Just over 150,000 e-bike units are noted to have left Taiwan's shores in the first half of 2026. This is a 14% drop compared to the same period last year and marks the lowest volume of e-bikes leaving the country in the first six months of the year since 2017. The US market notes the biggest year-on-year losses. In total, Taiwan's first half-year e-bike export value has also dipped below NT$10 billion (€294 million) for the first time since 2017, marking a significant problem for an already challenged industry.

The tables are turning in favour of China as consumer budgets tighten, Taiwan's orders dwindle, and tariffs shift the goalposts of international trade. As a result, China accounted for 47%, almost half, of all e-bike imports into the European Union in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest Eurostat data. This compares with 31% in Q1 2025 and just 17% in Q1 2024. Is this the result of a temporary glut in the e-bike market, or does it signal a more structural shift?

Taiwan exported fewer than 77,000 e-bike units in the first quarter of 2026. This marks a 15% year-on-year drop from 2025 and the lowest Q1 e-bike exports since 2018. This also signals that the world's bicycle manufacturer is still struggling to get a firm grip on the electrified bike market post-Covid. The export value of regular bicycles also continues to drop 17% in Q1, but little is heard about consolidations or bankruptcies in the Taiwanese bicycle industry. As the total export value dips under $10 billion for the last two consecutive quarters, could the value shift be taking place outside of Taiwan's borders?

2025 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.

That 2025 was not going to be a good year for the Taiwanese industry was already evident after Taipei Cycle in March when it became obvious that order books were still empty. The bicycle-producing nation closed 2025 with a 7% drop in e-bike export volume, compared to the record-breaking bad year in 2024. With just under 337,000 units leaving the country and the export value dropping another 3%, it shows the Taiwan industry is still facing an uphill climb to bring production back to pre-pandemic levels.