Surfers, Swimmers, Boaters Run Into Summer-Disrupting Fiberglass Shortage
- Shortage of fiberglass affects outdoor recreation industry
- Producers, consumers face longer wait times, steeper prices
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Swimming-pool construction has slowed to a crawl. Surfboard manufacturers are disappointing customers who dream of hanging 10. Waiting lists for new boats stretch on for months. There’s a common culprit: fiberglass.
The glittery, lightweight material goes into so many common outdoor products that it’s hard to imagine summertime without it. The supply-chain snarls show how broader forces in international trade, supply and demand have rippled through industries in the past year, leading to higher prices and slowing commerce.