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1993 Commodity Flow Survey
Commodity Movements Summary
Alabama
In Alabama, the CFS measured $89 billion
of goods shipments weighing 219 million tons. Alabama accounted
for approximately 2 percent of the value and 2 percent of the
weight of total U.S. shipments. The CFS data cover shipments
by establishments in mining, manufacturing, wholesale, and selected
retail and service industries. The data exclude most shipments
of crude oil; therefore, the totals and percentages do not fully
reflect the contribution of pipeline shipments.
The major commodities shipped by establishments
vary when measured by value and weight. The most important commodity
originating in Alabama by value was food or kindred products.
Other important commodities by value were: primary metal products;
chemicals or allied products; pulp, paper, or allied products;
and transportation equipment. Some of the main commodities shipped
by weight were: lumber or wood products, excluding furniture;
coal; petroleum or coal products; nonmetallic minerals; and clay,
concrete, glass, or stone products.
Local transportation of freight is important
to Alabama's commerce. The CFS shows that in 1993, about 34 percent
of the value and 71 percent of the weight of total shipments from
Alabama were shipped to destinations within the state. Approximately
23 percent of the value and 57 percent of the weight of all shipments
were between places less than 50 miles apart. In comparison,
about 30 percent of the value and 56 percent of the weight of
total U.S. shipments were between places less than 50 miles apart.
In Alabama, about 34 percent of the value and 71 percent of the
weight of shipments were between places less than 100 miles apart.
About 66 percent of the value and 29 percent
of the weight of all shipments from Alabama went to other states.
The top destination of shipments by value was Georgia. Other
important destination states by value were: Florida, Tennessee,
Texas, and Mississippi. Important destination states by weight
of shipments were: Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
Most commodities were moved by truck,
about 83 percent of the value and 78 percent of the weight. Rail
was used to transport 7 percent of the value and 12 percent of
the weight. The CFS data confirm the rising importance of parcel,
U.S. postal, and courier services that have emerged in recent
years. In 1993, this mode of transport was used to ship 176,000
tons of goods worth about $4 billion or 5 percent of the value
of all shipments in Alabama. In comparison, about 9 percent of
the value of total U.S. shipments were moved by this mode.
The Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) is a comprehensive effort to
learn where and how goods are shipped in the U.S. The CFS measures
shipments of commodities by establishments with paid employees
and engaged in manufacturing, mining, wholesale trade, or selected
retail and services industries. Prior commodity surveys covered
shipments only by manufacturing firms. Commodity flows are estimated
for a universe of approximately 900,000 establishments.
Data collected on individual shipments include total value, total
weight, commodity type, modes of transport, domestic origin and
destination; data for export shipments include the city and country
of destination, mode and port of exit. Information is also be
obtained on whether shipments are containerized or a hazardous
material. Some firms provided data concerning on-site shipping
facilities and access to shipping facilities, plus data on ownership
and leasing of transportation equipment.
The CFS is conducted by the Bureau of the Census as part of the
Economic Census. Funding and technical guidance is provided by
the U.S. Department of Transportation. Initiated for 1993, the
CFS is scheduled for 1997 and every 5 years thereafter for years
ending in 2 and 7. Commodity surveys were conducted between 1963
and 1982, but data for 1982 were not published. No data were collected
for 1987. Participants will report for a sample of shipments during
a 2-week period each quarter during the reporting year.
The CFS is a mail-out/mail-back survey of 200,000 sampled employer
establishments in selected industries. Establishments were selected
by stratified sample, with strata based on geographic location
and industry. Geographic strata are the 89 National Transportation
Analysis Regions(NTARs), which provide nationwide coverage and
are aggregations of Bureau of Economic Analysis economic areas.
Within the strata, all establishments with annualized employment
above a specified cutoff were selected with certainty, and the
remaining smaller establishments were sampled with probability
proportional to annualized payroll.
For 1993, each sampled establishment reported on a sample of
individual shipments during a 2 week period in each calendar quarter.
In addition, about 20,000 establishments will provide information
on transportation facilities and arrangements in their final reporting
period.
For further information about survey design and printed products,
contact the Commodity Flow Survey Branch, Services Division, Bureau
of the Census, Washington, DC 20233, or by calling 301/457-2805
or 2114. For information on related data programs and studies,
contact the Bureau of Transportation Statistics at 202/366-DATA
for voice, 202/366-3640 for fax, or CFS@BTS.GOV for e-mail.
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