Dairy Industry Reacts With Alarm to President's Suggestion of Sparing Italian Products From EU Tariffs
A day after President Donald Trump told the president of Italy that "we will look at" whether Italian cheeses should be spared in the tariff list responding to Airbus subsidies, the National Milk Producers Federation reacted with alarm. Trump said that the Italian president told him that the U.S. had been "a little harsh on Italy, and we don't want to be harsh on Italy."
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Italy does not make any of the parts that go into Airbus planes, so importers of Italian food products have said those products should not be targeted. U.S. dairy interests, however, are angry about "geographical indications" that are European Union policy, which means that American parmesan, Asiago or gorgonzola cannot be labeled as that if sold within Europe.
"Dairy farmers are counting on the President to stand with them and resist Italy’s request that he side with the Italian farmers and cheese makers who have blocked our own great cheeses from EU store shelves,” an Oct. 17 statement about the NMPF's letter to Trump said.
Trump also hinted in the press conference after his meeting with the Italian president that he doesn't want to levy tariffs on European cars and car parts to force the EU to open its market to American goods. "I could solve the problem instantly, but it would be too hard. It’d be too harsh. It would involve tariffs on European products coming into this country. And for right now, we’re going to try and do it without that," he said.