DHgate, a Chinese e-commerce site, is suddenly atop Apple’s App Store as tariff fears push U.S. consumers to buy cheap Chinese replicas of luxury items

Chinese e-commerce platform DHgate displayed on a smartphone. (Credit: CFOTO—Future Publishing/Getty Images)

• Chinese e-commerce platforms DHgate and Taobao have soared in popularity this week after viral TikTok videos claim to sell luxury brand items from Lululemon and Hermès for a fraction of the price. The trend has grabbed the attention of American social-media users, who are calling out U.S. companies for their high prices. Lululemon says the factories that claim to manufacture their goods were not incorporated within the company’s supply chain.

Downloads of popular Chinese e-commerce platforms soared in the U.S. this week, spurred by viral TikTok videos from alleged Chinese suppliers claiming to expose luxury brands.