Freight Facts and Figures 2009

Tables 2-8 and 2-8M. Value and Tonnage of U.S. Merchandise Trade with Canada and Mexico by Transportation Mode: 1998-2008

Trade with Canada and Mexico has grown rapidly over the past decade. Trucks carry about 58 percent of the value of goods traded with these countries. Rail is the second largest mover of freight for the United States with Canada and Mexico.

Table 2-8 (standard units)

Table in Excel format | Historical data

Billions of current U.S. dollars and millions of short tons

Mode	1998 Value	1998 Weight	2000 Value	2000 Weight	2007 Value	2007 Weight	2008 Value	2008 Weight
Truck¹	350	NA	429	NA	555	192	554	182
Rail¹	68	NA	94	NA	138	154	140	148
Air	30	<1	45	<1	38	<1	41	<1
Water	21	183	33	194	74	241	93	232
Pipeline¹	11	NA	24	NA	59	95	88	99
Other¹	23	NA	29	NA	45	7	47	7
Total¹	503	NA	653	NA	909	691	964	668

Key: NA = not available.

¹The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) estimated the weight of exports for truck, rail, pipeline, and other modes using weight-to-value ratios derived from imported commodities that vary by country, mode, and commodity.

Notes:

1 short ton = 2,000 pounds. Mode "Other" includes shipments transported by mail, other and unknown modes, and shipments through Foreign Trade Zones. Totals for the most recent year differ slightly from the Freight Analysis Framework due to variations in coverage and FAF conversion of values to constant dollars. Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Source:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transborder Freight Data, available at www.bts.gov/transborder as of September 2009.

Table 2-8M (metric units)

Table in Excel format | Historical data

Billions of current U.S. dollars and millions of metric tonnes

Mode	1998 Value	1998 Weight	2000 Value	2000 Weight	2007 Value	2007 Weight	2008 Value	2008 Weight
Truck¹	350	NA	429	NA	555	174	554	165
Rail¹	68	NA	94	NA	138	140	140	134
Air	30	<1	45	<1	38	<1	41	<1
Water	21	166	33	176	74	219	93	211
Pipeline¹	11	NA	24	NA	59	86	88	89
Other¹	23	NA	29	NA	45	7	47	6
Total¹	503	NA	653	NA	909	627	964	606

Key: NA = not available.

Notes:

1 metric tonne = 1.1023 short tons. 1 short ton = 2,000 pounds. Mode "Other" includes shipments transported by mail, other and unknown modes, and shipments through Foreign Trade Zones. Totals for the most recent year differ slightly from the Freight Analysis Framework due to variations in coverage and FAF conversion of values to constant dollars. Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.

Source:

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