Mixed signals for UPR, MA from US boat sales

23 May 2007 00:15  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS news)--The US unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) market on Tuesday received mixed signals from the boating industry, which reported an increase in overall unit sales but a decline in sales of power boats, said a key end-user for UPR.

UPR is a downstream segment watched closely by producers of maleic anhydride (MA), as UPR accounts for more than 50% of MA consumption.

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) said total US boat sales in 2006 were up 5% from 2005 due to growth in ski/wakeboard boats, personal watercraft, canoes and kayaks. The association did not say how many units were sold.

But the association said sales in the power-boat segment fell by 5% to 291,900 units.

The boating industry is one of three major downstream UPR markets, along with the housing and automotive sectors.

There was a sharp decline in UPR demand in the fourth quarter of 2006, mainly stemming from the weakness in the housing market.

UPR demand has picked up since April after a slow start in 2007, a producer said.

Despite the improvement, UPR sales in 2007 are down by 10-13% from a year earlier, depending on the end-use market, the producer estimated.

By: William Lemos
+1 713 525 2653

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