Welcome to Email News: BTS Statistics Release: July 2017 North American Freight Numbers

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BTS 48-17

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

BTS Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

david.smallen@dot.gov

BTS Statistics Release: July 2017 North American Freight Numbers

Fig 1

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $89.2 billion as all five major transportation modes carried more freight by value with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in July 2017 compared to July 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 6.5 percent rise from July 2016 is the ninth 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 vessel increased 24.0 percent, pipeline by 23.1 percent, rail by 4.4 percent, truck by 4.0 percent, and air by 2.3 percent (Figure 2, Table 2). The large percentage increase in the value of goods moving by vessel and pipeline is due in part to an increase in the volume of mineral fuel imports.

Trucks carried 63.2 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 $28.9 billion of the $47.6 billion of imports (60.7 percent) and $27.5 billion of the $41.6 billion of exports (66.2 percent) (Table 2).

Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 15.1 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 7.1 percent; pipeline, 5.6 percent; and air, 3.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.0 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

From July 2016 to July 2017, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows increased by 5.6 percent to $44.8 billion as the value of freight on four major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of freight carried on vessel increased by 29.7 percent, pipeline by 26.7 percent, rail by 4.7 percent, and truck by 2.5 percent. Air decreased by 1.3 percent (Figure 3, Table 3).

Trucks carried 57.9 percent of the value of the freight to and from Canada. Rail carried 15.6 percent followed by pipeline, 10.6 percent; air, 4.6 percent; and vessel, 4.5 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 84.1 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

From July 2016 to July 2017, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows increased by 7.4 percent to $44.4 billion as the value of freight on four major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of commodities moved by vessel increased by 21.5 percent, air by 8.4 percent, truck by 5.4 percent, and rail by 4.2 percent. Pipeline decreased by 16.1 percent (Figure 4, Table 4).

Trucks carried 68.6 percent of the value of freight to and from Mexico. Rail carried 14.6 percent followed by vessel, 9.7 percent; air, 3.1 percent; and pipeline, 0.6 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.9 percent of the value of total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 4).

Commodities

In July 2017, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada was mineral fuels, of which $4.7 billion, or 65.5 percent, moved by pipeline (Figure 5). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico in July 2017 was vehicles and parts, of which $4.1 billion or 49.6 percent moved by truck and $3.6 billion or 42.7 percent moved by rail (Figure 6).

SOURCE: Bure 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 July TransBorder numbers for Oct. 24.

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		0.7
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	649,110	613,546	652,976	-5.5	6.4
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		July 2016	July 2017	Percent Change July 2016-2017
All Modes	Imports	44,595	47,553	6.6
	Exports	39,131	41,622	6.4
	Total	83,725	89,175	6.5

All Surface Modes	Imports	39,061	41,338	5.8
	Exports	32,121	33,550	4.4
	Total	71,181	74,888	5.2

Truck	Imports	27,826	28,851	3.7
	Exports	26,378	27,544	4.4
	Total	54,204	56,395	4.0

Rail	Imports	8,294	8,551	3.1
	Exports	4,598	4,914	6.9
	Total	12,892	13,465	4.4

Pipeline	Imports	2,940	3,936	33.9
	Exports	1,145	1,092	-4.7
	Total	4,086	5,028	23.1

Vessel	Imports	2,758	3,197	15.9
	Exports	2,351	3,137	33.4
	Total	5,109	6,334	24.0

Air	Imports	1,459	1,440	-1.3
	Exports	1,902	1,999	5.1
	Total	3,361	3,438	2.3

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		July 2016	July 2017	Percent Change July 2016-2017
All Modes	Imports	21,569	22,892	6.1
	Exports	20,827	21,884	5.1
	Total	42,396	44,776	5.6

All Surface Modes	Imports	18,800	20,021	6.5
	Exports	16,919	17,637	4.2
	Total	35,719	37,658	5.4

Truck	Imports	11,587	11,789	1.7
	Exports	13,725	14,151	3.1
	Total	25,312	25,940	2.5

Rail	Imports	4,290	4,308	0.4
	Exports	2,374	2,669	12.4
	Total	6,664	6,977	4.7

Pipeline	Imports	2,923	3,924	34.2
	Exports	820	817	-0.4
	Total	3,743	4,741	26.7

Vessel	Imports	1,006	1,253	24.6
	Exports	557	774	38.9
	Total	1,563	2,027	29.7

Air	Imports	910	888	-2.4
	Exports	1,199	1,194	-0.5
	Total	2,109	2,082	-1.3

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

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

(millions of current dollars)

Mode		July 2016	July 2017	Percent Change July 2016-2017
All Modes	Imports	23,026	24,661	7.1
	Exports	18,304	19,738	7.8
	Total	41,330	44,399	7.4

All Surface Modes	Imports	20,260	21,317	5.2
	Exports	15,202	15,913	4.7
	Total	35,462	37,230	5.0

Truck	Imports	16,239	17,062	5.1
	Exports	12,653	13,393	5.8
	Total	28,892	30,455	5.4

Rail	Imports	4,004	4,243	6.0
	Exports	2,223	2,245	1.0
	Total	6,228	6,488	4.2

Pipeline	Imports	17	12	-29.6
	Exports	325	275	-15.4
	Total	342	287	-16.1

Vessel	Imports	1,752	1,944	11.0
	Exports	1,794	2,363	31.7
	Total	3,546	4,307	21.5

Air	Imports	548	551	0.5
	Exports	703	805	14.5
	Total	1,252	1,356	8.4