Americaâs July 4 fireworks likely come from China

Traditions abound on July 4 across the United States. Whether its spending time at the beach or at the lake or grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, Americans know how to celebrate the nation’s independence.

The tradition most associated with the celebration of what’s formally known as Independence Day is fireworks. And most likely, those fireworks come from China – one of America’s foremost geopolitical rivals.

According to a study by Value Penguin, which analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau USA Trade Online portal, more than 97 percent of fireworks imported by the U.S. come from China. The value of those fireworks exceeds $580 million – perhaps giving China a reason to celebrate on July 4 as well.

China’s outsized role on fireworks is not a new phenomenon. In 2018, NPR reported that 99 percent of backyard consumer fireworks came from China as well as about 70 percent of professional display fireworks.

Alabama, though, is among the nation’s leaders in exporting fireworks, according to Value Penguin. The state ranks seventh, though the value of those exports is only $340,531. Tennessee is the national leader with an export value of more than $3.1 million.

Meanwhile, Americans love their fireworks. Data from the American Pyrotechnics Association indicates fireworks revenue has steadily risen since the start of the century and more than doubled since 2019. The APA said Americans last year spent $2.3 billion on fireworks while display fireworks revenue accounted for another $400 million.

Put another way, American consumption of consumer fireworks topped 436 million pounds last year, according to the APA, while professional display fireworks added up to another 25.3 million pounds.

The good news is that as Americans light up more and more fireworks, injuries have decreased. The APA said that there were 2.2 injuries per 100,000 pounds of fireworks last year – a drop from 7.2 injuries in 2000.