Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was up 24.3 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, increasing to $791 billion, according to data released by the United States Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
BTS officials said the 24.3 percent annual increase is the largest annual increase for the time it has been collecting this data.
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 86.2 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land in 2010, and total North American surface transportation trade value in 2010 was up 13.4 percent compared to 2005 and up 37.5 percent compared to 2000.
But despite the increase, the value of North American surface trade in 2010 is below 2007 and 2008 levels, according to the BTS. And it added that total North American surface transportation exports in 2010 were up 25.1 percent over 2009, with exports up 23.3 percent annually.
BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada was up 22.1 percent year-over-year in 2010 at $471 billion. Imports carried by truck were valued 17.3 percent higher in 2010 compared to December 2009, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 21.8 percent. Michigan paced all states in surface trade with Canada in December at $60.7 billion.
The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Mexico was up 27.6 percent year over year in 2010 at $320.3 billion. Imports carried by truck were valued 26.5 percent higher in annually, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was up 24.3 percent. Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in 2010 at $114.5 billion, marking the first time that a state has had more than $100 billion in trade with Mexico by surface modes of transportation in a calendar year.
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