BTS: Transborder freight moved by rail fell 17 percent in 2020

Transborder freight moved between the United States, Canada and Mexico fell 13.3% to $1.06 trillion worth of goods compared with the level of goods moved in 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Total transborder freight declined in 2020 in every month from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until a 0.4% increase at the end of the year in December, BTS officials said in a press release.

Rail, the second-most used mode, moved $148 billion worth of freight in 2020, a 16.9% decrease compared with 2019's level.

The value of freight moved by rail last year between the United States and Canada was $79 billion, down 18.3%, while the value of freight moved by rail between the United States and Mexico was $70 billion, down 15.3%.

The top three rail commodities in 2020, which represented 58.9% of total transborder rail freight, were motor vehicles and parts, valued at $69 billion; mineral fuels, $10 billion; and plastics, $8 billion.