‘Danish Viking blood is boiling.’ Danes boycott US goods with fervor as others in Europe do so too

Hansen, a retired Danish police officer, loaded up his basket at the supermarket, carefully checking each product to avoid buying anything made in the United States. No more Coca-Cola, no more California Zinfandel wine or almonds. On his recent shopping trip, Hansen returned home with dates from Iran. It shocked him to realize that he now perceives the United States as a greater threat than Iran. "Trump really looks like a bully who tries in every way to intimidate, threaten others to get his way," he told The Associated Press. "I will fight against that kind of thing." Hansen is just one supporter of a growing movement across Europe and Canada to boycott U.S. products. People are joining Facebook groups where they exchange ideas about how to avoid U.S. products and find alternatives. Feelings are especially strong across the Nordic region—and possibly strongest in Denmark, given Trump's threats to seize Greenland. Google Trends showed a spike in searches for the terms "Boycott USA" and "Boycott America" as Trump announced new tariffs, with the top regions including Denmark, Canada and France. At the same time, a global backlash is also building against Tesla as the brand becomes tied to Trump, with plunging sales in Europe and Canada. In Germany, police were investigating after four Teslas were set on fire. Responding to consumer demand, Denmark's largest supermarket chain, the Salling Group, created a star-shaped label this March to mark European-made goods sold in its stores. CEO Anders Hagh said it's not a boycott, but a response to consumers demanding a way to easily avoid American products. "Our stores will continue to have brands on the shelves from all over the world, and it will always be up to customers to choose. The new label is only an additional service for customers who want to buy goods with European labels," he said in a LinkedIn post. This article was provided by The Associated Press.