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Tariff Wars Spark Discontent Among European Brands: Who Took Away China's Share of the U.S. Bicycle Market?

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In the first half of 2025, U.S. bicycle sales slightly surpassed 4 million units, marking a 25% decline compared to the same period last year. The onset of tariff wars has caused a drastic decrease in U.S. bicycle imports, with the volume dropping by 25% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, and a staggering 35% decrease in the second quarter compared to 2024.

Due to tariffs and trade conflicts, China's status as a key supplier of bicycles to the U.S. has significantly diminished. In August, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new executive order extending the suspension of high tariffs on Chinese goods. According to the industry association PeopleForBikes, this order solidified the latest U.S.-China trade terms, reducing tariffs from 145% to 30%, effective at least until November 8. Currently, nearly all goods imported from Asia to the U.S., including bicycles and their components, are subject to hefty tariffs, putting the greatest strain on China, which once dominated the U.S. bicycle supply market.

Data from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) indicates that the number of bicycles supplied by China to the U.S. in June was just over 190,000, a sharp 74% decline from 740,000 in the same month last year. The number of bicycles imported from China in the second quarter saw a 55% year-on-year drop from 2024. For the entire year of 2024, China’s total bicycle supply was close to 9.5 million, whereas only 2.7 million units reached the U.S. market in the first half of 2025.

 

Cambodia and Taiwan on the Rise: Can They Fill the Market Void?

Despite some recovery in the U.S. bicycle manufacturing sector, with brands such as Guardian Bikes and eBliss Global announcing new production facilities, the U.S. market remains heavily reliant on bicycle imports from Asia to meet demand. Cambodia is gradually replacing China’s position, with exports to the U.S. reaching 160,000 bicycles in June—an 80% increase year-on-year. Notably, this number is just 17% less than the bicycles supplied by China, which previously accounted for over 90% of U.S. bicycle imports.

Similarly, Taiwan has emerged as the third-largest source of bicycle imports to the U.S., following mainland China and Cambodia. In the first half of 2025, Taiwan's exports to the U.S. stabilized at around 200,000 units, primarily targeting the high-end bicycle market, with export value reaching 120 million euros during the same period.