042622...R FIREWORKS...Austintown...04-26-22...Lucas Combine of Boardman, assistant manager at Phantom Fireworks in Austintown, talks about the types of fireworks that are very popular with customers...by R. Michael Semple

HOWLAND — Every year, events like the Fourth of July paint the night sky with bursts of red, white and blue — a tradition as American as backyard barbecues and parades.

But this year, those celebrations face an unexpected threat, not from the common threats of rainy days, but from a trade war that has sent fireworks prices soaring overnight.

The U.S. fireworks industry is reeling after tariffs on Chinese imports — the source of nearly all American fireworks — jumped this week to 145%, up from just 54% days earlier. The crushing duties, part of an escalating trade standoff with Beijing, have left businesses scrambling to secure inventory for this summer’s festivities while sounding alarms about next year’s historic milestone to mark the nation’s 250th birthday.

“The 250th anniversary of American independence should be the greatest celebration in our history,” said Bruce Zoldan, CEO of Phantom Fireworks, his voice tinged with urgency during an industry meeting in Ohio. “But right now, we’re facing the very real possibility that there won’t be enough fireworks to meet the demand.”

Zoldan said he has paused production at the company’s manufacturing facilities in China.

The numbers tell a stark story for consumer-grade fireworks, which now carry a 109.3% tariff, up from 5.3%, while professional display fireworks face a 106.4% duty, up from 2.4%. For an industry that sources 99% of its products from China — where fireworks production dates back 2,000 years — the tariffs are more than a financial hurdle. They’re an existential crisis, according to numbers cited by the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA).

“We’re seeing price increases daily,” Zoldan said. “What cost us $100,000 imports last month now costs $245,000. Small retailers simply can’t absorb that.”

His company rushed to import 65% of its inventory before the tariffs hit, but the remaining 35% could cost nearly triple what it did weeks ago, forcing tough choices about which communities get fireworks and which see darkened skies.

The crisis extends beyond immediate finances. “People ask why we don’t just stockpile earlier,” Zoldan said. “Fireworks are explosive materials, storage costs are astronomical, and insurance won’t cover massive inventories. This isn’t like storing toys in a warehouse.”

The stakes are highest for 2026’s semiquincentennial, a once-in-a-generation event that President Donald Trump has vowed to make “the biggest celebration in U.S. history.” Fireworks orders for the anniversary must be placed now, but factories in China, which supply the entire world, are already at capacity.

“There’s no backup plan,” Zoldan said. “You can’t just move fireworks production to Vietnam or start making them in Ohio. The expertise, the supply chains — they’re all in China, and they’ve been there for millennia.” He said, “We’ve explored making fireworks in America. But the environmental regulations, insurance costs and lack of skilled pyrotechnicians make it impossible to compete with China’s $2 an hour labor and centuries of expertise.”

Trade groups are fighting for relief. Representatives from the APA met with White House officials this week, while an industry letter-writing campaign has generated 2,584 appeals to Congress. “I’ve personally spoken to (Vice President J.D.) Vance’s office three times this week,” Zoldan said. “This isn’t about corporate profits — it’s about saving small town celebrations and family traditions.”

But with China retaliating Friday with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods, the window for compromise appears narrow. The financial impact is already being felt nationwide as experts warn that a $20,000 municipal fireworks display last year could balloon to $50,000 or a $50 backyard firework jumping to $120 this summer. Industry experts predict 30% of fireworks retailers could close permanently.

“The family making $50,000 a year might decide it’s not worth it, and that breaks my heart,” Zoldan said.

In Warren, the news hit like a dud firework. “The Fourth of July is our Christmas,” said one longtime retailer. “If we lose this, we lose more than sales. We lose something that brings communities together.”

Zoldan, who remembers the magic of hometown fireworks displays from his childhood in the 1960s, worries current generations may lose that experience.

“Normally we’re competitors, but every major fireworks company is working together on this,” he said. “We’ve even got Disney’s fireworks buyers joining our calls — that’s how serious this is.”

As the trade war escalates, the pyrotechnics industry’s message to Washington remains simple — don’t let America’s birthday go dark.

With the nation’s 250th anniversary just one year away and this year’s July 4 celebrations already in jeopardy, the clock is ticking to preserve a tradition that has defined American summers for centuries.