Taiwan’s e-bike exports to the EU soared 76.4 percent to US$430.4 million in 2019, surpassing China and Hong Kong to become the top supplier to the organization’s member states for the first time, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said July 6.
 
According to the MOEA, Taiwan accounted for 64.7 percent of the EU’s import market, up from 32.4 percent the year before. It was followed by Vietnam, 14 percent, and Switzerland, 12.1 percent.
 
The ministry attributed the strong showing to Taiwan e-bike producers’ constant innovation and successful marketing. External factors such as increasing demand for environmentally friendly transport options, aging populations in Europe and anti-dumping duties imposed by the EU on exports from China also helped, it added.
 
E-bikes are becoming a major driver of growth in the domestic bicycle manufacturing industry, the MOEA said, increasing from 2.7 percent of total sector output in 2015 to 35.5 percent last year.
 
While Taiwan’s export volume to the EU declined 38.3 percent year on year in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, total export value to the region grew 10.6 percent in the first five months of 2020 to US$259.2 million, the MOEA said.
 
MOEA statistics show Taiwan’s e-bike exports totaled US$863 million in 2019, up 128.4 percent year on year. The Netherlands, U.S. and Germany were the top three destinations, in that order. (SFC-E)
 
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