Office of Operations Freight Management and Operations

Freight Facts and Figures 2009

Figure 2-1. Value of Merchandise Trade by Coasts and Borders: 1951-2008

Foreign trade has had a major impact on all U.S. borders and coasts.  Since 1951, the value of merchandise trade has grown by nineteen-fold in inflation-adjusted terms.  However, overall growth has been affected by short-term downturns, such as between 1981 and 1985.  In 2008, ports and airports on the Atlantic Coast remain the most important, but the land borders and other coasts are catching up. While the recent economic downturn started in 2007, the value of trade continued to grow in part due to short-term increases in the price of imported oil.

 

Figure 2-1. Line graph. Data is described in text above and table below.

[PDF 49KB]

 

Data represented in the figure.

Table in Excel format

Billions of 2005 dollars

Customs District 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Atlantic Coast 80.4 72.5 69.1 68.4 76.5 82.7 85.5 76.4 80.1 85.2 61.8 63.9 95.0 102.4 105.2 118.7 116.8 128.1 125.4 137.8 134.0 153.2 188.5 244.9 225.8 242.9 252.7 284.9 326.5 369.6 336.8 294.9 277.4 312.4 301.1 322.9 335.5 362.0 364.4 374.9 364.8 375.0 383.0 399.0 433.7 449.2 481.3 495.0 514.9 580.4 552.9 537.9 574.0 641.3 700.4 751.4 801.8 882.9
Gulf Coast 25.6 23.8 19.8 21.0 21.3 26.3 30.0 25.7 43.1 30.3 22.3 29.9 32.8 39.3 38.5 38.9 38.4 40.8 37.0 44.0 43.9 50.3 81.1 109.9 112.6 125.7 142.3 155.4 188.8 214.5 206.0 167.3 139.2 115.3 124.9 113.1 120.6 130.6 141.3 145.8 140.0 141.2 140.9 154.7 181.0 192.1 193.1 187.3 191.5 240.5 218.2 222.3 245.6 295.2 345.9 400.5 431.1 539.9
Mexican Border 4.2 4.2 3.9 3.6 3.9 4.5 4.9 4.8 4.1 4.2 4.4 4.3 4.8 5.6 5.9 6.4 6.3 7.1 7.3 8.6 8.2 10.9 13.9 17.9 17.9 18.6 17.2 21.8 27.9 37.5 39.6 30.0 28.0 57.9 37.0 39.6 45.1 56.0 63.1 67.3 70.6 81.9 89.7 110.1 116.1 132.1 156.6 173.4 197.4 241.6 224.6 219.7 222.0 248.1 256.4 282.7 289.9 287.1
Pacific Coast 13.8 13.6 12.7 13.6 15.0 17.9 19.7 18.5 18.8 23.0 21.9 22.9 26.9 43.7 31.3 34.2 37.1 43.4 50.9 55.5 55.2 63.1 86.1 116.7 103.1 116.9 124.2 138.9 161.8 182.0 180.6 106.8 168.4 171.2 211.3 228.6 251.4 290.8 316.9 328.1 330.5 351.7 366.3 404.3 453.5 468.9 504.3 489.8 519.1 578.7 506.6 484.1 492.7 542.4 581.4 643.5 666.1 669.1
Canadian Border 27.7 28.7 30.2 28.1 31.3 35.5 34.5 30.5 35.0 34.1 35.6 38.5 41.7 46.8 54.2 63.8 68.5 79.2 87.7 85.5 83.0 107.8 125.6 141.5 132.3 149.3 153.4 165.6 169.8 166.1 163.7 152.1 165.6 206.6 207.7 206.9 226.1 253.2 258.8 280.5 275.7 293.7 322.3 367.1 406.4 426.8 462.2 471.5 507.8 553.2 508.1 497.0 519.2 577.2 628.7 655.6 673.4 697.7
Total 151.7 142.9 135.6 134.7 148.1 166.9 174.5 155.9 181.0 176.9 146.0 159.6 201.2 237.8 235.2 262.0 267.1 298.5 308.2 331.5 324.3 385.2 495.2 631.0 591.7 653.4 689.8 766.6 874.8 969.6 926.8 751.1 778.6 863.4 882.0 911.1 978.6 1092.6 1144.5 1196.7 1181.6 1243.7 1302.1 1435.2 1590.8 1669.1 1797.5 1817.1 1930.8 2194.4 2010.4 1961.0 2053.5 2304.3 2512.7 2733.7 2862.3 3076.7

Notes: The value of 2008 coal exports ($5.03) from Mobile, AL, Charleston, SC, and Norfolk, VA are considered proprietary information and are consolidated. In this figure, the total value of coal exports for the above three cities are included under the Atlantic Coast Customs District.

Sources:

1951-1970: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, Bicentennial Edition (Washington, DC: 1975).

1970-2000: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States (Washington, DC: annual issues).

2000-2008: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 - U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights (Washington, DC: annual issues).

Implicit GDP Deflator: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Current-Dollar and “Real” Gross Domestic Product, available at www.bea.gov as of August 15, 2009.

 


To view Excel files, you can use the Microsoft Excel Viewer.

Download the free adobe acrobat reader to view PDFs You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDFs on this page.

previous | table of contents | next
Office of Operations