Freight Facts and Figures 2013
Figure 2-4. Value of U.S. Merchandise Trade by Coasts and Borders: 1951-2012
Foreign trade has had a major impact on all U.S. borders and coasts. Since 1951, the value of merchandise trade has grown by twenty-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 2011, ports and airports on the Atlantic Coast remain the most significant in terms of value.
Figure 2-4
[PDF 19KB]
Data represented in the figure.
| Customs District | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1696 | 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 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 791.0 | 905.4 | 906.8 |
| 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 | 460.1 | 565.9 | 582.8 |
| 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 | 307.6 | 344.9 | 376.7 |
| 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 | 614.8 | 669.0 | 698.2 |
| 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 | 642.2 | 709.8 | 733.7 |
| 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 | 2,335.4 | 2,815.7 | 3,195.0 | 3,298.1 |
Note:
The value of 2012 coal exports ($7.191 bilion) from Mobile, AL; Charleston, SC; and Norfolk, VA are considered proprietary information and are consolidated. The total value of coal exports for the above three cities are included under the Atlantic Coast Customs District.
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).
2000-2011: 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 http://www.bea.gov as of September 18, 2013.
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