Illustrative image generated by AI.
The simplest reading of US–China trade in 2026 is that the door is closing. On the consumer-brand side, a string of Chinese companies is walking through it anyway.
The move
A Reuters review of filings and store openings finds China's consumer giants expanding in the United States despite tariffs and talk of decoupling. Pop Mart, maker of the Labubu figures, had operated 41 U.S. locations by mid-2025 and reported more than 1,000% growth in North America; Miniso had grown to 421 North American stores as of September; sportswear brand Anta has signaled a Beverly Hills store; and Urban Revivo — "China's Zara" — opened a New York flagship, with parent Fashion Momentum Group's revenue approaching $1 billion. Beverage names Auntea Jenny, Chagee, Luckin Coffee and Mixue all opened their first U.S. stores in 2025.
Why now
The engine is a weak home market. As domestic spending softened, Chinese consumer companies looked abroad — first to Southeast Asia, now to the United States, where analysts note margins run higher than at home. The pitch is affordability plus reliability: position as the cheaper, credible alternative and build trust over time. "We're only in the early stage of entering this market," Urban Revivo's Leo Li told Reuters; Pop Mart's Wang Ning called the U.S. "enormous, with strong purchasing power."
Why it matters
This is the companion story to the China-in-Latin-America wave bcd-W has tracked — the same overcapacity and margin logic, pointed at the richest consumer market on earth, through the highest tariff wall. If it works, it rewrites a widely held assumption that trade tension would keep Chinese consumer brands out of America. The brands are treating tariffs as a cost of entry, not a barrier — and betting U.S. shoppers will judge them on price and product rather than passport.
What it signals
The names to watch are not factories but storefronts: toys, apparel, sportswear, tea and coffee — categories where a Chinese brand can win on value at the shelf. Whether younger American shoppers embrace them while tariffs quietly raise their prices is the open question. For a magazine that reads the ocean-crossing, this is Asia Plays America at its most contested.
bcd-W angle. Asia Plays America as macro signal: Chinese consumer giants treating US tariffs as a toll, not a wall. It is the background layer beneath every individual store opening — and a standing brief for Current[Commerce].
FAQ
Which Chinese brands are expanding in the US? Pop Mart, Miniso, Anta and Urban Revivo in retail; Auntea Jenny, Chagee, Luckin Coffee and Mixue in beverages, per Reuters.
Why go to the US now? A stalling domestic market and higher U.S. margins, with brands positioning as affordable, reliable alternatives.
What about tariffs? The companies are framing tariffs as a cost of entry they will push through, not a reason to stay out.
Sources
Reuters (via The Business Standard) — China consumer giants push into the US · Inside Retail Asia — why Chinese giants keep pushing into the US
bcd-W Worldwide — web only. This is a daily news brief, not an email edition. This is a trend read built on prior reporting; individual figures should be re-confirmed before republication.
