Will U.S. Fireworks Suppliers Roll Back Prices, NOW?

[PyroFL]

As many of you have probably noticed the tariffs on Chinese fireworks imports have finally dropped from a staggering 145% to just 30%, only 10% higher than when this whole ordeal began. This shift significantly reduces the pressure on suppliers who were quick to pass these costs on to pyros and event organizers as soon as the tariffs hit.

Now the question is: Will these same suppliers follow suit and adjust their prices to reflect the new, lower tariff rates or will they choose to cash in while the margin is still high?

This reminds me of the COVID shipping crisis, when container costs skyrocketed from around $3,500 to over $20,000, supposedly justifying the massive price hikes we saw across the board. Yet, when those shipping rates eventually returned to normal the prices never quite followed.

Some will argue that American labor and trucking costs have risen, which is true perhaps 25-30% in the last five years, but that’s a far cry from the 100%+ price jumps we experienced during the height of the crisis. In fact, many trucking companies were slashing rates just to stay afloat, driving others out of business in the process.

So, what’s the real story here? Are these just convenient excuses to maintain high profit margins or can we expect some relief as the tariff pressure eases?

This goes back to my last post about being married to China.

What do you think? Will we see prices come down, or is this just the new normal?

[Salutecake]

Well Time will tell PyroFl. So I won't mention the name of the supplier, but I recently read that they suspended all orders from China, but on the same token while the high tariff were in place they were advertizing new products available. So as a reseller what do you do? Did you get all your orders before the tariff, did some get whacked with the first tariff and then other orders get really wacked with tariffs? Then do you separate product into taxed stuff and regular stuff to sell it that way or do you average your whole product line out. I'm onlu a consumer and not a reseller.

Anyway I guess the only thing we can do as consumers would be to compare prices from last year and compare prices between suppliers.

[jknepp1954]

As many of you have probably noticed the tariffs on Chinese fireworks imports have finally dropped from a staggering 145% to just 30%, only 10% higher than when this whole ordeal began. This shift significantly reduces the pressure on suppliers who were quick to pass these costs on to pyros and event organizers as soon as the tariffs hit.

Now the question is: Will these same suppliers follow suit and adjust their prices to reflect the new, lower tariff rates or will they choose to cash in while the margin is still high?

This reminds me of the COVID shipping crisis, when container costs skyrocketed from around $3,500 to over $20,000, supposedly justifying the massive price hikes we saw across the board. Yet, when those shipping rates eventually returned to normal the prices never quite followed.

Some will argue that American labor and trucking costs have risen, which is true perhaps 25-30% in the last five years, but that’s a far cry from the 100%+ price jumps we experienced during the height of the crisis. In fact, many trucking companies were slashing rates just to stay afloat, driving others out of business in the process.

So, what’s the real story here? Are these just convenient excuses to maintain high profit margins or can we expect some relief as the tariff pressure eases?

This goes back to my last post about being married to China.

What do you think? Will we see prices come down, or is this just the new normal?
i dont know where you got these figures but the reality was in 2021 we were paying approx 18K. then in August of that yr went to 24 k until june of 2022 when paying 38k-40k.

[PyroFL]

@jknepp1954

I appreciate you jumping into the conversation. I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve done a bit of digging on this and the numbers you mentioned seem quite a bit higher than the widely reported averages. Here’s what I found:

- Marketplace Pulse reported that the average cost to ship a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. West Coast peaked around $20,000 in September 2021. Rates started to decline by the end of the year, settling around $15,000.

www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/nine-months-of-10000-container-rates

- The Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) hit an all-time high of 5,109.60 in January 2022, which translates to roughly $20,000 per container, depending on the route.

www.tradingeconomics.com/commodity/containerized-freight-index

- Freightos Baltic Index (FBX), a widely used global container pricing benchmark, shows a similar trend, with rates spiking during the pandemic but not reaching the $38,000–$40,000 range.

