Chinese Manufacturer TikTok: Those Viral Posts, Explained

TikTok users have been in full panic mode in the midst of President Donald Trump’s ongoing game of chicken with tariffs and the U.S. economy.  Now, the conversation has finally reached a boiling point over … handbags? 

Trump’s tariffs mean an astronomical consumer burden on everything from wedding dresses to coffee to clothing to cars. What’s dominated for-you-pages across the app, however, are viral videos from Chinese manufacturers urging people to buy their versions of luxury products, as a way to circumvent higher prices. “Just buy from us,” says one video from account Sen Bags that has since been removed. “We use exactly the same material, same leather, same hardware, same edge oil. The [difference] is that we don’t have the logo.” The videos are bright and tightly edited, often with transitions and sound effects already familiar on the app. But what has drawn people in is the concept that luxury brands don’t want this secret exposed. Why buy an actual Louis Vuitton that will now cost more with tariffs, these manufacturers ask, when you could buy a purse that looks the same straight from us for way less? TikTok users have been excited and intrigued by these pitches — seeing them as attempts to not only spit on Trump’s plan but expose fashion surcharges and save money on luxury goods. But experts tell Rolling Stone the reactions do more than leave people easily open to an ill-advised purchase — they expose just how little the average American knows about the production cycle. 

The claims from Chinese manufacturers are simple: The clothes, shoes, and bags you want are made in our factories. We’ll sell you the leggings you want — minus the logo — and you’ll get the same clothes for a much lower price. (In the case of Sen Bags, an account that claimed to be affiliate said that their videos keep getting removed because luxury brands are upset they’re “spilling the tea.”) People have flooded the comment sections of these videos with excitement over spending less money, especially from sellers who included some not-so-subtle digs at Trump’s tariffs. It’s reminiscent of the rush to Chinese social media site RedNote during the looming TikTok ban, as a way to get what users want and stick it to Trump’s plan for an American replacement in the meantime. “This Chinese manufacturer retaliation for the tariffs by taking down luxury brands is social media gold,” said one TikTok. “My fyp is suddenly filled with Chinese manufacturers trying to sell directly to Americans,” says another tweet. “The gag is that even with paying the import tariff and shipping, it’s still way cheaper than buying the same products through American corporations. We are not winning this trade war lmao

The virality of these videos — and of customers’ responses — stem from the uncertainty around Trump’s tariff policies. Since the president took office, he’s announced plans to place high tariffs on imported goods from different countries, even as experts cautioned the White House that the plan was economically faulty. The Trump White House has continued to hike up tariffs on Chinese goods bringing the total tax to 145 percent. So when TikTok accounts belonging to Chinese manufacturers offered a solution, their followers were listening. Even though, many experts point out, the videos don’t tell the whole truth. 

Derek Guy, a fashion and menswear writer, first came across the viral videos when they were shared to Twitter. He tells Rolling Stone the claims can be enticing because they contain just “a grain of truth,” but ultimately show people’s lack of understanding about how production actually works. 

“In everyone’s imagination, they think of factories as these places that manufacture these items, and then slap on different labels,” he says. “They’ll ship these items to other countries, like the U.S. or Italy, where those companies slap on the label and pretend it’s made [there.]” But that’s not how the luxury supply chain works — and it’s certainly not what’s happening. Factories are not interchangeable warehouses that pump out the same generic products and ship them to different brands. They have multiple clients and can produce many different goods at the same time, often changing out components and construction techniques. And in the luxury market, it’s even easier to prove that the bag Hermès wants to sell to its clients for $10,000 isn’t the same bag these videos are hawking. According to Guy, the Birkin and the Kelly bag, Hermès bag types that have been advertised in these videos, are made primarily in France. 

Many of the factory TikToks claimed to produce virtually identical bags and clothing to brands like Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Lululemon, and Chanel. But Guy notes that the videos are careful not to outright say they produce the real bags or products. Instead, they hype up the difference in price and similarity in look, which entices people who think they’re both getting a deal and finding a way to stick it to Trump. And as far as looks go, they’re not wrong. According to Guy, advancements in Chinese manufacturing have allowed the super-fake (high quality replicas of luxury goods) market to grow exponentially. People understand that it might be hard for anyone but an expert to see their bag is a fake. Add in a middle finger to Trump, and TikTok customers are all in. 

“The idea of finding a deal online no one else knows about, or this secret thing that allows you to save money, is super enticing,” Guy says. “This [trend] came at a moment The Trump tariffs [also] allowed for this narrative of saying that all of these Chinese factories are throwing off the shackles of their western partners.” 

Jesica Wagstaff, a fashion blogger and content creator, tells Rolling Stone that part of the draw is people feel like these manufacturer videos are a “gotcha moment,” proving that people who spend retail price on luxury goods have been duped. While Wagstaff says this fundamentally misunderstands why people buy designer items in the first place, she’s not surprised that people are debating status at the same time there’s economic instability. 

“The whole process of consumption has been sped up so that it’s never ending. We can shop any time of day, whenever the impulse strikes us,” she says. “There’s real status anxiety that’s being stoked at every turn. People want to be able to comfortably afford to keep up with normal status, but they also see luxury and designer goods as normal status now. That is also distorted by social media. It’s this American notion of consumption being a fix-all cure.” 

Trump’s trade war is still unfolding. The constant change around the tax policies mean that while TikTokers are focused on luxury items today, an entirely different product — or industry — could be the administration’s target next week. But Wagstaff says that doesn’t mean people who fell for the manufacturing videos can’t take this moment to reflect. 

“If Americans became more curious about how our goods are manufactured, how they get to us, what the true cost of labor is, not just materials, then I think that we would feel very differently about our consumption,” she says. “That would create pause. We would have to stop and think.”