WASHINGTON, DC (BRAIN) Thursday May 10 2012 9:59 AM MT—Through March this year suppliers imported 312,306 more bikes compared with the same period last year, with kids' bikes categories making big gains, according to figures from the U.S. Commerce Department.
Apparently kids didn’t spend the warm winter inside, as imports of sidewalk and 20-inch bikes were up 35 and 38 percent, respectively, an increase of about half a million bikes.
Adult imports were generally off, with imports of 26-inch mountain bikes and cruisers down 12 percent, a drop of 128,097 bikes. Road and 29er imports were up by 17,805 bikes, a 5 percent gain.
Imports from Taiwan fell 22 percent, while Chinese imports grew 13 percent, a reflection of suppliers importing lower-value bikes from China and strong sales to mass-market retailers. Consequently, greater low-value bikes in the import mix dropped the average value of imports to $94 from $103 in the first quarter of last year.