www.terminal.freightos.com/freightos-baltic-index-global-container-pricing-index

- ShipHub also reported that container prices from China in 2022 were lower than in 2021, indicating a downward trend.

www.shiphub.co/freight-rates-from-china

- Xeneta, another major freight pricing platform, noted that spot rates for China to the U.S. peaked around $12,000 in early 2022.

www.xeneta.com/blog/weekly-container-rate-update-week-37-2022

- Pre-2019 Rates:

Before the pandemic, the cost to ship a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. West Coast was typically between $3,000 and $5,000. This is confirmed by multiple sources:

- Ubest Shipping reported rates between $3,000 and $5,000.

www.ubestshipping.com/cost-of-shipping-20ft-and-40ft-containers-from-china-to-usa

- Forest Shipping similarly noted that West Coast rates were $3,000 to $5,000, with East Coast rates around $4,000 to $6,500.

www.forestshipping.com/how-much-does-a-40-foot-shipping-container-cost-to-ship-from-china

From what I can see, the numbers you’re referencing - $38,000 to $40,000 - seem pretty high compared to most of the publicly available data. Of course, every shipping lane has its quirks and individual experiences may vary, but the averages don’t seem to support those extreme figures.

Anyway, I’m just trying to get a clear picture here. If you’ve got some sources that show higher averages, I’d be interested to take a look if you could post them below.

Thanks for keeping the conversation going.

[KDirk]

@Jknepp1954, as someone who is just a (somewhat larger scale than typical) consumer of fireworks, and having no inside connections to the wholesaling aspects of the business, I'm curious: your above post said previous normal shipping container rates in 2021 were $18K. That's the shipping charge for one container? I had no idea it was that much, that's an enormous amount to money for just one container. Is there a hazmat surcharge figured into that amount, or would that typify the per container transport cost irrespective of the contents
(assuming identical wejght)? In any case, the doubling of that charge during the pandemic stage was predictable - in hindsight - but still eye watering to consider.

As to the disposition of product that arrived in port under higher tariffs, I'd say business sense dictates the added costs would need to be averaged over the full product line a wholesaler offers. Otherwise the specific items that were dinged by the much higher tariffs would never sell, if the increases were imposed on only those products on which the tariffs were levied. I don't envy distributors trying to sort this mess out, it's a bad spot to be in. I suspect the bulk of the product that would've been effected under the 145% level was either postponed or nixed outright, which means some product probably just won't be available this year. I'm also left to wonder if there will be long term damage to any of the Chinese consumer pyro manufacturers from the apparent shutdowns that took place, such that there may end up being reduced production capacity that will impact availability into the future now.

The other big question will be whether there remains any longer term incentive for the industry to seek out the cultivation of alternative suppliers. That will involve making investments in other countries for both manufacture and logistics where they don't presently exist at the needed scale. Naturally, if things go back to business as usual with China, there will be little incentive to incur those startup costs as protection against a potential (likely) future disruption like was faced with COVID and now the tariffs.

I'm glad prices will (eventually) be coming back down to something closer to what we paid in 2024, but of course they will still be up overall, and those of us doing this as essentially hobbyists are going to have to face the fact it is a costly endeavor to light up the sky just for fun and entertainment of ourselves and others. Especially at the scale some of the members here are operating. My typical show nets out at about $3000-3500 (wholesale) each of the past few years. That's basically one skid stacked 5-6 feet tall, and what I personally considered an enormous amount of fireworks, after being a small timer who'd buy a few hundred bucks of stuff at a tent most of my life. I know there are members where whose shows dwarf that, and I can only dream of having the resources to do a show on that scale.

[PyroFL]

@KDirk

You brought up some good points and I can tell you’ve got a genuine curiosity about the nuts and bolts of the business.

