Trumps levies put European products in spotlight at EU consumer

• Elsbeth Heersink

  Editor Economy

The announcement of the Trump’s announcement to announce import duties against Canada led in recent weeks to a determination among Canadians to buy products from their own country, instead of American. Now that the EU has also been hit by American import duties, a similar movement appears to be created in Europe.

For example, tens of thousands of people share European alternatives to American products on different internet forums. In the Netherlands it is not yet a major theme, but in other European countries the movement seems steam. A French Facebook group now has nearly 20,000 members and users of Reddit have one themselves site set up with European alternatives.

Rabobank economist Olaf Zwijnenburg explains that such actions reach a large audience through social media in no time. “That can have both positive and negative consequences for sale. A movement in Europe suddenly arises at a very fast pace to boycott American products in response to recent political decisions by Trump.”

Zwijnenburg states that this development shows a sentiment of growing dissatisfaction with American politics in Europe.

According to retail expert Kitty Koelemeijer, Dutch people are very attached to American brands. “Made in America was a recommendation for many products, just like clothing with Made in Italy. That is now a bit off. “

ING economist Dirk Mulder emphasizes that it is not easy for consumers to just switch. According to him, people may be bothered by the global political situation, but a change in behavior is not easy. “We are used to certain products, certain flavors and you have to say goodbye to that”.

According to him, the Dutch are also a lot more sober and less nationalist than, for example, French or Danes. Switching to more European products is ultimately good for the economy in Europe, says Mulder, but there are also disadvantages. “Remember that, for example, Coca-Cola here in the Netherlands are bottled. The moment you start boycotting, you might lose that, including the office and the jobs.”

It is also not easy for Dutch consumers to see which products are American. For example, the Honig brand has a typically Dutch image for many people. Yet it has been in the hands of the American Kraft Heinz for more than twenty years.

A Danish supermarket then jumped in and launched a label for European products to be identified. Retail experts do not like such labels in Dutch supermarkets. Kitty Koelemeijer: “If you are going to label products, the consumer must benefit from it, this does not seem to me to do so. The customer is already flooded with information and then you throw even more on top.”

In other European countries, such as Spain, some customers put American brands upside down to inform other customers. Retail expert Eelco Hos says that there is an easier way to be almost certain of a European product: buy the private label. These brands are owned by the supermarket itself and are for the most part produced in Europe.

Inretail, the Non-Food trade association, does not see large-scale promotions with, for example, stickers, but expect to see this trend in the shopping street.

In addition to food, there are also many American services and platforms established in Europe. According to ING economist Mulder, you can switch to the one easier than with the other. “It should not cause discomfort. Another browser or search engine is possible, but leaving services such as Gmail is much more difficult.”

What is certain is that there is currently more attention and appreciation for things that come from Europe itself, regardless of how strong the movement that argues for American alternatives will be. Rabobank economist Olaf Zwijnenburg: “You should not underestimate the power of the customer. Nowadays, consumers expect much more from brands than just good things. They also want to know how their favorite brand is in political and social discussions.”