Tuesday, December 6, 2016

GDP for the year


The U.S. trade deficit recorded its biggest increase in more than 1-1/2 years in October as exports of soybeans and other products fell, suggesting trade would be a drag on growth in the fourth quarter.
The Commerce Department said on Tuesday the trade gap rose 17.8 percent, the largest increase since March 2015, to $42.6 billion. Higher imports due to rising domestic demand also contributed to the widening of the deficit.
When adjusted for inflation, the deficit rose to $60.3 billion from $54.2 billion in September.
"This widening of the trade deficit at the start of the fourth quarter puts trade on track to subtract a little more than one percentage point from fourth-quarter GDP growth," said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.
Exports contributed 0.87 percentage point to the third quarter's 3.2 percent annualized rate of increase in gross domestic product. The jump in exports in the last quarter largely reflected a surge in soybean shipments to China after a poor harvest in Argentina and Brazil.
OK, unless there is a  Christmas surprise  we have a 1.7% GDP growth for the year.

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