Trucks Transported 60.8% of U.S.-NAFTA Trade in May 2013
Figure 1. May U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by All Modes of Transportation
2004-2013
(May of each year)
| Year | Canada | Mexico |
| 2004 | 37.4 | 22.3 |
| 2005 | 41.4 | 24.3 |
| 2006 | 46.9 | 28.7 |
| 2007 | 48.8 | 30.0 |
| 2008 | 54.4 | 31.1 |
| 2009 | 32.8 | 22.7 |
| 2010 | 45.0 | 32.5 |
| 2011 | 51.6 | 39.6 |
| 2012 | 53.4 | 43.4 |
| 2013 | 54.8 | 43.8 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation today released May North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) freight numbers showing that trucks carried 60.8 percent of the $98.6 billion of freight moved in May 2013 between the United States and its NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico. Trucks were followed by rail at 15.1 percent, vessels at 8.6 percent, pipelines at 6.8 percent and air at 3.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.7 percent of the total NAFTA freight flows (Figure 3).
BTS, a part of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that in May, for freight flows with Canada, trucks carried 55.2 percent of the $54.8 billion of the freight, followed by rail at 16.5 percent, pipelines at 11.4 percent, vessels at 6.4 percent and air at 4.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.2 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows (Table 4).
For freight flows with Mexico in May, trucks carried 67.8 percent of the $43.8 billion of the freight, followed by rail at 13.4 percent, vessel at 11.4 percent, air at 3.0 percent and pipelines at 0.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.1 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 7).
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-May 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 1.8 percent from May 2012 and rose 77.5 percent from May 2009 (Tables 1, 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 May. The dotted slices represent surface modes, which accounted for 82.7 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 $31.1 billion of exports and $28.9 billion of imports.
Figure 3. U.S.-NAFTA Freight by Mode, May 2013
Current dollars, Share of total
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Freight flows by all modes of transportation between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners decreased 0.4 percent in May 2013 from April 2013, measured in current dollars (Table 2). Freight moving across the borders by truck was virtually unchanged, up just 0.02 percent, while freight moving by rail decreased by 0.4 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 May 2012 to May 2013, the value of freight carried by truck rose 0.2 percent while the value of freight carried by rail grew 11.3 percent (Table 2). For statistics by mode and individual NAFTA partner, see Table 4 for Canada and Table 7 for Mexico.
In May, for the 10th consecutive month, Michigan led all states in goods transported to and from Canada, at $6.4 billion. Washington had the largest year-to-year percentage increase among the top 10 states, at 21.8 percent. Minnesota had the largest year-to-year decrease at 13.0 percent (Table 5). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada in May was mineral fuels, of which $5.6 billion was imported by pipeline (Table 6).
Texas continued to lead all states in goods transported to and from Mexico, at $17.0 billion. Texas has been the top state for trade with Mexico for all of the 230 months since the start of the TransBorder database in 1994. Illinois had the largest year-to-year percentage increase among the top 10 states, at 20.1 percent (Table 8). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada in May was mineral fuels, two-thirds of which is crude petroleum, and which increased in value by 4 percent from May 2012. This increase includes a 59 percent rise to $581 million in the value of mineral fuel shipments imported by rail while $5.6 billion was imported by pipeline (Table 9).
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 June TransBorder numbers for Aug. 28.
