what does this virus in china mean for fireworks production, shipping, etc?

[Icooclast]

according to an article i read it says people are finally starting to go back to work over there. what is everyone's take on the virus and how it effected(s) the fireworks industry? because i never thought about it 'till i read the whole "back to work" article

[ShorePyroTom]

according to an article i read it says people are finally starting to go back to work over there. what is everyone's take on the virus and how it effected(s) the fireworks industry? because i never thought about it 'till i read the whole "back to work" article

From what I hear it will be a tough year for product. Even though the article states people are heading back to work:
1. Can we trust information coming from China
2. Even though people are heading back to work, they still don't have control over this yet, so how good will productivity be?

Just my humble opinion.

[jknepp1954]

All companies over there has their "guesses" and that is exactly what it is - an educated guess.
Truth of the matter is - no one really knows.
Carson Lee from Boom Wow put up a BLOG this morning - didn't list to all of it - but i think it pretty well describes what is going on...about an hour long
https://www.facebook.com/carson.lee.58760/videos/896611667460319/

[Ctpyro180]

Just received notice this AM from one China supplier..." delaying container for 20 days from HK due to Corona virus...will keep you updated "

I have a feeling it will be a "Late product year" especially for the new product that has not yet been produced....

[Wholesale Fireworks]

An issue that you do not hear about is that factories that do have permission to go back to work don't want to due to all the precautions they need to take to bring the workers back and make the factory safer. So if they go back to work and a single case exposes itself the entire factory must shut down again and be in quarantine for two weeks and then do the same sterilization process over again. it is not worth the risk for them. Bottom Line ....product WILL be late this year and NEW items may not make it at all before the 4th.
We have already received many containers this year and have 10 more on the water. We have product but will feel the pinch for newer items just like everyone else. If you have questions....please give us a call and we will be happy to address all your concerns and do our best to answer your questions.

[NWA_Fireworks]

I’m addition to what has already been mentioned here, many factories bus their workers in to work, but this is not allowed and/or highly avoided (for the factories that have tried to reopen) due to the concentration of people on the bus. Everyone is scared, though I’ve heard from several Chinese companies that there is a lot of overstated fear and hype. In any case, factory owners will be held responsible for outbreaks or contamination of their facilities, so few want to run the risk of reopening at this point. Dominator posted a very detailed update on their blog. I’ll see if I can find it and repost.

[NWA_Fireworks]

Feb 14, 2020 - Throughout the week, things were looking better as Liuyang allowed offices to resume work again on Feb 9th. The days following we had optimism as the official numbers showed the growth of new cases was finally slowing. While slowing growth did not mean deaths would stop immediately, it at least meant a peak was in sight and deaths would trail off towards the end of the month. Larger factories were scheduled to re-open this weekend, and our office was working in earnest to prepare the paperwork needed once factories finally reopened. Shipping bookings to Beihai began this week (but with no guarantee the port would actually reopen to fireworks).

Unfortunately things took a turn for the worse yesterday. Health officials decided to change the way they classify potential cases. This added 15,000 new cases overnight. (2) This ended the hope that cases would peak this weekend and deaths trail off in February.

Forcasted-Coronavirus-Trends-Feb 14.png

The new numbers suggest that the “drastic measures of lock-down” will need to stay in place longer. Having said all of this, the data still suggests the virus is mainly limited to the outbreak area around Wuhan. 80% of all cases are centered there. Death rates outside of Hubei and under 60 years old are very small, less than one percent. And only 2 deaths outside of China. So, the data still suggests this virus is much milder then SARS which had a death rate as high as 10%. Clearly Hubei is overwhelmed with the number of cases (growing to 80,000?), and in that location care is difficult and deaths rates are higher. Exactly how contagious this virus is, is under strong debate. A scientific “letter” was rushed to print in the New England Journal of Medicine on Jan 30ththat suggested that in a case in Germany where the virus was spread by a person without symptoms. The USA CDC mainly used this letter as the science evidence needed to restrict travel of Chinese into the USA. Less than one week later, this “letter” was widely debunked by the scientific community as “wrong” and “spreading Misinformation” (1). It turns out the scientist never actually spoke to the women personally and relied on 2ndhand information. So how can 80,000 people get infected if this virus is not that “special”. The answer is that the area around Wuhan houses up to 50 million people. The population density is as high as anyplace in the world. There are no suburbs with houses sitting on green lots. People live in towering apartment complexes with 20,000 or more people in a tiny spot. Each small apartment often houses a mother, father, two kids, and grandmother & grandfather. So, considering that the virus spread unchecked for all of December and most of January, it is not hard to imagine 80,000 out of 50 million people (0.016%) getting infected just from coughing on each other.

