Back in April, Singletracks reported on how bike brands were dealing with tariffs being proposed at the time. Another change takes effect today, and this time it’s affecting bike apparel and accessory brands, such as UK-based DFYRS.
“Bad news. We currently have no shipping service to the US,” the mountain bike clothing brand wrote in an email this week. On Friday, the US is suspending what is known as the de minimis rule, which previously waived import taxes and fees on packages with a declared value of less than $800 USD. The change means that foreign shippers will need to modify their operations to ensure import duties are collected and reported properly for shipment to the United States.
As a result, DFYRS says they’re cancelling all US customers’ open orders and are unable to take new ones until shipping companies can adapt to the new system.
Canada-based mountain bike apparel brand NF sent customers a similar email on Wednesday. Though the brand will continue to ship orders to the US, they note the new rules will increase shipping times, and buyers may be asked to pay additional fees upon delivery.
US buyers currently have few options when it comes to domestically produced cycling apparel. Ornot says much of their clothing is produced in the US, and Mission Workshop is also known for using US-made materials for the bags and clothing. One particularly high-profile US producer, Kitsbow, known for high-quality and expensive bike clothing, ceased operations in 2023, citing a lack of operating capital.
Bike tariffs are coming into focus now
Esker Cycles has been transparent about how tariffs are affecting their prices, and in an August 8 email to customers, the brand noted that their bike frame imports are now subject to a 20% tariff rate. The company is planning to raise prices by 10% to compensate for the new fee, though they’re holding off until September 1 to give buyers a chance to avoid the increase.
“We’ve always chosen to assemble our bikes here in the U.S. and invest in a small-batch, local-first approach,” the brand wrote. “Because of that, we avoid some of the additional tariffs and duties that brands relying on overseas assembly. [sic] We currently import frames while Kyle, Tuck, and Chad get them assembled here in our Minneapolis headquarters. It is unclear where pricing will land on components from our other suppliers, but we’ll continue doing our best to absorb those costs where we can.”
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