US-NAFTA trade reaches record highs in March

Wednesday, 30 May 2012 02:37:00 (GMT+2)

On Tuesday, the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported that trade using surface transportation between the US and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, Canada and Mexico, was 6.2 percent higher in March 2012 than in March 2011, totaling $85.8 billion. March 2012 was also the highest month for NATFA trade value since collection of data began in 1994, exceeding $85 billion for the first time and topping the previous record of $80.8 billion in March 2011. Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones, and other modes of transport.

The value of US surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico increased 9.8 percent in March 2012 from February 2012. Both US-Canada and US-Mexico surface transportation trade in March 2012 increased compared to March 2011 with US-Canada trade reaching $50.1 billion, a 2.9 percent increase, and US-Mexico trade reaching $35.7 billion, an 11.2 percent increase.