The Italian eyewear industry posted gross sales of E2,608m in 2001, with an 8.4 per cent increase in production of E1,836m.In a speech at Mido by the president of trade body Anfao, Vittorio Tabacchi stated that the eyewear industry continued to grow, with exports up 9 per cent at E1,530m over the 2000 figure of E1,404m. Sales of sunglasses were strong in Asia and the US, but frame sales dropped by 9.4 per cent. The positive trend was mainly reserved for the top 10 companies, which accounted for 70 per cent of the industry and growth of 20-30 per cent. Small and medium-sized firms had shown major downturns because of a lack of distribution networks for overseas markets. With 80 per cent of the Italian eyewear industryÕs production exported, Mr Tabacchi said that these companies needed concrete support. He called on the Government to provide new stimuli and organisational and financial resources to relaunch the industry.He also spoke of the problem of unauthosised imitations and low cost, low quality product from Asia. A recent survey by the Eyecare Commission of 1,000 Italians showed that 60 per cent did not know what the CE mark meant, with 70 per cent unaware of the information tag describing the quality of the product and lens type. It also found that 50 per cent of those aged 16-25 buy sunglasses from street sellers.u There was good news on contact lenses, with Assottica Gruppo Contattologia reporting a rise of 12 per cent in the number sold in 2001 in Italy, at 75m lenses.A retail audit survey of Italian opticians revealed that daily disposables increased by 20 per cent, with monthly lenses up 7 per cent. Toric lenses showed a major rise of 40 per cent, while sales of multifocal and extended wear lenses were steadily increasing.