Trucking Only Mode to See Monthly Hike in NAFTA Freight
Trucks carried more U.S. freight by value between North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico in April 2016 compared to the same time a year ago, but declines in all other freight modes led to a 3.2% drop in the total current dollar value of cross-border freight.
Evan Lockridge・Former Business Contributing Editor
June 23, 2016
Percent change in value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows by mode: April 2015-April 2016.Graphic: U.S. DOT
2 min to read
Percent change in value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows by mode: April 2015-April 2016. Graphic: U.S. DOT
Trucks carried more U.S. freight by value with its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in April 2016 compared to the same time a year ago, but declines in all other freight modes led to a 3.2% decrease in the total current dollar value of cross-border freight to $90.4 billion.
That’s according to new figures released on June 23 by the Transportation Department. April was the 16th consecutive month that the value of U.S.-NAFTA Freight declined from the same month of the previous year.
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The value of commodities moving by truck increased 0.8%, as the value of freight carried on other modes declined. Rail dropped 3.4%, air 10.4%, vessel 26.4% and pipeline 30.5%. A drop in the price of crude oil played a key role in the fall in the dollar value of products shipped by vessel and pipeline, according to the department.
Trucks carried 66.8% 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 $31.4 billion of the $47.6 billion of imports, or 65.9%, and $29 billion of the $42.8 billion of exports, or 67.8%. Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.6% of all U.S.-NAFTA freight.
Canada Freight Falls, Mexico Nearly Unchanged
From April 2015 to April 2016, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows fell 6% to $45.9 billion, as all modes of transportation carried a lower value of U.S.-Canada freight than a year earlier, due in large part to double-digit drops in crude oil movements.
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For the month, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada by all modes was vehicles and parts, of which 54.6% moved by truck. Trucks carried 60.8% of the value of the freight to and from Canada while rail carried the second most of any mode, 17%.
In April compared to a year earlier, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight fell 0.1% to $44.5 billion, as all modes of transportation except truck carried a lower value of U.S.-Mexico freight than a year earlier. Freight carried by truck increased 2.8%, primarily because of an increase in shipments of machinery, computers, and parts.
Trucks carried 73% of the value of freight to and from Mexico as rail carried the second most of any mode, 14.1%
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