Optometry Practices NAICS 621320

Sep 2, 2025 - Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Trump Administration Tariffs

• The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled that President Trump overstepped his authority when he declared national emergencies to justify tariffs on many countries. Optometry practices are likely to benefit if the cost of goods imported from countries that were hit with tariffs decrease. US law “bestows significant authority on the president to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax”, the court said in the 7-4 ruling. Many of President Trump’s steep tariffs are “unbounded in scope, amount and duration”, the ruling added, and “assert an expansive authority that is beyond the express limitations” of the law his administration has cited. The court said that the ruling would not take effect until October 14. The Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court.
• US tariffs on Chinese imports could result in increased costs for frames, sunglasses, and other glasses imports like readers, goggles, and blue light glasses, according to the US International Trade Commission. China is currently the largest source of eyeglass frames and mounting (plastic and non-plastic) imports into the US and the second-largest source of non-glass spectacle lenses (with Mexico coming in first). Prices of production equipment including but not limited to lens grinding and coating equipment, lens generators, lens finding machines, lens polishers, and lens edgers are also likely to be impacted by tariffs.

• Optometry practice owners have been selling their practices and retiring at an increasing rate during the past five years, according to Invision Magazine. This has boosted demand for associate Doctors of Optometry to fill the vacant spots. Private practice is not appealing when it’s a choice between going into debt to start your business or accepting a high six-figure salary and a generous package as an employee, according to Invision. Compensation demanded by young optometrists reflects the disparity between low supply and high demand. The average day rate for a part-time optometrist is now above $700 and, in some markets, above $800.
• Optometry practice employment and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first five months of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. US optometry practice sales are forecast to grow at a 6.08% compounded annual rate from 2024 to 2028, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.