Trucks Transported 60.6% of U.S.-NAFTA Trade in April 2013
Figure 1. April U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by All Modes of Transportation
2004-2013
(April of each year)
| Year | Canada | Mexico |
| 2004 | 37.6 | 21.9 |
| 2005 | 41.4 | 24.1 |
| 2006 | 44.4 | 26.4 |
| 2007 | 46.2 | 27.2 |
| 2008 | 54.5 | 31.9 |
| 2009 | 33.5 | 23.3 |
| 2010 | 44.4 | 31.6 |
| 2011 | 49.9 | 37.2 |
| 2012 | 52.2 | 40.0 |
| 2013 | 54.7 | 44.2 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation today released the April North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) freight numbers showing that trucks carried 60.6 percent of the $99.0 billion of freight moved in April 2013 between the United States and its NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico. Trucks were followed by rail at 15.1 percent, vessels at 9.2 percent, pipelines at 6.8 percent and air at 3.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.5 percent of the total NAFTA freight flows.
BTS, a part of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that in April, for freight flows with Canada, trucks carried 55.2 percent of the $54.7 billion of freight, followed by rail at 17.2 percent, pipelines at 11.7 percent, vessels at 6.0 percent and air at 4.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.0 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows.
For freight flows with Mexico in April, trucks carried 67.3 percent of the $44.2 billion of freight, followed by rail at 12.6 percent, vessel at 13.2 percent, air at 2.8 percent and pipelines at 0.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 80.7 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows.
Beginning with January 2013, BTS monthly TransBorder press releases contain data for all modes of transportation. Press releases and the BTS website now define surface transportation modes as truck, rail and pipeline. Data on surface modes can be found in Figure 3 and in Tables 2, 3, 4 and 7. See North American TransBorder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004.
Figure 2. Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows
January 2004- April 2013
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
The value of goods moving between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners by all modes of transportation increased 7.4 percent from April 2012 and rose 74.4 percent from April 2009 (Table 3). Data in this press release are not adjusted for inflation, except for the monthly totals illustrated in Figure 2 for comparison.
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. Figure 3 below provides a breakdown by value and percentage of each mode of freight transportation used in moving goods between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners in April. The dotted slices represent surface modes, which accounted for 82.5 percent of the total. By value, truck is the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners, accounting for $31.4 billion of exports and $28.6 billion of imports.
Figure 3. U.S.-NAFTA Freight by Mode, April 2013
Current dollars, Share of total
| Mode | Total Trade Value | Percent |
| All Modes | 98,984,171,447 | 100.0 |
| Truck | 59,953,444,433 | 60.6 |
| Rail | 14,982,552,304 | 15.1 |
| Pipeline | 6,774,761,445 | 6.8 |
| Air | 3,794,709,955 | 3.8 |
| Vessel | 9,095,297,278 | 9.2 |
| Other & Unknown | 4,383,406,032 | 4.4 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Freight flows by all modes of transportation between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners increased 3.6 percent in April 2013 from March 2013, measured in current dollars (Table 2). Freight moving across the border by truck increased by 4.6 percent, while freight moving by rail decreased by 5.3 percent from one month prior. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal factors such as the number of days in each month.
From April 2012 to April 2013, the value of freight carried by truck rose 8.6 percent while the value of freight carried by rail grew 7.3 percent. For statistics by mode and individual NAFTA partner, see Table 4 for Canada and Table 7 for Mexico.
In April, Michigan led all states in goods transported to and from Canada, at $6.4 billion (Table 5). Ohio had the largest year-to-year percentage increase among the top 10 states, at 15.9 percent. New Jersey had the largest year-to-year decrease at 15.6 percent. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada in April was mineral fuels moved by pipeline, valued at $6.4 billion, of which $5.9 billion was imported (Table 6).
Texas continued to lead all states in goods transported to and from Mexico by all modes of transportation at $17.0 billion (Table 8). Louisiana had the largest year-to-year percentage increase among the top 10 states, at 61.1 percent. The Louisiana-Mexico increase was due largely to a 152.4 percent rise in mineral fuels trade from April 2012 to April 2013. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico in April was electrical machinery moved by truck, valued at $7.5 billion, of which $3.0 billion was exported (Table 9).
