U.S.-Canada freight totaled $48.1 billion in January as three out of five transportation modes (air, truck, and rail) carried more U.S.-Canada freight than in January 2014, according to U.S. Transportation Department figures.
Year-over-year, the value of U.S.-Canada trade by air increased the most of any mode, growing by 3.4%. Truck freight increased by 2.7% and rail rose by 1.8%. Vessel freight decreased 19% and pipeline fell 22.5%
Trucks carried 55% of the $48.1 billion of freight to and from Canada, followed by rail at 15.7%, pipeline at 11.6%, vessel at 5.8% and air at 4.8%.
In January 2015, the top commodity category transported between the U.S. and Canada was mineral fuels, of which $5.6 billion, or 56.5%, moved by pipeline.
Overall, the amount of freight moved between the U.S. and both its NAFTA neighbors totaled $89.3 billion in January, down 1.2% from a year earlier.
The value of freight flows between the U.S. and its neighbors by all modes decreased, as the value of cross-border trade by pipeline and vessel declined in January due to the reduced prices of mineral fuel shipments.
Truck freight increased by 3.6%. Overall, trucks carried 62.3% of U.S.-NAFTA freight and were the most heavily used mode for moving goods to and from both U.S.-NAFTA partners. Trucks accounted for $27.4 billion of the $47.5 billion of imports, or 57.7%, and $28.2 billion of the $41.8 billion of exports or 67.6%
