Cavaliere Domenico De Rosa, CEO of the SMET Group, participated in a roundtable discussion organized by the Department of Legal Sciences at the University of Salerno on the topic “Global Markets and Tariff Policy”
“The situation is serious: Italian industrial production has been declining for 26 months,” stated Cav. De Rosa, “and the risk is that U.S. tariffs will become the perfect excuse for avoiding facing reality. It is not tariffs that are throwing our production system into crisis: it is the absence of a serious and coherent European industrial strategy.”
Strong words were spoken on Tuesday, June 10, at the University of Salerno during a roundtable discussion that sparked debate on the present and future of the international economy. De Rosa, invited as a speaker by the Department of Legal Sciences, issued a clear appeal: stop blaming U.S. tariffs for a crisis rooted in political choices made within the European continent.
“While other countries defend their supply chains with vision and courage, we squabble over trade routes, chase bans, and forget the role of industry,” added Cavaliere De Rosa. “In recent years, Europe has imposed ideological tariffs on itself that have crippled two fundamental sectors: the automotive and steel industries.”
According to Berlusconi, unlike the United States—which practices overt, selective, and strategic protectionism—the European Union has opted for a fragmented, chaotic policy that is incapable of defending its industrial strengths.
“Whoever controls the flows controls the value. In the United States, they’ve understood this. In Europe, however, there is a lack of investment, strategy, and above all, political will,” he continued. “When it comes to logistics—the beating heart of every economic system—we are dangerously behind. There are disputes over routes, delays in authorization procedures, and limits imposed without shared criteria.”
The speech by the CEO of the SMET Group was rich in content and vision, offering a critical yet constructive perspective on one of the crucial challenges of our time: the future of European industry in the global context.
In closing, Cav. De Rosa addressed the many students in the room: “Speaking to such attentive students is always an honor. It is through lively debate that critical thinking is born. And it is there that a European industrial vision can also be reborn.”
The roundtable featured academics, economists, and institutional representatives in a wide-ranging and lively discussion. Among those present were Andrea Annunziata, Paolo Pietrogrande, Stefania Rinaldi, Salvatore Scafuri, and Licia Soncini. Professor Salvatore Sica moderated the session.
A valuable opportunity to reflect on issues that directly affect the future of manufacturing in the country and across the entire European continent.