50,000 jobs in Italy could be lost due to US tariffs, union leader warns
Italy could lose as many as 50,000 jobs due to tariffs proposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration, Pierpaolo Bombardieri, head of the UIL labour union, warned on Wednesday, according to Italian news agency Ansa.
US President Donald Trump told reporters last week that he planned to impose tariffs of 25 percent on EU imports, saying the bloc was created to "screw the United States".
A 25-percent tariff on goods imported to the US from Mexico and Canada came into effect on Tuesday.
"The choice to impose tariffs made by the US, if confirmed, would be a problem for Europe and Italy," Bombardieri said.
"Some estimates report a damage of several billion (euros); we risk losing over 50,000 jobs," he added.
Women to get free entry to dozens of Italian museums on International Women's Day
Women in Italy will enjoy free entry to dozens of state-run museums and cultural sites on International Women's Day on Saturday, March 8th, Italy’s culture ministry announced on its website.
"Museums, archaeological parks, monuments, castles, historic villas and gardens and other state-owned cultural sites" will be open to all women free of charge, it said.
Additionally, a number of special events, talks and exhibitions highlighting works of art by women will be held "to raise awareness and reflect on the cultural importance of the day," the ministry added.
These events include guided tours delving into mythologies around women in ancient times at Eboli's National Archeological Museum and a short film screening and evening jazz performance at the archaeological site of Paestum.
You can see a list of events taking place in your part of the country by searching for your region on the drop-down menu on the ministry's website.
Italian economy stagnates in fourth quarter of 2024
Italy's economy languished in the fourth quarter of last year, as gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a listless 0.1 percent, national statistics office Istat said on Wednesday.
Though the figure was an improvement compared to previous official estimates of zero growth, the data cast a cloud over the Italian government’s 1.2-percent growth target for 2025, placing additional pressure on Rome to alter its spending plans.
Across the whole of 2024, the Italian economy grew by 0.7 percent – well below the government’s forecast of a 1-percent increase, Istat said earlier this week.
Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti has already warned that Italy will "certainly have to update its macroeconomic forecasts" for 2025 and 2026.
Concerns about Italy’s economic growth come as Germany – Rome's main trading partner – faces a third consecutive year of recession hitting, while US President Donald Trump's threat of increased US tariffs raises worries over the fate of Italian exports.
Meloni said last weekend that the government was "very worried" about US tariffs, but expressed hope that an agreement between Rome and Washington could be found.
As one of the world's largest exporters, Italy would be one of the worst-affected European countries in the event of a trade war with Washington, according to experts.
Its trade surplus with the United States reached €38.9 billion in 2024.
With reporting from AFP.
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