How the U.S.-China trade war could cut fireworks displays short this Fourth of July

LIUYANG, China — There are few sights more dazzling than fireworks on the Fourth of July.

LIUYANG, China — There are few sights more dazzling than fireworks on the Fourth of July. Yet all the sparkle and sound on the most American day of the year relies almost solely on China, which is mired in a trade war with the United States that could disrupt fireworks displays across the country from big cities to backyard barbecues.

The U.S. imported more than 120,000 tons of fireworks in 2023, with over 97% of them — including those displayed at Independence Day celebrations — coming from China, according to the World Bank. American fireworks wholesalers and distributors are warning that President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese imports could limit supply and send prices soaring unless the duties are brought down.

Though most Chinese-made fireworks were shipped in time for this year’s Fourth of July celebrations, uncertainty hangs over future holidays as well as the “grand celebration” Trump has promised for the 250th anniversary of American independence next year.

Workers making fireworks at a factory in Liuyang, China.Fred Dufour / NBC NewsU.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, which had reached as high as 145%, are currently at 30% after the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day trade truce that ends in mid-August. The tariff rate for fireworks was previously 5%.

The uncertainty is felt strongly here in Liuyang, a production hub in the southern Chinese province of Hunan that on its own makes nearly 60% of the world’s fireworks. The city of about 1.5 million people is proudly known as the birthplace of fireworks, with a history in the business dating to China’s Tang Dynasty more than 1,000 years ago.