Container Costs

Then and Now:

First, on the container rates, pre-pandemic costs for a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. West Coast were typically around $3,000 to $5,000, as confirmed by multiple sources:

- Ubest Shipping: $3,000 to $5,000.

www.ubestshipping.com/cost-of-shipping-20ft-and-40ft-containers-from-china-to-usa

- Forest Shipping: $3,000 to $5,000 for the West Coast, $4,000 to $6,500 for the East Coast.

www.forestshipping.com/how-much-does-a-40-foot-shipping-container-cost-to-ship-from-china

During the height of the pandemic, those rates shot up dramatically, peaking around $20,000 in late 2021, according to several sources:

- Marketplace Pulse: $20,000 in September 2021.

www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/nine-months-of-10000-container-rates

- Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) hit an all-time high in January 2022, translating to roughly $20,000 per container.

www.tradingeconomics.com/commodity/containerized-freight-index

- Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) also confirms these levels, without reaching the $38,000 to $40,000 some have mentioned.

www.terminal.freightos.com/freightos-baltic-index-global-container-pricing-index

As for your question about hazmat fees, yes, fireworks are classified as hazardous materials, which adds to the overall shipping cost. This can include hazmat surcharges, insurance premiums and additional handling fees, which are often layered on top of the base shipping rate. However, these charges are generally not enough to account for the dramatic price jumps seen during the pandemic the real driver was a global shortage of containers, port congestion and a rush to restock inventories.

Averaging Out Costs

The Tough Spot for Distributors:

You’re right that averaging out the costs is the most practical approach for distributors. If they tried to price each container differently based on its specific tariff hit, they’d end up with a mess on their hands.

Customers wouldn’t understand why two identical products have vastly different prices just because one happened to come in on a later, higher-tariff container.

Long-Term Damage and Alternative Suppliers:

You also hit on a critical point about the long-term impact on Chinese manufacturers. Some factories did shut down and the ones that remained had to deal with skyrocketing raw material costs, labor shortage and shifting demand. This could mean less production capacity in the future and it’s not clear if they’ll ramp back up to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

As for alternatives, you’re absolutely right. While some in the industry have considered moving production to India, Mexico or even the U.S., the scale just isn’t there yet. The startup costs and infrastructure investments are significant and unless the tariff situation becomes a permanent fixture, it’s hard to imagine companies taking that leap. If things return to normal with China, the incentive to diversify might fade quickly.

Hobbyists Like Us The Reality Check:

I feel you on the cost side as a fellow hobbyist. Even for those of us who push into the $3,000 to $5,000 range for a single show, it’s a pricey hobby. Stacking one skid 5-6 feet tall might sound impressive, but as you said, there are folks here with setups that make that look small. At the end of the day, it’s all about the smiles, the cheers and the memories we create, but it sure comes with a price.

Thanks for keeping the conversation going. I appreciate your perspective and I think these are the kinds of discussions that keep the community strong.

[jr99svt]

@KDirk

You brought up some good points and I can tell you’ve got a genuine curiosity about the nuts and bolts of the business.

Container Costs

Then and Now:

First, on the container rates, pre-pandemic costs for a 40-foot container from China to the U.S. West Coast were typically around $3,000 to $5,000, as confirmed by multiple sources:

- Ubest Shipping: $3,000 to $5,000.

www.ubestshipping.com/cost-of-shipping-20ft-and-40ft-containers-from-china-to-usa

- Forest Shipping: $3,000 to $5,000 for the West Coast, $4,000 to $6,500 for the East Coast.

www.forestshipping.com/how-much-does-a-40-foot-shipping-container-cost-to-ship-from-china

During the height of the pandemic, those rates shot up dramatically, peaking around $20,000 in late 2021, according to several sources:

- Marketplace Pulse: $20,000 in September 2021.

www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/nine-months-of-10000-container-rates

- Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) hit an all-time high in January 2022, translating to roughly $20,000 per container.

www.tradingeconomics.com/commodity/containerized-freight-index

- Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) also confirms these levels, without reaching the $38,000 to $40,000 some have mentioned.

www.terminal.freightos.com/freightos-baltic-index-global-container-pricing-index

As for your question about hazmat fees, yes, fireworks are classified as hazardous materials, which adds to the overall shipping cost. This can include hazmat surcharges, insurance premiums and additional handling fees, which are often layered on top of the base shipping rate. However, these charges are generally not enough to account for the dramatic price jumps seen during the pandemic the real driver was a global shortage of containers, port congestion and a rush to restock inventories.

