Levi’s is warning that rising anti American sentiment is beginning to affect how foreign shoppers view U.S. brands. The company linked the shift to recent tariffs and policy fights and cautioned that shoppers in the United Kingdom could pivot toward non American alternatives. When a heritage brand puts this in writing, leaders should pay attention. This is a signal that reputation risk is moving from talk to checkout behavior. The backdrop is simple. Tariff politics have become a proxy for national identity. When that happens, brands that represent the United States absorb the heat even if they stayed out of the public debate. We have already seen boycotts and shelf space swings during tariff disputes. We have also seen consumer research that points to a measurable uptick in negativity toward American labels in parts of Europe and in Canada. One company may skate by for a season, but the current is not friendly. So what should an iconic U.S. brand do in a market that turns cold. Show respect locally without watering down the identity. That begins with presence and generosity. If you are sitting on excess inventory, give some of it away in the markets that feel the pinch. Support local causes that are clearly apolitical. Sponsor a youth program. Fund a city cleanup day. Back a music or arts venue that the community already loves. Do it quietly and consistently. The goal is not to perform. The goal is to be there. Not every region is the same. I see the risk in Australia as overstated. People may dislike a politician, but that does not always cascade to the brand level when the product is simple, familiar, and part of daily life. Denim is denim. Coffee is coffee. A category that is habitual and widely adopted is harder to politicize for long. Treat that market with respect and keep the focus on product quality and service. Do not lecture. Do not posture. Deliver. If I ran Levi’s communications in September, I would center the message in London and Toronto on time and culture. Remind people how long the brand has been part of daily life. Name the decades. Name the scenes and the music and the work that your product has moved through. Tell them how many presidents the brand has outlasted. Make the point with a light touch. This is one political chapter. The brand is bigger than any chapter. A little humor would help. A few knowing lines that tell customers you are not here to argue. You are here to fit well, last long, and show up tomorrow. There is also the legal track to watch. A federal appeals court ruled that the emergency tariff program overstepped the statute. The administration plans to appeal, and the timing suggests the tariff posture could shift again before the holiday season. Brands should plan for both outcomes. If tariffs ease, be ready to pass a small piece of relief through supply chains. If they remain, be transparent about costs and keep the tone calm and factual. Brown Forman, the parent of Jack Daniel’s, has already felt how fast a boycott can bite. Canadian pullbacks during the fight over tariffs delivered a sharp hit. Other names have reported sales pressure and a noisier brand environment. If you sell at scale outside the United States, assume that politics will touch you. It may be temporary. It will still be real. The path through is not complicated. Be generous in cold markets. Be present in ways that matter locally. Keep the brand story on time, craft, and culture. Use humor that lowers the temperature rather than raising it. Show that the product endures, that it has outlasted leaders and storms, and that it will still be here after the next news cycle moves on. That is how an American name earns space in a tough season without pretending to be something it is not. Sources Newsweek, Levi’s issues warning over rising anti Americanism, September 3, 2025 McDonald’s leadership comments on rising anti American sentiment in foreign markets, investor communications and trade press coverage, 2024 to 2025 Brown Forman and Canadian spirits sales coverage during tariff disputes, 2018 to 2019 and follow on local reports Reuters coverage of federal appeals court ruling on emergency tariff authority and expected appeal timeline, 2025