Some year-end economic figures on the boycott gathered by the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel, Lebanon – for your New Year’s celebrations and resolutions:
Qatar importing from US 28% less compared to previous year, as of October 2002
Tunisia importing from US 28% less compared to previous year, as of October 2002; difference shows vast in April and continues strong throughout autumn months
Lebanon importing 24% less from US compared to previous year, as of October 2002; difference appears after month of April
Saudi Arabia importing from US 23% less compared to previous year, as of October 2002. Note: this information comes form the US Census Bureau; however, Agence France Presses reported on August 22, 2002 that US exports to Saudia were down by 30.5%, and especially in the field of machinery and electronics. Also, Arab News, a Riyadh-based English daily, reported on Dec. 13, 2002 that US exports to Saudia were down for the year by 25.6%
Egypt importing from US 18% less compared to previous year, as of October 2002; difference starts in May (that is the first month when 2002’s imports were less, and not more, than 2001’s)
Kuwait importing from US 3% less compared to previous year, as of October 2002
Bahrain importing 1.04 times as much from US as compared to previous year, as of October 2002
Jordan importing 1.18 times more from US compared to previous year, as of October 2002
UAE importing from US 1.5 times more compared to previous year, as of October 2002
Yemen importing 1.72 times more from US compared to previous year as of October 2002
Morocco importing from US 2.25 times more compared to previous year, as of October 2002
Please note that these are uncategorized figures taken from the US Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance). If a country buys more weapons or technology but much less food than usual, the trade total will not reflect a negative impact. Therefore, it important to add that The Economist, a British magazine, reported on October 31, 2002 that Coca-Cola said “the consumer strike has hit business in Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia and lopped up to 10% off its sales in the region. Fast-food outlets in Saudi Arabia, such as KFC and Burger King, report a 50% drop in sales since September 2000.” Also, “In the past year overall business at western fast-food and drinks firms [including non-American supporters of Israel such as Nestle and Danone] has dropped by 40% in Arab countries. Trade in American branded goods has shrunk by a quarter.” In terms of advertising, on Nov. 25, 2002 Forbes magazine, a business paper in America, quoted Rajesh Raman, general manager of Advertising International Company, as saying, “Overall, we see a drastic drop out of U.S. goods promotion this year as much as 50 percent from the usual load," said "They feel it may offend consumers because of the anti-U.S. sentiment."
EUROPE:
The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s largest English paper, reported on Nov. 25, 2002, that the European Union was importing more than 25% less this year from Israel than the previous year. A report from The Department for Jewish Zionist Education, issued on Saturday December 7, 2002, noted uneasily in a chapter called “Bubbling Under: From Economics to International Cooperation,” how exactly each European country was doing something substantial to boycott Israel (see http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/001/444esnla.asp):
Italy – stopped shipping guns that Israeli police use with robots to explode suspected bombs.
Spain - refused a shipment of fireworks to Israel on grounds that they could serve a military purpose
France – imported 17% less from Israel in 2002 than in 2001 and exported 13% les to Israel in 2002 than in 2001
Germany – announced in 2002 that it would no longer supply parts for the Merkavah tanks
Scandanavia – which is the largest importer of agriculture from Israel due to its climate, is threatening to close its market completely to Israel. Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh announced in mid-April 2002 that she would boycott Israeli products available in the Swedish market, especially citrus fruits and avocadoes. In Norway, in addition to the produce boycott, Oslo University has publicly urged its faculty to protest against Israel, and senior lecturers have gone even further, calling for a full-fledged boycott. Also, the 800,000 member Norwegian Confederation of Trade Union accused Israel of grossly violating international law & human rights in its military offensive against Palestinian areas (in April-May 2002). The union, also known as LO, urged the Norwegian government to demand international sanctions against Israel if it does not withdraw from occupied territories and follow United Nations resolutions.
** Figures on US trade are readily available; figures on the activity of specific companies in certain areas are much harder to come by. This is why, although we support the boycott of all supporters of Israel regardless of their nationality, we offer here information more relevant, perhaps, to a boycott of American products. Will keep looking...
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