In an 11-page plea to the US Commerce Secretary, Indiana-based Guardian Bikes declared the US bike industry “was lost” due to 11 million imports in 2024. The company is leading a push by 700 US firms to have their products added to the “steel derivatives” tariff list.
The company’s letter blamed “severe competition” from China. However, its request for inclusion on the tariff list, if accepted, would apply globally. This would hit high-performance European brands like Italy’s Pinarello and Bianchi, and the UK’s Brompton.
This is just one of 700 new requests submitted before an October 21 deadline. Other firms, like tomato-canner Red Gold and cookware makers American Pan, have made similar arguments about “unfair” competition from imported finished goods.
This campaign is causing alarm among US allies. The UK and EU, which have separate trade deals, now face an additional tariff on their steel-containing goods, on top of their baseline rates (10% and 25% respectively).
They argue this “additive” tariff “makes a mockery” of their agreements. With a near-100% success rate for a previous list of 407 items in August, approval is widely expected.
A decision is anticipated in December or January. Experts at Flint Global call the US policy “expansionist” and “liberal,” creating significant trade uncertainty for allies.