Chinese factories are taking the trade war somewhere new

 

China is taking the trade war to a new battleground: America’s TikTok feeds.

Chinese suppliers have been flooding American social media this week, urging users to outflank President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs on Beijing by buying directly from their factories.

One TikTok user, who goes by Wang Sen, claims that he is the original equipment manufacturer for most luxury brands, while standing in front of a wall of what appear to be ultra-spendy Birkin bags. OEMs work behind the scenes to make the products that another company then sells under its own brand.

“Why don’t you just contact us and buy from us? You won’t believe the prices we (will) give you,” he said in one clip.

His video was later taken down by the app. In the meantime, though, DHgate, an online wholesale store infamous for selling Chinese dupes of luxury goods, has shot to #2 on the US Apple app store. Another app, Taobao, China’s OG e-commerce site, is at #7.

It’s highly improbable that these are real suppliers for brands like Lululemon and Chanel, multiple experts told CNN. Legitimate manufacturers usually sign non-disclosure agreements, so it’s unlikely that these creators are selling the real thing.

But the videos are highlighting not only the anxiety that the tariffs are causing consumers, they also reveal how much shoppers rely on China. These Chinese creators are pushing the message that, despite the White House’s insistence that their economic policies put America first, those same policies will cause the American consumer to lose access to their favorite products or pay more for them.

“Now this is how you do a trade war,” read one comment under a video claiming to feature the suppliers of Lululemon leggings with over 1.5 million likes.

TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.