After a relatively quiet Fourth of July in 2020, America is getting ready for a mega celebration this year. Unfortunately, the impact of the pandemic is still being felt, particularly in the fireworks industry where supply constraints have led to a shortage. With the sector predicting a 30 percent drop in supply this year, there is expected to be a more limited and more expensive selection on offer.

Despite the pandemic, the U.S. fireworks sector imported just under $370 million worth of pyrotechnics in 2020, the bulk of which came from China. Last year Chinese bottle rockets, roman candles and other fireworks arriving into the country were worth a collective $359 million, according to data from the UN Comtrade Database.

Interestingly, one man drives fireworks trade across the Pacific and his name is Ding Yan Zhong, a Chinese businessman. Also known as “Mr. Ding”, his companies account for about 70 percent of the pyrotechnics entering the U.S. and on average, 72 of his containers enter the country every single day. Even though China accounts for the bulk of the fireworks trade by far, the U.S. does count on several other countries for imports. Spain comes second in terms of import value with $3.6 million, a miniscule amount compared to China.

source statista

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