HUDSON, Ohio — A family-owned fireworks business in Hudson is bracing for impact. American Fireworks Company says that, much like all fireworks retailers, it gets 95% of its products from China. As tariffs continue on goods from China, pricing uncertainty could impact your summer celebrations.
American Fireworks says it's looking at a 150% price increase on its supply from China. Owner John Sorgi says absorbing that cost for his family business, in operation since 1902, is a gut punch.
The company illuminates 650 professional displays a year for cities, weddings, and events. It also sells and supplies fireworks throughout the region. Luckily, Sorgi says the company works ahead and already has a lot of inventory in stock before the steep tariff hikes.
"It's tough because we need to price this stuff. It's one of those things where when this first batch came in, we had gotten the same price on a product that was on three separate containers, and we had three different prices on it within a month span," said Sorgi.
But, continued tariffs could mean pricing changes. Sorgi said: "We'll probably still order the same amount of product, but the problem is it has to get passed on. We don't want to pass this cost on to our customers just like everyone else, but at the end of the day, we have a formula, we bring it in, we have to sell it to stay in business."
The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) cites that the United States does not have the infrastructure or resources in place to produce fireworks here.
"We physically cannot produce in this country, and then we don't have the manpower, we don't have the expertise. I always joke — it's hard enough to find good help to run the registers, but then you have to think about the raw product the explosives, the black powder all that stuff, we just don't have the infrastructure here," said Sorgi.
The APA is sending letters to lawmakers and President Trump urging the administration to lift tariffs or issue an exemption for the industry.
"It's similar to the volatility of Covid, but that's why we're hoping an exemption for a lot of different industries can actually take place," said Sorgi
Sorgi said this summer, you might see some higher prices when purchasing, but the sticky situation would play out in 2026. Without a change to the current tariffs, prices could affect displays ahead of our country's bicentennial on July 4, 2026.
