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Original poster

Trying to not buy anything American!

143 replies

PinaColada24 · 05/04/2025 15:36

This is a personal choice. I’m trying to not buy anything imported from American. Is anyone else doing the same? Any ideas?

OP posts:
taxguru · 07/04/2025 18:33

Snuppeline · 06/04/2025 21:00

What’s stopping you buying directly from those companies? Amazon has been convenient but honestly it’s not unique what they offer. Whatever you are after is very likely available elsewhere. And no, they’re not that cheap either.

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Lots of Amazon marketplace suppliers don't have other ways to buy. Many don't have shops and don't have websites. They use "fulfilled by Amazon" and have their goods shipped directly to Amazon from the factories, and don't handle it themselves. For those, you simply have to buy via Amazon or you can't buy from those suppliers.

taxguru · 07/04/2025 18:35

ZigZagJigsaw · 07/04/2025 15:22

From the Guardian comments:

Canadian shoppers are starting a new habit.
After checking an item to see if it is an American product, they return it to the shelf upside down and turn several more of the same item upside down so the next shopper knows to skip that product.

Fantastic idea - I think I'll start doing that. We need as many people as possible to do it to start the stampede and create a critical mass of raising awareness.

I'm trying to think of similar ways to stop people shopping in US owned stores like Asda and Morrisons by raising awareness of them being owned entirely or partly by US investment trusts.

Addictforanex · 07/04/2025 18:37

unsync · 05/04/2025 16:33

No more Mondelez (tbf I've boycotted since the Cadbury's debacle), Kraft Heinz, P&G, J&J, Mars or Boots. It's quite easy to swap out the US food and cosmetic giants. There are lots of UK / European alternatives.

Tech is more difficult, although I've never owned anything Apple and I don't like Amazon, so have never used them either. Google is the biggie, although Android is open source and there are viable search engine alternatives. Is MS mitigated by Bill Gates' philanthropy? I guess it depends on how far you want to take it.

I don’t think Mars is American is it? Unless it’s another UK heritage company bought out?

Addictforanex · 07/04/2025 18:41

JasmineTea11 · 05/04/2025 16:38

Boots is a US owned company, so there's that too!

Walgreens is selling Boots I think.

taxguru · 07/04/2025 18:43

Addictforanex · 07/04/2025 18:37

I don’t think Mars is American is it? Unless it’s another UK heritage company bought out?

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It's always been American owned by the Mars family since it was founded in 1932.

Addictforanex · 07/04/2025 20:16

taxguru · 07/04/2025 18:43

It's always been American owned by the Mars family since it was founded in 1932.

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Ah thanks, I’m confusing it with something else.

AprilMadness · 07/04/2025 20:52

ZigZagJigsaw · 07/04/2025 15:22

From the Guardian comments:

Canadian shoppers are starting a new habit.
After checking an item to see if it is an American product, they return it to the shelf upside down and turn several more of the same item upside down so the next shopper knows to skip that product.

Love this!

tigerlily9 · 07/04/2025 22:10

MaggieBsBoat · 06/04/2025 07:04

We’ve stopped buying from Amazon a few weeks ago (this is no small thing as we spend 1000s on Amazon every year) and anything we know is Coca Cola, Pepsi or of their ilk owned. Our local supermarket is now stocking a very local drink manufacturer‘s drink at the same price, only glass bottles and they are flying off the shelves.

If we know something is US it doesn’t get bought. Every little helps.
They want to be isolationist. The rest of the world in turn needs to isolate them. We’ve used apple for years. We have as a family only MacBooks, iPads and iPhones. This will be a struggle in the future but my DH can reengineer Huawei and input a new Linux operating system which will do the job so he is going to do that when the time comes. He is quite heartbroken about it all. If we have to choose between the rock and a hard place I’d pick China every time.

I’d be wary about China their human rights record is dreadful and the treatment of Uyghurs is so appalling. Once you are aware of it, you can’t ignore it. I would rather support America.

