• Venicone@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    1 day ago

    A growing movement to boycott US products has spread from Scandinavia to Canada, the UK and other countries in response to US President Donald Trump’s authoritarian policies, The Guardian reports. The most publicised case is the refusal to buy cars produced by Tesla because of its association with Elon Musk, who has since become a key figure in the Trump administration. In a single day earlier this week, Tesla’s share value fell 15%.

    In response to tariffs introduced by Trump against Canadian imports and his call for the neighbouring country to become the 51st US state, Canadians have started boycotting American products. But the economic boycott has also extended into the cultural sphere and beyond. In Canada, where America’s national anthem has been booed during hockey games against US teams, several apps have sprung up that allow shoppers to scan the barcode of products in stores to see if they come from America, making it easier for Canadians to avoid them. What’s more, the number of Canadians holidaying in the US fell by about 23% in February 2025 compared to the same month last year, according to Statistics Canada. “A backstabbing sideshow”.

    Some companies in Europe are also joining the boycott While Canada and Mexico have been the countries hardest hit by the trade war sparked by Trump, the boycott movement is making itself felt even in countries much further afield. In Sweden, around 40,000 users have joined a Facebook group calling for a boycott of US companies - including Facebook - and offering alternatives to US products. “I will replace as many American products as I can, and if many people do that, it will definitely affect the stock in the shops,” wrote one user. In Denmark, where Trump’s threat to take control of Greenland has provoked many angry reactions, the largest food company, the Salling Group, has announced it will brand products made in Europe with a black star to make it easier for customers to avoid US products.

    “People are angry. Musk represents so many of the Trump administration’s problems” Famed violinist Christian Tetzlaff made it clear why he and his quartet have cancelled a series of US concerts due to take place this summer. “There seems to be a silence or denial of what’s going on.” “I feel total rage. I can’t go on having this feeling inside me. I can’t just go out and support a beautiful concert tour,” Tetzlaff said. The boycott movement will most likely expand even further. “A lot of the actions we’re seeing are coming organically, people are putting various things on TikTok. People are so angry, and this is about taking back power,” said Zoe Gardner, who organises the Stop Trump Coalition movement in the UK. “We’re already seeing in Europe that Tesla sales have plummeted because Musk represents so many of the problems of the Trump administration, both his horrible culture of racism and the economic side,” Gardner added.