A large number of Chinese tariffs by President Donald Trump are endangering U.S. fireworks show, threatening to raise prices and limit supply.

American fireworks wholesalers and distributors say they have been canceling shipments from China on their fourth holiday in July. Some have also stopped manufacturing in China in fireworks to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. independence next year. Trump raised the April 2 tariff rollout (he called "Liberation Day") to 145% effective import tax on nearly all Chinese goods, even though he backed down most other seats a few days later.

According to the National Fireworks Association, the chaotic trade policy fluctuations last month occurred when US fireworks companies prepared to obtain their fourth cargo from China last July, which allowed about 75% of professional performance fireworks and 99% of U.S. consumers to use fireworks in the United States. The companies said the tariffs were too steep to absorb, and the price of hiking to customers could not offset them, which would make their products unbearable.

“We have certainly a lot of urgency in our industry, and it’s a very, very serious situation,” said Michael Ingram, CEO of Missouri distributor America Fireworks. "It's a pity to let the sky dark on July 4th."

Trump's Chinese tariffs have had a ripple effect throughout the U.S. economy, with retailers stopping goods starting from China due to the high tariff costs. Seasonal products such as Christmas toys or Halloween costumes, as the time range for companies to produce and import is limited.

Trump dismissed the impact of getting off the car from Chinese freight on Wednesday, saying the ships were “full of things, many, not all, but a lot of things we don’t need.”

"Someone said, 'Oh, the shelves will be naked.' Well, maybe the kids will have two dolls, not 30 dolls, you know?" he said in a meeting with the cabinet. "Maybe the cost of these two dolls is much more than usual."

Ingram said his company managed to send most of July's fourth fireworks into the U.S. before the tariffs. But he stopped shipping of 120,000 cases that have not arrived in time in China. Some of the supplies were provided to the veterans group that brought the proceeds of the sale of fireworks to fund suicide prevention programs, he said.

"Transportation has essentially stopped. While wholesalers still have a lot of fireworks in the United States, we are still looking forward to a shortage because many of us usually rely on goods that will arrive in the past month."

While most of the larger pyrotechnic companies are able to include most of their goods before they reach the tariffs, some smaller plans plan to reduce their displays.

"There are certainly some companies that may only order one or two containers for this season, and the product is now coming in at a 145% tariff and it's really in trouble," Ingram said.

Schneitter Blake said this likely means that people who buy fireworks from retailers on July 4 this year are more expensive, and those who choose fewer. Her 130-year-old family business had to stop a few shipments that could not reach before the tariffs came into effect.

“With such high tariffs, bringing fireworks in is not feasible, so we have to leave the goods overseas,” she said, adding that many others have paid to return the goods to the warehouse rather than accepting higher prices for delivery.

Wholesalers and distributors said the tariffs also jeopardize the fireworks report to mark the national six-year anniversary in July 2026. The ongoing trade war uncertainty has led many companies to cancel orders for performances next year, while Chinese factories shut down production when they should accelerate.

“You just can’t have a business like this – no one can do it,” said Greg Hebert, owner of Houston-based Adventure Fireworks.

He said two bulk orders placed with Chinese suppliers last month almost escaped thousands of dollars in tariff charges. This cleared the way for the fireworks and showed his corporate clients attending this summer’s celebration. But tariffs have stifled his company’s growth plan, which Herbert built after the pandemic.

"Now we have to wait because we can't afford a container of consumer fireworks right now," he said.

Even if the tariffs on fireworks are quickly raised, it may be too late to raise production in a timely manner to meet our needs. By summer, due to the hot temperature, fireworks manufacturing in China was shut down. After that, production turned to European and Chinese markets to make products before the Lunar New Year was stopped.

"We will become very nervous if things don't change in the next 30 to 45 days," said Stephen Vitale, who has been in the fireworks business for five generations and has performed 3,600 fireworks shows each year. “We have placed orders for 2026, but under the tariffs, we have stopped any production until we have some certainty.”

Industry groups said they asked the White House to similar tariff exemptions for Trump's first trade war with China in 2019. The groups met with government officials and lawmakers but said they received no promises.

"The government has regular contacts with business leaders, industry groups and everyday Americans about our trade and economic policies," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement. "But President Trump is clear: If you are concerned about tariffs, the solution is simple. Made in the United States."

Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Fireworks Association, said it was not a good choice.

"It doesn't make sense to try to make in the United States at this point," she said. "We don't have raw materials and no one wants to do this kind of work. It's very dangerous to make explosive, and it's very intensive." Heckman added that production facilities require a lot of land and safety regulations.

Vitale's family used to make fireworks in the United States, but stopped in the 1990s, partly because it couldn't compete with China's lower-cost competitors.

“If we start trying to remanufacturing manufacturing tomorrow, it will take two to three years to increase, and maybe we can fill 10% of product demand,” he said. “No one can produce fireworks at the professional level and/or at the consumer level like the Chinese.”

Even if tariffs are raised in the coming days or weeks, given the lag time of shipping from China, there is likely not enough time to bring the rest of its products to the United States.

Partner Zach Terhark said Iowa Fireworks joins about 50 roadside firework companies across the state and recently canceled two container shipments from China. But he couldn't stop a third. It is now heading to the U.S., where Terhark is trying to figure out how to pay for tariffs while creating hope for some kind of exemption. Otherwise, he will have to charge the client more.

"I support President Trump, I support the work he is trying to accomplish, but for our industry, it's really a bad time, and we're just stuck in the middle," he said. "Many industries like us are overlooked about what's going on. Many seasonal businesses, you can't just stop. You have to have something of your own or you won't have any sales."

Terhark added that his company's firework stands are "run by Boy Scouts, churches, families, school teachers - they depend on this money in the summer to pay the bills and spend vacations with their families. Some real people count on that income."