BTS Releases North American Surface Trade Numbers for August: August 2012 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 2.6 Percent From August 2011

BTS 49-12

Friday, November 2, 2012

Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

BTS Releases North American Surface Trade Numbers for August:

August 2012 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 2.6 Percent

From August 2011

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners, Canada and Mexico, was 2.6 percent higher in August 2012 than in August 2011, totaling $82.5 billion, unadjusted for inflation (Table 1 and Figure 1), according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Adjusted for inflation and exchange rates, the August 2012 total was $60.5 billion in 2004 dollars, up 5.2 percent from August 2011.

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the August 2012 value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico rose 52.0 percent from August 2009, shortly after the end of the last recession (Table 3). Data in the press release are not adjusted for inflation, except for monthly totals in Figure 1.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in August increased by 76.5 percent compared to August 2002, a period of 10 years. Imports in August were up 63.2 percent since August 2002, while exports were up 94.2 percent (Figure 2 and Table 3). See Transborder Press Releases for historical data.

Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, other modes of transport, and goods moving into Foreign Trade Zones. In August, 87.2 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via land, 8.9 percent moved by vessel, and 3.9 percent moved by air (Figure 3).

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico increased 9.0 percent in August 2012 from July 2012 (Table 2). Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations, the number of days in each month, and other factors. 

U.S.-Mexico August 2012 trade reached $35.5 billion, a 7.8 percent increase from August 2011, while U.S.-Canada trade was $47.0 billion, a 1.0 percent decrease due to a decrease in imports from Canada (Figure 3). For trade statistics by mode, see Table 4 for Canada and Table 6 for Mexico. For the 12-month period ending in August 2012, U.S. trade by surface transportation with Mexico has increased, while U.S. trade with Canada decreased.

In August, Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada, at $6.8 billion, a 5.8 percent increase from August 2011 (Table 5). Of the top 10 states by value in trade with Canada, California had the largest percentage increase over August 2011, at 21.0 percent, primarily due to a 71.4 percent increase in trade in vehicles.

The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada by surface modes of transportation in August was vehicles, valued at $9.6 billion (Table 8).

Texas continued to lead all states in surface trade with Mexico at $13.1 billion, a 10.2 percent increase from August 2011. Of the top 10 states by value in trade with Mexico, North Carolina had the biggest percentage increase, 24.1 percent, closely followed by Michigan at 23.3 percent (Table 7). North Carolina had a 96.3 percent increase in electrical machinery trade, while Michigan had a 29.4 percent increase in trade in vehicles. The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico by surface modes of transportation in August was electrical machinery with $7.6 billion in trade (Table 9).

Technical Note: The BLS indexes used in the Figure 1 adjustment may be revised in each of the three months after original publication. For example, index values released in January 2012 will be subject to revision in February, March and April of that year.

For more information, see Transborder Press Releases for previous press releases and summary tables. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and individual state data. BTS has scheduled the release of September TransBorder numbers for Nov. 27.

Table 2. U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada and Mexico by Surface Modes of Transportation

(millions of dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/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 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, please refer to the “Data Fields” section of the TransBorder web page: http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html

Table 3. August 2012 Surface Transportation Trade with Canada and Mexico Compared with August of Prior Years

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/

Table 4. U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada

(millions of dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/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 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, please 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 All Surface Modes of Transportation

Ranked by August 2012 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

Table 6. U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico

(millions of dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.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 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, please 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 All Surface Modes of Transportation

Ranked by August 2012 Surface Trade Value

(millions of dollars)

SOURCE: BTS TransBorder Freight Data, http://www.bts.gov/transborder/

NOTE: Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.