Does boycotting US medication benefit Egypt?
Several Egyptian companies have called on citizens to boycott American pharmaceutical companies in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
CAIRO — US President Donald Trump’s Dec. 6 decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US Embassy there sparked calls to boycott American products in Egypt.
Al-Azhar was the first to launch such calls. In a Dec. 9 press statement, Al-Azhar Undersecretary Abbas Shouman called on citizens to boycott American and Israeli products in response to Trump’s decision.
On Dec. 17, the Egyptian parliament started discussing a draft law on boycotting American products in response to the US move. Member of parliament Mohammed Abdel Ghany submitted the draft, which was backed by 60 other parliamentarians.
However, it seems the boycotting calls did not have the desired results among the Egyptian people. Some citizens whom Al-Monitor interviewed said some US products, namely medications, are indispensable.
