Thoughts on tariff effects on the cycling industry

[Panic]

My interest lies in reducing car dependency and empowering lower-income people and kids to get outside. So, ebikes, cargo bikes, and just getting any kind of bike in the hands of people who need reliable transportation.

I’m really nervous about how the tariffs will affect ebikes, as many (most?) of them are manufactured in Asia. I can’t even afford an ebike yet and the brand I’m interested in apparently confirmed they’re raising prices because of the tariffs, and the local ebike incentive program isn’t robust or developing fast enough to help the majority of people who need one.

However, because this will also increase the price of new cars in an already stagnating market, interest may conversely spike in using bikes/ebikes as a second car or a car alternative. The change is already happening, this might just catalyze it further.

I feel there’s a rising demand for used bikes, too. There’s even some brick and mortar LBSs that specialize in used bikes (like ReCycles Bikes on Youtube), and some of my local thrift stores often put out new donated bikes.