The European Commission said Monday it is working with Italy to address the United States’ decision to impose steep anti-dumping duties on pasta imports.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced anti-dumping tariffs of more than 91%, which will take effect in January. These will come on top of the existing 15% duties already applied to Italian pasta imports.
European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said Brussels was cooperating closely with Rome and would act if necessary. “The European Commission, in close coordination with the Italian Government, is cooperating with the United States on the investigation and will intervene if necessary,” he said.
He noted that the case falls outside the EU-US agreement setting 15% tariffs, since it involves an anti-dumping investigation — a trade measure designed to protect domestic industries from foreign products sold at unfairly low prices.
Anti-dumping duties are when a country concludes that imported goods are being sold below their normal market value, harming local producers. The U.S. claims Italian pasta makers are undercutting American competitors by exporting pasta at unfairly low prices, a charge Italian companies deny.
Italian producers say the measures threaten an industry worth billions and built on centuries of tradition. Giuseppe Ferro, CEO of La Molisana, said his company may open a plant in the U.S. to avoid the new tariffs.
“We will try to talk to the U.S. administration because it’s not possible for us to do business with tariffs at 107%,” Ferro said.
Italy is the world’s leading pasta exporter, sending more than half of its production abroad. The U.S. is one of its key markets. Rome and Brussels are expected to push for a negotiated solution before the duties take effect.
