Eurozone economy beats estimates in defiance of Trump's trade turmoil

Ireland, however, slipped into a recession as the vast multinational sector contracted, driven by a decrease in the industry sector, which includes pharmaceuticals

Vehicle production in Spain. Spain proved the stand-out performer through expansion of 0.8%. Photo: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg

The euro-area economy grew more than expected at the end of last year, demonstrating resilience to the trade turmoil unleashed by Donald Trump.

Fourth-quarter gross domestic product rose 0.3% from the previous three months — maintaining the pace it set in the previous period — Eurostat said on Friday ahead of forecasts by economists.