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                                    China Optical (Eyewear) Manufacturing Industry Overview

China has the largest number of eyewear manufacturers and the most complete eyewear products in the world. There are about 6,000 eyewear manufacturers in China. The main production area located in Wenzhou and Taizhou of Zhejiang Province, Shenzhen and Dongguan in Guangdong Province, Danyang in Jiangsu Province, Xiamen in Fujian Province and Yujiang in Jiangxi Province. China Optical Industry manufacturing a wide array of optical frames, presbyopic glasses, swimming goggles, safety glasses, ski goggles, glasses accessories, glasses packaging, optical lenses, types of lenses, raw materials, glasses manufacturing equipment, optical equipment, contact lenses, contact lenses solutions, corneal shape glasses etc. 

According to China Customs Statistics, the total export volume of China's eyewear/glasses/optical industry in 2017 was $5.37 billion (excluding instruments and equipment, and glasses packaging), increased by 7.25% compare with the year of 2016. More than 60 % of frames, sunglasses, presbyopic glasses, and over 40% of the optical lenses sold worldwide come from Chinese factories. 

Chinese Glasses Account for a Global Proportion

Guangdong , the shifting of high-end manufacturing base

Shenzhen and Dongguan city in Guangdong are not only the high-end glasses manufacturing base in China, but also the medium and high-end frames manufacturing base in the world. Now more than 20 factories with over 300 employees in Guangdong and it has some world-renowned eyewear factories such as Arts Group (Optical), Xinyi and LUXOTTICA etc. However, with the continuous rising cost of making glasses and the changes of the local economic development mode in Guangdong, the manufacturing factories are shifting to other regions. 

Wenzhou, the medium and high-end manufacturing base

Wenzhou has become the World High-quality Eyewear Manufacturing Heartland & International Brands and Global Leading Optical Retailers Supplier Center. At present, there are about 1,000 optical manufacturing enterprises in Wenzhou, more than 70 enterprises and 30 manufacturing factories equipped 300 employees. In 2018, Wenzhou Optical Products’ annual output value reached over 16 billion RMB with export data that amounted to approximately 1.1 billion U.S. dollars. With the improvement of the high quality manufacturing in Wenzhou, a large number of middle and high-end glasses orders around the world choosing Wenzhou, such as global brands Kering, Luxottica and Safilo in succession.

RUIAN: Focused on Handmade Acetate

Ruian optical industry started in the mid-1980s. It is one of the important parts of Wenzhou Optical Manufacturing base. At present, Ruian has more than 100 optical manufacturing enterprises mainly focus on mid-range acetate glasses production. Most of optical manufacturing enterprises in Ruian started from the domestic market, and turning to the international trade step by step.

Duqiao, Jiaojiang: Medium and low - grade sunglasses Manufacturing Zone

In recent years, Duqiao Taizhou and Jiaojiang optical producing areas have achieved rapid development after successfully undertaking the orders of middle and low -grade glasses manufacturing. At present, there are more than 1000 optical manufacturing enterprises with different sizes and scales, and about 80% of them with the annual output value more than 20 million which mainly producing middle and low grade injection sunglasses, polarizing lenses and sunglasses lenses. Yingchang Group is the benchmark enterprise in Duqiao. It not only has a large scale and high-grade product level, but also owns two major brands of Prsr and LTM, which has a high popularity and market share in the Chinese market. 

Yuhuan: World Optical Accessories Base

Yuhuan is Optical Accessories Manufacturing Base in China and around the world. Two of the world’ s top 5 optical accessories companies and half of China' s top 10 optical accessories companies are in Yuhuan. At present, Yuhuan has over 300 optical parts and accessories enterprises, and 5 of them with more than 300 employees. The annual output of various kinds of optical accessories reaches over 1 billion and production value exceeded 3 billion, the products are widely exported to Vietnam, South Korea, India, Bangladesh and other countries and regions.

Xiamen: Transformation from Manufacturing to Branding

Xiamen is a Middle-grade Sunglasses Manufacturing Base in China. There are dozens of optical manufacturing enterprises in Xiamen, but with the increase of manufacturing cost, the enterprises now faced the severe export pressure. Starting from 2000, Xiamen began the transformation from manufacturing to brand management. After 10 years of development, Xiamen attained a huge success and managed a batch of independent brands and agent brands with a good reputation and market share in China. 

Danyang: World Optical Lens Manufacturing Base

Danyang is the largest Optical Lens Production Base in China and world. At present, there are nearly 600 enterprises with more than 50,000 employees. The output of lens accounts covering 75% of the country and 40% of the world. In 2017, the optical industry achieved total sales of about 15 billion. The total import and export value of Danyang glasses was $349 million, increased by 7.64% comparing with last year and the import and export value accounting for 12.57% of total of Danyang City.

Yujiang, The fast-developing optical manufacturing area

Yujiang glasses industrial park started in 2000, mainly undertook the transferring of the manufacturing enterprises in Guangdong, Zhejiang and Fujian. There are about 100 optical manufacturing enterprises and more than 7 factories equipped over 300 employees. With the accelerating transfer of Guangdong optical manufacturing enterprises, Yujiang glasses manufacturing has achieved rapid development. In 2018, Hong Kong Arts Group and Huizhou Jingwei Glasses have signed contracts with Yujiang government and entered into Yujiang glasses industrial park.