April 2011 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 12.1 Percent from April 2010

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 12.1 percent higher in April 2011 than in April 2010, reaching $73.8 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in April 2011 rose 48.3 percent in two years from April 2009 but remained 0.7 percent below the early recession level of April 2008. See Transborder Press Releases for historic data. Values in this press release are not adjusted for inflation.

U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade both increased when compared to April 2010 with U.S.-Canada totaling $44.6 billion, an 11.8 percent increase, and U.S.-Mexico totaling $29.1 billion, a 12.4 percent increase.

Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones and other. In April, 84.7 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land, 11.1 percent moved by vessel, and 4.2 percent moved by air.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in April was up 19.5 percent compared to April 2006, and up 57.6 percent compared to April 2001, a period of 10 years. Imports in April were up 48.3 percent compared to April 2001, while exports were up 70.0 percent.

See BTS Transborder Data Release for summary tables, state rankings and additional data. See North American Transborder Freight Data for historic data.