Trade using surface transportation between the U.S. and its North American neighbors, Canada and Mexico, was 11.5% higher in January 2012 than in January 2011, totaling $75.5 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation.


BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the January 2012 value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico rose 15.9% from January 2008, which was one month after the start of the recession, and 59.2% from January 2009, in the middle of the recession.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in January increased by 82.8% compared to January 2002, a period of 10 years. Imports in January were up 72.7% since January 2002, while exports were up 96.5%.

Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones and other. In January, 86.3% of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via land, 9.8% moved by vessel, and 3.9% moved by air. By all modes of transportation, U.S.-Canada trade and U.S.-Mexico trade accounted for 16.2% and 12.8%, respectively, of total U.S.-world trade in January 2012.

U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade both increased compared to January 2011 with U.S.-Canada reaching $44.1 billion, a 9.6% increase, and U.S.-Mexico reaching $31.4 billion, a 14.3% increase.