Cross-border truck freight surges in 2021

Trucks moved £827.9 billion in freight across North America's borders in 2021, up 19.2% from 2020 and 7.2% over the pre-pandemic totals seen in 2019. Overall freight traveling between Canada and the U.S. using any transportation mode was valued at £664.2 billion during the year, marginally higher than the £661.2 billion that crossed between the U.S. and Mexico, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. (All figures in US dollars.)

(Illustration: U.S.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics)

The busiest border crossing between Canada and the U.S. was at Windsor, Ont., accounting for £131 billion in trade. The top U.S. imports included computer-related parts and machinery, at £44.2 billion, followed by vehicles other than railway (£44.2 billion). Top Canadian exports included mineral fuels, oils and waxes valued at a collective £103.2 billion.

(Illustration: U.S.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics)

The year ended strong, with £60.6 billion in freight crossing between Canada and the U.S. in December, up 27.4% over the same month in 2020, and 21.9% higher than December 2019. Trucks moved £30.8 billion in freight across the Canada-U.S. border during the last month of the year, accounting for 50.9% of the overall freight value crossing the northern border. Crossings at Windsor, Ont., accounted for £9.2 billion in trans-border truck freight, while another £5.5 billion crossed at Sarnia, Ontario.

Those two Canada-U.S. ports were outpaced only by the U.S.-Mexico port at Laredo, Texas, which saw £16.8 billion in truck freight.

Computers and parts represented £13.3 billion of North America's trans-border truck freight during the month, followed by electrical machinery (£10.8 billion), and vehicles and parts (£9 billion).