The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) freight numbers released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation showed that trucks carried 60.6 percent of the $99.0 billion of freight moved in April 2013 between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico. Rail came in second at 15.1 percent followed by vessels at 9.2 percent, pipelines at 6.8 percent and air at 3.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.5 percent of the total NAFTA freight flows.
For freight flows with Canada, according to the BTS, trucks carries 55.2 percent of the $54.7 billion of freight, followed by rail at 17.2 percent, pipelines at 11.7 percent, vessels at 6.0 percent and air at 4.6 percent. Truck, rail and pipeline modes carried 84.0 percent of total U.S. -Canada freight flows.
BTS reported that of the freight flows with Mexico in April, trucks carried 67.3 percent of the $44.2 billion of freight, followed by rail at 12.6 percent, vessel at 13.2 percent, air at 2.8 percent and pipelines at 0.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 80.7 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows.
Freight flows by all modes of transportation between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners increased 3.6 percent in April 2013 from March 2013. Freight moving by truck between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners increased by 4.6 percent from one month prior, however rail decreased by 5.3 percent.
Michigan led all states in goods transported to and from Canada at $6.4 billion in April. At 15.9 percent Ohio had the largest year-to-year percentage increase, while New Jersey had the largest year-to-year decrease at 15.6 percent. Mineral fuels moved by pipeline was the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada in April, valued at $6.4 billion.
At $17.0 billion, Texas lead all states in goods transported to and from Mexico by all modes of transportation. Louisiana had the largest year-to-year percentage increase at 61.1 percent, due largely to a 152.4 percent rise in mineral fuels trade from April 2012 to April 2013. Electrical machinery moved by truck was the top commodity transported between the U.S. and Mexico in April, valued at $7.5 billion.
Values and charts were acquired from the U.S. Department of Transportation: Bureau of Transportation Statistics website, http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/press_releases/bts030_13.
