October 12, 2025

Words of Wisdom

INTERVIEW: US mattress market is recovering from H1 lull

Al Greenwood

07-Oct-2025

ST LOUIS (ICIS)–US production and sales of mattresses have started recovering during the second half of 2025, the CEO of Carpenter said on Tuesday.

The recovery started during the Fourth of July holiday, and it has persisted through Labor Day in September, said Brad Beauchamp, CEO of Carpenter, a US producer of polyurethane foams and polyols as well as mattresses under its Casper Sleep business.

Beauchamp made his comments in an interview with ICIS on the sidelines of the Polyurethanes Technical Conference, hosted by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI).

Part of the rebound reflects the surge in imports that took place prior to the imposition of tariffs from the US, he said. The market has since worked down those imports.

Tariffs could also be boosting domestic market, given the cessation of the de minimis exemption.

The recovery in demand for mattresses is happening from a low base, Beauchamp said. Earlier in the decade, demand had fallen following the surge of buying that happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The slowdown in housing sales further depressed demand. Consumers tend to buy bedding when they move, and fewer home sales mean that consumers are moving less.

US house construction remains slow, and economists do not expect a recovery until the end of 2026.

Furniture demand is still struggling, Beauchamp said. Imports had not increased to the same extent as those for furniture, so order patterns were less volatile than those for mattresses.

At times, domestic furniture plants are operating under shortened work week, Beauchamp said.

Together, furniture and mattresses make up 35% of demand for polyurethanes, making them the largest single market, according to ICIS.

CARPENTER SEES EARLY SIGNS OF FUTURE FURNITURE RESHORING
Furniture producers have started making inquiries that could lead to some companies’ reshoring their production to the US, Beauchamp said. While furniture is labor intensive, its bulk and shape make it difficult to ship overseas.

Reshoring interest started before the recent US tariffs because of a series of logistical disruptions caused by bad weather, the COVID-19 pandemic and low water levels at the Panama Canal.

Ashley Furniture is expanding capacity in Lee County, Mississippi, state, according to a mid-2024 announcement by the Mississippi Development Authority.

Recent US tariffs have strengthened this larger trend.

There have been fewer inquiries to reshore mattresses because they are easier to ship, Beauchamp said.

TARIFFS DISRUPTIONS DUE MOSTLY TO UNCERTAINTY
The effects that tariffs have had on Carpenter are mostly due to the uncertainty they have created among businesses and consumers, Beauchamp said.

Like many companies, Carpenter has seen few direct effects outside of isolated ones such as textiles for mattress covers.

The Polyurethanes Technical Conference runs through Wednesday.

Interview article by Al Greenwood

https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2025/10/07/11143750/interview-us-mattress-market-is-recovering-from-h1-lull

October 9, 2025

Spot Truck Rates

How truck spot rates are shifting

Tracking the changes to dry van, reefer and flatbed truck freight rates provides a window into the state of the market.

Updated an hour ago

Tracking the latest trucking spot rates can help trucking executives and shippers alike anticipate future contract rates and needs.

These highlights for national spot rates come from data from DAT Freight & Analytics, measuring a weekly moving average that excludes a fuel surcharge.

While rates surged when the COVID-19 pandemic caused demand to spike, the industry has subsequently been stuck in weaker conditions for about two years. Because rates are constantly shifting, Trucking Dive is working with DAT to bring readers frequent insights into how spot rates are shifting.

Scroll further for a deeper look at trends since 2019, in a chart, as well as frequent updates below.

https://www.truckingdive.com/news/truck-freight-rates-changes-tracker/715709/

September 29, 2025

India Polymer Polyol ADD

India Imposes ADD on Chinese Copolymer Polyol Following DGTR Investigation

PUdaily | Updated: September 29, 2025

On September 26, 2025, the Indian government took steps to protect its domestic chemical industry from unfairly traded imports, announcing definitive anti-dumping duties on a key polymer imported from China. The decision follows an extensive investigation by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), which found evidence of significant dumping causing material injury to a local producer.

