MILAN (AP) — Some supermarket shelves and gas station pumps were empty Tuesday in the southern city of Naples due to a week of protest by truck drivers over the high cost of diesel driven by the war in Iran.
Protesters blocked the loading and unloading of fresh food and other goods at supermarket distribution warehouses near Naples on Monday, Sky TG24 reported. Truckers add their voices to Protests that spread across Europe as war disrupts economies.
A supermarket in the city posted a notice on empty shelves apologizing that “some products may be temporarily unavailable or available in a reduced range” due to the truckers’ strike.
Shortages of fresh pasta, packaged cheeses and meats as well as produce have been reported in Sicily, partly due to stockpiling by shoppers. Partially empty supermarket shelves were also reported in the southern regions of Calabria and Puglia.
A notice on empty shelves at a supermarket apologizes to customers for the lack of products, due to an ongoing truckers’ strike in Naples, Italy, Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
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Transportation Minister Matteo Salvini met with national trucking associations Tuesday to help truckers cope, promising tax credits to offset soaring diesel prices and funds to modernize trucking rates.
Diesel prices are about a third higher than before the war in Iran, despite sustained government efforts to reduce pump prices. A temporary reduction in the diesel tax expired earlier this month.
The president of the Unatras trucking association group, Paolo Uggè, said Salvini had promised that payments would begin on Wednesday and had promised legislation to reduce operating costs, the LaPresse news agency reported. Another meeting was planned for next week.
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