The United States Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was up 12.1 percent in April 2011 compared to April 2010, coming in at $73.8 billion.
This tally is down from 8.7 percent from the $80.8 billion in March, which was the highest level for any month since the BTS began collecting data in 1994.
The BTS said that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in April was up 19.5 percent compared to April 2006 and up 57.6 percent compared to April 2001, with imports up 48.3 percent and exports up 70.0 percent.
Surface transportation, according to the BTS, is comprised mainly of freight movements by truck, trail, and pipeline, mail and Foreign Trade Zones, and nearly 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves by land. According to the BTS 85.8 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land, with 9.8 percent moving by vessel, and 4.4 percent by air.
BTS officials said that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in April increased 19.5 percent since April 2006 and 57.6 percent compared to April 2001.
The BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada was up 11.8 percent year-over-year in April at $44.6 billion. Imports carried by truck were valued 5.3 percent higher in April 2011 compared to April 2010, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 12.4 percent. Michigan paced all states in surface trade with Canada in April at $5.8 billion for a 6.6 percent annual gain.
The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Mexico was up 12.4 percent year over year in April at $29.1 billion. Imports carried by truck were valued 10.5 percent higher in April 2011 compared to April 2010, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 12.7 percent. Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in April at $10.1 billion, up 10.8 percent annually.