Italian industry leaders have raised concerns following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of new tariffs on European goods, warning of potentially severe consequences for exports.

Vice-president of industry body Confidustria Vicenza, Giulia Faresin, said the measures, if implemented, would deal “a very hard blow” to Italian manufacturing, particularly in the Veneto region and the province of Vicenza, where hundreds of leather manufacturers are based. 

“Veneto companies are facing a situation of growing uncertainty,” she said, citing weak domestic demand and continued stagnation in the European economy. A combination of tariffs and exchange-rate pressure “risks becoming a perfect storm for our industrial fabric,” she added.

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