Chinese bicycle exports soar in 2021

China’s bicycle exports rose 14.9 percent year on year to 69.26 million units in 2021, according to customs data. Meanwhile, the export value of bicycles soared 40.2 percent to about $5.11 billion, indicating a high-end trend in exports.

Photo shows bicycle transmission units produced by Ltwoo Controller Technology Co, Ltd. in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong Province. (Photo courtesy of Ltwoo Controller Technology)

Statistics also indicated that the country’s bike exports maintained double-digit growth for two consecutive years.

“Last year, we exported about 4 million bikes, accounting for 30 percent of company sales,” said Sheng Kai, business manager of Shanghai Phoenix Import & Export Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Phoenix), a subsidiary of century-old bike-maker Shanghai Phoenix Enterprise (Group) Co. Ltd., adding that the company’s order volume continued to grow rapidly. According to Sheng, Europe, the United States and Japan account for 64 percent of the company’s exports.

“The orders our company has received are scheduled for the second half of this year and our company is operating at full capacity,” Sheng said.

Tianjin Golden Wheel Bicycle Group, a bike manufacturer in north China’s Tianjin municipality, realized sales revenue of 5 billion yuan (about $786 million) last year, up from 3.1 billion yuan in 2020, according to Yang Yufeng, general manager of the group. The 250,000 electric bicycles and 2 million bikes produced by the group every year have contributed to its exports, which cover over 120 countries and regions.

Yang introduced that the group’s exports cover types such as mountain bicycles, folding bicycles, children’s bicycles, and electric bicycles.

A worker polishes a bicycle rim at a foreign trade enterprise in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Hu Jianhuan)

Industry insiders analyzed that the demand for bikes soared in overseas markets, as a growing number of people have taken to cycling due to health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic and some countries have rolled out measures such as offering subsidies bicycles.

In addition to entire bicycle exports, exports of bicycle parts have also increased as the pandemic impeded some transmission producers in supplying parts, according to Liu Chunsheng, founder and president of Ltwoo Controller Technology Co, Ltd., a bicycle transmission manufacturer based in Zhuhai city, south China’s Guangdong Province. “Some suppliers in the US and Japan have extended the delivery cycle to as long as two years, but we are able to deliver within a month,” Liu said.

Guo Wenyu, secretary-general of the China Bicycle Association, said that Chinese bicycle companies have made major progress in the research and development (R&D) and innovation of core components. “The quick response of domestic suppliers of bicycle parts during the pandemic has guaranteed the healthy development of the industry,” Guo said.

High value-added bicycle types, including racing bicycles, mountain bicycles and electric bicycles contributed to the growth of the industry’s export value.

“Electric bicycles contributed to a large part of our sales growth,” said Yang Yufeng, noting that the average export price of Tianjin Golden Wheel’s electric bicycle reaches €1,000 (about $1,137.7) per unit. “We exported 250,000 electric bicycles last year, and we expect further growth this year thanks to capacity expansion,” Yang said.

“Electric bicycles have taken up 40 percent of market shares in the Netherlands, while market shares of electric bicycles have also rapidly grown in Germany, Sheng Kai said, adding that the electric bicycle has become a major trend in Europe.

Chinese bicycle companies have continued to improve their R&D capabilities and expand e-commerce channels to better meet the demand of overseas customers.

Photo shows a bike produced by Tianjin Golden Wheel Bicycle Group in north China’s Tianjin municipality. (Photo courtesy of Tianjin Golden Wheel)

In 2020, Shanghai Phoenix began establishing high-standard lithium battery R&D and testing centers. So far, the company has formed three series of electric vehicles covering ranges of mountain, city, and other functions.

By developing its own technical route in three years, Ltwoo Controller Technology now owns more than 100 patents, ranking third in the world. The company has developed over 200 types of transmissions, and is serving over 200 clients worldwide.

An overseas extreme sports enthusiast rides a mountain bike produced by Chinese bike manufacturer Phoenix. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix)

Shanghai Phoenix invited overseas bicycle-lovers to attend its live broadcast at the company’s factory in Danyang, east China’s Jiangsu Province and witness one of its bicycles being assembled, so as to promote its products during the pandemic, said Luo Lue, head of the company’s digital foreign trade team.

In addition, new business and display modes such as online exhibitions, as well as cross-border e-commerce platforms Alibaba International and LAZADA International, have expanded the company’s sales channels.