US States Threaten British Firms with Retaliation Over West Bank Boycott
As the UK prepares to boycott West Bank settlement products, US Representative Randy Fine warns that British firms complying with the policy face blacklisting and loss of billions in Florida contracts. Over 30 US states hold similar anti-BDS laws.
Florida Threatens Retaliation Against British Firms
As the British government prepares to impose a commercial boycott on products and services linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a powerful counter-reaction is forming in the United States, threatening to escalate a diplomatic dispute into a major economic confrontation.
Republican Representative Randy Fine warned on Monday that British companies complying with the new UK policy could lose access to lucrative government contracts in Florida. Fine, who authored Florida's anti-boycott legislation during his tenure in the state legislature, made it clear that the state would not tolerate compliance with foreign boycotts of Israel.
Representative Randy Fine stated:
"As the UK government considers forcing British companies to boycott parts of Israel, they must know that a Florida law I passed as a legislator will prohibit any British company forced to comply from doing business with the state government or local authorities in Florida."
Fine emphasized that Florida is one of the United Kingdom's largest trading partners, warning that the British policy could cost their economy billions of dollars. "Florida has made it clear: any company or country that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida," he added.
Economic Stakes and the Airbnb Precedent
The economic stakes are substantial. The trade volume in goods between Florida and the United Kingdom reached $4.1 billion in 2025, with British companies supporting over 88,000 jobs in the state. According to SelectFlorida, the UK is also the single largest foreign investor in the state.
Florida's anti-boycott statute defines a boycott of Israel as a discriminatory reduction of commercial relations with Israel, companies operating within it, or entities in "territories under Israeli control." The law allows the state to blacklist non-compliant companies, divest public pension funds, and restrict them from bidding on state and local government contracts.
Fine pointed to the state's 2019 battle with Airbnb as a precedent. The lodging platform was blacklisted by Florida after deciding to remove approximately 200 listings in West Bank settlements. Following intense pressure from Florida and other US states, alongside legal challenges, Airbnb reversed its decision within months.
Broad US Opposition and Federal Warnings
Florida is not alone in its stance. More than 30 US states currently have laws, executive orders, or resolutions targeting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. At least 17 of these states have legislation that explicitly covers businesses operating in "territories under Israeli control," including Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Ohio.
At the federal level, Washington has also signaled its strong opposition. The US State Department previously stated that the United States "strongly opposes" efforts to economically isolate or discriminate against Israel. Last week, the State Department confirmed it is "closely monitoring" the British plan and has held discussions with the British Embassy in Washington.
Furthermore, US federal law prohibits American companies from cooperating with foreign boycotts not sanctioned by the US government. If the US Department of Commerce determines that the British boycott falls under this definition, multinational firms operating in both jurisdictions could face conflicting legal requirements.
This diplomatic friction comes as British Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke with US President Donald Trump on Monday. While Downing Street noted that Burnham emphasized his support for a two-state solution, official readouts did not explicitly mention the impending boycott.
