The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
A huge bicycle expo in Shanghai, China, brought together Chinese manufacturers and overseas buyers who seek opportunities despite uncertainties arising from the US-China tariff war.
The Global Times learned from the China Bicycle Association that as one of the most critical export destinations, the US has imposed multiple tariff hikes on Chinese goods this year, severely affecting bicycle exports.
However, the industry achieved overall export growth in the first quarter of 2025 by actively exploring emerging markets, including European, and Belt and Road Initiative partner countries. The industry also intends to deepen the domestic market, according to the association.
The expo provided a snapshot into the resilience of the industry. The China Cycle 2025 has gathered 1,582 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions.
Zhang Xiaoli, a manager of Xiamen-based Winspace, said that “many US buyers are still placing orders aggressively, almost like tactical gambles. They’re hoping that US-China negotiations will wipe out tariffs by the time their orders ship. It’s a high-stakes wait-and-see game for American buyers.”
Liu Yinpeng, general manager from Hongyang, a Hebei-based tire company, told the Global Times many of his US customers also made purchases despite high tariffs, and his folding tires in the warehouses of Amazon are all sold out.
A temporary surge occurred between November 2024 and February 2025, driven by rushed shipments ahead of new tariffs. But overall orders from US buyers have since stalled or were canceled.
In the first quarter of 2025, China exported 1.902 million units to the US, a year-on-year decrease of 17.1%, according to Guo Wenyu, vice chairman and secretary-general of the China Bicycling Association.