EssilorLuxottica mulls moving part of production to US in response to tariffs
Credits: EssilorLuxottica Eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica is considering moving part of its production to the US in response to the shuffling of tariffs. In a shareholders’ meeting on April 31, attended and reported on by Reuters, the group’s chief executive officer, Francesco Milleri, expressed caution at moving too quickly on the decision, yet noted that once discussions surrounding tariffs become clearer, potential relocations may be made. Milleri’s comments come after President Donald Trump opted to enact a 90-day pause on larger tariffs initially imposed on certain countries that are now in discussions with the US on trade policies. “When the situation stabilises, we’ll understand which kind of manufacturing we can move to the US, because it’s not only a matter of timing and investment, but to find [workers with] the right capabilities,” Milleri said. For this reason, EssilerLuxottica will maintain its production in Italy and France, while it already operates some plants in the US. Supply chains based in Thailand and Mexico, however, were among those being considered in the way of relocating. Milleri added that “we don’t want to move too early”. EssilorLuxottica joins a number of companies reconsidering their supply chain networks upon the reshuffling of US tariffs. Fast fashion giant Shein was also said to be considering restructuring its production to help mitigate impact upon the dismantling of the de minimis law, which could see the company facing US import tariffs of up to 120 percent.
Eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica is considering moving part of its production to the US in response to the shuffling of tariffs. In a shareholders’ meeting on April 31, attended and reported on by Reuters, the group’s chief executive officer, Francesco Milleri, expressed caution at moving too quickly on the decision, yet noted that once discussions surrounding tariffs become clearer, potential relocations may be made.
Milleri’s comments come after President Donald Trump opted to enact a 90-day pause on larger tariffs initially imposed on certain countries that are now in discussions with the US on trade policies. “When the situation stabilises, we’ll understand which kind of manufacturing we can move to the US, because it’s not only a matter of timing and investment, but to find [workers with] the right capabilities,” Milleri said.
For this reason, EssilerLuxottica will maintain its production in Italy and France, while it already operates some plants in the US. Supply chains based in Thailand and Mexico, however, were among those being considered in the way of relocating. Milleri added that “we don’t want to move too early”.
EssilorLuxottica joins a number of companies reconsidering their supply chain networks upon the reshuffling of US tariffs. Fast fashion giant Shein was also said to be considering restructuring its production to help mitigate impact upon the dismantling of the de minimis law, which could see the company facing US import tariffs of up to 120 percent.
