Pasta spat between Italy and the US

Hard times are here for American aficionados of Italian cuisine: Starting in January 2026, a special tariff on Italian-made pasta will come into force in the USA – the latest shot fired in a veritable "pasta war" between Washington and Rome. According to an official document from the US Department of Commerce, 18 Italian companies were inspected at the behest of competing producers. This routine audit found that imported pasta was being sold in the States at alleged dumping prices, thereby harming America's domestic manufacturers. As a result, the United States threatened a punitive tariff of 91.74 percent on top of the existing duty of 15 percent for a a total burden of almost 107 percent. A figure that would pose enormous challenges to the Italian food industry.