US Scales Back Tariffs on Italian Pasta After Review

The US government has sharply reduced proposed tariffs on Italian pasta, easing pressure on producers that had faced the prospect of levies as high as 92%. Following a review by the US Department of Commerce, the duties have been cut to a range of between 2% and 14%, offering relief to major brands such as Barilla, La Molisana and Pastificio Lucio Garofalo, which were accused of selling pasta at unfairly low prices.

The revised tariffs will apply in addition to a separate 15% duty imposed on most EU goods imported into the US, although a final decision on the pasta levies has not yet been made. The Department of Commerce said its preliminary analysis showed Italian producers had addressed many of its concerns, with final results and definitive tariff levels due to be announced on March 12.

Italy exports an estimated $770 million worth of pasta to the US each year, with the 13 targeted companies accounting for around 16% of those shipments. Italy’s government and industry groups welcomed the move, warning earlier that steep tariffs would severely damage the sector, while the European Commission said it stood ready to intervene if needed.

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