Welcome to Email News: BTS Statistics Release: January 2018 North American Freight Numbers

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BTS 17-18

Friday, March 30, 2018

BTS Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

BTS Statistics Release: January 2018 North American Freight Numbers

Trucks moved freight valued at $60.6 billion between the U.S. and other North American countries (Canada and Mexico) in January 2018, up 10.2 percent compared to January 2017, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Rail moved freight valued at $13.3 billion, up 0.6 percent during the same period.

Truck Freight

The $60.6 billion in North American freight hauled by truck was divided between the two borders: $27.1 billion on the U.S.-Canada border and $33.5 billion on the U.S. Mexico border.

Compared to the previous year: U.S.-Canada truck freight rose 6.2 percent while U.S.-Mexico truck freight rose 13.6 percent compared to January 2017 (Figures 1 and 2).

Top states for shipments flowing through their ports: Texas with $24.8 billion of truck freight up 14.3 percent from 2017, Michigan with $13.3 billion up 5.3 percent, and New York with $7.4 billion up 3.2 percent.
Busiest border crossings: Laredo, where the top commodity was computers and parts, accounting for $3.1 billion or 21.7 percent of the $14.4 billion total; and Detroit, where the top commodity was motor vehicles and parts, accounting for $2.6 billion or 28.3 percent of the $9.2 billion total.
Top commodities: Computers and parts valued at $11.5 billion, electrical machinery at $9.8 billion, and motor vehicles and parts at $9.0 billion.

Fig1

Fig2

Rail Freight

The $13.3 billion in North American rail freight was divided between the two borders: $7.5 billion on the U.S.-Canada border and $5.8 billion on the U.S.-Mexico border (Figures 3 and 4).

Compared to the previous year: U.S.-Canada rail freight rose 4.0 percent while U.S.-Mexico rail freight declined 3.4 percent compared to January 2017.

Top states for shipments flowing through their ports: Texas with $5.2 billion a 3.3 percent decline from 2017 and Michigan with $3.8 billion in rail freight down 4.7 percent.
Busiest border crossings: Laredo, accounting for $3.4 billion or 25.6 percent of the total, Port Huron, accounting for $1.9 billion or 14.2 percent of the total, and Detroit, accounting for $1.8 billion or 13.6 percent of the total. Motor vehicles and parts was the top commodity at all three ports.
Top commodities: Motor vehicles and parts valued at $6.0 billion, plastics valued at $915 million, and mineral fuels at $872 million.

Fig3

Fig4

Freight by Other Modes

U.S.-Canada freight flows in both directions in January 2018, were $6.8 billion by pipeline, $2.2 billion by vessel, and $2.1 billion by air. Almost all (99.4 percent) of pipeline freight between the U.S. and Canada were mineral fuels, primarily oil and gas. Most of these flows were on pipelines linking Canada and the American Midwest. In January 2018, $1.9 billion, or 85.9 percent of shipments between the U.S. and Canada by vessel were shipments of mineral fuels. Electrical machinery was the top commodity shipped by air, with $428 million or 20.3 percent of all U.S.-Canada shipments by air consisting of that commodity.

U.S.-Mexico freight flows in both directions in January 2018, were $4.6 billion moved by vessel, $1.4 billion moved by air and $805 million moved by pipeline. Of freight flows by vessel, $2.8 billion, or 62.3 percent were mineral fuels, primarily oil and gas shipments between Gulf of Mexico ports in the U.S. and Mexico – with over half of those shipments going through Texas ports. In January 2018, $444 million or 32.6 percent of shipments by air between the U.S. and Mexico were of electrical machinery. Almost all (99.95 percent) of pipeline freight flows between the U.S. and Mexico were of mineral fuels, primarily oil and gas, with almost two-thirds of those shipments (65.9 percent) going through El Paso.

Reporting Notes

Data in this press release are not seasonally adjusted and are not adjusted for inflation. 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 February TransBorder numbers for April 24.

Table 1. Value of Monthly U.S.-North AmericanFreight Flows by Mode of Transportation
(millions of current dollars)
Mode		January 2017	January 2018	Percent Change January 2017-2018
All Modes	Imports	47,764	52,210	9.3
	Exports	40,196	44,438	10.6
	Total	87,960	96,648	9.9

All Surface Modes	Imports	41,494	45,925	10.7
	Exports	32,355	35,533	9.8
	Total	73,849	81,458	10.3

Truck	Imports	28,222	31,395	11.2
	Exports	26,781	29,206	9.1
	Total	55,003	60,601	10.2

Rail	Imports	8,899	8,628	-3.0
	Exports	4,300	4,656	8.3
	Total	13,199	13,284	0.6

Pipeline	Imports	4,373	5,902	35.0
	Exports	1,274	1,671	31.1
	Total	5,647	7,573	34.1

Vessel	Imports	3,291	3,308	0.5
	Exports	2,891	3,471	20.1
	Total	6,182	6,779	9.7

Air	Imports	1,474	1,421	-3.6
	Exports	1,955	2,046	4.7
	Total	3,429	3,467	1.1
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, https://transborder.bts.gov/
Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of freight flows 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 the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

Table 2. Value of Monthly U.S.-Canada Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation
(millions of current dollars)
Mode		January 2017	January 2018	Percent Change January 2017-2018
All Modes	Imports	24,282	26,272	8.2
	Exports	20,663	22,635	9.5
	Total	44,945	48,907	8.8

All Surface Modes	Imports	21,205	23,448	10.6
	Exports	16,842	17,949	6.6
	Total	38,048	41,397	8.8

Truck	Imports	11,782	12,317	4.5
	Exports	13,729	14,784	7.7
	Total	25,511	27,101	6.2

Rail	Imports	5,061	5,244	3.6
	Exports	2,177	2,285	5.0
	Total	7,238	7,529	4.0

Pipeline	Imports	4,362	5,887	35.0
	Exports	937	880	-6.0
	Total	5,299	6,768	27.7

Vessel	Imports	1,421	1,300	-8.5
	Exports	406	922	126.8
	Total	1,828	2,222	21.6

Air	Imports	933	886	-5.0
	Exports	1,216	1,221	0.4
	Total	2,149	2,107	-2.0
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, https://transborder.bts.gov/
Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of freight flows 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 the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.

Table 3. Value of Monthly U.S.-Mexico Freight Flows by Mode of Transportation
(millions of current dollars)
Mode		January 2017	January 2018	Percent Change January 2017-2018
All Modes	Imports	23,482	25,938	10.5
	Exports	19,534	21,803	11.6
	Total	43,015	47,741	11.0

All Surface Modes	Imports	20,289	22,477	10.8
	Exports	15,513	17,584	13.3
	Total	35,801	40,061	11.9

Truck	Imports	16,440	19,078	16.1
	Exports	13,053	14,422	10.5
	Total	29,492	33,500	13.6

Rail	Imports	3,838	3,384	-11.8
	Exports	2,123	2,371	11.7
	Total	5,961	5,756	-3.4

Pipeline	Imports	11	15	36.9
	Exports	337	791	134.3
	Total	348	805	131.3

Vessel	Imports	1,870	2,008	7.4
	Exports	2,485	2,549	2.6
	Total	4,355	4,557	4.6

Air	Imports	540	535	-1.1
	Exports	739	826	11.7
	Total	1,280	1,360	6.3
Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data, https://transborder.bts.gov/
Notes: Numbers might not add to totals due to rounding. Percent changes based on numbers prior to rounding. The value of freigth flows 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 the TransBorder web page: http://transborder.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/TBDR_DataFields.html.