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In 2006, goods valued at more than $866 billion crossed the U.S. border into and out of Canada and Mexico, representing a 9.7 percent increase compared with 2005's merchandise trade and setting a new annual record, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The value of merchandise trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico rose 41.1 percent, or more than $252 billion, between 2001 and 2006, growing at an average annual rate of 7.1 percent. During the five-year period, the total value of U.S. trade with Mexico and Canada increased 42.7 percent and 40.2 percent, respectively.

In 2006 alone, freight weighing about 475 million tons was transported through U.S. land borders, airports and seaports to and from Canada and Mexico. Trucks carried 62 percent of the freight measured by value, at $534 billion, followed by rail at 15 percent, maritime at 8 percent, pipelines at 7 percent and air freight at 4 percent. Trucks gained the largest modal increase in shipment value from 2005 to 2006 at $43 billion, followed by rail and maritime at $12 billion each.