WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN)—Importers of bicycle tubing, speedometers, road and hydraulic disc brakes had reason to celebrate this summer. The U.S. Department of Commerce removed all tariffs on those products under a temporary duty suspension program. The party is over on January 1, as import tariffs return to normal levels.
“Having the tariff on tubing return to 6 percent was expected, so it isn’t a surprise. However, finding out the tariff was suspended temporarily in July was great news,” said Denise Sutphin, United Bicycle Institute co-owner, and responsible for importing the Kaisei bicycle tubing from Japan.
“Because we work with a small Japanese company we couldn’t order more tubing to take advantage of the free tariff, they just don’t work that way. Plus currency issues between the dollar and Yen have a larger impact on our business right now then tariffs,” Sutphin added.
Earlier this year the Bicycle Parts Supplier Association (BPSA) successfully lobbied the Ways and Means Committee for reductions of bicycles and bicycle parts tariffs. But the budget deficit threw up a few roadblocks to BPSA’s lobbying effort, and the association won only temporary duty suspension.
So this summer the import tariff on items like bicycle speedometers, child carriers, unicycles, steel bicycle tubing, brakes and some internal-gear hubs was eliminated or reduced, but in January the temporary reductions are over.
—Matt Wiebe
