BTS reports surface trade with NAFTA partners is up 15.7 percent in May

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 15.7 percent in May 2011 compared to May 2010, hitting $77.3 billion.

This output represents a 4.8 percent gain from the $73.8 billion in April.

The BTS said that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in May was up 17.2 percent compared to May 2006 and up 55.9 percent compared to May 2001, with imports up 46.4 percent and exports up 68.5 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 84.8 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land in May, with 11.1 percent moving by vessel, and 4.1 percent by air.

The BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada was up 15.1 percent year-over-year in May at $46.3 billion. Michigan paced all states in surface trade with Canada in May at $6.3 billion for a 15.6 percent annual gain.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Mexico was up 16.6 percent year over year in May at $31.0 billion. Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in May at $11.2 billion, up 18.8 percent annually.