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October 2015 North American Freight Numbers

Press Release Number: 
BTS 01-16
Date: 
Friday, January 8, 2016
Media Contact: 
Dave Smallen, 202-366-5568

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Figure 1.  Percent Change in Value of U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode: October 2014 - 2015

Table Version | Excel

Figure 1. Percent Change in Value of U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode: October 2014 - 2015

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

The value of U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $96.6 billion in October 2015 as all modes of transportation carried a lower total value of freight than a year earlier, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (Figure 1, Table 1). October was the first month on record in which the total value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows exceeded U.S.-Canada freight flows. Although the total freight value to and from both Canada and Mexico fell from October 2014, the decline in freight value with Canada (18.5 percent) was much larger than the decline with Mexico (1.5 percent) primarily due to the reduced unit price of crude oil. 

Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows by all modes declined by 10.7 percent.

Freight by Mode

In October 2015 compared to October 2014, the value of commodities moving by truck decreased by 2.0 percent, while the value of air freight decreased by 2.1 percent and rail by 15.3 percent (Figure 1, Table 2). Vessel freight values decreased 35.0 percent and pipeline freight decreased 52.0 percent mainly due to the lower unit price of crude oil, which comprises a large share of the commodities carried by these modes. Apart from the decline in value, there was an 8.0 percent decline in the weight of imported crude oil from October 2014 to October 2015, which was likely due to production declines in Canada and Mexico. Average monthly prices for crude petroleum and refined fuel are available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Trucks carried 67.1 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continue to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $33.6 billion of the $51.4 billion of imports (65.4 percent) and $31.2 billion of the $45.3 billion of exports (69.0 percent) (Table 2).

Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 14.3 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 5.6 percent; air, 4.2 percent; and pipeline, 3.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 85.3 percent of the total U.S.-NAFTA freight flows (Table 2).

U.S.-Canada Freight

Figure 2.  Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode: October 2014 - 2015

Table Version | Excel

Figure 2. Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode: October 2014 - 2015

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

The value of U.S.-Canada freight totaled $47.7 billion in October 2015, down 18.5 percent from October 2014, as all modes of transportation carried a lower value of U.S.-Canada freight than a year earlier. The year-over-year decline in U.S.-Canada freight flows is the largest since the 19.4 percent decline between October 2008 and October 2009. 

Lower crude oil prices contributed to a year-over-year decrease in the value of freight moved between the U.S. and Canada. Crude oil a large share of freight carried by vessel and pipeline, which were down 31.7 percent and 53.2 percent respectively year-over-year (Figure 2, Table 3).

Trucks carried 61.2 percent of the $47.7 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail, 15.4 percent; pipeline, 7.3 percent; air, 4.9 percent; and vessel, 4.1 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.9 percent of the total U.S.-Canada freight flows (Table 3).

U.S.-Mexico Freight

Figure 3.  Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode: October 2014 - 2015

Table Version | Excel

Figure 3. Percent Change in Value of U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode: October 2014 - 2015

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

The value of U.S.-Mexico freight totaled $48.9 billion in October 2015, down 1.5 percent from October 2014, as two out of the five transportation modes – air and truck – carried more U.S.-Mexico freight than in October 2014. The value of U.S.-Mexico air freight rose 14.8 percent from October 2014 to October 2015, the largest percentage increase of any mode. Freight carried by truck increased by 4.7 percent while rail freight was down 5.7 percent and pipeline freight declined 30.5 percent. Vessel freight decreased by 36.7 percent mainly due to lower crude oil prices (Figure 3, Table 4).

Trucks carried 72.8 percent of the $48.9 billion of the value of freight transported to and from Mexico, followed by rail, 13.3 percent; vessel, 7.0 percent; air, 3.6 percent; and pipeline, 0.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 86.7 percent of the total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 4).

Commodities

In October 2015, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada by all modes was vehicles and parts, of which $5.7 billion, or 62.1 percent, moved by truck and $3.2 billion, or 35.6 percent, moved by rail (Figure 4). The top commodity category for all modes transported between the U.S. and Mexico in October 2015 was electrical machinery, of which $10.1 billion, or 93.0 percent, moved by truck and $0.5 billion, or 4.5 percent, moved by air (Figure 5).

Reporting Notes

BTS press releases and the BTS website define surface transportation modes as truck, rail and pipeline. See North American TransBorder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004. The category of all modes of transportation cited in the following tables includes freight movements by truck, rail, vessel, pipeline, air, other and unknown modes of transport.

Data in this press release are not seasonally adjusted and are not adjusted for inflation. Additional summary data adjusted for inflation and exchange rates can be found on the BTS website under TransBorder Indexed Freight Flow Data. The BLS indexes used in the adjustments for inflation and exchange rates may be revised in each of the three months after original publication. For more information, see TransBorder Press Releases for previous press releases and summary tables. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and more state, port, or commodity data. BTS has scheduled the release of November TransBorder numbers for Jan. 28.

