U.S. exports of Contact Lenses (SITC 88411) totaled $97.9M in August 2026.
Importers of Contact Lenses paid $5.0M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 9.94% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Contact Lenses imports of $50.5M in August 2026 ran 20% below the year-to-date monthly average of $63.0M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataContact lenses are regulated as medical devices by the FDA, requiring that foreign manufacturers be registered and that lenses meet applicable device quality-system regulations before entry into US commerce — a compliance threshold that applies equally to corrective, cosmetic (plano), and therapeutic lenses. Soft hydrogel and silicone-hydrogel lenses dominate global trade volume, while rigid gas-permeable (RGP) and specialty scleral lenses serve smaller but clinically significant segments. Importers should ensure that each lens type is covered by a valid FDA 510(k) clearance or premarket approval, and that labeling meets FDA requirements, before shipment.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
1.7K import shipments a month
Yes — FDA classifies all contact lenses, including purely cosmetic plano lenses with no refractive correction, as medical devices subject to premarket notification (510(k)) or approval requirements. Importers of decorative lenses must ensure the product has valid FDA clearance and that it is sold only through licensed eye-care professionals or with a valid prescription, per the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act.
FDA requires that contact lens labeling include the device name, manufacturer information, lens parameters (base curve, diameter, power), material name, wearing schedule, and care instructions, among other elements. Shipments with non-compliant or foreign-language-only labeling may be detained at the port of entry, so importers should verify label compliance before the goods ship.
Basic heading 36 of 419 in section 8
Basic heading 88411 · $97.9M of $18.4B
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Exports · August 2026
destination
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
origin
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$50.5MYoY · free account
Exports
$97.9MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $765.0M of Contact Lenses.
Through August 2026 · exports 11 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.