BTS reports August U.S.-NAFTA freight flows are up for 10th straight month

The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported that United States trade with its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, Canada and Mexico, headed up on an annual basis in August, the most recent month for which data is available.  

With a 4.6% annual gain to $97.4 million in August, this marks the 10th consecutive month of increases, with all five major transportation modes carrying more freight by value.

Trucks carried 64.7% of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continued to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks also accounted for $31.9 billion of the $52.0 billion of imports (61.4%) and $31.1 billion of the $45.4 billion of exports (68.5%).

Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.1 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 5.8 percent; pipeline, 5.5 percent; and air, 3.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 85.3 percent of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows.

BTS said that from August 2016 to August 2017 the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows headed up 4.7% to $49.5 million, as the as the value of freight on four major modes increased annually. The value of freight carried on pipeline increased by 20.0%, rail by 1.1%, and truck by 3.4% and air by 7.1%.  Vessel freight flows fell 5.3%.

And U.S.-Mexico freight flows saw a 4.5% annual gain to $47.9 billion. The value of commodities moved by air increased by 10.7 percent, vessel by 9.4 percent, rail by 5.8 percent, and truck by 3.7 percent. Pipeline decreased by 43.1 percent due primarily to decreases in the volumes of goods imported.