057 - tariffs, #tradewartok, trinket girlies
twenty pods for a dollar?!?!?! lululemon for $6??
It is always a weird feeling when you get off a long haul flight and something has changed in the world. I got home last week to the news of Trump’s Liberation day tariffs (here’s a link to a post about what tariffs are). For much of the weekend, I was trying to figure out the % of tariffs had been imposed on Malaysia and the Netherlands, and what tariffs meant for the global economy. And just when I thought I understood something, I flew back to Amsterdam and arrived to see that Trump had reversed the tariffs (not to China) and the stock markets had reversed its downward crash out. see my text message above: “so confused. Landed and he reversed the tariffs?”
Obviously, I am far from a political or economic writer. But this weekend marked a turning point of volatility in Trump’s already volatile decision making and really who isn’t a little intrigued/concerned/confused by his “art-of-deal-making”? After all, I’m just a girl with a Substack, standing in front of the world, asking it to make sense of the reaction to these Trump tariffs.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
#Tradewartok
After Trump’s flip flop, Chinese suppliers took to tiktok, revealing the manufacturers behind many popular brands. These included luxury brands like Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, MaxMara, mid-range brands like Cos, Bershka, Zara, Lululemon, a range of shoe brands, Make up brands (Charlotte Tilbury), and brands that sold Laundry pods and Furniture too. The videos were a sharp reminder that many of the items we buy from our favourite brands are made in China.
They’re even telling consumers that you can go direct to the factory for a cheaper product, encouraging them to cut out retailer middle men like Alibaba, and Amazon. I mean, Chinese suppliers really said enough is enough and decided to reclaiming their narrative lol and honestly if anything its a reminder how social media has made everything so unserious these days. They don’t even use Tiktok! (Even the system that collects tariffs was actually down for about 10 hours last week LOL).
My FYP is full of Chinese suppliers, or Chinese creators, like this cutie who is ungatekeeping lots of suppliers. It’s also packed with loads of creators who are sitting back, and watching the tea unfold, with many of them coming out in support of the Chinese suppliers.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
It’s important to note that the truth of these videos is questionable. In particular, commenters are adamant that Hermès products are exclusively made in France!!!! Some creators point out that certain suppliers might be jumping onto this trend to confuse audiences who lack knowledge about the supply chain: “Birkenstocks are not made in China,” and reminding people that Lululemon releases their list of suppliers. While other creators are chiming in to remind people that the breadth of the global supply chain should be common knowledge.
Regardless of the truth — these videos raise several points:
1. Even if these suppliers aren’t the manufacturing of the real product, they still appeal to the girlies who want the bag, even if it’s not 100% real, for a fraction of a cost (hello dupe culture? The Walmart Birkin anyone?)
2. It’s a reminder for us all about the globalised supply chain that we exist in, and how little most people really understand it
AND 3. This might just be the beginning of a new kind of war, one where the countries fight for the most important thing in today’s digital economy, our attention.
trinket girlies
oK, but the real question is how does it affect the cUlTuRe!! As Emily Sundberg reminds us, “These tariffs are having an immediate (like right now) impact on the corner of industries where we spend a lot of time at Feed Me — apparel, CPG, and other consumer startups.” I would highly recommend reading Emily’s article on this topic.
The Cut wrote about how trinkets girlies are expected to be affected, as toy prices could increase by 50%. Toys like Smiskis, Sonny Angels and Labubu have become highly collectible, “People are eagerly paying anywhere from an average of $12 to hundreds of dollars, depending on the rarity of the figurine”. These trinket collectibles have become so popular that other brands (like Dopper) are joining in.
Fashion as an industry will need to reconsider its supply chain issues (although I feel this is constantly in flux). Whether or not #tradewartok provides truth, the trust between consumers and luxury brands is already fading. But while the bigger companies will struggle, that’s nothing compared to the impact the tariffs will have on small businesses. Some brands are understandably angrily. Some have already decided to close their US online stores, unwilling to pass the price hike onto customers. Even Mr Beast called out the President’s policy for its impact on small businesses.
soft power and social media
The rise of #tradewartok is shifting global awareness and influence. By directly engaging with consumers, Chinese manufacturers are challenging traditional brand authority, and reshaping how we value, origin, and what drives our purchasing decisions.
At the same time, other geopolitical shifts are playing out. For instance, the increasing restrictions on American films in China could impact another key pillar of American cultural influence: Hollywood.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
This, along with the rise of viral memes point to a world where cultural narratives and information are actively contested. China and the US are battling for influence and attention, using social media as a key battleground. The lines between economic power, cultural influence, and information control are becoming increasingly blurred in the digital age.
“Culture…offers a kind of meta-commentary, a way of thinking about what is happening, informing our perspectives and future decisions.”
field notes
ARTICLES: Someone has spent ages researching highly successful artists here. The R&D of our internet identity. Everyone is numbing out. The nonchalance epidemic: “God forbid you enjoy something simply because it makes you happy”. This article frames different types of friendship based on Insecure and its great. How constant communication ruins our friendships.
BOOKS: The Empusium by Olga Tokarcuk was not what I expected. I read her earlier works Flights, and Drive your plow and loved them both. But I found the Empusium too slow. I was expecting a horror story because of its description “A health resort horror story”, but ended up falling asleep every time I picked up the book. Also finally read Small things like these, and still can’t stop thinking about the ending.
WATCH: Watched A complete unknown on the plane and also was surprised by Timothee’s musical talent. Recently watched before sunset, and LOVED it. The netflix film The Life List had me in tears when I watched it, def a good easy feel good film. White Lotus’s finale was insane and had most of the internet thinking that the deaths were obvious.
RAMADAN & EID: during ramadan, one of the trending sounds was an imam in the mosque complaining about how after terawih prayers, all the kids are going to the Yemeni coffee shops. Its so niche, but this creator goes into the history behind organising in coffee shops and its significance in islamic history.
RANDOM: is anyone else getting thai military tok? Videos have been going around to show the ultimate chaos and CELEBRATION of the LGBTQI+ community attending the annual military draft. The videos are receiving a lot of praise for how the military men and general attending are creating an atmosphere of security and acceptance for the community. This account in Singapore is two guys going to haunted and eerie places to find out if there are really haunted. I haven’t watched any through the end because i’m too scared. This creator goes to places because he is bored.
AI: proof of reality tags, “If a brand can’t be bothered to write its own product detail page copy, why should I trust they’ve vetted their ingredients? If they’re outsourcing their social content, what else are they cutting corners on?”
oh yeah, and some people went to space and people didn’t react well. LOL.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
if i missed any links, or made any spelling errors and you saw them, did you really? Also if you liked something I said or didn’t, tell me! I love nothing more than when I get a text about the things I write. 🥰🙋🏽🍄