Freight Transportation: Global Highlights

To move large quantities of goods across the country and around the world, Americans depend on the Nation?s freight transportation system?a vast network of roads, bridges, rail tracks, airports, seaports, navigable waterways, pipelines, and equipment. Today, U. S. households can buy fresh fruits and vegetables in mid-winter, expect fast and reliable next-day deliveries of Internet purchases, and use electronic appliances manufactured thousands of miles away, often in other countries. Because economic activities worldwide have become more integrated and globalized, more goods produced by U. S. factories and farms are bound for export, and imports originate from more than 200 countries. This pace of trade Americans have become accustomed to is made possible by the complex intermodal transportation network that blankets the country and links the United States with world markets. The movement of international freight among nations relies on a complex array of long-distance transportation services. The process involves many participants, including shippers, commercial for-hire carriers, third-party logistics providers, and consignees. Moreover, global trade depends on seaport and airport services to move large volumes of merchandise over long distances via a variety of transportation modes. The interaction of these services and participants is vital to successful global trade. In 2008, U. S. carriers received $22 billion for commercial freight services provided to businesses in other countries. U. S. seaports and airports received $36 billion for port services. U. S. firms paid $45 billion to foreign carriers for freight services and $27 billion to foreign ports for port services (USDOC BEA 2009). This report provides a snapshot of freight transportation activity from a global perspective, highlighting physical characteristics and industry output for the U. S. and other leading world economies. The report gives a broad overview of trends in the movement of international freight among the top 25 world economies, measured by 2008 gross domestic product (GDP). It presents recent statistics on freight activity by leading global ocean and air carriers, seaports, and airports engaged in international freight services. The report also presents an overview of major trends in U. S. international goods trade, as well as trends in U. S. freight and port services. It further examines how U. S. international freight activities compare with those of the world?s top economies. The report concludes with a brief discussion of the key factors that are driving change in U. S. and global merchandise trade and freight activities.