ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council’s research team released a report this month which attempts to gauge the potential impact that U.S. tariffs on Chinese eyewear could impact consumer buying habits, intentions and spending. The third wave of tariffs, which went into effect on Monday, Sept. 24, levies a 10 percent tariff on eyeglass cases and eyeglass cleaning solutions. Through a questionnaire to recent eyewear buyers, who purchased ophthalmic frames, prescription lenses, Plano lenses, over-the-counter reading glasses and contact lenses, The Vision Council evaluated willingness of consumers to spend 10 percent to 25 percent more for the eyewear and lenses they already purchased.

By utilizing import data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the research team calculated which eyewear purchases would be in danger if tariffs on Chinese eyewear are implemented. The report also outlines topline estimates of unit and dollar purchases that could be lost if tariffs are implemented on Chinese eyewear.

Also included in the report are which “U.S. consumer demographic groups will be least and most affected by price increases resulting from tariffs on Chinese eyewear—with a special focus on recent prescription eyeglass buyers—and examines which consumers will postpone or cancel eyewear purchases due to both rising general prices and inflation (resulting from general tariffs on all Chinese products), as well as rising optical prices specifically from tariffs on eyewear,” The Vision Council stated.

The report concludes by investigating the strategies that consumers will use to combat rising eyewear prices resulting from the implementation of tariffs on Chinese eyewear.

To download the full report, click here.

To learn more about this report and other market research, contact Greg Chavez, The Vision Council’s executive vice president of operations and membership, at gchavez@thevisioncouncil.org or at (703) 740-1399.