Friday, July 31, 2009

Record Decline in North American Trade

The Journal of Commerce reports the steepest decline on record for North American trade using surface transportation:

Trade using surface transportation between the United States, Canada and Mexico dropped 35.4 percent in May, the largest year-over-year decline on record for the North American Free Trade Agreement partners, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In the eighth consecutive month of falling trade, imports from Canada and Mexico to the United States in May were down 38.1 percent from May 2008 while exports from the United States declined 32 percent.

The value of North American surface trade dropped to $47.9 billion in the fifth consecutive month with a year-to-year decline of greater than 27 percent. Trucks carried 72.4 percent of the total.

Surface transportation trade between the United States and Canada totaled $29.2 billion in May, down 40.3 percent compared to May 2008. The value of imports carried by truck was 35.7 percent lower, while the value of exports carried by truck was 33.4 percent lower during this period.

U.S.–Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $18.6 billion in May, down 26 percent compared to May 2008. The value of imports carried by truck was 23.4 percent lower, while the value of exports carried by truck was 21.1 percent lower than in May a year ago.

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