Chinese companies are stoking fears among Americans and promoting fake products on TikTok
A suspicious video has been circulating on TikTok, claiming that you can buy famous brand products directly from the place of production, such as sandals that are priced at $165 (about 23,000 yen) for $10 (about 1,400 yen). The video is said to be designed to emotionally stir up American consumers who are anxious about Trump tariffs and political instability.
On TikTok, Chinese factories are trolling anxious American shoppers | The Verge
The following is an example of a suspicious video. A man in a warehouse introduces sandals in seven colors for $10 each, asking people to 'contact us if you'd like to buy them.' However, as pointed out in the community notes, the sandals the man showed are similar to those of ' Birkenstock ,' but since Birkenstock manufactures its products in its own factory in Germany , it is virtually impossible to obtain them from anywhere other than the manufacturer at a price far below the list price.
My fyp is suddenly filled with Chinese manufacturers trying to sell directly to Americans. 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. pic.twitter.com/bDbFt7uDFr
— abby (@abby4thepeople) April 13, 2025
The original version of the video in question was posted on TikTok and has since been deleted, but it has reportedly been viewed 6 million times.
One of the reasons why such videos have been circulated and viewed so many times is the 'Trump tariffs.' I don't know how many people in the United States have a detailed understanding of how tariffs work, but President Trump's very strict tariffs on China have made people realize that this will have a major impact on what they buy.
For example, Anker, a maker of IT peripherals, is a Chinese manufacturer, and in response to the imposition of Trump tariffs, it raised its sales prices in the United States by an average of 18%.
Chinese company Anker has raised the prices of its products sold on Amazon by an average of 18% due to the Trump administration's high tariffs on China - GIGAZINE
Additionally,
Temu and SHEIN raise prices due to Trump tariffs, and the number of users of Chinese shopping apps 'DHgate' and 'Taobao' that allow direct purchases from vendors is exploding - GIGAZINE
Chinese manufacturers and suppliers have also released videos to raise awareness that 'luxury fashion brand products are made in Chinese factories.' However, the items featured in the videos in question differ in some details from the real thing, so it appears that the purpose is not to raise awareness, but to exploit people's fears and sell counterfeit products.
In an interview with news site The Verge, Jochen Gutzi, a spokesman for Birkenstock, said, '100% of Birkenstock products are designed and manufactured in the EU, primarily in Germany, under strict quality and safety standards,' adding that the company does not sell its products through wholesalers or third-party factories. He also denied that the video was taken in a supplier's warehouse.
TikTok did not respond to a request for comment.
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