BTS | October Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 4.5 Percent from October 2005

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BTS Home > Press Releases > 2006

October Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 4.5 Percent from October 2005

(State Rankings in Tables 5 and 7)

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BTS 62-06
Dave Smallen
202-366-5568

Friday, December 29, 2006 - Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 4.5 percent higher in October 2006 than in October 2005, reaching $66.8 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 rose 5.6 percent in October from September (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 October was up 40.3 percent compared to October 2001, and up 76.9 percent compared to October 1996, a period of 10 years (Table 3). Imports in October were up 94.1 percent compared to October 1996, while exports were up 58.5 percent.

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada

U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade totaled $41.8 billion in October, down 0.7 percent compared to October 2005 (Table 4). The value of imports carried by truck was 1.8 percent higher in October 2006 than October 2005, while the value of exports carried by truck was 4.9 percent higher.

Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in October with $5.6 billion (Table 5).

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico

U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $25.1 billion in October, up 14.5 percent compared to October 2005 (Table 6). The value of imports carried by truck was 14.9 percent higher in October 2006 than October 2005 while the value of exports carried by truck was 9.8 percent higher.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in October with $7.5 billion (Table 7).

The Transborder Freight Data are 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. October transborder numbers include data received by BTS as of Dec. 19.

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 November transborder numbers on Jan. 31, 2007.

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

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Month	2004	2005	2006	Percent Change 2004-2005	Percent Change 2005-2006
January	45,686	52,334	61,189	14.6	16.9
February	48,170	53,592	59,804	11.3	11.6
March	56,269	59,436	68,213	5.6	14.8
April	53,195	58,297	61,742	9.6	5.9
May	53,155	57,870	65,994	8.9	14.0
June	55,422	59,431	66,898	7.2	12.6
July	48,096	49,690	55,939	3.3	12.6
August	53,577	60,188	66,354	12.3	10.2
September	54,913	61,166	63,295	11.4	3.5
October	56,880	63,985	66,846	12.5	4.5
November	56,134	62,894		12.0
December	52,065	59,104		13.5
Year-to-date	525,363	575,989	636,273	9.6	10.5
Annual	633,563	697,987		10.2

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

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

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

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Mode		October 2005	September 2006	October 2006	Percent Change Sept. 2006 -Oct. 2006	Percent Change October 2005-2006
All Surface Modes	Imports	37,199	36,232	37,943	4.7	2.0
	Exports	26,786	27,063	28,902	6.8	7.9
	Total	63,985	63,295	66,846	5.6	4.5
Truck	Imports	23,271	23,439	25,010	6.7	7.5
Truck	Exports	21,126	21,410	22,530	5.2	6.6
Rail	Imports	7,449	7,131	7,328	2.8	-1.6
Rail	Exports	3,197	3,297	3,550	7.7	11.0
Pipeline	Imports	5,079	4,192	4,392	4.8	-13.5
Pipeline	Exports	169	195	257	31.6	52.0

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

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 Freight Data "Sources and Reliability" statement: http://www.bts.gov/ntda/tbscd/srfin.html; Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Table 3. October 2006 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Compared with October of Prior Years

Excel | CSV

Compared to October in.	Percent Change
Compared to October in.	Imports	Exports	Total Surface Trade
2005	2.0	7.9	4.5
2004	16.4	19.0	17.5
2003	27.1	28.4	27.7
2002	34.6	34.7	34.7
2001	41.6	38.6	40.3
2000	29.5	28.9	29.2
1999	51.2	41.1	46.6
1998	66.4	54.1	60.9
1997	81.4	54.0	68.5
1996	94.1	58.5	76.9

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

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

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Mode		October 2005	September 2006	October 2006	Percent Change Sept. 2006-Oct. 2006	Percent Change October 2005-2006
All Surface Modes	Imports	24,857	22,916	23,685	3.4	-4.7
	Exports	17,239	17,488	18,100	3.5	5.0
	Total	42,097	40,404	41,785	3.4	-0.7
Truck	Imports	13,152	12,674	13,383	5.6	1.8
Truck	Exports	13,508	13,789	14,165	2.7	4.9
Rail	Imports	5,427	4,832	4,943	2.3	-8.9
Rail	Exports	1,750	1,885	1,977	4.9	13.0
Pipeline	Imports	5,079	4,180	4,381	4.8	-13.8
Pipeline	Exports	100	140	199	42.5	98.7

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

Table 5. Top 10 States Trading with Canada by Surface Modes of Transportation Ranked by October 2006 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Rank	State	October 2006
1	Michigan	5,622
2	Illinois	3,367
3	New York	2,964
4	Ohio	2,955
5	California	2,693
6	Texas	1,952
7	Pennsylvania	1,721
8	Washington	1,479
9	Indiana	1,439
10	Tennessee	1,360

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

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

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Mode		October 2005	September 2006	October 2006	Percent Change Sept. 2006-Oct. 2006	Percent Change October 2005-2006
All Surface Modes	Imports	12,342	13,316	14,258	7.1	15.5
	Exports	9,547	9,574	10,802	12.8	13.2
	Total	21,888	22,890	25,061	9.5	14.5
Truck	Imports	10,120	10,765	11,626	8.0	14.9
Truck	Exports	7,618	7,621	8,364	9.8	9.8
Rail	Imports	2,023	2,299	2,385	3.7	17.9
Rail	Exports	1,447	1,412	1,573	11.3	8.7
Pipeline	Imports	0	12	12	-1.2	NA
Pipeline	Exports	69	56	58	4.3	-15.7

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

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 Freight data "Sources and Reliability" statement: http://www.bts.gov/ntda/tbscd/srfin.html; Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Table 7. Top 10 States Trading with Mexico by Surface Modes of Transportation Ranked by October 2006 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Rank	State	October 2006
1	Texas	7,535
2	California	4,737
3	Michigan	2,575
4	Illinois	925
5	Arizona	808
6	Ohio	562
7	Tennessee	537
8	New York	474
9	North Carolina	443
10	Indiana	441

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