In the United States, Italian agri-food products were traditionally subject to relatively low MFN (Most-Favored-Nation) tariffs, with exceptions for certain products. For example, Italian wine is subject to a very low base tariff (approximately 1-2% of the value, amounting to a few cents per liter), while cheeses are subject to higher tariffs and tariff quotas (quotas)\u2014which can result in effective tariffs of around 20\u201340% outside the quota. Italian olive oil has, until now, been duty-free (0%). Since April 2025<\/strong>, however, the US has introduced an additional tariff General Information on the +10%<\/strong> on (almost) all imports, including food products<\/strong><\/a>. This means that wine, pasta, olive oil, etc., are currently subject to a +10% surcharge in addition to the base tariffs. For cheeses, which are already heavily taxed, the total tax rate can reach \u201cup to 40%\u201d<\/em>This measure falls under the \u201creciprocal tariffs\u201d desired by the US administration and could rise to 20%<\/strong> for the EU after July 2025, if an agreement is not reached<\/a>. In the past, certain Italian products had been subject to additional tariffs of 25% (for example, Parmigiano Reggiano, pecorino, liqueurs, and cured meats) since October 18, 2019<\/strong> within the context of the Airbus\/Boeing dispute; such tariffs they were suspended in June 2021<\/strong> thanks to a five-year US-EU truce. Currently, therefore, the only extra duty in force<\/em> The general +10% tariff mentioned above applies to EU agri-food products (in the absence, for now, of the threatened +20%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impact:<\/strong> Italian exporters in the agri-food sector are among the most vulnerable. Coldiretti and other organizations estimate that a 20-25% tariff on Italian foods and wines could severely reduce their competitiveness. According to Unimpresa, a 25% tariff would put at risk approximately 1.8 to 2 billion euros a year<\/strong> of Italian agri-food exports (out of ~\u20ac7.8 billion in annual exports to the USA)<\/a>. Iconic products like the wine<\/strong> (1.7 billion \u20ac per year of exports to the USA) are at risk of a sharp drop in sales \u2013 we are talking about a \u201cpossible collapse of wine exports (2 billion euros to the US alone)\u201d<\/em> in case of full implementation of the new tariffs. <\/a>Even PDO cheeses (e.g., Parmigiano, Grana Padano, ~340\u2013500 million euros annually) would suffer: in recent years, the imposition of the +25% tariff had already eroded margins and raised prices for American consumers (up to +\u20ac1.6 billion<\/strong> of overall price increases according to Coldiretti<\/a>. In general, the entire agri-food sector (food & beverage<\/em>) Italian sees around 8 billion in annual exports at stake<\/em>In the short term, some companies brought forward shipments (stockpiling) before the tariffs came into effect, mitigating the immediate impact.<\/a>. However, in the medium to long term, a price increase of approximately +10-20% could shift some U.S. demand toward competing products from other countries or domestic alternatives. The estimated net effect is a reduction in agri-food exports<\/strong> Italians in the US of about -6.51 TP3T with duty +101 TP3T<\/strong> and until -10% with a duty rate of 20%<\/strong><\/a>, barring agreements that avoid these taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fashion system products Made in Italy<\/strong> - clothing, footwear, leather goods - currently face non-negligible MFN duties in the US, generally from ~5% to 12%<\/strong> (depending on the materials and items). For example, fabric garments, knitwear, and many other clothing items are subject to U.S. duties of around 10\u201312%, while for leather footwear and leather accessories, the rates are often in the range of\u20198-10%<\/strong>. These base rates had been stable for years; in fact, the United States traditionally also applies tariffs higher<\/strong> of the European Union on many fashion items (in 61% of the footwear categories and 54% of the apparel categories, U.S. tariffs exceed those of the EU)<\/a>. No specific sector increases<\/strong> It recently happened for fashion \u2013 the sector was not involved in the punitive Airbus tariffs or similar disputes. However, from April 5, 2025<\/em> Italian fashion also falls under the General Additional Duty +10%<\/strong> US tax<\/a>. This means that, for example, a \u201cMade in Italy\u201d garment previously subject to 12% is now taxed at ~22%; a leather bag goes from 8% to ~18%, and so on. As of the end of May 2025, these additional duties were temporarily annulled by a judgment<\/strong> of the US Court of International Trade, but the decision was immediately suspended on appeal and the tariffs remain in force<\/strong>. The additional tariff rate for the EU could rise to 20% after July, bringing tariffs on clothing, for example, to around 30%<\/strong> total. It should be noted that the sectors luxury<\/em> e high fashion<\/em> often