EU's Sefcovic says he is helping Italy in pasta tariff war with US

EU Trade Official Steps In to Aid Italy in Pasta Tariff Dispute with US

EU Intervention in Pasta Tariff Dispute

ROME (Reuters) -The European Union's top trade official said on Friday he had intervened directly to help Italy resolve a row with the United States over extra tariffs on pasta.

Thirteen Italian pasta companies - including the biggest and well-known brand Barilla - face an extra 92% duty, on top of the regular 15% rate on most imports from the EU, starting from January 2026.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the measure after accusing two producers - La Molisana and Garofalo - of selling pasta at unfairly low prices - a practice known as dumping - between July 2023 and June 2024. It said anti-dumping tariffs were warranted against the two and eleven other producers.

Details of the Tariff Increase

"We believe that this decision, as it was reached, was not based on the full facts and figures, and we are doing our utmost to present this to them," EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said during a visit to Rome.

EU's Response and Actions Taken

In a press conference with Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, Sefcovic called the overall 107% tariff duty on pasta "clearly something which is not acceptable."

The EU commissioner said he had raised the issue in a phone call with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick earlier this week.

Impact on Italian Pasta Exports

With almost $800 million in exports, the U.S. is one of Italy's top three export markets for pasta, a staple of the country's culinary heritage and a substantial export commodity.

In 2024, Italy's total pasta exports were worth over 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) with almost 2.5 million metric tons sold abroad, according to data by national statistics agency ISTAT.

(Reporting by Sara Rossi, writing by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)