Averaging Out Costs

The Tough Spot for Distributors:

You’re right that averaging out the costs is the most practical approach for distributors. If they tried to price each container differently based on its specific tariff hit, they’d end up with a mess on their hands.

Customers wouldn’t understand why two identical products have vastly different prices just because one happened to come in on a later, higher-tariff container.

Long-Term Damage and Alternative Suppliers:

You also hit on a critical point about the long-term impact on Chinese manufacturers. Some factories did shut down and the ones that remained had to deal with skyrocketing raw material costs, labor shortage and shifting demand. This could mean less production capacity in the future and it’s not clear if they’ll ramp back up to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon.

As for alternatives, you’re absolutely right. While some in the industry have considered moving production to India, Mexico or even the U.S., the scale just isn’t there yet. The startup costs and infrastructure investments are significant and unless the tariff situation becomes a permanent fixture, it’s hard to imagine companies taking that leap. If things return to normal with China, the incentive to diversify might fade quickly.

Hobbyists Like Us The Reality Check:

I feel you on the cost side as a fellow hobbyist. Even for those of us who push into the $3,000 to $5,000 range for a single show, it’s a pricey hobby. Stacking one skid 5-6 feet tall might sound impressive, but as you said, there are folks here with setups that make that look small. At the end of the day, it’s all about the smiles, the cheers and the memories we create, but it sure comes with a price.

Thanks for keeping the conversation going. I appreciate your perspective and I think these are the kinds of discussions that keep the community strong.

what about customs fees? and shipping on US soil? think Railroads and truck freight to get the can from port to retailer is free?

[PyroFL]

@ JR99svt

Good question and you’re right to point that out. The full cost of getting a container of fireworks from China to a retailer in the U.S. isn’t just the ocean freight. It also includes a lot of other expenses, like:

Ocean Freight

The actual cost of moving the container from a Chinese port to a U.S. port, which peaked around $20,000 in 2021-2022 according to multiple sources:
Marketplace Pulse: $20,000 in September 2021

www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/nine-months-of-10000-container-rates

- Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) hit an all-time high in January 2022, translating to roughly $20,000 per container.

www.tradingeconomics.com/commodity/containerized-freight-index

- Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) also confirms these levels.

www.terminal.freightos.com/freightos-baltic-index-global-container-pricing-index

- Inland Transportation – Getting the container from the U.S. port to its final destination, whether by rail or truck, can add another $2,000 to $5,000, depending on distance and fuel costs.

- Hazmat Surcharges – Fireworks are classified as hazardous materials, which can add another $1,000 to $3,000 per container.

www.fireworkshipping.com/container

Customs, Brokerage, and Miscellaneous Fees:

This can run another $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the specifics.

When I say shipping, I’m talking about the actual ocean freight part getting a container from a port in China to a U.S. port like Los Angeles or Savannah. This is the overseas portion of the journey, typically priced per 20-foot or 40-foot container and it includes things like loading, fuel, and port handling fees.

Transport, on the other hand, refers to the overland movement of that container once it hits U.S. soil.

This can include:

Rail Freight – Moving the container from the port to an inland rail yard.

Truck Freight – The final leg from the rail yard to the retailer’s warehouse or distribution center.

Hazmat Handling – Additional fees for moving hazardous materials like fireworks.