The duties apply to imports of “Copolymer Polyol of hydroxyl value >= 23.5”  (HS Codes 3907 2910 and 3907 2990), a chemical primarily used in the production of flexible foam for mattresses and other applications. The DGTR clarified that Polyester Polyol of the same grade is excluded from this measure.

The investigation, initiated in September 2024, concluded that imports from China were entering the Indian market at dumped prices, with margins ranging from 20% to over 50%. This unfair pricing undercut domestic sales and severely harmed the financial health of the sole Indian manufacturer, M/s Expanded Polymer Systems Pvt. Ltd.

The following key findings from the investigation formed the basis for the final determination:

• Massive Import Surge & Market Displacement: Import volumes from China surged by 287% (from 4,988 to 19,338 MT), seizing over 90% of the total import market. This massive influx displaced traditional suppliers from Europe and the USA and severely eroded the domestic industry’s market share.
• Significant Price Undercutting & Suppression: The landed value of Chinese imports was consistently 10-20% below the domestic industry’s price. This forced the domestic producer to suppress its prices below its own cost of sales for the entire period, directly preventing profitability.
• Severe Financial Injury: Despite a 96% growth in domestic demand, the domestic company operated at a loss with negative returns. Its capacity utilisation was critically low at around 32%, while inventories swelled by 137%, confirming financial distress due to unfair competition.
• Causal Link Established: The Authority definitively ruled out other factors like demand contraction or technological changes, concluding that the surge of low-priced, dumped imports was the primary cause of the material injury.

In its final findings, the DGTR affirmed that Expanded Polymer Systems Pvt. Ltd. constitutes a valid ‘domestic industry’ and that a direct causal link exists between the dumped imports and the injury suffered.

Recommended Anti-Dumping Duties

The DGTR has recommended the following duties (CIF value in USD per Metric Tonne) for a period of five years:

The authority stated that the imposition of these duties aligns with the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) framework and aims to restore fair competition in the Indian market. It emphasised that the measures are not intended to restrict imports but to ensure they enter India at non-injurious prices, thereby safeguarding the interests of the domestic industry.

India’s Ministry of Finance will issue the final notification for the imposition of these duties.

https://www.pudaily.com/Home/NewsDetails/59134

September 25, 2025

New Home Sales in August

Housing Shock: New-Home Sales Unexpectedly Soar 20%

John Carney

24 Sep 2025270

4:05

New-home sales surged in August to their strongest pace in more than three years, as aggressive price cuts and incentives by builders successfully drew buyers back into a housing market that had been stalled by high mortgage rates and elevated prices.

Sales of new single-family homes increased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000 units, a 20.5 percent increase, the Commerce Department and Housing and Urban Development Department said Wednesday.

The pace was well above the 653,000 rate economists had forecast and marked the fastest selling pace since early 2022.
The unexpected jump suggests that homebuilders’ strategy of offering steep discounts and sales incentives is working to revive demand in a market where many potential buyers had been sidelined by affordability concerns. The robust sales pace also helped reduce the inventory overhang that had been weighing on the sector.

The sales surge was broad-based, with gains across all major regions. The South, which accounts for the largest share of new-home sales, saw purchases jump 24.7 percent to 530,000 units. The Northeast posted the largest percentage gain at 72.2 percent, though from a much smaller base.
Builder incentives have reached post-pandemic highs as companies seek to move inventory. Some 39 percent of builders reported cutting prices in September, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo—the highest level since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The sales increase helped reduce the supply of unsold new homes to 490,000 units at the end of August, the lowest level this year. That translates to 7.4 months of supply at the current sales rate, down sharply from 9.0 months in July. While still above the 4-to-6 month range considered normal, the improvement suggests the market is moving toward better balance.

The median price of a new home sold in August was $413,500, up 4.7 percent from July but only 1.9 percent higher than a year earlier. The average sales price of $534,100 was up 11.7 percent from the previous month and 12.3 percent higher than August 2024, suggesting strength at higher price points.

