All Trade & Sourcing articles
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News briefs
HOYA joins independent RX order management platform in the US
HOYA Vision Care’s US subsidiary has announced that it was joining SpecCheck, an RX order management platform connecting lens laboratories with eye care professionals (ECPs) in the country. HOYA is the first lab network to join the service. The company stressed that it was “committed to helping eye care professionals ...
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News briefs
ANFAO push in Turkey as industry strives to diversify export markets
ANFAO, the Italian eyewear industry association, reinforced its presence in Turkey through a group presence at the Silmo Istanbul 2025 trade show that closed its doors on Nov. 22, 2025. The initiative, financially supported by the Italian Trade Agency, is aimed at developing a structured market access strategy for Italian ...
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News briefs
ANFAO and other Italian fashion industry associations conclude Brazilian tour
ANFAO, the Italian eyewear industry association, has just concluded a promotional tour of three major cities in Brazil (Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro), along with other Italian fashion-related industry associations. The tour was organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) with financial support from the Ministry of ...
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ArticleItalian H1 eyewear down 4% as Europe, China and others partially offset US collapse
The value of Italian eyewear exports in the first half of 2025 fell by 3.7 percent to €2,779 million, dragged down by the collapse of the US market in the wake of tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, data from eyewear trade association ANFAO showed. The contraction in exports ...
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News briefs
EU and Indonesia sign free trade deal
After nearly a decade of talks, the European Union and Indonesia have signed a free trade agreement that will eliminate tariffs on most goods. The motivation for reaching this trade deal has increased following the introduction of new US import tariffs earlier this year, which disrupted global trade. The European ...
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ArticleItaly Q1 eyewear exports fall 1.5% as industry braces for higher US tariffs
The value of Italian eyewear exports in the first quarter of 2025 fell by 1.5 percent compared to the year earlier to €1,427 million, as the market’s contraction deepened following a 0.6 percent fall in exports in 2024, according to data from eyewear trade association ANFAO. Italian exports of sunglasses ...
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ArticleItalian eyewear industry warns companies risk survival with hefty US tariffs
Should US President Donald Trump follow through with a threat to impose hefty import tariffs on European Union goods, many Italian eyewear companies could see their survival threatened, warned Lorraine Berton, President of the Italian eyewear association ANFAO. The Trump administration on July 11 announced it would raise the so-called ...
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News briefsArkema adding transparent-polyamide capacity in Singapore
At the factory in Singapore it inaugurated in 2022 – reputedly the world’s largest for bio-circular materials – Arkema is building a unit for the manufacture of its Rilsan Clear transparent polyamide, used for consumer electronics, appliance and medical equipment as well as eyewear. Representing an investment of about $20 ...
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ArticleUnclear US ‘Transshipping’ tariff rate scope keeps Vietnam on its toes
Two days ahead of the July 9 deadline for the US “reciprocal tariffs” pause – or rather, the reduction of all import duties to a 10 percent baseline rate – only two ”definitive” bilateral agreements have been announced by President Donald Trump: with the UK, in early May, and with ...
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News briefs
Safilo supply agreement with Kering Eyewear extended until 2029
Safilo Group has announced the early renewal of its supply agreement with Kering Eyewear until 2029. The supply agreement between both groups started in 2015 after Kering decided to produce its eyewear licenses in-house, which led to the early termination of Safilo’s Gucci license. In a 2019 Eyewear Intelligence article, ...
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ArticleUS-China tariffs climbdown provides ‘breathing room’ but uncertainties loom large
In a steeper-than-expected climbdown of the trade war between the US and China, both superpowers agreed yesterday to slash down their respective “reciprocal” tariffs for a period of 90 days, approximately one month after their implementation. The agreement followed a weekend of trade talks in Switzerland and was accompanied by ...
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News briefs
Zyloware announces initiatives to mitigate US tariffs impact
Zyloware, an established US eyewear vendor with over 100 years of business history, has announced on its corporate blog several initiatives aimed at mitigating the impact of the US reciprocal tariffs announced by President Donald Trump last month. The company’s main measures include the diversification of its manufacturing footprint by ...
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ArticleThe Vision Council highlights change in US customs tactics, analyzes supply chain scenarios
TVC details the impact of the US administration’s trade policy changes on eyewear supply chains, and sends a delegation to the White House to advocate on behalf of its 500+ members and the eyewear sector at large.
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ArticleMixed feelings in Fukui over ‘Made in Japan’ eyewear amid export surge
Exports of Japanese eyewear products have strongly rebounded in recent years, lifted in part by the growing popularity overseas of the Made in Japan label, notably in the US and Europe. However, a recent survey, as well as an initiative by the Fukui eyewear industry association, shows mixed feelings over the country-of-origin label in the region. Meanwhile, the shortage of workers and the increasing number of subcontractors closing shop remain important challenges for the local industry.
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ArticlePPG Optical grows with legacy products and innovations, looks for more sustainable processes
Amy Mercante, General Manager Specialty Products, discusses the performance of the group’s optical division and other industry topics including smart eyewear, additive manufacturing and sustainability challenges in the lens supply chain.
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News briefsLa/Es to use Eastman’s Acetate Renew
Laminati Estrusi Termoplastici (La/Es) announced on the opening day of the Silmo show in Paris that it would start offering Eastman’s Aceter Renew across all its acetate collections. Acetate Renew is an acetate flake made of 60 percent bio-based and 40 percent recycled material. The new material has been progressively ...
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News briefs
New warehouse at Novacel HQ
Novacel has announced the completion of the building of a new 3,000 square-meter warehouse for its equipment division at its headquarters in the north of France. The company said that the investment was meant to support the growth of its instruments business that doubled in the last six years, as ...
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ArticleRussian contact lenses market in turmoil
Russia experiences a temporary shortage of Johnson & Johnson’s Acuvue contact lenses due to panic buying and logistics disruptions, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported, quoting optical retailers. The Russian retail chain Happy Look said that Acuvue accounted for 50 percent of the Russian contact lenses market, and from 70 to ...
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Sponsored articleYueheng and Wingram present sustainable solutions for eyewear
BioAcetate S70 is a biobased and biodegradable material that improves performance and the environment while leading lens manufacturer, Yueheng, offers a plethora of sustainable options for its customers.
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News briefs
Little interest in origin of optical products in France, poll says
According to a recent poll by Acuité, about 25 percent of French opticians declared that their clients were regularly or almost always asking questions about the origin of the frames and lenses. In detail, 19 percent of surveyed opticians estimate that about half of their clients made such enquiries while, ...
