For some, in the event of tariffs, limited exposure to the US market may even be an opportunity. This is what happened to Mortadella Bologna PGI, a product that was growing rapidly in both production and sales and the US market was always effectively closed. The problem is not with generic Mortadella, which in fact is exported in limited quantities to America, but with the premium segment, the geographical indication segment of Mortadella Bologna (keep in mind that PGI products cover around a third of Italy’s total mortadella production, which amounts to around 100 thousand tons).
And this is because it sounds Italian because in the US the cured meat, sausage, called Balooney, is widespread. «The strong assonance – they explained to the PGI Mortadella Bologna Consortium – between ‘Balooney’ and ‘Bologna’ produces a paradoxical effect on the market: it makes American consumers consider PGI Mortadella Bologna almost as a substitute, a lower quality product, compared to the cured meat of American Balooney. In fact, we export an average of 3 quintals of PGI Mortadella Bologna per year. Zero”.
But having nothing to lose in the US market proved to be an advantage. In fact, the Consortium is focusing on other markets (also thanks to the EU promotional program), first of all on the European market and also on Canada, a country where the export of Mortadella Bologna has recently been unblocked after being on alert for a long time and as a precautionary measure due to the spread of African swine fever (ASF) in Italy.
In fact, PGI Mortadella Bologna closed the first 9 months of 2025 with an extraordinary performance: production recorded an increase of +3.8%, overall sales +4.0% and exports rose significantly +10.1% compared to the same period in 2024.
In fact, total production increased from 29,300 tons in the first 9 months of 2024 to 30,450 in the first nine months of 2025. Sales increased from 24 to 25 thousand tons. The trend for pre-sliced products in trays also grew very well, rising by 3.5%.
