The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported this week that U.S. trade with its North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico increased 6.2 percent from March 2013 to March 2014 at $101.5 billion.
BTS said this tally marks the second highest amount on record, trailing only October 2013. It added that U.S.-NAFTA trade has seen annual gains in 8 of the last 9 months, with January’s 0.2 percent decline the lone exception and due largely in part to severe winter weather in the northern states and Canadian border.
For individual modes, BTS said vessel freight was up 8.9 percent annually, with air up 6.7 percent, and truck up 6.3 percent. Rail freight dipped 5.2 percent.
Trucks hauled the majority of freight at 60.1 percent in March, representing $31.2 billion in exports and $29.8 billion in imports.