People have also asked, why would China lockdown millions of its citizens if this virus was not so serious? The answer to that question comes down to Chinese culture and the pressure of modern media. It is a very important question because it also explains why China would close all factories in Hunan after the Dec 4th explosion and put 300,000 citizens out of work. Chinese culture has always stressed the importance of putting the greater good ahead of the individual. In addition, Chinese culture places a lot of importance on “Face”. So these two traditions help explain why such drastic measures have been taken both for this virus and for the Dec 4th explosion.

So, what does all this mean for the fireworks industry? The bottom line is that it is NOT GOOD. The biggest issue we are facing now is unchecked fear. The speed of modern communication via social media has allowed misinformation to spread like wildfire. Even in China the authorities can’t censor the misinformation fast enough. The result is that local officials have enacted some drastic measures that effectively make it all but impossible to conduct business. Once example is that Jiangxi is requiring that anyone entering Jiangxi for work must be quarantined for 14 days. So a truck driver going 1 hour from Liuyang to Jiangxi to pick-up a load of Spinners and Sparklers to be combined with Liuyang cakes, would need to wait 14 days in isolation. Clearly this is impossible. Larger Hunan factories are allowed to open this weekend. However, they must now implement a strict protocol such as hygiene training, taking temperature of all employees daily, extensive disinfection of the entire factory daily, and supply workers with masks that are in very short supply. If an outbreak did occur at a factory, the factory owner would be held accountable. Because of this, it is unlikely many factory owners would want to take the risk. The same can be said for the workers who are frozen by fear over rumors the virus is highly contagious. All this means continued uncertainty as to exactly when we can begin production and shipping. Also, no clear decision has been made by the “Explosion investigation team”. That decision was supposed to come last week, but has been delayed because of the virus. Therefore, as of today, we are not optimistic and do not have any specific dates we can resume full operations. The one thing we are confident of, is that when China does give the “all clear”, everyone will resume work with no questions asked.

A few personal notes on all of this. Daily living here in China has grown difficult. Food and essentials are still in good supply, but misinformation has stoked tremendous fear and home self-isolation of millions is putting a strain on people’s daily lives. Rumors that pets might transmit the virus (totally unsubstantiated) have driven clashes in communities as people “call the police” on people just out walking their dogs. Some are slaughtering their pets. Many small things that made living in China convenient have stopped. For example, China’s Amazon called “Taobao” had delivery of fresh produce in 1 hour or less in the cities. That has all stopped as delivery people are no longer allowed to even enter these large gated communities. Travelling out of your gated community means a “Heath check (temperature and questioning)” to get back in and is very stressful as who knows what the person doing the check might be thinking. The symptoms of this virus look exactly like a cold or the flu, so obviously thousands of people face the anxiety and social stigma of having a common cold, yet not knowing if they carry the virus or not. Forced isolation with the 60,000 confirmed cases could prove deadly even if you just have a cold. Testing is only 30% accurate so the flu is often misdiagnosed as the virus and vice versa. (2)

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-flawed-coronavirus-study-spread-misinformation/a-52265727
https://time.com/5783401/covid19-hubei-cases-classification/
https://www.cgtn.com/special/Battling-the-novel-coronavirus-What-we-know-so-far-.html

[Birdman]

I find all of this so interesting. I never had the opportunity or interest to follow an international market so closely. Of bigger concern to me, besides the factory explosions earlier and the virus, is the new certifications that appear will be needed for factories to produce certain product. It sure sounds like 60g can production may be greatly reduced for awhile.

[morrison2951]

Just wondering if the virus can actually survive on the trip over from China and be transported here on our beloved fireworks cakes, 60g canister shells etc.?? One would hopefully think not.

