France's Opposition to War Gives Momentum to Boycott of French Products

Wash. Times | March 22, 2003 | Tom Ramstack

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

France's Opposition to War Gives Momentum to Boycott of French Products

Mar 22, 2003 (The Washington Times - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News via COMTEX) -- The economic backlash includes a Cincinnati restaurateur who banned French wines and cheeses from his menu, a Chicago grocery-store chain that refuses to sell Evian water and Dijon mustard, and members of Congress who have renamed french fries "freedom fries."

"We feel that the French aren't supporting our government, so why give them money for their country and their products?" asked Rory Hancock, manager of the Garden Fresh Market in the Chicago suburb of Wheeling.

A group of restaurants in Atlanta removed French wines and liquors from their menus this week. On Monday, the restaurant owners, staff and customers dumped the French alcohol into local rivers.

So far, antagonism against the French is limited to isolated incidents and harsh words. No decrease has been detected in the $28 billion of annual French exports to the United States.

Although members of Congress say there is no chance of a trade war with France, the rhetoric of war with Iraq is creating jitters in international markets.

On Monday, shares of the French catering firm Sodexho Alliance fell 14 percent in early trading after an inaccurate Paris radio report that the company lost a $1 billion contract with the U.S. Marines. The stock value returned to normal levels by the end of the day after Sodexho and the Marines quickly denied the report.

The only political antagonism American subsidiary Sodexho USA officials say they have seen was an e-mail message from a Midwestern college president. He reported a student complaint about Sodexho man aging the college's food service.

Sodexho provides food service at 6,000 locations nationwide.

Officials at the Gaithersburg company said their business services are not related to politics.

"The linkage is just not fair," spokeswoman Leslie Aun said.

Other French-owned or -associated businesses in the Washington area report few if any incidents that could hurt their bottom line.

"Not at all," said Tom Cannon, manager of the Capitol Hill restaurant La Brasserie. "Anything that has been said has been on a favorable side."

But Marius Orsolini, the owner of the Rue de Provence restaurant in Mountain Brook, Ala., said business has fallen off.

Air France reported a drop in reservations but could not determine whether it resulted from disagreements with France.

"There's really no way to tell one way or the other," spokesman Jim Faulkner said.

Nevertheless, hotel conglomerate Accor has taken down French flags at most of its 10 Sofitel hotels in the United States.

Touring companies are concerned that some of the 3 million American visitors to France each year will find other vacation spots this spring and summer.

A survey of eight typical tour companies by the U.S. Tour Operators Association showed that bookings to France were "down somewhat," said Linda Kundell, the group's spokeswoman. The biggest drop is in group tours.

The opposite movement is occurring for Britain, which supports the U.S. military effort in Iraq.

"People are saying Britain and Ireland are up slightly," Miss Kundell said.

French diplomats are concerned about "French-bashing" reported in the media.

"There have been no significant economic consequences from this movement of anger that is widely reported by the press," said Nathalie Loiseau, spokeswoman for the French Embassy. "It doesn't mean we don't care about it."

By Tom Ramstack

[tuna_battle_slight_return]

"There have been no significant economic consequences from this movement of anger that is widely reported by the press," said Nathalie Loiseau, spokeswoman for the French Embassy".

No "significant economic consequences", Nathalie? Check back in 60 to 90 days.

[SolutionsOnly]

Thanks for the fresh post on this issue. It's important to keep the French issue in the limelight. Likewise with German behavior. I was wondering if would be a good idea if somene with the wherewithall could start a petetion to keep the French out of post-war Iraq. My fear is that the State Department is wringing it's hands right now over 'making up with France', rather than holding them accountable for their effort to sabotage our relationship with other countries.

[schaketo]

