Videos from Chinese influencers urging Americans to buy straight from the “world’s factory”, China, in order to avoid Trump-era tariffs are flooding TikTok viewers in the United States.
In an effort to “expose” how the majority of consumer goods are produced in the second-largest economy in the world, the videos are primarily shot inside Chinese facilities that claim to provide well-known American brands, such as Nike Inc. and Lululemon Athletica Inc. In order to encourage viewers to place orders directly with suppliers, many influencers provide links to websites and contact details.
In another video, a TikTok maker is seen outside a facility where she says Lululemon yoga pants are made for US $ 5 to US $ 6, despite the fact that they cost over US $ 100 in the US.
Several viral TikTok videos, including one titled “China exposed the truth” with 8.3 million views, have recently gained traction. Clips claiming to reveal Lululemon’s supplier and explain how tariffs are bypassed have also gone viral, racking up millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes.
Some TikTok videos openly criticise US trade policies and urge Americans to respond. While the US recently announced tariff exemptions for certain Chinese imports like electronics and semiconductors, most items shown in the viral videos, such as apparel and accessories, remain excluded from the updated list.
Senior partner Cameron Johnson of Shanghai-based consulting firm Tidalwave Solutions, who recently travelled to Yiwu, a manufacturing powerhouse, believes the move is a part of a larger change in sourcing methods.
