WASHINGTON¡ªTrade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was down 30.9 percent in February 2009 compared to February 2008, falling to $47.9 billion, according to data released by the United States Department of Transportation¡¯s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).
This output, according to the BTS, ¡°represents the biggest year-to-year percentage decline on record.¡± The BTS also said that value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico increased 1.0 percent in February from January.
Surface transportation, according to the BTS, is comprised mainly of freight movements by truck, trail, and pipeline, and nearly 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves by land.
The BTS reported that the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in February was down 0.5 percent compared to February 2004, and up 24.3 percent compared to February 1999. Imports in February were up 19.5 percent compared to February 1999, and exports were up 30.3 percent.
In February, U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade came in at $29.8 billion, a 33.8 percent decrease year over year, with Michigan leading all states in surface trade with Canada in January at $3.1billion. The BTS said the value of imports carried by truck was down 32.0 percent year over year, and the value of exports carried by truck was down 28.1 percent.
The BTS said the value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Mexico dropped 25.7 percent year over year in February at $18.1 billion. Imports carried by truck were valued at 26.4 percent lower than February 2008, said the BTS, and the value of exports carried by truck was down 15.4 percent. And Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in January at $6.1 billion.
