From The Food Table To Diplomacy Field: Italy Defends From US Tariffs

Illustration-Pasta (DOK VOI)

Roma are working with the European Commission to urge the United States to review plans to apply additional anti-dumping rates to imports of pasta from Italy which are considered to double the price of the product.

The Italian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, quoted by Reuters on Sunday, October 5 local time, that the United States' decision to impose additional duties of 91.74 percent came from the results of an investigation by the US Department of Commerce.

The department alleges that the two main producers of Italian pasta sell their products in the US market at prices below a fair 'practice' value known as dumping' during the period July 2023 to June 2024.

If enforced, this new tariff will be additionally above the US import tax of 15 percent for most products from the European Union. The policy is planned to take effect in January 2026.

The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed that it rejected the results of the investigation and was helping related companies to protect their rights through the Italian Embassy in Washington.

The United States is one of the three largest export markets for Italian pasta with a value of nearly 800 million US dollars. This product is not only an important part of Italy's culinary heritage, but also a large-valued export commodity for the country's economy.

According to data from the Italian national statistical institution (ISTAT), Italy's total exports in 2024 will reach more than 4 billion euros (approximately IDR 82 trillion) with a volume of nearly 2.5 million tons.

Meanwhile, Italy's largest employers association, Confindustria, on Thursday (2/10) lowered its projected economic growth for the year and next year. The decline was due to the impact of US tariff policies and the increasing geopolitical tensions that affected export performance.