What you pay for pasta at the grocery store or in a restaurant could skyrocket if a 107% tariff on imported Italian pasta goes into effect.
Channel 2’s Audrey Washington learned that restaurateurs and Italian deli owners are concerned.
“Cajun Fettuccine, as well as our Lobster Mac and our regular Mac and Cheese. Those are our No. 1 sellers,” said Willie Wallace, the executive chef at Steak Market 44 Restaurant in midtown Atlanta.
Now, with a potential 107% tariff on the way, Wallace said he’ll do anything to keep those same dishes from becoming the most expensive.
“We might end up making our own pasta,” Wallace told Washington.
“Really?” Washington asked.
“Yeah, from scratch,” Wallace said.
Right now, current tariffs on Italian goods sit at 15%. But as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on imports, the U.S. may add an additional 92 % tariff on Italian pasta, impacting 13 brands, including La Molisana, Garofalo, and Rummo.
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The Department of Commerce said this all stems from an anti-dumping investigation, essentially accusing Italian brands of selling pasta in the U.S. at prices lower than their home market value.
Supporters say the proposed tariffs would protect U.S. Pasta manufacturers, but a Rummo executive denied the accusations, saying, “Rummo sells its products far above the Italian price in the US.”
“It makes no sense at all except to punish consumers,” said Emory University Professor Emeritus of Economics and Finance Raymond Hill. “You’re basically trying to punish a company that does something very well… and punishing American consumers for wanting a high-quality product.”
“It is tough dealing in an economy that we’re in right now, to deal with something like that,” Wallace said.
The proposed tariff is under federal review.
If approved, some Italian brands said they’re prepared to pull their products off the shelves by January.
Dining and Cooking