The economy appeared on track to post a robust 3% annual growth rate in the final three months of 2024. [Then the December trade deficit spiked.](

The American economy ended 2024 on a solid note with consumer spending continuing to drive growth. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product — the economy's output of goods and services — expanded at a 2.

The US economy grew at an annualised rate of 2.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, a weaker than expected end to a year dominated by the resilience of American consumers. Thursdays