U.S. Shipments to Mexico, Canada Hit Record in 2006

The value of U.S. Freight Shipments to Canada and Mexico in 2006 rose to a record $866 billion from $790 billion in 2005, the Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics said Monday.

The 2006 level is a 9.7% gain over 2005, which was the previous record, DOT said in a statement.

The value of shipments moved by truck rose to $534 billion in 2006, up about $43 billion from 2005, the largest year-over-year increased for any single mode of transportation, said DOT.

Trucks carried about 62% of the total amount of freight moving from the U.S. to Mexico or Canada last year, according to DOT. Railroads moved about 15%.

The busiest U.S./Canada border crossing by road in 2006 was Detroit, through which about $115 billion worth of freight passed. The busiest U.S./Mexico crossing was Laredo, Texas, which handled about $78.5 billion worth of shipments, DOT said.