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 | 98,577 | 6.3 | 1.8 |
| 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 | 429,075 | 465,425 | 472,089 | 8.5 | 1.4 |
| 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 | May 2012 | April 2013 | May 2013 | Percent Change April 2013 - May 2013 | Percent Change May 2012 - 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Modes | Imports | 52,706 | 52,925 | 52,884 | -0.1 | 0.3 |
| Exports | 44,134 | 46,060 | 45,694 | -0.8 | 3.5 | |
| Total | 96,840 | 98,984 | 98,577 | -0.4 | 1.8 | |
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 43,250 | 44,042 | 44,057 | 0.0 | 1.9 |
| Exports | 36,139 | 37,669 | 37,490 | -0.5 | 3.7 | |
| Total | 79,388 | 81,711 | 81,547 | -0.2 | 2.7 | |
| Truck | Imports | 29,372 | 28,569 | 28,868 | 1.0 | -1.7 |
| Exports | 30,452 | 31,384 | 31,100 | -0.9 | 2.1 | |
| Total | 59,824 | 59,953 | 59,968 | 0.0 | 0.2 | |
| Rail | Imports | 8,363 | 9,572 | 9,486 | -0.9 | 13.4 |
| Exports | 5,042 | 5,410 | 5,431 | 0.4 | 7.7 | |
| Total | 13,405 | 14,983 | 14,917 | -0.4 | 11.3 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 5,515 | 5,900 | 5,704 | -3.3 | 3.4 |
| Exports | 645 | 875 | 958 | 9.6 | 48.6 | |
| Total | 6,160 | 6,775 | 6,662 | -1.7 | 8.1 | |
| Vessel | Imports | 6,231 | 5,918 | 5,386 | -9.0 | -13.6 |
| Exports | 3,113 | 3,178 | 3,116 | -1.9 | 0.1 | |
| Total | 9,344 | 9,095 | 8,502 | -6.5 | -9.0 | |
| Air | Imports | 1,668 | 1,652 | 1,803 | 9.1 | 8.1 |
| Exports | 2,058 | 2,143 | 2,044 | -4.6 | -0.7 | |
| Total | 3,727 | 3,795 | 3,847 | 1.4 | 3.2 |
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
| May 2013 Compared to May in… | Percent Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck | Rail | Pipeline | Air | Vessel | All Modes | |
| 2012 | 0.2 | 11.3 | 8.1 | 3.2 | -9.0 | 1.8 |
| 2011 | 12.2 | 12.7 | -6.4 | 4.1 | -15.9 | 8.2 |
| 2010 | 27.2 | 30.0 | 26.5 | 4.0 | 21.7 | 27.2 |
| 2009 | 72.9 | 107.3 | 107.7 | 28.2 | 83.2 | 77.5 |
| 2008 | 21.9 | 17.6 | -14.0 | 9.1 | 8.1 | 15.3 |
| 2007 | 23.2 | 24.5 | 36.0 | 25.7 | 35.8 | 25.2 |
| 2006 | 26.9 | 35.1 | 44.0 | 24.5 | 29.8 | 30.3 |
| 2005 | 44.1 | 50.8 | 102.8 | 42.4 | 65.9 | 50.1 |
| 2004 | 57.6 | 52.8 | 140.4 | 51.5 | 113.8 | 65.2 |
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 | May 2012 | April 2013 | May 2013 | Percent Change April 2013 - May 2013 | Percent Change May 2012 - 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Modes | Imports | 27,829 | 28,591 | 28,343 | -0.9 | 1.8 |
| Exports | 25,605 | 26,158 | 26,453 | 1.1 | 3.3 | |
| Total | 53,434 | 54,749 | 54,796 | 0.1 | 2.5 | |
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 23,616 | 24,564 | 24,045 | -2.1 | 1.8 |
| Exports | 21,170 | 21,434 | 21,538 | 0.5 | 1.7 | |
| Total | 44,787 | 45,998 | 45,584 | -0.9 | 1.8 | |
| Truck | Imports | 12,669 | 12,303 | 12,331 | 0.2 | -2.7 |
| Exports | 18,064 | 17,895 | 17,933 | 0.2 | -0.7 | |
| Total | 30,732 | 30,198 | 30,265 | 0.2 | -1.5 | |
| Rail | Imports | 5,452 | 6,382 | 6,035 | -5.4 | 10.7 |
| Exports | 2,740 | 3,015 | 3,015 | 0.0 | 10.0 | |
| Total | 8,192 | 9,396 | 9,050 | -3.7 | 10.5 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 5,496 | 5,879 | 5,679 | -3.4 | 3.3 |
| Exports | 367 | 525 | 590 | 12.4 | 60.9 | |
| Total | 5,862 | 6,404 | 6,269 | -2.1 | 6.9 | |
| Vessel | Imports | 2,138 | 2,209 | 2,100 | -5.0 | -1.8 |
| Exports | 795 | 1,052 | 1,399 | 33.1 | 76.0 | |
| Total | 2,933 | 3,261 | 3,499 | 7.3 | 19.3 | |
| Air | Imports | 920 | 971 | 1,123 | 15.7 | 22.1 |
| Exports | 1,457 | 1,564 | 1,404 | -10.2 | -3.6 | |
| Total | 2,376 | 2,535 | 2,527 | -0.3 | 6.4 |
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 5. Top 10 State Freight Flows with Canada by All Modes of Transportation
Ranked by May 2013 Trade Value
(millions of current dollars)
| State | May 2012 | May 2013 | Percent Change May 2012- 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Rank | Value | Rank | ||
