Trump's tariff war with China spoils US's firework festivals this 4th of July, sellers warn of worse in 2026

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3 days ago

The Fourth of July fireworks will be more expensive as US President Donald Trump's trade war with China causes headaches for companies supplying fireworks for today's celebration. Sellers warned that things will be much worse next year read more
The US imports almost all of its fireworks from China but tariffs have caused supply chain issues and scaled-back orders impacting this year and beyond. AFP
The Fourth of July fireworks will be more expensive as US President Donald Trump's trade war with China causes headaches for companies supplying fireworks for today's celebration. The sellers warned that things can get worse next year on the 250th anniversary of the US founding if the trade war continues.
According to The Independent, about 99 per cent of US fireworks come from China. Producers and importers have been struggling to navigate a rapidly changing tariff rate that has jumped from 10 per cent to 145 per cent, and to a current level of 30 per cent, which might expire in August.
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Some of the sellers noted that they locked in much of their supply in April before Trump's 145 per cent tariffs came into effect. 'By the time we figured out how to navigate this tariff thing for this year, it was a little bit too late in the game,' Bob Hamilton, the owner of a seasonal fireworks business in Indiana, told Business Insider.
China also faces the brunt
Similar strains could be felt in fireworks manufacturing hubs of Hunan, China, which makes about 60 per cent of the world's fireworks. The province is known as the historical birthplace of fireworks. While speaking to NBC News, Wendy Tang, owner of Pyroshine Fireworks in Liuyang, said that the springtime is normally the boom season for US orders.
However, many regular producers struggled to gauge how much product to produce given the fluctuating tariff rate. 'In the morning, it's 100 per cent. But in the afternoon, it's like 200 per cent,' she said. In light of this, industry figures in the US, who in the past lobbied Trump for an exemption to the tariffs, warned that the problem could magnify in 2026.
While fireworks are a low-margin business, 2026 is expected to bring an unusually high demand for the product, given the fact that the United States will be celebrating its 250th year of independence. This, combined with ongoing supply chain disruptions including scaled-back production in China, packed warehouses, and competition for shipping container space, could all have an impact on 2026 fireworks displays.
'It's really the next year that's worrying us with the manufacturing and what tariffs will do,' said Stacy Schneitter-Blake, president of the National Fireworks Association, told The New York Times. Responding to these concerns, the White House told the NYT that 'real prosperity and patriotism isn't celebrating the independence of our country with cheap foreign-made firecrackers and trinkets.'
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However, the president has a strong affinity for fireworks. During the 2020 Republican National Convention, Trump's name was written in the sky with fireworks. Recently, the Trump administration put up a fireworks show above the National Mall in Washington as part of an Army parade that coincidentally fell on his birthday. It is pertinent to note that during his first-term trade war with China, fireworks were exempt.