Business may be booming in Lexington County.

The rest of the state isn’t hurting yet but growth is slowing.

That sums up the state’s 2018 economy, according to the US Commerce Department.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis has released its annual state-by-state scorecard.

South Carolina ended 2018 on a whimper, with an under-whelming 1.6% gain in gross domestic product, down from 2.6% in 2017, behind NC and Georgia.

It was the 4th consecutive year that growth has slowed, the Charleston Post and Courier reported.

SC also lagged the broader US economy, which expanded by nearly 3%.

Mark Vitner, a Charlotte-based economist with Wells Fargo Securities, called the 1.6% estimate “unbelievably soft.”

“I think it paints an overly pessimistic picture of the South Carolina economy,” he said.

Vitner pointed to strong job growth trends, particularly in high-productivity manufacturing.

“You can’t blame it on trade because the port is doing OK,” said College of Charleston economist Frank Hefner. “There’s no rhyme or reason.”

The 35-day partial government shutdown likely took a bite out of growth by putting thousands of federal workers and contractors on an unexpected hiatus.

The unresolved debate over tariffs also left a mark, namely because of the uncertainty it created for companies that rely on imports and exports.