December NAFTA trade up from 2006, slips from previous month

The Trucker News Services

3/3/2008

WASHINGTON — Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 3.1 percent higher in December 2007 than in December 2006, reaching $60.9 billion, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation reported Monday.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico fell 13.4 percent in December from November. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors, according to the government news release.

Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in December was up 49.3 percent compared to December 2002, and up 73.5 percent compared to December 1997, a period of 10 years. Imports in December were up 82.0 percent compared to December 1997, while exports were up 63.6 percent. 

U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade totaled $39.6 billion in December, up 3.7 percent compared to December 2006. The value of imports carried by truck was 6.7 percent lower in December 2007 than December 2006, while the value of exports carried by truck was 5.0 percent higher.

Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in December with $5.7 billion.

U.S.–Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $21.3 billion in December, up 2.1 percent compared to December 2006. The value of imports carried by truck was 6.9 percent higher in December 2007 than December 2006 while the value of exports carried by truck was 3.3 percent lower.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in December with $6.5 billion.

The TransBorder Freight Data are a unique subset of official U.S. foreign trade statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. New data are tabulated monthly and historical data are not adjusted for inflation. December transborder numbers include data received by BTS as of Feb. 14. 

BTS will release annual TransBorder numbers on March 11 and January TransBorder numbers on March 31.

For additional coverage of the year-end NAFTA trade totals, as well as other trucking and trade issues, read the March 15 print edition of The Trucker.