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WASHINGTON — Lou Barletta said Tuesday that he will lead a coalition of companies to ensure Italian food products are not unfairly impacted by tariffs in a trade dispute involving European aviation manufacturer Airbus.
The coalition of leading Italian food companies, manufacturers and trade associations announced Tuesday the creation of the American Italian Food Coalition (AIFC), a consortium that will work to ensure that American tariff policies do not target Italian pasta, coffee, biscuits and wafers.
The AIFC will be led by former U.S. Rep.Barletta, a Hazleton Republican who served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
According to the AIFC, in 2018, the WTO ruled Airbus received subsidies from four European Union (EU) member states: France, Spain, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Italy was not party to the initial complaint, has never been party to the complaint, and won’t ever be party to the complaint — yet uniquely Italian products are being targeted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative in response.
The AIFC believes Italian-made pasta, coffee, wafers and biscuits should not be on USTR’s retaliatory tariff list as Italy is not a party to the Airbus consortium.
“Tariffs are complex economic policies that should be applied with scalpel-like precision,” Barletta said. “We’re confident we can work with the Trump administration to accomplish the objectives of the administration without unfairly targeting Italian companies.”
The AIFC expressed confidence that the issue can be resolved working with the Trump administration and members of Congress.
“I’m a proud Italian-American, and Italy has stood side-by-side with the United States for centuries. Italian-American communities are part of our own history,” Barletta said. “That’s why I’m leading this coalition, because while I understand the President’s position on tariffs, Italy shouldn’t be punished for the actions of other European countries.”