Overview

• President Trump's April 10 tariff hike on Chinese imports to 145% has spurred a dramatic increase in downloads of Chinese shopping apps DHgate and Taobao in the U.S.
• DHgate climbed from 352nd to second place on Apple’s U.S. App Store, while Taobao reached fifth place on Apple and third on Google Play as of April 17.
• Viral TikTok videos showcasing low-cost knockoffs of luxury goods and promoting direct-from-manufacturer shopping have fueled the surge in app adoption.
• Sensor Tower reports Taobao saw 2 million global downloads in 30 days, while Appfigures data shows a 514% month-over-month increase in U.S. downloads for April.
• The surge occurs ahead of the May end to the de minimis exemption, which could introduce new costs for cross-border purchases, potentially impacting consumer behavior further.