A Chinese-made toilet brush designed as a parody of American President Donald Trump has seen a massive spike in domestic sales as a result of the tit-for-tat tariff war between China and the US.
The yellow Trump toilet brush isn’t new. It dates back to the US President’s first term in office, when Chinese factories were churning out all sorts of Trump-themed products because of his popularity, both in China and in the US. A lot has changed since then, though, and today, many Chinese are buying the funny toilet brush as a way to ridicule the American president after he set massive commercial tariffs on Chinese goods. Chinese media is reporting a significant increase in Trump toilet brush sales as part of a trend called “Yiwu’s counterattack”.
Yiwu City is home to many small factories producing low-cost plastic products like the popular Trump-themed toilet brush, so the “Yiwu counterattack” movement is seen as the country’s support for manufacturers directly hit by Trump’s tariffs.
The toilet brushes, which have gone viral online this week, sell for prices between 13.9 yuan ($1.9) and 18.9 yuan ($2.6).
Anti-American sentiment has been on the rise in China ever since the tariff war between the US and China escalated. Notices targeting American citizens have been spreading on Chinese social media, and some businesses have decided to retaliate against the tariffs by placing their own, even on services.
One restaurant in Wuhan, Hubei Province, attracted attention for posting a sign at the entrance that read, “American customers will be charged an additional 104% service charge. If you have any complaints, please contact the U.S. Embassy.”
