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Last year, more than $633 billion worth of goods traveled by rail, truck or pipeline between the United States, and Mexico and Canada, a 12.6 percent increase compared with 2003, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Total exports and imports moving between NAFTA partners increased 11.9 percent and 13.1 percent, respectively. Rail exports rose 16.1 percent while truck exports increased 10.5 percent compared with 2003. Rail imports increased 12.1 percent to $78.1 billion.

In December, surface transportation trade totaled more than $52 billion, a 14.6 percent increase compared with December 2003 but 7.3 percent decline compared with November 2004, BTS said. Rail exports and imports in December rose 11.9 percent to $2.5 billion and 5.4 percent to $6.2 billion, respectively, compared with the same 2003 period

U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade in December rose 15.7 percent to $33.8 billion while U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade rose 12.7 percent to $18.3 billion compared with December 2003.