Finance
Italian exports to US rise 7% in 2025 despite Trump's tariffs
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 17, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 17, 2026
Quick Summary
In 2025, Italian exports to the US rose by 7% despite 15% tariffs, maintaining a strong trade surplus amid global economic challenges.
Italian exports to US rise 7% in 2025 despite Trump's tariffs
Impact of Tariffs on Italian Exports
Feb 17 (Reuters) - Italian exports to the United States rose by more than 7% last year, data showed on Tuesday, despite tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump in July which had triggered fears of a major dampening impact.
Trade Surplus with the US
Imports from Italy, the European Union's third-largest economy, are subject to a 15% tariff imposed on most EU goods, with additional duties threatened against pasta makers amid an anti-dumping probe from the U.S. Commerce Department.
Monthly Export Trends
Nonetheless, Italian exports to the U.S. totaled 69.6 billion euros ($82.41 billion) in 2025, up 7.2% from the year earlier, national statistics bureau ISTAT reported.
Future Projections for Exports
Italy's trade surplus with the United States, at 34.2 billion euros, was the largest surplus it posted with any country last year, though it was down 12% year-on-year due to a 36% annual jump in imports.
Italy also registered particularly large trade surpluses in 2025 with Switzerland and the United Kingdom, each amounting to more than 19 billion euros.
The 15% U.S. import tariff announced in a deal with the EU on July 27 came at the end of protracted negotiations involving threats by Trump of even higher duties which had sparked volatility on financial markets and alarm among exporters.
The head of Italian business lobby Emanuele Orsini warned in July that even a tariff of 10% on EU products could reduce Italian exports to the U.S. by 20 billion euros in 2026 and cost 118,000 jobs.
In December alone, Italian exports to the US totaled 5.6 billion euros, down 0.4% from the same month of 2024, ISTAT said.
The country's exports to the U.S. have continued to expand on average since the tariffs took effect in August, despite a volatile monthly trend.
Overall, Italy posted a trade surplus with the rest of the world of 6.0 billion euros ($7.15 billion) in December, compared with a surplus of 5.1 billion euros in the same month of 2024, ISTAT said.
In 2025 as a whole, it recorded a global trade surplus of 50.7 billion euros, compared to a surplus of 48.3 billion euros the year before.
($1 = 0.8445 euros)
(Reporting by Enrico Sciacovelli, additional reporting Claudio Piacquadio, editing by Gavin Jones)
Key Takeaways
- •Italian exports to the US rose by 7% in 2025.
- •US tariffs on EU goods were set at 15%.
- •Italy's trade surplus with the US was 34.2 billion euros.
- •Imports from Italy faced additional duties amid anti-dumping probes.
- •Italy's global trade surplus was 50.7 billion euros in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions about Italian exports to US rise 7% in 2025 despite Trump's tariffs
1What is a trade surplus?
A trade surplus occurs when a country's exports exceed its imports, resulting in a positive balance of trade.
2What is the impact of tariffs on exports?
Tariffs can increase the cost of exported goods, potentially reducing demand in foreign markets and affecting trade balances.
3What is economic growth?
Economic growth refers to the increase in the production of goods and services in an economy over time, often measured by GDP.
