there

[MYTakahashi]

"The reasons for the lull suggest it should be temporary. First, the tsunami in Japan sent its GDP tumbling and disrupted supply chains, and thus industrial output, around the world, particularly in April. But just as that slump shows up in the economic statistics, more forward-looking evidence points to a rebound. The summer production schedules of American car firms, for instance, indicate that the pace of annualised GDP growth there will accelerate by at least a percentage point."

Does "there" refer to American car firms, or United States?

[SoothingDave]

In the United States

[MYTakahashi]

But in that paragraph, there is no mention of United States. Isn't "there", then, a dangling reference?

[ShirleyLing]

a dangling modifier?

[Rover_KE]

It presupposes that you know that American car firms are located in the USA.

Rover

[Raymott]

"The reasons for the lull suggest it should be temporary. First, the tsunami in Japan sent its GDP tumbling and disrupted supply chains, and thus industrial output, around the world, particularly in April. But just as that slump shows up in the economic statistics, more forward-looking evidence points to a rebound. The summer production schedules of American car firms, for instance, indicate that the pace of annualised GDP growth in the US will accelerate by at least a percentage point."

Does "there" refer to American car firms, or United States?

That's a fair question. Many American firms actually operate outside the US. But I don't think GDP is a term used for businesses, only countries. I'd make the change in blue.