If you run an independent eyewear brand, a fashion boutique, or an optical shop in the United States, the United Kingdom, or Europe, you already know that finding the right sunglasses or optical frames is only half the battle. The real headache usually starts when you try to order a small batch from overseas without blowing your budget on huge factory minimums and unexpected customs charges.
Most traditional optical factories still work the old way: they ask for 500 to 1,200 pairs per style, and their prices only cover making the glasses at the factory gate (known as EXW or FOB terms). That leaves you responsible for arranging international freight, hiring a customs broker, sorting out import paperwork, and paying unpredictable tariff bills before the courier will release your boxes.
At Hermitin Optical, we keep this process simple. Shipping directly from our factories in Danyang and Taizhou, we combine a 60-pair low-MOQ private label service on our existing styles with DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) door-to-door delivery to the US, the UK, and across Europe. We take care of production, customs clearance, and import taxes on our end, so your order shows up at your door just like a normal local delivery.
Quick Overview for US, UK & European Buyers:
- No Customs Hassle (DDP Door-to-Door): We handle customs clearance and import duties for you. You don't need an import license or a customs broker.
- Start with Just 60 Pairs per Style: Add your own logo to our existing catalog styles starting at 60 pairs per model, and mix available colors within that style.
- European & North American Fit (Western Fit): Our export sunglasses and optical frames are built with wider fronts, deeper nose bridges, 145mm–150mm temples, and prescription-ready lens grooves.
1. Where Small Overseas Eyewear Orders Usually Get Stuck
When you compare factory quotes on paper, a low factory-gate price (EXW or FOB) can look great. However, if you are ordering 60 to 300 pairs rather than a full shipping container, standard shipping terms often come with hidden costs and delays once the boxes leave the factory:
- You Have to Handle Customs Yourself: Under standard FOB terms, the factory only gets your goods to a Chinese port or airport. Once the shipment lands in the US, the UK, or Europe, you have to hire a licensed customs broker to file the import paperwork and pay fixed brokerage and bond fees. On a small order of 100 or 200 pairs, those fixed paperwork fees quickly drive up your cost per pair.
- Packages Held by Couriers for Tax Payments: If a supplier sends your order by standard international express without pre-paying duties (often called DDU), the courier will hold your boxes at a local depot in your country. Before they deliver, they send you an invoice for import tariffs, local VAT, plus the courier’s own administrative handling fee.
- Too Much Cash Tied Up in One Style: Most factories ask for 500 to 1,000 pairs per model. Locking up $10,000 to $20,000 (or £8,000 to £15,000) in a single untested eyewear style is a heavy risk when you would rather test three or four different models with your customers first.
2. How Our DDP Door-to-Door Shipping Works
To save our clients from dealing with customs brokers and courier holds, we ship most orders to the US, the UK, and Europe through our Air DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) channel. (If you are ordering larger restock volumes and want to save further on freight, Sea and Rail DDP are also available.)
In plain terms, DDP means we take care of the entire shipping and customs journey from our factory floor to your front door. Before your order ships, we calculate one all-inclusive shipping cost based on your box weight and delivery address. That single quote covers international freight, export paperwork in China, import customs clearance in your country, and all import duties and taxes. You pay one clear total upfront, and nobody will call or text you asking for extra duty payments before delivery.
Once your shipment clears customs, the final delivery is completed by local couriers you already know, such as UPS, FedEx, DPD, or DHL, with full tracking. We deliver straight to optical shops, retail boutiques, home studios, or fulfillment warehouses across the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union (as well as Canada and Australia).
| What You Deal With | Traditional Factory (FOB / Unpaid Duty) | Hermitin Optical (DDP Door-to-Door) |
|---|---|---|
| Customs Clearance | You hire a broker or clear via courier | Handled by us (Zero paperwork for you) |
| Import Duties & Taxes | Billed upon arrival before parcel release | Included upfront in your shipping quote |
| Minimum Order (MOQ) | 500 – 1,200 pairs per style | 60 pairs per style (Color mixing allowed) |
| Production Lead Time | 60 – 90 days | 10 – 15 days (Existing styles + custom logo) |
| Final Delivery | Held at depot until charges are paid | Delivered to your door via UPS / FedEx / DPD |
3. Two Ways to Build Your Collection: 60-Pair Private Label vs. Custom OEM
Most of our clients in the US, UK, and Europe are either independent eyewear and fashion brands launching new drops, or optical shops building their own house brand. Depending on your budget and timeline, you can choose between two clear production options.
Option A: Private-Labeling Our Existing Styles (60 Pairs per Style, 10–15 Days)
If you want to launch quickly without paying thousands of dollars in custom mold fees, you can choose proven sunglasses or optical frames directly from our Downloadable Catalogs and add your own brand logo to the temples, lenses, and inner temple arms.
- Mix Colors Within the 60-Pair Minimum: You only need 60 pairs per style, and you don’t have to put all 60 pairs into a single color. If a style has three colors available in our catalog, you can split your 60 pairs into 20 Black, 20 Tortoiseshell, and 20 Crystal.
- Clean, Durable Logo Printing: Depending on the frame material, we apply your logo using laser engraving, hot foil stamping (gold or silver debossing into acetate), silk-screen/pad printing, or 3D metal stickers.
- Transparent Sampling & Setup Fees (No Double Charging):
- Sample First, Then Order Bulk: Pay $75 to inspect a physical sample printed with your logo first. Once approved, when you place your 60 to 299 pair order per style, you do not pay the $35.00 logo plate fee again ($0.00 plate fee) because your tooling film was already made during sampling. You only pay the +$0.35/location/pair printing fee, and once your order volume for that model reaches 300+ pairs, your initial $75.00 sample fee is refunded in full.
