US Customs issues immediate withholding order on Giant bicycles

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Agency will detain imports of bicycles, bicycle parts, and accessories manufactured using forced labor

WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a Withhold Release Order against bicycles, bicycle parts, and accessories manufactured in Taiwan by Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd, based on information that reasonably indicates forced labor use.

Effective immediately, CBP will detain bicycles, bicycle parts, and accessories manufactured in Taiwan by Giant. This WRO, the third issued in 2025 and the fourth in Fiscal Year 2025, was issued due to violations of 19 U.S.C. § 1307, the law prohibiting goods made with forced labor from entering the U.S.

“CBP has a proven track record of cracking down on companies that use forced labor to the detriment of law-abiding U.S. businesses,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott.

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In February, Le Monde Diplomatique published an investigative report that cited foreign guest workers at Taiwanese bike factories, including Giant, who said they had paid recruiters in their home countries fees of as much as $5,500 to secure work at the factories. Some workers also said that once in Taiwan they had to pay service fees to Taiwanese brokers that amounted to two months’ wages during their three-year contracts. The news source also found similar fees being paid by workers at Merida, Maxxis, Fritz Jou and other Taiwanese factories. It said Giant committed last year to paying the fees on behalf of the foreign workers.

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