NAFTA Surface Trade Rises 8.3% in May

Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico rose 8.3% in May from a year ago, the Department of Transportation said Tuesday.

Trade among the North American Free Trade Agreement partners rose to $83.8 billion, DOT’s Bureau of Trade Statistics said in its monthly report.

Month-to-month trade, which is affected by seasonal factors, rose 5% from April. The previous month, March, had been a record, with the trade level topping $85 billion for the first time.

U.S.-Canada trade rose 4% to $48.1 billion, while U.S.-Mexico trade jumped 14.9% to $35.6 billion.

Truck imports to the United States from the two countries rose 12.3% year-over-year to $29.4 billion. Exports rose 11.6% to $30.5 billion.

Rail imports rose 0.7% to $8.4 billion and exports gained 2.2% to $5 billion. Pipeline imports fell 9.5% to $5.5 billion, while exports plunged 36.9% to $645 million.

Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90% of U.S. trade among NAFTA partners moves by land.