French and Danish consumers have been turning their backs on US products, launching a growing boycott movement in protest against Washington’s foreign and economic policies.
In France, a boycott kickstarted on March 1 by French farmer Edouard Roussez has rapidly gained momentum online.
His Facebook group titled Boycott USA, Buy French! has already amassed more than 15,000 members, urging consumers to prioritise French and European-made goods over US brands.
“Fed up with funding US imperialist excesses? Then take action,” read the group’s manifesto. “Support the French and European economy by boycotting US products. Less USA, more France, more Europe!”
Speaking to French media, Roussez explained his motivation, pointing to what he saw as US arrogance in global affairs.
“The way [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelensky was humiliated is a humiliation for all Europeans,” said the hop-grower from Hazebrouck, Northern France.
“The message from Washington is clear: ‘We don’t need you, but you need us. Well, that doesn’t sit right with me. We’re going to make sure we don’t need the Americans anymore. Something had to be done,” he added.
The group has actively shared French and European Union-based alternatives to US products and services.
Instead of Google, they have promoted Qwant, a European search engine. Instead of ChatGPT, they recommended using the French AI chatbot created by Mistral.
Finding a French or EU alternative was not always easy. One Facebook user complained that he could not move away from Adobe software due to his work as a designer.
Still, the group remained determined to seek out alternatives, arguing that consumers should prioritise boycotting brands that would truly impact the US economy.
The irony of using Facebook, owned by US multinational Meta, to promote the boycott was not lost on Roussez.
“It’s true that it’s a bit strange to use Facebook, which is an American platform, to boycott Americans but, like the resistance fighters, we use all the tools we can to achieve our goal,” he said.
It was not only France where anti-US feeling has been rising.
In Denmark, a similar boycott has exploded in popularity.
There, the Facebook group Boykot Varer Fra USA (Boycott Goods from the USA) has more than 54,000 members and blamed US trade policies for fuelling the movement.
“This is a group for those who want to support the boycott of products from the United States, a consequence of the trade war started by [US President] Donald Trump,” read the Danish group’s introduction.
Speaking to Brussels Signal on March 5, Danish MEP Anders Vistisen argued that, in the event of a trade war with the US, European patriots would prioritise defending their own interests over those of their US right-wing allies.
Danish MEP Anders Vistisen has defended his blunt response to US President Donald Trump’s claims on Greenland, telling Brussels Signal Denmark had every right to be offended. https://t.co/q5lfkDUY04
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 6, 2025
With anti-US sentiment simmering across parts of Europe, this consumer backlash may just be getting started.
One US company was already feeling the impact.
Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla has taken a hit as European consumers expressed discontent over US politics.
In January 2025, Tesla car sales plunged by 45 per cent compared to the previous year
In the European Parliament, Green MEPs have even called for cutting funding to projects and products linked to US billionaire and close Trump ally Musk.
But the anti-US activism has not been confined to Europe – the global movement started in North America.
Following Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that Canada should become the US’ 51st State, Canadian consumers launched their own boycott of US goods.
In response to Trump’s decision to hike tariffs on Canadian imports, the country’s President Justin Trudeau took to the stage on February 1, urging citizens to “choose Canada” and support homegrown products.
