US-NAFTA freight totaled $88.0 billion in current dollars as all five major transportation modes carried more freight by value with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in January 2017 compared to January 2016, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
The value of freight in January 2017 represents a 6.7 percent increase from January 2016. The value of commodities moving by pipeline increased 42.7 percent, vessel by 41.8 percent, air by 13.7 percent, rail by 5.5 percent, and truck by 0.4 percent.
Trucks carried 62.5 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 $28.2 billion of the $47.8 billion of imports (59.1 percent) and $26.8 billion of the $40.2 billion of exports (66.6 percent).
Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.0 percent of all US-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 7.0 percent; pipeline, 6.4 percent; and air, 3.9 percent.
From January 2016 to January 2017, the value of US-Canada freight flows increased by 7.1 percent to $45.0 billion as the value of freight on five major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of freight carried on pipeline increased by 44.0 percent, air by 17.0 percent, vessel by 13.0 percent, rail by 8.5 percent, and truck by 0.5 percent.
In January 2017, the top commodity category transported between the US and Canada by all modes was vehicles and parts, of which $4.6 billion, or 57.3 percent, moved by truck and $3.2 billion, or 40.1 percent, moved by rail.
From January 2016 to January 2017, the value of US-Mexico freight flows increased by 6.3 percent to $43.0 billion as the value of freight on five major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of commodities moved by vessel increased by 58.9 percent, pipeline by 26.4 percent, air by 8.6 percent, rail by 2.1 percent, and truck by 0.3 percent.
The top commodity category transported between the US and Mexico by all modes in January 2017 was electrical machinery, of which $7.4 billion, or 91.4 percent, moved by truck.