Freight flows on all modes of transportation between the US and its NAFTA partners decreased 2.3 percent in February 2013 from January 2013, measured in current dollars, according to a report from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the US Department of Transportation on Wednesday. Freight moving across the border by truck decreased by 2.7 percent, while freight moving by rail increased by 4.8 percent from one month prior. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal factors such as the number of days in each month.
Trucks carried 59.1 percent of the $88.4 billion of freight moved in February 2013 between the US and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, Canada and Mexico, followed by rail at 15.3 percent, vessels at 9.7 percent, pipelines at 7.7 percent and air at 3.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.1 percent of the total NAFTA freight flows.
For freight flows with Canada, trucks carried 54.4 percent of the $48.9 billion, followed by rail at 17 percent, pipelines at 13.3 percent, vessels at 5.3 percent and air at 4.4 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.7 percent of the total US-Canada freight flows.
For freight flows with Mexico in February, trucks carried 64.8 percent of the $39.6 billion, followed by vessels at 15.2 percent, rail 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 78.8 percent of the total US-Mexico freight flows.
From February 2012 to February 2013, the value of freight carried by truck fell by 2.5 percent while the value of freight carried by rail increased 0.8 percent.