Stand up to the bully - buy British!

growstuff

OK petra I read that link and it's clear that the US has a huge trade deficit with Germany, but I'm not sure how it shows that Germany has been shafting the US. Presumably Germany has been producing goods the US couldn't produce itself, but nobody was forcing the US to buy from Germany. The US could have looked for other sellers or started producing the goods itself. I expect there were negotiations about price and, as in all business transactions, deals were reached. How is that being shafted? The result of increased tariffs will increase the price of the goods or mean that the US will have to go without goods for which it has in the past not been able to find another supplier and can't produce itself.

I simply do not believe ANY country has, as Trump states below:-

“Trump and administration officials, however, are plowing full steam ahead, arguing America's been unfairly "ripped off" by other nations for years and it's time for reciprocity.

"For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike," Trump said on Wednesday.”

As POTUS states above, he clearly believes this make believe assertion, however those outside “Trumpland” may feel otherwise.

Trump is taking (another) huge gamble and I’m certain someday, hopefully soon, this will all come crashing down.

How sad I feel for those living across the pond who didn’t vote for this, including dear friends and relatives

Asda was owned by Walmart (since 1999) but it has been acquired by TDRCapital, a British Equity Company, apart from a 10% stake still owned by Walmart.

Morrison's is owned by a private equity company too, which is based in America.

We perhaps should be more aware of just who owns what as private equity companies own care homes, household names such as Boots, the AA etc.

Mt61

Jane43- I think both those super markets are really expensive, I didn’t realise they were American owned. I don’t use them anyway 😅

My above pot was in reply to Jane43 and Mt61

I’ve done some coffee research, Cafe Nero is a UK/Europe company (and their coffee is nicer than Starbucks or Costa).
At home I drink Taylor’s coffee, and Monmouth Coffee Company beans, both British owned.

growstuff

Allira

Chatte

I recently bought some cotton tea cloths, which advertised that they were British made. When they arrived printed on the label was a union jack flag made in Britain and in very small print at the bottom of the label it said ' made in Pakistan'. I did query this with the seller and they said " they buy rolls of cotton from Pakistan and make the tea cloths themselves.

We don't have a cotton industry in this country any more, apart from a very small industry

That's what I was thinking. Cotton itself has always been imported and I don't think there any cotton mills left.

My DC attempted to grow cotton plants years ago but it was never going to succeed commercially - three under 10s growing it on the kitchen windowsill! 😀
Quite interesting, though.

Our capitalists exported their industries to other countries to avoid paying decent wages and reselling products to make higher profits and pay lower taxes.

Jute manufacturing in Dundee was moved to Calcutta (old name). Manufacture of cotton wares was moved back to India and so it goes on.

Casdon

I’ve done some coffee research, Cafe Nero is a UK/Europe company (and their coffee is nicer than Starbucks or Costa).
At home I drink Taylor’s coffee, and Monmouth Coffee Company beans, both British owned.

Cafe Nero is great.

growstuff

Here are some brands to add to the banned list:

Tropicana
Doritos
Quaker Foods
Naked
Costa Coffee
Kraft
Heinz
Philadelphia
Maxwell House
Daddies
HP Sauce
Mars
Snickers
Skittles
Starburst
M&Ms
Ben's Original
Bounty
Dolmio
Maltesers
Pedigree Petfoods
Royal Canin
Twix
Milky Way
Whiskas
Galaxy
Cadbury

Personally, I won't bother because it won't make much difference to the ultimate owners. The really wealthy people are as above. In any case, the big food producers operate in the UK and employ British people. TBH I don't buy much from the list anyway.

Personally, I won't bother because it won't make much difference to the ultimate owners. The really wealthy people are as above. In any case, the big food producers operate in the UK and employ British people. TBH I don't buy much from the list anyway.

Well, I shall carry on buying HP sauce with its Houses of Parliament label!

I will not buy Tesla car, but then, I wasn't going to buy one anyway.

As I said, you could tie yourself in knots trying to avoid certain goods and companies but you could then be putting British jobs in jeopardy.

Why do these notions of boycott focus on food?

Proctor and Gamble and Johnson and Johnson are US companies.

Are people going to boycott: Pampers, Olay, Pantene, Ariel, Bold, Daz, Fairy, Lenor, Febreze, Flash, Head & Shoulders, Oral B, Fixadent, Vicks, Seven Seas, Braun, Gillette, Pantene, Always, Benadryl, Benylin, Imodium, Sudafed, Acuvue, Aveeno, Band-Aid, Johnson’s Baby, Listerine, Neutrogena, Nicorette and many many more?