GetMeOutOfMeta · 08/04/2025 08:19

tigerlily9 · 07/04/2025 22:10

I’d be wary about China their human rights record is dreadful and the treatment of Uyghurs is so appalling. Once you are aware of it, you can’t ignore it. I would rather support America.

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America has had time to show the world what good "leadership" would look like and so far they've exported violence in film and music, food that causes cancer, libellous intent that has almost closed whole sectors and protected bad practice and now social media creating incels and supporting men like the Tate brothers. No country is perfect and I don't think it is a matter of tit for tat with who has done worse, but we KNOW where America wants to go, we have had decades of them having money and power. We don't want to go that way any more. Just stopping them from total control rather than picking a new side is what matters (maybe we should be spreading our bets, trying out mobiles from Norway or something and having more variation depending on that country's legal framework for data?).

marmaladeandpeanutbutter · 09/04/2025 10:36

I certainly can live without American food, going on these lists. It’s all junk. Tech is harder, I agree.

marsaline · 17/01/2026 23:22

I’m back on this. Clearly things are getting worse with the US. The regime is out of control. We are no longer going to buy anything new from the US unless it’s absolutely unavoidable and I’m going to start looking at European tech alternatives.

marsaline · 17/01/2026 23:31

I’m also shifting some shares. US bonds and the S&P are not where I want my money right now.

Original poster
PinaColada24 · 18/01/2026 00:18

Trump has been in power for a year and I’m still in shock at the chaos he has caused around the world. He constantly lies and distorts the truth to suit himself. His toddler tantrums when he doesn’t get his own way.

if Reform are elected at the next election we’re in serious trouble.

OP posts:
sleepwouldbenice · 18/01/2026 00:43

It’s time we started taxing or somehow charging for social media. Big impact on US , costs us a fortune to manage the fallout as they don’t take action over so many things ( not talking about free speech here, more about scam sites or algorithms pushing suicide etc)

but back to the question. Yes I am doubling down on this after todays news

i hope other countries join in about Greenland as well not just Europe eg Canada, Australia. We need to start collectively building new alliances and pushing back on many things

marsaline · 18/01/2026 05:12

ohfourfoxache · 18/01/2026 01:16

This looks like an interesting potential alternative to Google….

https://blog.ecosia.org

anyone know if it’s any good?

i use ecosia. It’s just exactly the same as google and safari.

marsaline · 18/01/2026 05:13

So definitely worth the switch

Meadowfinch · 18/01/2026 05:23

If you mean country of manufacture, software and oil are the two difficulties.

Otherwise, American brand food, drink and cars are generally poor quality and their clothes and tech are overpriced, so pretty easy to avoid. British cleaning products are readily available.

I won't travel to the US again until Trump is a long distant memory. Like a bad smell.

Blinkyy · 18/01/2026 06:02

Amazon,Netflix, Apple, Google etc are all American.

FalseSpring · 18/01/2026 07:21

I can happily avoid American food, cars and other physical products but the tech is harder. I do try to buy local independent wherever possible.

I have switched my browser to Ecosia and cancelled Amazon Prime and I think I'm ok with Netflix as I believe the ownership is anti-Trump. However, I'm Apple/Microsoft/Adobe etc through and through without suitable alternatives, so that will be much more difficult to overcome.

LottieMary · 18/01/2026 07:30

Recommendations for good British chocolate that doesn’t cost the earth?
who owns Aldi?

Semiramide · 18/01/2026 09:06

LottieMary · 18/01/2026 07:30

Recommendations for good British chocolate that doesn’t cost the earth?
who owns Aldi?

Not sure about chocolate - M&S maybe?

AFAIK Aldi is German, as is Lidl.

marsaline · 18/01/2026 10:18

The main supermarket to avoid is Morrisons. It is completely US owned. Walmart has a stake in ASDA too.

sleepwouldbenice · 18/01/2026 11:45

marsaline · 18/01/2026 05:13

So definitely worth the switch

Great thanks