Cross border truck trade holds amidst general downturn

Trucking a bright spot in dismal freight trend on cross border trade with Canada and Mexico

Motor & Fleet

By Allie Sanchez

Dwindling shipments in crude oil have taken its toll on cross border trade between the US and Canada and Mexico, but truckers are holding their ground.

Latest figures from the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics revealed that freight flow across borders between US and Canada contracted 3.2% to around $90 billion in April compared to the same period last year.

In contrast, truck freight grew 0.8% year on year in April, accounting for $60 billion of trade so far. The value of imported goods that passed through trucks grew 5.1%, but exports by the same mode shrank 3.6% in the pertinent period.

Over all, the trade in these two borders has been on a down trend. The value of all US freight between Canada and Mexico went down on a 4.7% clip in the first four months of 2016 after an overall fall of 7.2% in 2015.

Mexico was a bright spot in trade with freight shipments by truck climbing 2.8% year on year in April, due to the movement of more machinery, computers, and parts across the border. 
 

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