Italy: 20% EU Rate on Fashion, Machinery, and Food
Italy, as a member of the European Union, received the EU-wide IEEPA reciprocal tariff rate of 20% effective April 5, 2025. Italy is one of the United States’ most significant EU trade partners, and its export profile — luxury fashion, industrial machinery, wine and spirits, specialty food, and automotive components — made the 20% rate consequential for a wide range of U.S. importers.
Italy’s Key Export Categories to the U.S.
Italy’s exports to the United States span luxury consumer goods and high-precision industrial products:
- Luxury fashion and leather goods: Designer apparel, handbags, shoes, and accessories from Italian fashion houses
- Footwear: Premium and luxury footwear, from dress shoes to athletic brands manufactured in Italy
- Wine: Chianti, Barolo, Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, and other DOC/DOCG wines
- Industrial machinery: Packaging machinery, CNC machine tools, food processing equipment
- Specialty food: Extra-virgin olive oil, aged cheeses (Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino), pasta, cured meats
- Pharmaceutical ingredients: Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and intermediates
- Automotive components: Performance vehicle parts, luxury car components
Key Product Categories
Luxury Apparel and Leather Goods (Chapters 42, 61, 62): Italian-made handbags, shoes, and garments from major fashion houses. U.S. luxury retailers and brand subsidiaries that import finished goods from Italian production were significantly impacted by the 20% rate.
Footwear (Chapter 64): Italy produces some of the world’s most sought-after footwear. Both luxury-tier and premium Italian shoes bore the 20% IEEPA rate.
Wine (Chapter 22): Italy is the United States’ largest source of wine imports by volume. The 20% IEEPA rate affected every U.S. wine importer with Italian wine portfolios.
Machinery (Chapter 84): Italian-manufactured packaging machinery, machine tools, and food processing equipment imported by U.S. manufacturers.
Specialty Food (Chapters 15, 19, 21): Extra-virgin olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto, and other DOP-certified Italian food products.
EU Uniform Rate
The 20% IEEPA rate applied uniformly to all EU member states. There are no Italy-specific exclusions. Italian-origin goods with IEEPA duties assessed between April 5, 2025 and February 20, 2026 are potentially eligible for CAPE refund.
Estimating Your Italy Refund
For a fashion importer that brought in $5,000,000 in Italian goods during the IEEPA window:
- Estimated duty refund: $1,000,000 (20% × $5,000,000)
- Estimated interest (~5%): $50,000
- Estimated total: $1,050,000
Use the calculator above to estimate based on your actual import value.