Following the announcement by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that Section 232 tariff exemptions for Canada, Mexico, and the European Union expired, resulting in a 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum, respectively, NMMA is sounding the alarm to the Trump Administration and Congress on the damage to the recreational boating industry.

NMMA President, Thom Dammrich, noted, “The decision to impose tariffs on major trading partners severely harms the $39 billion U.S. recreational boating industry and the 650,000 American workers it supports. Of the marine manufactures that build aluminum boats, the majority use domestic aluminum. The issue with these tariffs is not so much about having to pay higher prices for imported aluminum as it is about the drastic price increases our members are already experiencing from domestic aluminum mills and the severe blow to the competitive global market manufacturers depend on.”

Dammrich continued, “Simply put, these tariffs are a disaster for our industry. All types of recreational boats are on the retaliatory lists from both Canada and the EU. As a result, rather than protecting American manufacturing, these tariffs directly harm the entire recreational boating industry—one of our country’s enduring American-made industries. To make matters worse, Canada, Mexico, and the EU are the top three export markets for American-made marine products and in 2017 they accounted for nearly 70 percent of marine exports.” Read more

GW: Just the beginning of a new consumer-pays era!

The decision by the Trump Administration to implement 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum from Canada, the European Union and Mexico, has already ignited a trade war with both the EU, Mexico, and Canada. All three regions are top export markets for the U.S. recreational boating industry. Canada’s Department of Finance announced that in response to the U.S. tariffs, “Canada intends to impose surtaxes or similar trade-restrictive countermeasures against up to C$16.6 billion in imports of steel, aluminum, and other products from the U.S., representing the value of 2017 Canadian exports affected by the U.S. measures.  The Government is also considering whether additional measures may be required.” These retaliatory efforts include a 10 percent tariff on U.S. boats exported to Canada.

Canada’s countermeasures will take effect on July 1, 2018 and, according to Canada’s Department of Finance, will remain in place until the U.S. eliminates its trade-restrictive measures against Canada. The countermeasures will not apply to U.S. goods that are in transit to Canada on the day on which these countermeasures come into force. Read more

Grab a fishing rod, ride Michigan’s off-road trails and/or pay a visit to your favorite Michigan state park for free – all in the same weekend.

On two back-to-back days, June 9-10, the Department of Natural Resources invites residents and out-of-state visitors to enjoy Free Fishing Weekend, Free ORV Weekend and free entry into state parks.

All fishing license, ORV license, trail permit and Recreation Passport fees are waived those two days, though all other regulations still apply. Read more

Anglers on Michigan’s Saginaw Bay caught a record number of walleye during the 2017-2018’s winter months. This record is attributed to three main factors: the increase to the daily possession limit implemented in October 2015, further increases in walleye population numbers, and good ice-fishing conditions in 2018.

Anglers took 123,793 walleye, the most ever measured since creel surveys began on Saginaw Bay in 1983. Angler participation increased for January through March 2018 with a total of 545,226 angler hours, compared to the average winter of approximately 390,000 angler hours.

In addition to this past year’s winter fishing season, the open-water fishing season on Saginaw Bay also was good, with an estimated 221,251 walleye taken. When looking at both of those time periods combined, Saginaw Bay saw a total of 345,044 walleye taken and more than 1 million angling hours of effort. The bay’s previous walleye catch-and-keep record was recorded in 2008, with approximately 329,549 walleye taken. Read more

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Competitive walleye anglers will converge on Saginaw Bay at Bay City, Michigan, June 14-15 for the second regular-season event of the 2018 Cabela’s National Walleye Tour. The tournament circuit features a pro-am style format and guarantees over 100 percent payback.

The Saginaw Bay event begins Wednesday, June 13, with tournament registration from 2-4 p.m. at Bay County Community (800 John F. Kennedy Dr., Bay City, MI 48706) with a mandatory pre-tournament meeting set to start at 5:00 p.m. Pro- and co-angler pairings will be announced at the pre-tournament meeting.

Anglers will launch Thursday and Friday mornings at 7 a.m. from Veteran’s Memorial Park (John F. Kennedy Dr., Bay City, MI) with the weigh-in located at Wenonah Park (111 Center Ave., Bay City, MI 48708).

Registration for the Saginaw Bay event is already underway. To register, please go online and click on register. All anglers that register online will be entered in to a drawing for a $100 Cabela’s gift card.

During each day of competition, Triton Boats and Mercury Marine are offering free demo rides in the acclaimed 216 Fishhunter. The demo rides will take off from the boat launch. Read more

With the statewide muskellunge possession season opening Saturday, June 2, anglers are reminded that a new registration system is now in place for any fish you reel in.

The muskellunge harvest tag is no longer required or available. If you do catch a muskie, you must report it within 24 hours, either:

• Online at michigan.gov/registerfish.
• By calling toll-free 844-345-FISH (3474).
• Or in person (with advance notice of your arrival) at any DNR customer service center during regular state business. Fish registrations won’t be accepted at any state fish hatcheries or DNR field offices, only at DNR customer service centers.

The same process is now in place for lake sturgeon, too, although no fishing and/or possession seasons open for that species until July 16. The lake sturgeon fishing permit and harvest tags are no longer needed or available. Read more

KENNESAW, GA – The new V8 XTO Offshore outboard is designed to take Yamaha’s premium quality brand position to a higher level with extreme power and thrust, toughness and reliability, system integration, control, convenience and customer care. Yamaha has achieved many of these extremes by rethinking the outboard and its related systems, and through the application of technologies new to the industry.

Yamaha’s new V8 XTO Offshore outboard offers extreme power, thrust, toughness, reliability, system integration, control, convenience and care. (Photo: Business Wire)

“This is an integrated outboard system, designed to push the heaviest offshore boats and yachts,” said Ben Speciale, Yamaha Marine Group President. “The new Yamaha V8 XTO Offshore has 5.6-liters tremendous thrust and 425 horsepower. The V8 XTO Offshore provides extreme performance for the biggest boats. Combine it with the latest generation of Helm Master® and Yamaha’s CL7™Display, and you have benefits offered nowhere else.” Read more

Data released by the NMMA from the 2017 Recreational BoatingStatistical Abstract show that unit sales of new powerboats increased 5 percent in 2017, reaching 262,000, the highest levels the U.S. recreational boating industry has seen in 10 years.

What’s more, total marine expenditures were at an all-time high in 2017 at $39 billion (spending on new boats, engines, trailers, accessories and services), up 7 percent from 2016. Boat manufacturers are expanding capacity to meet this demand – building new plants and increasing production; supporting recent data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis that U.S. manufacturing gross output increased to $6.228 Trillion in the fourth quarter of 2017. Read more