US-NAFTA freight totaled $95.8 billion in December 2014 as four out of five transportation modes – truck, rail, air, and pipeline – carried more US-NAFTA freight than in December 2013, according to data released Wednesday by the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Year-over-year, the value of US-NAFTA freight flows by all modes increased by 5.4 percent, with December marking the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year increases.
In December 2014 compared to December 2013, the value of commodities moving by truck grew by the largest percentage of any mode, 9.3 percent. Rail freight increased by 8.3 percent, air rose by 6.3 percent, and pipeline grew by 4.0 percent. Vessel freight decreased by 22.6 percent, mainly due to lower mineral fuel prices.
Trucks carried 59.2 percent of US-NAFTA freight and were the most heavily utilized mode for moving goods to and from both US-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $28.4 billion of the $52.5 billion of imports (54.0 percent) and $28.4 billion of the $43.3 billion of exports (65.6 percent).
Rail remained the second largest mode, moving 15.1 percent of all US-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 8.3 percent; pipeline, 8.0 percent; and air, 4.1 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.3 percent of the total US-NAFTA freight flows.
US-Canada freight totaled $53.1 billion in December 2014 as three out of five transportation modes – rail, truck, and pipeline – carried more US-Canada freight than in December 2013. Year-over-year, the value of US-Canada freight flows by all modes increased by 4.7 percent. The value of US-Canada trade by rail increased the most of any mode, growing by 8.1 percent. Truck freight increased by 5.2 percent and pipeline rose by 2.6 percent.
Trucks carried 52.6 percent of the $53.1 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail, 16.0 percent; pipeline, 13.6 percent; vessel, 5.9 percent and air, 4.5 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.2 percent of the total US-Canada freight flows.
US-Mexico freight totaled $42.8 billion in December 2014 as four out of five transportation modes – pipeline, air, truck and rail – carried more US-Mexico freight than in December 2013. Year-over-year, the value of US-Mexico freight flows by all modes increased by 6.3 percent. The value of US-Mexico pipeline freight rose 34.5 percent, the largest percentage increase of any mode.
Trucks carried 67.5 percent of the $42.8 billion of freight to and from Mexico, followed by rail, 14.0 percent; vessel, 11.3 percent; air, 3.5 percent; and pipeline, 1.0 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.5 percent of the total US-Mexico freight flows.