[Birdman]

Just wondering if the virus can actually survive on the trip over from China and be transported here on our beloved fireworks cakes, 60g canister shells etc.?? One would hopefully think not.

No.

The virus is very short lived once outside of its host. There is no way it could survive the trip on an inanimate object. The typically flu virus can only live outside the host for a few seconds to 48 hours in the best conditions and this variant appears to be one of the less hardy variants. I also read that a lab in the US was able to find a vaccine within hours of receiving the DNA sequence of the virus and they are currently working with a Chinese company to produce it. This lab developed a computer program that can analyze the DNA of viruses and formulate a vaccine.

[Ctpyro180]

One major supplier in China has told me production MAY start the first or second week of March depending on the virus status and new government regulations ...and there will be a major shortage of items scheduled for production for the US market this coming 4th.......

[jknepp1954]

One major supplier in China has told me production MAY start the first or second week of March depending on the virus status and new government regulations ...and there will be a major shortage of items scheduled for production for the US market this coming 4th.......

Mike - we have heard from another that April is a more realistic date.
Either way - the situation is in dire straits! Those of you who don't believe this situation and we the importers are just making it up - YOU ALL HAVE YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND!

[displayfireworks1]

Here is video from Carson Lee of Boom Wow with some updates
.

https://www.facebook.com/carson.lee.58760/videos/900405610414258/

[marry]

Dominator Fireworks has an excellent consistently updated page about it

http://dominatorfireworks.com/Novel_Coronavirus(2019-nCoV)_Live_Update_From_China.html

Boom Wow! Fireworks also has updates.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrKoQGqB7VM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd1-D0P7szo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcwYRQtPJ3M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlxw8jz4Hvo


I assume other manufacturers and importers do as well but the manufacturer updates aren't in English unless someone wants to translate them. Generally they're just updates and assurances to clients and customers from what translate is suggesting.

[Icooclast]

to those posting your links and such to officials: thanks we really need this stuff. also thanks to everyone for posting. hope everyone keeps an eye on this post for new info as other members can provide it. thanks again everyone, and feel free to keep posting news and other comments, etc.

[Birdman]

Here is video from Carson Lee of Boom Wow with some updates
.

https://www.facebook.com/carson.lee.58760/videos/900405610414258/

I'm not sure what he means by 2 and 3 inch cakes. Does he mean NOAB's and single shot tubes that are 2" and 3" diameters? Apparently there is capacity to produce 60g canister shells. Am I understanding this correctly?

[beaver nation]

I'm not sure what he means by 2 and 3 inch cakes. Does he mean NOAB's and single shot tubes that are 2" and 3" diameters? Apparently there is capacity to produce 60g canister shells. Am I understanding this correctly?

the canister shells are not 2" so as long as there is no limit lower than 60g on C licenses then they should be fine.

sounds like this is 7 year old standard that they only recently are starting to get serious about checking!! lets hope that this will spur them to increase A and B licenses.

[cherrybomb1]

Over 10,000 people in the USA have died from the flu this season and another 180,000 have been hospitalized...you don’t hear anyone panicking about that now do you?

[Wholesale Fireworks]

So the most recent update from our sources in China as of this morning Only 6 factories in Liuyang are allowed to go back to work and none of them are at full production. Here is just a quick note from Wholesale Fireworks regarding product and production this year.

It seems that every year the fireworks industry faces some sort of challenge. From the threat of tariffs to striking dock workers, something always seems to affect the production and delivery of fireworks.
This year has been no different. We have experienced several challenges to our industry in 2019 and 2020. The two major factors have been factory explosions and the coronavirus. The explosions occurred at the end of 2019 and hindered production in some of the major fireworks producing areas of China. When the dust settled, factories were given permission to open for several days in January to finish current production before Chinese New Year. Just as production began to ramp up, we were faced once again with factory shutdowns due to the coronavirus. The coronavirus has been the biggest challenge in 2020, not only for fireworks, but for every US import from China. Factories originally planned to resume production on February 10th, but the Chinese government has indefinitely shut down mainland China due to the virus, which includes all fireworks factories and their warehouses.
As of February 17th, some factories have reopened but they are having trouble getting workers to return. Throughout China there are restrictions and roadblocks between provinces for fear of spreading the virus. This prohibits the transportation of any finished products to the port to be shipped.
In addition to the shutdown of fireworks production, fewer containers are leaving China’s ports, causing shipping companies to cancel some shipping which will make it more difficult to book space on container ships even if we could get product to the port.
Now the GOOD NEWS. We have been continuously receiving containers since August of 2019. We have a very close relationship with our suppliers in China which allows us the ability to place orders quickly and have containers loaded and shipped in a timely manner. With that said we were able to place some orders and have them shipped before the Chinese New Year and have ten more containers of product due to arrive before the end of February.
We have a wide variety of product currently in stock, and more on the way once the factories resume production. Our current freight discounts, coupled with our early bird discounts, make this the perfect time to purchase your fireworks for your 2020 celebration.
We appreciate your continued business and understanding and we will continue to monitor the situation in China and do our best keep you updated.

