More than three fifths (62%) of people in France would support the boycott of products made by American companies as a result of policies from US President Donald Trump, a new poll has found.
The popularity of the US and US products overall are “at a record low”, states François Kraus, political news and opinion director at Ifop. “Never in the last 40 years has the level been so low, even during the Bush years.”
The study also found that just 26% of people in France believe that the US and France are “close in terms of values” today, in comparison to 49% in 2004.
In more detail, the new poll found:
Left-wing voters in France are most likely to want to boycott (72%) in comparison to people of other political leanings
Senior citizens are also largely in favour of a boycott (81% of those over 65)
Those with incomes above €2,400 net per month are also most in favour of a boycott
The main issues sparking anger among people in France include trade tensions, limits on diversity and inclusion in workplaces, and the humiliation of Ukrainian President Zelensky in the Oval Office. President Trump has also threatened to raise import taxes on Champagne and French wine to 200%.
One in three people surveyed in the poll (32%) said they already boycott products made by American companies.
Ad
The poll found that the level of ‘sympathy’ or positive feelings towards the US is at a record lowNyc.fr/presse/boycott-usa/
Coca-Cola, McDo, Tesla
The poll found that people were most willing to boycott (or are already boycotting):
Other sectors mentioned included brands across soft drinks and snacks, cakes and cereals; booking platforms such as Airbnb, and Tripadvisor; smartphone or software manufacturers such as Apple, and Microsoft; and clothing and footwear brands such as Nike, and Converse.
“People in France have even less intention of consuming a product that they don't already consume,” said Mr Kraus. “[But] social networking and software brands are less affected because consumers are more dependent on them. There are fewer substitute products.”
Mr Kraus said that the most-commonly boycotted products were those for which a strong European or Asian alternative exists, but said that the boycott of some large brands - such as McDonald’s - could have an unwitting effect on the French workforce, as they are major employers in France.
The survey also suggested that the boycott of US products may not only be motivated by anti-US sentiment, but also by pro-France and pro-European support.
‘Lasting phenomenon’?
The boycotting actions appear to transcend the usual ‘politically-active’ social groups, said Ifop.
“This is not the usual image of political activism associated with boycotts,” said Mr Kraus. “There is a support base that transcends political divides, a diversity of motivation, and a strong mobilisation of seniors and affluent groups who are more informed about current events and have greater purchasing power.”
“This may indicate the risk of a lasting phenomenon, which is of concern in the long term for American companies,” he said.
Overall, the popularity of the US has dropped dramatically in France, the poll found. It also concluded:
22% of people would like to go to study in the US now, compared to 48% in 2007-2010
22% would like to live in the US now, compared to 30% in 2007-2010
20% would like to work in the US now, compared to 37% in 2007-2010
The US fares slightly better for travel, although this has dropped in popularity too. The poll found that 51% of people in France would like to travel to the US today, versus 55% in 2022. In contrast, 72% say they would like to travel to Canada now, up from 62% in 2022.
*Ifop study for NYC.fr, conducted by online self-administered questionnaire from March 14 to 17, 2025 with a nationally representative sample of 1,000 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.
