Italy Food Imports: High-Demand Products, Routes, Ports and EU Regulations

Analytical Introduction

Italy is widely seen as a food-exporting nation — pasta, cheese, olive oil, roasted coffee, confectionery, processed meats and products with protected geographical indications. That picture is accurate, but it shows only one side of Italy's supply chain.

A large share of Italy's food industry success rests on imported raw materials. Flour mills, feed compounders, oilseed crushers, coffee roasters, chocolate makers, meat processors, canned-fish plants, tree-nut traders and a vast retail network are active buyers on the world market.

In some chains the dependency is structural. In 2024 domestic soft wheat production covered only about 28% of apparent consumption. Self-sufficiency was roughly 40% for corn and 32% for soybeans. For tree nuts, self-sufficiency stood near 41%. That gap between domestic output and demand makes imports a permanent feature of the market.

Entering Italy is not simply selling to a European buyer. Italy is part of the EU single market and customs union. Products from third countries must comply not only with national rules but with the full EU framework on food safety, contaminants, residues, hygiene, labelling, plant and animal health and official border control.

For Iranian exporters this matters most in pistachios, dried fruit and nuts, raisins, saffron, dates, herbs and spices. In this market, a visually premium product with an incomplete laboratory file and documentation is not necessarily export-ready.

1. What Food Does Italy Import Most?

Italian import demand falls into two groups: products where the country has a structural raw-material deficit, and products bought globally because of climate, season, industrial processing or retail variety.

The first group includes cereals, oilseeds, animal feed, some meat and dairy and certain edible oils. The second includes coffee, cocoa, tropical goods, tree nuts, seafood, out-of-season fruit and vegetables, spices and food-industry inputs.

In 2024 total agricultural and food imports reached about €68.1 billion, up 7.2% year on year. Green coffee alone was about €2.536 billion, extra virgin olive oil about €2.456 billion, corn about €1.510 billion and soft wheat about €1.420 billion. Soybean imports exceeded €1.1 billion.

Cereals — the largest volume opportunity

By physical volume, cereals sit at the centre of Italy's raw-material trade. In 2024 the country imported about 7.39 million tonnes of corn, 6.613 million tonnes of soft wheat, 2.795 million tonnes of durum wheat and 774,000 tonnes of barley.

This scale shows that milling, pasta, feed and livestock sectors cannot operate without global supply. Buyers do not look at price alone: protein, moisture, hectolitre weight, impurities, mycotoxins, milling characteristics and shipment consistency drive industrial contracts.

Coffee — imports for added value

Italy is not a major coffee grower but is a global hub for roasting, blending and packaging. Green coffee imports reached about €2.536 billion in 2024, up 26.7% year on year. For coffee traders, Italy is primarily an industrial raw-material market rather than a finished-product export destination.

Seafood

Italy's seafood trade balance is structurally negative. The sector's trade deficit exceeded €6.5 billion in 2024. Fish, shrimp, cephalopods such as cuttlefish and tuna products are major market segments.

Tree nuts and dried fruit

This category is especially relevant for Iran. In 2024 Italy imported about 492,000 tonnes of tree nuts on an in-shell equivalent basis while usable domestic production was roughly 280,000 tonnes and self-sufficiency stood near 41%. Ice cream, confectionery, chocolate, nut creams, bakery and retail are major consumers of almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and other nuts.

2. Which Countries Supply Italy's Food Imports?

A defining feature of Italy's food trade is that most of it happens inside the European Union.

In 2024 Germany supplied about €8.614 billion, Spain about €8.266 billion, France about €7.912 billion and the Netherlands about €5.963 billion of Italy's agricultural and food imports. Poland, Belgium, Brazil, Austria, Hungary and Greece followed. In the first half of 2024 roughly 72% of import value came from the EU.

For non-EU exporters the competitor is not only another third country. French, Spanish, German or Dutch producers can place goods on the single market without third-country import formalities. An external supplier must therefore offer at least one clear advantage: competitive price, distinctive quality, suitable season, specific industrial specs, origin appeal, reliable volume or a product Europe cannot produce in sufficient quantity.

3. Main Food Import Routes and Entry Points

A precise answer requires separating intra-EU trade from third-country imports. Goods from Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria and other member states generally do not clear customs at the Italian border like third-country cargo. Most of this flow enters by European road and rail networks.

By contrast, coffee, cocoa, soybeans, tropical products, seafood, tree nuts, spices and many Asian, American and African goods enter mainly through ports.

Brenner corridor

The Brenner axis is one of Italy's most important land gateways to Austria, Germany and northern Europe. Chilled goods, dairy, meat, packaged foods and industrial inputs move through this corridor. For shipments from Germany, the Netherlands or northern Europe to food plants in northern Italy, it is a primary option.

