Mark Szakonyi, Associate Editor | Jun 26, 2012 11:34AM EDT
The value of surface transportation trade between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico in April rose 8.2 percent year-over-year but fell 6.9 percent from March, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Trade in April hit $79.9 billion, after the value of goods and materials traded over the two U.S. borders hit a monthly record in March, topping $85.7 billion. The value of U.S. surface trade with Canada and Mexico was up 7.4 percent from April 2008, the beginning of the recession, and up 60.4 percent from April 2009, late in the recession.
U.S.-Canada trade rose 5.6 percent year-over-year to $47.2 billion, while U.S. trade with Mexico increased 12 percent to $32.6 billion in the same period. In April, 86.5 percent of U.S. trade by value with its neighbors moved via land, 9.8 percent by vessel and 3.7 percent by air.
Texas continued to lead the states in surface trade with Mexico in April, with the value of commodities transported over the border rising 15.9 percent year-over-year to $11.7 billion. Michigan led the U.S in surface trade with Canada, as the value of goods over the border with its northern neighbor rose 1.5 percent year-over-year to $5.9 billion.
The top U.S. trade commodity with Canada was non-railway vehicles, valued at $9.3 billion. Electrical machinery, valued at $6.7 billion, was the top transport commodity between U.S. and Mexico.
Contact Mark Szakonyi at mszakonyi@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @szakonyi_joc.
