TikTok abounds with viral videos accusing prestigious brands of secretly manufacturing luxury goods in China so they can be sold at cut prices.
While these so-called “revelations” are largely unfounded, they mask a sophisticated operation selling counterfeit goods, one that’s capitalizing on the confusion surrounding international trade tariffs.
Some Chinese content creators, claiming to be workers or subcontractors in the luxury goods industry, allege that the Chinese government has lifted confidentiality agreements for local suppliers. According to them—though AFP found no evidence to support this—this move was in response to the steep tariffs imposed on China by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
These creators assert that they are now free to expose the behind-the-scenes production of luxury items in China. They encourage Western consumers to bypass traditional retailers and purchase directly from online platforms offering “dupes” — products without logos or branding, but supposedly identical in quality and design to the originals.
These knockoffs come with a dramatic price cut: a luxury handbag that would typically cost $38,000 is offered for just $1,400.
Major luxury brands targeted in the videos — including Hermès, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, which claim to manufacture their goods in Europe and the U.S. — declined to comment when approached by AFP.
Jacques Carles, head of the French Luxury and Design Centre, dismissed the claims outright, calling the idea that these brands produce in China “absurd.”
“It would be commercial suicide. If such claims were true — and they’re not — it would destroy the brands. These companies aren’t naive,” he told AFP.
While TikTok influencers emphasize the craftsmanship of Chinese workers—framed as the unsung heroes behind global luxury brands—Carles stressed that counterfeit workshops often skip critical steps required in the authentic production process.
