The Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) rose 2.0 percent in February from its January level, rising from its lowest level in more than five years, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

The February increase was only the second since August and, at 2.0 percent, was the largest one-month rise since January 2008 and the fourth largest in the last five years.

The 0.3 percent decline in the first two months of 2009 was the third decline to start the year in the last four years. The index rose 2.9 percent during the first two months of 2008.

Other than the January low of 102.7, the Freight TSI has not been this low since September 2003 when it was 104.4. The Freight TSI is down 7.4 percent from its historic peak of 113.1 reached in November 2005.

The freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in the output of services provided by the for-hire freight transportation industries. The index consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.

The 6.0 percent decline from February 2008 to February 2009 left the freight index at its lowest February level since 2003.

Despite the February increase, the index is down 4.4 percent in the five years from February 2004, the third five-year decline in the 19-year history of TSI data. The first ever five-year decline was from December 2003 to December 2008. The index is still up 3.1 percent in 10 years.

The TSI is a seasonally adjusted index that measures changes from the monthly average of the base year of 2000. It includes historic data from 1990 to the present.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009 - Surface transportation trade between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 27.2 percent lower in January 2009 than in January 2008, dropping to $47.5 billion, the biggest year-to-year percentage decline on record, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The $47.5 billion in U.S.-NAFTA trade in January 2009 was the lowest monthly amount since January 2004.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico fell 10.3 percent in January from December. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.

Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 88 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land.

The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in January was up 3.9 percent in the five-year period compared to January 2004, and up 31.6 percent over the 10-year period compared to January 1999. Imports in January were up 26.4 percent compared to January 1999, while exports were up 38.1 percent.

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada

U.S.-Canada surface transportation trade totaled $29.0 billion in January, down 31.1 percent compared to January 2008. The value of imports carried by truck was 31.3 percent lower in January 2009 compared to January 2008, while the value of exports carried by truck was 27.2 percent lower.

Illinois led all states in surface trade with Canada in January with $2.6 billion.

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico

U.S.-Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $18.5 billion in January, down 20.0 percent compared to January 2008. The value of imports carried by truck was 20.5 percent lower in January 2009 than January 2008 while the value of exports carried by truck was 10.7 percent lower.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in January with $6.3 billion.

The TransBorder Freight Data are a unique subset of official U.S. foreign trade statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau. New data are tabulated monthly and historical data are not adjusted for inflation. January TransBorder numbers include data received by BTS as of March 13.

The news release and summary tables can be found at www.bts.gov. More information on TransBorder Freight Data and data from previous months are posted on the BTS website at http://www.bts.gov/transborder/ BTS will release February TransBorder numbers on April 30.

For more information visit here
http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2009/bts015_09/html/bts015_09.html