Germany’s bicycle industry association ZIV published a position paper in October on competition with Chinese manufacturers. It argues that open trade matters, but that the rules must be applied consistently. ZIV estimates that China produces roughly 70–80 million bicycles and e-bikes each year, compared with around two million in Germany.
In ZIV’s view, pressure on German producers has spread from components to complete bicycles. The association points to financing and subsidy advantages for Chinese manufacturers, while acknowledging that European companies themselves depend heavily on frames and parts made in China. That makes this a discussion about a complex supply chain in which a bicycle’s assembly location does not tell the whole story of its origin.
ZIV proposes considering trade defence measures for components, refining technical requirements and making origin labels clearer. These are the association’s policy proposals, not newly adopted European rules. For buyers, the debate is a reminder that a bicycle’s price and provenance reflect assembly, component manufacturing and the wider supply chain.