Taiwan's exports of bicycles and bicycle parts rebounded sharply in 2010, rising 22.7% to $2.2 billion as dealers worldwide restocked their shelves after dramatically reducing orders in 2009, according to figures released by the Taiwan Bicycle Exporters Association at the Taipei Cycle Show and reported by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN), which is published by a for-profit unit of the National Association of Bicycle Dealers…
Exports of complete bikes rose 17.9% to 5.1 million units in 2010. Those exports were valued at $1.5 billion, up 20.3% from 2009. Average wholesale prices, meanwhile, rose just 2% from $291 to $296 per bike, BRAIN reported.
Exports of bicycle parts, meanwhile, reached $660 million in 2010, up 28.8% from the prior year, when bike makers dramatically cut production in response to a sharp drop in orders from bike dealers.
The United States remained the Taiwanese bicycle industry’s top export market, taking 21.2% of exports. The next largest export markets were The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
Attendance at the Taipei cycle show has been sparse according to some media reports, which said that concerns over radiation exposure in Japan has caused some to cancel connecting flights through the earthquake and tsunami ravaged nation.
In an interview at the show by Taipei Times, Giant Manufacturing Co. Chairman King Liu said his company has seen a surge in orders from Japan, where bicycles have emerged as a popular transportation option in areas affected by the disaster, according to a report in the Taipei Times.
