Canada Economy Grows Fastest Since 2011 on Oil Exports

A surge in Canadian oil exports to the U.S. helped propel the country’s economy in the first quarter to its fastest growth pace since 2011, even as domestic demand expanded at the slowest rate since the 2009 recession.

Gross domestic product grew at a 2.5 percent annualized pace from January to March, the fastest in six quarters, after a revised 0.9 percent gain in the fourth quarter, Statistics Canada said today from Ottawa. The three-month period ended with a 0.2 percent increase in output in March.