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BTS: Surface transportation-moved freight among NAFTA partners reached record value in March

North American Trade  

6/1/2011

In March, the value of cargo moved by surface transportation modes between the United States and Canada and Mexico climbed 15.6 percent year over year to $80.8 billion — the highest value since data collection began in 1994, besting the previous record set in April 2008 by 8.8 percent (not adjusted for inflation), according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

The value of U.S. trade moved by surface transportation modes — including rail, truck, pipeline, mail and Foreign Trade Zones — soared 58.3 percent compared with March 2009. Freight value jumped 21.5 percent vs. February’s total. Railed imports between the NAFTA nations increased 8.3 percent to $8.4 billion and railed exports rose 12.5 percent to $4.8 billion.

U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade value in March increased 15.7 percent year over year to $48.7 billion. Railed imports climbed 12.8 percent to $5 billion and railed exports rose 3.2 percent to $2.6 billion.

U.S.–Mexico surface transportation trade value in March shot up 15.3 percent year over year to $32.1 billion — the first month on record that U.S.–Mexico trade value exceeded $30 billion, according to BTS. Railed imports declined 0.3 percent to $2.6 billion, but railed exports ballooned 26.9 percent to $2.1 billion.