China just 'exposed' a ton of luxury brands in a TikTok FYP takeover

Chinese manufacturers and suppliers are going viral on TikTok as they claim luxury items people assume are made in Europe are actually made in China.

The trend known as "Trade War TikTok” and “Chinese Manufacturer-Tok" sees suppliers explain the production process, break down the cost of the supplies, and reveal how customers can order directly from their factories to curtail tariffs amid ongoing trade tensions between the US and China, which continue to escalate.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump imposed a 54 per cent tariff on imports of products, which then soared to 145 per cent, with China responding with a 34 per cent tariff on imports of US goods, which has since jumped to 84 per cent and then 125 per cent.

Trump has recently suggested that tariff exemptions for smartphones and other tech products from China could be short-lived, the BBC reported.

A rumour that has been circulating online is that "the Chinese government has lifted the secrecy clause that the luxury brands had in place for the Chinese manufacturers," but there is no evidence of this.

In one example from the trend, a Chinese man speaks as the owner of an unidentified factory and claims he's been a supplier to various European luxury brands for the past three decades.

Some of the videos were posted by the account @bagbestie1, but this account is no longer available. Although other accounts, such as @senbags and @senbags2 (both of these accounts are now also unavailable too), also have videos where the man alleges his factory produces bags for luxury brands and after this are shipped to Europe, where a “Made in Italy” or "Made in France" label is attached.

In another video that is no longer available (but has since been reshared across social media), he claimed a Hermès Birkin made in France that retails at $38,000, costs $1,400 to make in China, with the "same quality, same material".

He attributedthe significant price difference to the logo and the country of manufacture.

However, on Hermes's website, it says "...the company is committed to maintaining the majority of its production in France, through its 60 production and training sites," while their French manufacturing has also been widely reported on.

Another account is Luna (@lunasourcingchina), an "expert in factory sourcing in China" who goes around different factories and trade fairs in videos where she names the various brands we're all familiar with that manufacture in China.

"There's nothing a Chinese factory can't make!" she says in one of her videos.

With this trend, it's clear that Chinese suppliers want viewers to know their production capabilities and just how reliant the Western market is on the country's manufacturing resources.

Already, we're seeing how these videos have damaged the trust between Western brands and consumers as people have shared how they're going to buy products from Chinese platforms such as Alibaba, Taobao and DHGate, and also from Chinese suppliers via WhatsApp and WeChat.

"I am loving how the Chinese are flooding TikTok with this information," one person wrote.

Another person said: "The Chinese manufacturers just hit them with the UNO reverse."

"Like I literally downloaded WhatsApp so I can place an order or two," a third person said.

American TikToker @sydneiyaphit shared how he's making a list of Chinese manufacturers so that his followers can "buy directly from the source," while @eveandvenus has already shared a list of all the different suppliers and products.

Indy100 has reached out to TikTok for comment.

Elsewhere, Lizzo takes ‘iconic’ swipe at Trump’s tariffs during SNL performance, and Penguins are actually 'marching’ against Trump’s tariffs - yes, really.

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