French Products and Companies to Boycott

Air France
Air Liquide
Airbus
Alcatel - Based in Paris France
Allegra (Allergy Medication) - Produced by Aventis Pharmaceuticals based in Strasbourg, France
Aqualung (Including: Spirotechnique, Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest)
AXA Advisors
Bank of the West - Owned by BNP Paribas
Beneteau (boats)
BF Goodrich - Owned by Michelin
BIC (Razors, Pens & Lighters) - Started in 1945 by Marcel Bich. Originally based just outside of Paris. Began trading on the Paris Stock Exchange in 1972. 40.5% Publicly traded. Bich family still owns 33.5%.
Biotherm (Cosmetics)
Black Bush
Bollinger (Champagne)
Car & Driver Magazine
Cartier
Chanel
Chivas Regal (Scotch)
Christian Dior
Club Med (Vacations) - Owned in part by Paris based CDC (Caisse des Dépôts
et Consignations)
Culligan (owned by Vivendi)
Dannon (Yogurt & Dairy Foods)
DKNY - LVMH acquired 100% of Gabrielle Studio Inc., the privately owned licenser of Donna Karan trademarks back in 2001.
Dom Perignon
Durand Crystal
Elle Magazine
Essilor Optical Products
Evian
Fina Gas Stations
Fina Oil - Billions invested in Iraqi Oil fields
First Hawaiian Bank
George Magazine
Givenchy
Hennessy
Houghton Mifflin (books)
International Herald Tribune - 181 ave Charles-de-Gaulle - F-92521 Neuilly - FRSource:World Business Council for Sustainable Development '00 [Domain Registration], [Corporate Profile]
Jacobs Creek - Owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989
Jameson (wiskey)
Jerry Springer (talk show)
Krups (coffee and cappaccino makers)
Lancome
Le Creuset (Cookware)
L'Oreal (Health & Beauty Products)
Louis Vuitton
Marie Claire
Martel Cognac
Maybelline
Méphisto (Footwear & Apparel)
Michelin (Tires & Auto Parts) - Their phone number is: (33) 1 45 66 15 53 in France
Mikasa Crystal and Glass (purchased by ARC int'l in 2001)
Moet (Champagne)
Motel 6 - 33, Avenue du Maine- 75755 Paris Cedex 15 France
Motown Records
MP3.com
Mumms (Champagne)
Nissan (Cars) - Majority owned by Renault
Nivea
Normany Butter
Parents Magazine
Peugeot (Automobiles) - Pronounced "Pooh Joe", must be French
Pierre Cardin
Playstation Magazine
ProScan - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France
Publicis Group (Including: Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising)
RCA (televisions & electronics) - Owned by Thomson Electronics, France
Red Magazine
Red Roof Inns - Owned by the Accor group based in France
Renault (Automobiles)
Road & Track Magazine
Roquefort Cheese - All Roquefort cheese is made in France
Rowenta (Toasters, Irons, Coffee makers, etc)
Royal Canadian
Salomon (Skis)
Seagram's Gin
Sierra Software and Computer Games
Smart & Final
Sofitel (Hotels) - Owned by the Accor group based in France
Sparkletts (Water) - Owned by Danone, based in France
Spencer Gifts
Sundance Channel
Taylor Made (Golf)
Technicolor
T-Fal (Kitchenware)
The Glenlivet (Scotch
Total Gas Stations
UbiSoft (Computer Games)
Uniroyal
Uniroyal Tires - Owned by Michelin
Universal Studios (Music, Movies & Theme Parks) - Universal Studios is owned by Vivendi-Universal, headquartered in Paris France
USFilter
Veritas Group
Veuve Clicquot Champagne
Vittel
Vivendi - Vivendi Headquarters, Paris France
Wild Turkey (bourbon)
Woman's Day Magazine
Yoplait - France-based Sodiaal owns a 50% stake of Yoplait
Yves Saint Laurent
Zodiac Inflatable Boats

Please add to the list and email to your like-minded friends.

[wow]

Post surrender, IRAQ must do something with the 1.5 Million Baath'ists. The worst must be tried as war criminals and hopefully executed. The least offensive and most truly useful can probably be allowed to imagine that they never really were members of the Baath [NAZI]. This is probably 3/4 of the bunch.

The rest who can be proven guilty of merely being opportunistic thugs? Minus IRAQI passports and any identifiable source of funds, lets exile them to France. An airdrop would be good [of course, not being barbarians, we would provide parachutes]. Let Chirac have 100,000 or so "new" friends.

This is a serious suggestion that should be passed to the highest levels of the Bush administration!

[Mamzelle]

The message is simple:

Out of respect for American sacrifices, do NOT allow the French to be rewarded for their treachery.

[schaketo]

Just in case you would like to drop some of our ex-allies a note about how we feel about them in America – Have fun. Anyone have an address for that Nazi running Germany now?