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New-home sales reflect contract signings rather than closings, making them a more timely indicator of buyer sentiment than existing-home sales. The August figures likely captured the beginning of a recent decline in mortgage rates, which have since fallen to their lowest levels in more than a year.

The government also revised sales figures for the previous three months higher, suggesting the housing recovery has been building momentum. Sales data is subject to large revisions due to the survey methodology and relatively small sample size.

Despite the improved August numbers, the housing market continues to face headwinds from mortgage rates that remain elevated by historical standards and home prices that have priced out many potential buyers. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was about 6.2 percent in August, down from peaks above 7 percent last year but still well above pre-pandemic levels.

Shares of major homebuilders rose in early trading Wednesday. Lennar gained 1.99 percent, D.R. Horton rose about one percent. and PulteGroup climbed 1.65 percent.

The new-home market represents a small fraction of overall housing activity but is closely watched as an indicator of future labor intensive construction activity and broader housing demand. What’s more, rising new home sales often have coattails, boosting furniture, technology, and appliance sales. New homes accounted for about 15 percent of home sales in recent months.

https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/09/24/housing-shock-new-home-unexpectedly-soar-20

September 15, 2025

MLB Tech Update

Future Trends·Sports·Technology

Inside MLB’s 2025 Tech Revolution: Robo Umps, AI Broadcasts & the Future of Baseball

