Few sectors are as dominated by China as eyewear. Cities such as Wenzhou and Shenzhen concentrate thousands of factories making frames, lenses and sunglasses, and that is where much of what Brazilian opticians resell comes from, often with a chain of intermediaries in the middle eating the margin of whoever sits at the end of it.
For the optical shop owner, the distributor and the retailer who wants to build an own-brand range, there is one fair that brings this universe together in a single place: CIOF. This guide explains what the fair is, what you find there, how it fits into the Chinese calendar, and what to confirm on compliance before importing eyewear. CIOF 2026 is scheduled for 8 to 10 September, in Beijing, and it is now, roughly two months ahead, that the decision to go needs to start.
What CIOF is and why it matters
CIOF (China International Optics Fair) is one of China's largest optical exhibitions, held annually in Beijing. It brings together everything from the major frame and lens manufacturers to suppliers of shop equipment and ophthalmic machinery. For importers, it is the ideal setting for something an online catalogue cannot deliver: picking up the frame, feeling the material and the finishing, comparing hundreds of manufacturers side by side and telling apart those who genuinely manufacture from those who merely resell.
It is also a fair of enormous variety. Eyewear is not a single product: it is acetate, metal, titanium, children's, sports, lenses of varying index, sunglasses and all the shop equipment. Seeing that range at source is what allows you to curate a collection of your own, with private label, instead of reselling the same generic product everyone else has.
What you find at CIOF
The fair covers practically the entire eyewear chain. The categories of greatest interest to the Brazilian importer:
Acetate, metal, titanium, children's and sports. The heart of any optician's range and the segment where China is most competitive.
Single vision and progressive lenses, with anti-reflective, blue light filter and photochromic treatments.
Fashion and polarised sunglasses with UV protection, in an enormous variety of styles and price brackets.
Optical PPE for industry, laboratory and sport, a resale niche beyond the fashion shop.
Autorefractors, lensmeters, edgers, display units and all the machinery that equips an optical shop or laboratory.
Cases, chains, cleaning cloths, screws, nose pads and every replacement consumable an optician goes through.
Two of these segments already have clear demand in Brazil and appear in our Showcase of finds from the fairs: prescription spectacle frames and sunglasses. They are good starting points for understanding the cost and resale logic before going to the fair.
Why 2026 is the moment to import eyewear
Importing eyewear is not an impulse purchase: between deciding, sourcing, negotiating, inspecting, shipping and clearing customs, the typical lead time runs from 60 to 120 days. That means anyone going to CIOF in September is building the collection and the stock for the turn of the year and the selling season that follows. Reaching the decision early is what separates those who build a curated collection from those who hurriedly buy whatever is left.
The profit logic is the usual one in good sourcing: low cost at source, a healthy resale margin in Brazil, in a sector where the frame is a fashion item with high perceived value and constant repeat purchase. Add to that a broad audience, from the neighbourhood optician to the chain, and a catalogue that renews itself with every collection.
CIOF or Canton Fair? Combine the two
CIOF is the sector fair, with the depth that only an event dedicated to eyewear offers. But there are glasses and frames at the Canton Fair too, in the consumer goods section, alongside all the rest of the importing universe that Canton concentrates. For anyone crossing the world to China, it makes sense to combine: go deep on eyewear at CIOF and use Canton for volume and general variety.
It is worth remembering that CIOF (Beijing, September) comes before the October peak of the Chinese fair calendar, which makes it possible to plan an agenda that starts with eyewear and carries on to Canton. That is exactly where whoever organises the itinerary comes in. To understand the rest of the calendar, see also the comparison between Canton Fair and the Yiwu Trade Fair and the complete calendar of China trade fairs 2026.
Itinerary tip: eyewear rewards those who look closely. The same frame changes in value according to the hinge, the finishing of the temple and the quality of the soldering, details only the hand confirms. It is the type of purchase that most justifies going to the fair before placing the order.
Compliance before importing eyewear
This is the point where eyewear importers are most often caught out. Glasses are not just any fashion accessory in the eyes of Brazilian law: much of the sector is regulated.
- ANVISA: in Brazil, sunglasses, frames and ophthalmic lenses are treated as health products and follow ANVISA rules. Diagnostic optical equipment (autorefractors, lensmeters) does too. It is the sector's central requirement.
- UV protection and optical quality: sunglasses must deliver the ultraviolet protection they promise, and the lens needs genuine optical quality. That is confirmed during inspection, not by the catalogue's promise.
- Labelling and tariff classification: the NCM code for frames, lenses and sunglasses is different in each case, and labelling has to meet Brazilian rules. A specialist customs broker avoids surprises at the border.
Before importing: for eyewear, pre-shipment inspection confirms the quality of the frame (hinge, soldering, finishing) and of the lens before the container leaves China. See how quality inspection in China before shipment works.
For the wider picture of rules, deadlines and importing logistics, it is also worth reading the guide on how to import from China, which applies directly to eyewear.
How BCVN plans your trip to CIOF
Going to a sector fair in China without preparation is wasting the trip. BCVN organises the visit end to end: it defines the itinerary that combines CIOF and Canton Fair according to your business, identifies in the halls who is a manufacturer and who is an intermediary, sits in on the meetings with an interpreter and, after the fair, handles negotiation, private label, inspection and sourcing. You arrive, you look, you test and you come back with validated suppliers and a curated collection, not with a catalogue of promises.
Because fair dates change from edition to edition, we always reconfirm the official schedule before booking any trip. BCVN's role is to turn the overwhelming variety of eyewear into a lean, profitable selection.
Frequently asked questions about CIOF and importing eyewear from China
When and where does CIOF 2026 take place?
CIOF 2026 (China International Optics Fair) is scheduled for 8 to 10 September, in Beijing. Because fair dates change from edition to edition, it is essential to reconfirm on the official site before booking your trip. BCVN follows the calendar and builds the itinerary from the confirmed date.
What can you find at an optical fair in China?
Prescription spectacle frames (acetate, metal, titanium, children's), ophthalmic lenses, sunglasses, safety eyewear, shop accessories and optical equipment such as autorefractors and lensmeters. CIOF concentrates the sector; the Canton Fair also has an eyewear and optical section for anyone combining the two fairs.
Do glasses imported from China need ANVISA registration?
Yes for much of the sector. In Brazil, sunglasses, frames and ophthalmic lenses are regulated by ANVISA as health products, and so is diagnostic optical equipment. The requirement varies according to the product and its classification, so confirm before placing the order. BCVN validates the manufacturer and the technical documentation.
Is it worth going to CIOF, or should I just buy eyewear online?
Eyewear is a sector with an enormous variety of models and a level of finishing detail that catalogue photos do not convey. Seeing the frame, feeling the material, comparing manufacturers side by side and telling a manufacturer apart from a trading company at the fair greatly reduces the risk and opens the door to private label. For anyone building an eyewear range, going to the source before importing is what secures the right selection.