Uber Asks for Chinese Tariff Exclusion as It Cranks Out E-Bikes
- Nearly 1,000 Uber electric bikes are said to be made each day
- Scooter businesses are also impacted by Trump trade war
Photographer: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Bloomberg
Uber Technologies Inc., which is producing a new generation of its electric bikes in China by the thousands, has asked the U.S. government for an exclusion from new tariffs on Chinese imports.
Uber has ambitious plans for its bike and scooter business, and the tariffs could pose a significant cost for the San Francisco-based company. Uber now makes nearly 1,000 electric bikes a day in China, said two people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The ride-hailing company has allocated more than $1 billion to spend on scooters, electric bikes and other alternative forms of transportation next year, Uber Vice President Rachel Holt said in a recent interview.