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Table 7c. Export Shipment Characteristics by Commodity Group and Export Mode: Percent of Total for 2002 and 1997

[Estimates are based on data from the 2002 and 1997 Commodity Flow Surveys. Because of rounding, estimates may not be additive]

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All Commodities

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Single modes 85.4 87.8 92.9 92.2
Truck 24.9 19.5 11.3 10.8
Rail 2.9 4.1 10.2 8.2
Water 27.2 29.1 70.7 72.2
Air (including truck and air) 30.3 35.1 0.7 0.9
Pipeline S – S –
Multiple modes 12.0 2.8 5.0 0.2
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 4.1 2.8 0.1 0.2
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes 7.9 – 4.9 –
Other and unknown modes 2.6 9.4 2.1 7.6

CCTG 01-05, Agriculture products and fish

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 7.9 7.7 44.8 34.8
Single modes 7.5 7.0 43.2 31.5
Truck 1.0 0.6 1.4 1.0
Rail 0.3 0.1 2.3 0.7
Water 6.0 6.0 39.3 29.7
Air (including truck and air) S 0.2 S –
Pipeline – S – S
Multiple modes 0.3 – 0.9 –
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S – S –
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes 0.3 – 0.9 –
Other and unknown modes 0.1 0.7 0.7 S

CCTG 06-09, Grains, alcohol, and tobacco products

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 2.1 2.0 2.6 3.0
Single modes 1.9 1.7 2.4 2.6
Truck 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.5
Rail 0.2 0.1 0.5 0.4
Water 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.7
Air (including truck and air) S – S –
Pipeline S – S –
Multiple modes 0.2 S 0.2 –
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier – S S –
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes 0.2 – 0.2 –
Other and unknown modes – 0.3 – 0.4

CCTG 10-14, Stones, nonmetallic minerals, and metallic ores

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 0.7 0.6 5.8 3.6
Single modes 0.5 0.6 5.1 3.3
Truck – – 0.5 0.3
Rail – – 2.1 1.2
Water 0.4 0.4 2.5 1.8
Air (including truck and air) S S – –
Pipeline – – – –
Multiple modes S S 0.7 S
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes S – 0.7 –
Other and unknown modes – – – 0.2

CCTG 15-19, Coal and petroleum products

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 1.2 1.4 13.0 21.9
Single modes 1.1 1.3 12.0 20.9
Truck 0.2 0.3 S S
Rail – 0.1 0.5 1.0
Water 0.8 0.9 10.7 18.2
Air (including truck and air) S – S S
Pipeline S S S S
Multiple modes S – S S
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S – S S
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes S – S –
Other and unknown modes – – S 1.0

CCTG 20-24, Pharmaceutical and chemical products

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 12.7 14.1 13.2 13.1
Single modes 11.7 12.9 12.6 12.5
Truck 3.0 2.6 1.8 1.5
Rail 0.6 S 3.5 S
Water 5.5 6.0 7.2 7.5
Air (including truck and air) 2.6 2.3 – –
Pipeline S S S S
Multiple modes 0.8 0.1 0.5 –
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier – 0.1 – –
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes 0.7 – 0.5 –
Other and unknown modes 0.2 1.1 0.1 0.6

CCTG 25-30, Logs, wood products, and textile and leather

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 6.3 6.7 7.0 9.2
Single modes 5.4 5.6 5.9 8.5
Truck 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.2
Rail S – 0.5 0.2
Water 3.0 3.3 4.2 7.0
Air (including truck and air) 0.5 0.7 – –
Pipeline S S S S
Multiple modes 0.8 0.2 1.0 –
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 0.2 0.2 – –
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes 0.7 – 1.0 –
Other and unknown modes 0.1 0.9 0.1 0.7

CCTG 31-34, Base metal and machinery

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 14.4 14.4 6.6 5.4
Single modes 12.1 12.5 5.2 4.8
Truck 5.6 4.1 2.2 1.9
Rail 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5
Water 3.3 4.8 2.4 2.0
Air (including truck and air) 2.9 3.3 0.1 0.4
Pipeline S S S S
Multiple modes 1.4 0.3 0.6 –
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 0.5 0.3 – –
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes 0.9 – 0.5 –
Other and unknown modes 0.9 1.6 S 0.6

CCTG 35-38, Electronic, motorized vehicles, and precision instruments

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 47.9 46.0 3.5 2.9
Single modes 40.0 40.3 3.2 2.6
Truck 11.5 8.7 2.1 1.4
Rail 1.2 1.2 0.3 0.3
Water 4.5 4.4 0.6 0.6
Air (including truck and air) 22.7 26.0 0.2 0.2
Pipeline S S S S
Multiple modes 7.0 1.8 0.2 –
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier 2.7 1.8 – –
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes S – 0.2 –
Other and unknown modes 0.9 3.9 0.1 0.3

CCTG 39-43, Furniture, mixed freight and misc. manufactured products

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 6.5 6.1 3.3 5.7
Single modes 5.0 5.2 3.0 5.3
Truck 1.2 1.2 0.7 1.2
Rail – – 0.1 0.5
Water 2.4 2.0 2.2 3.5
Air (including truck and air) 1.3 2.0 – –
Pipeline S S S S
Multiple modes 1.3 0.3 0.2 S
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S 0.3 – S
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes 0.6 – 0.2 –
Other and unknown modes 0.2 0.7 – 0.4

Commodity unknown

Export mode of transportation Value (percent) Tons (percent)
2002 1997 2002 1997
All modes1 0.3 0.9 S 0.3
Single modes 0.2 0.7 S 0.1
Truck – – S –
Rail S S S –
Water – 0.1 S 0.1
Air (including truck and air) – 0.5 S –
Pipeline – – – –
Multiple modes S S S S
Parcel, U.S.P.S. or courier S S S S
Truck and rail – – – –
All other multiple modes S – S –
Other and unknown modes S S S S

KEY:
– Represents an estimate equal to zero or less than 1 unit of measure.
S Estimate does not meet publication standards because of high sampling variability or poor response quality.

1 Estimates exlude shipments of crude petroleum (SCTG 16).

NOTES: Value-of-shipments estimates have not been adjusted for price changes. Appendix B tables provide estimated measures of sampling variability. The Introduction and appendixes give information on confidentially protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, sample design, and definitions. Links to this information on the Internet may be found at www.census.gov/cfs.
Coverage for the 2002 Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) differs from the previous surveys due to a change from the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification System to the 1997 North American Industry Classification System and other survey improvements. Therefore, data users are urged to use caution when comparing 2002 CFS estimates with estimates from prior years.

SOURCE: Research and Innovative Technologies Administration, Bureau of Transportation Statistics (USDOT) and U.S. Census Bureau, 2002 Commodity Flow Survey, Export Data, March 2005.
Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) • U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT)
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE • Washington, DC 20590 • 800-853-1351 • E-mail RITA

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