BTS Statistics Release: August 2017 North American Freight Numbers

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BTS 52-17

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

BTS Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

david.smallen@dot.gov

 

BTS Statistics Release: August 2017 North American Freight Numbers 

 

 Fig1

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $97.4 billion as all five major transportation modes carried more freight by value with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in August 2017 compared to August 2016, according to the TransBorder Freight Data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) (Figure 2, Table 1).

 

The 4.6 percent rise from August 2016 is the 10th consecutive month in which the year-over-year value in current dollars of U.S.-NAFTA freight increased from the same month of the previous year (Figure 1). 

 

Freight by Mode

 

Fig2

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

The value of commodities moving by pipeline increased 13.2 percent, air by 8.4 percent, vessel by 4.5 percent, truck by 3.6 percent, and rail by 3.2 percent (Figure 2, Table 2). The large percentage increase in the value of goods moving by pipeline is due in part to an increase in the volume of mineral fuel imports.

 

Trucks carried 64.7 percent of U.S.-NAFTA freight and continued to be the most utilized mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $31.9 billion of the $52.0 billion of imports (61.4 percent) and $31.1 billion of the $45.4 billion of exports (68.5 percent) (Table 2).

 

Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.1 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 5.8 percent; pipeline, 5.5 percent; and air, 3.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 85.3 percent of the total value of U.S.-NAFTA freight flows (Table 2). 

 

U.S.-Canada Freight 

 Fig3

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

  

Comparing August 2016 to August 2017, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows increased by 4.7 percent to $49.5 billion as the value of freight on four major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of freight carried on pipeline increased by 20.0 percent, air by 7.1 percent, truck by 3.4 percent, and rail by 1.1 percent. Vessel decreased by 5.3 percent due in part to a decrease in the volume of mineral fuel shipments. (Figure 3, Table 3).

 

Trucks carried 58.9 percent of the value of the freight to and from Canada. Rail carried 15.9 percent followed by pipeline, 10.3 percent; air, 4.8 percent; and vessel, 3.4 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 85.1 percent of the value of total U.S.-Canada freight flows (Table 3).

 

U.S.-Mexico Freight 

 

Fig4 SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

Comparing August 2016 to August 2017, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows increased by 4.5 percent to $47.9 billion as the value of freight on four major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of commodities moved by air increased by 10.7 percent, vessel by 9.4 percent, rail by 5.8 percent, and truck by 3.7 percent. Pipeline decreased by 43.1 percent due primarily to decreases in the volumes of goods imported (Figure 4, Table 4).

 

Trucks carried 70.6 percent of the value of freight to and from Mexico. Rail carried 14.3 percent followed by vessel, 8.2 percent; air, 2.9 percent; and pipeline, 0.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 85.5 percent of the value of total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 4). 

 

Commodities

In August 2017, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada was vehicles and parts, of which $5.5 billion, or 58.1 percent, moved by truck and $3.7 billion, or 38.9 percent by rail (Figure 5). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico in August 2017 was vehicles and parts, of which $4.5 billion, or 48.7 percent, moved by truck and $3.8 billion, or 41.6 percent, moved by rail (Figure 6). 

 Fig5

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data 

NOTES: Import and export numbers might not add to totals due to rounding.

 

 

 Fig6

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTES: Import and export numbers might not add to totals due to rounding.

 

 

Reporting Notes

BTS press releases and the BTS website define surface transportation modes as truck, rail and pipeline. See North American TransBorder Freight Data on the BTS website for additional data for surface modes since 1995 and all modes since 2004. The category of all modes of transportation cited in the following tables includes freight movements by truck, rail, vessel, pipeline, air, other and unknown modes of transport. 

           

Data in this press release are not seasonally adjusted and are not adjusted for inflation. Additional summary data adjusted for inflation and exchange rates can be found on the BTS website under TransBorder Indexed Freight Flow Data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics indexes used in the adjustments for inflation and exchange rates might be revised in each of the three months after original publication. For previous statistical releases and summary tables, see TransBorder Releases. See TransBorder Freight Data for data from previous months, and for additional state, port, and commodity data. BTS has scheduled the release of September TransBorder numbers for Nov. 21.

