[Alberta's Child]

If you buy $42 billion of Chinese crap, that figure still shows up in the nation's GDP figures. If the nation's GDP grew by only 0.2%, then the rate of growth of purchasing Chinese crap is lower, too.

I think there is something else at work here.

[FirstFlaBn]

If you buy $42 billion of Chinese crap, that figure still shows up in the nation's GDP figures.

You should go look up what goes into GDP calculations. You are embarrassing yourself.

(Hint: GDP calculates the value of domestic production. You cited a consumption figure. Apple, meet orange.)

[tanknetter]

There was an article yesterday that put the numbers into better perspective.

The economy grew by a little over $6 billion. However inventories grew at over $120 billion, which is abnormally high. Without that inventory growth GDP would have been negative.

Those inventories now need to be sold. If they aren’t, it puts brakes on economic growth over the long term.

The question being: why did inventories spike? Because business believed the projections for better growth down the road and decided to accept the risk?