Tag Archive: ebma

  1. Collective sends 2nd protest against registration to Commission

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    The Collective of European Importers of Electric Bicycles has sent a second, exhaustive position paper to the European Commission further objecting to the possible registration of imports. That registration has been requested by EBMA and, if granted by the European Commission, would allow for retroactive collection of anti-dumping duties. The Collective has reiterated and further detailed its arguments against the EBMA position.

    EBMA continues to build on unverifiable, Chinese export data to establish the so-called stockpiling, that requires registration. As a result, EBMA claims huge increase of Chinese exports in December 2017, January and February 2018. EBMA has consistently asked the Commission to treat these Chinese statistics as confidential information, since they allegedly have paid a fee to obtain the numbers. The Collective asks the Commission to disclose the identity of the data provider, which will also allow the Collective to obtain and verify the data for a fee.

    Improper assessment

    However, the Chinese export statistics are not supported by Eurostat statistics. The Collective believes that this is due to the fact that the EBMA does not use the proper method for assessing the need for registration. Eurostat reports average monthly import volumes of around 68,670 units for the investigation period and an average of 59,200 in the three months following the initiation of the anti-dumping investigation. Even imports in January 2018, at 64,020 units, were lower than the average for the investigation period. So, the proper method for assessing the need for registration shows no surge in additional import volumes and/or stockpiling and therefore no need whatsoever for registration.

    Stockpiling practically impossible

    The Collective further argues that it is practically impossible for its members to stockpile in view of the way they work. They do not buy electric bikes off the shelf but have them tailor made, which involves very long lead-times, especially for the parts to come in. These parts are in very high demand, since they are not only used for e-bike production in China but just as well for the European production of e-bikes. Even if an importer would have responded immediately to the Notice of Initiation (Oct. 2017), bikes ordered then will only be delivered well into 2018.

    Nevertheless, EBMA claims that there exists an almost two year history of dumping which somehow indicates that EU importers should have been aware that dumping was taking place.  EBMA relies on “rumours” about a potential anti-dumping complaint in the trade press back in Autumn 2016 to support the existence of such knowledge. Conveniently, however, EBMA omits that it expressly scotched such rumours at the end of November 2016 when it responded to them saying: “There is not any current EBMA request, nor – in EBMA’s knowledge – any new investigation at the European Union Commission at present. The rapidly growing imports from China to the EU are being monitored through Eurostat.”  (Bike Europe, 29/11/2016)

    No (threat of) injury

    Conspicuously, the EBMA does not address any of the analysis provided by the Collective  in its previous submission showing the absence of injury to the EU industry. As an example, in the 2017 financial report, the Accell Group notes first that it is one of the largest, if not the largest EU producers of e-bikes, and therefore potentially the price leader, and then confirms robust growth in its e-bike sales in the EU. Overall, for the Accell Group, turnover for e-bikes increased by 90% over a period almost commensurate with the injury investigation period. The growth in turnover between 2016 and 2017 was 30%. These results clearly do not indicate any injury measured in terms of revenues for e-bikes for this Group. The Group also states that it recorded a further increase in its order intake for 2018. Since future order intake is a crucial element of assessing actual injury or a threat thereof,  the fact that publicly available information indicates that one of the largest EU e-bike producers has a healthy order intake, points strongly to no such threat, contrary to the EBMA’s claims.

    Importing EBMA-members

    Finally, the Collective questions whether a significant number of EBMA’s members can actually be considered as part of the EU industry, because they themselves are significant importers of electric bicycles from China. It is relatively clear from the Commission’s non-confidential files that Prophete is a related importer for one of the sampled EU producers. Another EBMA-member, BH is part of the importers’ sample. As for Oxylane, it is part of Decathlon which, as reported by Bike Europe(16/01/2018), sells 60,000 to 70,000 electric bikes per year which are currently being produced in China.

    Therefore, the Collective requests the Commission to carefully consider the impact of these activities. It also raises the question as to  whether the sampled EU producers are actually part of a real EU manufacturing industry for e-bikes and to what extent EU enterprises have self-inflicted injury by engaging in these practices.

    Damage to importers

    The Collective is convinced that registration of imports will inflict further and disproportionate damage to EU importers. It would have an unjustified chilling effect with potential cancellation of deliveries, because EU importers cannot reasonably assess the risk involved in retroactive collection of duties at a completely unknown duty rate.

