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BTS Statistics Release: November 2017 North American Freight Numbers

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BTS 07-18

Thursday, January 25, 2018

BTS Contact: Dave Smallen

Tel: 202-366-5568

david.smallen@dot.gov

 

BTS Statistics Release: November 2017 North American Freight Numbers

 

 

Fig1 

 

SOURCE: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, TransBorder Freight Data

 

 

U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $100.6 billion as all five major transportation modes carried more freight by value with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico in November 2017 compared to November 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 10.5 percent rise from November 2016 is the 13th 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 46.0 percent, air by 11.4 percent, pipeline by 11.0 percent, truck by 8.1 percent, and rail by 4.4 percent (Figure 2, Table 2). The large percentage increase in the value of goods moving by vessel is due in part to a 24.0 percent year-over-year crude oil price increase and a 24.6 percent increase in the tonnage of mineral fuels traded.

 

Trucks carried 63.1 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 $32.8 billion of the $53.8 billion of imports (61.1 percent) and $30.6 billion of the $46.8 billion of exports (65.4 percent) (Table 2).

 

Rail remained the second largest mode by value, moving 14.5 percent of all U.S.-NAFTA freight, followed by vessel, 7.8 percent; pipeline, 5.4 percent; and air, 3.9 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.9 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 November 2016 to November 2017, the value of U.S.-Canada freight flows increased by 11.2 percent to $51.3 billion as the value of freight on all five major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of freight carried on vessel increased by 59.7 percent due in part to an increase in the unit value and an 22.4 percent increase in the tonnage of mineral fuels traded. Air increased by 12.5 percent, pipeline by 11.8 percent, rail by 10.0 percent, and truck by 8.5 percent (Figure 3, Table 3).

 

Trucks carried 57.5 percent of the value of the freight to and from Canada. Rail carried 15.9 percent followed by pipeline, 9.9 percent; vessel, 4.9 percent; and air, 4.8 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 83.2 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 November 2016 to November 2017, the value of U.S.-Mexico freight flows increased by 9.7 percent to $49.3 billion as the value of freight on four major modes increased from a year earlier. The value of commodities moved by vessel increased by 40.4 percent, air by 9.6 percent, truck by 7.8 percent, and pipeline by 0.9 percent. Rail decreased by 1.9 percent (Figure 4, Table 4).

 

Trucks carried 68.9 percent of the value of freight to and from Mexico. Rail carried 13.1 percent followed by vessel, 10.9 percent; air, 3.0 percent; and pipeline, 0.7 percent. The surface transportation modes of truck, rail and pipeline carried 82.6 percent of the value of total U.S.-Mexico freight flows (Table 4).

 

Commodities

 

In November 2017, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada was vehicles and parts, of which $5.5 billion, or 57.5 percent, moved by truck and $3.8 billion, or 39.6 percent by rail (Figure 5). The top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Mexico in November 2017 was electrical machinery, of which $8.6 billion, or 91.4 percent, moved by truck and $475 million, or 5.0 percent, moved by air (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 December TransBorder numbers for Feb. 27.

 

 

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

94,379

-2.3

3.6

October

96,624

93,165

100,561

-3.6

7.9

November

88,154

91,089

100,613

3.3

10.5

December

86,748

87,086

 

0.4

 

Year-to-date

1,019,577

982,052

1,045,969

-3.7

6.5

Annual

1,106,325

1,069,138

 

-3.4

-2.2

 

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

 

November 2016

November 2017

Percent Change November     2016-2017

All Modes

Imports

49,781

53,786

8.0

Exports

41,308

46,827

13.4

Total

91,089

100,613

10.5

All Surface Modes

Imports

43,982

46,756

6.3

Exports

33,561

36,690

9.3

Total

77,543

83,446

7.6

Truck

Imports

30,680

32,849

7.1

Exports

28,027

30,610

9.2

Total

58,707

63,459

8.1

Rail

Imports

9,462

9,553

1.0

Exports

4,508

5,031

11.6

Total

13,970

14,584

4.4

Pipeline

Imports

3,841

4,354

13.3

Exports

1,025

1,050

2.4

Total

4,866

5,403

11.0

Vessel

Imports

2,733

3,598

31.7

Exports

2,659

4,272

60.7

Total

5,391

7,870

46.0

Air

Imports

1,580

1,683

6.5

Exports

1,940

2,238

15.4

Total

3,520

3,921

11.4

 

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

 

November 2016

November 2017

Percent Change November         2016-2017

All Modes

Imports

24,395

26,135

7.1

Exports

21,716

25,156

15.8

Total

46,111

51,291

11.2

All Surface Modes

Imports

21,632

23,118

6.9

Exports

17,495

19,581

11.9

Total

39,126

42,699

9.1

Truck

Imports

12,502

13,203

5.6

Exports

14,697

16,296

10.9

Total

27,199

29,499

8.5

Rail

Imports

5,300

5,575

5.2

Exports

2,093

2,557

22.2

Total

7,393

8,131

10.0

Pipeline

Imports

3,829

4,340

13.3

Exports

705

729

3.4

Total

4,535

5,069

11.8

Vessel

Imports

909

1,282

41.0

Exports

660

1,224

85.4

Total

1,569

2,506

59.7

Air

Imports

961

1,025

6.6

Exports

1,230

1,440

17.1

Total

2,192

2,465

12.5

 

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

 

November 2016

November 2017

Percent Change November   2016-2017

All Modes

Imports

25,386

27,651

8.9

Exports

19,592

21,671

10.6

Total

44,978

49,322

9.7

All Surface Modes

Imports

22,351

23,638

5.8

Exports

16,066

17,109

6.5

Total

38,417

40,747

6.1

Truck

Imports

18,177

19,646

8.1

Exports

13,331

14,314

7.4

Total

31,508

33,960

7.8

Rail

Imports

4,162

3,979

-4.4

Exports

2,416

2,474

2.4

Total

6,577

6,453

-1.9

Pipeline

Imports

12

14

17.1

Exports

320

321

0.3

Total

331

334

0.9

Vessel

Imports

1,823

2,316

27.0

Exports

1,999

3,048

52.5

Total

3,822

5,364

40.4

Air

Imports

618

658

6.4

Exports

710

798

12.4

Total

1,328

1,455

9.6

 

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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