COMMENT: Promising start to the motorcycle sales season
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Italian new motorcycle registrations show continued strong growth .............................................................................. Page 8
Magura launches new international aftermarket product pathway for dealers ................................................. Page 11
German specialist SIP Scootershop hosts dealers at new facility .................................................................................. Page 15
Industry concern that US-EU trade dispute
could impact the motorcycle market
he European Association of
Motorcycle Manufacturers
(ACEM - the Brussels based
international motorcycle industry
trade association for Europe) has
stated that it is “deeply
concerned at the recent press
statements delivered by the
American and European
authorities in relation to US
imports of steel and aluminium”.
ACEM goes on to say that it
“appreciates the reasons behind
potential retaliation action by the EU in
response to the US increases of tariffs
on imported steel and aluminium.
However, the motorcycle industry
would be severely damaged if brought
into this trade dispute”.
In February one of ACEM’s member
companies, Harley-Davidson, was
mentioned by EU Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker as
being amongst possible targets for
retaliation by European authorities.
Though largely interpreted at the time
as a symbolic broadside in response to
the Trump administration’s unilateral
decision, and one clearly aimed at
House of Representatives Speaker and
theoretical Republican Party Trump
T
political ally Paul Ryan’s home state
(Wisconsin, where Harley is
headquartered), Juncker’s remarks
nonetheless rattled cages in the
European motorcycle industry.
ACEM wrote to EU Trade
Commissioner Cecilia Malmström
“We trust that American and
European authorities will avoid
triggering a global trade escalation.
It could be extremely damaging for
the motorcycle industry on both
sides of the Atlantic”
stressing that while the industry
understands the reasons behind the
EU’s intention to retaliate firmly and
swiftly, it believes that a potential
increase of customs duties on
American exports of motorcycles
would clearly be damaging not only to
news RooM 6-27, 64
the American companies concerned,
but also to European economies and
jobs.
“It might also, in turn, result in the US
administration imposing retaliatory
tariffs on European exports. Overall,
this could lead to considerable
negative economic impacts and job
losses for the motorcycle sector in both
the US and Europe, particularly in areas
such as the manufacturing and
distribution of vehicles, parts and
components”.
This, of course, is not the first time that
motorcycles have been a pawn in the
worldwide game of chess. Back in the
early 1980s, the Reagan
administration famously threatened
and indeed imposed Japanese
manufacturers with draconian import
tariffs as part of its efforts to help save
Harley-Davidson from bankruptcy and
start manufacturing in the USA,
providing domestic jobs.
As recently as last year the Federal
Trade Commissioner revived a threat
that had been made some years before
to impose a ban on the import of sub
500 cc motorcycles and PTWs made in
APR/MAY 2018
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