French President Jacques Chirac
Monsieur Le President de la Republique
Palais de l'Elysee
55, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore
75008 Paris
FRANCE

Mexican President Vicente Fox
Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
Palacio Nacional, Patio de Honor,
Primer piso, Col. Centro,
Mexico D.F. 06067
MEXICO
Fax: (+52 5) 515 5729 / 277 2376 / 516 5762

Office of the Prime Minister
Attn: Jean Chrétien, the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 0A2

[illumini]

DATA PLATES on French, German, Chinese, N. Korean & Russian spare parts and equipment will show the serial number, DATE, place & source of manufacture.

This will be a smoking gun for all to see, as evidence those countries violated the bans in trade to Iraq.

PLEASE USE IT GEORGE!

[southernnorthcarolina]

This is anecdotal evidence, and it can't be assumed that it is representative of a national trend, but I'll pass it along for what it's worth.

I've been buying wine from the same store for well over a decade. I've gotten to know the store's owner, who knows my taste preferences in wine as well as my price limitations (generally, anything over $20 a bottle is wasted on me). Over the years, I'm guessing 30-40% of the wine I bought from him was French, mostly Bordeaux and Rhone.

I stopped by his place last week, and asked him to help me put together two mixed cases including nothing from France. He laughed, and said "I've been hearing a lot of that lately." I asked for details, and he said that he'd had one customer in the past week pointedly ask FOR French wine (she was a cheapskate, and bought only two bottles, LOL), but "dozens" of customers who volunteered that they had no intention of buying anything from France. He indicated his overall sales have shown little change, but that his sales of French wines were off in the neighborhood of 30%. His biggest offsetting gains have been in wines from Italy, California, and Australia, in that order.

As for myself, if you're keeping score, my bottle count from that shopping expedition was California 16, Oregon 6, Italy 6, Australia 2, Chile 2, Spain 2, and (don't laugh) North Carolina 2. You say that adds up to three cases, not two? Darn, I hate it when that happens.

[yuleeyahoo]

You should include Infogrames, a french videogame company which currently owns Atari.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

I will add my anecdotal evidence to yours.

I have a friend who is running a little e-bay business. He is now crying the blues as he bought a large number of items made in france at an estate sale. No one seems to want to take them off his hands

[Bismark]

As for myself, if you're keeping score, my bottle count from that shopping expedition was California 16, Oregon 6, Italy 6, Australia 2, Chile 2, Spain 2, and (don't laugh) North Carolina 2. You say that adds up to three cases, not two? Darn, I hate it when that happens

North Carolina produces some very fine muscadine wines. I like the reds, such as Carolina Red and Hatteras Red.

[Liebenator]

What are your thoughts on the higher-end Biltmore wines?

[turbojugend]

remember: French diplomatic license plates have the code "DJ." Be sure to flip them off and spit at them in traffic.

[motzman]

I actually saw a grown man cry when I informed him that the Grey Goose Vodka he loved was from france.

Sacrifices must be made!

[Overtaxed]

and (don't laugh) North Carolina 2

Duplin Winery or Biltmore Estates?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Gee, you should have heard me when I realize that my yogurt came from france. The only non-french yogurt I can get locally is made by hippies and I can not stand their preaching on every carton.

I am switching to cottage cheese for now. In the end I will probably end up making my own yogurt.

The things I do for my country! (thankfully all of the good coffee producers are either on our side or keeping their mouths shut.)

[southernnorthcarolina]

Duplin Winery or Biltmore Estates?

Duplin's sweet stuff is undrinkable, in my opinion. Some of Biltmore's is decent. In my opinion, the North Carolina winery with the most promise is Shelton Vinyards. Decent Cabernet, not that NC is likely to pose a threat to the Napa Valley anytime soon.

[Overtaxed]

I don't go for sweet wines from anywhere so I can't vouch for Duplin's sweet stuff.

It seems that there have been wineries popping up all over the sate. http://www.travelenvoy.com/wine/north.htm

As for me, I've got Daddy's scuppernong vines and I can make it stronger than what you can buy. :)

[wku man]

I agree wholeheartedly with the idea of boycotting Jerry Springer...heck, I boycott him on principle alone. But are you saying that in addition to be an all-around dispicable scumbag, he's tied in to the French as well? And I thought it wasn't possible to have a lower opinion of Springer...you learn something new every day. Thanks for the list, FRiend.

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

[Rockitz]

Add French liquors Cointreau and Gran Marnier to the list.