Trump Tried to Block China—He Boosted Its Downloads Instead

DHgate & Taobao: From Tariff Threats to Top of the Global Charts

As the Trump administration escalates its tariff campaign against China, an unexpected trend is unfolding: Chinese shopping apps are surging in popularity overseas. According to third-party data, Taobao now ranks No.1 in app downloads across 16 countries, and top 10 in 123.

Between April 12 and 15, Taobao’s overseas downloads skyrocketed 222% to 326,000. On iOS alone, downloads in North America surged 483%, while Europe saw a 439% jump.

Facing higher prices, global consumers are stocking up on affordable, durable goods—many turning to Chinese platforms. Some Taobao sellers report traffic spikes of up to 1,000% in categories like fashion and consumer electronics.

Starting April 12, a Taobao womenswear seller began receiving an unusual spike in inquiries—many clearly from non-Chinese users. Some messages were written in awkwardly translated Chinese, others in English. According to store backend data, between April 12 and 15, overseas visitors rose 98%, international buyers increased by 30.2%, GMV climbed 9.4%, and orders grew 9.1%.

Other sellers are seeing similar surges. In merchant chat groups, many are saying the same thing: “Taobao is going global.”

While the recent spike may be linked to trade tensions, Taobao’s overseas momentum also reflects years of groundwork by Chinese e-commerce platforms. And it’s not alone—on April 15, DHgate jumped to No. 2 in the U.S. App Store rankings, right behind ChatGPT.

Founded in 2004, DHgate has grown into one of China's largest B2B cross-border e-commerce platforms. It offers over 33 million products across categories like electronics, home goods, apparel, jewelry, and personal care, serving 77 million buyers and 2.5 million suppliers across 225 countries and regions. The company operates 14 overseas warehouses and 188 logistics routes.

As of April 15, Chinese apps dominated the top three spots in the U.S. App Store's shopping category: DHgate ranked first, followed by Taobao and SHEIN.

Just days earlier, on April 11, DHgate was ranked 352nd. On April 12, downloads surged to 35,400—up 56% from its 30-day average—thanks largely to the U.S. market, which accounted for nearly half. By April 13, iOS downloads had jumped 732%, with U.S. installs up 940% to 65,100, pushing the app to No.2 in the rankings.

In a statement, DHgate said April downloads had risen 800% month-over-month, with over 3,000 U.S. wholesalers placing orders daily—a milestone for China’s B2B e-commerce evolution.

Ironically, the very tariffs meant to curb China’s influence may have accelerated it. Even Trump might not have predicted this surge in digital exports.