BERLIN (Reuters) – A German international trade lobby on Wednesday warned against calls to boycott U.S. products amid tensions between European governments and President Donald Trump’s administration, saying they could stoke a cycle of reprisals.
Germany’s BGA, representing Germany’s import and export traders, told Reuters that boycott calls would be a “false response” to political disagreements.
“We shouldn’t bring an already complex situation further to a head. Rather than get embroiled in boycotts, tariffs and counter-tariffs, we should seek dialogue with the United States over the transatlantic trade questions of the future,” said BGA president Dirk Jandura.
There have been early signs that cooling relations in areas of trade and security between the United States and its traditional European allies are prompting calls in Europe to replace U.S. products with home-made brands.
A forum on social media website Reddit called “BuyFromEU” has attracted 189,000 members to discuss alternatives to U.S. brands.
The market share in Europe of U.S. carmaker Tesla continued to shrink in February. Though hit by growing competition and a slowdown in European economies, support by the company’s CEO Elon Musk for far-right parties in Europe has added to the sales slump.
(Reporting by Rene Wagner; Writing by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Madeline Chambers)
