Taiwan
USA trade laneCentral Taiwan, around Taichung, is one of the world's main centers for mid- and high-end bicycles and e-bikes, with frame builders, component makers and assembly plants for brands sold across the US. Bikes are not complicated freight, but four rules catch new importers: e-bikes have shipped as dangerous goods under their own UN number since 1 January 2026; every bike is a CPSC-regulated product whose certificate data has been e-filed with the entry since 8 July 2026; children's bikes need third-party testing; and a bike assembled in Taiwan on a Chinese frame is Chinese.
Complete bicycles and e-bikes from Taiwan pay the Section 301 tariff on Taiwanese goods, which since 24 July 2026 brings the total up to the level set for Taiwan, and since April 2026 neither has been on the Section 232 steel and aluminum lists. We work through WCA partner agents in Taiwan; AGF has no office there. Our partners collect from factories in central and southern Taiwan, we book e-bike containers with carriers that accept them, our licensed customs brokers file the entry and the CPSC data, and partner warehouses near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, close to our Glendale headquarters, devan and distribute. With our own office in Foshan, China, we ask the frame and motor origin questions before you order.
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Shipping Bicycles & E-Bikes from Taiwan to USA
Bikes fill containers by volume. The 40ft high-cube, with about 76 cubic metres inside, is the standard box, and for typical bike cartons the extra height fits a third tier where a standard 40ft takes two. A 40HC typically holds somewhere around 200–250 boxed adult bikes — fewer e-bikes in their larger cartons, more children's bikes — and the factory's carton dimensions decide the exact number, so we work it out from the packing list. Weight is rarely the limit.
E-bikes are dangerous goods at sea. Since the IMDG Code amendment that became mandatory on 1 January 2026, an e-bike with its battery fitted ships as UN3556, vehicle, lithium-ion battery powered — the old battery-powered-vehicle entry no longer applies to lithium. A battery packed in the same carton but not fitted ships as UN3481, and spare batteries as UN3480. Each battery design needs a UN38.3 test summary, e-bike batteries are far above the small-battery exceptions, and a container with any e-bikes in it is declared and placarded as a dangerous-goods container, so book with a carrier and routing that accept it, earlier than for pedal bikes. From Kaohsiung, sailings to Los Angeles or Long Beach take roughly two to three weeks; Taichung cargo may connect through Kaohsiung, and New York takes about four to six weeks. For spring selling, book so the cargo leaves before the Lunar New Year closure; summer typhoons can shut ports for a day or more.
- 40ft high-cube is the standard box: typically about 200–250 boxed adult bikes, fewer e-bikes
- E-bike with battery fitted: UN3556; battery in the same carton: UN3481; spare batteries: UN3480
- UN38.3 test summary for every battery design, checked before booking
- Cartons floor-loaded or on ISPM 15 heat-treated pallets, kept upright and dry
- Spare batteries by air only on cargo aircraft at no more than 30% state of charge
What Drives the Cost
- Dangerous-goods surcharges and carrier acceptance for e-bike containers — any e-bike makes it a dangerous-goods box
- The Section 301 tariff, which tops the total up to the level set for Taiwan unless the normal duty for that bike type is already higher
- Frame origin: a Chinese frame makes the bike Chinese, with China's heavier tariffs
- Testing and certification: CPSC bicycle tests, third-party testing for children's bikes, UL 2849 for e-bikes sold in New York City and California
- Cartons per container — carton size sets the freight cost per bike
- US distribution: devanning, partner warehouse storage and delivery to dealers or distribution centers
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 8712.00 | Bicycles and other cycles without a motor — road, mountain, gravel, children's | The normal duty varies with wheel size, weight and type; the Section 301 tariff tops the total up to the level set for Taiwan where the normal duty is lower. Confirmed per 10-digit line at quoting. |
| 8711.60 | Cycles with an auxiliary electric motor — e-bikes, including pedal-assist and throttle models | Section 301 tariff on Taiwanese goods applies; e-bikes were on the Section 232 steel derivative list from August 2025 until 2026 and are now off it. Confirmed at quoting. |
| 8714.91–8714.99 | Frames, forks, wheels, hubs, brakes, saddles and other bicycle parts | Section 301 tariff unless exempt. Some parts in steel headings — chains (7315), for example — still pay Section 232. Frames shipped alone are checked for origin like complete bikes. |
| 8507.60 | Spare and replacement e-bike batteries | Ship as UN3480, Class 9. Section 301 tariff on Taiwanese goods applies; cells made in China raise the origin questions covered in our battery guide. |
| 8504.40 | E-bike battery chargers shipped separately | Classified on their own when not packed with the bike. California's e-bike law covers charging systems too. Confirmed at quoting. |
Regulations and Compliance
E-bikes are dangerous goods: UN3556 since January 2026
Under IMDG Amendment 42-24, mandatory since 1 January 2026, lithium-ion battery powered vehicles — the definition names bicycles with a motor, and covers vehicles packed in cartons with parts detached — ship as UN3556. Batteries packed with the bike but not fitted ship as UN3481, and spare batteries as UN3480. Every battery design needs a UN38.3 test summary, the shipper signs a dangerous-goods declaration, and the container is placarded. On the US leg, spare batteries are hazardous materials under Department of Transportation rules as well. Without the test summaries, carriers will not accept the booking.
