North American Transborder Freight Slips 0.7% in February 2026 as Canada Trade Weakens

U.S. transborder freight with Canada and Mexico totaled $130.8 billion in February 2026, a modest 0.7% decrease compared to February 2025, according to the latest data released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

While overall trade was slightly down, the numbers reveal a tale of two borders: continued strength with Mexico and further softening with Canada.

Key February 2026 Highlights

• Total Transborder Freight: $130.8 billion (−0.7% vs. Feb 2025)

• U.S.–Canada: $57.5 billion (−9.0%)

• U.S.–Mexico: $73.2 billion (+7.1%)

By Mode of Transportation:

• Trucks: $87.2 billion (+0.7%) — remained relatively stable

• Railways: $14.0 billion (−7.3%)

• Pipelines: $8.9 billion (−10.2%)

• Vessels: $7.3 billion (−5.0%)

• Air: $6.0 billion (+25.2%) — strongest growth again

Air freight posted another solid gain, while rail, pipeline, and vessel volumes continued to decline.

Border & Mode Breakdown

U.S.–Canada:

• Truck: $31.6B

• Pipeline: $8.3B

• Rail: $7.2B

• Air: $3.1B

• Vessel: $2.6B

U.S.–Mexico:

• Truck: $55.6B

• Rail: $6.9B

• Vessel: $4.6B

• Air: $2.9B

• Pipeline: $0.6B

Truck freight continues to dominate both borders, especially with Mexico.

Top Ports and Commodities

Leading Truck Ports:

• With Canada: Detroit, Port Huron, Buffalo

• With Mexico: Laredo, El Paso, Otay Mesa

Top Commodities by Value:

• Computer-Related Machinery and Parts led again

• Vehicles Other than Railway

• Electrical Machinery & Equipment

• Mineral Fuels, Oils and Waxes

Laredo, Texas remained the highest-value port overall, followed by Detroit and Ysleta.

Strategic Implications for Shippers

The February data reinforces a clear trend:

• Mexico trade continues to show resilience and modest growth, particularly in truck freight.

• Canada trade is weakening, with notable declines across most modes.

• Air freight remains the bright spot, likely driven by high-value goods and time-sensitive shipments.

For U.S. shippers and logistics teams, this suggests:

• Continued opportunity in Mexico-focused supply chains and nearshoring strategies.

• Need for caution and flexibility in Canada-related lanes.

• Growing importance of air freight as a reliable (though more expensive) option amid surface transportation softness.

At Gain Consulting LLC, we help manufacturers and distributors make sense of these shifting trade patterns. Whether you’re optimizing cross-border lanes, adjusting mode mix, or evaluating nearshoring decisions, our team provides data-driven strategies to reduce costs and improve reliability.

The full February 2026 TransBorder Freight dataset is available on the BTS TransBorder Freight Data homepage.

If your company moves freight between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, we’d be happy to review your current network and identify opportunities to strengthen performance in today’s environment.

Contact Gain Consulting LLC today for a no-obligation consultation.

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