Tariffs, uncertainty for businesses and consumer caution make a slowdown more likely, some economists say.

A January surge in imports will have a negative impact on GDP in the near term. A protracted trade war would drag down economic growth in the long run.

Cutting these jobs indiscriminately will “substantially damage the economy,” experts say.

Government spending is tied up with consumer and business spending. Not reporting it as part of GDP would breach global accounting standards.

Government spending is built into the formula for calculating GDP.

It could make the economy more vulnerable.

Economic growth came in pretty strong for the fourth quarter. GDP rose at an annual rate of 2.3%. And consumer spending rose 4.2%.

Economic growth was healthy in 2024, coming in at 2.8% compared to 2.9% in 2023. The continuing expansion is driven by consumers.

The trade gap signals strong demand for imports, which can be a good sign for the economy. Also, it’s been fairly stable relative to GDP.

Exports of computer-related services rose too. “You sell the machine, but you also sell the engineers” who can set it up, one expert says.