OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) – Canadian economic growth slowed to 0.3 per cent in the last quarter of 2019, the government reported on Friday last, but still beat forecasts slightly.

Gross domestic product (GDP) had been widely expected to fall to 0.2 per cent from the previous quarter.

Added to previous data, the annual growth rate last year fell to 1.6 per cent from 2.0 per cent in 2018, said Statistics Canada.

The government statistical agency blamed several factors for the results, including pipeline shutdowns, poor harvest conditions, and rail transportation strikes in the last three months of 2019.

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