Trucks Carried $57.6 Billion of NAFTA Trade in Nov

Chart shows the percent change in value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows by mode, November 2013 compared to November 2012. Credit: U.S. DOT

WASHINGTON, DC — Three of the five transportation modes – truck, rail and pipeline – carried more U.S.-NAFTA trade in November 2013 than they did a year earlier, according to the U.S. Transportation Department.

Trucks carried 59.9 percent of the $96.1 billion of U.S.-NAFTA trade in November 2013, accounting for $30.2 billion of exports and $27.4 billion of imports. It was followed by rail at 15.8 percent, vessels at 9 percent, pipeline at 6.6 percent and air at 4percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.3 percent of the total NAFTA freight flows.

Focusing in on trade between Canada and the U.S. alone, in November, trucks carried 54.9 percent of the $52.8 billion of freight, followed by rail at 17 percent, pipelines at 11.5 percent, vessel at 5.5 percent and air at 4.7 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.4 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows.

In November 2013, the top commodity group transported between the U.S. and Canada was mineral fuels, valued at $10.6 billion, of which $6 billion moved by pipeline.

The value of overall U.S. trade with its NAFTA partners, Canada and Mexico, rose 1.3 percent during the month compared to the same time a year ago.

Trucks carry three-fifths of U.S.-NAFTA trade and are the most heavily used mode for moving goods to and from both U.S. and NAFTA partners. In November 2013, truck freight rose 2.5 percent in value year-to-year, rail rose 2.2 percent, vessel declined 8.4 percent and air declined 4 percent. Pipelines showed the most year-to-year growth at 7.4 percent.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) started in 1994 to create free trade between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.


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