Are designer bags actually made in China?

Insider

Various suppliers are claiming on TikTok that they are the original manufacturers of designer bags like Hermes and Louis Vuitton, and are urging users to buy the branded products directly from China to avoid Trump's tariffs.

Transcript

00:00Would you buy a Birkin bag if you knew it was made in China?

00:03That's the question Chinese manufacturers are testing out on social media.

00:07Various suppliers on TikTok are claiming that they are the original manufacturers

00:11of designer bags like Hermes and Louis Vuitton,

00:15and are urging users to buy the branded products directly from China to avoid Trump's tariffs.

00:21But experts say any factory offering direct orders of big brands to Americans is probably

00:28not legit, because they are likely under contract to not disclose that fact.

00:33Still, these videos are getting a lot of eyeballs.

00:36One bag maker racked up millions of views, claiming his products rival top Western brands.

00:43And websites that sell Chinese dupes are seeing traffic too.

00:47DHgate has soared to the number two spot on the US Apple App Store.

00:51And this content isn't just on TikTok.

00:53Chinese platforms like Weibo and Red Note are also filled with trade war content.

00:59Like this AI-generated meme of Trump sewing a MAGA hat in a Chinese factory.

01:04As these videos go viral, the US's reliance on Chinese suppliers is becoming more apparent.

01:10And this could have a real impact on small businesses in the US.

01:14Some say the tariffs could shut them down,

01:17with shipping costs doubling and key materials getting hit across the board.

01:21China's Commerce Ministry is calling for calm,

01:24asking the US to ditch erroneous tariff policies and return to dialogue.

01:29It's unclear right now that even if these goods are bought directly from the Chinese suppliers,

01:35that they would evade Trump's 145% tariffs.

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