Agro-links in Rome. On Monday, US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins landed in Rome with a mission: to expand access to American agricultural products in Italy and, by extension, in the broader European Union market.
- Her visit aimed to tighten bilateral sectoral cooperation and urge UN agencies based in Rome to prioritise American interests, cut operational costs, and refocus on their core mandates.
Decoding the news. Rollins met with Italian Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida and other key figures, including Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme.
- She also visited the US Embassy in Rome and the US Mission to UN Agencies based in the Italian capital.
Rome with a view. Italy is not just a top-tier trade partner for the US but also a political and strategic ally.
- According to Lollobrigida, “The US is an irreplaceable ally and a non-substitutable trade partner.”
- He emphasised that the relationship transcends commerce and is rooted in shared values such as quality of life and democratic ideals.
- The Rome visit follows a similar mission to the United Kingdom in May and precedes upcoming trade tours in India, Vietnam, Japan, Peru, and Brazil, with future stops in Taiwan, the Dominican Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mexico.
Rollin(g)s’ message. During the bilateral meeting, Rollins emphasised the importance of regulatory harmonisation and market access.
- She noted that Italy’s agri-food exports exceed $75 billion.
- Yet, only a small fraction reaches the US—signalling room for growth in premium categories such as wine, olive oil, cheese, and pasta.
- “We want to work on behalf of both European and American farmers,” Rollins said, warning that EU regulatory hurdles could jeopardise billions in transatlantic trade.
Special relationship spotlight. Secretary Rollins also highlighted the strong rapport between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, calling Meloni “a special person” to Trump.
- She announced that Lollobrigida will visit Texas within two weeks to continue bilateral talks.
What we’re watching. A proposed EU-US technical working group aims to identify practical solutions for overcoming trade barriers and enhancing agri-food flows in both directions.
- Rollins criticised what she called longstanding EU discrimination against US farmers through tariffs and non-tariff barriers.
- “American producers have been left behind for too long,” she said, pledging to continue the USDA’s efforts to level the playing field.
- Italy-US agri-food trade is more than a commercial exchange — it’s an evolving strategic alliance.
- However, for growth to be sustainable, both parties will need to address regulatory misalignments and first strengthen mutual market access.
(Photo: Francesco Lollobrigida, Facebook)
