U.S.-NAFTA freight rises for third time in five months in December, reports BTS

United States trade with its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico rose 0.4 percent annually to $87.1 billion, according to data issued by the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), which was released this week.

BTS said this gain marks the third time in the last five months in which the annual value of U.S.-NAFTA freight saw an increase.  

Trucks carried 61.9 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight in December and continued to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $27.4 billion of the $46.8 billion of imports (58.6 percent) and $26.4 billion of the $40.3 billion of exports (65.6 percent). Rail followed trucking, moving 15.2 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel at 6.5 percent, pipeline at 6.1 percent, and air at 4.2 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.1 percent of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows.

From December 2015 to December 2016, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows fell 1.2 percent to $44.5 billion, due to decreases in the value of goods moved by vessel (down 20.8 percent), rail (down 5.4 percent), and truck (down 2.1 percent). The value of freight carried on pipeline and air increased 28.7 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively. 

South of the border, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight increased 2.1 percent to $42.6 billion in December, due to increases in the value of goods moved by pipeline (up 66.1 percent), vessel (up 14.9 percent), and rail (up 8.4 percent). Truck and air dropped 1.9 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.

Trucks carried 67.2 percent of the value of the freight to and from Mexico. Rail carried 15.2 percent of the value of freight to and from Mexico followed by vessel, 9.6 percent; air, 3.4 percent; and pipeline, 0.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.3 percent of the value of total U.S.-Mexico freight flows.