NAFTA surface trade continues to shrink

NAFTA surface trade continues to shrink    The value of trade moving by surface transportation between the United States and Mexico and Canada fell $51 billion in June, the sixth consecutive monthly decline in trade between the North American partners, according to the Department of Transportation.   
   Trade via truck, rail and pipeline was off 31.5 percent in June compared to the same month in 2008. Most U.S. trade with its neighbors moves by those modes. The value of U.S. shipments with Mexico and Canada has dropped 27 percent in the first half of the year compared to last.
   U.S. trade with its North American Free Trade Agreement partners rose 6 percent in June from May, but the figure is subject to seasonal variations and other factors that make the comparison less reliable than year-over-year figures.
   The June trade figure is down 8.4 percent compared to June 2004.
   U.S.-Canada surface trade totaled $31 billion in June, down 36.6 percent versus the year-ago period. U.S.-Mexico surface trade was $19.7 billion, down 21.8 percent.