The US cuts proposed tariffs on Italian pasta after trade talks, easing fears of higher prices for consumers and bringing relief to Italian producers.
Italian pasta products on store shelves after the US scaled back proposed tariffs on major Italian producers (Photo: Pinterest)
Pasta is associated with comfort, culture and tradition. It was caught in the machinery of global trade politics for a brief period. Italian Pasta is set to spared from high level of US Tariffs that the Trump administration had threatened against 13 producers. This trade issue was on track to become just another trade dispute.
The dispute began when US authorities accused a group of Italian pasta producers of selling their products in America at unfairly low prices. This practice known in trade law as dumping, can trigger steep penalties if proven. In this case, proposed tariffs climbed as high as 92%. Combined with existing EU import duties, the tax burden would have exceeded the pasta’s retail value. For American importers and shoppers, this meant one thing sharply higher prices on a pantry staple.
Italian firms engaged with US regulators, opening their books and challenging the dumping claims. The data told a different story. Italian pasta was not cheap in the US market and it was premium priced. Faced with evidence and growing concern about consumer backlash, the Commerce Department softened its stance. Tariffs were dramatically reduced with some brands facing rates in the low single digits instead of punitive levels.
Italy’s pasta industry is both cultural and commercial produces roughly four million tonnes annually with more than half shipped abroad. The US is a key destination, but not the largest.
| Rank | Country | Value (USD) | Quantity (kg) | Market Share | Avg Price ($/kg) |
| 1 | Germany | 604.9 | 430.9 | 18.9% | 1.40 |
| 2 | United States | 521.2 | 278.7 | 16.3% | 1.87 |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 318.4 | 237.0 | 10.0% | 1.34 |
| 4 | France | 299.3 | 218.8 | 9.4% | 1.37 |
| 5 | Japan | 96.2 | 69.1 | 3.0% | 1.39 |
The numbers show Italian Pasta sells for more in the US than in Europe undermining claims of underpricing.
America imports around $1.6 billion worth of pasta each year. Italy dominates, but competition exists across price tiers.
| Rank | Country | Value (USD) | Quantity (kg) | Market Share | Avg Price ($/kg) |
| 1 | Italy | 502.5 | 279.5 | 53.5% | 1.80 |
| 2 | Canada | 82.3 | 39.7 | 8.8% | 2.07 |
| 3 | China | 59.4 | 36.6 | 6.3% | 1.62 |
| 4 | Mexico | 53.5 | 41.5 | 5.7% | 1.29 |
| 5 | Thailand | 36.0 | 17.3 | 3.8% | 2.08 |
Instead of being dumping strategy, Italian Pasta's comfortable middle of the road price point reinforces its premium reputation.
Originally tariffs on 13 major Italian pasta producers were set as high as 91.74%, which would have more than doubled the cost of some products in the US. After negotiations and data review, the rates were drastically lowered, with brands like La Molisana facing just 2.26%, while others range up to 13.98%.
Italy accounts for over half of US pasta imports, with 2024 figures showing $502.5 million in Italian pasta entering the American market, representing 53.5% of total imports, making this tariff reduction a critical relief for the sector and US shoppers.