| Michigan | 6,643 | 1 | 6,357 | 1 | -4.3 |
| Illinois | 4,877 | 2 | 4,794 | 2 | -1.7 |
| California | 3,451 | 3 | 3,795 | 3 | 10.0 |
| Texas | 3,379 | 4 | 3,709 | 4 | 9.8 |
| Ohio | 3,245 | 5 | 3,229 | 5 | -0.5 |
| New York | 2,865 | 6 | 3,021 | 6 | 5.5 |
| Washington | 1,785 | 10 | 2,173 | 7 | 21.8 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,933 | 7 | 2,066 | 8 | 6.9 |
| Indiana | 1,823 | 8 | 1,751 | 9 | -4.0 |
| Minnesota | 1,813 | 9 | 1,578 | 10 | -13.0 |
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 6. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Canada for Each Mode of Transportation, May 2013
(millions of current dollars)
| Mode | Commodities | Exports | Imports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck | Vehicles Other than Railway | 3,703 | 2,383 | 6,086 |
| Rail | Vehicles Other than Railway | 915 | 2,296 | 3,211 |
| Pipeline | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 589 | 5,648 | 6,238 |
| Vessel | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 1,229 | 1,779 | 3,008 |
| Air | Pearls; Stones; Metals and Imitation Jewelry | 154 | 365 | 520 |
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 | May 2012 | April 2013 | May 2013 | Percent Change April 2013 - May 2013 | Percent Change May 2012 - 2013 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Modes | Imports | 24,877 | 24,334 | 24,541 | 0.8 | -1.4 |
| Exports | 18,529 | 19,901 | 19,240 | -3.3 | 3.8 | |
| Total | 43,406 | 44,235 | 43,781 | -1.0 | 0.9 | |
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 19,634 | 19,478 | 20,012 | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| Exports | 14,968 | 16,235 | 15,952 | -1.7 | 6.6 | |
| Total | 34,602 | 35,712 | 35,964 | 0.7 | 3.9 | |
| Truck | Imports | 16,703 | 16,266 | 16,536 | 1.7 | -1.0 |
| Exports | 12,388 | 13,489 | 13,167 | -2.4 | 6.3 | |
| Total | 29,091 | 29,756 | 29,703 | -0.2 | 2.1 | |
| Rail | Imports | 2,911 | 3,191 | 3,451 | 8.1 | 18.5 |
| Exports | 2,302 | 2,395 | 2,417 | 0.9 | 5.0 | |
| Total | 5,213 | 5,586 | 5,867 | 5.0 | 12.6 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 20 | 21 | 25 | 19.7 | 28.2 |
| Exports | 278 | 350 | 368 | 5.3 | 32.3 | |
| Total | 298 | 371 | 393 | 6.1 | 32.1 | |
| Vessel | Imports | 4,093 | 3,708 | 3,286 | -11.4 | -19.7 |
| Exports | 2,318 | 2,126 | 1,716 | -19.3 | -26.0 | |
| Total | 6,411 | 5,834 | 5,003 | -14.3 | -22.0 | |
| Air | Imports | 749 | 681 | 679 | -0.2 | -9.2 |
| Exports | 602 | 579 | 640 | 10.5 | 6.4 | |
| Total | 1,350 | 1,260 | 1,319 | 4.7 | -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 May 2013 Trade Value
(millions of current dollars)
| State | May 2012 | May 2013 | Percent Change May 2012- 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Rank | Value | Rank | ||
| Texas | 17,180 | 1 | 16,960 | 1 | -1.3 |
| California | 5,647 | 2 | 5,126 | 2 | -9.2 |
| Michigan | 4,087 | 3 | 4,266 | 3 | 4.4 |
| Illinois | 1,361 | 4 | 1,634 | 4 | 20.1 |
| Arizona | 1,305 | 5 | 1,444 | 5 | 10.7 |
| Ohio | 987 | 7 | 1,138 | 6 | 15.3 |
| Louisiana | 1,031 | 6 | 873 | 7 | -15.3 |
| Tennessee | 764 | 8 | 847 | 8 | 10.9 |
| Florida | 700 | 10 | 694 | 9 | -0.8 |
| North Carolina | 733 | 9 | 684 | 10 | -6.8 |
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, May 2013
(millions of current dollars)
| Mode | Commodities | Exports | Imports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truck | Electrical Machinery; Equipment and Parts | 2,867 | 4,562 | 7,428 |
| Rail | Vehicles Other than Railway | 535 | 2,508 | 3,043 |
| Pipeline | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 368 | 25 | 393 |
| Vessel | Mineral Fuels; Oils and Waxes | 928 | 2,662 | 3,590 |
| Air | Electrical Machinery; Equipment and Parts | 233 | 230 | 463 |
SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data
Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.