WASHINGTON — Freight shipped across the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico by all modes of transportation was valued at $112.5 billion in February 2022, down 1.1% from January 2022 ($113.7 billion) but up 17.3% from February 2021 ($95.86 billion) and up 17.2% from pre-pandemic February 2020 ($95.95 billion), according to the latest statistics released this week by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).
Freight between the U.S. and Canada totaled $56.2 billion in February 2022, up 18.6% from February 2021 ($47.4 billion), according to DOT figures.
Freight between the U.S. and Mexico totaled $56.3 billion, up 16% from February 2021 ($48.5 billion).
Also in February 2022, trucks moved $69.2 billion of freight, up 16.3% compared to February 2021 ($59.5 billion), and railways moved $15.3 billion of freight, up 19.0% from February 2021 ($12.8 billion).
Big trucks accounted for nearly $40 billion in freight moving between the U.S. and Mexico in February and almost $30 billion between the U.S. and Canada.
The busiest port for 18-wheelers was at Laredo, Texas, where just over $17.1 billion in freight was moved in February, according to the DOT.
Computers and parts made up the bulk of the border shipments for trucks, totaling nearly $13 billion.
Below are statistics representing February’s freight numbers as provided by the DOT.
Total Transborder Freight by Border and Mode
U.S.-Canada (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
- Truck: $29.7
- Rail: $8.6
- Pipeline: $9.0
- Air: $2.7
- Vessel: 2.9
U.S.-Mexico (both directions)
(Dollars in Billions)
- Truck: $39.5
- Rail: $6.7
- Vessel: $6.1
- Air: $1.5
- Pipeline: $0.9
Truck Freight: $69.2 billion (61.5% of all transborder freight)
- U.S.-Canada: $29.7 billion (52.8% of all northern border freight)
- U.S.-Mexico: $39.5 billion (70.2% of all southern border freight)
Top three busiest truck border ports (43.9% of total transborder truck freight)
- Laredo, Texas: $17.1 billion
- Detroit, Michigan: $7.2 billion
- Port Huron, Michigan: $6.1 billion
Top three truck commodities (46.5% of total transborder truck freight)
- Computers and parts: $12.9 billion
- Electrical machinery: $10.5 billion
- Vehicles and parts: $8.8 billion
Rail Freight: $15.3 billion (13.6% of all transborder freight)
- U.S.-Canada: $8.6 billion (15.2% of all northern border freight)
- U.S.-Mexico: $6.7 billion (11.9% of all southern border freight)
Top three busiest rail border ports (48.4% of total transborder rail freight)
- Laredo, Texas: $3.5 billion
- Port Huron, Michigan: $2.1 billion
- Eagle Pass, Texas: $1.7 billion
Top three rail commodities (50.2% of total transborder rail freight)
- Vehicles and parts: $5.2 billion
- Mineral fuels: $1.3 billion
- Plastics: $1.2 billion