Trade Between U.S. and Canada Shows Improvement
WASHINGTON, DC – Trade between the U.S. and its North American Free Agreement (NAFTA) partners, Canada and Mexico is looking up. About 8.3 percent more cargo was carried by truck, rail, pipeline, mail and other modes of ground transport in May 2012 than in May 2011, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) says.
The increase means $83.8 billion more was transported by land between the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2012.
When U.S. surface transportation trade in May 2012 is compared to trade from May 2008, six months into the recession, the 2012 numbers with Canada and Mexico are 13 percent higher. When compared to May 2009, late in the recession, the numbers are 75 percent higher, BTS shows.
But the increase in trade was slower between U.S. and Canada increased than for the U.S. with Mexico, although both increased compared to May 2011 trade.
U.S.-Canada trade increased 4 percent, reaching $48.1 billion, whereas U.S.-Mexico trade increased 14.9 percent, reaching $35.6 billion.
BTS also shows that in May, 86.5 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved by land, 9.6 percent moved by vessel, and 3.8 percent moved by air.
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