France — Ventimiglia, Fréjus and Mont Blanc

Trade with France and much road freight from Spain can use western corridors. Ventimiglia matters for southern France and the Iberian Peninsula. The Fréjus tunnel is a key link between France and Piedmont; the second Fréjus road tunnel entered service in July 2025, improving capacity and safety on the axis.

Tarvisio, Trieste and Villa Opicina

Northeastern corridors connect Italy to Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and other central and eastern European markets. Cereals, meat, dairy and food inputs enter northern Italy from this direction.

Port of Genoa

Genoa is one of Italy's main entry points for containers and third-country food cargo. Italy's Ministry of Health official control report for 2024 shows that at Genoa, for non-animal food and feed and certain controlled goods, 67,624 consignments were recorded — a very high share of inbound flow. The port is important for dry containers, food inputs, tree nuts, coffee, spices and packaged goods.

Ravenna — bulk agricultural hub

For cereals, flours, oilseeds and vegetable oils, Ravenna plays a distinct role. Historically it has been one of Italy's leading ports for grains, seeds, flours and oilseeds, with annual throughput in these groups historically reported near 5.3 million tonnes. In the first five months of 2025 alone, the port's ag/food sector moved about 2.448 million tonnes, including over one million tonnes of cereals, about 468,000 tonnes of oilseeds and about 317,000 tonnes of animal and vegetable oils.

Venice and Marghera

Venice also matters for cereals, feed, oilseeds, vegetable oils and containers. In 2025 the ports of Venice and Chioggia together handled about 26 million tonnes of cargo, and grain volumes at Venice rose 42.5% year on year. Tank storage, silos, oilseed crushing and direct links to northern industrial zones make the port attractive for bulk inputs.

Southern and central ports such as Bari, Naples, Ancona, Civitavecchia, Palermo, Gioia Tauro and Livorno are also used depending on origin, product and distribution network. Port choice should not be based on ocean freight alone. A cheaper berth may mean longer inland haulage, higher warehousing or weaker control facilities for the product in question.

4. EU Rules for Third-Country Food Imports

Food exports to Italy begin with one principle: most safety requirements are harmonised at EU level. The core import control framework is Regulation (EU) 2017/625. Animal-origin goods and certain high-risk non-animal products must enter through approved Border Control Posts (BCPs). Controls may include document checks, identity verification, physical inspection and laboratory testing. Many processes are managed through the TRACES system.

In 2025 Italy's border control posts placed 48,480 consignments of animals, animal products and animal-origin feed and 231,966 consignments of non-animal food, plant feed and food-contact materials from third countries under official control.

Animal products

Meat, dairy, some fishery products, eggs and other animal-origin goods may enter only if the country, region and, where required, the establishment are approved for export to the EU. The official health certificate must match the product, and the consignment must enter through a BCP authorised for that product category.

Plant and non-animal food

It is incorrect to assume all plant foods enter the EU without border control. Some goods are under routine control; some require plant-health certification; others are listed for enhanced control because of contamination history, pesticide residues, mycotoxins or microbiological risk.

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 sets the list of products and countries subject to increased import controls, and the list is revised regularly. For listed products, document checks and, where applicable, identity checks, sampling and official certificates are mandatory.

5. Safety Standards, Testing and Labelling

Many export problems to Italy arise not at customs but earlier — when product specifications and documentation are designed.

Pesticide residues

Maximum residue levels are set under Regulation (EC) 396/2005 and its amendments. For fruit, vegetables, spices, dried herbs, tree nuts and agricultural products, the exporter's laboratory must select active substances relevant to the product, country of production and risk history. Testing only a few common pesticides is rarely enough for a professional European buyer.

Contaminants

Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets limits for many contaminants and mycotoxins. In tree nuts, cereals, spices, dried fruit and similar inputs, aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, heavy metals and related contaminants can be decisive.

Microbiological criteria

Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 defines microbiological criteria for different food groups. Ready-to-eat products, meat, dairy, fish, baked goods, high-moisture foods and certain processed items each carry a different risk profile.

Italian-language labelling

Packaged food for sale in Italy must present mandatory information in a form understandable to Italian consumers. Under Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, this includes food name, ingredient list, allergens, net quantity, date marking, storage conditions, EU responsible operator details and nutrition information where required. For some foods, origin indication is also mandatory under specific rules or presentation requirements.

6. Customs Tariffs, VAT and Real Import Costs

A common pricing mistake is comparing factory price with destination wholesale price. What the Italian importer evaluates is landed cost.

