Fishing rods and reels in the ocean - photo © American Sportfishing Association
Dear Recipient Name
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) provides critical support to U.S. sportfishing equipment manufacturers, and to a lesser extent, benefit American fishing companies utilizing a global supply chain.
Over half of U.S. made sportfishing equipment exported globally is sent to Canada and Mexico under USMCA while 4 percent of the industry's imports originate from these important trade partner countries. Read the full letter to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative [PDF].
Staying with the recreational fishing industry, last week, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) met to discuss several issues of importance to recreational anglers, including management of the striped bass fishery - of which hundreds of recreational boaters and anglers submitted comments. Ultimately, the ASMFC agreed with recreational boaters and anglers and did not impose new, unnecessary restrictions on the recreational community fishing for striped bass.
The non-profit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water has developed a database that will identify the locations of abandoned and derelict vessels across the U.S., freely associated states and U.S. territories and track their removal. Created in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, this national database will allow visitors to report abandoned and derelict vessels on their coastlines, allowing the issue to be better understood on a national scale with the support of the public. Eventually, this database will be able to track the impacts of removal and prevention efforts.
Further north, it was announced this week that Canada's Budget includes a commitment to remove the luxury tax on boats, a failed tax policy that unfairly punished Canadian manufacturers and workers. When the luxury tax was first implemented in 2022, Canada's marine industry leaders were quick to point out the impending losses of middle-class jobs, government tax revenues and sales declines. The removal of this failed tax was the direct result of sustained advocacy from NMMA Canada, the Canadian Marine Retailers Association (CMRA), and grassroots supporters across the country.
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Also, NMMA Canada is now accepting nominations for the 2026 Canada Hall of Fame, an annual recognition celebrating individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of Canada's recreational boating industry. The Hall of Fame represents the highest honor bestowed by the association, acknowledging visionaries whose leadership, innovation, and service have left a lasting mark on marine manufacturing, distribution, and participation.
For sailors, Sail America, the trade association for the sailing industry, announced dates and location for the 12th edition of the Sail America Industry Conference (SAIC). The two-day event, specifically geared toward sailing industry professionals, will take place at the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina in Newport, RI, March 24-25. The conference features a day and a half of educational sessions, and industry networking events including a reception and raffle. Held annually, SAIC will host speakers, industry leaders and colleagues.
Further south, Boutique-style crewed charter yachts filled the docks at IGY's Yacht Haven Grande, St. Thomas, for the USVI Charter Yacht Show, held November 7-10 and hosted by the Virgin Islands Professional Charter Association (VIPCA). Brokers from the Caribbean, the U.S., and Europe toured the fleet, showcasing the best in luxury chartering. The annual event signals the start of the U.S. Virgin Islands' busy crewed yacht tourism season, a key reason the territory was named the Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year for 2025 by Caribbean Journal in its annual Caribbean Travel Awards.
Our website www.marinebusinessworld.com/NorthAmerica shows more news from this region, updated daily.
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media
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