In a transfer that underscores the rising instability in worldwide e-bike commerce, premium electrical bike maker Riese & Müller has paused all e-bike shipments to the US, citing unpredictable metal tariffs as the ultimate straw.
The German model, recognized for its high-end city and cargo e-bikes, knowledgeable US sellers this week that it’s halting exports for the foreseeable future. Whereas the corporate pointed to the current reinstatement of a 50% tariff on sure metal elements from abroad, together with Germany, the broader problem right here appears to be the chaotic and ever-shifting tariff panorama surrounding e-bike imports.
“We have to take just a few days to fastidiously consider this example and its implications earlier than continuing with additional steps,” defined the corporate in an electronic mail to its sellers within the US, in response to Bicycle Retailer.
This isn’t the primary time tariffs have disrupted the movement of electrical two-wheelers into the US. The Trump administration’s Part 301 tariffs focusing on Chinese language items initially shook up the business throughout the administration’s first time period, hitting Chinese language-made e-bikes and elements with 25% duties earlier than being quickly suspended. These tariffs whipped forwards and backwards as exclusions got here and went, then grew to become a double whammy after the Trump administration’s “reciprocal” tariffs added much more hardships to e-bike importers within the US. And now, as of July 1, extra metal tariffs have expanded the uncertainty.
What’s uncommon in Riese & Müller’s case is that the majority e-bikes – even costly ones – use comparatively little metal in comparison with aluminum. Frames, forks, wheels, and most structural elements are more and more comprised of aluminum alloys or carbon fiber. However with the tariff code system as imprecise and inconsistently enforced as it’s, it appears R&M merely doesn’t need to take the chance of surprising import prices – or the executive mess that comes with it, together with having to account for the way a lot of a motorbike is produced from metal elements and what the worth of these elements proves to be.
The influence on the US market will possible be minor in quantity; Riese & Müller is a premium however considerably boutique model with a loyal but small buyer base. Nonetheless, it is a canary within the coal mine. If even premium manufacturers are selecting to step away from the US market over tariff unpredictability, what occurs when bigger, mass-market manufacturers begin working into comparable points?
For now, sellers within the US are being informed to promote by way of present inventory and never take extra orders till the corporate can decide whether or not will probably be in a position to proceed importing e-bikes into the US. But when the commerce warfare tariffs contineu, this might not be the final premium model to throw within the towel – at the very least quickly.
Electrek’s Take
This isn’t nearly one German e-bike model placing issues on pause – it’s a purple flag for the business. Whereas Riese & Müller could also be small by way of US quantity, their choice exhibits how unpredictable tariffs, even on seemingly minor elements, can create sufficient uncertainty to close down a whole market channel. Most e-bikes are made primarily from aluminum, not metal, however when customs enforcement can interpret tariff codes in imprecise or inconsistent methods, no model desires to gamble on a five-figure cargo getting hit with a shock 25-50% charge.
What’s extra regarding is that this provides to a rising stack of commerce coverage hurdles dealing with e-bike makers: China-focused tariffs, broader “reciprocal” tariffs, battery import duties, and now metal restrictions hitting European manufacturers too. There’s no coherent technique right here, only a patchwork of protectionist measures that harm importers, confuse sellers, and lift costs for customers. If the US desires to advertise micromobility and clear transportation, it’s going to want smarter insurance policies than this.