by Marcin Frąckiewicz

15 September 2025

• Hawk-Eye and Statcast: MLB uses an array of Hawk-Eye high-speed cameras in all 30 ballparks to power Statcast, tracking every pitch’s speed and trajectory along with player movement and even bat swings hawkeyeinnovations.com. This optical tracking system (introduced league-wide in 2019) feeds real-time data for analytics and broadcasts, and also underpins MLB’s replay review since 2014 hawkeyeinnovations.com. It enables new metrics (e.g. exit velocity, launch angle, fielder sprint speed, and soon swing attack angles) that deepen understanding of on-field performance.
• Automated Strike Zone (ABS): MLB is testing “robo-ump” technology via an Automated Ball-Strike System. In 2025 spring training, over half the games let teams challenge human ball/strike calls – with each club getting two challenges that are retained if successful reuters.com foxsports.com. When a batter, pitcher, or catcher signals a challenge, Hawk-Eye tracks the pitch and displays a 3D strike-zone replay on stadium screens in seconds reuters.com. Early results show about 51–52% of challenged calls were overturned foxsports.com. Umpires remain on the field, but this tech-driven challenge system (powered by T-Mobile’s 5G network) is a major step toward consistent strike zones, and MLB even plans to use it in the 2025 All-Star Game foxsports.com foxsports.com.
• PitchCom Communication: Traditional catcher hand signals are largely gone. Since 2022, all teams have adopted PitchCom, a wireless system where catchers (and now pitchers) press a keypad to call pitches, transmitting encrypted audio to earpieces worn by the pitcher and up to four fielders mlb.com mlb.com. This speeds up the game and prevents sign-stealing (a hot-button issue since the 2017 Astros scandal) pitchcom.com. In 2023 MLB even allowed pitchers like Zack Greinke to wear the transmitter on their belt or glove, letting them call their own game to beat the new pitch clock mlb.com mlb.com. As one veteran put it, “I throw a lot of pitches and just won’t be able to throw the pitch I want…if I can’t use that [PitchCom]” mlb.com – underscoring how this tech helps both strategy and pace of play.
• Wearable Player Sensors: MLB is ahead of some leagues in embracing wearables during play. It has approved at least four health and performance devices for in-game use: the Motus pitching sleeve (measures throwing biomechanics), the Zephyr Bioharness (heart rate and breathing for fatigue), Catapult GPS trackers (player workload and positioning), and the popular WHOOP strap (tracking heart rate, strain, and sleep) theupside.us theupside.us. While players can’t see this biometric data live during games, teams access it afterward to guide training and recovery. Beyond games, many clubs use sensor tech in practice – e.g. smart bat sensors (Blast Motion, Diamond Kinetics) that capture swing speed and path, and even motion-capture sleeves to monitor pitching mechanics theupside.us. In Minor League games, bat sensors are now allowed on-field to gather swing data for player development theupside.us.
• Instant Replay System: MLB’s Replay Operations Center in New York, equipped with Hawk-Eye multi-angle video feeds, has handled all umpire reviews since expanded replay launched in 2014 hawkeyeinnovations.com. Managers can challenge close plays (home runs, safe/out, etc.), triggering a rapid video review. Hawk-Eye’s system provides synchronized camera angles and even 3D renderings for officials, which has improved accuracy and consistency of calls hawkeyeinnovations.com hawkeyeinnovations.com. By the mid-2020s about half of all manager challenges result in overturned calls (reflecting the system’s thoroughness), and the average review takes under 90 seconds – faster than in early years espn.com. MLB has also equipped umpires with wireless headsets to announce replay decisions to the crowd (similar to NFL) for transparency technology.mlblogs.com.
• AI-Enhanced Broadcasting: MLB broadcasts are increasingly augmented by AI and advanced data. Statcast data feeds live graphics like strike-zone overlays, launch-angle trackers, and catch probability on TV broadcasts. In 2024, ESPN debuted a “Statcast AI” alternate broadcast for Sunday Night Baseball, layering real-time analytics and predictive modeling (powered by Google Cloud’s AI) over the game action espnfrontrow.com. Other networks have introduced new camera angles – for example, “UmpCam” helmet cameras and base-mounted cams debuted in the 2024 postseason to give fans POV replays sportsvideo.org. AI-driven systems also help production crews by automatically clipping highlights and even suggesting storylines from live data sportsvideo.org. While fully automated commentary isn’t mainstream in MLB yet, AI tools are assisting human broadcasters with instant stat insights and even real-time translations.
• Immersive Fan Experiences (VR/AR): MLB is pushing into virtual and augmented reality for fans. In 2024, the league relaunched its MLB Virtual Ballpark, a metaverse-style 3D stadium where fans can join live watch parties with avatars mlb.com mlb.com. During these events, a 3D recreation of the game (via Gameday 3D) lets fans view any play from any angle in real time, chat via spatial audio, and even partake in virtual scavenger hunts and trivia – all accessible on web or VR headsets mlb.com mlb.com. MLB has also released VR video games like “Home Run Derby VR,” letting fans step into a virtual batter’s box and swing a controller bat in famous stadiums. Augmented reality is enhancing the ballpark too: for instance, some team apps now offer AR overlays where you can point your phone at the field to see live player stats or strike zone graphics. These immersive technologies aim to bring fans closer to the game, whether they’re at home or exploring the concourse.