Article in todays paper written by a Tesla owner.

What a dilemma!

He would never have bought a Tesla if he had known how Musk would have behaved, he now can’t sell it because it is almost worthless, and is embarrassed to drive around in it.

Too late, I've just taken my Seven Seas cod liver oil capsule today.

Luckygirl3

Long ago I tried to persuade our British supermarkets to have a British produce section, both instore and online, so that those wishing to buy British can do so with ease. It did not generate much enthusiasm from them!

I really like that idea.. Luckygirl.. I imagine it would be far more popular nowdays..

I often think about starting a national campaign, but not sure how I might go about it. Any ideas?

Luckygirl3

I often think about starting a national campaign, but not sure how I might go about it. Any ideas?

Waitrose has its own farms.

I did buy Duchy honey the other week (it was on offer), imagining it was from Gloucestershire, but it was from Romania.
So-called Welsh honey turned out to be produce of non-EU countries (no, I don't think they meant Wales).

Maybe gransnetters might like to spearhead a campaign for British produce aisles and sections of their online shopping sites.

The Canadians appear to have managed it. It must be within the wit of us to do likewise.

Luckygirl3

Maybe gransnetters might like to spearhead a campaign for British produce aisles and sections of their online shopping sites.

Well, Lidl does a Greek Week, an Italian week so why not a British week?

Look for the Union Jack.

I just think that it would be very simple to do online - just have a British Produce section.

Allira

Luckygirl3

I often think about starting a national campaign, but not sure how I might go about it. Any ideas?

Waitrose has its own farms.

I did buy Duchy honey the other week (it was on offer), imagining it was from Gloucestershire, but it was from Romania.
So-called Welsh honey turned out to be produce of non-EU countries (no, I don't think they meant Wales).

The King owns property in Romania I think.. he certainly visits it regularly.. it's probably very pure honey

Luckygirl3

Maybe gransnetters might like to spearhead a campaign for British produce aisles and sections of their online shopping sites.

They'd just get round it by claiming that produce is produced in the UK, even though the company producing it is American-owned. The people you'd be hurting are those working in the British-based factories.

Do you have a Microsoft operating system? Have you used Google in the last week? If so, switch off your computer right now!

growstuff

Do you have a Microsoft operating system? Have you used Google in the last week? If so, switch off your computer right now!

Yep!

There is no way I am giving up any tech or streaming services especially with the school holidays beginning today.

I cannot abide Costa or Starbucks, have used Cafe Nero for years and years, far superior.

As for McDonald’s I have taken the GC there for a treat in school holidays and will probably do so again, saying that they all like the small independent coffee/tea shop/bistros we have locally.

Fortunately my favourite of favourites wine is French (Whispering Ange, Chateau d’Esclans, Provence) very rarely do we buy or drink American wine, DH and AC prefer European beer to Budweiser and the like.

We are coming into English Asparagus, Jersey Royals along with all the local spring veggies, fish etc., so let’s go for home ground produce wherever possible.

growstuff

Do you have a Microsoft operating system? Have you used Google in the last week? If so, switch off your computer right now!

I think this is more about changing the things you can, not an out and out boycott. Technology is just not available unless it has US or Asia involved somewhere, so it’s not really feasible to boycott it - but there are thousands of things that we buy where there are alternative sources.

* Maremia* - chocolate is my specialist subject!
You may notice that a certain bar calls itself " Cadbury's Dairy Milk" - no mention of chocolate. That's because it doesn't contain enough cocoa solids to be designated chocolate. I don't think that it tastes much of chocolate.
If you want to look at alternatives : expensive- Green and Black, Hotel Chocolat or Tony's Chocoloney. All of these say that they avoid child labour .
I understand that Lindt is European owned.
inexpensive- I believe that Lidl and Aldi's chocolate is made in Europe.
The above do taste if chocolate.
If I am ever on Mastermind, you can guess my chosen specialism...

Saw taste tests on chocolate. Lindt came out first, Aldi second and Hotel Chocolat last. Dark chocolate is my thing. I gave up Cadbury years ago when they were sold off and the recipe changed.

For a treat I use small manufacturers in the UK. Expensive but delicious.