It's a warzone out there right now, and we don't just mean because of the looming threat that Vladimir Putin might release Russia's nuclear arsenal on Ukraine or that AI will go rogue and wipe us all out. President Donald Trump has been accused of triggering a global trade war with his customized tariffs, and while he's put a pause on most of them for 90 days, China is still facing an uncertain future.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said that there will be 'no winners' from the tariffs, while Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said the current exemptions for electronics will likely be a short-lived solution. With everything from consoles and video games to smartphones poised to soon cost us more, there's also the whole TikTok fiasco still rumbling away in the background. Donald Trump famously tried to ban the short-form video platform in the USA unless it was sold from the China-based ByteDance, and with deadlines coming and going, it feels like we're closer than ever to losing TikTok once again.
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With the end of days looming, creators are using this as a last-ditch attempt to reveal all. Over on TikTok, @sheismanib explains how numerous Chinese manufacturers are spilling the supposed insider secret about where things are made.
Saying that they [the US government] should've taken TikTok away when they had the chance, she jokes about how manufacturers are responding to the tariffs by telling consumers that their favorite luxury brands are actually made in China but sold as if they're from other countries. Calling an 'Uno Reverse' card, she points out how the likes of New Balance, Adidas, and Nike have all been called out, with others like beauty products also being exposed.
Chanel beauty products are apparently being made for $10 and then sold to unnamed American stores where they're sold for $100. She says: "I don't how this tariff thing is going to play out, but the way that the Chinese manufacturers are playing their hand, absolutely well done."
Saying it's 10s across the board, she also reiterates that she got everything she wanted when she lived in China for much cheaper because a lot of big brands are manufactured there.
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Responding to the video, one person said: "As a customs broker, I can confirm everything she’s saying (and that the manufacturers are saying) is 100% true. If you knew what your medications cost, every single one of you would be all for universal healthcare. 😂😂."
Another cheered: "They are eliminating the middleman which they should have done from the beginning… looks like they’re tired of the exploitation and the disrespect."
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A third said: "Thats why we buy knockoffs from a site that we will gatekeep that are literally the same materials from the same manufacturer just without all the special little details that make them thousands."
Not everyone was against the tariffs, though, with someone else concluding: "So if it costs them $10 to make a $100 product, then they can afford 400% level of tariffs. 🤣😂🤣 Trump is a genius after all."
As even Elon Musk raises his concerns about tariffs, it seems even America and China don't know how their tariff troubles will play out, and ultimately, it's the consumer that will likely lose out the most if they're faced with paying $3,500 for the latest iPhone.