Trump Administration Rolls Back on Increased Tariffs Plans

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed a New Year’s Eve executive order delaying increased tariffs for a year on select items. The items include kitchen cabinets, vanities, and upholstered furniture. The Trump administration has also rolled back levies on Italian-made pasta imports.

The proclamation signed on Wednesday keeps the 25% tariff he imposed in September on the items. But it halts a 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and vanities, as well as a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture.

The increases were scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. They come as Trump imposed a large wave of taxes on imported goods to address trade deficits and other issues.

Trump expressed that the tariffs on furniture were necessary to “bolster American industry and protect national security.”

Additionally, Italy’s foreign ministry announced on Thursday that the U.S. has rolled back proposed tariffs on Italian-made pasta.

In October, the federal government announced that 13 Italian pasta companies would face an additional 92% antidumping levy. The tariff would be in addition to the existing 15% tariffs on the majority of European Union imports.

The government explained its decision after a review, accusing producers, La Molisana and Garofalo, of selling pasta at artificially low prices.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reduced the tariff for Garofalo’s to 13.98% and La Molisana’s to 2.26%. The 11 additional pasta manufacturers will be subject to a 9% import duty.

“The recalculation of the duties is a sign that U.S. authorities recognize our companies’ constructive willingness to cooperate,” the foreign ministry wrote in a statement.

The ministry also said that the full conclusions of the U.S. review would be unveiled on March 11.

According to data from the national statistics agency ISTAT, Italy’s total pasta exports were valued at more than 4 billion euros in 2024. The U.S. market was valued at nearly $800 million to Italian manufacturers.

These delays are the latest in the president’s tariff war since the beginning of his second term.