Exports of Taiwan’s traditional bicycles, electric bikes and bicycle parts reached US$3.542 billion in the first seven months of this year, up 29 percent from a year earlier, as the bicycle industry maintains a growth trend that began with the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA, 外貿協會) said yesterday.
The pace of growth in e-bike exports has surpassed that of traditional bicycles, with total e-bike exports forecast to exceed traditional bicycle shipments by 2025, TAITRA said, citing an estimate by the Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center.
Support for the industry, which focuses on smart devices and sustainability, has dramatically increased as people adopt healthier and more sustainable lifestyles, TAITRA said.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council
As a result, Taiwan’s bicycle industry has gained a firm foothold thanks to its robust supply chain and strategic positioning in technology, it said.
“As a major carbon emitter, transportation is gradually moving toward electrification, and bicycles will be a key part of the future of clean mobility,” TAITRA chairman James Huang (黃志芳) told a news conference in Taipei.
“Bicycles will also be critical to the future of smart urban mobility, where data will be collected, analyzed and shared, bringing safer and more efficient urban mobility to the world,” he said.
Huang also held a panel discussion with bicycle chain maker KMC Kuei Meng International Inc (桂盟國際) chairman Robert Wu (吳盈進) and Giant Manufacturing Co (巨大機械) spokesman Ken Li (李書耕) on how the fight against climate change is affecting industries worldwide as businesses try to achieve low carbon emissions.
Wu said the next 10 years would be critical if countries want to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
To achieve that goal, global carbon emissions must be reduced by an average of 2.57 percent annually, Wu said, adding that using bicycles could be the easiest way to reduce emissions.
As about 80 percent of energy consumption in bicycle manufacturing comes from the supply chain, Giant plans to form the Bicycling Alliance for Sustainability next month to address the issue of net zero emissions, Li said.
TAITRA also said that next year’s Taipei Cycle trade show would be held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center’s Hall 1 and 2 from March 22 to 25.
A four-day event would focus on five key sustainability-related themes: resilient supply chain, digital connections, vibrant innovations, dynamic lifestyle and sustainable moves, TAITRA said.
In addition to the physical show, there would be virtual show, called DigitalGo, it said, adding that it expects the hybrid exhibition to have greater international reach.
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