US imports of Parmesan slide in January, Iran war may push up prices

By Giancarlo Navach

MILAN, March 26 (Reuters) - U.S. imports of Italian Parmesan fell 16% in January compared with the same month last year, amid uncertainty over tariffs, the head of the consortium of the cheese's producers said on Thursday, warning that conflict in the Middle East could push prices higher.

Nicola Bertinelli, president of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium representing about 300 producers in Italy's Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions, said exports accounted for more than 50% of total production in 2025, reaching 74,980 tons.

Last year the world-renowned Italian cheese recorded turnover of 3.96 billion euros ($4.27 billion) despite geopolitical tensions, volatile markets and mounting uncertainty in global trade.

The United States, Italy's largest foreign market, accounted for about 10% of output and has the potential to grow to 15%-18%, Bertinelli said, but the outlook is clouded by tariffs and the war in Iran.

"The issue today is uncertainty," Bertinelli said at a news conference in Milan.

Dubai is a key logistics hub for shipments to Asia, and the Middle East crisis is expected to increase freight and packaging costs, as plastics derived from oil refining become more expensive.

"There will be a price increase due to rising production costs and higher freight rates across the packaging industry," Bertinelli said.

The average price of Parmigiano Reggiano was about 15 euros per kilogram (2.2 pounds) in 2025, but that level could be exceeded as a result of the higher costs, he added.

Washington introduced additional import duties in April last year that lifted the total tariff burden on parmesan to about 25% from a previous 15%.

That move, combined with what importers describe as regulatory and operational uncertainty, has slowed shipments as buyers wait for clearer guidance before placing new orders, Bertinelli said.

However, he added that underlying demand in the United States is not slowing, and there were some encouraging signs of a pick-up in imports in February.