they have higher margins and a clientele willing to pay, so they could absorb part of the costs without passing them entirely onto final prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impact:<\/strong> The United States is a key market for Italian fashion (high-end clothing and accessories in particular). A tariff increase risks slowing growth in this sector: mid-to-high range products would see retail prices rise significantly, potentially reducing volumes. Government estimates indicate a possible decline in total exports<\/strong> (all sectors) of ~-6,5%<\/strong> with duties at 10%<\/a>. For fashion, the blow could be slightly mitigated by the strength of brands and the relatively low elasticity of luxury goods, but it would still be significant. Smaller, lesser-known companies could suffer more from the loss of price competitiveness. In summary, the additional tariffs risk eroding the market share of Italian products to the benefit of both local competitors<\/strong> US even from suppliers in unaffected countries (e.g., trading partners with free trade agreements with the US). If, on the other hand, the tariffs were removed through an agreement, this negative impact would be avoided and Italian companies would continue to benefit from strongly growing American demand (in 2024, Italian fashion exports to the US were up by a double-digit percentage).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the field of technology and high-tech machinery (electrical machines, electronic equipment, household appliances, precision instruments, etc.), the United States has historically applied MFN tariffs very low<\/strong>. Many high-tech products fall under international agreements such as the ITA (Information Technology Agreement) and are duty-free<\/strong>for example, electronic components, computers, semiconductors, and medical devices often pay 0%<\/strong> of US import tariffs. On average, the US tariff level on non-agricultural industrial goods was only ~2%<\/strong><\/a>. Therefore, for Italian electrical machinery and equipment as well, the base duty is typically between 0 and 5%. Until 2024, there were no significant tariff changes<\/strong> for this sector: neither the anti-China tariffs (Section 301) nor recent trade disputes involved technological Made in Italy. However, like all sectors, the tech sector is also now hit by the general US tariff introduced in 2025: currently, a +10% additional<\/strong> on imports from Italy<\/a>. For example, a household appliance or piece of industrial machinery that previously entered duty-free is now subject to a 10% tariff. For some allied countries with smaller trade surpluses (e.g., the United Kingdom, Brazil), the U.S. has maintained only the +10% tariff, while for the\u2019For the European Union, a +20% is theoretically expected<\/strong> (currently suspended until the end of July pending negotiations)<\/a>. If such an increased tariff were to enter into force, Italian technological products that have been duty-free until now would be subject to 20%<\/em> of duty. It should be noted that they remain exempt<\/strong> from any tariff certain strategic categories (mentioned in the American Executive Order) such as semiconductors and pharmaceutical products \u2013 this favors countries with strong pharmaceutical exports like Ireland, but partly concerns Italy as well (for medical machinery and pharmaceuticals, which are already duty-free).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impact:<\/strong> In the short term, the effect on Italian technological machinery has been limited: many American importers accelerated their purchases in the first quarter of 2025 (+11,8%<\/strong> of Italian exports to the USA in the first 3 months) in anticipation of tariffs, by stockpiling<\/a>. This temporarily boosted sales volumes. In the medium term, however, a permanent tariff of 10-20% could make Italian machinery and equipment less competitive. The American question<\/strong> could shift towards alternative suppliers: for example, manufacturers Americans<\/strong> (if available for that specific good) or imports from countries with free trade agreements that exempt them from duties (such as Canada, Mexico, South Korea, etc.). It should be noted that in the high-tech machinery sector, Italy often excels in highly specialized niches (automation, packaging, etc.) where substitution is not immediate. Therefore, the estimated impact is moderate but not negligible: an economic analysis predicts that a 20% tariff partially passed on to final prices (an effective increase of 15%) could, in sectors with high price elasticity, reduce exports by several percentage points<\/strong> in the long run. Ultimately, Italian technology companies could see slower growth in the US and pressure to shift some sales toward alternative markets if the US tariffs remain in place for a long time. Conversely, a potential removal of the extra tariffs would immediately return this sector to zero tariffs, restoring the pre-2025 conditions of free competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNon-electric\u201d machinery \u2013 for example, machine tools, industrial plants, pumps, valves, and packaging machines \u2013 constitutes a fundamental component of Italian exports. The United States applies very moderate MFN tariffs<\/strong> on these devices: often 0%<\/strong> (many industrial machines are duty-free) or at reduced rates (2-5%). Even the agricultural machinery<\/strong> (tractors, combine harvesters, etc.) traditionally enjoyed zero tariffs in the U.S. Since 2018, a 25% tariff had been in effect on certain steel and aluminum products (Section 232), which also indirectly affected machinery containing those metals, but the EU had secured an exemption quota starting in 2021. In the February 2025<\/strong> However, the United States has fully restored section 232 tariffs<\/strong>: European steel and aluminum are now subject to the 25% tariff again, with no exemptions. This has increased the costs of semi-finished metal products. Furthermore, starting in April 2025 all<\/em> machinery from Italy is subject to additional duty 10%<\/strong> Already cited<\/a>. Industrial machinery, being \u201cnon-consumer\u201d goods, had never been the target of specific punitive tariffs under Trump 1 (except for aerospace industry machinery indirectly involved in the Airbus dispute). Therefore, the main modifications<\/strong> recent for this sector are: (1) the +10% General<\/strong> Effective as of April 2025 (potentially +20% after July for the EU)<\/a>, and (2) the Reinstatement of 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum<\/strong> (March 2025)<\/a>, which mainly affects the supply of raw materials and metal components. Note:<\/em> Separately, the United States has introduced since April 3, 2025<\/strong> a 25% tariff on automobiles and auto parts<\/strong> important. This concerns the European automotive industry (e.g., also penalizing exports of luxury cars made in Italy and Italian automotive component suppliers) but, strictly speaking, it falls under means of transport rather than general machinery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Impact:<\/strong> Industrial machinery accounts for approximately 20%<\/strong> of Italian exports to the U.S. and have driven growth in recent years. An additional tariff of 10-20% risks reducing the competitiveness of this equipment, particularly in sectors where there are American competitors. For example, for the agricultural machinery<\/strong>, local producers such as John Deere or Caterpillar could benefit from a price advantage in the domestic market compared to Italian manufacturers. Italian players (niche tractors, vineyard equipment, food machinery, etc.) could lose orders or see their margins squeezed if they decide to absorb part of the tariff to maintain prices. Minister of Enterprises Adolfo Urso has warned that the new US tariffs will have a significant impact on supply chains in crisis such as automotive and related components<\/strong>, which supplies many European homes in Italy and now sees foreign demand threatened<\/a>. As for the other mechanical sectors, at the moment no drastic drops are recorded<\/strong>rather, the first few months of 2025 saw an increase in deliveries, a sign of front-loaded purchases<\/a>. In the long run, however, analysts predict negative effects: European businesses might have to reposition<\/strong> part of the sales to other markets and lost quotas<\/strong> in the USA in favor of North American manufacturers or exempt countries. An estimate by the Confindustria Study Center indicates that, considering all mechanical and electronic goods, as many as 59%<\/strong> Italian products traded with the USA have enjoyed a tariff advantage until now (US tariffs lower than EU ones)<\/a><\/a>. This competitive advantage is wiped out by reciprocal tariffs: if tariffs were to remain high, approximately 32 billion dollars of Italian exports<\/em>in sectors such as mechanics, automotive, and agri-food could experience contractions<\/a><\/a>. In conclusion, the impact on machinery could manifest in a export slowdown<\/strong> Italian towards the USA and in relocation investments (to evade tariffs by producing locally) should the tariff barrier persist for a long time. The actual impact will depend on the duration of the tariffs: one agreement scenario<\/strong> and the withdrawal of tariffs within a few months would limit the damage, whereas a continuation of tariffs<\/strong> it could cost the Italian machinery sector several hundred million euros<\/strong> the year in lost exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFashion and Luxury Sector (Apparel, Footwear, Leather Goods)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Technology and Electronic Machinery Sector<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Machinery Sector (Industrial and Agricultural)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Summary table by sector and US tariffs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n