In 2019, the United States of America implemented tariffs of 25% on several European products including lenses that are made in Germany. These tariffs make Leica’s Made in Germany lenses significantly more expensive to USA customers. Through extensive efforts in our ongoing goals to support photographers and photo dealers, Leica Camera has made a large investment to establish a second production line in reaction to these global economic developments and market requirements.

With this new production line at Leica Camera’s state-of-the-art facility in Portugal, Leica has decided to offer USA consumers a choice to buy a selection of some of the most popular and essential Leica M-lenses, stringent to the same quality and standards expected from Leica as our German-made products, Made in Portugal, at a much lower price than their Made in Germany counterparts. The price differential is a direct result of tariffs and in no way indicative of quality standards. Leica Camera USA will now offer both Made in Germany and Made in Portugal lenses as part of our ongoing product offerings.

“We are committed to excellence and craftsmanship. As a result of the US Tariffs on Made in Germany products, we are offering select lenses made in our Portugal facility, delivering the pristine quality and service our customers expect from Leica.”

This is not the first time in Leica’s company history in which the production of cameras and lenses has changed location. During the Cold War in the 1960s, Leica moved a large percentage of its camera and lens production to Ontario, Canada, for reasons of political stability. As with Leica’s latest production move, Leica products did not suffer from quality issues from the move to Canada, and the current move should prove to be as seamless and beneficial for all—Leica customers in particular.

The nine lenses Leica is currently manufacturing in Portugal for the US market include the following, with Made in Portugal prices listed first and Made in Germany prices listed second:

• Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH (Black) – $4,395 (Portugal) – $4,895 (Germany)
• Elmarit-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH (Black) – $2,295 – $2,595
• Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 (Silver) – $2,595 – $2,895
• Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH (Black) – $3,295 – $3,695
• Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH (Silver) – $3,495 – $3,895
• Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH (Black) – $3,995 – $4,395
• Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH (Silver) – $4,195 – $4,695
• Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH (Black-Chrome) – $4,595 – $5,095
• Summicron-M 50mm f/2 (Black) – $2,395 – $2,695

This selection of Made in Portugal lenses will only be available in the USA at prices that are not impacted by tariffs, with a scheduled release in stages as follows:

August 2020:

Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH., black – #11716
Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH., silver – #11717
Leica Summilux-M 50 mm f/1.4 ASPH., black chrome – #11715

September 2020:

Leica Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH., black – #11708
Leica Summicron-M 35 mm f/2 ASPH., silver – #11709
Leica Summaron-M 28 mm f/5.6 silver – #11712

December 2020:

Leica Summicron-M 28 mm f/2 ASPH., black – #11707
Leica Summicron-M 50 mm f/2 black – #11719
Leica Elmarit-M 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH., black – #11711

More info on Leica Store Miami’s website.