Amid Trump’s trade war with China, a wave of factories have turned to TikTok to clap back at Trump’s policies, show how significant they are in the production cycle of luxury goods, reveal how little it costs them to make the products, and encourage viewers to buy directly from the factories.
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The people in these videos say that most of the world’s luxury goods are actually made at a fraction of their retail price in China. However, European luxury houses have repeatedly reported through the years that they do not manufacture their products in China. Plus, European regulations have strict guidelines on whether something can be labelled made in Italy or France, and request that the last substantial transformation of the product should take place in Italy or France. (Although there are some legal loopholes, and some brands aren’t 100% transparent about their manufacturing processes, and are exploiting factory workers in the supply chain.)
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There are also many different steps in a production line: yes, a product might be made in China and cost $5 to make, but you’re also paying for its design, its advertising, its store employees, quality control, customer support, and a dozen other departments within the company that produces the products from start to finish. Tbf, that also doesn’t mean a bag should cost thousands of dollars.
Even though it sounds like a good deal to get your Birkins and your lululemon shorts for $10 “straight from the source”, it’s probably too good to be true. Americans still won’t be able to escape the crazy import tariffs – you could also get scammed, end up unknowingly buying fakes (experts predicted the tariffs could lead to an explosion in counterfeit goods).
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