Meloni Engages with Italian Businesses Amid Tariff Concerns
The Italian Prime Minister discusses support for affected sectors while planning a visit to the US for tariff discussions.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is currently engaged in dialogues with businesses severely impacted by trade tariffs, while preparing for a forthcoming visit to Washington to discuss these tariffs directly with US President Donald Trump.
The tentative date for this meeting is April 16, though specifics remain uncertain.
On April 8, 2023, Meloni is set to meet with representatives from various industrial sectors to gather insights on how best to mitigate the effects of tariffs on competitiveness.
The focus of the discussions is to implement measures that enhance the competitiveness of Italian businesses, including reducing energy costs, a key demand from Confindustria and other business associations.
There is a consensus among the Italian business community advocating for fewer bureaucratic constraints and improved regulatory environments, especially in relation to initiatives like the Green Deal and automotive regulations, which they claim hinder competitiveness.
Confindustria has emphasized the necessity for substantial industrial policy reforms, with President Emanuele Orsini advocating for the utilization of approximately 6 billion euros in resources to provide robust support to businesses—suggesting automatic aid at levels of up to 30% without complex bureaucratic conditions.
The aim is to reignite productive investments, which have seen a slowdown in recent months.
Orsini also highlighted the need to explore new markets for Italian goods, particularly in regions such as India, Southeast Asia, and Mercosur, alongside calls to reduce bureaucratic burdens imposed by the European Union.
He noted the EU has enacted significantly more regulations than the US, emphasizing the financial impact of compliance with existing regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which reportedly costs Italian companies about 8% of their revenues.
Simone Gamberini, President of Legacoop, echoed calls for lowering energy costs, which he believes disadvantage Italian enterprises on the international stage.
He suggested the government should consider adopting support measures similar to those implemented by the Spanish government to assist businesses.
Merchant associations have expressed concerns about the potential negative repercussions on the domestic market and consumer spending due to the tariffs.
Patrizia De Luise, President of Confesercenti, stressed the importance of bolstering domestic demand and enhancing European market opportunities to offset a decline in exports.
She called for immediate government action to protect household purchasing power and the stability of local businesses, including the implementation of a web tax to level the fiscal burden between large international online platforms and local enterprises.
Additionally, labor union UIL has raised alarms regarding the potential risk to employment, estimating that 60,000 jobs could be in jeopardy due to the tariff situation.
UIL Secretary General Pierpaolo Bombardieri criticized the government for not including worker representatives in the discussions, arguing that the impact of tariffs extends beyond businesses to the workforce at large.
The tentative date for this meeting is April 16, though specifics remain uncertain.
On April 8, 2023, Meloni is set to meet with representatives from various industrial sectors to gather insights on how best to mitigate the effects of tariffs on competitiveness.
The focus of the discussions is to implement measures that enhance the competitiveness of Italian businesses, including reducing energy costs, a key demand from Confindustria and other business associations.
There is a consensus among the Italian business community advocating for fewer bureaucratic constraints and improved regulatory environments, especially in relation to initiatives like the Green Deal and automotive regulations, which they claim hinder competitiveness.
Confindustria has emphasized the necessity for substantial industrial policy reforms, with President Emanuele Orsini advocating for the utilization of approximately 6 billion euros in resources to provide robust support to businesses—suggesting automatic aid at levels of up to 30% without complex bureaucratic conditions.
The aim is to reignite productive investments, which have seen a slowdown in recent months.
Orsini also highlighted the need to explore new markets for Italian goods, particularly in regions such as India, Southeast Asia, and Mercosur, alongside calls to reduce bureaucratic burdens imposed by the European Union.
He noted the EU has enacted significantly more regulations than the US, emphasizing the financial impact of compliance with existing regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which reportedly costs Italian companies about 8% of their revenues.
Simone Gamberini, President of Legacoop, echoed calls for lowering energy costs, which he believes disadvantage Italian enterprises on the international stage.
He suggested the government should consider adopting support measures similar to those implemented by the Spanish government to assist businesses.
Merchant associations have expressed concerns about the potential negative repercussions on the domestic market and consumer spending due to the tariffs.
Patrizia De Luise, President of Confesercenti, stressed the importance of bolstering domestic demand and enhancing European market opportunities to offset a decline in exports.
She called for immediate government action to protect household purchasing power and the stability of local businesses, including the implementation of a web tax to level the fiscal burden between large international online platforms and local enterprises.
Additionally, labor union UIL has raised alarms regarding the potential risk to employment, estimating that 60,000 jobs could be in jeopardy due to the tariff situation.
UIL Secretary General Pierpaolo Bombardieri criticized the government for not including worker representatives in the discussions, arguing that the impact of tariffs extends beyond businesses to the workforce at large.
Translation:
Translated by AI
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