NAFTA trade flourished in January
Trucks, rail and pipelines were responsible for supporting $52.3 billion in trade during January between the United States, Canada and Mexico, according to Department of Transportation statistics.
The value of goods delivered by surface transportation modes increased 14.6 percent from January 2004. About 90 percent of U.S. trade by value with its neighbors moves by truck and rail.
Total surface transportation trade is up 79 percent in the last decade since the North American Free Trade Agreement went into effect.
U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade totaled $34.4 billion in January, up 17.9 percent from a year earlier. U.S.-Mexico trade via surface transportation totaled $17.9 billion, an 8.7 percent increase.
Export trade via surface transport rose 15 percent to $22.2 billion and import trade was up 14.3 percent to $30 billion. Trucks accounted for $36.6 billion of the trade volume compared to rail with $8.2 billion.