President Trump’s trade war is inspiring the latest TikTok trend — Chinese manufacturers encouraging shoppers to buy direct and pay less.

Why it matters: The trend highlights American consumers’ desperation to avoid massive price increases on Chinese-made goods as Trump’s tariffs take effect.

• The idea is that, tariffs or not, Western brands are applying big price markups when they add their labels to goods manufactured cheaply in China.
• That realization is fueling discourse on TikTok that what consumers are really buying is the brand name.

What’s happening: Chinese manufacturers and influencers are taking American buyers inside warehouses where they say popular products are made.

• This viral post from @mr.loong.laundrypods shows viewers inside a laundry detergent pod factory and claims that each pod is only five cents.
• Another viral post from @lunasourcingchina claims that pricey leggings made for Lululemon are “five to six bucks” when they come straight from the factory.

However, a number of companies including Lululemon have pushed back against these videos, claiming they’re not showing authentic products.

• Even if the products are real, it’s often unclear from the videos how to make a purchase.

Reality check: As attractive as it might sound to avoid markups, it’s often not advisable or not possible to buy directly from Chinese factories.

• The Washington Post reports that buying products directly from Chinese manufacturers — which generally ship in bulk — is likely to be challenging if not impossible, particularly at the low per-unit prices that retail chains pay.
• Other potential obstacles include communicating with customer service and avoiding scammers.
• Instead of attempting to buy directly from manufacturers, some American shoppers are seeking out Chinese apps like DHgate or Taobao to get cheap dupes of brand name products.

The intrigue: These creators are using a Chinese app to openly mock Trump’s tariffs on China, all while the president continues to save TikTok from being banned.

The bottom line: Even if you can figure out how to buy straight from the source, it’s unlikely to save you from the tariffs.