Additional 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 individual state data. BTS has scheduled the release of May TransBorder numbers for July 31.
Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows
(millions of current dollars)
| Month | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | Percent Change 2011-2012 | Percent Change 2012-2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79,608 | 87,490 | 90,512 | 9.9 | 3.5 |
| February | 77,015 | 89,385 | 88,449 | 16.1 | -1.0 |
| March | 94,228 | 99,510 | 95,566 | 5.6 | -4.0 |
| April | 87,097 | 92,199 | 98,984 | 5.9 | 7.4 |
| May | 91,126 | 96,840 | 6.3 | ||
| June | 90,663 | 94,200 | 3.9 | ||
| July | 84,952 | 87,691 | 3.2 | ||
| August | 93,450 | 94,593 | 1.2 | ||
| September | 90,771 | 89,875 | -1.0 | ||
| October | 91,837 | 98,632 | 7.4 | ||
| November | 90,401 | 94,877 | 5.0 | ||
| December | 86,775 | 84,695 | -2.4 | ||
| Year-to-date | 337,949 | 368,585 | 373,511 | 9.1 | 1.3 |
| Annual | 1,057,924 | 1,109,988 | 4.9 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
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)
| Mode | April 2012 | March 2013 | April 2013 | Percent Change March 2013- April 2013 | Percent Change April 2012 - 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Modes | Imports | 50,461 | 51,542 | 52,925 | 2.7 | 4.9 |
| Exports | 41,738 | 44,024 | 46,060 | 4.6 | 10.4 | |
| Total | 92,199 | 95,566 | 98,984 | 3.6 | 7.4 | |
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 41,634 | 43,845 | 44,042 | 0.4 | 5.8 |
| Exports | 34,347 | 35,954 | 37,669 | 4.8 | 9.7 | |
| Total | 75,981 | 79,799 | 81,711 | 2.4 | 7.5 | |
| Truck | Imports | 26,791 | 27,711 | 28,569 | 3.1 | 6.6 |
| Exports | 28,419 | 29,619 | 31,384 | 6.0 | 10.4 | |
| Total | 55,211 | 57,330 | 59,953 | 4.6 | 8.6 | |
| Rail | Imports | 8,807 | 10,377 | 9,572 | -7.8 | 8.7 |
| Exports | 5,156 | 5,438 | 5,410 | -0.5 | 4.9 | |
| Total | 13,964 | 15,815 | 14,983 | -5.3 | 7.3 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 6,035 | 5,757 | 5,900 | 2.5 | -2.2 |
| Exports | 771 | 897 | 875 | -2.5 | 13.5 | |
| Total | 6,806 | 6,654 | 6,775 | 1.8 | -0.5 | |
| Vessel | Imports | 6,173 | 4,608 | 5,918 | 28.4 | -4.1 |
| Exports | 2,834 | 3,142 | 3,178 | 1.1 | 12.1 | |
| Total | 9,008 | 7,750 | 9,095 | 17.4 | 1.0 | |
| Air | Imports | 1,432 | 1,432 | 1,652 | 15.4 | 15.4 |
| Exports | 1,975 | 2,089 | 2,143 | 2.6 | 8.5 | |
| Total | 3,407 | 3,521 | 3,795 | 7.8 | 11.4 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
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 TransBorder web page: https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/myhq-rm6q
Table 3. Percent Change in Value of U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode
| April 2013 Compared to April in… | Percent Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck | Rail | Pipeline | Air | Vessel | All Modes | |
| 2012 | 8.6 | 7.3 | -0.5 | 11.4 | 1.0 | 7.4 |
| 2011 | 17.7 | 17.7 | 4.4 | 2.7 | -5.6 | 13.6 |
| 2010 | 29.8 | 33.3 | 27.8 | 12.0 | 34.5 | 30.3 |
| 2009 | 66.9 | 103.4 | 102.9 | 29.8 | 121.5 | 74.4 |
| 2008 | 21.5 | 19.8 | -17.9 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 14.6 |
| 2007 | 32.4 | 32.3 | 40.3 | 35.0 | 62.9 | 34.8 |
| 2006 | 39.5 | 39.7 | 53.5 | 30.9 | 46.8 | 39.7 |
| 2005 | 45.7 | 48.7 | 84.1 | 45.6 | 96.7 | 51.1 |
