BTS Releases July North American Freight Numbers: Four of Five Modes Carried More U.S. NAFTA Trade in July 2013 than in July 2012
Four of the five transportation modes carried more U.S.-NAFTA trade in July 2013 than in July 2012 as the value of overall U.S. trade with its NAFTA partners rose 6.3 percent from year to year, according to the July North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) freight data released last week by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
BTS, a part of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that pipelines showed the most year-to-year growth at 25.0 percent. The increase in freight carried by pipelines reflects the rise in prices for oil and other petroleum products, the primary commodity transported by pipelines.
Truck, which carries three-fifths of U.S.-NAFTA trade, rose 5.3 percent while rail rose 4.5 percent and air grew 6.3 percent. Vessel was the only mode showing a decrease, 0.3 percent.
U.S.-Canada trade by pipeline, of which 83 percent was imported, increased the most of any mode from July 2012 to July 2013, growing 24.2 percent. U.S.-Canada pipeline trade comprises 95 percent of total U.S. NAFTA pipeline trade. Vessel trade decreased by 0.2 percent.
For freight flows with Canada in July, trucks carried 53.9 percent of the $49.9 billion of the freight, followed by rail at 15.5 percent, pipelines at 14.8 percent, vessel at 5.3 percent and air at 4.4 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.2 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows.
U.S.-Mexico trade by pipeline, of which 95 percent was exports, increased the most of any mode from July 2012 to July 2013, growing 43.8 percent. U.S.-Mexico pipeline trade comprises 5 percent of total U.S. NAFTA pipeline trade. Vessel trade decreased by 0.3 percent.
For freight flows with Mexico in July, trucks carried 65.3 percent of the $43.2 billion of the freight, followed by vessel at 14.1 percent, rail at 13.5 percent, air at 2.9 percent and pipelines at 0.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 79.6 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows.
See BTS Transborder Data Release for summary tables, state rankings and additional data. See North American Transborder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004.