WASHINGTON, DC– The value of freight moved by truck between the U.S. and its North America neighbors, Canada and Mexico, rose by 4.5 percent in 2014 compared to a year earlier.

The overall value of NAFTA trade in 2014 hit $1.2 trillion. Of that, trucks carried 59.9 percent and were the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners.

Trucks accounted for $348.7 billion of the $640.2 billion of imports, or 54.5 percent, and $365.9 billion of the $552.5 billion of exports, or 66.2 percent.

U.S.-Canada freight up

From 2013 to 2014, total U.S.-Canada freight rose by 3.8 percent.

Trucks carried 53.8 percent of the $658.2 billion of freight to and from the country, followed by rail, at 15.8 percent; pipeline, 13.5 percent; vessel, 5.9 percent; and air, 4.3 percent.

The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.1percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows.

According to statistics, the trucking share of total freight movements between Canada and the U.S. has fallen 6.6 percentage points since 2004, with its imports sliding 8.8 percentage points while pipeline’s share of imports rose 8.4 percentage points and vessel exports rose four percentage points.

In 2014, Michigan led all states in freight with Canada, with $74.2 billion. Of the top 10 states for U.S.-Canada freight in 2014, Texas had the highest percent change from 2013, a 19.2-percent increase.

The biggest commodity transported by trucks in U.S.-Canada freight was vehicles and vehicle parts, with $66.9 billion.