Truck-hauled cross-border freight values rise

Trucks moved US$88.5 billion in transborder freight between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico this June, up 6.1% over the same month last year.

Of that, $39.5 billion traveled between Canada and the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. (All figures in US dollars.)

Detroit, Port Huron, and Buffalo were the busiest truck ports for U.S. freight flows with Canada – accounting for a respective $10.8 billion, $7.2 billion, and $6.8 billion — while Laredo, El Paso and Otay Mesa were the busiest crossings between the U.S. and Mexico.

cross border traffic
(Illustration: U.S. Department of Transportation)

The top commodities hauled by trucks between Canada and the U.S. were computers and parts ($6.6 billion), vehicles and parts ($6.4 billion), and electrical machinery ($2.6 billion).

Total transborder freight amounted to $134.8 billion when all transportation modes are considered, down 4.6% from June 2022.

Pipelines saw the biggest drop among transportation modes, moving $8.1 billion in freight, which was down 45.4% compared to June 2022. Vessel-carried values dropped to $10.3 billion, down 22.6% from the same month a year ago. Railways moved $17 billion in freight, down 9.7%.

Many declines were linked to a 38.8% drop in the value of oil and energy commodities over the timeframe, the U.S. Department of Transportation says.

June 2023 transborder freight
(Illustration: U.S. Department of Transportation)


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