BRITISH bicycle makers say they face ruinous competition from cheap Chinese imports after Brexit when they are no longer protected by EU rules, reports Bloomberg.
Brompton Bicycle and Frog Bikes are among those saying they risk being undercut when the Brexit transition period ends in January when EU tariffs cease to apply.
The EU introduced the levy because large state subsidies were giving the country's producers an unfair advantage.
'We've got coronavirus, we've got Brexit, we need as a nation to be supporting industries that have potential to grow,' said William Butler-Adams, managing director of Brompton, the maker of a folding bike favoured by London commuters.
'There's this fantastic opportunity in cycling. You would have thought the government would support it and nurture that industry,' said Mr Butler-Adams.
The UK is assessing each of the EU's anti-dumping rules on a case-by-case basis. If British producers account for no more than one per cent of the domestic market, the government will drop the anti-dumping tariff.
Frog Bikes, which specialises in children's bikes and employs about 80 people, said it submitted evidence to the government in July showing that domestic producers make up more than three per cent of the UK market, said Shelley Lawson, the company's co-founder.
She said her company's recent efforts to contact the Trade Remedies Authority, the government agency responsible, have gone without reply, meaning she doesn't know the basis for the decision or how it could be appealed.
Frog Bikes, which generates 50 per cent of its sales in the EU, said it fears being hit both by cheaper imports from China and potential tariffs on trade with the EU.
'The UK market is going to become even more important to us,' she said. 'We're doubly concerned we're going to be much less competitive within our home market as well,' she said.
SeaNews Turkey
Brompton Bicycle and Frog Bikes are among those saying they risk being undercut when the Brexit transition period ends in January when EU tariffs cease to apply.
The EU introduced the levy because large state subsidies were giving the country's producers an unfair advantage.
'We've got coronavirus, we've got Brexit, we need as a nation to be supporting industries that have potential to grow,' said William Butler-Adams, managing director of Brompton, the maker of a folding bike favoured by London commuters.
'There's this fantastic opportunity in cycling. You would have thought the government would support it and nurture that industry,' said Mr Butler-Adams.
The UK is assessing each of the EU's anti-dumping rules on a case-by-case basis. If British producers account for no more than one per cent of the domestic market, the government will drop the anti-dumping tariff.
Frog Bikes, which specialises in children's bikes and employs about 80 people, said it submitted evidence to the government in July showing that domestic producers make up more than three per cent of the UK market, said Shelley Lawson, the company's co-founder.
She said her company's recent efforts to contact the Trade Remedies Authority, the government agency responsible, have gone without reply, meaning she doesn't know the basis for the decision or how it could be appealed.
Frog Bikes, which generates 50 per cent of its sales in the EU, said it fears being hit both by cheaper imports from China and potential tariffs on trade with the EU.
'The UK market is going to become even more important to us,' she said. 'We're doubly concerned we're going to be much less competitive within our home market as well,' she said.
SeaNews Turkey