Naples – An "unjust and dangerous attack" that threatens to disrupt the production chain of one of Italy's most precious treasures: Italian pasta.
By announcing tariffs of up to 107% on imports into the United States, starting January 1, 2026, the Trump administration has turned the spotlight on a trade war that strikes right at the heart of Campania, a land of excellent agri-food products like Gragnano, the "homeland of pasta" recognized by UNESCO.
Franco Cascone, Forza Italia group leader in the Campania Regional Council, doesn't mince his words: this is a "blow to the heart of Made in Italy," and the Region must lead the counteroffensive to save hundreds of families, artisans, and workers from the abyss.
Alarm bells were raised in the last few hours, following the U.S. Department of Commerce's decision to impose additional tariffs of 91,74%—on top of the 15% already imposed on EU quotas—on products from giants like Barilla, Molisana, and Garofalo, accused of alleged "dumping" on U.S. markets.
This escalation, according to preliminary estimates, could wipe out up to 30% of Italian exports to the US—about €200 million annually for pasta alone—with devastating repercussions for a sector that employs over 4.000 people in Campania alone. From Gragnano to Torre Annunziata, passing through Naples, the family-run pasta factories and medium-sized businesses that transform durum wheat into PGI spaghetti and penne risk seeing their markets evaporate overnight, leaving behind generations of expertise and passion.
Cascone, in a speech echoing the alarm raised by Casartigiani Napoli secretary Fabrizio Luongo, paints a dramatic picture, yet one imbued with regional pride. "The American tariffs represent a direct threat to hundreds of Campanian businesses, artisans, and workers," explains the representative.
It's a blow to the heart of Made in Italy and our manufacturing identity.
It might interest you
Sarno, a 34-year-old man shot in the leg on a street in Crotone: he had three kilos of hashish in his car.
A raid at the port of Gioia Tauro seized 175 kilos of cocaine.
A bloody weekend on the roads: 29 deaths, a 52% increase.
Milan: Six municipal employees investigated for stealing gold from the morgue.
These words resonate through the alleys of Gragnano, where the air still smells of sun-dried semolina and bronze dies, and where exports to the United States represent a vital portion of the local GDP, often exceeding 20% for small artisan businesses. But Cascone doesn't stop at denouncing the situation: he's calling for a united front, with Campania at the forefront.
"We need a strong, coordinated response from the government, the region, and the chamber of commerce system to activate all the necessary diplomatic and commercial levers," he continues. "Italy must take action at the European level and the WTO, but Campania cannot remain a spectator: we need a regional steering committee that supports trade associations like Casartigiani and defends our businesses on international markets."
An action plan that, if approved, could include export aid, diversification into Asia and the Middle East, and even branding campaigns to relaunch "Made in Campania" overseas. Meanwhile, support is coming from Rome: the Italian government has already summoned the US ambassador for an urgent meeting, while the EU stands united alongside Brussels, ready to respond with symmetrical countermeasures on American products.
Campania's agri-food sector, which boasts annual exports of over €2 billion and employs 100.000 people, is no stranger to these transatlantic storms. Recall the 2018 tariffs on steel and aluminum, or the disputes over Parmigiano-Reggiano: each time, Italian resilience prevailed, but this time the target was an everyday icon, a product that ends up on millions of American plates every night.
"Defending Campanian pasta means defending the work, quality, and reputation of our land," Cascone concludes defiantly. "Forza Italia will be on the front lines, because true politics is that which protects those who produce, not those who promise."
While the bakeries of Gragnano continue to hum and the lemons of the Sorrento Coast—another Campanian jewel—watch in silence, the question is only one: will Campania be able to turn this threat into an opportunity, or will Trump's tariffs become yet another chapter in a globalization that punishes the weakest? The coming weeks, with EU summits and calls for dialogue, will tell whether Italy's "pasta power" will be able to withstand this ordeal, like its twisted spaghetti.
Comments (1)
This is a thought-provoking article about the implications of these import duties. Italian pasta is a symbol of our culture and tradition, so it's important to protect it. We hope the government can act quickly.