The Government claims to support cycling, but it’s badly letting down British bike manufacturers and retailers.

Without any warning, 25% tariffs have been slapped on bike frames and other components imported from the US as part of retaliatory measures in the Boeing and Airbus WTO dispute, meaning hold-ups at Customs and an extra cost on UK bike companies. Now the Government is threatening to scrap the current anti-dumping duty on cheap bike imports from China at the end of the Transition Period. This can only happen under WTO rules if UK production is below 1%, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest it is significantly higher than that.

I called on the Government to act to protect the sector during Transport Questions today, and for the Minister to lobby his colleagues in DIT to ensure the UK is not punishing British bicycle manufacturers. Watch here.