Trump Administration tariffs to hit pasta brands from Italy

NEW YORK (CBS, KYMA) - Pasta lovers who prefer brands imported from Italy may soon have something to simmer about: Hefty new import duties.

The U.S. Commerce Department says it's weighing a 92% anti-dumping import tax on pasta made in Italy by 13 companies.

A white house spokesperson told CBS News it's part of a proposal and not yet final, but some Italian pasta companies are warning they could stop exporting the products to the U.S.

"Once you see about 10% of the market disappear—and Italian pasta is about 12% of U.S. sales—the remaining firms have an easy excuse to raise prices. U.S. firms will expand production, raise prices, and essentially just capture more of the market and more profit on the backs of consumers," said Joseph Foudy, an economics professor at New York University.

The new pasta tax would be on top of a 15% Trump Administration tariff on imports from the European Union.