Brands including Garofalo, La Molisana, and Rummo face removal from US shelves as Italy slams "extreme protectionism" and the EU readies a WTO challenge.
Thirteen Italian pasta brands could pull their products from American grocery store shelves or hike prices as soon as January.
CaliToday (12/11/2025): Thirteen of Italy's most prominent pasta brands are facing an existential threat in the United States, with a high risk of being pulled from supermarket shelves or doubling in price by January 2026.
The Trump administration is preparing to impose a crippling combined tariff of 107% on the products, accusing Italian and EU exporters of "dumping" selling pasta in the U.S. market for less than its fair value to the detriment of domestic producers.
The move has ignited a furious response from Rome and Brussels, threatening to blow open a new, damaging front in the transatlantic trade relationship.
The Pasta Hit-List
The new tax package is composed of a 15% base tariff on EU goods and a devastating 92% anti-dumping duty.
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) launched its investigation last year after two domestic pasta producers filed a complaint alleging unfair competition. The list of 13 targeted brands includes a "who's who" of Italian staples:
Pasta Garofalo
La Molisana
Rummo
Barilla
Agritalia
Aldino
Antiche Tradizioni Di Gragnano
Gruppo Milo
Pastificio Artigiano Cav. Giuseppe Cocco
Pastificio Chiavenna
Pastificio Liguori
Pastificio Sgambaro
Pastificio Tamma
A Dispute Over Translations and Transparency
The DOC claims the investigation was stymied because documents submitted by the Italian firms were not fully translated and lacked "transparency." U.S. officials argued this forced them to apply the sweeping 92% penalty across all 13 companies.
A White House official delivered a blunt message: "The Italian companies had sufficient time to cooperate and submit documents in the proper standard. Instead of complaining to the press, they should have used a translation tool."
"Extreme Protectionism"
The reaction from Italy and the EU was swift and enraged.
Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida labeled the measure "extreme protectionism," insisting, "we do not see any legal or economic reason for such a tariff."
Italian companies, including La Molisana, have already filed appeals, arguing the DOC made a critical data error by confusing gross prices with net prices in its calculations.
Italy's Foreign Ministry, led by Antonio Tajani, has formed a trade task force to fight the order. In Brussels, the European Commission (EC) declared it was ready to take the case to the World Trade Organization (WTO) if procedural errors are found.
EU Trade official Maros Sefcovic called the tariff "unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of transatlantic cooperation."
The $700 Million Impact
The stakes are immense. In 2024, the U.S. imported approximately $700 million worth of Italian pasta, which accounts for 12% of the entire $5.8 billion U.S. pasta market.
If the 107% tariff takes effect, market analysts predict:
Price Doubles: A package of pasta currently priced at $1.75 could jump to $3.50.
Market Exit: Most of the 13 brands would be forced to withdraw from the U.S. market, drastically shrinking the availability of authentic "Made in Italy" pasta for American consumers.
The Exception: Barilla is expected to be the least affected. Although on the list, the company produces the vast majority of its products sold in America at its plants within the United States.
An "America First" Escalation
This is not the first "pasta war" between the U.S. and Italy similar anti-dumping probes date back to the 1990s but it is by far the highest tariff ever proposed.
The move is a clear continuation of the Trump administration's "America First" trade policy, which has maintained tariffs on EU steel and aluminum.
The escalation comes as a particular shock to EU officials, who recently highlighted major transatlantic deals, including an agreement to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy and a separate $600 billion investment in the U.S.
Observers now fear that this dispute, turning an "Italian culinary icon" into the latest victim of global protectionism, could be the trigger for a much larger and more damaging trade conflict.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has declined to comment on the pending appeals.