WASHINGTON — The Bureau of Transportation Statistics TransBorder freight data program is reporting that March 2025 marks a record all-time high in the monthly dollar value of freight moved by multiple modes of transportation in U.S. freight with Canada and Mexico.
Cross border U.S. freight shipments with Canada and Mexico totaled just over $144.8 billion in March 2025. The total represents an 8.4% increase over March 2024 and a 35.0% increase over 2019.
Canada and Mexico regularly conduct over $1 trillion in annual freight flows among them. In 2024, U.S. freight with Canada and Mexico combined totaled $1.6 trillion, a 1.8% increase over 2023.
Connections Prove Fruitful
“North America maintains an extensive network of roads, making trucking accessible to a wider range of origins and destinations, including interconnections with warehouse terminals, rail yards, and seaports,” BTS said. “This advantage offers shorter transit times, lower transportation costs, and greater flexibility in managing inventory. Canada and Mexico’s vast land border with the U.S. offers geographic proximity to US consumers facilitated by a world class intermodal transportation infrastructure.”
In March 2025, Trucks moved $94.2 billion of freight, 9.5% increase year over year, $67.5 billion with Canada and $77.3 billion with Mexico.
Truckers Essential for Trade
“Trucks carry over 60% of the surface trade along the Northern and Southern land borders. Among the major modes of transportation like rail, air, and vessel, trucking is the most efficient and cost-effective way to ship merchandise,” BTS said. “For cross-border shipments, trucking offers faster transit times compared to rail, which involves longer routes and multiple handling points.”
Among the top geographic gateways for movement of freight, land ports of entry such as Laredo and Detroit handle a significant portion of the total shipments with Mexico and Canada. In March 2025, Laredo handled $30.5 billion in 1 month, 12.4 % growth over March 2024. Laredo’s location provides the most direct route between major industrial and population areas on both sides. It’s close to manufacturing hubs like Monterrey and Guadalajara. Laredo also maintains a robust transportation infrastructure, including highways, bridges (i.e. world trade and Colombia solidarity), rail yards, and pre- customs pre-clearance processing facilities.
Computers, electronics such as semiconductors, and mechanical auto parts are the largest commodities in merchandise trade with Canada and Mexico. The transmission is designed in Japan, cast in China, shipped to Mexico for assembly, and then sent to a U.S. dealership service department for repair or replacement.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
Excellent and timely. Ms. Guthrie continues to give us concise but important trucking news s regards USMCA trucking.