Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS)
Printable Version

Table 3-1
U.S. Waterborne Trade, 2001-2005

Excel | CSV

(million metric tons)

Trade 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Percent change 2001-05
Total 2,103.20 2,057.60 2,131.50 2,255.60 2,277.80 8.3
Foreign 1,157.50 1,131.30 1,209.60 1,305.70 1,348.80 16.5
Imports 830.1 813.9 879.9 954.6 995.2 19.9
Tanker 572.8 568.9 604.5 630.1 643.2 12.3
Container 80.7 91.9 98.1 112.9 122.8 52.1
Exports 327.4 317.4 329.7 351.1 353.6 8
Tanker 55.3 51.8 52.9 57.2 55.5 0.4
Container 63.8 62.3 68 74.4 79.5 24.6
Domestic 945.7 926.3 921.9 949.9 929 -1.8
Coastwise 202.8 196.3 202.8 200.1 191.8 -5.4
Tanker 85.1 80.3 81.3 78.8 73.1 -14.1
Inland 562.3 551.6 553.0 568.1 564.4 0.4
Lakes 90.7 92.1 81.5 93.9 87.3 -3.7
Other 89.9 86.3 84.6 87.8 85.5 -4.9

SOURCES: U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, prepared from: U.S. Bureau of Census for foreign trade; Port Import Export Reporting Service (PIERS) for container trades; and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterborne Commerce of the United States 2005.

  • The U.S. water transportation industry serves the needs of both foreign and domestic commerce. It comprises companies that carry freight or passengers on the open seas or inland waterways, offer towing services, charter vessels, and operate canals and terminals.
  • In 2005, U.S. waterborne commerce amounted to 2.3 billion metric tons. International commerce accounted for 59% of the total, up from 55% 5 years earlier. The change in composition was due largely to a 12% rise in tanker imports and a 14% decline in coastal (domestic) tanker trade.
  • While container trade accounted for only 15% of U.S. foreign water borne trade (metric tons), imports increased by 52% and exports rose by 25% over the last 5 years.


RITA's privacy policies and procedures do not necessarily apply to external web sites. We suggest contacting these sites directly for information on their data collection and distribution policies.