    The European Commission has until 20th April to decide on registration, which creates the possibility of retroactive collection. However, should registration be imposed, duties will only be collected on condition that the Commission decides for definitive dumping duties. That decision is still a long way off.

    For the full text of the Collective’s submission and/or any further details, please contact Annick Roetynck, tel. +32 9 233 60 05, email leva-eu@telenet.be 

  2. EU electric bicycle market grows and blooms

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    Bike Europe reports record sales of electric bicycles in Europe in 2017. All segments, i.e. conventional pedelecs, speed pedelecs and electric mountain bikes continue to grow. Bike Europe pays special attention to the results in France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

    The French market was boosted by a national subsidy scheme awarding €200 for the purchase of an electric bicycle. This pushed sales up by 50% compared to 2016.

    In the meantime, subsidies for electric bicycles have also been introduced in Sweden and Finland, whilst Belgium has opted for a subsidy for electric mopeds and motorcycles.

    The growth percentages reported by Bike Europe, ranging from 9 to 50%, are not really in line with the alleged threat of injury argued by EBMA in their dumping complaint against import of electric bicycles from China.

    The full Bike Europe article is here: http://www.bike-eu.com/sales-trends/nieuws/2018/3/e-bike-sales-soared-in-eus-main-markets-10133378

  3. EU dumping case on e-bikes from China: rumours

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    Have you heard on the grapevine that as of 20th April duties will have to be paid retroactively should definitive duties be imposed? These are the facts.

    On 31st January, EBMA has submitted to the European Commission a request for registration of imports. On 22nd February, the Collective of Importers has requested the European Commission to reject EBMA’s request for registration. Further details are here:  http://vijaydemo.ml/2018/02/22/collective-of-european-importers-of-electric-bicycles-asks-commission-to-reject-ebma-request-for-registration/

    To date, the Commission has taken no decision in this matter. So there is no registration going on, no registration pending, we are still waiting for the Commission to take a decision on this issue. That decision will be published in writing.

    This is where the rumour comes from. The ultimate date for the Commission to impose provisional duties is 20th July. If these provisional duties are followed by definitive duties, then the Commission has the right to collect the provisional duties with a maximum of 90 days prior to the imposition of provisional duties. This however is on condition that the Commission has decided to register the imports, which is not yet the case. Consequently, the Commission has until 20th April to impose registration, should they want to be able to use the full 90 days prior to imposition of provisional measures for retroactive collection.

    You can read the facts up to now on this case, here http://vijaydemo.ml/2018/02/08/eu-dumping-case-on-e-bikes-from-china-the-facts-so-far/

    The Collective finds it important to negate unfounded rumours because the case is already causing a great deal of unrest, upset and damage in the electric bicycle business. This should not be further fuelled by mere rumours.

  4. EBMA files dumping complaint against import Chinese electric bicycles

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    Source: EBMA

    Moreno Fioravanti, Secretary General at the European Bicycle Manufacturers Association (EBMA) announced: “dumped Chinese e-bikes are flooding the EU market.  European e-bikes are undercut and overwhelmed in their home market by heavily subsidised, illegally dumped Chinese e-bikes sold below their cost of production.  Imports of e-bikes from China have been increasing quickly and have now exploded, with imports in the first seven months of 2017 already exceeding the entire 2016 import volume.  Imports into the EU of e-bikes from China increased from virtually zero in 2010 to a level likely over 800,000 in 2017.  Therefore, we have filed a complaint with the European Commission, calling for the registration of imports and urgent anti-dumping measures on e-bikes from China.  The EBMA is also preparing an anti-subsidy complaint. We urge the European Commission to investigate the unfair trade practices of Chinese e-bike exporters as soon as possible.”

    More than 430,000 Chinese e-bikes were dumped into the EU in 2016, representing 70% of all e-bikes imported from outside Europe. Chinese imports in 2016 showed a massive 40% volume growth compared to the previous year.

    The full article is here: http://ebma-brussels.eu/2017/10/european-bicycle-manufacturers-association-files-eu-anti-dumping-complaint-to-stop-the-dumping-of-chinese-e-bikes/

     

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