Trump's Iran war deals major blow to popular chocolate as sales plummet in Europe
Trump's Iran war deals major blow to popular chocolate as sales plummet in Europe
James Knuckey & Athena DawsonSat, July 25, 2026 at 6:40 PM UTC
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The Iran war, which began in February, has triggered significant travel disruptions -Credit:Aaron Schwartz - Pool via CNP/Shutterstock
A Swiss chocolate manufacturer has partially attributed its declining sales to Donald Trump's conflict with Iran.
Lindt reported that its first-half 2026 results were "affected by ongoing geopolitical uncertainties" which disrupted tourism flows into Europe from Asia and the Middle East.
The conflict, which began in February, has triggered significant travel disruptions and caused jet fuel prices to skyrocket. On Wednesday, the U.S. military confirmed it had carried out an 11th straight night of strikes on Iran, despite Tehran and Washington having previously agreed to a ceasefire last month.
Lindt noted that chocolate sales in airports dropped "due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and therefore declining passenger traffic at airports."
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The company cited a "necessary groupwide" price hike of 11.8% as another contributing factor, alongside rising inflation, which has squeezed consumers' purchasing power.
It stated "performance was impacted by more price-sensitive and mature markets such as Germany, Switzerland and the UK," reports the Express.
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In response, the Zurich-headquartered chocolatier announced it has modified pricing in certain markets and boosted brand marketing efforts for the second half of the year.
Lindt's chocolate Easter bunnies -Credit:Getty
Lindt chief executive Adalbert Lechner commented: "The actions we have initiated focus on volume recovery in the second half of 2026 and lay the foundation to regain volume growth momentum in 2027."
The company reported that sales by volume fell by 7.5%, "reflecting a subdued demand, mainly in Europe". The company also reported experiencing "weaker Easter business" across Europe.
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The Easter season typically marks a crucial sales period for chocolate makers such as Lindt, famous for its chocolate rabbits wrapped in gold-colored foil and a red ribbon.
According to Lindt, European sales fell 2.1% in the first half of the year.
While overall sales decreased by 0.9%, the company did record growth in North America, Australia, China, and Japan.
Mr Lechner commented: "In a volatile market environment, we delivered results in line with expectations."
Source: “AOL Money”
