In February 2025, Le Monde Diplomatique published an article exploring human rights abuses experienced by migrant workers manufacturing bicycle components in Taiwan. The workers are from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, while the manufacturers are clustered around Taichung and the bike components are exported worldwide, with the Netherlands, Germany and the UK as major destinations.

Bike manufacturers in Taiwan include Giant, Merida, Maxxis, Fritz Jou, and Kenstone Metal. The article says Giant supplies to Trek, Scott and (until recently) REI; Merdia supplies to Specialized and Centurion; Fritz Jou supplies to Bianchi, Canyon and Pinarello; and Cannondale and Cervélo buy from Kenstone Metal. The article also says Cycleeurope sources from Taiwanese firms. The article also says Taiwan’s state-owned postal company Chunghwa Post owns Giant shares. Further, the article says many of the brands make bikes for the world’s top cycling teams which compete in the Grand Tours (the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España), organised by French media conglomerate Amaury Group through its subsidiaries ASO and Unipublic.

The journalist conducted 200 interviews with migrants in Taiwan, of which ‘several dozen’ worked in the bike industry. Abuses experienced by workers include:

• Debt bondage and recruitment fee charging: ‘almost everyone’ the journalist spoke to were charged recruitment fees and had to borrow from banks and relatives to finance these costs. Vietnamese workers paid the most, including up to USD6,500 at Giant and USD6,000 at Maxxis. Workers also paid “service fees” to Taiwanese labour brokers, which amounted up to two months wages. Debt bondage risks were found at two suppliers of Continental; the workers were reimbursed USD3 million in 2023 following publication of the findings.
• Intimidation and passport confiscation: Workers endured punitive conditions to avoid losing their jobs, and their passports were withheld by companies, including at Merida. Workers at Giant and Merida reported threats of deportation and fines for not following rules.
• Unsuitable living conditions: Workers at Giant reported unsanitary and cramped accommodation.

The journalist reached out to all named companies in the reporting.

Following the expose of debt bondage at Giant in 2024, the company committed to ending recruitment fee charging by applying a zero-fee policy to newly hired migrants, and the company is also allegedly renovating dormitories. However, the article says the company ruled out reimbursing the current workforce. No other Taiwanese manufacturer replied to the journalist’s request for comment.

Comments from Scott, Pinarello, Canyon, Bianchi and Cycleeurope are included in the reporting linked below. Further, the World Bicycle Industry Alliance, which several bicycle brands including Specialized, Scott, Trek, Canyon and Giant are part of, said it is committed to reevaluate the topic of recruitment fee charging to explore clarifications or improvements needed in its code of conduct.

Following the allegations made in Le Monde Diplomatique, the Taiwan Bicycle Association responded saying Taiwanese companies have abided by Taiwan labour regulations, which may “differ from the international method”. It’s response to journalists can be read below.