U.S.-NAFTA trade is up for sixth straight month, reports BTS

United States trade with its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico increased 0.8% annually to $91.1 billion in April, the most recent month for which data is available, according to the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

This represents the sixth consecutive month in which there has been an annual increase.

Trucks carried 62.6 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight in April and continued to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $29.4 billion of the $49.5 billion of imports (59.5 percent) and $27.6 billion of the $41.6 billion of exports (66.3 percent).

Rail followed trucking, moving 16.4 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel at 6.3 percent, pipeline at 5.9 percent, and air at 3.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.9 percent of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows.

BTS said that from April 2016 to April 2017, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows increased by 2.5 percent to $47.0 billion as the value of freight on three major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of freight carried on pipeline increased by 67.1 percent, vessel by 13.8 percent, and rail by 6.4 percent. Truck decreased by 2.8 percent, and air decreased by 7.2 percent. The increase in the value of commodities moved by pipeline and vessel reflects the increased value of mineral fuels year over year.

And for the same period it said that the value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows decreased by 1.0 percent to $44.0 billion even as the value of freight on four major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of commodities moved by vessel increased by 34.5 percent, pipeline by 19.7 percent, air by 7.1 percent, and rail by 5.1 percent. Truck, which carries the largest share of U.S.-Mexico freight, decreased by 7.8 percent. The decrease in U.S.-Mexico freight by truck was primarily due to a 19.3 percent drop in the value of computers and parts. The increase in the value of commodities moved by vessel reflects the increased value of mineral fuels year over year.