In response to US tariffs, Chinese manufacturers have chosen a new battlefield in the trade war—and it’s TikTok.
It’s no longer just dancing and singing reels from influencers. Now, it’s factory tours and wholesale markets across China.
These manufacturers claim to sell luxury-brand products at times for as little as one-tenth the price and are urging American buyers to stop shopping from U.S. stores: "Skip the middleman. Skip the tariffs. Come straight to the source—us."
But verifying these supply chain claims is tricky. Most manufacturers are bound by non-disclosure agreements, especially when working with big-name brands.
Watch the full Deep Dive to know more.
Reporter/Script: Rani Jana
Editor: Madiha
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#TradeWar #TikTok #ChinaVsUSA #TariffBattle #TikTokSellers #MadeInChina #Luxury #Factory #Consumer #GlobalTrade
It’s no longer just dancing and singing reels from influencers. Now, it’s factory tours and wholesale markets across China.
These manufacturers claim to sell luxury-brand products at times for as little as one-tenth the price and are urging American buyers to stop shopping from U.S. stores: "Skip the middleman. Skip the tariffs. Come straight to the source—us."
But verifying these supply chain claims is tricky. Most manufacturers are bound by non-disclosure agreements, especially when working with big-name brands.
Watch the full Deep Dive to know more.
Reporter/Script: Rani Jana
Editor: Madiha
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#TradeWar #TikTok #ChinaVsUSA #TariffBattle #TikTokSellers #MadeInChina #Luxury #Factory #Consumer #GlobalTrade
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NewsTranscript
00:00TikTok videos of factory tours and wholesale markets in China claiming to show the real price
00:07of luxury brand products have gone viral. One such video claims to sell the Hermes Kelly bag
00:13worth $23,600 at one-tenth of its price for $478 and urges users not to pay for the brand logo.
00:30The raw tools cost breakdown laser one pair melkovski in height makes three bags cost
00:37$19.3 per foot $578 per height $193 per bag lining gold skin $50 hardware vacuum plated
00:50German steel $100 thread Italian waxed thread $55
00:56H-paint finished water-based H-paint $60 packaging $20 not including labor
01:04photo material cost $407 each
01:08photograph price $23,000
01:11These reels surfaced right after Trump slapped a 145% tariff on Chinese goods.
01:18The videos say it loud and clear. Skip the middleman, skip the tariffs, come straight to the source, us.
01:26One of the most viral TikToks claimed that $100 Lululemon yoga pants were being manufactured in two Chinese factories and sold for just $5 or $6.
01:38Another netizen claims to have access to manufacturers that make Louis Vuitton bags and they can be sold for $50.
01:47The independent reported that both Lululemon and Louis Vuitton denied finishing their products in China.
01:54A Lululemon spokesperson said only 3% of their products are finished there and dismissed links to the two manufacturers named in the video,
02:06seeing they aren't part of its publicly accessible supply chain list.
02:10Amidst this chaos, White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt is going viral on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
02:19A Chinese diplomat tweeted a photo of a red dress, claiming it was made with a lace that came straight from a factory in Mabu, China.
02:28The messaging in these videos and posts is clear.
02:32Sure, the US government might want to cut China off and these economic policies might claim to put America first.
02:40But they could make American consumers pay more for their favourite products or lose access to them altogether.
02:48This entire wave of TikTok also raises a much bigger question.
02:54Are luxury goods that say made in Italy or made in Switzerland actually made in China?
03:01Regina Frey, Professor of Sustainable and Circular Systems at the University of the Arts, London,
03:08told CNN that a lot of luxury items start in China – the hardware, the packaging, even some stitching.
03:17Then they are shipped off to Italy or France for final assembly, just enough to legally slap on a made in Europe tag.
03:27But verifying these supply chain claims is tricky.
03:31Most manufacturers are bound by non-disclosure agreements, especially when working with big name brands.
03:38Experts say this lack of transparency makes it easier for duped manufacturers to exploit the confusion around tariffs and push misleading videos to boost their sales.
03:51But with these Chinese factory videos going viral, America's dependence on global supply chains is suddenly harder to ignore.
04:01Because at the heart of this TikTok takeover is a very uncomfortable question.
04:07Where does America's favourite things actually come from?
04:10Stay tuned with Outlook for more such explainers.
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