Chinese Fireworks Light Up U.S. Skies

Five months after a Chinese spy balloon made its way across the United States, whipping the public into a frenzy, millions of Americans will once again turn their heads skywards looking at Chinese objects today, albeit for entirely different reasons. As the country celebrates Independence Day today, fireworks are an essential part of the festivities, and virtually all of them are made in China.

According to the UN Comtrade Database, the U.S. imported 203.7 million kilograms of fireworks last year, almost 99 percent of which, or 201.4 million kilograms, came from China. In monetary terms, the U.S. imported $803 million worth of fireworks in 2022, with Chinese bottle rockets, roman candles and other fireworks worth $786 million brought into the country.

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 rely on several other countries for imports. Suprisingly, Spain comes second in terms of fireworks imports, with 800 tons of pyrotechnics making their way across the Atlantic in 2022.