The Tariff Task Force met to discuss anti-dumping tariffs on pasta

The sixth meeting of the Task Force on US tariffs was held this afternoon at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the latest developments in transatlantic trade.

The discussion focused particularly on the preliminary anti-dumping duties set by the US Department of Commerce at 91.74% for many Italian pasta exporting companies.

The immediate steps taken by the Italian government to support our producers were outlined. The provisional outcome of the investigations conducted by the US authorities is deemed disproportionate, not least because it did not take into account the active cooperation offered by the Italian companies involved in the investigations.

Italy has filed a formal brief in support of the companies and has raised the issue with the European Commission (which has in turn filed a brief with similar content), initiating contacts with the US authorities to confirm the government's close attention to the proceedings.

More generally, on transatlantic trade relations, the Task Force outlined the content of a letter sent by the Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Sefcovic, to his American counterparts on the correct application of EU-US agreements. In particular, the Commissioner called for a revision of the 50% duties applied to steel and aluminium products; expressed the expectation that European products will not be subject to duties exceeding 15% in the product categories for which the USA has launched new Section 232 investigations, and called for the full application of the duty exemption for the agreed products.