US-NAFTA freight totaled $87.1 billion in current dollars as three out of five major transportation modes carried more freight by value with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in December 2016 compared to December 2015, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). The total reflects a 0.4 percent increase compared to December 2015.
The value of commodities moving by pipeline increased 30.9 percent, vessel by 2.0 percent, and rail by 0.9 percent. Air decreased by 1.4 percent, and truck by 2.0 percent. The large percentage increase in the value of goods moving by pipeline was largely due to a 40 percent increase in the year-over-year price of crude oil between December 2015 and December 2016.
Trucks carried 61.9 percent of US-NAFTA freight and continued to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both US-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $27.4 billion of the $46.8 billion of imports (58.6 percent) and $26.4 billion of the $40.3 billion of exports (65.6 percent).
Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.2 percent of all US-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 6.5 percent; pipeline, 6.1 percent; and air, 4.2 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.1 percent of the total value of US-NAFTA freight flows.
From December 2015 to December 2016, the value of US-Canada freight flows decreased by 1.2 percent to $44.5 billion as the value of freight on three modes decreased from a year earlier. The value of freight carried on truck decreased by 2.1 percent, rail by 5.4 percent, and vessel by 20.8 percent. The value of commodities moved in pipeline increased by 28.7 percent, reflecting the increased value of mineral fuels year over year.
From December 2015 to December 2016, the value of US-Mexico freight flows increased by 2.1 percent to $42.6 billion as the value of freight on three out of five major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of commodities moved in pipeline increased by 66.1 percent, vessel by 14.9 percent, and rail by 8.4 percent. Truck decreased by 1.9 percent, and air by 5.2 percent.
In December 2016, the top commodity category transported between the US and Canada by all modes was vehicles and parts, of which $4.4 billion, or 57.6 percent, moved by truck and $3.0 billion, or 39.9 percent, moved by rail. The top commodity category transported between the US and Mexico by all modes in December 2016 was electrical machinery, of which $7.2 billion, or 90.8 percent, moved by truck.