Middle East Rumors

Rumor: Boycotting Coca-Cola makes a statement against America and American (foreign) policies

Our Response: The Coca-Cola Company and our products are often regarded as American. But the fact is that The Coca-Cola Company is a truly international company, operating worldwide in more than 200 countries. The Coca-Cola business in each country is a local business. Coca-Cola beverages are produced, sold and distributed by authorized local bottling partners, who own and operate bottling plants and sales/distribution centers, employing one million local citizens - 90% outside the United States, and nearly all of them citizens of other countries.

For example, in the Palestinian Authority, The National Beverage Company, our Company's authorized local bottling partner, is an independent, privately held company, managed by local Palestinian businesspeople, who operate a Coca-Cola bottling facility located in Ramallah and distribution centers in Gaza, Hebron and Nablus. The National Beverage Company employs 200 local people and generates employment for hundreds of others in related industries. Throughout the Middle East we operate as a local business, run by local people and employing more than 20,000 local people, with local shareowners.

The Coca-Cola business is one of the most diverse organizations in the world, operating across a wide spectrum of economic, political and religious environments. As a business, Coca-Cola has neither the mandate to support nor an interest in supporting individual countries, governments or political or religious causes.

As everybody else, we are deeply touched by the human side of the situation in the Middle East. Given the local nature of our business, we believe that calls for boycotts of our products are not the appropriate way to further any causes, as they primarily hurt the local economy, local businesses and local citizens. Spreading such allegations is an attempt to exploit a delicate situation in the Middle East.

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