Nafta Trade Drops, But Truck Freight Rises
U.S. trade with Canada and Mexico fell in in March from a year ago to $96.1 billion, but three of five transportation modes — trucks, railroads and air — rose year-over-year, the Department of Transportation reported.
Trucks carried 64% of trade among the North American Free Trade Agreement Partners, accounting for $30.6 billion (60%) of U.S. imports and $30.9 billion (69%) of exports, DOT said May 28.
Truck freight rose 0.9% year-over-year, and its total trade percentage was up from 63.4% in February, according to DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Rail, which moved 1.5% more freight year-over-year, carried 15.8%, followed by vessel (6.2%), pipeline (5.1%) and air (4.1%).
The total value of Nafta freight flow fell by 5.3% year-over-year to $96.1 billion, which BTS attributed to the lower value of mineral fuel shipments.
