Trade conflict
Do people buy fewer US products because of Trump?
Many consumers in Germany want to take consequences due to the customs dispute with the US government. Market researchers have examined whether something has actually changed.
Many people in Germany have announced that it will boycott US brands. But only a few actually implement it. According to the NIQ market researcher, there is no noticeable effect on buying behavior so far. An evaluation of 25 food segments – from chocolate to whiskey – did not result in a significant slump in US brands compared to German brands.
NiQ consumption expert David Georgi sees the main reason that so far only a moral but no financial pressure has been to do without popular products. The announced tariffs have not yet been implemented and US products have not become more expensive. If the prices rise significantly, that could change. “The price aspect is a very important one for German consumers,” said Georgi.
Well-known US products are produced in Europe
In March, many consumers stated in a YouGov survey that they wanted to boycott US goods because of the trade dispute. 53 percent announced that it was “determined” or “probably”.
However, experts refer to other factors in this context. Many well-known US products such as Coca-Cola would not be affected by tariffs because they are manufactured in Europe. In addition, many consumers do not even know which brands belong to US companies. Discounts and special offers also strongly influence the buying behavior.
US President Donald Trump announced in May to postpone the new tariffs originally planned for early June to EU imports in order to create more time for negotiations. The start was moved to July 9th. The EU also initially exposed planned counter-tariffs on US products.
According to a current YouGov survey, a large majority of people in Germany expect prices to rise due to the new tariffs.
dpa
Source: Stern
