The Military Action in Iraq 2003: Did the US Consumer Boycott of French Wines Have any Economic Effects?

Abstract

AbstractThe public opinion in the US turned against France and to some extent Germany for not supporting the armed intervention in Iraq. From early 2003 a boycott of French goods, especially wines, by American consumers became an issue which affected sales of French wines in the US. This paper analyses how the boycott affected the demand for French wine on the American market using international trade data. The effect may have been only temporary. We estimate it at some 120 million US dollars. (JEL classification: C22, D12)