China’s DHgate e-commerce app rises in US app store rankings amid Trump tariffs
‘There’s nothing a Chinese factory can’t make,’ a TikTok user says in a video purportedly showing suppliers of designer fashion brands
DHgate, known as Dunhuang in Chinese and dubbed the “Little Yellow App” by shoppers, climbed to second place in the free app rankings on Apple’s US App Store on Tuesday – trailing only ChatGPT – after rising from below the 200th position in just several days, according to data from traffic tracker Sensor Tower.
The app’s sudden popularity was spurred by TikTok videos from Chinese manufacturers claiming to supply global luxury brands. One widely circulated video, initially posted by user “bagbestie1”, suggested that over 80 per cent of luxury handbags were produced in China before being repackaged and sold overseas. The original account is now unavailable.
“There’s nothing a Chinese factory can’t make,” TikTok user “lunasourcingchina” said. One of her videos showed factories in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province, that allegedly supplied brands like Brooks Brothers, Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss. The video garnered over 3.5 million views in three days.
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On Saturday, DHgate recorded 35,400 global downloads across the App Store and Google Play, marking a 56 per cent increase from its 30-day average. US downloads reached 17,300, a 98 per cent increase, according to a report from TechCrunch, citing data from DHgate.
