December Nafta Surface Trade Dips 0.1%, DOT Says

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Surface trade among the United States, Canada and Mexico dipped 0.1% in December from the same month a year earlier, though both truck and rail numbers rose, the Department of Transportation said.December U.S. imports by truck rose 4.3% from a year earlier to $21 billion, while truck exports gained 0.8% to $19.4 billion, DOT said in its monthly report of North American Free Trade Agreement partners released Wednesday.Rail imports rose 2.4% to $7.7 billion year-over-year, while exports gained 11% to $3.4 billion.Pipeline imports led the decline, falling 26.2% to $4 billion, while exports rose 17.4% to $327 million, DOT said.Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90% of U.S. trade among Nafta partners moves by land.