Usually this is the case. Where goes the US, so goes Asia. However lately, I have noticed that the Asian markets have been doing a good job of anticipating the US is going to do the next day. This may or may not be case today. Of more importance for the Asian markets is the West Coast port strike, given the export dependence of a lot of the Asian economies. There is a very high chance that a lot of the ships tied up with this strike now won't make it back to Asia, and then back to the US in time for Christmas.
A lot of clothing manufacturers are already biting the bullet and air-freighting the most important stuff. Sears, along with many other big name stores, often put out ads weeks ahead of time for sales they are having on their clothes. This is wrecking havoc with their inventory. The Fall line-up is already screwed. The worst stores affected by this will most likely be: GAP Abercrombie and Fitch Bananna Republic Nordstroms Sears J.C. Penny Bush will most likely not invoke the Taft-Hartley act -- so kiss this Christmas apparel shopping season goodbye. You may want to buy PUTS on some of the stores that focus exclusively on apparel. With a bearish economy AND a port strike, it is almost a given. (almost)
hehe, it's not THAT hard work.. that's why they have elections there, so they can get die Sozialdemokraten to handle those things..