Oct. 1 – The glamor and style of Italian eyewear continue to enchant the world, with exports compensating for the industry’s performance in the internal market, in which the recovery still seems far away. According to the data released by Anfao (National Association of optics manufacturers) for the first half of 2013, Italy represents an excellence in the world with Venice as the “cradle” of the industry. As early as 1285, there is proof concerning the activities of a Venetian glass company that produced vitreos ab oculis ad legendum, or reading glasses. The first use of the term ” glasses ” can be traced back to 1317 when it made its appearance in a commercial document that gave license to a local merchant to sell a “prototype” of what we call today glasses. And today, 2013 confirms the dynamics of 2012, with a slight increase in production (+4.2%), driven by exports, which in the first six months of the year grew by 5.4% in value compared to the same period of 2012. As far as the industry’s two main sub-sectors are concerned, sunglasses exports increased by 6.3%, while those for frames by 4.7 %. “While we wait for positive recovery signals on the domestic side, the export figures for the first half of 2013 confirm a comforting trend for us – says Cirillo Marcolin, President of Anfao – It’s a signal of our place in the world, and how the international inclination of our businesses is really a key factor in our economic viability.” The value of Italian eyewear exports in the world in the first six months of 2013 amounted to €1.483 billion, with the surplus in the trade balance surpassing the €1 billion. In terms of geographical areas, Italian exports perform well in the Americas (+11.8%) and in Europe (+6 %), while in Asia they basically remained stable (-1.3%). In America, the US confirms its key role, remaining the first country of reference in the sector with a market share close to 23%. Here, exports in the first half of 2013 recorded a growth rate of 11.5 % (+4.8% for frames and +14.2% for sunglasses). In Europe, some large countries regained an acceptable growth rate and increased exports were registered in France, the country of reference for the sector with a market share of just under 15 % of total exports. In the first half of 2013 Italian eyewear exports grew in value by 9.6% compared to the same period of 2012, in particular frames (+13.1%), while sunglasses grow by +7.1 %. The German market was particularly receptive in the first half of 2013, with Italian exports having marked a growth trend in value of 17.9 % (+28.3 % frames, +10, 5 % sunglasses). Alongside the traditional destinations, the Italian eyewear sector has for some time looked with interest to developing countries and to more distant markets: the export performance in these areas are constantly growing and contributing to the overall success of the industry. In the first half of the year, exports grew in Brazil ( +27% ), Turkey (+21.7%) , South Korea (+18.4 % ), Mexico (+17.4% ), Thailand ( +13.3% ), Russia ( +10.1%).
