Behind the Tariffs: How bicycles link China and the US

  • How the supply chain connecting Shanghai with North Carolina to supply America’s bicycles is under strain from tariffs and the trade war
  • The American company and its Chinese partner working to find a way around the tariffs on steel, aluminium and components that are punishing their businesses

Jarrod Wattin Hong Kong,Naomi NgandFinbarr Berminghamin Brussels
Roughly 95 per cent of the bicycles sold in the US come from China.

Roughly 95 per cent of the bicycles sold in the United States are imported from China, and tariffs on steel and aluminium are combining with tariffs on bicycle components to force companies to make some tough decisions.

Kent International is an American bicycle manufacturer and distributor in the direct line of fire of the trade war. Listen as Kent CEO Arnold Kamler recounts his company’s history of importing bicycles from Taiwan, then Southeast Asia, and eventually mainland China through the latter decades of the 20th century.

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