Big brands in particular US and European brands are today being mocked by Chinese Tik Tok users, who claim that big name branded products manufactured in Chinese factories are significantly over priced.
Chinese influencers are encouraging buyers to overcome punitive Trump tariffs by buying direct from the “world’s factory” — China where TV’s for LG, Philips, Sony, Sharp Blaupunkt are manufactured along with Miele, Smeg and Delonghi products as well as headphones from Sennheiser.
In Miele case it’s small appliances and stick vacs, while with Smeg and Delonghi it’s their popular kettles toasters and small appliances, also identifed for their use of cheap Chinese labor is US audio brands. 
The influencers showed products that they claim was filmed inside Chinese factories who manufacture athletic casual wear for Lululemon, Athletica, Adidas and Nike with questions now being raised as to whether these factories are in breach of none disclosure agreements.
In one video, TikTok creator @LunaSourcingChina, stands outside a factory she says makes Lululemon yoga leggings for $5 to $6 even though they retail price in markets such as the US and Australia the same legging are selling for A$129.
“The material and craftsmanship are basically the same,” she says.
Another influencer targets Beats and UE Boom speakers while another targets European audio brands.
Even comedians in China are getting in on the act by mocking Americans as the below Tik Tok video shows.
The only problem is that Chinese manufacturers are stealing the IP of brands, copying their designs because Chinese designed products don’t appeal to Western buyers claims one observer.
In the appliance market knock offs of Panasonic and Braun shaver designs or Kenwood food fixers are openly copied and offered to Western buyers at shows such as this weeks Hong Kong Fair.
In the headphone markets copies of Beats, Bose or Skull Candy designs are also offered to buyers.
Chinese influencers claim that they aim to “expose” how the vast majority of consumer goods are made in the world’s second-largest economy.
Bloomberg reports that some of the most popular videos – many uploaded in March but only gaining traction in recent days – have been amplified by a video titled “China exposed the truth” with 8.3 million views and 492,000 likes.
A popular video is one that reveals the Chinese supplier to Lululemon garnered 2.6 million views and over 215,000 likes, while a “How we bypass tariffs” clip had close to 1 million views and 118,000 likes.
“This campaign appears to be a calculated attempt to undermine President Trump’s tariff policy on China by leveraging TikTok to promote Chinese manufacturing as cheaper, more desirable, and accessible—even in defiance of trade restrictions,” said Alex Goldenberg, senior advisor at the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University in the USA.
Yesterday we exclusively revealed how Chinese manufacturers of consumer electronic goods were telling buyers at the Hong Kong Fair how they planned to ship goods to Vietnam with new Made In Vietnam packaging.
At this stage it’s unclear how ordering directly from Chinese suppliers would allow consumers to sidestep the tariff with the duty waiver for small parcels that are sent to US consumers set to be scrapped on May 2.
Headphones being spruiked at the Hong Kong Fair
The flood of posts also reflects the increased effectiveness of Chinese online marketing which is being used by TikTok and Temu to bombard consumers around the world.
These Companies algorithms are the main driving forces behind US government efforts to force its Chinese owner ByteDance Ltd. to relinquish control of its international operations. TikTok.
“These posts are much more confrontational and mocking of the US, rather than showing it as a threat,” said Tom Harper, lecturer in Chinese international relations at the University of East London.
Some of the videos directly criticize US trade policies and call on US citizens to take action.
“For decades your government and oligarchs ship your jobs to China, not for diplomacy, not for peace, but to exploit cheap labor and in the process, they hollow out your middle class, crash your working class and told you to be proud while they sold your future for profit,” user @neil778027 said in a video. “Americans, you don’t need a tariff, you need a revolution.”
Earlier this week the US announced tariff exemptions on a range of Chinese products including electronics, computers and semiconductors, although it’s not known how long these exceptions will apply.
Among the video’s on TikTok and other Chinese social media sites are European high-end luxury brands whose products are manufactured in China.
This shaver manufacturer who displayed at the Hong Kong Fair, claims that he manufacturers over 70% of the worlds shavers including, his house brand offering are up to 80% cheaper than branded products from the likes of Philips and Braun a Delonghi Company despite looking identical to a brasnded product.
many premium European goods are manufactured in China.
Smeg manufactures some of its small appliances in China, while Austraqlian Company Breville manufactures 80% of their products in China.
Delonghi manufacture the majority of their goods in China. The company’s acquisition of Kenwood in 2001 gave them access to Kenwood’s Chinese factory, and now many DeLonghi products are imported from there.
Delonghi also has multiple manufacturing plants in China, including joint ventures with TCL.
Specifically, DeLonghi has factories in Zhongshan, Dongguan, and a joint venture plant in Nangtu, according to their corporate website.
In 1996, Miele established a joint venture with Melitta to open a factory in Dongguan, China.
This facility became fully owned by the Miele Group in 2009 and now plays a key role in the production of vacuum cleaners, including models such as the Swing H1, Compact C1, Compact C2, and Complete C2.
In the lifestyle accessory market luxury brands like Prada, Burberry, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Miu Miu, along with other European companies, who utilize Chinese manufacturers are facing significant revenue losses as a result of the action by Chinese influencers.
Sennheiser who markets themselves as a German Company owned by the Swiss manufacture many of its products, particularly consumer audio products, in China.
While Sennheiser designs its products in Germany, the manufacturing processes for the bulk of their consumer products China, some products are hand assembled in Ireland
While Bang & Olufsen is a Danish luxury audio brand with a factory in Denmark, it also has products manufactured in China, they include the Beolab 8 in China.
The makers of the videos don’t explain why they are featuring European brands in their pushback against the US.
The exposure of information relating to CE and appliance factories could potentially affect long-standing business relationships between brands and their manufacturers in the future claim analysts.
Cameron Johnson, senior partner at Shanghai-based consultancy Tidalwave Solutions, who recently visited the Chinese trading hub of Yiwu, sees it as part of a fundamental shift in purchasing practices for China.
“In the past, you might use a middleman or a trading company to source your products for your deal with quality control or go visit the factory, establish those relationships, and then maybe you would come on occasion,” he told Bloomberg TV. “But now what we’re seeing is just a complete democratization of sourcing products.”
