The U.S. economy entered 2017 with a solid head of steam, driven by consumer spending and a pickup in business investment. President Donald Trump's stoking of trade tensions puts that momentum at risk.

Fourth-quarter figures released Friday showed how swings in trade can have big effects: Net exports subtracted 1.7 percentage points from gross domestic product, the most since the second quarter of 2010. The wider trade deficit followed a spike in soybean shipments that boosted exports in the July-to-September period.

The drag from trade limited the increase in gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced, to a 1.9% annualized rate last quarter, less than analysts projected. Continued gains in household purchases, the first advance in business-equipment spending in five quarters, and accumulation of inventories contributed to growth.

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

  • Critical Treasury & Risk information including in-depth analysis of treasury and finance best practices, case studies with corporate innovators, informative newsletters, educational webcasts and videos, and resources from industry leaders.
  • Exclusive discounts on ALM and Treasury & Risk events.
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including PropertyCasualty360.com and Law.com.
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.