Some French consumers are looking for ways to do without American products to protest President Donald Trump’s policies on Ukraine. But close trading ties and the nature of multinational companies is making it tough to identify which products to boycott.
Following Trump's treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House last week and his subsequent withdrawal of US aid to Ukraine, thousands of French consumers have joined online communities calling for a boycott of American products and suggesting French or European alternatives.
"Tired of financing American imperialism? Take action. Here, we are organising to support the French and European economy by boycotting US products," reads the description of the Boycott USA: Buy French! Facebook group created last week.
The group had garnered nearly 14,000 members by Thursday afternoon.
Its administrator Edouard Roussez is a 33-year-old farmer who grows hops in the north of France. He told France Inter radio that the goal is to boycott as many American companies as possible, with a focus on those whose owners are supporters of the Trump administration, such as Elon Musk.
Sales of Musk’s Tesla cars in Europe have fallen since the beginning of the year. In France, sales were down 26 percent in February compared to the previous year, according to French auto industry trade group PFA.
Tesla sales plummet in France amid Musk’s support for European far-right parties
Boycotts elsewhere
While it is difficult to determine if the drop is due to a boycott or other market forces, consumers looking for ways to limit their consumption of American products are finding inspiration in boycott movements elsewhere in the world.
After Trump repeated his threat to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, the Danish supermarket distributor Salling began adding asterisks to the labels of European-made products in its Danish stores.
Managing director Anders Hagh posted on LinkedIn that the decision came after the company received request "from customers who want to buy groceries from European brands".
Similarly, in response to tariffs imposed by the US and threats by Trump to annex Canada as "the 51st state", Canadians have started boycotts of US products and some have cancelled planned trips south of the border to the US.
Trump unveils sweeping US tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China - EU next?
As soon as the US tariffs were announced on Tuesday, the premier of Ontario province, Doug Ford, announced that all American alcohol products would be removed from store shelves and cancelled the province’s $100 million satellite internet deal with Musk's Starlink satellite internet company.
This move came in addition to retaliatory tariffs imposed by Canada on US imports.
Manufacturing ties
However, for consumers in France seeking to wage their own boycotts identifying exactly which goods are American can be difficult – as can finding alternatives, given the ubiquity of US products on the shelves.
The US was France’s fifth largest supplier in 2023, according to the French Treasury, with €51.8 billion in US imports.
Many American brands have manufacturing facilities in Europe, and European brands have connections with the US. For example, one alternative to buying a Tesla car could be to buy one from Peugeot, a French brand – owned by the Italian-American multinational Stelantis.
Boycotting American brands could also hit European companies, such as the factory in eastern France which produces M&Ms for the American confectionery maker Mars.
Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola have bottling plants all over France, and American fast food companies buy from French and European suppliers.
Undeterred, Roussez posted in his Facebook group: "We are aiming for an efficient and rational boycott," adding that this may not "overthrow the world order, but at least we will have resisted with the arms we have".