 

 

Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows

(millions of current dollars) 

Month

2015

2016

2017

Percent Change 2015-2016

Percent Change 2016-2017

January

89,258

82,430

87,960

-7.7

6.7

February

85,723

84,038

86,474

-2.0

2.9

March

96,070

90,462

100,289

-5.8

10.9

April

93,327

90,380

91,068

-3.2

0.8

May

92,707

89,840

98,246

-3.1

9.4

June

99,030

92,671

99,764

-6.4

7.7

July

92,995

83,725

89,175

-10.0

6.5

August

92,442

93,126

97,439

0.7

4.6

September

93,246

91,126

 

-2.3

 

October

96,624

93,165

 

-3.6

 

November

88,154

91,089

 

3.3

 

December

86,748

87,086

 

0.4

 

Year-to-date

741,553

706,672

750,416

-4.7

6.2

Annual

1,106,325

1,069,138

 

-3.4

 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data 

NOTE: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding.

 

 

Table 2. Value of Monthly U.S.-NAFTA Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars) 

Mode

 

August 2016

August 2017

Percent Change August

2016-2017

All Modes

Imports

49,744

52,014

4.6

Exports

43,383

45,426

4.7

Total

93,126

97,439

4.6

 

 

     

All Surface Modes

Imports

43,803

45,754

4.5

Exports

36,043

37,344

3.6

Total

79,846

83,098

4.1

 

 

     

Truck

Imports

31,217

31,914

2.2

Exports

29,627

31,096

5.0

Total

60,845

63,010

3.6

 

 

     

Rail

Imports

9,002

9,463

5.1

Exports

5,241

5,239

0.0

Total

14,243

14,702

3.2

 

 

     

Pipeline

Imports

3,584

4,377

22.1

Exports

1,174

1,009

-14.1

Total

4,758

5,386

13.2

 

 

     

Vessel

Imports

2,821

2,908

3.1

Exports

2,547

2,701

6.0

Total

5,368

5,610

4.5

 

 

     

Air

Imports

1,566

1,649

5.3

Exports

1,917

2,127

11.0

Total

3,483

3,776

8.4

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTES: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding.   Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation.  For additional detail, please refer to the "Data Fields" section of TransBorder Freight Data

 

 

Table 3. Value of Monthly U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars) 

Mode

 

August 2016

August 2017

Percent Change August 2016-2017

All Modes

Imports

24,186

24,967

3.2

Exports

23,100

24,557

6.3

Total

47,286

49,524

4.7

 

 

     

All Surface Modes

Imports

21,284

22,135

4.0

Exports

18,939

19,989

5.5

Total

40,224

42,124

4.7

 

 

     

Truck

Imports

12,769

12,768

0.0

Exports

15,423

16,393

6.3

Total

28,193

29,160

3.4

 

 

     

Rail

Imports

4,945

5,002

1.2

Exports

2,844

2,870

0.9

Total

7,789

7,872

1.1

 

 

     

Pipeline

Imports

3,570

4,365

22.3

Exports

672

726

8.2

Total

4,242

5,092

20.0

 

 

     

Vessel

Imports

1,099

1,070

-2.6

Exports

682

616

-9.7

Total

1,781

1,686

-5.3

 

 

     

Air

Imports

964

991

2.8

Exports

1,256

1,386

10.4

Total

2,220

2,377

7.1

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTES: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation.  For additional detail, please refer to the "Data Fields" section of TransBorder Freight Data

 

 

Table 4. Value of Monthly U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation

(millions of current dollars) 

Mode

 

August 2016

August 2017

Percent Change August 2016-2017

All Modes

Imports

25,557

27,047

5.8

Exports

20,283

20,869

2.9

Total

45,840

47,916

4.5

 

 

     

All Surface Modes

Imports

22,519

23,619

4.9

Exports

17,103

17,355

1.5

Total

39,622

40,974

3.4

 

 

     

Truck

Imports

18,448

19,146

3.8

Exports

14,204

14,703

3.5

Total

32,652

33,849

3.7

 

 

     

Rail

Imports

4,057

4,461

10.0

Exports

2,397

2,369

-1.1

Total

6,453

6,830

5.8

 

 

     

Pipeline

Imports

14

12

-17.1

Exports

503

282

-43.8

Total

517

294

-43.1

 

 

     

Vessel

Imports

1,722

1,838

6.8

Exports

1,865

2,085

11.8

Total

3,587

3,924

9.4

 

 

     

Air

Imports

601

658

9.3

Exports

662

741

12.0

Total

1,263

1,399

10.7

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

NOTES: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of trade for all modes is not equal to the sum of truck, rail, pipeline, vessel and air modes, it also includes shipments made by mail, foreign trade zones, and other transportation.  For additional detail, please refer to the "Data Fields" section of TransBorder Freight Data


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