December 2010 Surface Trade with Canada and Mexico Rose 13.8 Percent from December 2009

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 13.8 percent higher in December 2010 than in December 2009, reaching $66.5 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 fell 2.2 percent in December 2010 from November 2010. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors. 

U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade totaled $39.8 billion in December, up 12.2 percent compared to December 2009. U.S.–Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $26.8 billion in December, up 16.3 percent compared to December 2009.

Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. In December, 84.8 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved on land.

See BTS Transborder Data Release (http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2011/bts012_11/html/bts012_11.html) for summary tables, state rankings and additional data. See North American Transborder Freight Data (http://www.bts.gov/programs/international/transborder/) for historic data.