Italy reports upswing in eyewear exports

Italy, the world's largest exporter of spectacles and sunglasses, experienced good results for the first half of 2010.

The results, according to the Italian Association of Optical Goods Manufacturers (ANFAO), indicate an upswing in the global eyewear industry and an increase in worldwide demand for eyewear.

Vittorio Tabacchi, ANFAO's president, commented: 'The worst scenario would seem to have passed on both global and national levels.' He added that although a recovery in global demand for eyewear had been essential for the Italian optical industry, it also had been important for its companies to cooperate during the recession and focus on what he described as its 'historical hallmarks' of tradition, style, and innovation.