Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer Merida Industry Co., Ltd. has entered 2026 under continued market pressure. The company reported a -44% year-on-year revenue drop in January, followed by a smaller, but still significant, -22% YoY decline in February compared to last year's Q1 figures.
As expected, the financial performance of leading industry companies shows that 2025 was a challenging year for the bicycle industry. Especially the leading bike manufacturers were down as they had to continue discounting to bring their inventory levels back to healthy levels. Component manufacturers reported stable sales as replacement parts remain in demand, and the OEM order books for 2026 show a moderate increase again.
One week before the opening of the Taipei International Cycle Show, the financial reports of the country's three main bicycle manufacturers do not contribute to an upbeat business mood. The combined revenue of these three companies dropped by 13.4% from TWD 103.2 billion (€2.8 billion) in 2024 to TWD 89.4 billion (€2.4 billion) last year. The business mood at Taichung Bike Week six months ago was already a clear indicator of what these numbers confirm. The situation has not improved since September as Taiwan's industry continues to face headwinds.
From late September 2025 through early 2026, the bicycle industry saw an unprecedented wave of human rights-related actions centred on Taiwan. The United States government's import ban on Giant products made in Taiwan triggered not only rapid remediation and reimbursements, but a broader shift toward systemic human rights due diligence in Taiwan's bicycle supply chain. Bike Europe takes stock of the changes.
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Merida Industry Co., Ltd. reported an 8.5% year-on-year decline in consolidated revenue to NT$21.8 billion (€610 million) for the first three quarters of 2025, as weakening demand across Asia continues to weigh on the Taiwanese manufacturer's performance. Net profit for the parent company fell 18% to NT$1.44 billion (€39.5 million) during the same period, while earnings from associates, including Merida's stake in Specialized, contributed NT$511 million (€14 million).
FRANKFURT, Germany - Industry leaders have openly shared their opinions on the developments surrounding Eurobike with Bike Europe. Complaints about the show were already widely discussed during and after the last edition, but the future of the event came into full focus after the statement of the German industry bodies to pull out of Eurobike. For decades, the show seemed a fixed element in the industry calendar, but even Eurobike cannot escape the recent dramatic changes in the industry.
