Fact #993, September 4, 2017: By Value, Nearly Three-Fourths of Imports from Mexico and More Than Half of Imports from Canada are Transported by Truck

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Trucks are the primary mode of transportation for imports to the United States from Mexico and Canada when considering imports by value. Imports from Mexico increased nearly 50% from 2004 to 2016 totaling $294 billion adjusted for inflation. Of that value, 72% was transported by truck in 2016. Imports from Canada decreased by about 15% during that same period with a total value of $278 billion in 2016. Although trucks carry a lower percentage of import value from Canada than Mexico, the truck mode is still the largest single mode of transport from Canada accounting for 54% in 2016. A notable difference between Canada and Mexico is that pipeline accounts for a significant portion of import value from Canada while almost none from Mexico.

Note: "Other" category includes mail shipments and goods moved into or out of foreign-trade zones that cannot be subdivided into specific modes as well as other and unknown modes.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, North American Transborder Freight Data, accessed July 25, 2017.

Adjusted for inflation using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.

Fact #993 Dataset

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