WASHINGTON — Trucks moved the majority of transborder freight between the U.S. and other North American countries (Canada and Mexico) during July 2020, according to data released today (Sept. 23) by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
After global slumps in freight volume earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all modes of transportation — including truck, rail, air, vessel and pipeline — continue to show improvement month over month for 2020.
In July 2020, $91 billion in transborder freight was moved by all modes of transportation, up 10.9% compared to June and up 62.2% from May. Transborder freight value for July 2020 was down 11.2% compared to July 2019.
Trucks moved the most transborder freight during July 2020 at $60.7 billion (66.8% of all transborder freight), up 7.5% compared to June 2020 but down 4.9% compared to July 2019. The second-most used mode was rail, at $12.9 billion — up 14.7% from June 2020 and down 13% from July 2019.
Total freight moved between the U.S. and Canada during July 2020 was up 7.3% from June 2020 and down 13.5% compared to July 2019. Transport between the U.S. and Mexico during July 2020 was up 14.3% over June 2020 and down 9% from July 2019.
Trucks moved $60.7 billion (66.8%) of all transborder freight during July — $26.2 billion (60.4%) of all freight between the U.S. and Canada, and $34.5 billion (72.5%) of all freight between the U.S. and Mexico. Compared to June 2020, July’s freight shipments between the U.S. and Canada were up 3.2%, and up 11.1% between the U.S. and Mexico. Freight crossing both the northern and southern U.S. borders was down from July 2019, dropping 4.5% at the U.S.-Canada border and 5.2% at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The top three busiest truck border ports, accounting for 45.5% percent of total transborder truck freight in July 2020, were Laredo, Texas ($14.2 billion); Detroit ($8 billion); and Ysleta, Texas ($5.4 billion).
Computers and parts ($12 billion), electrical machinery ($10.7 billion) and vehicles and parts ($7.8 billion) were the top three truck commodities during the month, accounting for 50.2% of total transborder truck freight.
Total transborder freight between the U.S. and Canada in July 2020 included $26.2 billion transported by truck, $6.4 billion by rail, $3.6 billion by pipeline, $2.5 billion by air and $1.7 billion by vessel.
Between the U.S. and Mexico during the same time frame, trucks transported $34.5 billion, while $6.5 billion was moved by rail, $3.7 billion by vessel, $1.1 billion by air and $0.4 billion by pipeline.
Data presented in the release from DOT are not seasonally adjusted and are not adjusted for inflation.
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