Italian companies and the US market – “The new rules of the game”

Euren InterSearch has launched an initiative dedicated to Italian companies interested in developing their presence in the United States. Leading the project is Paolo Gagliardo, an international manager with experience in both Italy and the US, who is ready to transform the challenges of the American market into concrete opportunities.

The following article is an in-depth analysis of the topic, written directly by Paolo Gagliardo.

Tariffs as an opportunity

Today, tariffs should be seen not as a “punishment” but as a structural industrial lever, a new independent variable, because they are permanent instruments of American economic policy, designed and calibrated to attract investment, facilities, and jobs within national borders, and to rebuild the manufacturing base that has been sacrificed for decades to the logic of “Wall Street.”

These plans confirm that American industrial policy does not discourage foreign investment, but selects and rewards those who produce on American soil. It is proof that the new “Main Street” economy can attract global capital, provided that it comes with real skills, factories, and jobs, and it is a revival of American competitiveness, also as a strategic response to Chinese industrial and technological pressure.

These examples can easily be scaled down to smaller levels and apply to all Italian companies, not just large corporations. The approach is the same: invest, localize, establish roots. Understanding this—and acting on it—makes the difference between suffering the rules or turning them into a real competitive advantage.

In this context, tariffs should not be seen as a cost, but as a call to action: an invitation to rethink one’s presence in the United States in terms of production and not just trade. If competitors continue to export everything from abroad, their landed cost will inevitably rise by 10-15%, while those who produce locally will be able to defend their margins, reduce lead times, and participate in public tenders. It is a paradigm shift: tariffs do not penalize those who invest, but those who stand still.

Moreover, factories employing 5,000 people are not necessary: a visible, consistent, and credible presence is sufficient.

A recent example: an Italian manufacturer of steel processing machinery inaugurated the construction of its new US headquarters in Georgia in 2025. With an initial investment of $20 million and plans to hire 90 people, the project includes a warehouse, a testing/assembly center, and a “local-for-local” strategy to integrate American skills and supply chains.

Tariffs protect those who move, not those who wait. They are a defensive barrier for those who put down roots locally and an entry tax for those who remain ‘only’ exporters.