[DavidthePyro]

Theres a NFA press release download link on cannonfuse.com. What I've gathered from everyone is check back in a few weeks

[NWA_Fireworks]

http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4788&stc=12/24 Update from NFA

[Icooclast]

47882/24 Update from NFA

thanks for the info, it was very positive and informative.

[DavidthePyro]

Any updates? It seems what we were hearing from China a month ago is becoming true here now. I saw a few factories operating, shogun had a video of killer bees being assembled, but I just wanted to see if there is yet any idea as to the severity of shortages we will experience this year

[jknepp1954]

Any updates? It seems what we were hearing from China a month ago is becoming true here now. I saw a few factories operating, shogun had a video of killer bees being assembled, but I just wanted to see if there is yet any idea as to the severity of shortages we will experience this year

We at Kneppy's have 2 out of 3 containers now on the water - should be here in about 5 weeks. that third container should hit water in 2 weeks. Had to cancel our 4th container due to all the unknown.
I read yesterday that one of the mfg has been experiencing a shortage of Black Powder. No BP = no fireworks!

[NWA_Fireworks]

Here?s an update from one of my suppliers:

In Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, the city is still under lockdown but the number of new cases and deaths have had a reported downward trajectory. In the Hunan and Jiangxi provinces (where many of our items are made), about 90% of factories are back to work. They are still having labor shortages and have new requirements but the factories are doing all they can to get product done in time for our fireworks season. Each night, I have been up late working with our partners to confirm outer box designs which is a further sign that the factories are ready to package shipments.
Also in Hunan, there is a new regulation for transporting fireworks from factories to centralized warehouses for shipments to America. Previously, a truck company needed just one permit to pick up fireworks from multiple factories. Today, they must have a separate permit for each factory to pick up from. To further add to headaches, the government in China doesn?t have a system in place to issue permits. However, this is expected to be resolved quickly.
The ports in Shanghai and Beihai are both open but there is a lack of vessels and
containers. The soonest loading date for our containers is March 20 . The good news is
that containers loaded first should get here quickly because the US port of Long Beach currently doesn?t have a backlog. Last year, we were dealing with containers sitting in Long Beach for 7-10 days before being loaded to the rail.
We have extended our shipping cutoff date for our manufacturers by two weeks to allow more time to get product finished and shipped to us. While this will help us to fulfill more orders this season, it also means that the products will be later and there will still be a number of items that won?t be finished at all.

[beaver nation]

the question now is what does the virus HERE mean for fireworks?? lets hope this is in the rear view mirror come end of June so normal outlets can still be open

[PyroJoeNEPA]

Here is a video interview from Jesse Veverka from Passfire with Terrt T Winkle who is in CHina with a one on one update of the situation in China.


https://youtu.be/yLlwj12AbXw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLlwj12AbXw&feature=youtu.be

[displayfireworks1]

I found this website most interesting to track the COVID-19. It appears reputable from Microsoft. It looks like Italy is getting hit hard.
.
.
https://www.bing.com/covid?fbclid=IwAR3ZrqzR2r36HUPuZ3AEyWrLbAJbQLh7szS oWvV11Yw_3dhJlitX8odLW3w

[sethof]

This is another good website for the latest numbers. The site also has other interesting statistics

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/)

[Icooclast]

thank you everyone who is keeping us updated, please post more to us as it becomes available. right now it seems that we are getting the same, stale news we've had for the last few days or so. hopefully that means we are close to beating this thing.*knock on wood*

