Liberation Day might have cost you Independence Day: Firework costs skyrockets on Trump tariffs

Independent

01-05-2025

Fireworks wholesalers and distributors are halting the shipment of goods into the U.S. after President Donald Trump announced his ' Liberation Day' tariffs earlier this month.
China is the world's largest producer of fireworks, but goods from the country have been socked by Trump with a 145 percent tariff, forcing American distributors to stop purchasing the products from the country.
That means Americans might end up going without fireworks for this year's July Fourth holiday, according to a report from NBC News.
Days after announcing the tariffs, Trump implemented a 90-day pause for most countries, but raised China's to the three-digit figure.
According to the National Fireworks Association, Trump's new trade policy went into effect as companies were ordering the last of their holiday fireworks. About 75 percent of fireworks used in shows and 99 percent of consumer fireworks come from China.
Many countries say the tariffs are too costly and it's unlikely consumers would take on significant price hikes, reported NBC News.
Fireworks aren't the only products at risk. The tariffs stand to make everyday products more expensive, particularly toys for children as small business toymakers struggle to navigate the tariffs.
About 64 percent of small toy companies and 80 percent of mid-sized toy companies have said they've canceled orders due to the tariff-hiked prices. Additionally, half of those companies also said they would go out of business within weeks or months if Trump's China policy doesn't change, according to a survey from the Toy Association.
The president dismissed those concerns during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday, saying ships coming into the country were largely carrying products 'we don't need.'
'Somebody said, 'Oh, the shelves are going to be bare.' Well, maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30, you know?' Trump commented, adding, 'And maybe the two dolls will cost a couple of bucks more than they would normally.'
The New York Post mocked Trump's comments by putting a Barbie on its front cover Thursday with the headline: 'Skimp on the Barbie.'
Stacy Schneitter Blake, president of the National Fireworks Association, told NBC News in a statement: 'Shipping has essentially stopped. While there's still a good amount of fireworks in the U.S. from wholesalers who stocked up earlier, we're still expecting shortages because many of us typically rely on shipments that would have arrived over the past month.'
Schneitter Blake said her business had to halt several shipments that wouldn't have reached the U.S. before the implementation of tariffs.
'With tariffs this high, bringing fireworks in just isn't feasible, so we've had to leave shipments overseas,' she noted.
Stephen Vitale, who runs Live Events, a company that does more than 3,000 fireworks shows a year, said he's going to start getting nervous if the policy doesn't shift in the next 30 to 45 days.
'We've placed orders for 2026, but based on the tariffs, we've paused any production until we have some certainty.'
It might already be too late this summer to meet demand across the country, even if tariffs are reduced. In China, the manufacturing of fireworks stops due to rising temperatures, which could leave consumers waiting for fireworks until the following year.