US Slashes Anti-Dumping Duties on Italian Pasta, Italy Calls Result Positive

After months of diplomatic tension and two rounds of recalculation, the U.S. Department of Commerce delivered a final decision that Italy's foreign ministry was quick to call a "positive outcome": anti-dumping duties on 13 Italian pasta producers, once proposed at a punishing 91.7%, have been slashed to rates ranging from 2.65% to 7%.

The numbers tell the full story of how far things moved. When Commerce first announced provisional duties in September 2025, the proposed rate of 91.7% would have landed on top of the 15% tariff already applied to most EU imports, an effective wall against Italian pasta reaching American shelves. By December 31, an interim recalculation had brought Pastificio Lucio Garofalo down to 13.89% and La Molisana to 2.26%, with the remaining 11 companies at 9.09%. The March 12 final decision cut further still: Garofalo to 7%, the 11 other producers to 5.21%, and La Molisana to 2.65%, a slight uptick from its December figure but a fraction of where the proceedings began.

Italy's foreign ministry spelled out the arc in a single sentence: "The anti-dumping duty applied to the other 11 companies involved is 5.21 per cent, compared to 91.7 per cent last September and 9.09 per cent last December 31."

The investigation had targeted producers including Barilla, La Molisana, and Pastificio Lucio Garofalo after a Commerce review determined they sold products at "artificially low prices" undercutting U.S. manufacturers. Together the 13 companies account for 16% of Italian pasta imported into the United States, according to Commerce figures. A department spokesperson told CBS News the revised rates resulted from an "evaluation of additional comments received" following the initial proposed duties.

The stakes for Italy were substantial. Coldiretti, Italy's main agribusiness association, estimated the U.S. market was worth €671 million in 2024, representing roughly 17% of total Italian pasta exports. The U.S. also absorbs about a quarter of Italy's dry pasta shipments abroad, making it a critical destination for producers already managing shifting EU regulations and consumer demand at home. Coldiretti had warned that the original tariff plan could have cut Italian pasta exports to the U.S. by nearly half. "The recalculation of duties confirms that Italian pasta producers have acted transparently and in full compliance with US trade rules," the association said.

Italy's foreign ministry had framed January's interim reduction in similarly cooperative terms: "The recalculation of the duties is a sign that U.S. authorities recognize our companies' genuine willingness to cooperate."

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, which has cultivated close ties with the Trump administration, announced the preliminary January reduction on January 1 and had been navigating the case carefully given those political relationships. The dispute had also drawn attention from Brussels, which pledged to intervene if the duties moved forward.

The final rollback fits a broader pattern. The Trump administration has pulled back tariffs on more than 200 food products and delayed planned increases on furniture imports, moves analysts connect to domestic pressure over consumer prices and cost of living. Had the original pasta duties held, U.S. shoppers could have faced significantly steeper prices for Italian-made pasta, with some producers potentially exiting the American market altogether.