From tariffs to TikTok: China’s factories go viral

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 he is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for most luxury brands, standing in front of a wall of what appear to be ultra-expensive Birkin bags. OEMs typically work behind the scenes to make the products another company sells under its brand.

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

The video was later taken down, but not before it added to a growing wave of viral content from Chinese factory owners and exporters claiming to be the real source of your favorite brands.

Meanwhile, DHgate, a wholesale marketplace infamous for selling designer dupes, shot to #2 on the U.S. Apple App Store. Taobao, China’s OG e-commerce platform, is now at #7.

It’s highly improbable that these are real suppliers for brands like Lululemon or Chanel. Multiple experts have pointed out that legitimate manufacturers sign strict non-disclosure agreements and operate under private contracts. So, these creators probably aren’t selling the real thing.

But these TikToks are doing something else. They’re revealing the deep consumer anxiety over tariffs and the extent of American reliance on Chinese-made goods. They’re also flipping the trade war narrative on its head, as these videos suggest that while the White House pushes an "America First" economic policy, it’s U.S. consumers who will lose access to the products they love — or be forced to pay a lot more for them.

“Now this is how you do a trade war,” read one comment under a video showing a factory with rows of Lululemon leggings, which racked up more than 1.5 million likes.

You’re not really buying direct from these brands

In one video, an influencer going by @LunaSourcingChina touts two factories they claim are located in Yiwu, a city famous for its wholesale market, and insists Lululemon gets its $98 leggings directly from them.

“I guess most of you know the price of Lululemon or other big brands … and guess what, here in these two factories, you can get them for around five to six bucks,” she says.

Lululemon, however, quickly shot down the claim. In a statement Monday, the company said it “does not work with the manufacturers identified in the online videos and we urge consumers to be aware of potentially counterfeit products and misinformation.”

Lululemon’s April 2025 supplier list does not include the factories named in the TikToks. While the brand does partner with several manufacturers in mainland China, it also sources from factories in Vietnam, Peru, and Cambodia.

Experts say any factory offering direct orders to consumers online — especially those using the names of top brands — is probably not legit. Real OEMs under contract with luxury brands are legally barred from promoting their partnerships, let alone selling finished products openly on social media.

The products seen in these TikToks are likely high-quality dupes or outright counterfeits, a problem Lululemon has battled in the past.

Are luxury handbags really made in China?

The claims made by factory influencers have ignited a fiery debate online. Are luxury handbags, touted as “Made in Italy” or “Made in France,” secretly produced in Chinese factories?

The answer, like most things in global manufacturing, is complicated.

Luxury supply chains are notoriously opaque. Many high-end items involve globalized production: components may be sourced from multiple countries, with hardware produced in one place, stitching in another, and final assembly elsewhere.

While a “Made in” label often refers to the final stage of production, much of the labor and material sourcing can happen far from the brand’s country of origin.

Despite what viral TikToks claim, most top luxury brands still officially manufacture their handbags in Europe. Based on brand statements and public disclosures, here’s where your favorite labels are actually crafting their wares:

• Hermès – France

• Chanel – France & Italy

• Louis Vuitton – France, Spain & Italy

• Gucci – Italy (primarily Tuscany)

• Prada – Italy

• Dior – France & Italy

• Bottega Veneta – Italy

• Fendi – Italy

• Céline – Italy

• Balenciaga – Italy & Spain

• Saint Laurent – France & Italy

• Givenchy – France & Italy

• Chloé – Italy

• Valentino – Italy

• Burberry – Italy & UK

• Loewe – Spain

• Goyard – France

• Miu Miu – Italy

• Bvlgari – Italy

• Tom Ford – Italy

• Proenza Schouler – Italy

• Anya Hindmarch – UK & Italy

• Mulberry – UK & Italy

• Salvatore Ferragamo – Italy

• Stella McCartney – Italy

• Alexander McQueen – Italy

• Loro Piana – Italy

• Delvaux – Belgium & France

• Moynat – France

• The Row – Italy

While some materials or components may originate in China or elsewhere, final production for most top-tier luxury brands still takes place in Europe to meet strict standards of craftsmanship and brand integrity. Brands that do rely on Chinese manufacturing typically do so for less expensive lines or for packaging and hardware — not for their flagship leather goods.

Facing consumerism

As these videos continue to rack up views, America’s dependence on Chinese and international supply chains is once again under the spotlight.

This visibility is forcing some consumers to finally ask a question long buried in the back of the American psyche: Where do my favorite products actually come from?

The TikTok spotlight is also highlighting a different kind of fallout: the environmental cost of fast, cheap global shipping. The rise of platforms like Shein, Temu, and DHgate — many of which capitalized on a U.S. tax loophole called the de minimis exemption — encouraged consumers to order small packages directly from overseas factories with no import duties.

Each item is individually wrapped, boxed, and shipped across the world, often by air. It’s a process that racks up a massive carbon footprint — and many of these ultra-cheap goods ultimately end up in landfills.

With tariffs tightening and the de minimis rule likely to be eliminated, the golden age of $3 tank tops and “factory direct” luxury may be coming to an end.

Still, the question lingers in comment sections across TikTok: “Are we witnessing the death of capitalism?”