President Trump Tweeted today his intention to subject the remaining $300 billion in Chinese imports to a 10 percent tariff as of Sept. 1, 2019. According to the Tweet, the increased tariffs are the result of China’s failure to purchase large quantities of U.S. agricultural products and its inability to stop the flow of Chinese-origin Fentanyl into the U.S.

Consequently, Chinese-origin spectacle lenses, spectacle frames, sunglasses, reading glasses, eyeglasses, safety glasses, goggles and many low vision devices will be subject to an additional 10 percent tariff starting Sept. 1, unless all or some of these products are excluded from the final list of tariff numbers subject to the increased duties. The Vision Council has taken steps to remove these items from the fourth tranche of tariff numbers scheduled to be subjected to additional customs duties under section 301 of the U.S. trade laws. That process is still in progress but will now have to be finalized before Sept. 1. The chance of optical products being removed from the final list is not likely, and companies should plan accordingly.