Key Takeaways
- According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, the value of the U.S. fireworks business approached $3 billion last year.
- Nearly all of the consumer fireworks sold here are imported from China, according to the APA, which is concerned about the effect that tariffs could have on the industry headed into 2026.
- Meanwhile, the group is one of many organizations that urge caution for fireworks users and watchers around the Independence Day holiday.
For millions of Americans, July 4th is about Independence Day fireworks.
Whether it’s sparklers, Roman candles, or firecrackers—and whether they’re bought legally or smuggled across state lines—they amount to an industry valued at billions of dollars a year.
The coming holiday means a rush at fireworks stands across the U.S.—as well as a cottage industry of safety videos, well-meaning warnings from fire departments and other groups, and nervous parents.
There’s something else on people’s minds this year: tariffs.
Fireworks Are a Booming Industry
Fireworks are big business in the U.S. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA), fireworks legally sold to consumers totaled $2.2 billion in 2024, while professional “display fireworks”—those used in civic and other celebrations around the country—amounted to another $600 million.
However, the trade group is concerned about the impact of tariffs on imported goods from China, where 99% of consumer fireworks sold in the U.S. are made, it said in a recent press release. Tariffs “are compounding existing cost pressures and could affect future access to affordable fireworks, the APA said.
APA Executive Director Julie Heckman told Investopedia that 2026—the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence—will be a “historic year for the fireworks industry,” and that if the current 30% tariffs on Chinese fireworks remain in place, “it’s going to cripple the industry.”
“Fireworks are an iconic part of America’s celebration of freedom,” Heckman said in a recent press release urging a tariff exemption for the industry.
‘Don’t Be That Guy’
In the meantime, there are more pressing concerns: the safety of people who choose to set off fireworks this coming weekend. Every year, the APA—whose motto is “Preserving & Promoting an American Tradition”—issues safety guidance ahead of July 4th.
To that end, the trade group’s American Pyrotechnics Safety and Education Foundation recently released an animated video series called “Explosive Mistakes: Don’t Be That Guy.” One video, titled “Fireworks Are NOT Toys,” instructs viewers to never place lit fireworks on top of their heads or chests.
More than 14,000 Americans were treated for fireworks-related injuries last year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission; 11 were killed. That may be an inducement to take some advice from Homer, offered in an old “Simpsons” episode: Stand back while you celebrate freedom.
