Fed's Williams: weakness abroad, strong dollar slowing U.S. growth

HONOLULU (Reuters) - The U.S. economy would probably be growing at closer to a 4-percent annual pace if not for economic weakness abroad that is driving up the value of the dollar versus the euro and the yen, a top Fed official said on Thursday.

"The stronger dollar, all else equal, is a drag on U.S. growth," San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams said, adding that his own forecast for just less than 3-percent growth in the U.S. economy incorporates the drag from the strong dollar.

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Kim Coghill)