U.S.-Canada freight falls in November as overall transborder trade declines

Transborder freight between the United States, Canada and Mexico totaled US$124.8 billion in November 2025, down 4.7 per cent compared with the same month a year earlier, according to new data from the U.S. Transborder Freight Data program.

Freight trade between the U.S. and Canada dropped sharply, falling 13.1 per cent year-over-year to US$53.7 billion. Meanwhile, freight flows between the U.S. and Mexico rose 2.9 per cent to US$71.1 billion.

Trucking remained the dominant mode of cross-border transportation, moving US$83.7 billion worth of goods in November, up 1.4 per cent from November 2024. Rail shipments totaled US$14.3 billion, down 11.9 per cent, while pipelines carried US$7.1 billion in freight, a decline of 10.4 per cent.

Marine transport handled US$8.2 billion in freight, falling 15.3 per cent, while air cargo moved US$5 billion, down 3.7 per cent year-over-year.

Detroit, Port Huron and Buffalo ranked as the busiest truck border crossings for U.S.-Canada freight, while Laredo, El Paso and Otay Mesa led truck freight flows between the U.S. and Mexico.

For rail, Detroit, Port Huron and International Falls were the leading U.S.-Canada connection points. Laredo, Eagle Pass and El Paso were the top rail crossings for U.S.-Mexico trade.

The data also showed Chicago, Port Huron and Minneapolis as key pipeline connection regions for U.S. energy freight flows with Canada.