"Speeding Up: Addressing forced labour in Taiwan's bicycle industry", May 2026

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Majority of Taiwan's 750,000 registered migrant workers are employed in manufacturing, where risking debt bondage is the rule and not the exception...

In March 2025, the report Speed Up! – Addressing forced labor risks in Taiwan’s car, bicycle and electronics industries was published which contained a compilation of...factory cases. The cases were extracted from investigations done between 2022 and 2025...including around 200 migrant worker interviews. Its purpose was to illustrate how migrant's conditions in Taiwan are directly connected to companies and consumers worldwide...

More than $15 million has been repaid to workers to date following the investigations, along with several million more in fee exemptions, with more to come. However, remediation means failed prevention...

This report has two objectives, both aimed at contributing to the ripple effects of the U.S. import ban. First, it highlights developments within Taiwan’s bicycle industry since the ban was introduced in 2025. Second, it seeks to encourage continued progress.

While the largest manufacturers are introducing stronger measures, most industry-wide developments remain at the policy level, consisting primarily of commitments and audits...