US companies that sell products overseas say opposition to the war in Iraq and anti-Americanism hasn't led to a loss in sales, the New York Times said, citing executives and consumers.

Many customers perceive US products as coming from their own countries, helping to prevent a possible backlash, the paper said. Economic conditions are as likely as politics to sway consumers' buying habits, the paper said.

However, some US companies are concerned that mounting opposition to the occupation of Iraq may lead to boycotts, the paper said.

"You have to remain vigilant about reminding people that politics is different from business," Fred Irwin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Frankfurt, told the Times.

Ford Motor Co said it hasn't seen evidence that opposition to US policies has led consumers to target its brand, the paper said, citing Niel Golightly, a Ford spokesman in Cologne, Germany.

Eastman Kodak Co spokesman Gerard Meuchner said he wasn't aware of any effect on the company's business tied to consumers' perceptions of the US, the paper said.

(China Daily 05/10/2004 page12)