Cross-border truck freight surges in 2021

Trucks moved $827.9 billion in freight across North America’s borders in 2021, up 19.2% from 2020 and 7.2% over the pre-pandemic totals seen in 2019.

Overall freight traveling between Canada and the U.S. using any transportation mode was valued at $664.2 billion during the year, marginally higher than the $661.2 billion that crossed between the U.S. and Mexico, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. (All figures in US dollars.)

trade by transportation mode graph
(Illustration: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics)

The busiest border crossing between Canada and the U.S. was at Windsor, Ont., accounting for $131 billion in trade.

The top U.S. imports included computer-related parts and machinery, at $44.2 billion, followed by vehicles other than railway ($44.2 billion). Top Canadian exports included mineral fuels, oils and waxes valued at a collective $103.2 billion.

December 2021 trade by mode
(Illustration: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics)

The year ended strong, with $60.6 billion in freight crossing between Canada and the U.S. in December, up 27.4% over the same month in 2020, and 21.9% higher than December 2019.

Trucks moved $30.8 billion in freight across the Canada-U.S. border during the last month of the year, accounting for 50.9% of the overall freight value crossing the northern border.

Crossings at Windsor, Ont., accounted for $9.2 billion in trans-border truck freight, while another $5.5 billion crossed at Sarnia, Ontario. Those two Canada-U.S. ports were outpaced only by the U.S.-Mexico port at Laredo, Texas, which saw $16.8 billion in truck freight.

Computers and parts represented $13.3 billion of North America’s trans-border truck freight during the month, followed by electrical machinery ($10.8 billion), and vehicles and parts ($9 billion).


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*

  • They sure did….now it’s easily 1 hour plus to get from one side of bridge to other…it’s ridiculous