Freight Facts and Figures 2008
Figure 2-1. Value of Merchandise Trade by Coasts and Borders: 1951-2007
Foreign trade has had a major impact on all U.S. borders and coasts. Since 1951, the value of merchandise trade has grown by sixteen-fold in inflation-adjusted terms. However, overall growth has been affected by short-term downturns, such as in the late 1970s and between 2005 and 2007. In 2007, ports and airports on the Atlantic Coast remain the most important, but the land borders and other coasts are catching up.
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Data represented in the figure.
Billions of 2000 dollars
| Customs District | 1951 | 1955 | 1960 | 1965 | 1970 | 1975 | 1980 | 1985 | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast | 76.4 | 67.7 | 75.3 | 93.0 | 121.7 | 199.5 | 326.6 | 265.9 | 331.8 | 383.9 | 514.5 | 624.6 | 695.5 | 687.1 |
| Gulf Coast | 24.3 | 18.9 | 26.8 | 34.1 | 38.9 | 99.5 | 189.5 | 110.3 | 129.1 | 160.2 | 213.2 | 308.5 | 371.8 | 370.1 |
| Mexican Border | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 5.2 | 7.6 | 15.8 | 33.1 | 32.7 | 59.6 | 102.8 | 214.2 | 228.7 | 260.9 | 243.9 |
| Pacific Coast | 13.2 | 13.3 | 20.3 | 27.7 | 49.0 | 91.1 | 160.8 | 186.6 | 290.4 | 401.5 | 513.0 | 518.4 | 588.4 | 569.6 |
| Canadian Border | 26.3 | 27.7 | 30.2 | 47.9 | 75.5 | 116.8 | 146.7 | 183.5 | 248.2 | 359.8 | 490.4 | 560.7 | 600.9 | 570.3 |
| Total | 144.1 | 131.0 | 156.3 | 207.9 | 292.7 | 522.6 | 856.7 | 779.0 | 1,059.0 | 1,408.3 | 1,945.3 | 2,240.8 | 2,517.6 | 2,440.9 |
Sources:
1951-1970: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970, Bicentennial Edition (Washington, DC: 1975).
1975: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1977 (Washington, DC: 1977).
1980-1985: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 1987 (Washington, DC; 1986).
1990-2000: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006 (Washington, DC; 2005).
2005-2007: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 - U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights (Washington, DC: December 2006) as of July 31, 2008.
Implicit GDP Deflator: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Current-Dollar and “Real” Gross Domestic Product, available at www.bea.gov as of July 31, 2008.
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