Now there is a call to boycott Coca-Cola in European countries too

Now there is a call to boycott Coca-Cola in European countries too....

After the Israeli invasion of the Palestinian territory of Gaza began, a wave of boycotts of Coca-Cola arose in various countries of the world, especially in Muslim countries. This wave has now hit the European country of Denmark. Carlsberg, the company that markets Coca-Cola in the country, said that the Danes are boycotting Coca-Cola.

This information was given in a report published by the news agency Reuters on Tuesday (April 29).

The report said that Carlsberg CEO Jacob Arap-Andersen said that Danish consumers are boycotting Coca-Cola, which is being squeezed by local rivals and has led to a slump in Coca-Cola sales.

Carlsberg also sells soft drinks such as Kronenbourg beer and Tuborg soda. The company said that its Coke sales in Denmark have “declined slightly.” Arap-Andersen said that there is a certain level of consumer boycott of US brands.

Consumers have been boycotting brands such as Tesla, products such as American whiskey and canceling travel plans to the US in protest of US tariffs, foreign policy or the political activities of Elon Musk. A few days ago, US President Donald Trump suggested that the US should annex Danish-controlled Greenland. The boycott began after this incident.

Arap-Andersen told investors on Carlsberg's first-quarter earnings call that some local brands in Denmark were taking over shares from U.S. brands like Coke. Coca-Cola declined to comment.

Coke, the world's top-selling American soda, has often faced global boycotts. Last year, Coke sales in Pakistan, Egypt and other Muslim-majority countries fell sharply in protest of U.S. support for Israel's war against the Palestinian independence movement Hamas. Consumers then turned to local brands.

Coca-Cola is also feeling the effects of a boycott by Hispanic consumers in the United States and Mexico. A video purportedly showed the company laying off Latino workers and reporting them to immigration authorities. The company has denied the video.

Coke CEO James Quincey said the company was focused on recovering from the boycott, which has particularly hit its business in the South. It did not mention the Danish Coke boycott in an earnings call with analysts yesterday. But it said it had seen some negative consumer sentiment in Europe.

Denmark has a local alternative to Coke, Jolly Cola. But Arap-Andersen said that both Coke and Pepsi sold in Denmark are bottled by Carlsberg. They are produced by Danish workers in Danish breweries. “So from our perspective, they are very much Danish brands,” he said.

Arap-Andersen said that Carlsberg is neither for nor against the boycott and that it respects people’s decisions.