"I'm going along" - "I think that would be counterproductive"

No time? blue News summarizes for you

• With his desire for annexation, Donald Trump has initially triggered a boycott movement in countries such as Denmark and Canada.
• It is estimated that US tourism will lose 12 billion dollars this year.
• The boycott movement has reached India and is also having an impact on US arms exports.
• The F-35 purchase remains under discussion in Switzerland: this is what passers-by in Zurich have to say about a boycott of US goods.

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The Danes were the first: when Donald Trump made his Greenland lust public, some of them called for a boycott of American products.

"It's the only way for [consumers] to protest a bit against Trump," said a Copenhagen employee in a store in April when asked by CNBC. Customer Eva agrees: "Yes, I would avoid American products. I think they need a new president."

The retailer Salling Group, which has 1,700 stores in Denmark, Germany and Poland, has even started labeling products that are in European hands. Officially, this is not a boycott of American goods, but rather a customer request for clearer information about European ownership.

"Boycott varer fra USA"

As a result, sales of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, for example, fell slightly, according to the Danish brewer Carlsberg: They respect the decision of consumers, but also point out that Coca-Cola is produced by Danish staff in Denmark itself. The situation is similar in Switzerland: the locations are Dietlikon ZH and Vals GR.

Consumers are organizing themselves: the Facebook group "Boykot varer fra USA" now has more than 94,000 members: there are tips on how to avoid US products, but also reports on what foreign countries are up to: On August 12, for example, it is posted that Lindt & Sprüngli is removing the USA from its supply chain and exporting directly to Canada.

This Canadian retailer in Ottawa marks products that have become more expensive as a result of Trump's tariffs - in other words, American goods.

KEYSTONE

Because the phenomenon is spreading: The White House threatens Canada with annexation? This is causing a veritable tsunami of resistance: As early as mid-February, 85 percent of respondents to a survey said they wanted to find partial or complete alternatives to US products.

12 billion loss in tourism

It is not only whiskey producers in the American south-east or duty-free stores near the border that are feeling the effects of this, but also the tourism industry: compared to the previous year, 33.1 percent fewer people traveled to the neighbouring country in June. According to the statistics authority, it was the sixth consecutive month of decline.

And it's not just the neighbors who are staying away: The World Travel & Tourism Council expects US tourism revenues to fall by 12 billion dollars this year. Las Vegas is seeing 13 percent fewer visitors than last year. "When you tell the rest of the world they're not welcome, they listen," commented a union member in the desert city in Nevada.

Trump's bilateral behavior has also made a negative impression on other countries, particularly in Europe, even before the 79-year-old hit them with the tariff hammer. This was felt by e-car brand Tesla, among others, whose sales slumped in these latitudes when co-owner Elon Musk was active in Washington.

"Money spent on brands that don't belong to us"

What began with political threats and continued with Elon Musk's unpopular budget cuts is about to become a problem for the USA with Trump's tariff policy: Reuters reports, for example, that voices are now also growing in India, an important US sales market, calling for a boycott of US products.

Left-wing parties and trade unionists protest against Trump's tariffs in front of the US embassy in Kolkata on August 13.

KEYSTONE

"We have lined up for products from thousands of miles away," grumbles company founder Manish Chowdhary, who is drumming up support for "Made in India" goods. "We have proudly spent money on brands that don't belong to us, while our domestic manufacturers have struggled for attention in their own country."

Spain, India, Canada

What other countries think about the F-35 after Trump's tariff hammer

India has also put an order for Boeing maritime patrol aircraft on hold and turned down a US offer to buy F-35 jets - as has Spain. In Canada, there are discussions about reducing or canceling the F-35 order.

Doubts in Switzerland too

And Switzerland? Here, too, politicians of all stripes are expressing doubts about the order for the US fighter jet. And users are also sharing information at the consumer level - for example on the Switzerland channel on Reddit, which is followed by a good 560,000 people.

Reddit users give tips on how to avoid US products on the Switzerland channel.

Screenshot: Reddit/Switzerland

For example, one posts a graphic with alternative tech providers. "Don't forget that the US earns most of its money in the technology sector," the person writes. "If you take that revenue away from them, that's one way to fight back." Another user adds a link with a clearer list of EU tech alternatives.

US punitive tariffs cause frustration

Many people now want to boycott US products - this website helps them find alternatives

Various links to articles about Donald Trump's tariff policy towards Switzerland are also posted here, which is an indication of the local interest in the White House's policy. blue News also asked people in Zurich whether they could imagine avoiding US products. You can see the results in the video above.