Falling exports and a slowdown in spending and investment caused euro-area growth to lose more of its luster in the third quarter, with recent numbers casting doubts over the economy’s potential to rebound.
Net trade was the biggest drag on the economy in the period, when growth was the weakest in almost five years. Since then, reports from the region’s largest economies have pointed to continued struggles of German car manufacturers, a pickup in French industry and subdued consumer spending in Italy.
