Transportation news: BTS says U.S. surface trade with Mexico and Canada up 15.9 percent in July

Staff -- Logistics Management, 9/30/2008

WASHINGTON—Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was up 15.9 percent in July 2008 compared to July 2007 and reached $71.6 billion, according to data released by the United States Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). On a month-to-month basis, this tally betters June 2007 by 9.3 percent, although June was better fiscally at $74.1 billion.

Surface transportation, according to the BTS, is comprised mainly of freight movements by truck, trail, and pipeline, and roughly 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves by land. On a monthly basis, the BTS reported that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico was up 0.015 percent in June from May.

The BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico dropped 3.4 percent in July from June at $71.6 billion. But the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in July was up 68.1 percent compared to July 2003 and 123.6 percent compared to July 1998. According to BTS data, July 20087 imports were up 129.8 percent compared to July 1998 with exports down 116.2 percent in that same timeframe.

In July, U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade came in at $46.9 billion, representing a 19.8 percent increase year over year, with Illinois leading all states in surface trade with Canada in June at $5.0 billion. The BTS said the value of imports carried by truck was up 2.6 percent in July 2008 compared to July 2007, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 16.2 percent.    

Transportation trade between the United States and Mexico came in at $24.8 billion in July, which was up from July 2007 by 9.0 percent. Imports carried by truck were valued at 7.2 percent higher than July 2007, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 13.8 percent. And Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in December with $8.1 billion.