File photo: Counterfeit material resembling Louis Vuitton bags seized at a French airport. Consumers are warned many Tiktok videos may be the sort of counterfeit products that had always been available. Photo: AFP / Jack Guez
If you've logged on to TikTok in recent days, you've probably seen the videos. People claiming to be from China are hitting back at US President Donald Trump's tariffs and say they're revealing which factories make "luxury" goods - and where shoppers can get them cheaper.
Brands "exposed" include Lululemon, Hermes and Dior. At the other end of the scale, some videos offer laundry pods for 5c each.
China has been targeted by the US with tariffs of 145 percent, to which China has responded with 125 percent.
But New Zealand consumers are being told to be wary about some of the claims made on social media.
Chris Wilkinson, First Retail Group managing director, said many of the videos were probably promoting the sort of counterfeit products that had always been available.
"I don't think this is real because the luxury brands have such tight control and typically bring together components from a range of suppliers - including elements from outside China, in their products - so to have individual suppliers suggesting they could sell directly, is unlikely."
He said manufacturers in China had been adept at copying products to exacting detail and had been doing that for many years.
"They have only got better at copies - assisted by technology. The key difference will be in the materials and fabrication, which typically lack the quality and durability of the originals.
"We'll likely see lots of this marketing ahead and I'm sure many consumers will believe the claims."
Bodo Lang, a marketing expert at Massey University, said Trump's tariffs were likely to reduce demand for products made in China and many "western" brands manufacturing there were worried about a potential sales slump.
But said, despite suggestions from posters, the Chinese government had not officially legalised counterfeiting to hit back at the US. "To the contrary, official reports suggest it has been cracking down more firmly on counterfeiting in the past decade.
"Chinese influencers… have a clear incentive to push this content on TikTok. Their goal is to maximise views, grow followers, and cash in. By posting surprising, unexpected, and controversial content, they boost their follower count and therefore their profit. TikTok videos claiming the Chinese government has legalised counterfeiting fall squarely into this category. Many consumers will be surprised by this information and a many will be tempted by what appears to be on offer.
"The role of Chinese-based manufacturers is murkier. Smaller manufacturers could profit significantly from rising counterfeit sales-especially online, where margins can be high. However, large, reputable manufacturers are unlikely to openly admit to producing counterfeits. This is because there are immense risks to this strategy, foremost, the potential loss of contracts with Western luxury brands."
Some videos had been pushing viewers to other Chinese online marketplaces such as Taobao.
He said the big winners from the TikTok frenzy were the people posting the videos.
"They're chasing bigger audiences and bigger profits. The official position of the Chinese government also seems clear that, at this point, they have not legalised counterfeit products. Large, reputable Chinese manufacturers of Western luxury brands are unlikely to have taken part in these TikTok videos because of the risks associated with it. But smaller and less-established manufacturers-especially those not making genuine Western luxury goods-may well be jumping on the TikTok bandwagon. They, along with online influencers, have the most to gain from these viral clips."
