As Hezbollah grapples with a tightening financial blockade and a near-total shutdown of its traditional funding routes, the group has reportedly shifted to an alternative funding network centered around trade with China, using the clothing industry as a vehicle to generate revenue and sustain its operations, Sawt Beirut International reported. 

With external cash flows increasingly difficult to move through Beirut airport or any other official entry points, Hezbollah has been forced to find new ways to replace the financial arteries that once fueled its activities. But the group’s latest financing model has not gone unnoticed, even within its own support base in southern Beirut, where talk is spreading of individuals who became millionaires overnight after opening retail stores allegedly backed by Hezbollah funds.

According to information obtained by Sawt Beirut International, China has emerged as the main hub for Hezbollah’s financial reinjection strategy. Sources say the group has recently funneled millions of dollars to trusted individuals, instructing them to invest in commercial ventures. The objective: transform cash into profits through the import and sale of Chinese-made goods, primarily clothing.

Most of the traders now involved in importing garments from China are reportedly operating within Hezbollah’s expanding financial orbit. They are said to play a direct role in propping up a new economic engine that the group has built to offset the effects of financial isolation imposed by international sanctions. 

The influx of Chinese merchandise has led to an unprecedented glut in the local clothing market. Warehouses in Hezbollah strongholds, particularly in Beirut’s southern suburbs, are reportedly stocked with vast quantities of apparel. These goods are distributed across a wide network of merchants who sell both wholesale and retail in local markets. A large portion is also pushed through social media platforms, in what appears to be a coordinated digital retail operation.

Observers have noted the proliferation of Instagram and Facebook pages selling identical goods, often at below-market prices. Once the inventory is sold, the pages are quickly deactivated; a sign that the initiative prioritizes rapid cash turnover rather than long-term brand development or sustainable commerce.

Sales are conducted entirely online, and the goods are now widely available across Lebanon. The profits, sources say, are funneled directly back to Hezbollah’s central accounts, with a portion distributed to the merchants themselves, many of whom have reportedly seen their fortunes rise dramatically in recent months.

Economists warn that such informal networks, while lucrative for some, risk exacerbating Lebanon’s shadow economy, distorting competition, and undermining regulatory oversight. As international scrutiny of Hezbollah’s finances continues, the group’s reliance on trade-based revenue channels is likely to draw further attention from both Lebanese authorities and foreign governments.