[jr99svt]

@ JR99svt

Good question and you’re right to point that out. The full cost of getting a container of fireworks from China to a retailer in the U.S. isn’t just the ocean freight. It also includes a lot of other expenses, like:

Ocean Freight

The actual cost of moving the container from a Chinese port to a U.S. port, which peaked around $20,000 in 2021-2022 according to multiple sources:
Marketplace Pulse: $20,000 in September 2021

www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/nine-months-of-10000-container-rates

- Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI) hit an all-time high in January 2022, translating to roughly $20,000 per container.

www.tradingeconomics.com/commodity/containerized-freight-index

- Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) also confirms these levels.

www.terminal.freightos.com/freightos-baltic-index-global-container-pricing-index

- Inland Transportation – Getting the container from the U.S. port to its final destination, whether by rail or truck, can add another $2,000 to $5,000, depending on distance and fuel costs.

- Hazmat Surcharges – Fireworks are classified as hazardous materials, which can add another $1,000 to $3,000 per container.

www.fireworkshipping.com/container

Customs, Brokerage, and Miscellaneous Fees:

This can run another $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the specifics.

When I say shipping, I’m talking about the actual ocean freight part getting a container from a port in China to a U.S. port like Los Angeles or Savannah. This is the overseas portion of the journey, typically priced per 20-foot or 40-foot container and it includes things like loading, fuel, and port handling fees.

Transport, on the other hand, refers to the overland movement of that container once it hits U.S. soil.

This can include:

Rail Freight – Moving the container from the port to an inland rail yard.

Truck Freight – The final leg from the rail yard to the retailer’s warehouse or distribution center.

Hazmat Handling – Additional fees for moving hazardous materials like fireworks.

well then, in reference to Joyce, you are discussing Apples and Limes. She is(im guessing)talking about shipping is the total cost, from china to the can being unloaded on her doorstep. It may even include labor to unload the can, Which is, I believe 1 hour or you have to pay a fee for the can sitting there longer. unless you purchase the can also.

[PyroFL]

Just a consumer’s take is all.

Open to learning more

I’m not in the business, but here’s what I’ve pulled together from various sources:

Shipping vs. transport – quick breakdown

When I say shipping, I’m talking about the ocean freight part , getting a container from a port in China to a U.S. port, like Los Angeles or Savannah. This is the overseas portion of the journey and typically includes:

Base freight cost
Bunker fuel surcharges
Port handling fees
Terminal handling charges

Transport, on the other hand, is everything that happens once that container hits U.S. soil, including:

Rail freight – Moving the container from the port to an inland rail yard
Truck freight – The final leg from the rail yard to the retailer’s warehouse or distribution center
Hazmat handling – Additional fees for moving hazardous materials like fireworks

I’m always open to learning more if anyone has more facts or published statistics to share.

[KDirk]

Just wanted to note here that I read the shipping cost given as being for only the ocean bound leg of the journey, to get the container from China to a US port. Perhaps I was incorrect in assuming that, and if the $18K figure given was the "all in" cost of getting the containerized product to Kneppy's warehouse then I can more readily see that figure, even though it's still a lot of money. If the $18,000 is, in fact, just for the ocean going freight vessel to get it to a US port, then the that cost is far higher than I ever imagined, as the remaining transport from port of entry to final destination, and other charges (insurance, customs, surcharges, etc.) add a not inconsequential amount to the process of product procurement.

[jknepp1954]

jr99svt - you are correct. I am talking to overall shipping from China, customs, trucking to my door.

[BMoore]

It will be interesting to see where shipping costs land during this 90 day pause. My understanding is that most production in China was not cancelled, but rather the shipments were paused. Warehouses in China are busting at the seams with product ready to move. Unfortunately there are only so many containers and so many ships to move all that product. In the near term we might just be trading higher tariffs with higher shipping. Still much more positive than what had become an effective trade embargo.

[Salutecake]

Perhaps a goodtime for buyers to get a deal on all those stuffed warehouses???

