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.

In the competitive global economy, the European Union (EU) continues to expand and modernise its network of trade agreements to promote economic growth, strengthen geopolitical ties and set global trade standards. Recently, agreements were concluded with India, Mercosur and Singapore. For the bicycle industry, the agreement with India was the most striking. What can the industry expect?

The Indian bicycle industry seems upbeat with the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union and the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with the United States. Both are regarded as key emerging markets for bicycle exporters, as observed at the recently concluded Ride India Expo 2026 held at the Ludhiana Exhibition Centre in India.

The close connections between Triangle's and Hero Motor Company (HMC) have progressed into a strategic technical and sourcing partnership. The two companies agreed to combine Triangle's engineering excellence with India‑based industrial scale at HMC to create a competitive aluminium bicycle-frame-building conglomerate. HMC will get access to technical know-how, while Triangle's can more easily supply entry-level and mid-premium frames for the European Union market.

The European and Indian bicycle industries have always maintained close ties, although the trade volume remained relatively low. This might change drastically now: after almost 20 years of difficult talks, the Free Trade Agreement was agreed on 27 January in New Delhi. It's the biggest deal ever made by either side, which has also been eagerly awaited by the bicycle industry.