For about a year, Italian companies have been selling pasta in America at allegedly unfairly low prices – lower than in their home market and even below production costs. The U.S. Department of Commerce has made this determination and is now threatening “punishment” through additional tariffs of 91.74 percent. Italian officials disagree with the decision, claiming they never sold products below cost.
Major Italian pasta manufacturers stand accused of “dumping” – selling imported goods at unjustifiably low prices between July 2023 and June 2024. As a consequence, they face not only the negotiated 15% tariff but additional punitive duties as well. This would bring the total tariff burden to a staggering 107 percent, scheduled to take effect from January 2026. These would be applied on top of the 15% tariff President Donald Trump imposed on all European imports.
According to The Financial Times, the U.S. Commerce Department has preliminarily determined that anti-dumping duties are justified against 13 Italian pasta companies, including Barilla and premium brands such as La Molisana and Pastificio Lucio Garofalo. However, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs disputes these findings and is working to protect companies’ rights through its Washington embassy while collaborating with the European Commission to persuade the U.S. to reconsider.
Coldiretti, Italy’s largest agricultural organization and one of Europe’s most influential, has warned that these tariffs would be a “death blow” to Italian pasta producers while simultaneously raising prices for American consumers. “American accusations of dumping are unacceptable and aid Trump’s plan to shift production to the United States,” declared Ettore Prandini, Coldiretti’s president.
If negotiations fail to yield positive results, Brussels might file a complaint against the United States with the World Trade Organization. The tariffs are being viewed as part of a broader trade tension between the U.S. and Europe, with significant implications for both producers and consumers.
