U.S. Consumers Proving Old Faithful for Asia Exporters: Economy

Three years after the global recession blamed in part on debt-fueled U.S. consumption and insufficient Asian spending, Asia’s top three exporters are again finding American consumers a boon as their economies slow.

Japan’s exports to the U.S. jumped 17 percent so far this year from 2011, even as total shipments slumped 0.7 percent, government data showed yesterday. China’s exports are up 10 percent to America in January-through-August, outpacing a 7 percent total gain. South Korean sales to the U.S. climbed 6.1 percent, against a 1.5 percent overall drop.