US economic output increased by more than previously thought in the first quarter of this year, the Commerce Department said Thursday, although it still indicates the economy is weakening.

美国商务部周四表示，今年第一季度美国经济产出的增长超出了先前的预期，尽管它仍表明经济正在走弱。

The US economy has cooled this year as the impact of multiple rounds of interest-rate hikes to tackle inflation begins to be felt, with the Federal Reserve predicting the country will enter a mild recession towards the end of the year.

随着应对通胀而进行的多轮加息的影响开始显现，美国经济今年已经降温，美联储预计该国将在年底进入温和衰退。

GDP growth in the first quarter was revised up slightly to 1.3 percent, the Commerce Department announced in a statement, pinning the rise on an upward revision to private inventory investment.

美国商务部在一份声明中宣布，第一季度GDP增长率小幅上调至1.3%，并将增长归因于私人库存投资的上调修正。

The department reiterated an earlier message that the deceleration in real GDP in the first quarter "primarily reflected a downturn in private inventory investment and a slowdown in nonresidential fixed investment."

该部门重申了早些时候的信息，即第一季度真实的GDP的减速“主要反映了私人库存投资的下滑和非住宅固定投资的放缓。”

The decline was partially offset by rising consumer spending and exports, and a smaller drop in residential fixed investment than previously predicted.

消费者支出和出口的增长以及住宅固定投资的下降幅度低于此前预测，部分抵消了这一下降。

On Wednesday evening, the ratings agency Fitch put the United States on notice that its perfect credit rating was at risk due to the stalemate in Washington over raising the US debt limit.

周三晚间，评级机构惠誉(Fitch)发出警告称，由于华盛顿在提高美国债务上限问题上陷入僵局，美国完美的信用评级面临风险。

Any downgrade in US debt would raise the cost of borrowing, with consequences for the US economy.

美国债务评级的任何下调都将提高借贷成本，从而对美国经济产生影响。