[PyroFL]

It will be interesting to see where shipping costs land during this 90 day pause. My understanding is that most production in China was not cancelled, but rather the shipments were paused. Warehouses in China are busting at the seams with product ready to move. Unfortunately there are only so many containers and so many ships to move all that product. In the near term we might just be trading higher tariffs with higher shipping. Still much more positive than what had become an effective trade embargo.

This is also my understand from 2 large companies that deal in 1.4, 1.4 PRO and 1.3

[traumamed]

I'm new here, and not going to pretend for a second that I have any sort of high-level knowledge about international shipping in general, nor as it pertains to hazmat/fireworks. I would offer, though, that discretionary and luxury items are the most volatile of all markets due to the very fact that no one needs them to survive. They are usually the first to see price drops when people are hurting. Medium-to-long term economic forecasts don't look so rosy right now. With that in mind, a pricing pullback from US fireworks distributors is possible down the road if they can't move their product. That comes with a caveat though. If a company cannot move enough product at sufficient margin to cover its bills, then that company ceases to exist. There could be a lot of damage done in niche discretionary markets from tariffs and stagflation. We aren't even close to out of the woods on tariffs.

The shorter term for fireworks pricing is more straightforward, and has nothing to do with fireworks specifically. It's basic econ 101. There is simply no reason for a fireworks distributor to lower prices when they have a customer base that has demonstrated a willingness to pay their higher prices. There is no "goodness of your heart," just good business.

We are at the peak annual pricing for fireworks right now. Even without all the tariff nonsense and general economic uncertainty we are currently facing, I would never buy fireworks this time of year. Generally we would see a pullback in the late fall when the last summer shows are over, but when NYE is still a few months away. We will get a lot of information about what the new normal is in Sep/Oct.

As for me, I'm not going to change my plans. I bought my stock for 7/4/25 in Jan-Feb, like I do every year. My show is the climax of my neighborhood's annual block party. I do not intend to water down my 19 minutes of being the most popular guy in the neighborhood just to hoard stock. I bought it to shoot it for people, not to watch it collect dust in storage while I fantasize about shooting it. Plus, dumb as it sounds, this is an artistic expression for me. I would lose all enjoyment of it if I started worrying about conserving product. If prices are insane when I'm looking for NYE 25-26, then I'll just cancel my show and use the money saved to take the family to Sydney for NYE. Rumor has it they put on a pretty respectable fireworks display.

[PyroFL]

Appreciate the well rounded perspective. You’re absolutely right fireworks fall squarely into the discretionary/luxury category and that makes the entire market extremely sensitive to broader economic shifts. What you said about the balance between margin and survival is spot on.

Distributors can’t drop prices just to be the good guy if doing so sinks the business.

But that’s also part of the concern. If pricing holds high due to margin pressure and economic conditions continue to tighten, demand at the consumer level will shrink, not gradually, but sharply.

People don’t downgrade fireworks the way they might switch from steak to chicken. They either do the show or they don’t. That cliff is brutal for a business built on volume.

As for seasonal pricing, agreed again. Fall is when we’ll start seeing what stuck, what didn’t and which importers are holding too much aging inventory.

The wildcard is whether consumer patience for the “tariffs and shipping are to blame” narrative holds much longer. Some of us who buy early or in bulk aren’t buying the excuses anymore, especially when quality control isn’t keeping up with the price hikes.

I really liked what you said about artistic expression too. That’s what keeps many of us in it. We’re not hoarders we’re show builders, but even show builders should be asking:

What’s our backup plan if China becomes unreliable, unaffordable or politically restricted?

That’s where the idea of diversification comes back in. Not to disrupt what we’re doing today, but to keep the long game alive.

[traumamed]

If pricing holds high due to margin pressure and economic conditions continue to tighten, demand at the consumer level will shrink, not gradually, but sharply.

People don’t downgrade fireworks the way they might switch from steak to chicken. They either do the show or they don’t. That cliff is brutal for a business built on volume.
Great point.


