The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) released an updated version of its Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) commodity flow dataset, which now includes preliminary annual estimates for 2023. This newest version of the FAF (FAF 5.6.1) provides estimates of freight tonnage, value, and ton-miles¹ by origin-destination pair of FAF regions, commodity type, and mode for:

• Base year (2017)
• Annual estimates (2018–2022)
• Preliminary annual estimates (2023)
• Forecast year estimates (2025–2050)
• State-level historical trend estimates (1997–2012)

FAF 5.6.1 is available at https://www.bts.gov/faf and includes the preliminary annual estimates for 2023. Updated annual estimates for 2023 will be available in early 2025. In addition, FAF 5.6.1 includes improved estimates of foreign trade flows by ground modes across the California/Mexico border and by water through the FAF region named Rest of Minnesota for 2018 to 2021. FAF 5.6.1 also integrates updated foreign water cargo totals from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for 2021 and 2022. US coal imports and exports were adjusted to better align with data from the Energy Information Administration.

BTS produces the FAF5 in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration.

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¹Ton-miles is the primary physical measure of freight transportation output (https://www.bts.gov/archive/publications/journal_of_transportation_and_statistics/volume_08_number_01/paper_03/index).