December 2016 North American Freight Numbers

BTS 10-17

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

david.smallen@dot.gov

 

BTS Statistics Release: December 2016 North American Freight Numbers

 

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

 

U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $87.1 billion in current dollars as three out of five major transportation modes carried more freight by value with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in December 2016 compared to December 2015, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (Figure 2, Table 1).

 

The 0.4 percent rise from December 2015 was the third time in the last five months where the year-over-year value of U.S.-NAFTA freight increased from the same month of the previous year (Figure 1).

 

 

Freight by Mode

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

 The value of commodities moving by pipeline increased 30.9 percent, vessel by 2.0 percent, and rail by 0.9 percent. Air decreased by 1.4 percent, and truck by 2.0 percent (Figure 2, Table 2). The large percentage increase in the value of goods moving by pipeline was largely due to a 40 percent increase in the year-over-year price of crude oil between December 2015 and December 2016.

 

Trucks carried 61.9 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continued to be the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $27.4 billion of the $46.8 billion of imports (58.6 percent) and $26.4 billion of the $40.3 billion of exports (65.6 percent) (Table 2).

 

Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.2 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 6.5 percent; pipeline, 6.1 percent; and air, 4.2 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.1 percent of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows (Table 2).

 

 

U.S.-Canada Freight

 

 

     

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

From December 2015 to December 2016, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows decreased by 1.2 percent to $44.5 billion as the value of freight on three modes decreased from a year earlier. The value of freight carried on truck decreased by 2.1 percent, rail by 5.4 percent, and vessel by 20.8 percent. The value of commodities moved in pipeline increased by 28.7 percent, reflecting the increased value of mineral fuels year over year. Air increased by 1.1 percent (Figure 3, Table 3). During this 12-month period, much of the mineral fuel freight between Texas and Canada shifted from vessel to pipeline as the value of mineral fuel shipments carried by vessel between Texas and Canada decreased while the value of pipeline shipments rose. Texas-Canada mineral fuel trade made up about 13.9 percent of all U.S.-Canada mineral fuel shipments in December 2016.

 

Trucks carried 56.7 percent of the value of the freight to and from Canada. Rail carried 15.2 percent followed by pipeline, 11.0 percent; air, 5.0 percent; and vessel, 3.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.9 percent of the value of total U.S.-Canada freight flows (Table 3).

 

U.S.-Mexico Freight

 

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

From December 2015 to December 2016, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows increased by 2.1 percent to $42.6 billion as the value of freight on three out of five major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of commodities moved in pipeline increased by 66.1 percent, vessel by 14.9 percent, and rail by 8.4 percent. Truck decreased by 1.9 percent, and air by 5.2 percent (Figure 4, Table 4).

 

Trucks carried 67.2 percent of the value of the freight to and from Mexico. Rail carried 15.2 percent of the value of freight to and from Mexico followed by vessel, 9.6 percent; air, 3.4 percent; and pipeline, 0.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.3 percent of the value of total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 4).

 

Commodities

In December 2016, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada by all modes was vehicles and parts, of which $4.4 billion, or 57.6 percent, moved by truck and $3.0 billion, or 39.9 percent, moved by rail (Figure 5). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico by all modes in December 2016 was electrical machinery, of which $7.2 billion, or 90.8 percent, moved by truck (Figure 6). 

 

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 Bureau of Labor Statistics indexes used in the adjustments for inflation and exchange rates might be revised in each of the three months after original publication. For previous press releases and summary tables, see TransBorder Press Releases. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and for additional state, port, and commodity data. BTS has scheduled the release of January TransBorder numbers for March 23.

 

 

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

(millions of current dollars)

Month	2014	2015	2016	Percent Change 2014-2015	Percent Change 2015-2016
January	90,326	89,258	82,430	-1.2	-7.7
February	89,557	85,723	84,038	-4.3	-2.0
March	101,478	96,070	90,462	-5.3	-5.8
April	100,141	93,327	90,380	-6.8	-3.2
May	103,942	92,707	89,840	-10.8	-3.1
June	102,978	99,030	92,671	-3.8	-6.4
July	101,075	92,995	83,725	-8.0	-10.0
August	100,624	92,442	93,126	-8.1	0.7
September	102,245	93,246	91,126	-8.8	-2.3
October	108,243	96,624	93,165	-10.7	-3.6
November	96,252	88,154	91,089	-8.4	3.3
December	95,811	86,748	87,086	-9.5	0.4
Annual	1,192,671	1,106,325	1,069,138	-7.2	-3.4

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTE: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

 

 

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

(millions of current dollars)

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

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://www.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)

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

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://www.bts.gov/programs/international/TransBorder/TBDR_DataFields.html

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTES: Import and export 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)

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

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://www.bts.gov/programs/international/TransBorder/TBDR_DataFields.html

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTES: Import and export numbers might not add to totals due to rounding.