Being successful in the bike business in Europe requires detailed knowledge of European laws and regulations for bicycles and bike products. Anti-dumping and anti-circumvention duties, CEN safety standards or the Generalized System of Preferences can have a huge impact on the success of a business. Here Bike Europe provides a comprehensive list of the current legislation and trade regulations in place, and important definitions.
In the Netherlands, fatbikes have become the new scooters. Not legally: a fatbike is still not a separate vehicle category. If it meets the rules for an electrically assisted bicycle, it is an e-bike. If it does not, it may quickly become something else, such as a moped.
Patent protection sits at the intersection of market competitiveness and innovation in the bicycle industry. In global supply chains, intellectual property (IP) rights can determine who controls a technological advancement and who gets locked out of it. Companies interested in getting ahead are turning to patent protection for both hardware and, increasingly, software.
The e-bike regulation issue leads to even more heated discussions in the United States than in Europe. Keeping all 50 states aligned is a big task for PeopleForBikes, and within the industry, differing interests regularly lead to friction. The topic was even announced as the phantom menace at the recent Bicycle Leadership Conference. What insights can Europe and the US gain from one another?
The United States Supreme Court decision to strike down US President Donald Trump's tariffs, followed by his swift executive order to implement new 10% tariffs, has thrown the global bicycle industry into disarray. In the wake of this political jockeying for control over imports and the billions of dollars they represent, European Union bike importers now face a complicated legal process to recover what they lost to the now-defunct IEEPA (International Emergency Economic Powers Act) tariffs.
A persistent and far-reaching campaign by the United States trade organisation PeopleForBikes to prevent bicycles and e-bikes from becoming subject to high metal tariffs has paid off. US President Donald Trump announced in early April that the bicycle industry would not be subject to the new Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs, which would have cost manufacturers millions on imported steel and aluminium products.
European Union authorities are ramping up efforts to tackle customs evasion practices, specifically targeting split shipments and post-entry bicycle assembly. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office's (EPPO) 2025 annual report, post-import assembly operations are becoming an increasingly common tactic to circumvent costly customs duties.
European Union authorities are ramping up efforts to tackle customs evasion practices, specifically targeting split shipments and post-entry bicycle assembly. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office's (EPPO) 2025 annual report, post-import assembly operations are becoming an increasingly common tactic to circumvent costly customs duties.
Singapore-based DuTech Holding Ltd. is rapidly snapping up a series of companies in the bicycle industry. As a global player in cash-handling machines (ATMs), the company is now also eyeing the bicycle industry, particularly in Europe. As the bicycle industry's financial position has remained weak since the aftermath of the pandemic, this strategic investor is a welcome guest for many companies.
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission announced that the European Union will continue to apply the existing import measures, such as import duties or anti-dumping measures on bicycles from China, as there is no valid reason to lift them. To prevent circumvention, the European Commission considers it necessary to apply these duties to all bicycles made in China, plus all shipments from seven countries. A total of 13 bicycle manufacturers across these countries are exempt from this measure.
ATHENS, Greece - A coordinated raid by the European Public Prosecutor's Office in June 2025 has resulted in the arrest of six individuals, the seizure of 2,435 shipping containers and an estimated €250 million worth of e-bikes, textiles and footwear. Customs officers were among those arrested. Since the raid, Greek customs authorities have reported higher compliance, with importers at the port of Piraeus declaring similar goods at prices closer to their actual value.
