NAFTA partners' surface transportation trade value reached record high in March, BTS says

The value of trade moved by surface transportation modes between the United States and Canada and Mexico in March totaled $85.8 billion, the highest monthly trade value since data collection began in 1994, topping the previous record of $80.8 billion set in March 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Trade value — which exceeded $85 billion for the first time — rose 9.8 percent compared with February’s total and 6.2 percent compared with March 2011’s mark.

Surface transportation includes freight movements by rail, truck, pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones and other modes. In March, 86.2 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via land, 9.8 percent by vessel and 4 percent by air. The value of railed imports jumped 11.9 percent to $9.4 billion and the value of railed exports climbed 10.3 percent to $5.3 billion compared with March 2011.


The value of trade moved by surface transportation modes between the United States and Canada in March reached $50.1 billion, up 2.9 percent year over year. The value of railed imports increased 8.3 percent to $6.2 billion and the value of railed exports rose 9.2 percent to $2.9 billion.



The value of trade moved by surface transportation modes between the United States and Mexico in March totaled $35.7 billion, up 11.2 percent versus March 2011. The value of railed imports shot up 19.6 percent to $3.2 billion and the value of railed exports rose 11.7 percent to $2.4 billion.



For more BTS surface transportation trade data from March, follow this link.