NextFin news, On Thursday, October 9, 2025, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is facing intense domestic pressure to intervene with former US President Donald Trump to overturn the punitive 107% tariffs imposed by the US government on Italian pasta imports. The tariffs, which include a 92% additional duty on top of an existing 15% tariff, were introduced following US allegations of price dumping by Italian pasta producers.
The tariffs, set to take effect in January 2026, have been described by Italian producers and agricultural groups as a "devastating" blow that could severely damage the livelihoods of pasta makers and the broader Italian food industry. The US Department of Commerce's investigation targeted 18 Italian companies, concluding that pasta was being sold in the US at unfairly low prices, harming domestic manufacturers.
Italian farmers' lobby group Coldiretti and other industry representatives warn that the tariffs could double the price of Italian pasta in the US market, potentially wiping out annual exports valued at approximately €671 million (£580 million). The US market accounts for about 12% of Italy’s pasta production, making the tariffs a significant economic threat, especially to southern Italy where durum wheat is cultivated.
Prime Minister Meloni, known for her close relationship with Trump, is expected to attend a gala dinner in Washington on October 18, hosted by the National Italian American Foundation, where the pasta tariffs issue is anticipated to be a key topic of discussion. Meloni’s office has not yet confirmed her attendance, but the event is seen as a critical opportunity to negotiate with Trump and address the tariffs.
The Italian government has appealed to the European Commission for support in challenging the tariffs. The Commission’s trade spokesman, Olof Gill, stated that the Commission is coordinating closely with Italy and will intervene as necessary in discussions with the US.
The tariffs come amid broader tensions in US-EU trade relations, with Trump’s previous 15% tariffs on European goods already blamed for a 21% decline in Italian food exports to the US in August 2025. Opposition politicians in Italy have criticized Meloni’s government for its handling of the situation, accusing it of failing to protect Italian firms from US pressure to relocate production.
The pasta tariffs dispute highlights the symbolic importance of pasta as a cornerstone of Italian national identity and cuisine. Industry experts note the irony that dried pasta, while strongly associated with Italy, also has historical ties to America through Italian emigrants who popularized it there before it was re-exported back to Italy.
As negotiations continue, Italian producers and farmers remain hopeful that diplomatic efforts will succeed in reversing the tariffs to protect Italy’s pasta industry and maintain strong trade ties with the US.
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