Taiwan Bicycle Sales Average Hits Record

TAIPEI, Taiwan - The price of Taiwan bicycles has risen to an average of NT$6,709 (US$213) per unit in the first quarter of this year, statistics released by the Directorate General of the Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) showed Thursday. DGBAS officials noted that Taiwan has developed its bicycle industry for more than 30 years and enjoys a good reputation. Taiwan produced on average 7.28 million bicycles every year in the 1980s, reaching its zenith at 10.74 million bicycles in 1987. The number started to decline after cheap price competition from China and Vietnam as well as the exodus of manufacturers. The production averaged around eight million units in the 1990s. Affected by the global recession around 2000 and the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Taiwan's largest bicycle importer, the production has continued to drop and only slightly rebounded last year to reach 4.95 million units, although the number still represents a decrease of nearly 40 % from the 1990s. With bicycle manufacturers focusing on research and development, and name-brand promotion on high value-added products in recent years to distance themselves from the cheap products in the mainland, the average price per unit has gradually risen, officials said.