- Direct Bulk Order: If you skip physical sampling and order 60 to 299 pairs per style directly, logo plate setup is a flat $35.00 (and $0.00 at 300+ pairs per style). You can model all costs live on our Instant Quote Calculator.
Option B: Full Custom / Bespoke OEM & ODM From Scratch (600–1,200 Pairs per Style)
Once you have proven best-sellers and want to create a completely new eyewear design from your own sketches, 3D CAD drawings, or physical reference samples, our engineering team can build dedicated molds for your brand.
Because making a new design from scratch requires ordering custom raw material batches and setting up dedicated tooling, full custom OEM/ODM requires 600 to 1,200 pairs per style depending on the frame material (acetate, stainless steel, pure or beta titanium, or TR90 injection). At this level, you can customize every detail, including specific acetate sheet patterns, custom engraved wire cores, 5-barrel or 7-barrel hinges, and custom lens tints.
4. Western Fit Proportions & Prescription Glazing Quality
A common mistake buyers in North America and Europe make when ordering from general online wholesale sites is accidentally buying glasses made on domestic Asian-fit molds. Those styles usually have flat fronts, narrow temple widths, and shallow bridges that pinch the sides of the head or sit too high on Western noses.
Because our catalog is built specifically for export markets, our sunglasses and optical frames use European & North American (Western Fit) proportions with deeper keyhole and saddle bridges, comfortable front widths, and 145mm–150mm temples. For optical shops and opticians, our acetate and metal optical frames are also machined with deep, even V-grooves so local optical labs can heat and fit prescription lenses smoothly without warping the rim.
What You Can Browse in Our Catalog Download Center:
- Hand-Polished Acetate Sunglasses & Optical Frames: Classic squares, rounds, and keyhole pantos in tortoiseshell, horn, black, and crystal colors with visible metal wire cores.
- Lightweight Titanium & Metal Optical Frames: Hypoallergenic pure titanium, beta titanium, and stainless steel spectacles built for everyday prescription wear.
- UV400 Polarized Sunglasses: Glare-cutting polarized lenses paired with acetate or metal frames for lifestyle, driving, and travel brands.
- Wrap-Around TR90 Sports Eyewear: Flexible, impact-resistant cycling, running, and golf sunglasses with sweat-resistant printed logos.
- Custom Branded Cases & Packaging: You can match your eyewear with foldable cases, hard cases, microfiber pouches, cleaning cloths, and retail boxes from our Custom Cases & Packaging range and ship everything together in the same DDP box.
5. How Your Order Works from Start to Delivery
- Pick Your Styles & Check Product Pricing: Download our latest catalogs from the Download Center to pick your model numbers. You can use our Instant Quote Calculator to check eyewear, logo, and packaging prices right away, and send us your postal code so we can quote your exact DDP shipping cost.
- Free Digital Mockup (In as Fast as 24 Hours): Send us your logo file (AI, PDF, or EPS). Our team will put together a digital layout showing exact logo sizing and placement on your chosen glasses and cases in as fast as 24 hours.
- 10–15 Day Production & Quality Check: Once you approve the mockup (or physical sample), our workshop completes the logo work and checks every pair for hinge tension, frame alignment, and lens cleanliness.
- DDP Door-to-Door Delivery: We pack your glasses and custom cases together, handle all customs clearance and import taxes under our DDP channel, and send your tracking number as the boxes head to your address in the US, UK, or Europe.
Frequently Asked Questions (DDP Shipping & Low-MOQ Eyewear Sourcing)
1. Do I need an import license or customs broker to order from Hermitin to the US, UK, or Europe?
No. When we ship via DDP (Delivered Duty Paid), our logistics team takes care of export declarations, destination customs clearance, and import duties upfront. You don’t need to hire a customs broker or fill out import forms, and your boxes are delivered straight to your door by local carriers like UPS, FedEx, DPD, or DHL.
2. Are import duties and tariffs really included in the DDP shipping quote?
Yes. DDP means all customs clearance fees and import tariffs are calculated and paid upfront as part of your shipping quote. Your parcels will not be held at a courier depot waiting for tax payments, and you will not get hit with unexpected duty invoices upon delivery.
3. What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) to put my brand logo on sunglasses or optical frames?
If you private-label our existing catalog styles, the MOQ is just 60 pairs per style, and you can mix available catalog colors within that style. If you want full custom / bespoke OEM production (making a brand-new mold or custom material colorway from scratch), the MOQ is 600 to 1,200 pairs per style depending on the frame material.
4. How long does production and Air DDP shipping take?
For 60-pair private-label orders on existing styles, logo production and quality inspection take 10 to 15 days. After dispatch, Air DDP door-to-door delivery to most addresses in the US, the UK, and Western Europe typically takes around 7 to 12 business days including customs clearance.
5. Can I ship custom eyewear cases and packaging in the same order?
Yes. We produce custom eyewear cases, pouches, cloths, and retail boxes in-house and pack them together with your glasses in the same DDP shipment. This keeps your shipping cost down and means your products arrive ready to sell.
Ready to Start Your Next Eyewear Collection?
Whether you want to test the market with 60 pairs per style or develop a 600–1,200 pair custom OEM line, we make it easy to get factory-direct quality delivered straight to your door in the US, UK, or Europe without customs headaches.
- Check Eyewear & Logo Pricing Online: Try our Interactive Instant Quote Calculator to see live pricing on sunglasses, optical frames, logo printing, and custom packaging.
- Get Catalogs, a DDP Quote & a Free Mockup: Message us on WhatsApp at +86 186 5189 4158 or email [email protected] with your target styles and postal/ZIP code to get an exact DDP shipping estimate and a free digital logo mockup in as fast as 24 hours.