U.S. Implements Temporary 10% Tariff on Imports

U.S. pizzerias that use true San Marzano tomatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma could be revisiting their bottom lines following a recent Supreme Court decision, which found U.S. President Donald Trump did not have the authority to implement sweeping tariffs in 2025.

In response to the Supreme Court decision, President Trump issued a temporary import duty of 10% that went into effect Tuesday morning. European food items were most impacted by tariffs announced last summer, according to the Tax Foundation. The new 10% duty replaces a 15% rate for products from Italy and other members of the European Union, a 25% tariff on goods from Mexico and a 20% tariff on products imported from China.

New Tariffs Have Mixed Impact

Imports from Canada previously were subject to a 35% tariff rate. Canadian agricultural imports to the U.S. include grains used for flour as well as seeds used to produce cooking oil. The U.S. imports an average of 2.3 million metric tons of wheat from Canada per year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says. Canada also supplies the majority of imported mushrooms in the U.S., or about 25% of total domestic supply, according to the USDA.

The back-and-forth nature of the tariffs has created confusion among trade authorities as well as restaurant operators. Last week, the National Restaurant Association published a news release arguing that restaurant operators need the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) to be renewed to help stabilize food costs, which have soared 37% since 2020, causing profit margins to fall from 4% in 2019 to 2.8% in 2024.

“Preserving the USMCA keeps the restaurant food supply stable and affordable,” says Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the National Restaurant Association. “We encourage the Administration to maintain the agreement and avoid new tariffs to help keep menu prices and operator costs in check.”

Levies Impact Food and Packaging Costs

In addition to food costs, prices for packaging, foil and other kitchen essentials will be impacted by the new tariffs – although the total cost of some of these goods will be less under the 10% levy. It is unknown how this will impact end consumers such as restaurants and their customers.

Some agricultural products such as coffee, beef and tomatoes are exempt from the 10% temporary tariff. However, the latest move follows a July 2025 decision to rescind an agreement covering tomatoes imported from Mexico, which effectively implemented a 20.91% duty on fresh tomatoes from south of the border. That decision is not impacted by the latest Supreme Court ruling.

Imported Ingredient Costs in Flux

In order to qualify as a true Neapolitan pizza, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) says pizzaioli should use peeled tomatoes that are “preferably Italian,” along with “Buffalo mozzarella from Campania D.O.P.” and Naples salami. The latest guidance would see tariffs for these items go down slightly from last year, although whether that price difference gets passed along to restaurants remains to be seen.