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The German economy stalled in the final quarter of last year, escaping recession by the narrowest of margins after contracting in the July-September period for the first time since 2015.

Gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe’s biggest economy grew by 0.0 per cent quarter-on-quarter, the Federal Statistics Office said on Thursday. That compared with a Reuters forecast for growth of 0.1 per cent.

German companies are grappling with a cooling global economy and trade disputes triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ policies.

The risk that Britain leaves the European Union without a deal in March is another uncertainty.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the economy grew by 0.6 per cent from October to December, calendar-adjusted data showed. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected 0.7 per cent.

(Reuters/NAN)