“We are looking at an increase in targets for all the promotions that we are doing,” trade commissioner Marco Saladini told Italianfood.net in an exclusive interview at the PLMA show in Chicago on November 12. The government-backed trade agency organizes promotional campaigns with partnering retail chains and offers advice to manufacturers ready to make a breakthrough in the promising US market. “Retailers look pretty confident that they can expand volumes and assortment and work with more manufacturers. It’s a good landscape looking forward,” Saladini said. Italian companies should be aware of the challenges posed by the different standards and competitive scenario in the United States when they self-assess their capabilities to export, the director said, adding that the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) can help them test the waters with buyers.