China appears to be losing its foothold in the United States market, as first-quarter import figures reflect the lasting impact of US President Donald Trump's global tariffs. As markets adjust to last year's volatile rebalancing, a reshaped competitive landscape is emerging, with the old order fading across much of Asia.
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.
A resolution of the United States' Withhold Release Order (WRO), which is affecting Giant Taiwan's manufacturing operations, can't come soon enough for the company, as it reports another month of steep revenue losses in February 2026.
Subscribers only2025 proved to be a year of tariff changes, geopolitical shifts and withheld imports in the United States bicycle market, leading to significant shifts in a market where China had previously enjoyed a stronghold. China's market share fell from 85% in 2024 to 67% in 2025. In actual numbers, around 5.7 million units were imported into the US from China, a 40% drop compared to 2024. In total, bicycle imports into the US only dropped 21%, meaning someone made considerable gains - Cambodia.
For the first time since anti-dumping duties were introduced in 2019, China reclaimed its position as the European Union's top e-bike supplier in 2025. The lead is marginal, with an equal 32.8% share of the total e-bike import market together with Taiwan. Although only a mere 350 units more entered the EU from China than Taiwan, the island nation continues to hold 54% share of import value, totalling €318 million.
