While trucks carried the most goods by value during the
month of February, pipelines carried the most in weight. This is not really surprising
given the growing activities of the oil industry.
The percentage by mode based on total NAFTA import weight is
shown below:
Total NAFTA US imports by weight from Canada increased 5.6%
with truck weight increasing 10.2%, rail increasing 3.7%, air increasing 3.4%, vessel
declining 6.1% and pipeline increasing 14%. The decline in weight by vessel may
be due to a shift from using this mode for mineral oils transport to using
pipelines instead.
The top imported commodities by mode were: mineral fuels for
vessels and pipeline, vehicles for truck and rail and computer-related
machinery and parts for air.
Total NAFTA US imports by weight from Mexico declined 0.5% with
truck weight increasing 1.9%, rail increasing 2.2%, air declining 11.3%, no
change in vessel and pipeline declining 28.2%. The decline in the use of air
may be due to a shift to truck usage whereas the steep decline in pipeline may
be attributed to declines in Mexican oil and gas production and issues with
Pemex which has a monopoly on Mexico’s oil and gas industry.
The top imported commodities by mode were: mineral fuels for
vessels and pipeline, electrical machinery, equipment and parts for truck and
air and vehicles for rail.
While Canadian
imports by weight were strong despite a decline in vessel weight, Mexican data
appears not as strong. Perhaps further development of airfreight can be
encouraged? It may not only be a safer alternative but certainly a time-saver
for commodities moving across an already congested border.
Even though double-digit decline in pipeline certainly did
not help, for the first two months of the year, Mexican imports by weight have
declined almost 3%. For Canada, imports by weight have increased 8.6% which
could probably be attributed to a rise in oil and gas industry activity.
