Last Updated on: 8th April 2025, 05:05 pm
Majority of UK adults say they’re now more inclined to shop from British websites.
A fresh wave of enthusiasm for British goods is sweeping the UK in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s newly introduced “Liberation Day” tariffs, according to figures released by the nation’s domain name registry.
Nominet, which has operated the .UK domain registry since 1996, has identified a noticeable increase in interest surrounding British products following the latest development in transatlantic trade relations.
The organisation surveyed 2,000 adults across the UK and found that 49% believe the new US tariffs on UK imports would make them more likely to favour British-made goods moving forward.
Only 14% of respondents said they wouldn’t be more likely to choose British, while 37% remained unsure.
The sense of national pride was particularly strong among respondents aged 55 and above. Meanwhile, consumers in the North East and West Midlands stood out as the most likely to rethink their spending due to the tariff changes.
In total, 64% of those surveyed admitted to feeling a heightened pride in buying British since the tariffs were introduced, while 13% reported no shift in sentiment and 23% remained undecided.
The poll also revealed that 54% of participants feel that a UK web domain – such as .co.uk or .uk – plays a role in influencing where they make purchases online. This factor was again strongest among older consumers, with notable support in the South East and Scotland.
David Carroll, Chief Customer Officer at Nominet, said:
“We’ve seen a Trump bump of our own in terms of online searches for UK domain names over the last week or so. With pride returning to buying British – it looks like a growing number of businesses and individuals are looking at registering a UK web address to join the 10m already registered.
“Choosing a .UK domain name has always been a conscious decision for many online businesses, but with a growing sense of pride in buying British – now may be the time for many UK businesses to tap into this feeling.”
According to data from Google, interest in UK domain names spiked sharply following President Trump’s Liberation Day announcement, with “co.uk” seeing its highest volume of searches since February 2024.
