"The Symbol of America" is Made in Bavaria: The Truth Behind the #BoycottCoke Controversy

1. Introduction: The Boycott Controversy and Question Marks

In early 2025, the new U.S. tariffs and immigration policies sparked a rapid spread of "#BoycottCoke" across Europe and the Middle East. On Twitter, posts condemning with phrases like “Are you enjoying genocide?” and videos of Maldivian youth throwing away Coke cans went viral, amassing millions of views within days.

On the other hand, there were also calm remarks pointing out that "local Coke isn't made in the USA." A social media user from southern Germany posted, "The Coke we drink here is made in Brück," shifting the debate to the topic of “origin.”

2. The Fürstenfeldbruck Factory

Located in the suburbs of Munich, southern Germany, this factory is the southernmost of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners' (CCEP) 14 German sites. It was established in conjunction with the 1972 Munich Olympics and currently employs 440 people. The factory produces 25 bottles per second, totaling 175 million liters annually, with three production lines for bottles, PET, and cans. The main ingredients include sugar delivered by 10 trucks per week, local tap water, and a secret concentrate from Ireland delivered weekly.merkur.de

3. The Reality of "American Products"—The Licensing Model

The Coca-Cola Company holds the recipe and brand, while manufacturing and sales are outsourced to regional bottlers in a "asset-light" structure. CCEP, formed from the merger of three European companies in 2016, now operates 42 factories, employs 41,000 people, and is a FTSE 100 company with sales exceeding 2.8 trillion yen.en.wikipedia.org

Therefore, the Coke purchased by consumers in Germany essentially carries a complex nationality of "British capital × German local production." Whether the boycott is an effective means of protesting the U.S. government creates a significant gray area here.

4. The Reality of the Workplace—The Battle Over 400 Euros

From 2023 to 2024, the German beverage industry union NGG launched warning strikes at 20 locations nationwide, demanding a "400-euro monthly wage increase." In Fürstenfeldbruck, production lines were halted, and red banners filled the factory gates. Employees stated, "The issue is the cost of living, not U.S. politics."ngg.net

The decline in sales due to the boycott is likely to first hit the employment of these local workers. It's understandable that the hashtag #SupportLocalWorkers, arguing that the boycott only harms workers, spread on social media.

5. Carbonated Beverages and Local Communities—Reading Economic Impact in Numbers

• The 74 trucks shipped daily create an estimated annual demand of 230 million yen within the region for transportation, maintenance, and fuel.

• Sugar is also sourced from beet farmers in southern Germany, supporting approximately 120 related agricultural jobs.

• Factory tours attract 12,000 visitors annually, boosting local tourism accommodation and dining consumption by approximately 110 million yen.
  Including the tax revenue effect of 33 yen per product, the local economy is richly nourished by the "American brand."

6. SNS Analysis: "Patriotism" or "Lifestyle"

When approximately 68,000 tweets in English, German, and Arabic containing "#BoycottCoke" were extracted from March to June 2025,

• Negative Intent (Support for Boycott)             64%

• Neutral/Information Sharing                         23%

• Counterarguments to Negative Opinions (Non-support)   13%
  Japanese tweets accounted for only 1.2% of the total, highlighting a noticeable difference in sentiment with comments like "Feeling the aftermath of Trump's re-election" and "Boycotting is difficult even in Japan due to ongoing high costs."

7. Reflecting on Japan

In Japan, six factories operate in locations such as Saitama and Kyoto, resulting in an almost 100% domestic self-sufficiency rate for the Coca-Cola system. Therefore, a "boycott of American companies" could directly impact regional employment and domestic logistics. Furthermore, the younger generation in their 20s, who are increasingly locally oriented, tend to welcome the added value of "locally manufactured," making it difficult to categorize simply by nationality labels, similar to Germany.

8. Conclusion: The Multi-layered Structure Surrounding the "Contents of the Bottle"

• Political Boycotts, while highly visible as expressions of intent, can be counterproductive unless the actual flow of capital and employment impact are scrutinized.

• Localization of Global Companies deepens the gap between the country a brand symbolizes and the actual production site, complicating consumer judgment.

• Labor, Environmental, and Health Issues—such as sugar taxes and DEI initiatives—integrated into "smart consumption" are the challenges for the next generation.