Value of U.S.-NAFTA freight movement dipped in March, BTS says

The total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight moved by all transportation modes to Canada and Mexico was $96.1 billion in March, a 5.3 percent decrease compared with March 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Air, rail and truck carried more U.S.-NAFTA freight than in March 2014, but the value of NAFTA trade moved by pipeline and vessel declined in March because of the reduced unit price of mineral fuel shipments, BTS officials said in a press release.

In a year-over-year comparison, the value of commodities moving by rail grew 1.5 percent; air, by 6 percent; and truck, by 0.9 percent. Vessel freight fell 30.3 percent and pipeline decreased 41.6 percent.

Rail remained the second-largest mode (trucking is first) for moving goods to and from Canada and Mexico. Railroads moved 15.8 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight in March 2015.

The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.9 percent of the total U.S.-NAFTA freight flow.