April 2010 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 32.4 Percent from April 2009
(State Rankings in Tables 5 and 7)
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 32.4 percent higher in April 2010 than in April 2009, reaching $65.8 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Table 1). The 32.4 percent increase is the third consecutive monthly increase of at least 24 percent from the previous year. Freight value in April 2010 still remained 11.4 percent less than the value in April 2008, two years earlier (Table 3).
BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico fell 5.9 percent in April 2010 from March 2010 (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. In April, 86.6 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land.
The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in April was up 12.9 percent compared to April 2005, and up 40.5 percent compared to April 2000, a period of 10 years (Table 3). Imports in April were up 38.2 percent compared to April 2000, while exports were up 43.3 percent.
U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada
U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade totaled $39.9 billion in April, up 32.1 percent compared to April 2009 (Table 4). The value of imports carried by truck was 21.5 percent higher in April 2010 compared to April 2009, while the value of exports carried by truck was 31.6 percent higher during this period.
Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in April with $5.5 billion (Table 5).
U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico
U.S.–Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $25.9 billion in April, up 32.8 percent compared to April 2009 (Table 6). The value of imports carried by truck was 31.2 percent higher in April 2010 than April 2009 while the value of exports carried by truck was 28.6 percent higher.
Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in April with $9.1 billion (Table 7).
The TransBorder Freight Data are a unique subset of official U.S. foreign trade statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. New data are tabulated monthly and historical data are not adjusted for inflation. April TransBorder numbers include data received by BTS as of June 10.
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/programs/international/transborder/. BTS will release May TransBorder numbers on July 29.
Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada and Mexico
(millions of dollars)
| Month | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Percent Change 2008-2009 | Percent Change 2009-2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 65,160 | 47,459 | 56,697 | -27.2 | 19.5 | |
| February | 69,406 | 47,938 | 59,492 | -30.9 | 24.1 | |
| March | 70,787 | 51,055 | 69,943 | -27.9 | 37.0 | |
| April | 74,317 | 49,729 | 65,831 | -33.1 | 32.4 | |
| May | 74,128 | 47,881 | -35.4 | |||
| June | 74,139 | 50,753 | -31.5 | |||
| July | 71,628 | 51,545 | -28.0 | |||
| August | 72,254 | 54,254 | -24.9 | |||
| September | 71,801 | 57,294 | -20.2 | |||
| October | 72,683 | 61,400 | -15.5 | |||
| November | 60,661 | 58,922 | -2.9 | |||
| December | 52,910 | 58,465 | 10.5 | |||
| Year-to-date | 279,670 | 196,182 | 251,962 | -29.9 | 28.4 | |
| Annual | 829,875 | 636,695 | -23.3 | |||
Source: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/
Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.
Table 2. U.S. Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico by Mode of Transportation
(millions of dollars)
| Mode | April 2009 | March 2010 | April 2010 | Percent Change March-April 2010 | Percent Change April 2009 - 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 26,710 | 38,014 | 35,785 | -5.9 | 34.0 |
| Exports | 23,019 | 31,929 | 30,045 | -5.9 | 30.5 | |
| Total | 49,729 | 69,943 | 65,831 | -5.9 | 32.4 | |
| Truck | Imports | 17,993 | 24,177 | 22,776 | -5.8 | 26.6 |
| Exports | 17,935 | 24,772 | 23,404 | -5.5 | 30.5 | |
| Rail | Imports | 4,549 | 7,716 | 7,222 | -6.4 | 58.8 |
| Exports | 2,816 | 4,283 | 4,020 | -6.1 | 42.7 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 3,082 | 5,219 | 4,922 | -5.7 | 59.7 |
| Exports | 256 | 603 | 380 | -37.0 | 48.4 |
Source: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/
