Friday, 29 March 2024
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60 European SMEs call on EU Commissioner to review dumping allegations

60 European companies from 13 EU member states have called on Trade Commissioner Malmström to review the European Commission’s intention to impose up to 79.3% duties on the import of e-Bikes from China.

LEVA-EU announced today that the request is supported by another 27 companies active in the e-Bike sector but do not import from China, including producers, distributors, dealers and service providers. According to LEVA, all 87 European signatories together employ 1,419 people.

The letter has received further support from non-European companies active in the e-Bike sector as well as from Chinese e-Bike assemblers. The signatories’ list holds a total of 176 names but is confidential.

LEVA believes the Commission’s dumping allegations are unfounded because it has been unable to prove injury caused to EU producers.

In the letters, the 60 importers claimed that the Commission intends to impose the duties in order to allow the EU industry to increase its profits by 0.9% of sales turnover at the expense of an estimated 150 European SMEs, calling in to question the economic efficacy of imposing such duties.

The companies warned the Commissioner that final duties will have an immensely negative effect on the whole European e-bike sector, urging her to reconsider the proposed measures which, according to them, will only be for the benefit of a handful of EU companies, “Who are abusing a trade defence instrument to disturb the market and upset competition.”

LEVA said: “This letter marks the final effort of the Collective of European Importers of Electric Bicycles supported by LEVA-EU to fight the Commission’s proposal for the imposition of dumping duties. The Collective will now await the Commission’s final decision, announced for January 2019, upon which they will confer on potential further actions.”

On 18 December, the EU member state representatives in the Trade Defence Instruments Committee will meet to give their final judgement on the Commission’s proposal.