The big freeze: US growth tumbles to 0.1% in Q1

The US economy has posted disappointing growth figures in the first quarter of the year, slowing sharply to just 0.1% after adverse weather conditions impacted the world's largest economy.

The lacklustre growth figures, based on the advance estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), mark a significant fall from the 2.6% growth posted in the final quarter of last year. The slowdown follows a sharp downward revision of fourth quarter GDP figures from the initial reading of 3.2%. Much of the decline has been blamed on an unusually cold winter, with adverse weather conditions affecting many business areas. The disruptive winter, coupled with tumbling exports, contributed to the decline, the BEA said. The US trade trade deficit widened thanks to the fall in expo...