rates can be found on the BTS website under TransBorder Indexed Freight Flow Data. The BLS indexes used in the adjustments for inflation and exchange rates may be revised in each of the three months after original publication. For more information, see TransBorder Press Releases  for previous press releases and summary tables. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and more state, port, or commodity data.  BTS has scheduled the release of December TransBorder numbers for Feb.26.

Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent change based on numbers prior to rounding.

Table 2. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail, please refer to the "Data Fields" section of the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

Table 3. Value of Monthly U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Notes: : Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail, please refer to the "Data Fields" section of the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

Table 4. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Canada for Each Mode of Transportation, November 2014

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Table 5. Value of Monthly U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Notes: : Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail, please refer to the "Data Fields" section of the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

Table 6. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Mexico for Each Mode of Transportation, November 2014

(millions of current dollars)

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.