The announced reduction of US anti-dumping duties on Italian pasta is more than a welcome boost to profitability. It is a chance to rethink how Made in Italy pasta is positioned for American consumers: no longer only through a premium price tag, but through a verifiable supply-chain story that no “Italian-Sounding” product can replicate.
When the US Department of Commerce announced last September additional duties of up to 91.74% on 13 Italian pasta producers accused of dumping, Italy’s pasta industry held its breath. Producers rushed to fill US distributors’ warehouses to limit the damage.
Now, following the post-preliminary review, a substantial reversal has been announced. Anti-dumping duties on La Molisana drop to 2.26%, Garofalo to 13.98%, while the remaining 11 non-sampled producers—including Barilla, Rummo, Liguori, and Sgambaro—fall to 9.09%. According to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this is an advance signal ahead of the final ruling, expected on 11 March 2026, when further revisions are still possible. But viewing this solely as a tariff issue misses the bigger picture.
A COMPLAINT THAT PROTECTS COPYCATS
Behind the anti-dumping investigation are not aggrieved American consumers. Instead, the driving forces are major domestic players such as 8th Avenue Food & Provisions and Winland Foods, owners of iconic US brands like Ronzoni. These companies produce pasta locally under names and packaging that perfectly evoke Italy. Even when some private-label pasta is made in Italy, most of these brands merely “sound Italian” without any real Italian supply chain.
Ronzoni, marketed as “Italian-style pasta,” dominates mainstream US shelves. It is made in the United States, priced lower, and has every incentive to keep true Italian premium competition at bay. These dumping complaints do not protect consumers; they protect a business model that exploits Italian imagery without bearing its costs or guaranteeing comparable quality and food safety.
The figures are telling. Americans consume nearly 9 kg of pasta per capita each year, for a total market of about 2.7 million tonnes. Yet authentic Italian imports account for just €671 million in 2024, out of total pasta imports worth USD 1.62 billion. Domestic production covers more than 80% of consumption. Genuine Italian pasta remains marginal—a cherry on top of a cake largely owned by domestic producers such as Ronzoni, Mueller’s, DaVinci, A. Zerega’s Sons, Rao’s, Annie’s Homegrown, and Philadelphia Macaroni Company.
THE US PASTA MARKET
The US pasta market reached USD 83.45 billion in 2025 and is forecast to grow to USD 104.52 billion by 2030. The United States is the world’s largest pasta importer, with 2024 imports estimated between USD 975 million and USD 1.75 billion, depending on product categories.
Yet a potential game-changer looms: the new dietary guidelines introduced under the Trump administration. The food pyramid has been flipped. Steak, aged cheeses, and whole milk now sit at the top for daily consumption, while grains and refined carbohydrates—including pasta—have been pushed down, with smaller and less frequent portions recommended.
Here, too, an opportunity emerges. Italian dry pasta—made simply from durum wheat semolina and water, without pesticides—is fundamentally different from white bread, sugary breakfast products, flour tortillas, or crackers. It is a simple carbohydrate that fits the new “Eat Real Food” mantra shaping US dietary guidance.
In a market where low-cost domestic pasta fills everyday shopping carts, authentic Italian pasta competes on health, quality, and value. But to win, it must clearly distinguish itself from Italian-Sounding products. This is not just about protecting the Made in Italy label.
THE WINDOW IS OPEN—NOW
The reduction in tariffs reopens the market. But those who fill this window with value—not just lower prices—will shape the next phase of Made in Italy pasta in the United States.
For Italian pasta entrepreneurs and managers now looking at the US with less anxiety, the key question is not “How much can I cut my price?” but “Why should they choose me?” In other words, how to position on value and stand out from local and foreign competitors. The answer is not in a price list. It lies in a supply-chain story that can be verified, in a level of transparency no Italian-Sounding brand can replicate, and in innovation that turns the label from a regulatory obligation into a tool of trust and differentiation.
According to the Authentico startup, blockchain technology offers Italian companies what marketing alone cannot: trust based on proof. And in a USD 104 billion market where Italian imports remain marginal, that proof could make the difference between staying a premium niche and gaining meaningful market share.
L’articolo US Pasta Tariff Cuts: The Real Opportunity Is Proof of Authenticity proviene da Italianfood.net.