The United States Commerce Department is poised to considerably scale back the tariffs set to take effect on over a dozen Italian pasta makers’ merchandise later this yr.
Most merchandise from the European Union are already topic to tariffs of not less than 15%. The pasta-specific tariffs, initially proposed in October at 92%, would have topic Italian pasta to a complete price of 107%. The newly introduced charges would put the levies between 24% and 29%.
The remaining charges, set to be introduced on March 12 the Commerce Department mentioned in a post-preliminary report printed Wednesday, stem from an investigation some producers bought pasta at unfairly low costs. The choice to suggest decrease charges earlier than then outcomes from an “evaluation of additional comments received following a preliminary determination,” a Commerce official advised NCS.
“Italian pasta makers have addressed many of Commerce’s concerns raised in the preliminary determination, and reflects Commerce’s commitment to a fair, transparent process,” the official added.
The potential tariffs, which affect 13 Italian pasta makers, are due to an antidumping grievance two American corporations filed with the US Commerce Department final July. In the grievance, two Midwestern corporations, eighth Avenue Food & Provisions and Winland Foods, alleged that a number of Italian corporations underpriced pasta that was shipped to the United States.
The preliminary investigation printed by the Commerce Department in September said that two corporations, La Molisana and Pastificio Lucio Garofalo, made gross sales to the United States “at less than normal value.” It additionally mentioned each had been “uncooperative” in the course of the investigation and supplied “incomplete and unreliable” knowledge.
The two corporations accounted for the most important quantity of pasta gross sales to the United States, in accordance to the division. Neither instantly responded to NCS’s request for remark.
“The redetermination of the tariffs is a sign of the recognition by US authorities of our companies’ willingness to cooperate,” the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned in an announcement on Thursday.