Analysis and Studies - Products analysis
Sunglasses: import and export
October 19th 2022
In every season, sunglasses are always a necessity to protect yourself against the sunlight. They are a fundamental part of the history of fashion and eyewear.
Sunglasses became popular as a fashion accessory in the early 1900s, particularly among Hollywood movie stars. Mass production started in 1929 when Sam Foster introduced them to America. He started to sell his sunglasses on the beaches of Atlantic City.
Modern polarized glasses became available in 1931 when Edwin H. Land introduced them with his company "Polaroid". Polarization helps to reduce glare and the risk of eye damage due to UV light. During World War II, the American company Ray-Ban introduced aviator-style sunglasses using polarization. This particular model is still a landmark in eyewear and sunglasses history.
In the decades since, sunglasses are more popular than ever. It is still a vibrant market with many players and a total value of trade of $5 billion in 2020. Compared to the previous year, the exports of sunglasses decreased by 24.8%, from $6.71B to $5.05B.
In 2020, the top exporters of sunglasses were Italy ($2.05 billion), China ($1.48 billion), the United States ($294 million), Germany ($173 million), and France ($144 million). The United States ($1.19 billion), Italy ($374 million), Germany ($340 million), France ($333 million), and Hong Kong ($230 million) were the top importers.
Between 2019 and 2020, the exports of sunglasses grew the fastest in Switzerland ($7.67 million ), South Korea ($7.61 million), Poland ($5.6 million), India ($3.5 million), and Finland ($3.18 million). The fastest-growing importers were Norway ($13.3 million), Sweden ($12 million), the Philippines ($7.86 million), Poland ($3.31 million), and Nigeria ($2 million).
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