We're three weeks into Q4, and we've already seen enough of H2 2026 to put numbers on paper. Raw materials? Barely a ripple. The damage came from the exchange rate.
One thing worth knowing upfront: at our Shenzhen eyewear factory, acetate sunglasses, TR90 sport frames and titanium optical frames all sit on the same cost base. What follows applies to all three.
The biggest variable: the USD/CNY rate
In October 2025, a dollar got you about 7.1 yuan. This October the CFETS midpoint is hovering near 6.72 - 6.7192 on 21 October - and the onshore spot dipped to 6.6760 the same week. Two numbers, one story: the yuan is up roughly 6% on the dollar over twelve months.
(Quick note, since buyers see both figures on screen: the midpoint is the daily reference rate CFETS sets; the onshore spot trades around it.)
Here's where it hurts. Say you're buying acetate sunglasses from us at $12 FOB. The invoice says $12 today, same as a year ago. But when we convert that $12 at the end of the quarter, it buys us about 4.5 yuan less than it used to. Per pair. Multiply by a 5,000-piece order and you're looking at 22,000-plus yuan - over $3,300 - gone from factory margin. On a program that size, that is real money.
We swallow it. Materials stayed flat, so they can't cover the gap, and wages went up another 3–5% this year. The space between our quote and our profit is thinner than it was in January. We'd rather tell you that straight than let it show up as a revised quote later.
Raw material costs: what actually moved
One by one:
TR90 (Grilamid PA12). On our books it tracked 2025 levels all through 2026 - virgin EMS pellets at the top of the range, domestic PA12 compounds below. On a TR90 sport frame, the resin is a rounding error next to frame and labor.
Titanium wire (ASTM B863 Gr2). Holding. Beta titanium costs more per kilo; it always has. Honestly, the wire was never the expensive part of a titanium frame. The money is in machining and welding - laser welding, CNC profiling, hand finishing - and that's exactly where this year's wage increase lands.
Acetate sheet. The big Italian mills held their prices through 2026. Domestic sheet crept up a little on tighter environmental enforcement in Zhejiang and Jiangsu, low single digits. Keep in mind a typical acetate frame eats 30–45 grams of sheet, and offcut waste runs 50–60% in cutting and milling. Move sheet by a few percent and the FOB price shifts by cents. Nobody wins or loses a sunglasses program over cents.
Lenses. The one piece of good news. TAC polarized, CR-39 and nylon dyed lenses have been stable to soft all year. The lens makers in Wenzhou and Xiamen are fighting for volume, and that price pressure lands straight in your FOB quote. Running standard TAC in 2027? There's money on the table today.
H2 2026 cost snapshot
| Cost item | Change since early 2026 | Direction |
|---|
| USD/CNY midpoint | 6.90 → 6.72 | Yuan up ~2.5% |
| TR90 / PA12 resin | Flat | - |
| Titanium wire | Flat | - |
| Italian acetate sheet | Flat | - |
| TAC / CR-39 / nylon lenses | Stable to soft | Slight downward |
| Factory labor | +3–5% | Up |
| Packaging (color box, pouch, manual) | Flat | - |
Note: the ~6% figure above is the full year-over-year move from October 2025. The table tracks the change from early 2026 levels.
So what does this mean if you're comparing quotes? Our dollar FOB prices haven't moved this year. This week's number looks a lot like May's. What shrank is the room behind it - the room a factory needs to eat a last-minute design change, a color-match redo, or a rushed reorder without touching the price.
What this means for your 2027 budget
Three things, in order of urgency:
- Lock a 2026 rate while you can. If the yuan keeps grinding up, Q1 2027 dollar quotes will show a visible adjustment. A PO confirmed in Q4 2026 keeps this year's rate. Full stop.
- Build your collection around stock materials. We keep acetate colors, TAC lens stock and TR90 pellets on the shelf. Pick from those and you get standard MOQ and a fast sampling loop. Custom colors and custom lens dyes still carry tooling and MOQ - no change there.
- Give titanium a little headroom. Small-batch titanium margin is thin, and the labor in a titanium frame gets pricier every single year. Cost your 2027 titanium optical frames at today's levels. Waiting for a titanium discount is a slow way to miss your budget.
Where we stand
Leeyewear is a Shenzhen eyewear manufacturer - acetate sunglasses, TR90 sport sunglasses, titanium optical frames, plus OEM/ODM programs for buyers who bring their own designs. Our H2 2026 quotes match the table above, and we're holding 2026 pricing on orders confirmed before year-end. Everything we see in the 2027 rate outlook says stronger yuan. We'd rather flag it now than spring a revised quote on you in February.
2027 program in the works? A private label acetate sunglasses line, a TR90 sport launch, a titanium optical collection - send the specs. We quote within one business day.
Sources
China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS) - USD/CNY central parity 6.7192 on 21 Oct 2026; onshore spot low 6.6760 same week
Xe.com - USD/CNY 12-month range 6.67–7.13; yuan up ~6% year over year
Total Materia - ASTM B863 Gr2 titanium indicative price, last benchmarked March 2026 and reconfirmed with our wire suppliers in October