Proposed Tariffs on Italian Pasta Imports
The U.S. Commerce Department has put forward a proposal to impose an almost 92% “antidumping duty” on certain pasta imports from Italy, citing that these products were sold at prices below the market average.
An investigation suggests that some Italian pasta brands have been pricing their products lower than usual to gain an advantage over American companies.
The proposed tariff would impact several well-known brands, including Agritalia, Aldino, Antiche Tradizioni Di Gragnano, Barilla, Gruppo Milo, La Molisana, Pasta Garofalo, Pastificio Artigiano Cav. Giuseppe Cocco, Pastificio Chiavenna, Pastificio Liguori, Pastificio Sgambaro, Pastificio Tamma and Rummo.
If implemented, this duty could result in a total tariff of up to 107% on affected pasta products when combined with an existing 15% tariff on goods imported from European Union member states. Jim Donnelly, Chief Commercial Officer of Rummo USA, expressed concerns that if the company passes these costs onto consumers, prices could rise from approximately $4 to as much as $8.
Kush Desai, a spokesperson for the White House, stated that Italian pasta manufacturers have repeatedly failed to provide necessary data for a routine review related to this ongoing anti-dumping investigation since 1996. He noted that they still have time to participate in this review before any preliminary findings are finalized.
Representatives from Italy’s agriculture sector argue that these antidumping claims are merely a pretext aimed at encouraging companies to shift their production operations back to the United States. Ettore Prandini, president of Coldiretti (an Italian agriculture trade association), emphasized the importance of defending and promoting both the U.S. and Italian pasta supply chains.
Pasta imports into the United States were valued at around $780 million in 2024 according to Coldiretti.
During a recent visit to the U.S., Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida mentioned that his government is closely observing developments regarding this alleged anti-dumping action and is collaborating with U.S. officials on various food imports including extra virgin olive oil and wine.
