A mobile application designed to help Danish consumers avoid purchasing American-made products is surging in popularity as anti-US sentiment rises in Denmark following the US's controversial interest in acquiring Greenland.
The app, called UdenUSA ("Without USA"), was developed by 21-year-old Jonas Pipper and his friend Malthe Hensberg. The creators say the app responds to growing demand from consumers who wish to avoid US-made goods but struggle to identify product origins in supermarkets. UdenUSA allows users to check the country of origin for items, providing "greater clarity" rather than actively promoting a boycott.
The tensions stem from the US President Donald Trump's repeated expressions of interest in purchasing Greenland, an autonomous territory under Denmark. These remarks soured relations between Denmark and its long-standing ally, the US. In response, a Facebook group urging a boycott of American products was created, which now boasts over 100,000 members—remarkable for a country with a population of just around 6 million. Inspired by this movement, Pipper and Hensberg created UdenUSA to facilitate informed consumer choices.
Since last year, many Danes have used product boycotts to express discontent with US trade policies and territorial ambitions. Some Danish supermarkets have also marked European products with star symbols to help consumers make more informed purchasing decisions. Media reports indicate that sales of American brands like Coca-Cola have declined, while Danish alternatives have seen a surge in demand.
Despite the app's popularity, experts suggest the economic impact of such boycotts is likely minimal. According to Sascha Raithel, a marketing professor at Freie University in Berlin, Denmark's relatively small economy and limited direct imports from the US mean that even widespread consumer boycotts are unlikely to produce significant economic or political consequences.
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