The United States Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) said this week that trade using all forms of freight transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was up 3.5 percent in January 2013 compared to January 2012 at $90.5 billion.
In the past, BTS has only measured this trade data by surface transportation modes, but going forward it will be based on trucks, rail, ocean vessels, pipelines, and air.
U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade in January came in at $51.0 billion. Michigan paced all states in trade with Canada in January at $5.7 billion, which was down 1.9 percent annually. BTS said trucks accounted for 53.1 percent of this trade activity, followed by rail at 16.2 percent, pipelines at 13.9 percent, vessels at 6.1 percent, and air at 4.4 percent. Truck, rail and pipeline accounted for 83.1 percent of total U.S.-Canada trade, said BTS.
The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Mexico was $39.5 billion in January. Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico at $15.9 billion for a 1.8 percent annual gain. Trucks represented 67.4 percent of the trade activity, with ocean vessels next at 14.5 percent, rail at 11.8 percent, and air and pipelines at 3.1 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. Texas led all states in trade activity with Mexico at $15.9 billion for a 1.8 percent annual gain. Truck, rail, and pipeline represented 79.9 percent of total monthly trade with Mexico.