As for seasonal pricing, agreed again. Fall is when we’ll start seeing what stuck, what didn’t and which importers are holding too much aging inventory.
I have some hope. I was in a local fireworks retailer recently on a random spontaneous stop prompted by my excited pyro-in-training son who saw the store as we drove by. This is a retailer that specializes in price gouging everyday folks who know nothing about fireworks and get excited to hand-light 12 shells and a couple cakes in their back yard once or twice a year. To my absolute shock and surprise, they had several big stacks of pretty decent 500g cakes they were dumping for $20-25 each. For these particular cakes, that price point was below wholesale value. I asked the store rep why, and he said, "Old inventory, boss said to move them, we aren't hitting our expected sales numbers." I wish we had been in my truck that day lol. My son and I stuffed the trunk and back seat of our car to the brim.

I've also found a couple of the smaller wholesalers I use that are advertising discounted overstock.

Of course, that's all on consumer 1.4 stuff. I haven't seen any pullback in 1.4 pro yet, quite the opposite. The big player based a little north of Akron, OH that we all use for our 1.4 pro has seriously hiked prices the last couple months.


The wildcard is whether consumer patience for the “tariffs and shipping are to blame” narrative holds much longer. Some of us who buy early or in bulk aren’t buying the excuses anymore, especially when quality control isn’t keeping up with the price hikes.
Informed fireworks consumers should know that it costs a distributor 10% more today than a year ago to import fireworks from China. Therefore, we should probably be willing to acknowledge that a 10% price hike on fireworks is outside of the distributor's control. Shipping, I tend to agree with your earlier analysis that distributors cannot presently use a delta in shipping costs as justification for price hikes.

What will be interesting is the effect of the "all or nothing" part of fireworks consumption by the high-volume consumers like us and the pros. High-volume recreational consumers will probably reach a point that they will spend their recreational dollars on something else. Pros will involuntarily get priced out and stop buying as well when their clients start to say, "nope, too rich for our blood, we'll bring in a DJ with a light show." So - will distributors try to be opportunistic and end up getting bitten far worse than they anticipate for NYE 25-26? If so, what will that mean for the early 2026 buying season?

I could see us ending up in a world where the casual consumers get gouged (even worse) because they don't know any better and just accept it, but the volume discounts for wholesale/bulk purchase buyers end up much higher, maybe even 50-70%. That would be the best of both worlds for the distributor. Increase margins on the casual sales while retaining the big ticket sales with margins both sides can accept.


I really liked what you said about artistic expression too. That’s what keeps many of us in it. We’re not hoarders we’re show builders, but even show builders should be asking:

What’s our backup plan if China becomes unreliable, unaffordable or politically restricted?

That’s where the idea of diversification comes back in. Not to disrupt what we’re doing today, but to keep the long game alive.
It would be nice to not be so dependent on firework imports from one individual country. Extremely long term, people in Eastern Europe, India, and Mexico should see the business opportunity this presents, but that probably would not help us for at least 3-5 years.

[Salutecake]

I recently saw an article from the Cedar Boat Club, cancelling their fireworks display for this year because of skyrocketing prices. Anyone here experiencing that problem?

[PyroFL]

@ traumamed

What part of Florida are you in? I believe Orlando. If you’d rather not make it public, feel free to private message me. We have a small network of pyros in central Florida.

With prices like that, I wish I wasn’t leaving for vacation today. I’d be heading over with a box trailer. Are you and your son planning to go back and stock up?

Unfortunately, I’m grounded from Pyro starting at 10am today for 2 weeks … LOL

[traumamed]

@ traumamed

What part of Florida are you in? I believe Orlando. If you’d rather not make it public, feel free to private message me. We have a small network of pyros in central Florida.

With prices like that, I wish I wasn’t leaving for vacation today. I’d be heading over with a box trailer. Are you and your son planning to go back and stock up?

