China beauty brand Florasis shifts US expansion strategy as tensions rise

Chinese cosmetic brand Florasis (花西子) is shifting the focus of its global expansion away from the U.S., underscoring how growing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing could shape the American ambitions of mainland consumer brands. For now, the Hangzhou-based cosmetics maker is looking to Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe, Gabby Chen, Florasis’ president for global markets, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. “There’s been huge political changes for the global markets,” Chen said. “We shifted our strategy from the U.S. market to Southeast Asia, but prior to that, the U.S. has remained very strong as our top global market.” Hangzhou-based Florasis has in recent years been a top selling cosmetics brand on popular Chinese online marketplaces including Alibaba Group’s Tmall and TikTok’s Chinese app Douyin, and now ships to more than 100 countries. Ancient botanicals, modern barriers Its products incorporate botanicals and ingredients drawn from traditional Chinese medicine. They’re wrapped in packaging inspired by classical Chinese aesthetics — including carvings on lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes — that have boosted its appeal among mainland consumers drawn to domestic labels over costlier Western names. Florasis has leveraged that momentum to court global customers, building a following of more than a million people on TikTok and partnering with roughly 1,500 U.S.-based influencers per year. The company remains “stable” in the American market, Chen said. Chinese consumer brands are continuing to push their global ambitions despite trade uncertainties. Companies from fashion retailer Urban Revivo to Starbucks rival Luckin Coffee and Labubu maker Pop Mart International Group are still pushing into the U.S. Online retail giants Shein and PDD Holdings’s Temu continue to focus on driving U.S. growth — despite losing a crucial tariff exemption that had helped them reach shoppers quickly and cheaply. Florasis’ shift mirrors the broader changes emerging in China’s international trade. The country’s exports rose higher than expected in September, even as shipments to the U.S. plunged 27%, while stronger demand from non-U.S. markets including the European Union have helped prop up growth.

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China beauty brand Florasis shifts US expansion strategy as tensions rise