The total value of trade using rail, road and other surface transportation between the United States and its neighbors, Mexico and Canada, rose 7.9 percent, year over year, in October to $85.29 billion, according to recently released figures by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
The value of the trade jumped by 9.8 percent when compared to September 2012. For the first 10 months of 2012, U.S. surface trade stood at $806 billion.
During the month, land transportation accounted for 86.5 percent of the total activity among the United States, Canada and Mexico, while only 4 percent of the trade value was moved by air.
Trade between the United States and Mexico accounted for $36.9 billion of the total value, representing a 13.1-percent, year over year, increase. Texas led the charge in trade with Mexico, followed by California, Michigan and Illinois. Electrical machinery, computer parts and vehicles were the goods most often routed to Mexico in October.
Illinois and California represented the second and third biggest trade partners with Canada, but Michigan stood at No. 1, doing more than $6.7 billion in business in October. These states mostly routed vehicles, oil and gas machinery, and computer parts to their northern neighbor.
In October, the United States trucked $16.2 billion worth of goods from Mexico, while only exporting $13.1 billion. Truck exports from Canada surpassed imports, with the United States sending out $17.7 billion worth of goods in October as it took in $12.3 billion.
Land trade among the United States, Mexico and Canada has been on a steady increase. From October 2009, trade value has risen by 38.9 percent, with import growth in the past decade topping 60.1 percent. – Jon Ross
U.S. surface trade with Mexico, Canada growing