Notes: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all surface modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail and pipeline modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail refer to the "Data Fields" Section of the TransBorder web page: http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html
Table 3. April 2010 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Compared with April of Prior Years
| Compared to April in… | Percent Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Imports | Exports | Total Surface Trade | |
| 2009 | 34.0 | 30.5 | 32.4 |
| 2008 | -15.3 | -6.4 | -11.4 |
| 2007 | -3.1 | 6.9 | 1.3 |
| 2006 | 1.9 | 12.9 | 6.6 |
| 2005 | 7.8 | 19.7 | 12.9 |
| 2004 | 17.7 | 31.8 | 23.8 |
| 2003 | 34.9 | 48.0 | 40.5 |
| 2002 | 33.7 | 50.0 | 40.7 |
| 2001 | 34.2 | 49.2 | 40.7 |
| 2000 | 38.2 | 43.3 | 40.5 |
Source: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/
Table 4. U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada by Surface Modes of Transportation
(millions of dollars)
| Mode | April 2009 | March 2010 | April 2010 | Percent Change March-April 2010 | Percent Change April 2009 - 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 15,563 | 22,007 | 20,908 | -5.0 | 34.3 |
| Exports | 14,654 | 20,098 | 19,018 | -5.4 | 29.8 | |
| Total | 30,217 | 42,105 | 39,926 | -5.2 | 32.1 | |
| Truck | Imports | 8,637 | 11,136 | 10,497 | -5.7 | 21.5 |
| Exports | 11,133 | 15,273 | 14,654 | -4.1 | 31.6 | |
| Rail | Imports | 3,017 | 5,073 | 4,892 | -3.6 | 62.2 |
| Exports | 1,646 | 2,608 | 2,319 | -11.1 | 40.9 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 3,073 | 5,205 | 4,906 | -5.7 | 59.6 |
| Exports | 212 | 475 | 293 | -38.3 | 38.2 |
Source: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/
Notes: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all surface modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail and pipeline modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail refer to the "Data Fields" Section of the TransBorder web page: http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html
Table 5. Top 10 States Trading with Canada by Surface Modes of Transportation
Ranked by April 2010 Surface Trade Value
(millions of dollars)
| Rank | State | April 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 5,461 |
| 2 | Illinois | 3,535 |
| 3 | Ohio | 2,573 |
| 4 | California | 2,524 |
| 5 | New York | 2,449 |
| 6 | Texas | 2,097 |
| 7 | Washington | 1,577 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 1,458 |
| 9 | Indiana | 1,413 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 987 |
Source: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/
Table 6. U.S. Merchandise Trade with Mexico by Surface Modes of Transportation
(millions of dollars)
| Mode | April 2009 | March 2010 | April 2010 | Percent Change March-April 2010 | Percent Change April 2009 - 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Surface Modes | Imports | 11,147 | 16,007 | 14,878 | -7.1 | 33.5 |
| Exports | 8,365 | 11,831 | 11,027 | -6.8 | 31.8 | |
| Total | 19,512 | 27,838 | 25,905 | -6.9 | 32.8 | |
| Truck | Imports | 9,356 | 13,042 | 12,279 | -5.8 | 31.2 |
| Exports | 6,803 | 9,499 | 8,750 | -7.9 | 28.6 | |
| Rail | Imports | 1,532 | 2,643 | 2,330 | -11.8 | 52.1 |
| Exports | 1,170 | 1,675 | 1,700 | 1.5 | 45.3 | |
| Pipeline | Imports | 9 | 14 | 16 | 14.3 | 68.8 |
| Exports | 44 | 127 | 87 | -31.9 | 97.6 |
Source: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/
Notes: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all surface modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail and pipeline modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail refer to the "Data Fields" Section of the TransBorder web page: http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html
Table 7. Top 10 States Trading with Mexico by Surface Modes of Transportation
Ranked by April 2010 Surface Trade Value
(millions of dollars)
| Rank | State | April 2010 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 9,144 |
| 2 | California | 3,866 |
| 3 | Michigan | 2,841 |
| 4 | Arizona | 954 |
| 5 | Illinois | 824 |
| 6 | Ohio | 690 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 534 |
| 8 | Indiana | 455 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 402 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 386 |
Source: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/