The Impact of 301 Tariffs on Cargo, eBikes, and Kids Bikes
If you are in the US, an additional 25% tariff will impact new imports from China on eBikes, kids’ bikes, and other key bike-specific parts. I will post links to additional articles if you are interested in learning more, but I wanted to summarize what is happening because this may add 10-25% to that bike purchase you’ve been waiting to make.
Why is This Happening?
For many years, items such as kids’ bikes, trailers, eBikes, etc., have been exempt from these tariffs. As of June 14, this is no longer the case, and bike brands are already announcing price increases starting next week.
It is terrible timing, as many brands and bike shops are trying to recover from having too much inventory, paying down bills, and lowering consumer interest since the “COVID Bike Boom.” I expect more consumers to turn to the used bike market or hold on to their current bike longer. We all need to get behind activating consumers more, as basic as the Trek eBike test ride incentive is – it will drive consumer interest when we need it the most.
How Does This Impact You
In the next few weeks, bikes will increase in price between $50 and $300, depending on the starting price. In the long term, all bikes with parts sourced from China will have some increase.
I am interested in seeing how this impacts innovation from the smaller DTC brands developing quickly and gaining market traction thanks to lower prices. Will the flooding of no-name eBikes advertising to everyone on Facebook slow down? Will this cause the quick dollar brands to close?
Let’s see where we end up in September when the season starts cooling down. Have any brands closed down? Where do the prices shake out?
Additional Resources
“Key tariff exclusions, including on e-bikes, will expire June 14” – Bicycle Retailer
“Section 301 Tariff News is Not Good for the Bike Business” – SGB Media
