TAIPEI, Taiwan — Giant has made significant progress toward repairing its relationship with the United States in the aftermath of the US Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) embargo on shipments from the company's Taiwan factories. In the meantime, outside of Giant's facilities, an even larger change is taking place.

PESCANTINA, Italy - Pon.Bike Italia, the Italian subsidiary of the Pon.Bike group, has announced its exclusive distribution of OneUp Components in the Italian market. Under the new agreement, Pon will become the sole authorised distributor of OneUp Components in Italy starting January 2026.

While the long-awaited GPSR guidelines have finally appeared, offering disappointingly little clarity, the next regulation is already lining up for everyone involved in selling products in the EU: the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The PPWR entered into force on 11 February 2025 and will start to apply from 12 August 2026, with many design and documentation obligations ramping up further between 2026 and 2030. Just as companies are still implementing the GPSR, the PPWR is already demanding attention.

BAUNACH, Germany - Despite its long-standing history and supplying to over 2,500 customers in more than 60 countries, Messingschlager's key activities were largely known only to industry insiders. In the past decade, the company expanded into various business fields, which became very distinct over time. "Demand from customers these days is so much more diverse than just a product at a competitive price," says Messingschlager CEO Christoph Bantle.

HANGZHOU, China - Over one million dollars' worth of counterfeit bicycle goods have been seized by the Chinese government, in cooperation with American bicycle brand Specialized and e-commerce platform AliExpress. AliExpress announced this month that the sting operation, carried out in March 2025, resulted in the seizure of $1.1 million (€950,000) worth of counterfeit Specialized road racing frames, handlebars, wheels, seatposts, forks and 9,500 decals. Pinarello, Cannondale, Cervelo, and Trek also had fake items seized during the raid.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - The carefully knitted global network of bicycle component manufacturers, brands, assemblers and distributors is under pressure. The industry is unable to regain control of the supply chain after major disruptions during the pandemic, in combination with an overestimated market potential. It is not only a self-inflicted problem, and finding solutions requires drastic steps.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - 2025 once again may prove how difficult forecasting is for the global e-bike and bicycle industry. A strong first half boosted confidence, but the latest Global Bicycle Purchasing Index (GBPI) reveals that optimism is fading fast.

TAIPEI, Taiwan - In response to the renewed global scrutiny of the Taiwan industrial sector's treatment of migrant workers, the Taiwan Bicycle Association has crafted several key resolutions in an effort to increase diligence, compliance and transparency in the supply chain.

RODGAU, Germany - The new owner of Rocky Mountain Bicycles, Chaos Sports Inc., is pushing forward in the European market. With the takeover of long-standing distributor BikeAction GmbH, which serves Germany, Austria, the Benelux, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, the Canadians are reaffirming their strong commitment to Europe.

CESENA, Italy - The introduction of new e-bike drive train suppliers in the past years might give the impression that this component comes from China alone. Italian Oli eBike Systems proves the opposite, although the company keeps close ties with its Chinese owner, Wolong. The company was founded in 2015 and rolled out an ambitious growth strategy and shifted its focus towards the Northern European market.

BINH DUONG, Vietnam - In the last decade, few Southeast Asian countries have seen manufacturing growth in the cycling industry the way that Vietnam has. Bolstered by favourable foreign policy and a booming national economy, Vietnam's bicycle manufacturing sector is experiencing a growth spurt — but how sustainable this is in the midst of a shifting market, only time will tell.

SWIEBODZIN, Poland - Sprick, a long-standing name in the German Bicycle sector, has entered a new chapter. After financial difficulties led to insolvency of the bicycle assembler at the start of this year, the company is now set to become part of multinational, Singapore-based DuTech Group.

LONDON, United Kingdom - Global container prices have fallen for the tenth consecutive week and still appear to be stabilising. Spot rates for containers on the Shanghai-Rotterdam route saw the sharpest drop. This is evident from the most recent World Container Index (WCI) published by market research firm Drewry.

MÜHLTAL, Germany - The precarity of the United States market and ongoing tariff uncertainty has taken a toll once again, as Riese & Müller announced this week it will pause all US shipments and re-evaluate following the latest 50% steel tariffs, "and their implications."

REUTLINGEN, Germany - Since establishing Bosch eBike Systems within the Bosch Group in 2009, the company has leveraged technological competencies from automotive electronics and sensor systems to power tool battery technology. For Bosch eBike Systems CEO Claus Fleischer, their systematic technology transfer approach, building on Bosch's foundational expertise in electric drive systems, is one of the three key elements of their success within the bicycle industry.

WASHINGTON D.C., United States - United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order this week extending the current pause on high US tariffs for Chinese goods and clarifying trade agreements made with the European Union.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - E-bike brand Cowboy has broken its recent silence to announce new milestones in the form of short-term financing and brand partner Rebirth Group — and to address the variety of complaints lodged against the company in the past few months.

ZEIST, the Netherlands - International tire maker Ralf Bohle GmbH, and its signature brand Schwalbe, is deepening its presence in performance-oriented and emerging bicycle segments, with high-potential markets identified across North America, Southern Europe, China and Southeast Asia. Nico Simons, chief sales officer of Ralf Bohle GmbH, recently shared his thoughts with Bike Europe on how Schwalbe views the market and where the century-old German company is headed in the next few years - kicking off Bike Europe's Industry Insider series.

UTICA, United States - Another United States company has committed to reshoring manufacturing to create a "100% made-in-America" bike. E-bike manufacturer eBliss Global has announced a new facility in Utica, New York, with the financial backing of Empire State Development to the tune of $500,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits.

FRANKFURT, Germany - The fragmentation in the industry is more and more hampering the development of the business. The large number of companies often operate in a limited part of the market, which makes it difficult to gather enough information. This lack of data makes it very difficult to manage the supply chain efficiently. Eurobike and Bike Europe jointly created the Global Bicycle Purchasing Index aimed at creating a benchmark for purchase and product managers.

With a rich heritage in bicycle manufacturing and an ambitious international mindset, Polygon Bikes of Insera Sena is returning to Europe with a fresh strategy. After successfully expanding into American and Australian markets, Polygon is now actively recruiting across the European continent and has a lot to offer in return.