EU anti-dumping duty on bicycles in China may be postponed to 2016

EU anti-dumping duties on Chinese bicycles and parts will expire on July 14. The European Union recently stated that it will re-evaluate the import tariff policy for relevant products and may extend punitive tariffs to 2016.

At present, the EU imposes anti-dumping duties of 48.5% on bicycles and parts in China. As of mid-July this year, the EU imposed anti-dumping duties on relevant products for 17 years. Such a long period is very rare in the anti-dumping history of the EU.

It is reported that the European Bicycle Manufacturers Association has asked the European Commission to extend this anti-dumping duty for another five years. It is understood that the European Commission will decide whether or not to assess the tax system before July 15. The assessment may lead to an extension of the anti-dumping tax by 5 years. The assessment process will take up to 15 months.

Deputy Director of the Institute of International Trade Research of the Ministry of Commerce Hansen told reporters that the European Union, based on non-market economy countries, set up barriers for 17 years. Now it seems that the time may be extended to 22 years. This discriminatory practice has seriously hampered China’s products. Enter the European market. In response to such barriers, China's bicycle industry must speed up structural transformation, change the current status of OEM (OEM) production, cultivate high value-added products, form independent brands, and increase competitiveness.

He suggested that enterprises should actively respond to trade remedies initiated by foreign countries. In order to avoid high tariff rates, "detour" tactics can be used to set up production plants in other countries that can enjoy zero-tariff treatment and export them to third countries.

The EU is the world’s largest bicycle consumer market, with annual sales of about 30 million bicycles. Last year, China exported less than 700,000 bicycles to the EU.