America’s gross domestic product increased at a rate of 2.6 percent during the final period of 2017, weighed down by bigger business inventories and a wider trade deficit, according to U.S. Commerce Department data released Friday morning. The measure came in weaker than economists had expected, considering data that showed a surge in American consumer spending. The Trump administration has repeatedly vowed to juice the economy to the point that it exceeds 3 percent GDP growth.
