Record eyewear in 2022, turnover up 24%. Via al Mido – WWN

With Italian eyewear production rising to 5.17 billion, up 24% compared to 2021, according to the pre-final balance drawn up on the basis of October data, and exports up 22.5%, «2022 was an extraordinary year, the numbers exceeded our expectations. Due to the war in Ukraine and the energy emergency, we expected a slowdown in the middle of the year, which, however, did not happen», says Giovanni Vitaloni, president of Anfao.

Also the return in February of Mido, the main international trade fair for the sectorconfirms the great vitality of the sector and the anticipation for this event: the appointment, scheduled from today to February 6 at the Fiera Milano Rho, will be attended by «about a thousand exhibitors from over 150 countries, including 270 Chinese operators, and the pre-registrations of opticians and buyers exceeded 20,000».

Last year exports, which absorb around 90% of production, were driven by sunglasses (+28.9% to almost 3.4 billion), while the export of frames recorded a growth of 9.9% to 1.4 billion. The Italian market, on the other hand, remains “flat”, even if the sector has recorded a recovery, thanks to sunglasses. While imports are recovering (+22.3%), despite the difficulties in finding raw materials, delivery times and the phenomena of backshoring. Numbers that go up the balance between exports and imports in the trade balance is 3.3 billion.

For 2023, however, there is less optimism. For this reason Vitaloni is asking the government for a tax exemption on training costs and more flexibility in hiring. If for 2023 the president Anfao still foresees “double-digit growth”, the concerns are “related to the increase in energy costs, raw materials, which rose by 30% in 2022, transport, logistics and packaging. Many companies, especially the small ones, are really making a lot of effort, even if there is no shortage of orders and orders », he admits. «More than on turnover, I fear the impact that the sharp increases will have on margins and profits, because it will reduce the ability of companies to invest and innovate. The three days of the fair will be a good gauge».