| 2004 | 56.9 | 61.3 | 132.6 | 36.6 | 157.8 | 66.4 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent change based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 4. Value of Monthly U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation
(millions of current dollars)
| Mode | April 2012 | March 2013 | April 2013 | Percent Change March 2013- April 2013 | Percent Change April 2012 - 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Modes | Imports | 27,721 | 28,299 | 28,591 | 1.0 | 3.1 |
| Exports | 24,445 | 26,044 | 26,158 | 0.4 | 7.0 | |
| Total | 52,165 | 54,343 | 54,749 | 0.7 | 5.0 | |
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 23,765 | 24,258 | 24,564 | 1.3 | 3.4 |
| Exports | 20,486 | 21,716 | 21,434 | -1.3 | 4.6 | |
| Total | 44,251 | 45,975 | 45,998 | 0.1 | 3.9 | |
| Truck | Imports | 11,876 | 11,983 | 12,303 | 2.7 | 3.6 |
| Exports | 17,116 | 17,944 | 17,895 | -0.3 | 4.5 | |
| Total | 28,993 | 29,927 | 30,198 | 0.9 | 4.2 | |
| Rail | Imports | 5,873 | 6,538 | 6,382 | -2.4 | 8.7 |
| Exports | 2,841 | 3,194 | 3,015 | -5.6 | 6.1 | |
| Total | 8,714 | 9,732 | 9,396 | -3.5 | 7.8 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 6,016 | 5,737 | 5,879 | 2.5 | -2.3 |
| Exports | 529 | 578 | 525 | -9.2 | -0.7 | |
| Total | 6,544 | 6,315 | 6,404 | 1.4 | -2.1 | |
| Vessel | Imports | 2,303 | 1,913 | 2,209 | 15.5 | -4.1 |
| Exports | 593 | 614 | 1,052 | 71.4 | 77.3 | |
| Total | 2,897 | 2,526 | 3,261 | 29.1 | 12.6 | |
| Air | Imports | 751 | 901 | 971 | 7.8 | 29.4 |
| Exports | 1,368 | 1,514 | 1,564 | 3.3 | 14.3 | |
| Total | 2,118 | 2,415 | 2,535 | 5.0 | 19.7 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
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 TransBorder web page: https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/myhq-rm6q
Table 5. Top 10 State Freight Flows with Canada by All Modes of Transportation
Ranked by April 2013 Trade Value
(millions of current dollars)
| State | April 2012 | April 2013 | Percent Change April 2012- 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Rank | Value | Rank | ||
| Michigan | 6,000 | 1 | 6,379 | 1 | 6.3 |
| Illinois | 5,513 | 2 | 4,785 | 2 | -13.2 |
| California | 3,578 | 3 | 4,047 | 3 | 13.1 |
| Ohio | 3,029 | 5 | 3,511 | 4 | 15.9 |
| Texas | 3,279 | 4 | 3,356 | 5 | 2.3 |
| New York | 2,792 | 6 | 3,120 | 6 | 11.8 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,917 | 7 | 1,971 | 7 | 2.8 |
| Washington | 1,740 | 8 | 1,913 | 8 | 9.9 |
| Indiana | 1,688 | 10 | 1,739 | 9 | 3.0 |
| New Jersey | 1,732 | 9 | 1,462 | 10 | -15.6 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent change based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 6. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Canada for Each Mode of Transportation, April 2013
(millions of current dollars)
| Mode | Commodities | Exports | Imports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck | Vehicles Other than Railway | 3,823 | 2,485 | 6,307 |
| Rail | Vehicles Other than Railway | 989 | 2,444 | 3,432 |
| Pipeline | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 524 | 5,854 | 6,378 |
| Vessel | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 897 | 1,949 | 2,846 |
| Air | Pearls; Stones; Metals and Imitation Jewelry | 282 | 254 | 536 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.