Unfortunately, I’m grounded from Pyro starting at 10am today for 2 weeks … LOL

I'm in the Sarasota area. That deal was at a Sky King of all places. I couldn't believe it. We stumbled onto it about two weeks ago, so I would be shocked if they haven't cleared it out by now. I did think about going back with my truck, but decided against it. As it was, we had been able to to cram 20 cakes into the car. That is already 20 cakes more than I need for my July 4 show. I didn't want to have a bunch of orphaned cakes sitting around in case NYE 25-26 ends up being a no-go.

Orlando/central FL is a bit of a hike, but always open to connecting with people. To this point, I've pretty much been a one-man show when it comes to fireworks, getting toward a 1-1/2-man show now with my son starting to get old enough to be involved. Very small time, just a little 126-cue Cobra system (1x 72M and 3x 18M) that I will be supplementing this year with some el cheapo manually-fired cues. DM me if you guys have any meet-ups or events or anything. And have a great vacation!

[traumamed]

I recently saw an article from the Cedar Boat Club, cancelling their fireworks display for this year because of skyrocketing prices. Anyone here experiencing that problem?

https://www.kcrg.com/video/2025/05/20/ellis-fireworks-river-cancelled-hoping-come-back-stronger-next-year/

Per that report, the cost of the fireworks themselves was not the problem. A boat club rep did note the fireworks were "incrementally more expensive," but that the real problem was related to the general event costs skyrocketing: staffing, security, emergency personnel, and even the labor costs of the pyros who would shoot the show.

[Salutecake]

Hi traumamed, thanks for adding the rest of that articles statement - I didn't mean just fireworks I meant the whole shebang. Since my shows are all by volunteers or enthusiiasts, I don't get into all the other things that some people here do. My local volunteer fire company and ambulance people always (on their own accord) send a truck and ambulance and I do make sure to give them a donation, but that's not a payment. So just wondering what cost went up in general?

[PyroFL]

https://www.kcrg.com/video/2025/05/20/ellis-fireworks-river-cancelled-hoping-come-back-stronger-next-year/

Per that report, the cost of the fireworks themselves was not the problem. A boat club rep did note the fireworks were "incrementally more expensive," but that the real problem was related to the general event costs skyrocketing: staffing, security, emergency personnel, and even the labor costs of the pyros who would shoot the show.

I can tell you growing up watching this very show it’s not much of a loss. The down town show is better by the Five Season Center but not by much. It’s mostly just put stuff in the air and call it good.

[displayfireworks1]

I am catching part of this conversation. Any public display getting cancelled because of the rising cost of fireworks is BS. The real cost of this public displays is everything associated with a large public display except the cost of the fireworks display. I should probably do a video on this because I do not think I can type so many paragraphs. A real case study on this would be my local friend Joe and his small-town display he does for local community. What started out with some Consumer Fireworks from Phantom Fireworks and few neighborhood friend in a field grew into an ATF license a Cobra System and a local yearly event for the July 4th holiday getting bigger every year. Soliciting donations etc. I remember one year him telling me “Someone” left “Shitty” diapers and litter all along the building where the adjacent church building was. Then another year he rented Porta-Potties and put a sign on them “For Fireworks Crew Only” I told him you can’t do that. These people have to go to the bathroom, when you get large crowds. They also need trash containers. Now the local township looking for a cheaper solution to a larger company doing the display becomes part of it. OK now comes the local female opportunist who claims they were injured in the face with something. What day of the week does this fall on? A holiday or weekend, now you need police and parking control, overtime etc. Here we go, most of the audience is not local, they drive in from surrounding communities and some bring a pizza to eat from somewhere other than your town and you have to provide a garbage can for them to throw away their trash. What did they contribute? Nothing, and they expect “Where is the best place to park for the fireworks”? LOL I think you get my point. Some events look for a reason to cancel a fireworks event and blame the fireworks company.
I also feel they is lack of qualified people to shoot displays but I’ll save that for another comment