[Icooclast]

question: let's say - because of the stay at home orders and 6-foot distancing and other things that not many fireworks don't get sold this year, will they be more eager to sell the 2020 stock they have next season before any other stock (even though fireworks don't really expire for the most part) do you think they'll kinda have some kind of clearance like stores do on meats and bakery once they sit around too long (but are still edible) just another curiosity question.

thanks in advance guys (and girls)

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. Factory workers in China were off work due to this covid thing too. So I'm not sure the inventory was or will be up to a "normal" level this year. I'd be willing to wager a guess that they'll be lucky to fill the orders they have now. So assuming this thing is over and done with by the 4th, I can see us falling back into a normal cycle next year.

Having said that... 101 things could change between now and the 4th to dramatically impact this and next year. So who knows....

[joewad]

I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. Factory workers in China were off work due to this covid thing too. So I'm not sure the inventory was or will be up to a "normal" level this year. I'd be willing to wager a guess that they'll be lucky to fill the orders they have now. So assuming this thing is over and done with by the 4th, I can see us falling back into a normal cycle next year.

Having said that... 101 things could change between now and the 4th to dramatically impact this and next year. So who knows....

What more can you say......http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4855&stc=1

[Icooclast]

What more can you say......4855

sorry, i don't drink alcohol, lol.

[joewad]

sorry, i don't drink alcohol, lol.

Everyone has their vices....http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4856&stc=1

[Rick_In_Tampa]

What more can you say......http://www.pyrotalk.com/bulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=4855&stc=1

With my luck it's PBR....

[Icooclast]

here is an update from wfboom, sent to me by e-mail:

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR PATIENCE !







COVID 19 UPDATE









WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS





WHOLESALE/CASE LOT ORDERS





We are pleased to announce that due to Governor Dewine's recommendations we will be able to resume taking appointments for contact-less wholesale and case lot curb side pick up on Monday May 4th.



Order pickups will be available by appointment only. Our office is open Monday through Saturday 9am-4pm as our office and sales staff continue to work from home.



We will still be accepting and encouraging online orders in accordance with our discount structures.Please refer to our purchaser’s form, available on our website, for payment instructions as it will remain unchanged.

Wholesale Fireworks facilities will be strongly adhering to all social distancing requirements and our staff will be required to wear face coverings at all times. Wholesale Fireworks strongly recommends the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for all of its customers.





RETAIL





The Ohio Governor has also authorized us to reopen our Hubbard retail showroom on Tuesday May12th. We will be open Monday through Saturday 9am to 4pm.



Starting Friday May 22nd, the Hubbard, Niles and Canton retail facilities will be open 7 days a week 9am to 9pm.



All showrooms will adhere to all social distancing, cleanliness and sanitation requirements and recommendations. Per the governor's order, Wholesale Fireworks reserves the right to limit the amount of occupants per party to ensure the safety of our staff. For the protection of our customers and staff,customers are strongly encouraged to NOT enter any Wholesale Fireworks location if showing any of the Covid 19 symptoms listed by the Center of Disease Control (CDC).

Wholesale Fireworks staff will continue to wear face coverings at all times as per the governor's order. We strongly encourage customers to do the same.



Please visit our website for updates as these dates approach.





WWW.WFBOOM.COM





We want to thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time of uncertainty. We will continue to do our best to service you and our employees in the safest way possible.



Please feel free to contact us with any comments or concerns.



Thank you.



Management and Staff

"THE" Wholesale Fireworks

[Rick_In_Tampa]

I didn't read anything about the availability of products.

[Icooclast]

I didn't read anything about the availability of products.

ii don't know. what all was posted was in the recent e-mail i received from them.

[AquaticPyro]

No affect, China started production early in hopes to avoid the tariffs. Demos were posted, etc. It also happen that covid hit when Chinese New Year was anyway so it was about the same month of loss regardless.

[AquaticPyro]

Supply chain labor will be an issue. Fulfillment will take longer.

[AquaticPyro]

My wholesalers plan to do no retail sales this year.

[AquaticPyro]

Time to move on to something harder. I already have several beer pounds added. BUURP!