It’s no secret that China dominates bicycle manufacturing, with one report putting the figure at 86.3 percent of bikes purchased in the US. Many e-bike companies rely on China for most of their components, including frames, batteries, motors, and more. Some e-bike makers are unique, but many, especially at the low end, are little more than nameplates affixed to off-the-shelf Chinese e-bikes assembled from a catalog.
Last week, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said that e-bike batteries imported from China would be subject to 25 percent tariffs starting in 2026, up from 7.5 percent. E-bikes and their components imported from China have been subject to 25 percent tariffs since the Trump administration, but US trade officials have used exclusions to keep those levies from kicking in.
Now, those exclusions are set to expire on June 14th, according to Bicycle Retailer. Some products, like bike trailers and helmets that are made in China, will still be excluded. But e-bikes, some youth bikes, and other components will now be subject to the 25 percent levy.
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E-bike companies are also in the midst of making major investments to make their products safer. They’re introducing new safety measures in order to prevent deadly fires that have been mostly linked to poorly made Chinese batteries. Indeed, even China is finally waking up to the risks of fire-prone e-bike batteries. According to Electrek, the country just passed new safety standards for lithium-ion battery production.
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A lot of e-bike companies saw the inherent risks of relying too heavily on Chinese-made parts for their products and have already set out to diversify their supply chain. Tern, for example, imports its e-bikes from Taiwan and Vietnam, spokesperson Arleigh Greenwald said. Trek also imports some of its parts from Taiwan but also relies on components from China. (A Trek spokesperson declined to comment.) Others are more exposed. Rad Power Bikes, the largest e-bike company in the US, operates two factories in China. (A spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment.)
From the article:
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