4 days Ago By Lauren Ironmonger
Chinese manufacturers purportedly behind big-name brands like Nike, lululemon and Ralph Lauren are hitting back at US tariffs on TikTok by exposing the actual cost of making their products. In a video from user LunaSourcing China , which has now clocked more than 12 million views and 1.4 million likes, a woman claims to reveal the manufacturers of brands like lululemon, Fila and Under Armour.
“They sell you a legging pants for $100. And guess what, here in these two factories you can get them for around five to six bucks,” she says in the video. The woman also claims that “the material and craftsmanship are basically the same because they all come from the same production line.
” TikTok has exploded with thousands of videos like this, with factories encouraging users to purchase direct from them and avoid the inflated prices expected to come from many US brands with manufacturing centres in China as a result of tariffs imposed by their government. In a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age , lululemon denied any association with manufacturers featured in online videos and urged consumers “to be aware of potentially counterfeit products and misinformation”. “Authentic lululemon products are only available for purchase at our lululemon store locations, registered lululemon e-commerce sites, and select authorised and specialty stores.
” Dr Marina Zhang, an associate professor at the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, says the trend is indicative of China’s dominance over the global supply chain. China is the leading manufacturer of textiles, producing 65 per cent of the world’s clothing in 2021. But the US introduction of steep tariffs on major textile manufacturing hubs, including China at 34 per cent and Vietnam at 46 per cent – has sent the global supply chain into a tailspin.
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