BTS | Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 12.0 Percent in November 2005 from November 2004

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Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 12.0 Percent in November 2005 from November 2004

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BTS 6-06
Dave Smallen
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Tuesday, January 31, 2006 - Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 12.0 percent higher in November 2005 than in November 2004, reaching $62.9 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Table 1).

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported that total North American surface transportation trade fell 1.7 percent in November from October (Table 2). Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.

Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land.

Total North American surface transportation trade value in November was up 41.6 percent compared to November 2001, and up 95.1 percent compared to November 1995, a period of 10 years (Table 3). Imports in November were up 106.1 percent compared to November 1995, while exports were up 81.7 percent.

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada

U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade totaled $41.0 billion in November, up 13.3 percent compared to November 2004 (Table 4). The value of imports carried by truck was 11.5 percent higher in November 2005 than November 2004 while the value of exports carried by truck was 11.3 percent higher.

Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in November with $6.9 billion (Table 5).

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico

U.S. – Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $21.8 billion in November, up 9.7 percent compared to November 2004 (Table 6). The value of imports carried by truck was 10.9 percent higher in November 2005 than November 2004 while the value of exports carried by truck was 6.7 percent higher.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in November with $7.1 billion (Table 7).

The Transborder Freight Dataset is a special extract of the official U.S. foreign trade statistics. The data are tabulated for BTS monthly by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division. November transborder numbers include data received by BTS as of Jan. 13.

The news release and summary tables can be found at www.bts.gov. More information on transborder freight data and data from previous months are posted on the BTS website at http://www.bts.gov/transborder/. BTS will release December transborder numbers on Feb. 28.

Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S. Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Month	2004	2005	Percent Change 2004-2005
January	45,686	52,334	14.6
February	48,170	53,592	11.3
March	56,269	59,436	5.6
April	53,195	58,297	9.6
May	53,155	57,870	8.9
June	55,422	59,431	7.2
July	48,096	49,690	3.3
August	53,577	60,188	12.3
September	54,913	61,166	11.4
October	56,880	63,985	12.5
November	56,134	62,894	12.0
December	52,065
Year-to-date	581,497	638,883	9.9
Annual	633,563

Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Source: BTS Transborder Surface Freight Dataset, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/

Table 2. U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and Mexico by Surface Modes of Transportation

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Mode		November 2004	October 2005	November 2005	Percent Change October - November	Percent Change November 2004-2005
All Surface Modes	Imports	32,005	37,199	36,387	−2.2	13.7
	Exports	24,129	26,786	26,507	−1.0	9.9
	Total	56,134	63,985	62,894	−1.7	12.0
Truck	Imports	20,764	23,271	23,095	−0.8	11.2
Truck	Exports	19,062	21,126	20,899	−1.1	9.6
Rail	Imports	6,677	7,449	7,440	−0.1	11.4
Rail	Exports	2,901	3,197	3,125	−2.3	7.7
Pipeline	Imports	3,465	5,079	4,753	−6.4	37.2
Pipeline	Exports	104	169	212	25.5	104.7

Note: The value of all surface modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail and pipeline modes. The value of trade for all surface modes includes shipments made by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, foreign trade zones, other and unknown modes of transportation. For additional detail refer to the Transborder Surface Freight data "Sources and Reliability" statement: http://www.bts.gov/ntda/tbscd/srfin.html; Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Source: BTS Transborder Surface Freight Dataset, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/

Table 3. November 2005 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Compared with November of Prior Years

Excel | CSV

Compared to November in.	Percent Change
Compared to November in.	Imports	Exports	Total Surface Trade
2004	13.7	9.9	12.0
2003	33.1	25.5	29.8
2002	38.8	31.8	35.8
2001	44.9	37.3	41.6
2000	29.1	22.6	26.3
1999	43.6	29.2	37.1
1998	69.3	47.4	59.3
1997	86.3	53.7	71.0
1996	89.1	59.0	75.1
1995	106.1	81.7	95.1

Source: BTS Transborder Surface Freight Dataset, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/

Table 4. U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada by Surface Modes of Transportation

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Mode		November 2004	October 2005	November 2005	Percent Change October - November	Percent Change November 2004-2005
All Surface Modes	Imports	20,908	24,857	24,074	−3.1	15.1
	Exports	15,316	17,239	16,974	−1.5	10.8
	Total	36,224	42,097	41,048	−2.5	13.3
Truck	Imports	11,569	13,152	12,894	−2.0	11.5
Truck	Exports	12,016	13,508	13,379	−1.0	11.3
Rail	Imports	4,988	5,427	5,546	2.2	11.2
Rail	Exports	1,584	1,750	1,716	−1.9	8.4
Pipeline	Imports	3,465	5,079	4,753	−6.4	37.2
Pipeline	Exports	96	100	147	46.6	53.2

Source: BTS Transborder Surface Freight Dataset, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/

Table 5. Top 10 States Trading with Canada by Surface Modes of Transportation, Ranked by November 2005 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Rank	State	November 2005
1	Michigan	6,935
2	New York	2,796
3	Illinois	2,774
4	California	2,575
5	Ohio	2,548
6	Texas	1,812
7	Pennsylvania	1,740
8	Washington	1,666
9	Indiana	1,328
10	Tennessee	1,271

Source: BTS Transborder Surface Freight Dataset, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/

Table 6. U.S. Merchandise Trade with Mexico by Surface Modes of Transportation

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Mode		November 2004	October 2005	November 2005	Percent Change October - November	Percent Change November 2004-2005
All Surface Modes	Imports	11,097	12,342	12,312	−0.2	11.0
	Exports	8,813	9,547	9,534	−0.1	8.2
	Total	19,910	21,888	21,846	−0.2	9.7
Truck	Imports	9,195	10,120	10,200	0.8	10.9
Truck	Exports	7,046	7,618	7,519	−1.3	6.7
Rail	Imports	1,690	2,023	1,894	−6.4	12.1
Rail	Exports	1,317	1,447	1,409	−2.6	6.9
Pipeline	Imports	0	0	0	NA	NA
Pipeline	Exports	8	69	66	−5.1	727.4

Source: BTS Transborder Surface Freight Dataset, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/

Table 7. Top 10 States Trading with Mexico by Surface Modes of Transportation, Ranked by November 2005 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Rank	State	November 2005
1	Texas	7,075
2	California	3,886
3	Michigan	2,238
4	Arizona	795
5	Illinois	671
6	Ohio	506
7	Indiana	465
8	Tennessee	446
9	New York	414
10	North Carolina	395

Source: BTS Transborder Surface Freight Dataset, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/