Freight Facts and Figures 2010
Figure 2-1. Value of Merchandise Trade by Coasts and Borders: 1951-2009
Foreign trade has had a major impact on all U.S. borders and coasts. Since 1951, the value of merchandise trade has grown by fourteen-fold in inflation-adjusted terms. However, overall growth has been affected by short-term downturns, such as between 1981 and 1986 and in 2009. In 2009, ports and airports on the Atlantic Coast remain the most significant in terms of value, but Gulf Coast ports also have experienced rapid growth in recent years.
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Data represented in the figure.
Billions of 2005 dollars
| Customs District | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast | 80.4 | 72.5 | 69.1 | 68.4 | 76.5 | 82.7 | 85.5 | 76.4 | 80.1 | 85.2 | 61.8 | 63.9 | 95.0 | 102.4 | 105.2 | 118.7 | 116.8 | 128.1 | 125.4 | 137.8 | 134.0 | 153.2 | 188.5 | 244.9 | 225.8 | 242.9 | 252.7 | 284.9 | 326.5 | 369.6 | 336.8 | 294.9 | 277.4 | 312.4 | 301.1 | 322.9 | 335.5 | 362.0 | 364.4 | 374.9 | 364.8 | 375.0 | 383.0 | 399.0 | 433.7 | 449.2 | 481.3 | 495.0 | 514.9 | 580.4 | 552.9 | 537.9 | 574.0 | 641.3 | 700.4 | 751.4 | 801.8 | 882.9 | 676.0 |
| Gulf Coast | 25.6 | 23.8 | 19.8 | 21.0 | 21.3 | 26.3 | 30.0 | 25.7 | 43.1 | 30.3 | 22.3 | 29.9 | 32.8 | 39.3 | 38.5 | 38.9 | 38.4 | 40.8 | 37.0 | 44.0 | 43.9 | 50.3 | 81.1 | 109.9 | 112.6 | 125.7 | 142.3 | 155.4 | 188.8 | 214.5 | 206.0 | 167.3 | 139.2 | 115.3 | 124.9 | 113.1 | 120.6 | 130.6 | 141.3 | 145.8 | 140.0 | 141.2 | 140.9 | 154.7 | 181.0 | 192.1 | 193.1 | 187.3 | 191.5 | 240.5 | 218.2 | 222.3 | 245.6 | 295.2 | 345.9 | 400.5 | 431.1 | 539.9 | 368.4 |
| Mexican Border | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 10.9 | 13.9 | 17.9 | 17.9 | 18.6 | 17.2 | 21.8 | 27.9 | 37.5 | 39.6 | 30.0 | 28.0 | 57.9 | 37.0 | 39.6 | 45.1 | 56.0 | 63.1 | 67.3 | 70.6 | 81.9 | 89.7 | 110.1 | 116.1 | 132.1 | 156.6 | 173.4 | 197.4 | 241.6 | 224.6 | 219.7 | 222.0 | 248.1 | 256.4 | 282.7 | 289.9 | 287.1 | 243.5 |
| Pacific Coast | 13.8 | 13.6 | 12.7 | 13.6 | 15.0 | 17.9 | 19.7 | 18.5 | 18.8 | 23.0 | 21.9 | 22.9 | 26.9 | 43.7 | 31.3 | 34.2 | 37.1 | 43.4 | 50.9 | 55.5 | 55.2 | 63.1 | 86.1 | 116.7 | 103.1 | 116.9 | 124.2 | 138.9 | 161.8 | 182.0 | 180.6 | 106.8 | 168.4 | 171.2 | 211.3 | 228.6 | 251.4 | 290.8 | 316.9 | 328.1 | 330.5 | 351.7 | 366.3 | 404.3 | 453.5 | 468.9 | 504.3 | 489.8 | 519.1 | 578.7 | 506.6 | 484.1 | 492.7 | 542.4 | 581.4 | 643.5 | 666.1 | 669.1 | 520.1 |
| Canadian Border | 27.7 | 28.7 | 30.2 | 28.1 | 31.3 | 35.5 | 34.5 | 30.5 | 35.0 | 34.1 | 35.6 | 38.5 | 41.7 | 46.8 | 54.2 | 63.8 | 68.5 | 79.2 | 87.7 | 85.5 | 83.0 | 107.8 | 125.6 | 141.5 | 132.3 | 149.3 | 153.4 | 165.6 | 169.8 | 166.1 | 163.7 | 152.1 | 165.6 | 206.6 | 207.7 | 206.9 | 226.1 | 253.2 | 258.8 | 280.5 | 275.7 | 293.7 | 322.3 | 367.1 | 406.4 | 426.8 | 462.2 | 471.5 | 507.8 | 553.2 | 508.1 | 497.0 | 519.2 | 577.2 | 628.7 | 655.6 | 673.4 | 697.7 | 527.5 |
| Total | 151.7 | 142.9 | 135.6 | 134.7 | 148.1 | 166.9 | 174.5 | 155.9 | 181.0 | 176.9 | 146.0 | 159.6 | 201.2 | 237.8 | 235.2 | 262.0 | 267.1 | 298.5 | 308.2 | 331.5 | 324.3 | 385.2 | 495.2 | 631.0 | 591.7 | 653.4 | 689.8 | 766.6 | 874.8 | 969.6 | 926.8 | 751.1 | 778.6 | 863.4 | 882.0 | 911.1 | 978.6 | 1092.6 | 1144.5 | 1196.7 | 1181.6 | 1243.7 | 1302.1 | 1435.2 | 1590.8 | 1669.1 | 1797.5 | 1817.1 | 1930.8 | 2194.4 | 2010.4 | 1961.0 | 2053.5 | 2304.3 | 2512.7 | 2733.7 | 2862.3 | 3076.7 | 2335.4 |
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).
1970-2000: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States (Washington, DC: annual issues).
2000-2009: U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division, FT920 - U.S. Merchandise Trade: Selected Highlights (Washington, DC: annual issues).
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 August 10, 2010.
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