Goods boycott costs Danish companies millions of euro

CONSUMER boycotts of Danish goods in Muslim countries in protest at the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed are costing Denmark’s companies millions, and have raised fears of irreparable damage to trade ties.

From Havarti cheese to Lego, Danish products have been yanked off the shelves of stores in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries around the Middle East as Muslims await an apology for the cartoons, which the Copenhagen government has said it cannot give.

The boycotts began in Saudi Arabia on January 26 when supermarkets either put up signs saying to stop buying Danish goods or removed products from shelves.