August 26, 2025
Statistics Canada reports that the volume of cargo carried by Canadian railways reached 29.8 million tonnes in June, down 3.1% from June 2024.
The overall traffic decrease in June was driven by lower volumes of freight from connections with American railways and non-intermodal domestic loadings (mainly commodities). Conversely, intermodal domestic loadings (mainly containers) increased in June.
Non-intermodal freight traffic in Canada was down 2.3% year over year to 23.5 million tonnes in June. The decline was led by loadings of iron ores and concentrates-feedstock to produce steel-which were down 9.0% (-417 000 tonnes) compared with June 2024.
The decline in commodity traffic in June 2025 was moderated by increases in loadings of certain commodities, notably wheat.
Car loadings of wheat were up 24.0% (+517 000 tonnes) in June from June 2024, marking the fourth consecutive month of double-digit increases.
In June 2025, intermodal shipments-mainly containers-originating in Canada increased year over year for the fourth month in a row, up 8.7% in June to 3.2 million tonnes. American freight traffic continues to trend downward
In June 2025, freight loadings from US rail connections totalled 3.1 million tonnes, a decline of 17.3% (-651 000 tonnes) from the same month a year earlier. This was the lowest volume recorded for the month of June in five years and the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year decreases.
According to Canadian international merchandise trade data, Canada's imports (-31.7%) and exports (-17.6%) by rail with the United States in June 2025 were down significantly year over year.