CPSC bicycle rule and the e-bike definition
Bicycles must meet the CPSC bicycle requirements in 16 CFR part 1512, and so do low-speed electric bicycles: fully operable pedals, a motor under 750 watts, and a top speed under 20 mph on the motor alone with a 170-lb rider. Machines outside that definition are not low-speed e-bikes for federal purposes and can fall under motor-vehicle rules instead, so the specification sheet matters. The importer issues a certificate of compliance based on testing, and since 8 July 2026 its data has been e-filed with the customs entry; missing data holds the shipment.
Children's bikes: third-party testing and a Children's Product Certificate
Bikes designed primarily for children 12 and under are children's products: they must be tested to the bicycle rule by a CPSC-accepted laboratory and covered by a Children's Product Certificate, carry permanent tracking information, and meet the lead limits for paint and accessible parts — metal bicycle components have their own lead limit and are excluded from third-party lead testing. The certificate data is e-filed with the entry like any other.
UL 2849, New York City and California
New York City has required e-bikes sold or rented there to be certified to UL 2849, and their batteries to UL 2271, since 2023. California has required e-bike batteries sold there to be tested by an accredited laboratory to UL 2849 or EN 15194 since 1 January 2026. In June 2026 the CPSC proposed a federal rule for lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and other micromobility products based on modified versions of the UL standards; it was not final in October 2026, and products certified to today's versions may need changes when it is. Ask your factory for the certificates before you order.
Origin follows the frame
CBP has ruled that bicycles assembled in Taiwan on frames made in China are products of China, because the frame gives the bike its shape, size and character, and it has applied the same reasoning to e-bikes. A Chinese frame therefore brings China's tariffs and a 'Made in China' marking, whatever the assembly. Motors, batteries and components from China do not change the answer where the frame is genuinely Taiwanese, but each case turns on its facts, and Taiwan's economics ministry now pursues false origin claims on US-bound goods. For a new model, get the frame origin in writing and consider a binding ruling.
Duty: the Section 301 tariff, not Section 232
Since 24 July 2026 bicycles, e-bikes and most parts from Taiwan have paid the Section 301 tariff on Taiwanese goods, which brings the total up to the level set for Taiwan; where the normal duty for a bike type is already at or above it, nothing is added. Complete bikes and e-bikes are not on the Section 232 steel and aluminum lists, but some steel parts shipped separately still are. A separate Section 301 investigation into excess capacity that includes Taiwan is still open. Our licensed customs brokers confirm the total per model at quoting.
Door-to-Door Import Service
Before you order, we review the model list, the frame origin, the CPSC test reports and certificates, and for e-bikes the battery UN38.3 test summaries and any UL 2849 certificates your sales channels need.
Our WCA partner agent in Taiwan collects the cartons from factories around Taichung or southern Taiwan, checks carton condition and markings, prepares the dangerous-goods declaration for e-bikes and handles the export declaration.
We book a 40ft high-cube from Taichung or Kaohsiung — with a carrier that accepts e-bikes where needed — and file the ISF at least 24 hours before loading.
Sailings reach Los Angeles or Long Beach in roughly two to three weeks; New York and other ports are confirmed per sailing.
Our licensed customs brokers file the entry with the Section 301 lines and the e-filed CPSC certificate data.
A partner warehouse near the ports devans the container, stores the stock if needed and ships to your dealers, distribution centers or marketplace warehouses, with spare batteries handled as hazardous materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you ship e-bikes from Taiwan to the US?
What is the import duty on bicycles from Taiwan?
Do e-bikes imported into the US need UL 2849 certification?
Is a bike assembled in Taiwan with a Chinese frame made in Taiwan?
How many bikes fit in a 40ft container?
Do children's bikes need a Children's Product Certificate?
Bicycles & E-Bikes is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
Lithium Batteries & Energy Storage from South Korea
Toys & Baby Products from China
Batteries & Energy Storage from Malaysia
DDC — Authorized Representative in Kazakhstan
Europe — Achot Baghdasarian