(Photo © Jonathan Maus)
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) introduced a series of ten bills this week that look to temporarily suspend the import duties on bicycle parts needed by American manufacturers that are not produced in the United States.
According to a press statement just released by his office in Washington DC, these bills will be referred to the Ways and Means Committee, on which Blumenauer serves, for consideration in the broader Miscellaneous Tariff Bill.
Blumenauer says, “Bicycles provide important, environmentally friendly transportation alternatives, and I am happy to do my part to make them more accessible and affordable.”
By waiving tariffs on parts that are not produced in the U.S., he claims, “we do a service to American bike manufacturers and riders.”
One local manufacturer, custom bike maker Tony Pereira, had this to say about Blumenauer’s move,
“This is a long overdue move. These tariffs are outdated and do not reflect the current reality of the domestic bicycle parts market…With the sagging dollar foreign made products have become more and more expensive and eliminating these tariffs would help increase profits for re-sellers in the US without hurting any domestic manufacturers. My material costs (steel tubing from Italy) have increased nearly 40% in the last year. A bit of relief would be great.”
Among the bike parts included are speedometers, child carriers, wheel rims and brakes. Here are links to the bills for more information:
- H.R.4937: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on bicycle speedometers.
- H.R.4938: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on child carriers, chain tension adjusters, chain covers, and certain other articles designed for use on bicycles.
- H.R.4939: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on unicycles.
- H.R.4940: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on sets of steel tubing for bicycle frames.
- H.R.4941: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on bicycle wheel rims.
- H.R.4942: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on crank-gear and parts thereof.
- H.R.4943: To extend the temporary suspension of duty on brakes designed for bicycles.
- H.R.4944: To suspend temporarily the duty on nesoi hubs.
- H.R.4945: To suspend temporarily the duty on variable speed hubs (except 2- and 3-speed).
- H.R.4946: To suspend temporarily the duty on bells designed for use on bicycles.