OTTAWA — Canadas largest private sector bank is taking a relatively bullish stance on the prospects for the economy going forward.

The Royal Banks latest quarterly outlook predicts growth will accelerate to 2.4% next year and continue to expand to 2.8% in 2014, following a year that saw the weakest growth since the recession and a virtual stall in the third quarter.

The forecast is slightly rosier than the Bank of Canadas call for 2.3% and 2.4% growth in the two years, and even more at odds with the consensus forecast of 2% in 2013.

The bulwark of the economy continues to be the resource sector – with Alberta and Saskatchewan supporting much of the growth in both years.

But RBC chief economist Craig Wright says he believes the global economy is putting a number of hiccups that occurred in 2012 in the rear view mirror and is ready to start accelerating again.

That will be good for Canadian exports, he says, which is the key reason the countrys economy underperformed this year, at an expected two per cent. It braked to as low as 0.6% in the summer months.

The sanguine view on exports is despite the fact that RBC sees the Canadian dollar strengthening to about US$1.05 by the end of 2013. A strong dollar makes Canadian products more expensive and less competitive in foreign markets.

I would say we are cautiously optimistic, Wright said. Were slightly more upbeat than consensus, but not dramatically so.

The big difference going forward is in the trade side – which many still see as a continuing weakness.

But the RBC report notes that the American economy is picking up, particularly in the housing sector, and barring a budgetary crisis that sends the US sliding toward recession – the so-called fiscal cliff scenario – that should be supportive of Canadian exports of autos, parts and wood products.

As well, Chinas economy has stabilized, which will likely lead to firmer prices for commodities Canada exports, such as oil and metals.

According to RBC, net trade in Canada will shift from a drag on growth to a 0.3% and 0.4% boost in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

This represents the most significant support since 2001 after most of the intervening years showed the sector acted as a drag on growth, the report notes.

The other engines of growth, Wright said, will be business investment – which has been a strength for the past year or so – and consumers. But housing is weakening and the bank sees little contribution from government spending.

The report sees Canadas unemployment rate continue to inch down, breaking through the seven-per-cent threshold in 2014 to average 6.9%.

The assumptions are contingent on US policy-makers reaching a budget deal, if not before the Jan. 1 deadline, at least shortly afterward, Wright said.

© 2012 The Canadian Press