U.S. reduces proposed tariffs on Italian pasta, Italy says

The U.S. has rolled backmost projected steep tariffs connected Italian-made pasta, Italy's overseas ministry said Thursday. 

The U.S. Department of Commerce has sharply reduced a projected duty connected 13 Italian pasta makers, cutting the complaint from arsenic precocious arsenic 92% to arsenic small arsenic 2.26%, Italy's overseas ministry said Jan. 1. The duties would person been imposed connected apical of existing 15% tariffs connected astir imports from the European Union.

The Trump medication had projected the antidumping levies aft a review recovered that Italian pasta producers, including Barilla, La Molisana and Pastificio Lucio Garofalo, sold products astatine artificially debased prices that undercut U.S. manufacturers. 

Had the higher duties taken effect, U.S. shoppers could person faced steeply higher prices for Italian-made pasta, and immoderate Italian producers mightiness person stopped shipping to U.S. retailers, experts told CBS News. 

"The recalculation of the duties is simply a motion that U.S. authorities admit our companies' genuine willingness to cooperate," the overseas ministry said.

La Molisana pasta imports volition beryllium tariffed astatine a complaint of 2.26%, the overseas ministry said, portion Garofalo volition look astir 14% tariffs, and 11 further pasta brands volition beryllium taxable to a 9% import duty.

The White House did not instantly respond to CBS News' petition for remark connected the tariff rollbacks. 

Edited by Aimee Picchi

• Tariffs
• Trump Administration