NAFTA Surface Trade Rose 14.3% Last Year

Surface transportation trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico rose 14.3% last year from 2010, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday.

Trade among the North American Free Trade Agreement partners increased to $904 billion, the highest since NAFTA went into effect in 1994, DOT’s Bureau of Trade Statistics said.

U.S. surface transportation imports increased 13.8% last year, while exports gained 14.8%.

U.S.-Canada trade rose 14% year-over-year to $537 billion. U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade climbed 14.6% to $367 billion.

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