WASHINGTON, (Aug. 3, 2005) — The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics announced that trade using surface transportation between the U.S. and its NAFTA partners Canada and Mexico rose 8.9 percent in May 2005 from May 2004 to a total of $57.9 billion.

However, the bureau reported that total surface transportation trade fell 0.7 percent in May from April. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.

Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land.

U.S. – Canada surface transportation trade totaled $37.9 billion in May, up 9.8 percent compared to May 2004. Trucks carried 59 percent of imports and 78 percent of exports by value. The value of imports carried by truck rose 10.3 percent in May 2005 from the year before, while the value of exports rose 11.1 percent. Michigan, unsurprisingly, led all states in surface trade with Canada in with $6.0 billion.

Total surface transportation trade value in May was up 19.3 percent compared to May 2002, when North American surface trade reached its low point of any May since 2000, and up 79.2 percent compared to May 1995, a period of 10 years. Imports in May were up 91.5 percent compared to May 1995, while exports were up 65.6 percent.

— via Truckinginfo.com