North American transborder freight rises to $160.6 billion in August

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Transborder freight rises August 2026

Highlights

Total North American transborder freight reached $160.6 billion in August 2026, up 22.6% from August 2025 across all modes.
U.S.-Canada freight rose 17.1% to $66.3 billion, while U.S.-Mexico freight climbed 26.7% to $94.3 billion in August 2026.
Trucks handled $109.0 billion in transborder freight, increasing 29.8% year-over-year, with rail, pipeline, vessel, and air also showing strong gains.

August freight gains across borders and transport modes

As reported by Bureau of Transportation Statistics, citing the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, total transborder freight between the U.S. and its North American partners Canada and Mexico stands at $160.6 billion in August 2026. That total is 22.6% higher than in August 2025 and covers freight moved by all transportation modes.

Freight flows between the U.S. and Canada amount to $66.3 billion, up 17.1% from a year earlier, while freight between the U.S. and Mexico reaches $94.3 billion, an increase of 26.7%. Trucks move $109.0 billion of freight, rising 29.8% from August 2025, followed by railways at $17.2 billion, up 8.7%, pipelines at $10.2 billion, up 22.7%, vessels at $9.7 billion, up 12.0%, and air at $6.7 billion, up 3.8%.

The agency says the transborder freight data program provides monthly and annual figures on U.S. imports and exports with Canada and Mexico by transportation mode, commodity and geography. The dataset is used for infrastructure planning, trade corridor analysis and logistics research.

Key ports and regions highlight trade corridor activity

On truck freight with Canada, Detroit, Port Huron and Buffalo are the leading U.S. ports, while Laredo, El Paso and Otay Mesa lead truck flows with Mexico. For rail connections, Detroit, Port Huron and International Falls are the top ports with Canada, while Laredo, Eagle Pass and El Paso rank highest with Mexico.

Pipeline-linked energy freight with Canada is centered on Chicago, Port Huron and Minneapolis, while El Paso, Hidalgo and Laredo are the main connection regions with Mexico. For waterborne energy flows, the top Canadian connections are the Port of Boston, Arthur and Portland, while the leading southern border water connections are the Port of Houston, Arthur and Texas City.

Our earlier coverage of global trade pressures examined how rising geopolitical tensions and repeated disruptions are pushing companies to redesign supply chains and shipping routes for greater resilience. We also highlighted expectations that regional trade could keep expanding as firms and governments prioritize nearer, more reliable corridors, even as the broader outlook remains sensitive to conflicts and tariff-related risks.

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