Communities planning their 4th of July festivities may find themselves looking at much higher costs this year due to the ongoing trade war with China.
With the tariff on imports from China, fireworks companies like Zambelli International are looking at higher costs in an industry that has very thin margins to begin with. Global Times reported that "from February 2024 to January 2025, the US imported $508 million worth of fireworks, with $481 million, about 95 percent, of those fireworks originating from China."
News 9 reported that The Trump Administration increased the tariff on imported Chinese products to 54%, "including fireworks, just as shipments ordered last year are arriving at U.S. ports."
Mike Hartman, the president of Zambelli, says for the type of shows they do, there are no domestic manufacturers, so they're reaching out to their customers.
“It's no secret that the tariffs are out there, it’s is in the news,” said Hartman. “Yes, they do impact us pretty significantly. And what we're trying to do is just ask our customers to share the cost.”
He says they're treating each production individually to try and work with their customers.
But he also says the impact of the tariffs could be felt well into next year when the United States celebrates its 250th birthday.