OSAKA, Japan - Japanese manufacturing giant Shimano has been cited by the Japanese Fair Trade Commission for violating the Subcontract Act and failing to pay its 121 local subcontractors for storing materials on its behalf.

Smart technology is reshaping the e-bike industry. It's giving users more autonomy in managing maintenance and customisation features. Panasonic, known for introducing the world to one of the first e-bikes, has recently launched its GXM series in Europe, along with a smartphone application to easily configure and adjust the bike to preference.

Shimano Europe has announced the relaunch of its State of the Nation report; a comprehensive study designed to inform, inspire, and highlight the company's advocacy projects across Europe.

BERLIN, Germany - Brose SE has completed the transfer of its e-bike drive business to Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. For the Japanese company, this acquisition is part of its efforts to establish a strong position for competitiveness and achieve the business growth outlined in its management plan. Yamaha paid approximately €30.6 million in cash for the e-bike operation.

SHIZUOKA, Japan - The situation for the Japanese bicycle industry becomes even more challenging now that sales and production numbers for 2024 have turned out to be lower again for the consecutive year. For the first time in decades, domestic production fell below the 700,000 unit mark. Import volumes saw single-digit growth, but remained below the 5 million unit mark.

OSAKA, Japan - The impact of the shift in trade policies announced earlier this year on the financial performance of the bicycle industry was not long in coming. As the main OEM supplier, Shimano reports a shift in trade flows and notes that the outlook remains uncertain due to the impact of global trade policies.