There is no single food import duty rate. EU customs duty depends on the tariff classification, origin, season, tariff quotas and trade agreements. Two apparently similar agricultural products may carry different duties. Processing form, sugar content, packaging type, fresh versus dried status and even entry period can affect calculation in some groups.

Stating a generic "food tariff for Italy" is not professional. The exact product code must first be confirmed in the EU tariff system.

Italy's standard VAT rate is 22%. Reduced rates of 10% and 5% and a super-reduced rate of 4% also apply, and many foods fall into one of these categories depending on legal classification. The correct rate must be checked for the specific product.

The import VAT base is not invoice value alone. Customs value, import duty and certain ancillary costs up to destination may be included.

Product price at origin + inland haulage + export formalities + international freight + insurance + port/terminal charges + import duty + customs broker + sanitary control/testing if required + warehousing or cold storage + import VAT + haulage from port to buyer warehouse = landed cost

• Official control fees vary by product group and control type
• For some non-animal food consignments under specified controls, Italian national rules set a base fee of €15 per consignment
• High-risk goods, weight-based controls, laboratory testing and animal-origin groups follow different fee structures
• Demurrage, container detention and port storage can exceed official control fees if health documents are incomplete or border testing is delayed

7. Real Opportunities for Iranian Products in Italy

For Iran, the best approach is not to compete in every food category. The most attractive goods are those where Iran has production or origin advantage and Italy has industrial or retail demand.

Pistachios

Pistachios are one of the clearest examples. Italy's ice cream, confectionery, chocolate, nut-cream and premium food sectors are professional pistachio buyers. However, Iranian pistachio exports to the EU are highly sensitive on aflatoxin control.

Under the consolidated version of Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 applicable from June 2026, Iranian pistachios and certain processed forms were listed for enhanced control, with a 50% frequency for identity and physical checks in the relevant group. Aflatoxin control must therefore be part of production planning, not a test performed after the container is packed.

Regulation (EU) 2023/915 sets maximum aflatoxin B1 at 8 µg/kg and total aflatoxins at 10 µg/kg for pistachios placed directly on the market for final consumption or use as a food ingredient. For pistachios subject to sorting or physical processing before final placement, the limits are 12 and 15 µg/kg respectively. For ochratoxin A, the limit is 5 µg/kg for final product and 10 µg/kg for product intended for further sorting or processing. Contracts must state whether the product is ready-to-eat or destined for further sorting and processing.

Saffron

Saffron differs from bulk commodities because of its high value per kilogram. Colour strength, aroma, moisture, purity, extraneous matter, authenticity and packaging matter to buyers. In industrial orders the seller should provide not only a physical sample but also laboratory specifications and batch traceability. Air freight is often more rational than for many other foods given value and limited weight.

Raisins and dried fruit

Italy has both a retail dried-fruit market and large bakery and confectionery industries. Colour uniformity, size, moisture, stem percentage, extraneous matter, pesticide residues and ochratoxin A are key purchase criteria. For dried grapes, the EU ochratoxin A limit is 8 µg/kg.

Dates

Dates can serve retail, consumer packs, food industry and health-oriented segments. Sweetness alone is not enough. Size uniformity, moisture, absence of fermentation, pest-free condition, appearance, pitting if required, packaging and commercial shelf life must be defined in the contract.

Spices, herbs and specialty inputs

For saffron and certain herbs, Iran's advantage rests more on origin and quality than on volume competition. Italian buyers in this group typically review quality documentation, traceability, microbiological contamination, pesticide residues and product authenticity together.

8. Packaging and Logistics by Product Type

One transport method does not fit all foods.

Tree nuts, coffee and spices

Main risks are moisture, odour absorption, storage pests and temperature fluctuation. Bags and cartons must resist moisture ingress. For high-fat kernels, oxygen and heat contact can accelerate oxidation. Appropriate liners, desiccants where needed and clean, odour-free dry containers matter.

Fresh produce

Fresh fruit and vegetables depend on commercial life. Pre-cooling, pulp temperature at loading, ventilation, humidity, carton type and actual door-to-door time must be agreed before the deal. Cheap freight that adds several transit days may destroy value for sensitive products.

Frozen products

For fish, meat and other frozen goods, cold-chain integrity is fundamental. Container temperature records, core product temperature at loading, seals, packaging condition and reefer plug-in time at terminal must be traceable.

Bulk agricultural commodities

Cereals and oilseeds follow different logic. Vessel capacity, discharge rate, silo access, weight loss, moisture control, pests, mycotoxins and port sampling matter more than consumer-pack design.

