The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium is returning to the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York (29 June – 1 July), the largest specialty food trade event in the United States. The visit marks a renewed push by Italian producers to reinforce their presence in their largest export market, where the United States accounts for 22.5% of the cheese’s international sales.
In 2024, more than 16,000 tonnes of Parmigiano Reggiano were exported to the US, a 13.4% increase on the previous year. Sell-out data for the first four months of 2025 show continued momentum, with consumer sales up 9% year-on-year.
Sell-in volumes – shipments from producers to retailers – have stabilised following a volatile period at the end of 2024, when buyers front-loaded orders in anticipation of price rises. A temporary surge of +40% was recorded in March 2025 amid speculation that former US President Donald Trump would impose new tariffs on EU dairy imports.
Before April, with import duties at 15%, a 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano wheel — sold in Italy at around €15/kg — retailed in the US at roughly $42/kg. Under the current 25% tariff regime, prices have climbed to $49/kg and are expected to surpass $55/kg by early 2026 as upstream cost inflation and currency effects feed through to final prices.
The Consortium will exhibit at the Javits Center (Italy Pavilion – Booth 2418), hosting meetings with trade partners to discuss market strategy for 2025 and 2026, as well as guided tastings aimed at highlighting the cheese’s PDO-certified biodiversity. On 29 June, Consortium president Nicola Bertinelli will meet stakeholders and opinion leaders at a dinner held at Peak, the restaurant atop Manhattan’s Edge skyscraper. The evening will also address the US administration’s suspension — until 9 July — of proposed additional tariffs on EU imports, which could be extended or reinstated depending on post-election trade policy developments.
On 30 June, Bertinelli will meet with senior US media at Vallata, the Manhattan restaurant run by celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, to further communicate the Consortium’s strategic positioning in the US market.
The show will also serve as the launchpad for a multi-year partnership between Parmigiano Reggiano and the New York Jets, one of the NFL’s most recognizable franchises. The agreement, which follows the brand’s sponsorship of the 2025 Miami Open, includes in-stadium activations, digital integrations, social media campaigns, and branded tailgate events at MetLife Stadium throughout the football season.
“Participating in the leading trade fair within our most important international market is both a privilege and a strategic commitment,” said Bertinelli. “Since establishing a New York office in July 2024, our presence in the US has become structured and consistent.”
He acknowledged that the risk of rising tariffs posed a threat to the category but noted that Parmigiano Reggiano’s premium positioning offered some protection. “We are not in direct competition with American Parmesan products,” he said. “We represent less than 8% of the hard cheese segment and retail at twice the price. In the US, consumers who choose Parmigiano Reggiano do so knowingly, despite 92% of the market being filled with alternatives that cost two to three times less.”