Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
Printable Version

June Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 12.6 Percent from June 2005

(State Rankings in Tables 5 and 7)

PDF

Contact
BTS 40-06
Dave Smallen
202-366-5568

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 - Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 12.6 percent higher in June 2006 than in June 2005, reaching $66.9 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 rose 1.4 percent in June from May (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 June was up 37.2 percent compared to June 2001, and up 92.0 percent compared to June 1996, a period of 10 years (Table 3).  Imports in June were up 102.1 percent compared to June 1996, while exports were up 80.1 percent.

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada

U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade totaled $42.8 billion in June, up 9.7 percent compared to June 2005 (Table 4).  The value of imports carried by truck was 6.3 percent higher in June 2006 than June 2005, while the value of exports carried by truck was 12.0 percent higher.

Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in June with $6.8 billion (Table 5).

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico

U.S. - Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $24.1 billion in June, up 18.1 percent compared to June 2005 (Table 6).  The value of imports carried by truck was 15.0 percent higher in June 2006 than June 2005 while the value of exports carried by truck was 18.4 percent higher.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in June with $7.4 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.  June transborder numbers include data received by BTS as of Aug. 14. 

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 July transborder numbers on Sept. 29.

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   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 59,104   13.5  
Year-to-date 311,897 340,960 383,840 9.3 12.6
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   June 2005 May 2006 June 2006 Percent Change May 2006-June 2006 Percent Change June 2005-2006
All Surface Modes Imports 33,724 37,257 37,938 1.8 12.5
Exports 25,707 28,737 28,960 0.8 12.7
Total 59,431 65,994 66,898 1.4 12.6
Truck Imports 22,301 24,377 24,542 0.7 10.0
Exports 20,437 22,861 23,330 2.1 14.2
Rail Imports 6,482 7,440 7,934 6.7 22.4
Exports 2,845 3,599 3,212 -10.8 12.9
Pipeline Imports 3,792 4,367 4,332 -0.8 14.2
Exports 184 260 198 -23.9 7.4

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. June 2006 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Compared with June of Prior Years

Excel | CSV

Compared to June in. Percent Change
Imports Exports Total Surface Trade
2005 12.5 12.7 12.6
2004 16.9 26.1 20.7
2003 41.5 40.5 41.0
2002 46.1 43.5 44.9
2001 36.2 38.6 37.2
2000 34.0 29.8 32.1
1999 57.5 51.9 55.0
1998 87.5 67.0 78.1
1997 100.6 75.1 88.7
1996 102.1 80.1 92.0

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   June 2005 May 2006 June 2006 Percent Change May 2006-June 2006 Percent Change June 2005-2006
All Surface Modes Imports 22,097 24,201 24,138 -0.3 9.2
Exports 16,961 18,712 18,695 -0.1 10.2
Total 39,058 42,914 42,833 -0.2 9.7
Truck Imports 12,601 13,590 13,391 -1.5 6.3
Exports 13,416 14,746 15,020 1.9 12.0
Rail Imports 4,757 5,383 5,524 2.6 16.1
Exports 1,556 2,136 1,740 -18.5 11.9
Pipeline Imports 3,792 4,367 4,331 -0.8 14.2
Exports 149 193 143 -26.0 -4.0

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 5. Top 10 States Trading with Canada by Surface Modes of Transportation

Ranked by June 2006 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Rank State June 2006
1 Michigan 6,835
2 Illinois 3,255
3 Ohio 2,883
4 New York 2,774
5 California 2,667
6 Texas 1,920
7 Pennsylvania 1,594
8 Washington 1,543
9 Indiana 1,500
10 Minnesota 1,250

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   June 2005 May 2006 June 2006 Percent Change May 2006-June 2006 Percent Change June 2005-2006
All Surface Modes Imports 11,626 13,056 13,800 5.7 18.7
Exports 8,747 10,024 10,265 2.4 17.4
Total 20,373 23,080 24,065 4.3 18.1
Truck Imports 9,700 10,788 11,152 3.4 15.0
Exports 7,021 8,115 8,311 2.4 18.4
Rail Imports 1,724 2,056 2,410 17.2 39.8
Exports 1,289 1,464 1,471 0.5 14.2
Pipeline Imports 0 0 1 NA NA
Exports 35 67 55 -17.7 55.3

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 June 2006 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

Excel | CSV

Rank State June 2006
1 Texas 7,378
2 California 4,083
3 Michigan 2,778
4 Arizona 843
5 Illinois 808
6 Ohio 575
7 New York 517
8 Tennessee 481
9 Indiana 475
10 North Carolina 467

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