In July 2018, Ivanka Trump announced she was closing down her fashion brand to focus more on policy in Washington.
But a photo circulating on Facebook falsely claims that Ivanka’s brand lives on and is exempt from the tariffs her father, President Donald Trump, has imposed on China.
The photo appears to show a box of Ivanka Trump brand shoes with the label “made in China” and a stamp that says “tarriff exempt.” (The first clue that this image was tampered with? The word “tariff” is misspelled.)
The image was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The image has been altered and its message is inaccurate. Ivanka Trump’s brand is no longer operating, although her company received preliminary approval from the Chinese government for five trademarks in Jan. 2019, which some say could help her resume her business after Trump leaves office.
After running a reverse-image search, we found that the image of the box has been cropped from a larger photo published by Gawker in March 2016.
The original photo does include the “made in China” stamp, but the misspelled “tariff exempt” imprint seen in the Facebook post’s version is not there.
While her father’s latest round of tariffs on Chinese goods largely targets electronics, Ivanka Trump’s brand likely would be affected if it were still in operation because the items to be taxed also include many types of footwear.
Our ruling
An image posted on Facebook claims to show a box of Ivanka Trump brand shoes made in China with a tariff exempt stamp.
The image is old, Ivanka’s fashion line is now defunct, and the photo was manipulated to include the misspelled stamp.
We rate this Pants on Fire!
Truth-o-meter Ruling
Statement
Ivanka Trump’s shoe line is made in China but is exempt from tariffs.
Context
a Facebook postSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Facebook post, Sept. 12, 2019
New York Times, Ivanka Trump Is Shutting Down Her Fashion Brand, July 24, 2018
The Atlantic, A Crack in the Ivanka Trump Brand, July 25, 2018
CBS, Ivanka Trump receives 5 trademarks from China amid trade talks, Jan. 21, 2019
PolitiFact, Who pays for US tariffs on Chinese goods? You do, May 14, 2019
Office of the US Trade Representative, Request for Comments Concerning Proposed Modification of Action Pursuant to Section 301: China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation , May 17, 2019
TinEye, Reverse-image search, Sept. 18, 2019
Gawker, EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: Ivanka Trump's Shoes Definitely Made in China, March 23, 2016
FactCheck.org, Photo Shoehorns Misinformation Into Tariff Debate, June 5, 2019
Reuters, Factbox: Next rounds of Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods to hit consumers, Aug. 31, 2019
Translations
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