Danes develop apps to boycott American products over Greenland tension

Mobile apps allowing users to avoid American products have been enjoying growing popularity in Denmark amid cross-Atlantic tensions over the future of Greenland.

While it’s yet to be seen if the software will significantly affect consumption of the already rare “Made in USA” goods, it’s certainly giving Danes a chance to vent out a little over President Trump’s appetite toward the Danish territory.

‘WithoutUSA’ app overtakes ChatGPT by downloads in Denmark

Applications that help identify American-made items in the supermarket are becoming a hit in Denmark, its national radio broadcaster revealed.

Two locally developed apps, “Made O’Meter” and “UdenUSA,” are seeing the most downloads, according to a report by Danmarks Radio (DR) on Wednesday.

UdenUSA, or “WithoutUSA” was created by 21-year-old Jonas Pipper and his 22-year-old friend Malthe Hensberg, both from the island of Mors in western North Jutland.

It all started last spring when they discovered a Facebook group called “Boykot USA,” which had nearly 100,000 users at the time, Pipper told the radio’s online edition, adding:

“Then we thought – that’s funny, there’s no tool to scan a product and find out where it comes from.”

Their UdenUSA app is now used for precisely that purpose – allowing Danes to identify the origin of goods, before they put them in the shopping cart, and find alternatives from countries other than the U.S., if they so wish.

The application is now trending and has become the fourth most downloaded on Apple’s App Store in Denmark, overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is currently fifth, DR Nyheder noted in the post.

Its developers claim their software is merely a consumer tool and their intention is not to tell compatriots whether they should actually boycott certain goods.

“We’re just providing the opportunity to have a little more clarity, and then it’s up to the consumers what they want to do,” explained Jonas Pipper.

Will the boycott actually work beyond venting anger?

Gauging the impact of apps of this kind is a difficult task, as these days, it’s not that easy to find truly American-made products on supermarket shelves in Denmark anyway, comment the authors of the report.

“When we look at imports, very little comes directly from the U.S.,” remarked Louise Aggerstrøm Hansen, private economist at Danske Bank.

While there are examples of popular items, including some wines and almonds, directly imported American foods account for less than 1.2% of the Danish diet.

Besides, many of the products offered by American brands are not produced in the United States and may even be manufactured in Denmark itself.

However, even if it doesn’t bring down big U.S. corporations, participation in the boycott movement would make Danes feel they are reacting somehow to the current conflict, according to Pelle Guldborg Hansen from the Roskilde University.

“A lot of people watch the news and see something they don’t like and get angry about. In this case, it’s about ourselves and Greenland, and then you just want to do something with your anger, no matter how small it is,” the behavioral researcher explained, adding:

“More people see changing their consumption patterns as a move they can make. It may not seem like much, but it’s still something. And it’s a way of expressing their anger.”

Choices made at the store can redirect consumption, and even if Coca-Cola doesn’t notice it’s selling less in Denmark, a Danish company like the Harboe brewery may feel it, Hansen elaborated.

The Trump administration’s renewed push to, one way or another, acquire Greenland for the United States, citing national security reasons, caused heightened tensions between Europe and America in the past weeks.

Earlier in January, the U.S. President warned he’s going to impose trade penalties on countries opposing the acquisition and then even threatened NATO member states that don’t agree with his plan with tariffs that may eventually reach 25%.

The European Union responded by halting the parliamentary approval of a transatlantic trade agreement with Washington reached last summer.

During his participation in the global economic forum in Davos this week, Donald Trump backtracked on his intention to slap tariffs on European nations and ruled out using military force to take over Denmark’s island, an option he had previously left open.

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