Table 7. Value of Monthly U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation
(millions of current dollars)
| Mode | April 2012 | March 2013 | April 2013 | Percent Change March 2013- April 2013 | Percent Change April 2012 - 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Modes | Imports | 22,740 | 23,243 | 24,334 | 4.7 | 7.0 |
| Exports | 17,293 | 17,980 | 19,901 | 10.7 | 15.1 | |
| Total | 40,033 | 41,224 | 44,235 | 7.3 | 10.5 | |
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 17,869 | 19,587 | 19,478 | -0.6 | 9.0 |
| Exports | 13,860 | 14,238 | 16,235 | 14.0 | 17.1 | |
| Total | 31,729 | 33,824 | 35,712 | 5.6 | 12.6 | |
| Truck | Imports | 14,915 | 15,728 | 16,266 | 3.4 | 9.1 |
| Exports | 11,303 | 11,675 | 13,489 | 15.5 | 19.3 | |
| Total | 26,218 | 27,403 | 29,756 | 8.6 | 13.5 | |
| Rail | Imports | 2,934 | 3,838 | 3,191 | -16.9 | 8.8 |
| Exports | 2,315 | 2,244 | 2,395 | 6.7 | 3.5 | |
| Total | 5,249 | 6,083 | 5,586 | -8.2 | 6.4 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 20 | 20 | 21 | 4.2 | 5.2 |
| Exports | 242 | 319 | 350 | 9.8 | 44.5 | |
| Total | 262 | 339 | 371 | 9.4 | 41.5 | |
| Vessel | Imports | 3,870 | 2,695 | 3,708 | 37.6 | -4.2 |
| Exports | 2,241 | 2,528 | 2,126 | -15.9 | -5.1 | |
| Total | 6,111 | 5,223 | 5,834 | 11.7 | -4.5 | |
| Air | Imports | 681 | 531 | 681 | 28.1 | -0.1 |
| Exports | 608 | 575 | 579 | 0.7 | -4.7 | |
| Total | 1,289 | 1,106 | 1,260 | 13.9 | -2.3 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
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 TransBorder web page: https://data.bts.gov/stories/s/myhq-rm6q
Table 8. Top 10 State Freight Flows with Mexico by All Modes of Transportation
Ranked by April 2013 Trade Value
(millions of current dollars)
| State | April 2012 | April 2013 | Percent Change April 2012- 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Rank | Value | Rank | ||
| Texas | 15,643 | 1 | 16,971 | 1 | 8.5 |
| California | 5,115 | 2 | 5,244 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Michigan | 3,956 | 3 | 4,079 | 3 | 3.1 |
| Illinois | 1,293 | 4 | 1,625 | 4 | 25.7 |
| Louisiana | 833 | 7 | 1,342 | 5 | 61.1 |
| Arizona | 1,144 | 5 | 1,304 | 6 | 14.0 |
| Ohio | 916 | 6 | 1,145 | 7 | 24.9 |
| Tennessee | 694 | 8 | 857 | 8 | 23.5 |
| Florida | 576 | 11 | 834 | 9 | 44.9 |
| Georgia | 540 | 12 | 692 | 10 | 28.0 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent change based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 9. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Mexico for Each Mode of Transportation, April 2013
(millions of current dollars)
| Mode | Commodities | Exports | Imports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck | Electrical Machinery; Equipment and Parts | 3,036 | 4,498 | 7,534 |
| Rail | Vehicles Other than Railway | 620 | 2,322 | 2,942 |
| Pipeline | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 350 | 21 | 371 |
| Vessel | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 1,378 | 3,144 | 4,522 |
| Air | Electrical Machinery; Equipment and Parts | 198 | 254 | 453 |
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.