LG Electronics Co. said today that its handset shipments grew year-on-year and sequentially on a day when market leader Nokia Corp. acknowledged declines in both metrics. The Korean vendor credited new models launched in Europe and "timely pricing strategies" for its shipment growth, which stands apart from contracting shipment numbers given by Nokia, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications and Motorola Inc. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. reports fourth-quarter numbers tomorrow. But LG said its shipments in North America accounted for only 37% of its global total in the fourth quarter, down from 45% in the third quarter. The United States has been a key market for LG. The company said it shipped 25.7 million handsets globally in fourth quarter, an 8% increase over the year-ago quarter. The company slightly surpassed its goal of shipping 100 million handsets for the entire year.