9. How Importers Evaluate a Supply Proposal

Low price is only one part of the buying decision. A professional importer usually asks four questions:

• Does the product exactly match contract specifications?
• Are documents sufficient for legal entry?
• Can the seller repeat the same quality across multiple shipments?
• What is the real warehouse cost after arrival?

For tree nuts, two offers with the same price per tonne may differ completely on defective kernel percentage, moisture, aflatoxin, sorting, size or packaging. For fresh fruit, a lower price may come with unsuitable sizing or shorter shelf life. For industrial inputs, small changes in protein, fat, moisture, Brix or particle size can alter factory performance.

10. 24-Point Importer Checklist Before Placing an Order

1. Define exact commercial and technical product name.
2. Confirm the correct EU customs code.
3. Record the true country of origin.
4. Check whether the product is subject to enhanced import control.
5. Verify health or phytosanitary certificate requirements.
6. For animal products, confirm country and establishment approval.
7. State product specifications numerically in the contract.
8. Obtain and approve a pre-order sample.
9. Align the testing programme with EU regulations.
10. Review relevant pesticide residues.
11. Control aflatoxin or other relevant mycotoxins.
12. Define microbiological requirements for the product.
13. Review the Italian label before bulk printing.
14. Set net weight and weight tolerance.
15. Approve primary packaging and master cartons.
16. Define palletisation and pallet height.
17. Set remaining shelf life at entry.
18. State transport temperature for chilled or frozen goods.
19. Confirm the port or entry point is authorised for the product.
20. Budget border control and possible testing fees.
21. Verify import duty by code and origin.
22. Confirm the VAT rate for that product.
23. Calculate transfer cost from port or border to warehouse.
24. Assign demurrage responsibility and cost of document delays.
25. Define acceptance and rejection criteria clearly in the contract.

This checklist matters most for third-country purchases, where a document error may trigger re-sampling, container detention or even rejection — not merely a paperwork correction.

11. Information Required for an Accurate Price Request

A professional price request for the Italian market should include at least:

• Exact product name
• Product form: fresh, dried, frozen, processed or bulk
• Commercial grade
• Size or size range
• Required physical and chemical specifications
• Maximum moisture where relevant
• Acceptable defect limits
• Required tests
• Whether the product is for final consumption or further processing
• Pack weight
• Packaging material
• Total order weight or quantity
• Pallet requirement
• Private-label requirement
• Label language and specifications
• Destination city or port in Italy
• Transport mode
• Requested delivery terms
• Purchase timeline
• Annual shipment count for recurring contracts

Example: "pistachio price for Italy" is not comparable. The buyer should specify in-shell or kernel, end use, size, defect percentage, aflatoxin status, packaging, volume, destination and delivery terms.

12. Sourcing Iranian Food for the Italy Market via Iranco

Successful entry of Iranian products into Italy happens when the supply chain is designed from the start for destination requirements. For pistachios, aflatoxin control cannot be planned after packing. For fresh fruit, packaging cannot be chosen without transit time and cold-chain conditions. For saffron, tree nuts and industrial inputs, sample, testing and contract specs must be aligned before final pricing.

Iranco enables buyers and importers to submit purchase requests with details such as product, grade, volume, packaging, destination country and technical requirements. This creates a basis for reviewing supply options in Iran.

• Submit B2B requests with complete specifications
• Compare Iranian producers by product and destination
• Coordinate delivery to Italian ports and entry points
• Expedite commercial documents, COA and certificates of origin

Summary

Italy's food market is large, but import opportunity should not be confused with domestic production shortfalls in every category. Italy is itself a major global food producer and exporter, with strong internal competition in many segments. The most attractive area for external suppliers is usually where Italian industry depends on imported raw materials or where foreign products offer a clear geographical, seasonal or commercial advantage.

Cereals, corn, wheat, soybeans, green coffee, seafood, some meats, edible oils, tree nuts and tropical products are among the most important import areas. Germany, Spain, France and the Netherlands are major intra-EU suppliers, while Latin America, Asia, Africa and other regions supply non-EU raw materials and structural deficits.

Intra-EU flow enters mainly through Alpine road and rail corridors. For third-country trade, Genoa and other container ports are critical, while Ravenna and Venice play specialised roles in cereals, oilseeds, feed and bulk inputs. For Iranian exporters, pistachios, saffron, dried fruit and certain specialty products have commercial potential — but visual quality alone is not enough. Aflatoxin, pesticide residues, traceability, documents, packaging, labelling and correct entry-point selection must be managed together.

In Italy, the most durable deals are those where price, quality, legal compliance and logistics are calculated as one unit from the outset. Buyers can submit supply requests through Iranco.

Frequently Asked Questions