A poll conducted by the European Central Bank and published by Bloomberg shows that a growing number of consumers in the eurozone are ready to abandon US products, amid escalating trade tensions resulting from US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.
According to the poll, this shift reflects not only economic motives related to rising prices, but also political and popular attitudes toward Washington’s trade policy.
Respondents believed that US protectionist policies harm European interests and weaken the competitiveness of products in global markets.
This poll came as the US president escalated his rhetoric in defense of his trade agenda during a campaign rally in Michigan on Tuesday, April 29, marking the 100th day of his second term. “We gave them some time before we slaughtered them,” Trump told his supporters, referring to companies that import spare parts from abroad, after he temporarily reduced tariffs on domestically manufactured auto parts by 25% for two years. Calls are mounting within the European Union for countermeasures to protect European markets from the repercussions of the escalating trade war.
Trump promotes his trade policy as a means of repatriating manufacturing to the US. Major companies such as General Motors and Stellantis have warned of the repercussions of these tariffs, pointing to the possibility of factory closures and layoffs. Stellantis has temporarily halted production at several of its factories in Michigan and Indiana, as well as at a plant in Canada, due to the recent tariffs and a shortage of supplies.
Banning imports of spare parts and cars manufactured outside the United States will not only harm automakers but also American citizens, as it will increase car prices and reduce supply in the US market. This is what major US automakers have warned of, given the global interconnectedness of the auto industry.
In Europe, economist Alexander Weber believed that the results of the European Central Bank survey reflect a “shift in public sentiment” against American products, stressing that “consumers’ tendency to boycott American goods is gradually increasing with Washington’s escalation of tariffs.”
It appears that signs of a popular boycott of American goods are beginning to emerge, as Tesla sales recorded a decline for the first time in years. The company is no longer the number one company in Europe. According to experts, the main reason is the controversial views expressed by Elon Musk, in addition to new American policies.
Most European automakers have announced contingency plans to avoid the tariffs imposed by Trump, which ultimately led to a reduction in the number of cars exported to the United States. Automakers have asked European Union officials to find a permanent solution to this problem, which negatively impacts the overall performance of the European economy.
European automakers used to rely on exporting finished cars to the United States, while most parts are manufactured in Europe and in countries with lower manufacturing costs, such as Mexico, India, Brazil, and others. However, Trump’s decision to increase import taxes has forced the European auto industry to reconsider its approach.
