A new federal tariff could soon make your favorite pasta dinner much more expensive.
Retailers and restaurant suppliers in New Haven say they’re bracing for a 107% tariff on 13 pasta brands imported from Italy — a move that could double the cost of a simple spaghetti meal at home.
At Vinnie’s Italian Importing Company in New Haven, shelves are lined with Rummo pasta — the store’s top seller. But owner Mike DiVirgilio said the new tariff could make that pasta unaffordable for many customers.
“It’ll be $6, $7d for a pound of pasta,” DiVirgilio said. “That’s crazy — it’s insane.”
DiVirgilio expects shoppers may start skipping imported pasta altogether if prices soar.
The tariff targets 13 popular pasta brands, including several household names found in both grocery chains and mom-and-pop shops.
Importers and distributors warn that the impact will reach far beyond store shelves.
At Gioia, a specialty market in Wooster Square, manager Meredith Magenheim said the added cost could reshape their bottom line.
“It will have a huge effect,” Magenheim said. “It might even affect whether we can bring those products in at all — taking on those costs ourselves.”
The ripple effect also extends to wholesalers like LC Fine Foods, which supplies hundreds of local restaurants and shops across the state.
Owner Danny Ciocca said they stock several of the imported brands on the tariff list including La Molisana — one of their best sellers. He said the tariffs are one several challenges they’ve faced.
“Here we try to be as honest as possible,” Ciocca said. “But it seems that every time I place an order, I have to increase the price. It’s been very difficult.”
DiVirgilio said they’ve felt the hit in the meat they sell to customers and to wholesale restaurants. He said he’s afraid of the prices for Christmas.
“We imported veal from the Netherlands, and suddenly the tariff was 40%,” he said. “Something that used to cost $10 a pound is now $14. How much are we supposed to charge those restaurant owners? It’s too much.”