Optical Goods Retailers NAICS 456130

Feb 22, 2026 - Trump Administration's Global Tariffs Struck Down By US Supreme Court

• The US Supreme Court ruled in late February 2026 that President Trump exceeded his authority when imposing tariffs using a law reserved for a national emergency. The decision only invalidates tariffs implemented using a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). IEEPA tariffs represent about half of the import taxes that the government is collecting each month, according to National Public Radio. Optical goods retailers are likely to benefit if the cost of goods imported from countries that were hit with tariffs decreases. The Trump administration can use other laws to impose duties on goods from other countries, however, and President Trump issued an executive order shortly after the Supreme Court ruling that implements a new tariff under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Section 122 allows the president to institute a "temporary import surcharge" of up to 15% if he finds there are "large and serious United States balance of-payments deficits" or to "prevent an imminent and significant depreciation of the [US] dollar in foreign exchange markets." The tariffs can last for up to 150 days, after which Congress may have to take action to extend them, according to NBC News, and the law is also not clear on whether the administration could restart the tariffs immediately after the 150 days with another executive order. The new tariff will result in a major decrease to tariffs applied to most key trading partners, according to NBC News. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, however that the administration would also open Section 301 investigations on "most major trading partners" on an "accelerated timeframe." The investigations could allow the administration to impose tariffs under that section of the 1974 law if it finds that "the rights of the US are being denied under any trade agreement," or whether any trade agreement is "unjustifiable and burdens or restricts United States commerce." Other approaches to tariffs also remain available: The Trump administration has already used Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act to impose tariffs on goods determined to be a national security threat. Section 232 has been applied it to goods ranging from aluminum to bathroom vanities, according to Business Insider.
• Vision Source was the leading optical retailer in the United States in 2024 with $3.03 billion in sales, according to Vision Monday. Luxottica retail and National Vision Holdings ranked second and third, respectively. Walmart was ranked first among US mass merchant retailers/club retailers with an optical department in 2024, with sales just over $2 billion, according to Vision Monday. Costco finished the year in second place with $1.7 billion in sales. Target/Super Target was third with $535 million, Sams Club was fourth with $206 million, and BJ's Wholesale was fifth with $99 million. Vision Monday’s Top 50 US retailers saw organic growth in 2024 via new store and office openings. The collective sales of Vision Monday’s Top 50 US retailers increased 4% year over year in 2024 to an estimated $21 billion across 16,471 locations.

• Independent practices and smaller retailers may feel the effects of tariffs most acutely, according to the Vision Council. Reduced supplier flexibility and potential shipping delays could disrupt both stock management and pricing stability. The Vision Council urged optical goods retailers to review their supplier contracts, discuss contingency sourcing with distributors, and plan ahead for possible pricing adjustments in patient communications.
• Optical goods retailing industry employment and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first 11 months of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Optical goods retail sales are forecast to grow at a 6.94% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.