Overview

• The 30 percent tariff rate on Chinese fireworks is set to lapse July 9 when a 90-day pause concludes, raising the prospect of a return to 145 percent duties.
• Most importers secured 2025 Independence Day inventory under the 30 percent rate, but higher costs have squeezed margins for smaller family businesses.
• Trade groups including the American Pyrotechnics Association and National Fireworks Association are lobbying the administration and U.S. Trade Representative for exemptions or a reduced rate.
• Domestic reshoring of fireworks manufacturing remains unworkable due to land, regulatory and safety constraints that limit new U.S. production.
• Unpredictable duties threaten to shorten or cancel high-profile semiquincentennial displays in 2026, particularly in smaller communities.