Tariffs on fireworks could cause price increases

DELMARVA – Looking ahead to next year’s Fourth of July, consumers looking for fireworks might not be getting the same bang for their buck.

2026 is projected to be a big year for the firework industry. Not only will Independence Day fall on a Saturday, but it’s also the nation’s 250th anniversary. Tariffs on Chinese imports could potentially dull that spark with the cost of fireworks seeing increases. About 99% of consumer fireworks in the U.S. are manufactured in China, which means they are being hit with an import tax of 30%.

Jake Hess, the route manager of Keystone Fireworks on the Eastern Shore, shared that while he can’t project what next year will look like, placing orders on fireworks early last year helped stabilize this year’s prices.

“We got a lot of our orders in early last year, and so this year we have managed to keep them very similar to last year.” He said, “The only thing we saw was the shipping. It took some little problems getting them into the warehouse.”

With firework prices up in the air for next year, industry leaders are watching closely to see how tariffs will affect upcoming Fourth of July celebrations.