 

Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows

(millions of current dollars)

Month 2013 2014 2015 Percent Change 2013-2014 Percent Change 2014-2015
January 90,766 90,326 89,258 -0.5 -1.2
February 88,894 89,557 85,723 0.7 -4.3
March 95,757 101,478 96,070 6.0 -5.3
April 98,956 100,141 93,327 1.2 -6.8
May 98,742 103,942 92,707 5.3 -10.8
June 93,502 102,978 99,030 10.1 -3.8
July 93,080 101,075 92,995 8.6 -8.0
August 96,426 100,624 92,442 4.4 -8.1
September 94,465 102,245 93,246 8.2 -8.8
October 103,140 108,243 96,624 4.9 -10.7
November 96,136 96,252   0.1  
December 90,906 95,811   5.4  
Year-to-date 953,728 1,000,609 931,424 4.9 -6.9
Annual 1,140,770 1,192,671   4.5  

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding. Percent change based on numbers prior to rounding.

 

Table 2. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Mode   October 2014 October 2015 Percent Change October 2014-2015
All Modes Imports 58,024 51,361 -11.5
Exports 50,219 45,263 -9.9
Total 108,243 96,624 -10.7
All Surface Modes Imports 49,780 45,840 -7.9
Exports 40,582 36,592 -9.8
Total 90,362 82,432 -8.8
Truck Imports 32,325 33,597 3.9
Exports 33,819 31,217 -7.7
Total 66,144 64,814 -2.0
Rail Imports 10,574 9,167 -13.3
Exports 5,738 4,656 -18.9
Total 16,312 13,822 -15.3
Pipeline Imports 6,882 3,077 -55.3
Exports 1,024 719 -29.8
Total 7,906 3,796 -52.0
Vessel Imports 4,598 2,511 -45.4
Exports 3,715 2,894 -22.1
Total 8,313 5,404 -35.0
Air Imports 1,744 1,584 -9.2
Exports 2,416 2,490 3.0
Total 4,160 4,074 -2.1

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail, please refer to the “Data Fields” section of the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

 

Table 3. Value of Monthly U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Mode   October 2014 October 2015 Percent Change October 2014-2015
All Modes Imports 30,613 23,735 -22.5
Exports 27,962 23,987 -14.2
Total 58,575 47,722 -18.5
All Surface Modes Imports 26,742 21,135 -21.0
Exports 22,299 18,895 -15.3
Total 49,041 40,030 -18.4
Truck Imports 13,514 12,923 -4.4
Exports 18,611 16,273 -12.6
Total 32,125 29,196 -9.1
Rail Imports 6,366 5,159 -19.0
Exports 3,063 2,170 -29.1
Total 9,428 7,329 -22.3
Pipeline Imports 6,862 3,053 -55.5
Exports 626 452 -27.8
Total 7,488 3,505 -53.2
Vessel Imports 1,372 870 -36.6
Exports 1,520 1,104 -27.4
Total 2,892 1,974 -31.7
Air Imports 1,130 915 -19.0
Exports 1,517 1,421 -6.3
Total 2,646 2,336 -11.7

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail, please refer to the “Data Fields” section of the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

 

Figure 4. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Canada for Each Mode of Transportation, October 2015

Table Version | Excel

Figure 4. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Canada for Each Mode of Transportation, October 2015

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTE: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding.

 

Table 4. Value of Monthly U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars)

Mode   October 2014 October 2015 Percent Change October 2014-2015
All Modes Imports 27,411 27,626 0.8
Exports 22,257 21,277 -4.4
Total 49,668 48,903 -1.5
All Surface Modes Imports 23,039 24,705 7.2
Exports 18,283 17,697 -3.2
Total 41,322 42,402 2.6
Truck Imports 18,810 20,674 9.9
Exports 15,209 14,944 -1.7
Total 34,019 35,618 4.7
Rail Imports 4,208 4,008 -4.8
Exports 2,676 2,486 -7.1
Total 6,884 6,494 -5.7
Pipeline Imports 20 23 17.9
Exports 398 267 -33.0
Total 418 290 -30.5
Vessel Imports 3,225 1,641 -49.1
Exports 2,195 1,789 -18.5
Total 5,420 3,430 -36.7
Air Imports 615 669 8.9
Exports 899 1,068 18.8
Total 1,514 1,738 14.8

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation. For additional detail, please refer to the “Data Fields” section of the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

 

Figure 5. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Mexico for Each Mode of Transportation, October 2015

Table Version | Excel

Figure 5. Top Commodity Transported between the U.S. and Mexico for Each Mode of Transportation, October 2015

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, http://transborder.bts.gov/transborder/

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