“I remain convinced that we must work in every possible way to avoid a trade war, which would not benefit anyone, neither the United States nor Europe,” Meloni said.
Her comments came during the award ceremony of the Master of the Art of Italian Cuisine Prize at her office at Palazzo Chigi in Rome.
“This obviously does not rule out having to contemplate appropriate responses to defend our production, if necessary.”
The PM said Italy’s food-and-drink exports risk being hit hard.
“Italian agri-food products are in demand all over the world, starting of course with Europe,” she said.
“It must be remembered that the United States is the second-largest destination market, with exports rising by 17 per cent in 2024. The US market is fundamental for us.
“It’s clear that the introduction of new tariffs would have serious implications for Italian producers, and I think it would also be an injustice for many Americans, because it would limit the possibility to buy and consume our [products of] excellence to those who can afford to spend more.”
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida said on Wednesday that Italy should be reassured by the strength of its quality food and beverages.
“Italy is a superpower in this sector and it will be able to meet any challenge because it has excellent companies, which all the government has to do is support and not be an obstacle to,” he said.
Rosario Di Mara, the president of Italy’s biggest winemaker, Ermes, was less upbeat in his analysis.
“Our orders are already blocked and there’s a real spectre of crisis in the Italian wine sector,” he explained.
The president of the Franciacorta consortium in northwestern Italy, Silvano Brescianini, said the tariffs posed “risks to sales and the reputation of our brands”.
Brescianini added that “we will have to boost our media presence in order to safeguard the sector”.
“Our American Dream is at risk,” said Maria Antonietta Orlando, the founder and chair of the Puglia-based luxury tie maker Remo Sartori.
“Remo Sartori has gone from Puglia to Hollywood, but now these tariffs pose a real threat.”
ANSA
