After six straight months of plummeting traffic at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, mayor Matthew Shoemaker suggested lower cross-border traffic could be the “new normal” moving forward.

Released earlier this week, July’s border numbers build further on a trend that began when U.S. president Donald Trump took office this January and immediately rolled out a series of tariffs and tariff threats against Canada and the world at large.

Last month, there were 91,967 crossings at the bridge – a 24 per cent drop from last July’s numbers, during a year that’s seen a 23.2 per cent drop in border traffic to date.

All categories of travellers saw a drop at the local bridge last month, with a 27.2 per cent decrease in full-fare passenger cars, a 21.5 per cent decrease in commuter fares, a

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