BRUSSELS (BRAIN) — The European Bicycle Manufacturers' Association has withdrawn its request to the European Commission to begin registering the imports of e-bikes into the EU. The registration made it possible for the EC to collect retroactive anti-dumping duties on e-bikes brought in from China earlier this year.
The Collective of European Importers of Electric Bicycles, which has been lobbying the Commission on behalf of importers, said the EBMA's move was a great relief.
Registration would have allowed collection of stiff anti-dumping duties on e-bikes that were brought in between May and July this year. "Quite a number of European companies still had containers on the water" during that time period, the Collective said in a statement Friday. "To them, the potential retroactive collection of duties hung like a sword of Damocles over their head."
To officially end the registration, the Commission must publish a new regulation.
The Collective has met with the Commission three times now to lobby against the duties. In a recent meeting, they presented data indicating that the anti-dumping proceedings would cost importers an average of 605,000 euros ($701,000) per company, or a total cost to the industry of more than 90 million euros.
"It is unclear whether there is a link between the Collective's statements on injury at the hearing and EBMA's decision to withdraw the request for registration. It will, in any case, come as a great relief for many companies," the Collective said.
