Italian Tomato Preserve Exports to the US Head for a Record Year
Italian exports of tomato preserves to the United States rose about 11.4% in value and 11.8% in volume in the first seven months of 2026, exceeding €132 million and 105,000 tonnes. If the pace holds, Anicav projects a full-year result close to €227 million and almost 183,000 tonnes, above the 2024 record. Industry executives point to tariff policy as the main variable for 2027 planning.
Exports up 11.4% in value, 11.8% in volume
Italian exports of tomato preserves to the United States grew by about 11.4% in value and 11.8% in volume in the first seven months of 2026 against the same period of 2025, according to Istat projections supplied by Anicav, the Italian national association of vegetable food preserve manufacturers. The figures were presented in Naples on 8 September 2026 and reported by ANSA, Italia a Tavola and Blasting News Italia.
In absolute terms, shipments between January and July passed €132 million in value and 105,000 tonnes in volume. Over the whole of 2025, Italian tomato preserve exports to the United States reached €203.7 million and roughly 163,000 tonnes; Italia a Tavola puts the 2025 volume more precisely at 163,301 tonnes.
If the rate recorded in the first seven months continues to December, Anicav estimates that US imports of Italian tomato preserves will approach €227 million and come close to 183,000 tonnes for the full year, surpassing the record levels reached in 2024. Italia a Tavola notes that Italy remains the world leader in exports of this product category at a time when volumes are falling in other markets.
The industrial base behind the figures
Anicav groups three quarters of the processing plants operating in Italy. Its member companies process around 70% of all the tomato worked in the country and almost the entire global output of whole peeled tomatoes. ANSA describes the association as the largest representative body of tomato processing companies in the world, measured by the number of member firms and the quantity of product processed.
The associated sector posted turnover of €3.7 billion in 2025. About 60% of production is destined for export, mainly to the main European countries and to the rest of the world, with the United States confirmed as one of the central markets for Italian red preserves.
Tariffs remain the open variable
Giovanni De Angelis, director of Anicav, linked the performance to consumer choice in the United States, citing the quality of the raw material, taste, production tradition and the know-how built from skills, territory and innovation as the elements that make Made in Italy distinctive. He described that as an asset accumulated over time that continues to attract buyers on the American market.
De Angelis also stated that the export data cannot be separated from the climate of uncertainty tied to US tariff policy. Italian companies, he said, have demonstrated considerable capacity to adapt and resilience, but a stable and predictable trade framework remains fundamental to support investment, protect competitiveness and continue to offer American consumers premium products on sustainable terms.
Company-level comment reported by ANSA points in the same direction. Giuseppe Torrente, marketing manager of La Torrente srl, called volume growth in the United States an important signal, meaning Italian tomato continues to gain space on American shelves and in American kitchens in a mature market where demand nevertheless stays dynamic and still offers development opportunities. Annibale Pancrazio, chief executive of Pancrazio Spa, said the data encourage the company to strengthen its US presence together with distributors and local partners, adding that continuity of commercial relationships and a stable trading framework will be decisive in turning the recovery into lasting growth.
A three-year promotion push in three US cities
The commercial strategy also includes promotion. In June, Anicav used the summer edition of the Fancy Food show in New York, the largest food fair in the country, to present the new campaign Greatest Tomatoes from Europe, co-financed by the European Union under the Enjoy It's from Europe programme. The initiative runs over three years across New York, Chicago and Los Angeles and includes press events, trade fairs, education tours, tastings and a strong social media presence. Anicav says the objective is to build knowledge of Italian tomato preserves and support a growing market presence.
