The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, held a meeting at the Foreign Ministry to address the issue of tariffs following the recent agreement between the European Union and the United States.

Attendees included agencies from the Italian economic system — ICE, SACE, SIMEST, and CDP — along with representatives from Italy’s Permanent Mission in Brussels, the Italian Embassy in Washington, and numerous trade associations including Confindustria, Coldiretti, CONFAPI, Confagricoltura, CNA, Confimi Italia, Federacciai, Farmindustria, Confesercenti, Confartigianato, Confcooperative, Confcommercio, Federlegno, and Federvini.

Minister Tajani announced the creation of a permanent tariffs Task Force at the Foreign Ministry to support businesses. He also stated that negotiations with U.S. counterparts would continue in the coming days to finalize key details in sectors of particular importance to Italy, such as wine and viticulture.

The meeting included a presentation of the non-binding framework agreement reached between the European Commission and the United States, which provides for a 15% horizontal tariff on European goods — including the WTO average rate of 4.8%. The agreement is expected to be formalized in the coming days and will eventually be translated into a legally binding reciprocal trade agreement.

The agreement also includes “zero-for-zero” tariff provisions on selected products, a European commitment to increase imports from the United States, cooperation on keeping critical mineral supply chains open, and acknowledgment of U.S. concerns in ongoing efforts to simplify regulations.

The Italian government has requested the creation of a European-level monitoring mechanism to evaluate the effects of the tariff agreement. Italy will continue to promote a stronger internal market, simplified regulatory systems, diversified trade relationships, and reduced strategic dependencies.

In addition, the government reaffirmed its commitment to expanding Italian exports by implementing the Export Action Plan aimed at high-potential non-EU markets. The plan supports Italian businesses in exploring new growth opportunities abroad and includes enhanced international promotion through trade shows, soft loans via SIMEST, and the expansion of SACE’s “Push Strategy” to open new markets and reach more international clients.