Italy says US has sharply cut proposed pasta tariffs after a review

ROME, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Italy's foreign ministry said on Thursday the United States had sharply lowered proposed duties on several Italian pasta makers following a reassessment of their U.S. activities.

In October, the United States said that 13 Italian pasta companies would face an extra 92% duty - on top of the regular 15% rate on most EU imports - from January 2026, accusing two producers in particular, La Molisana and Garofalo, of selling pasta at unfairly low prices.

However, after a review, the U.S. Department of Commerce cut the tariff for La Molisana to 2.26%, while Garofalo's rate was set at 13.98%, the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement.

The remaining 11 producers, which were not individually examined in the review, face a tariff of 9.09%.

"The recalculation of the duties is a sign that U.S. authorities recognise our companies' constructive willingness to cooperate," the foreign ministry said.

It added that the full conclusions of the U.S. review would be released on March 11, adding that the ministry would continue to provide help to the companies affected in the coming weeks.

The threatened pasta tariffs had been an embarrassment to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who had hoped that her close ties with U.S. President Donald Trump would shield Italian companies from any additional tariffs.

Italy's total pasta exports were worth over 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion) in 2024, according to data from national statistics agency ISTAT. The U.S. market was worth almost $800 million to Italian firms.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Ros Russell)