• Smart Stadiums and Biometric Entry: Baseball venues in 2025 are high-tech playgrounds. Digital ticketing via the MLB Ballpark app is now standard, and ballparks are integrating features like mobile concession ordering and cashless payments for speed. Several teams (Phillies, Giants, Astros, Nationals) have rolled out “Go-Ahead Entry,” a facial-recognition based gate system that lets ticket holders enter by simply walking past a camera espn.com espn.com. This opt-in system, developed with NEC Corp., links your face to your ticket account and even works with new AI security scanners – meaning fans can go from the turnstile to their seats without pulling out a phone or stopping for bag checks espn.com espn.com. “You don’t even have to break stride,” says SF Giants CTO Bill Schlough, calling the frictionless face-scan entry “an absolute game-changer” for the fan experience espn.com. However, privacy advocates worry about the creep of such biometrics – one digital rights group warns this is “just one part of a massive problem that’s only getting bigger” espn.com. Despite concerns, MLB is expanding these tech conveniences, and also experimenting with biometric payments (buying a beer with your face scan) in some venues stadiumtechreport.com stadiumtechreport.com. All 30 MLB parks now have robust 5G Wi-Fi networks to support these innovations and keep fans connected.
• New & Experimental Tech: MLB isn’t stopping at what’s already on the field. The league is exploring brain-sensing wearables and neurotraining tools to boost player performance. For example, teams like the SF Giants have tried the Halo Neuroscience headband, which uses mild electrical stimulation to the brain to improve focus and motor skill learning during training theupside.us. In 2025, a startup called Pison began pilot programs with MLB clubs and colleges for a novel wristband that measures neural signals from the brain to gauge a player’s reaction time, mental fatigue, and focus sportsbusinessjournal.com sportsbusinessjournal.com. The idea is to quantify the “mental game” – a frontier previously hard to measure – and train players’ cognitive skills (e.g. pitch recognition and split-second decision-making) with personalized neural feedback drills sportsbusinessjournal.com sportsbusinessjournal.com. On another front, MLB is working with scientists on smart equipment, like new baseball prototypes. After the 2021 crackdown on pitchers’ illegal sticky substances, MLB partnered with Dow Chemical to develop a pre-tacked baseball that comes out of the wrapper with a perfect grip foxnews.com foxnews.com. In 2023, one such ball was tested in Double-A: players loved the improved grip, but in hot weather it became “too gummy,” showing the challenges of chemistry in sport foxnews.com. The research continues (with “15 PhDs working on it,” per MLB advisor CC Sabathia) to find a ball coating that can replace the centuries-old practice of rubbing mud on baseballs foxnews.com. Other experimental projects include upgraded protective gear (e.g. smarter batting helmets to reduce concussions) and even automated groundskeeping robots in training facilities. MLB’s willingness to pilot these ideas in the minors and independent leagues signals that more radical tech changes could be on the horizon.
• MLB vs. Other Leagues: Compared to the NFL, NBA, and global soccer, MLB’s tech landscape in 2025 is both innovative and unique. In player tracking, all major leagues now capture data – the NFL places RFID chips in every football and in players’ shoulder pads to fuel its Next Gen Stats operations.nfl.com, and the NBA uses optical systems to map player and ball movements in second-by-second detail. Yet MLB’s Statcast stands out for the sheer volume of data (tracking every pitch and play of a 162-game season) and its public availability to fans. In officiating, soccer led the way with goal-line technology and the VAR replay system using Hawk-Eye cameras for controversial calls hawkeyeinnovations.com, and tennis has long trusted Hawk-Eye for line calls. MLB is now catching up by testing an automated strike zone, a bold step neither the NFL nor NBA have equivalently taken (football still relies on referees’ eyes and the old chain gang for first downs, while basketball refs use replay for some calls but no AI officiating). The NFL has embraced tech in other areas: since 2021 the NFL even uses Hawk-Eye in its replay center to speed up multi-angle reviews hawkeyeinnovations.com, and it leverages Amazon’s AI to generate stats like expected rushing yards from tracking data operations.nfl.com. NBA arenas are high-tech too, featuring giant HD scoreboards and AR effects; the NBA was a pioneer in virtual reality broadcasts (streaming select games in VR to Oculus headsets) and uses advanced Second Spectrum analytics to display things like real-time shot probabilities on TV. Global soccer at events like the World Cup has begun using semi-automated offside technology – multiple cameras and AI to detect offside positions instantaneously – something analogous to baseball’s automated pitch location tech hawkeyeinnovations.com. In terms of fan experience, all leagues now offer mobile ticketing, on-demand highlights, and interactive apps, but MLB’s Virtual Ballpark metaverse and weekly VR watch parties are the first of their kind among major sports mlb.com. And while facial-recognition entry is starting to appear in NFL stadiums and NBA arenas, MLB’s concerted rollout of biometric entry lanes in 2024 put it at the forefront of that trend espn.com. Each sport balances tradition and technology – as MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has noted, baseball tries to “pursue the possibility of change” carefully foxsports.com. But fan sentiment is shifting: after seeing tech like ABS challenges in action, many are now more vocal in demanding high-tech accuracy over human error foxsports.com. In the grand view, MLB’s 2025 tech revolution is part of a wider sports-tech boom – yet its particular blend of preserving a 150-year-old game while infusing it with cutting-edge innovations truly sets baseball apart.

Read more here: https://ts2.tech/en/inside-mlbs-2025-tech-revolution-robo-umps-ai-broadcasts-the-future-of-baseball/