Parmigiano Reggiano PDO has made a high-profile appearance on The Late Show last week, where host Stephen Colbert dedicated an entire sketch to Italy’s most internationally renowned hard cheese. The segment followed a letter sent to Colbert by Michele de Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, and Nicola Bertinelli, President of the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium, aimed at promoting the value of the original PDO product in the U.S. market.
“The Parmigiano Reggiano is a cultural and production heritage that must be protected,” de Pascale and Bertinelli wrote, adding that while progress had been made on tariffs, they “remain an obstacle to free trade and consumer choice.”
A STRATEGIC SPOTLIGHT IN THE U.S. MEDIA
Colbert had already addressed U.S. customs duties on Italian products in a previous episode, which prompted the letter from the two Italian leaders. “We thank Stephen Colbert for the attention dedicated to Parmigiano Reggiano,” de Pascale and Bertinelli said. “It is an excellence that, with the tariffs applied to Italy, risks becoming even more precious in the United States.”
The renewed media attention comes at a pivotal moment for Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, which has launched a new international promotion strategy through its collaboration with United Talent Agency. The initiative aims to increase the cheese’s presence in American audiovisual productions and reinforce its identity as a global emblem of Italian quality.
BRINGING AN ITALIAN ICON TO MILLIONS OF AMERICAN VIEWERS
The sketch, broadcast during one of U.S. television’s most-watched late-night programmes, served as an unexpected but valuable platform for Italy’s most famous cheese.
“This sketch is an important opportunity to bring back into the spotlight one of Emilia-Romagna’s most representative excellences,” de Pascale and Bertinelli said. “We are delighted that the value of our PDO cheese has found space in a programme followed by millions of viewers. Its identity, which is unique and inimitable, should continue to be recognised and told even beyond national borders.”
EXPORT MOMENTUM AND MARKET CHALLENGES
The United States remains the top foreign market for Parmigiano Reggiano, absorbing 22.5% of total exports. In 2024, shipments exceeded 16,000 tonnes, marking a +13.4% increase over 2023.
Recent U.S. administrative decisions have also adjusted the tariff burden: since 7 August, the duty on Parmigiano Reggiano has returned to 15%, after peaking at 25%.
Despite its iconic status, the cheese currently accounts for less than 8% of the American hard cheese market. Rising production costs and euro–dollar exchange rate fluctuations could influence consumer prices into early 2026. Meanwhile, the Consortium continues efforts to differentiate authentic Parmigiano Reggiano PDO from “Italian-sounding” imitations—an issue that generates an estimated €2 billion in economic damage.
“A HERITAGE TO PROTECT”
For the Italian leaders, the discussion sparked by Colbert highlights a larger issue. “Parmigiano Reggiano is much more than a product: it is a cultural and production heritage that identifies Emilia-Romagna worldwide,” de Pascale and Bertinelli said. They warned that commercial barriers “do not truly protect producers and instead penalise consumers,” limiting access to a globally recognised excellence. “Dialogue and free trade are the way to enhance the work of the entire supply chain,” they insisted. “The recognition of quality and origin is essential for both producers and consumers. It is a shared value that crosses territories and cultures. This is why it is important to continue telling, even in international contexts, the story and identity of a PDO born from ancient skills and the daily commitment of hundreds of dairies and thousands of families.”