WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN)—The Made in USA sticker is giving exporters of kids' bikes a good year so far as shipments reached 14,606 juvenile bikes through June, an increase of 19 percent.
Exporters of U.S.-made frames also are over last year’s figures, just barely. Frame exports were up 663 kilograms of frames—the Department of Commerce does not provide a unit count for frames, only weight.
Exporters of adult bikes—mountain and road bikes—have not done so well. Adult exports fell by 2,800 units, an 11 percent decline. Shipments to Pacific Rim countries fell by 1,022 units, however, shipments of kids' bikes to the same area was up 2,799 units, so U.S.-made bikes are still in demand in the area. The adult bike market in Europe is growing, with shipments to the U.K., France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway up over last year.
Frame shipments to Pacific Rim countries are up 49 percent, lead by Taiwan which not only imported the most frames, 84,458 kilos worth, but most were high-end frames with an average value of $95 a kilo. Japan, which imported 22,039 kilos of frames, had a substantially higher average value at $140 a kilo. Frame exports to Korea and Singapore also were strong.
—Matt Wiebe
