Italian Pasta Faces Hefty U.S. Tariffs in Ongoing Trade Dispute
Italian Pasta Faces Hefty U.S. Tariffs in Ongoing Trade Dispute
Imported Italian pasta could soon get a lot more expensive—or even start vanishing from U.S. grocery aisles—under a new proposal from the Trump administration.
The administration is preparing to impose a staggering 107% import duty on Italian pasta, one of the most punitive tariffs it has considered to date, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. The move combines an existing 15% tariff on European Union imports with a proposed new 92% antidumping duty announced by the Commerce Department in September.

The proposed duty targets 13 of Italy’s largest pasta producers, including familiar names like La Molisana, Pastificio Lucio Garofalo, and Rummo. After investigating, the Commerce Department found that these companies have been selling pasta below fair market value in the U.S., undercutting domestic producers—a violation that can trigger steep “antidumping” penalties under U.S. trade law.
A Potential Pasta Shortage?
For American shoppers, that could mean higher prices—or even empty shelves. Food industry analyst Phil Lempert (Supermarket Guru) told CBS News that some Italian pasta makers may simply stop exporting to the U.S. altogether if the tariffs go through.
“You don’t have enough domestic manufacturing to fill up those shelves,” Lempert said. “So you’re going to walk into the pasta aisle and you’re going to see it half empty.” – CBS News
If that scenario sounds dramatic, it’s because the U.S. market is heavily dependent on Italian imports. In 2023, the U.S. imported $684 million worth of pasta from Italy, according to trade data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
The White House Responds
A White House spokesperson, Kush Desai, told CBS News that “Italian pasta is not disappearing.” He emphasized that the new duty is only a proposal and that affected companies “still have several months to continue participating in this review before this preliminary finding becomes finalized.”
Still, The Wall Street Journal reports that some Italian producers are already preparing to pull their products from the U.S. market as early as January, fearing that the new tariffs could make their exports financially unsustainable.
The Brands at Risk
The proposed duties would apply to the following Italian pasta makers:
- Agritalia
- Aldino
- Antiche Tradizioni Di Gragnano
- Barilla
- Gruppo Milo
- La Molisana
- Pastificio Artigiano Cav. Giuseppe Cocco
- Pastificio Chiavenna
- Pastificio Liguori
- Pastificio Lucio Garofalo
- Pastificio Sgambaro
- Pastificio Tamma
- Rummo
Many of these brands are family-run operations with decades—sometimes centuries—of pasta-making heritage. Their appeal in the U.S. rests not only on flavor and texture but also on a promise of authenticity that no domestic brand has quite replicated.
What Happens Next
The White House says there’s no set date for when the proposed duties might take effect. However, the Commerce Department has noted that the review stems from a long-running dispute dating back to the mid-1990s.
For now, the fate of your favorite imported spaghetti hangs in the balance. Domestic producers might welcome the move as a level playing field, but gourmet consumers—and countless restaurants that depend on imported pasta—could be facing a serious price spike.
Source: CBS News, The Wall Street Journal




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