Despite the recession and expected slowdown in the global handset market, the U.S. should hold up, a Samsung Electronics Ltd. executive said.

"We don't expect the market to decrease," J.K. Shin, who runs the mobile communications division for Samsung, said in an interview with Dow Jones Newswires on Wednesday.

Samsung has been a steady market share gainer in the U.S., pumping out handsets in a variety of tiers to all carriers. The company last year overtook Motorola Inc. (MOT) as the world's No. 2 handset maker.

Shin cited growth in smartphones and touchscreen handsets, saying the company plans to roll out more of these devices this year.

It isn't the only company pointing to the U.S. for growth. Nokia Corp. (NOK), which has a limited presence in the U.S. now, also expects to see higher sales as it more aggressively expands into the market.

In addition, Shin sees growth in emerging markets such as Latin America, India, Africa and the Middle East. He also pointed to the more mature Western European market as a growth area, which Nokia, based in Finland, traditionally dominates.

-By Roger Cheng, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2020; roger.cheng@dowjones.com