Germans are ready to boycott American goods. And not only they
1 April 2025 13:28
The majority of Germans do not want to buy American goods – this is how the escalation of disputes with the United States over tariffs affects consumer preferences in Germany. This was reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung with reference to a YouGov survey, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
As part of the study, Germans were asked whether they could imagine continuing to buy products from the United States in light of the tariff dispute, and 53 percent of more than 2,000 respondents answered “No, definitely not” or “No, probably not.”
The main reason cited by respondents was political motives, with 48 percent ready to deliberately boycott the United States. In addition, 44% of respondents are not ready to pay higher prices for American products if they increase as a result of the tariff dispute.
On the other hand, nine percent of respondents definitely want to continue buying goods from the United States, and another 25% “probably” do.
The conflict over tariffs may also affect vacation plans: only about a quarter of respondents can still imagine taking a vacation in the United States, while 37 percent rule it out or consider it unlikely – also mainly for political reasons.
The results of the survey are based on online interviews on the YouGov panel. 2061 people took part in the study between March 24 and 26.
Most French people are also in favor of a boycott
More than half of the French are considering boycotting American brands to protest Trump’s tariff policy.
It should be noted that the American president has threatened to impose a 200% duty on wine, champagne and other alcoholic beverages from France and other EU countries.
According to the Ifop survey, positive perceptions of the United States among French citizens have fallen to their lowest level in 40 years.
57% of French respondents said they are ready to boycott American goods and services in the coming months, and 62% generally support the idea of a boycott. In addition, 32% of respondents said they were already boycotting American brands, primarily Coca-Cola and McDonald’s.
According to Politico, Trump is “fueling France’s famous economic patriotism” by his actions.
And not only in Germany and France
According to a YouGov poll published on March 4, there is no longer a single European country where more than half of the population has a positive attitude toward the United States.
In addition to calls for a boycott of American goods in general, there are also personal actions directed, for example, against Trump’s advisor Elon Musk. Tesla’s sales in Europe have fallen sharply. According to the Association of the Automotive Industry, sales in Germany fell by 76% compared to the beginning of last year.
Denmark has special complaints about Trump. The American president’s plans to seize Greenland have caused outrage in the country and a sharp deterioration in attitudes toward the United States. Denmark’s largest retailer, Salling Group, has introduced special labeling for goods of European origin. This is so that customers know what to buy and what not to buy.
As a reminder, the European Union has introduced countermeasures in response to the special 25 percent U.S. duties on all steel and aluminum imports that came into effect on March 12. The European Commission stated that these actions are aimed at protecting European businesses, workers and consumers from unjustified trade restrictions. The countermeasures may affect exports of goods from the United States worth up to EUR 26 billion, which corresponds to the economic impact of the US tariffs. They will be implemented in two stages: from April 1 and fully from April 13. Nevertheless, the EU is ready to negotiate with the United States and may lift the countermeasures if an agreement is reached.
