Italian Pasta Faces 107% Tariff Under Trump Administration/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ morning Edition/ President Trump’s administration is proposing a massive 107% tariff on Italian pasta, alarming producers and importers alike. Italy’s government and pasta makers warn the move could devastate exports. Critics call the measure excessive and politically driven.
Trump Pasta Tariffs Quick Looks
- U.S. proposes 107% tariff on imported Italian pasta products.
- Tariffs stem from anti-dumping review prompted by U.S. pasta companies.
- Italian producers say the duties would cripple exports and raise U.S. prices.
- Commerce Department accuses Italian companies of withholding required documentation.
- EU leaders and Italy call the tariffs baseless and diplomatically unacceptable.
- Major brands like La Molisana and Garofalo are targeted by U.S. review.
- Italian government and pasta industry mount legal and diplomatic resistance.
- Small business owners in the U.S. worry about inventory and quality.
Deep Look
Italian Pasta Faces Massive Trump Tariffs, Sparking Transatlantic Tension
PHILADELPHIA — In a move stirring anxiety from Rome to restaurants across the United States, the Trump administration has proposed imposing a staggering 107% tariff on imported Italian pasta. The proposed hike — the result of a trade enforcement review — would effectively double the price of many Italian pasta products in the U.S., putting traditional staples like spaghetti, rigatoni, and tortellini at the heart of a transatlantic trade dispute.
The tariff stems from a U.S. Commerce Department anti-dumping investigation launched in 2024. The department claims Italian producers were selling pasta in the American market below fair value, undercutting U.S. brands like Ronzoni and Prince, and harming domestic manufacturers. If finalized, the tariff would stack on top of an existing 15% duty on European exports, bringing the effective rate to 107%.
Italian pasta makers, many of them family-owned operations, say such duties would devastate exports to their second-largest market — the United States — and could mark a serious blow to the €4 billion ($4.65 billion) global pasta industry, of which the U.S. accounts for roughly 15%.
Italy Cries Foul: “Pasta Is Not the Enemy”
Reactions in Italy have ranged from disbelief to diplomatic outrage. Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida addressed lawmakers to confirm that Italy is working with the European Commission to counter the proposed tariffs.
“This is not just a trade issue — it’s an attack on cultural heritage,” one Italian official stated.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic called the duty “unacceptable,” stressing that the United States has not provided adequate evidence to justify the sanctions. Italian executives argue that the prices of their pasta in the U.S. are already higher than domestic brands, undermining any claim of price dumping.
“Pasta is already a premium product in America,” said Margherita Mastromauro, president of the pasta makers division at Unione Italiana Food. “We’re not undercutting anyone. We’re offering quality — and that comes with a price.”
She warned that small- and mid-sized producers would likely exit the U.S. market altogether if tariffs go through. “This could destroy decades of work,” she added.
Lucio Miranda, president of U.S.-Italy trade consultancy Export USA, agrees. “This isn’t something you can just pass onto the consumer. It would stop exports in their tracks,” he said.
U.S. Brands Push the Case
The investigation was launched after complaints from U.S.-based companies, including Missouri’s 8th Avenue Food & Provisions (maker of Ronzoni) and Illinois’s Winland Foods (maker of Prince, Mueller’s, and Wacky Mac). These companies allege unfair competition, prompting the Commerce Department to zero in on two of Italy’s largest pasta exporters: La Molisana and Garofalo.
According to the Department, both companies failed to provide accurate or complete documentation during the review, which it says hindered its ability to assess fair trade practices. As a result, it assigned them a punitive 92% tariff — extended to 11 other companies based on assumptions of similar behavior.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended the process. “They were given multiple chances to provide the necessary information and failed each time,” he said in a statement. “The burden was on them to comply, and they didn’t.”
La Molisana declined comment; Garofalo did not respond to requests.
The new tariffs would apply retroactively to pasta imports going back a year from June 2024 and could affect 16% of total Italian pasta imports. A final decision from the Commerce Department is expected by January 2, with the possibility of a 60-day extension.
American Importers Alarmed
The ripple effect is being felt across U.S. cities with deep Italian roots. In Philadelphia, Sal Auriemma of Claudio Specialty Foods, a fixture in the Italian Market for over 60 years, is baffled.
“Why pasta? It’s not caviar, it’s not designer handbags. Pasta is basic — it’s part of everyday life,” Auriemma said. “There are bigger targets if you want to make a trade point. Leave pasta alone.”
Others agree. Robert Tramonte, owner of The Italian Store in Arlington, Virginia, called his suppliers as soon as the news broke. He was relieved to hear there was enough inventory to last until Easter — for now.
But he worries what happens after that. “You can’t just swap in American pasta and expect it to taste the same,” he said. “The ingredients might look similar on the label, but the source matters. You can’t replicate that.”
Barilla, Italy’s most famous pasta brand in the U.S., would be largely unaffected — it operates major production plants stateside. But for boutique producers like Pasta Rummo, the tariffs could be existential.
A Fight for Pasta’s Future
Rummo, based in Benevento, Italy — a historic town northeast of Naples — has been producing pasta since 1846. CEO Cosimo Rummo is frustrated and furious.
“These tariffs are completely senseless,” he told the AP. “We’re not selling luxury goods. Pasta is a fast-moving consumer item. Who would pay $10 for a pack of spaghetti?”
Rummo’s exports to the U.S. are worth €20 million annually. He said producing pasta in the U.S. is not an option, rejecting the model followed by some competitors. “We’re proud of our heritage. Our pasta is made in Italy. That’s our identity.”
While the tariff won’t spark a pasta shortage in American supermarkets, it will likely shift consumer behavior. Premium Italian products may become niche items for high-end buyers. Mid-range consumers may turn to U.S.-made alternatives — some of which, critics argue, lack the same authenticity.
And for Italian politicians, it’s more than just commerce. Pasta is Italy’s soul on a plate.
“This is like putting a tariff on American hamburgers,” one Rome-based economist said. “It’s not just economic. It’s cultural.”
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