Uber, Bird and Lime have hit out at proposed US tariffs on electric bicycles and scooters imported from China, pitting some of Silicon Valley’s fastest-growing companies against US President Donald Trump. 

In written submissions to the US Trade Representative, Uber condemns the 25 per cent import duty as a “penalty tax on US companies, job creation, and consumers”, while Lime said the proposals were “misguided, and would result in increased prices for the public”. Bird said that any such move would “hurt American innovation” at a time when no alternative scooter suppliers were readily available in the US. 

E-scooters and pedal-assist bikes have recently seen a jump in popularity in the US with the emergence of app-based rental schemes from Bird, Lime and Uber-owned Jump, which have together received nearly $1bn worth of investment over the past 12 months.