BTS releases North American surface trade numbers for December

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, Canada and Mexico, decreased 3.2 percent in December 2012 compared to December 2011, totaling $71.9 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.  BTS, a part of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that in December 2012, $48 billion of U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico moved by truck, $14 billion moved by rail, and $6 billion moved by pipeline.   Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, other modes of transport, and goods moving into Foreign Trade Zones. Surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico accounted for 17 percent of total U.S. foreign trade in December 2012. U.S.-Canada surface trade was $42.1 billion in December 2012, while U.S.-Mexico surface trade was $29.8 billion. For trade statistics by mode, see Table 3 for Canada and Table 5 for Mexico.  In December, Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada, at $5.6 billion. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada by surface modes of transportation in December was vehicles and parts, valued at $7.8 billion.  Texas continued to lead all states in surface trade with Mexico at $10.3 billion. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico by surface modes of transportation in December was electrical machinery with $6.3 billion in trade.  See BTS Transborder Data Release for summary tables, state rankings and additional data. See North American Transborder Freight Data for historical data.