Kyle Van Damme, MFC, president/CEO of Marine Tops Unlimited, was named one of Boating Industry’s 40 under 40 in the March 2026 issue of the magazine. Van Damme’s father started Marine Tops Unlimited in the early ‘80s, and he began his career at the shop in middle school by cutting grass, cleaning and other odd [...]

New consumer research from Ipsos was released March 20, which was commissioned by the Market Expansion Advisory Group. “Ipsos Insights: Charting a Course for Growth” aims to provide a look into how today’s consumers discover or engage with boating, as well as how the industry can potentially increase participation in the coming years. Who are today’s [...]

On March 23, New Mexico’s Environmental Improvement Board approved rules requiring manufacturers to label consumer products containing intentionally added PFAS. The board also approved a state law, which phases out and prohibits the sale of certain products containing PFAS. The labeling requirement strengthens the state’s PFAS Protection Act, which Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed in [...]

Tony Cimaglia Jr. Image: Serge Ferrari Group Serge Ferrari Group announced the appointment of Tony Cimaglia Jr. as solar protection manager – Eastern North America, to Serge Ferrari North America’s team. In his new role, Cimaglia will support the company’s continued expansion in the solar protection market by collaborating with North American-based fabricators and strategic [...]

National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) released its latest Monthly Recreational Boating Industry Data Summary, which covers the full year in 2025. The data shows new boat retail unit sales declined 8.8 percent year over year, totaling 215,237 units, compared with 236,070 units in 2024. Freshwater fishing boats showed the greatest stability for new sales, with a [...]

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer announced on March 11 the launch of investigations into Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974. Additionally, Greer and Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard announced the first round of discussions in preparation for the joint review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Section 301 investigations The investigations will [...]

Twenty-four states filed a case in the U.S. Court of International Trade against U.S. President Donald Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and others on March 5, 2026. The lawsuit challenges President Trump’s imposition of global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The states argue [...]

On March 4, Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton ruled that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must refund money collected in reciprocal tariffs imposed last year by U.S. President Donald Trump. The judge ruled that U.S. CBP must immediately liquidate all unliquidated entries without International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs and must [...]

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently launched the 2026 National Recreational Boating Safety Survey (NRBSS). This nationwide survey collects comprehensive recreational boating data in the U.S., which helps inform safety standards, security efforts, law enforcement programs and boating policies on waterways. The survey is conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, a nonpartisan [...]

U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed a 10% tariff on all countries, effective Feb. 24. This follows the Supreme Court's Feb. 20 ruling that the country-specific tariffs imposed by the president under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in 2025 were illegal. The day of the court's ruling, the president issued a proclamation imposing [...]