Donald Trump’s tariff trade war could lead to bike helmets becoming less affordable, leaving children “unprotected from potential injury”, a trade association representing the cycling industry in the United States has claimed.

Those safety warnings were made as part of a formal open letter that will be sent to the US president, penned by PeopleForBikes, requesting tariff relief for bicycles, components, clothing, helmets, and related accessories, arguing that the tariffs as they currently stand could have a “devastating” impact on the industry.

Unveiled at the start of April, the Trump administration’s controversial so-called ‘reciprocal’ tariffs aimed to revitalise American manufacturing and counter what the US president views as unfair trade practices inflicted on the United States – by imposing additional taxes on imports from the vast majority of other countries.

Several nations in the Far East, which forms the manufacturing focal point of the global cycling industry, were on the receiving end of hefty additional tariffs, including Taiwan (32 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), Japan (24 per cent), Thailand (36 per cent), Cambodia (46 per cent), and Indonesia (32 per cent).

Of course, after some very predictable market turmoil, Trump pressed pause on these new higher rates for 90 days, with the exception of China, which now faces tariffs of up to 145 per cent on goods entering the US, after it hit back with its own reciprocal increase.

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With the cycling industry, both in the US and across the world, now facing a renewed period of uncertainty, over the past few weeks we’ve seen Trek, Giant, Specialized, and Brompton all announce that the prices of their bikes are likely to rise – or have already risen – for American customers.

Last month, PeopleForBikes, a US bike industry trade association representing 340 suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors across the country, warned that higher import costs as a result of the tariffs could force many companies either into insolvency or into mergers with rivals.

“The mood in the industry is fairly grim because we are facing a potentially existential threat,” the group’s Matt Moore said.

“Companies with better access to capital and operational advantages will raise prices to cover costs and preserve margins. Companies that cannot do that may succumb to this new trade environment.”

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And in an open letter they are preparing to send to Trump, which they are currently urging brands and industry leaders to sign, PeopleForBikes requested “tariff relief or an exclusion process like your administration did in 2018”, referencing the US president’s exemptions on children’s bikes and electric bikes, as well as reduced tariffs on helmets, lights, and components, when he imposed similar measures on Chinese goods during his first term.

“While America once made all of the bicycles we need, this has not been the case for several decades,” the group said, recognising Trump’s apparent bid to galvanise US industries.

“Difficulties moving the supply chain for bicycles, parts, apparel, and accessories persist. For example, each bicycle may have 200 or more component parts that are still primarily sourced from sub-suppliers in foreign countries.

“Developing a domestic manufacturing base for this wide variety of components will take substantial time and capital investment at a time when capital is hard to come by and cash flow is tight.”

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Warning of the potential harmful effects of the tariffs on the cycling industry, the letter continues: “The current tariffs on complete bicycles and components used for assembly, imported from countries around the globe, will have devastating impacts on our industry if not adjusted in the near term.

“We are hearing concerns around additional layoffs and the risk of more companies closing their operations, including some of our few remaining domestic manufacturers.

“Further, companies that already assemble bicycles in the United States are struggling to survive given the increased tariffs on the components needed for domestic assembly operations.”

PeopleForBikes also warned that rising prices for consumers could lead to safety risks, particularly when it comes to the increased cost of helmets.

“Current and proposed tariffs on bicycle helmets make buying this essential and legally required safety equipment much less affordable, which could leave both adults and children unprotected from potential injury,” the group said.

“We believe it is important to protect this quintessentially American industry. We therefore respectfully request that you consider granting tariff relief for bicycles, bicycle components, apparel, and related accessories to help safeguard this important business sector that has enriched the lives of millions of Americans for more than a century.”

In a statement urging industry leaders to sign the open letter, which the group hopes will “unite the bicycle industry in a powerful show of support for meaningful tariff relief”, PeopleForBikes policy counsel Matt Moore said: ““We are working every day to shift our supply chains, restore domestic manufacturing, and protect American jobs. But without relief from current tariffs, companies across our industry are facing impossible choices, from layoffs and restructuring to closure.”

“The bicycle industry has enriched American lives for more than a century,” said CEO Jenn Dice. “We urge the administration to give our businesses the runway they need to compete globally, invest domestically, and keep biking safe, affordable, and accessible for everyone.”