HC Deb 25 March 2004 vol 419 cc937-9W
John Thurso

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was collected from the(a) import and (b) sale of bicycles in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (i) country of origin and (ii) number of machines in each case. [163124]

John Healey

The number of non-motorised bicycles and other cycles (including delivery tricycles)1 imported in 2003 from non-EU countries and the value of the revenue declared, broken down by country of origin, is shown in the following table:

1 Classified under commodity code 8712.

Country of origin Supplementary units (number) Customs duty VAT Antidumping duty
Vietnam 695,302 3,431,085 4,972,919 0
Taiwan 666,837 4,440,437 5,886,069 1,177,805
Philippines 566,543 1,121,187 2,127,414 0
Bangladesh 348,234 20,983 1,969,880 0
Thailand 311,923 697,388 1,264,953 0
Sri Lanka 297,825 398,525 777,177 0
China 148,690 411,432 942,913 1,133,348
Tunisia 140,309 0 565,686 0
India 139,083 143,705 286,921 0
Poland 99,872 2,751 656,036 0
Indonesia 81,639 322,344 608,278 0
Bulgaria 66,698 0 316,292 0
Turkey 17,040 5,293 121,757 0
Hong Kong 12,926 86,467 118,037 0
Hungary 11,032 0 85,298 0
USA 5,722 320,545 429,810 0
Macao 1,975 17,476 24,113 0
Canada 1,300 42,490 57,378 0
Liechtenstein 978 0 11,556 0
Czech Republic 527 1,847 4,799 0
South Korea 497 2,767 3,900 0
Brazil 271 1,261 2,457 0
Japan 105 264 365 0
New Zealand 39 1,356 1,846 0
Australia 14 1,842 2,489 0
Switzerland 9 0 2,021 0
Malaysia 3 286 423 0
Total 3,615,393 11,1731,726 21,240,787 2,311,153

Source: Overseas Trade Statistics, HMCE.

Imports from the EU are not subject to Customs duty. VAT is accounted for on acquisition but information is not available on VAT collected by commodity. Data collected on imports of bicycles from the EU do not include the member state of origin.

Sales of bicycles in the UK in 2002 using Office for National Statistics figures for household expenditure on the purchase of all bicycles were £974 million. Information on VAT collected by commodity is not available.

John Thurso

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level and nature of taxes and other charges made by the Government relating to the(a) import and (b) sale of bicycles in the UK. [163125]

John Healey

The full rate of Customs Duty for bicycles imported from non-EU countries is 15 per cent. of total value.

Reduced rates of duty varying from zero to 10.5 per cent. are applicable to particular countries of origin. Full information on these rates is contained in the Customs and Excise Tariff.

EU Anti-Dumping duties at a rate of 30.6 per cent. of value are currently imposed on importations of bicycles from the Republic of China. Similar duties at a rate of 18.2 per cent. were in force during 2003 on importations from Taiwan. These expired on 26 February 2004.

VAT on bicycles, both imported and home-produced, is charged at the UK standard rate of 17.5 per cent. on the total amount payable by the purchaser.

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