Robust consumer spending propelled the U.S. economy in the third quarter to its strongest growth rate in two years. Gross domestic product rose at a seasonally and inflation-adjusted 4.3% annual rate from July through September, the Commerce Department said in a delayed report.

Growth picked up from 3.8% in the previous quarter and beat analysts’ forecasts, the WSJ’s Chao Deng and Harriet Torry report. Rising consumer spending was driven by healthcare, as well as international travel, legal services, personal computers and software. AI-related spending helped, too, though this cooled from the previous quarter. Overall business-investment growth slowed to 2.8% in the third quarter from 7.3% in the prior three months.

Trade boosted the third-quarter headline GDP number by 1.59 percentage points, as exports jumped and imports continued to decline. President Trump credited his far-reaching tariffs for driving growth in the quarter.

• Demand for U.S. durable goods fell by a steeper-than-expected 2.2% in October, after a 0.7% climb in September and a 3% increase in August. (WSJ)
• Consumer sentiment in the U.S. weakened for a fifth consecutive month in December, amid enduring concerns over jobs and business conditions, the Conference Board’s monthly survey showed. (WSJ)
• Canada’s GDP decreased 0.3% in October, reversing September’s 0.2% advance and marking the largest contraction since late 2022. (WSJ)

Note to Readers: The WSJ Logistics Report is taking a break for the holidays and will return on Jan. 2. 

WSJ VIDEO: The U.S. lost tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs this year as tariffs soared. The Wall Street Journal's ’s Gavin Bade takes us to the Motor City to learn why--and meet some winners of the new trade paradigm.

The Dow Jones Risk Journal Podcast is coming in January. Get an early listen now on Apple Podcasts. In this episode, we look at a dispute over enforcement of a U.S. law meant to prevent the import of goods made with forced labor in China, and at challenges compliance officers face in establishing AI best practices.

The U.S.’s pursuit of oil tankers around Venezuela is part of a new Trump administration legal strategy to seize ships from the so-called ghost fleet that transport black market oil around the world, according to Justice Department officials.

Behind the hunt for tankers is a specialized group known as the Threat Finance Unit that falls under the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The unit has pursued similar cases for years, but its work has increased dramatically this year, officials said.

With more U.S. warrants being processed, the seizures threaten to sharply curtail the flow of Venezuelan crude, the Journal’s Shelby Holliday, Dustin Volz and Costas Paris write. It could also cause disruptions and shortages for other countries that use the shadowy network of tankers, including Cuba, Iran, Russia and China.

• The U.S. moved special-operations aircraft, troops and equipment into the Caribbean, providing options for military action in Venezuela. (WSJ)
• Petróleos de Venezuela, or PDVSA, is filling tankers with crude and fuel oil and keeping them in national waters, as stocks on shore have swelled with the U.S. seizing Venezuela-linked ships. (Reuters)

• The FCC banned all new foreign-made drones and critical components, though the decision doesn’t cover models, such as from China’s DJI, currently in stores or already purchased. (WSJ)
• BYD’s European new-car registrations surged to 16,158 units in November, a more than threefold increase from the previous year for the Chinese auto giant. (WSJ)
• Samsung Electronics’ auto-component and audio unit, Harman International, plans to acquire ZF Friedrichshafen’s advanced driver-assistance systems business for $1.76 billion. (WSJ)
• The U.S. collected more than $1 billion from duties on over 246 million shipments valued at $800 or less in 2025 after phasing out the de minimis exemption, Customs and Border Protection said. (SupplyChainDive)
• The U.S. accused China of engaging in unfair trade practices in the semiconductor industry, but won’t impose additional tariffs on chip imports until mid-2027 at the earliest. (Bloomberg)
• South Korea plans to spend $3 billion to expand the country’s worldwide terminals and logistics network, boosting the number of facilities in other countries to 40 from nine. (Journal of Commerce)
• Two CMA CGM containerships passed in the Suez Canal while A.P. Moller-Maersk completed a transit, the first return of major carriers’ ultralarge vessels since Houthi attacks on shipping began in late 2023. (The Maritime Executive)
• New York State is seeking proposals for a $300 million upgrade to port infrastructure for offshore wind and conventional cargo. (Breakbulk News)
• Ocean Network Express suspended cargo discharge from its containership ONE Henry Hudson, damaged by fire last month at the Port of Los Angeles, as crews pumped out contaminated water. (gCaptain)
• Jim Beam will pause production through 2026 at its main distillery in Clermont, Ky., the bourbon maker’s Japanese parent company, Suntory, confirmed. (Louisville Business First)

Mark R. Long is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at mark.long@wsj.com. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team on LinkedIn: Mark R. Long, Liz Young and Paul Berger.