China manufacturers struggling to keep up with surge in global bike demand amid coronavirus fears
- China exported 4.6 million bikes in May, up 11.4 per cent from a year earlier, reversing a decline of 19 per cent in April
- China’s production of bikes in May also increased by 44.6 per cent from a year earlier to 4.25 million units as consumers seek alternatives to public transport
Fears of taking public transport amid the coronavirus pandemic have led to increased demand for bicycles, and while other products are struggling due to a lack of consumption, the boom has outstripped production capacity in China.
China’s production of bikes in May increased by 44.6 per cent from a year earlier to 4.25 million units, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, after having increased 27.5 per cent in April.
Overall, production over the first five months of 2020 dropped just 1.8 per cent, with the latest figures helping wipe out losses from the first quarter.
Orders from the US have exceeded our expectation
“Orders from the US have exceeded our expectation,” said Ge Lei, who owns one of China’s largest bicycle manufacturers which is still struggling to meet demand despite currently producing nearly 300,000 bikes a month – its full capacity – mainly for the American market.