©PA
Ever since Donald Trump declared that he wanted to take control of Greenland (like it or not, those are his exact words), Denmark's autonomous Arctic territory, the Scandinavian country's reaction has been one of 'anti-American boycott'.The seriousness of the situation was such that the Danish Foreign Affairs Committee called an emergency meeting.
TV2 Kosmopol, a Danish television channel, gathered the reactions of the population. The general feeling is one of being threatened by an authoritarian neighbor who wants to impose its own agenda. The figures speak for themselves: a poll reveals that 40% of Danes even consider a military invasion scenario possible.
Thus was born the Facebook group 'Boykot varer fra USA' (Boycott American products), which surpassed 100,000 members from the outset and continues to grow at an impressive rate: It has become a spontaneous phenomenon that transforms indignation into concrete action, demonstrating that social media networks can become a powerful tool for civil mobilization.
Bo Albertus, founder of the initiative, summed up the philosophy of the movement to the Danish broadcaster with words that sound like a manifesto: "It's not very difficult to boycott. Everything has an impact - many flows are small." It's the theory of the drop which, multiplied by thousands, becomes a river capable of eroding even the most solid mountains, in this case those of American capitalism.
Albertus himself has set an example by renouncing American wines, American streaming services and a long list of food products. The paradox? He coordinates all this via Facebook, the American platform par excellence. But it's a conscious contradiction, as he himself admits: "A necessary evil to reach more people." Sometimes, it seems almost inevitable, to fight the system, you have to use the tools of the system itself.
In the Facebook group, Danish citizens exchange practical advice on how to replace American brands with local and European alternatives. The list of brands in the crosshairs is long and includes, for food and beverages: Coca-Cola, Heinz, Californian wines and nuts, barbecue sauce and American-brand chips replaced by European brands.
Another consequence is that subscriptions to Netflix, YouTube Premium and Amazon Prime are being cancelled in favor of Danish and European services such as TV 2 Play, Drtv and Viaplay.
Other sectors affected are tourism and financial investments - no vacations in the USA, of course, and an invitation to review one's stock portfolios too.
According to a professor of economics and management at the University of Southern Denmark interviewed by TV2 Kosmopol, the impact of this move could be anything but symbolic.
"Discussing brands that are based on American identity reduces their value," notes the expert, who points out that the hardest blow could come in the digital sector: the mass abandonment of American platforms would have concrete, measurable economic consequences.
The boycott of 'Made in USA' products is not confined to Denmark. In Canada, another country affected by Trump's positions, the movement has taken on an even more structured shape. Dedicated applications such as 'Maple Scan', 'Buy Canadian', 'Is This Canadian?' and 'Shop Canadian'app' have emerged, enabling consumers to scan product barcodes to verify origin, facilitating the conscious purchase of local products.
(©GreenMe.it 2026 / Managing Editor: Julie Morgan - The Press Junction / Picture: Picture alliance - NurPhoto - Chris Jung)