Year-over-year NAFTA trade up 17.4% in February

Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American neighbors, Canada and Mexico, was 17.4 percent higher in February than in February 2011, totaling $78.1 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, reported on Tuesday, May 1, the February value increased 3.4 percent from January; month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.

Surface transportation includes freight movements by truck, rail, pipeline, mail, Foreign Trade Zones and other. In February, 87.4 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moved via land, 8.7 percent moved by vessel, and 3.9 percent moved by air.

U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico trade in February both increased compared to February 2011, with U.S.-Canada reaching $45.4 billion, a 13.7 percent increase, and U.S.-Mexico reaching $32.7 billion, a 23 percent increase. Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada at $5.9 billion, an 18.2 percent increase from February 2011.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico at $11.7 billion, a 29.3 percent increase from February 2011; February was the second-highest month on record for Texas-Mexico surface trade, which peaked in August 2011 at $11.9 billion.