Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was up 25.3 percent in August 2010 compared to August 2009, increasing to $68.0 billion, according to data released by the United States Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
Surface transportation, according to the BTS, is comprised mainly of freight movements by truck, trail, and pipeline, and nearly 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves by land. According to the BTS 86.6 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land.
BTS officials said that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in August was 5.9 percent below August 2008 levels despite an annual increase from August 2009 to August 2010 of 25.3 percent. On a sequential basis, August 2010 North American surface freight value was up 10.9 percent compared to July 2010.
And BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in August was up 12.9 percent compared to August 2005, and up 35.1 percent compared to August 2000. Imports in August were up 29.3 percent compared to August 2000, while exports were up 42.5 percent, according to the BTS.
The BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada was up 21.1 percent year-over-year in August at $39.9 billion. Imports carried by truck were valued 23.2 percent higher in August 2010 compared to August 2009, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 19.8 percent. Michigan paced all states in
surface trade with Canada in August at $5.4 billion.
The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Mexico was up 31.7 percent year over year in August at $28.1 billion. Imports carried by truck were valued 29.1 percent higher in August 2010 compared to August 2009, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 30.6 percent. Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in August at $10.2 billion, marking the first time in the 15-year history of BTS TransBorder Freight Data that a state has topped $10 billion of surface trade with Mexico.