US economy grew 2.9% in third quarter

The US economy grew at a 2.9 per cent rate in the July-September quarter, the strongest pace in two years, as the battered export sector rebounded and businesses finally began restocking their shelves at a faster clip.
 
The third-quarter gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, was double the 1.4 per cent pace in the second quarter, the Commerce Department reported on Friday. GDP growth went into a pronounced slowdown late last year.
 
Exporters were constrained by a rising dollar, which made their products more expensive on overseas markets, and businesses cut back on their inventory rebuilding in the face of weaker sales.
 

 
With the dollar stabilising, export sales rebounded in the summer and businesses picked up the pace of inventory building. Solid growth is also expected this quarter.
 
The latest growth figure was stronger than the 2.5 per cent gain many analysts had been expecting. The GDP report was one of the last major economic reports the government will issue before voters go to the polls on Novemver 8. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has cited anemic GDP growth rates as evidence that Democratic economic policies have not worked.
 
Even with the acceleration in the third quarter, economists believe growth for the entire year will be a lackluster 1.6 per cent, reflecting the weak start to the year.
 
The economy grew 2.6 per cent for all of 2015. This recovery from the deep 2007-2009 recession has been the weakest in the post-World War II period, with growth averaging just 2.1 per cent over the past seven years.      
 
The GDP growth rate in the third quarter was the economy's best showing since it expanded at a 5 per cent rate in the third quarter of 2014. In the final three months of last year, growth slowed to a 0.9 per cent rate, followed by weak gains of 0.8 per cent in the first quarter this year and 1.4 per cent in the second quarter.
 
Economists expect growth to remain solid in the current October-December quarter, but at a slightly slower pace of around 2 per cent.