AIFC SHARES NEW REPORT WITH USTR AND CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS IN SENATE FINANCE AND HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEES
“THE U.S. – ITALY STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP” Explores Long-Standing Bilateral Relationship And Benefits Between U.S. and Italy
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Susan Molinari and Lucy Calautti, co-chairs of American Italian Food Coalition (AIFC), sent a letter to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, and U.S. House Ways and Means Committee sharing the group’s recently published report “The U.S. – Italy Strategic Partnership”, which highlights the importance of the long-standing U.S.-Italy relationship. The letter, addressed to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and congressional leaders in the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees, highlights the report’s focus on how uniquely Italian food products have added significant cultural value to the U.S. while also examining trade irritants and the future trade relations between Italy and the United States.
Key takeaways from the report include:
Since at least 2008, Italy is consistently one of the United States' top 15 trading partners. The United States represents Italy’s largest non-European export market.
In 2020, waffle and wafer exports from Italy to the U.S. comprised one of the largest flows of global waffle and wafer exports, totaling $59 million.
The cultural impacts of Italian American businesses providing authentic Italian cuisine daily to all Americans cannot be overstated. To highlight just one example of this, Americans drink 656 million cups of coffee per day, more than any other beverage including tap water.
American Italian Food Coalition members alone support 5.9 million jobs; $422.9 billion in economic output; $94.78 billion in taxes; and $1.8 billion in manufacturing.
In their letter, Susan Molinari and Lucy Calautti jointly state, “The importance of the U.S.-Italy relationship is reflected in the more than 20 million Americans who proudly claim Italian heritage and reaffirmed by a deep commitment to the same values of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, security, and prosperity. AIFC appreciates USTR’s continued commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Italy relationship and cooperating on shared long-term challenges.”
To read the report, please visit: https://www.aifcoalition.org/s/AIFCWhitePaper41.pdf
The American Italian Food Coalition is an alliance of more than 450 Italian companies, manufacturers, and trade associations dedicated to ensuring American consumers continue to have access to high-quality, affordable imported Italian products including pasta, coffee, biscuits and wafers. For more information on the AIFC click HERE.
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