Haven’t bought July 4 fireworks yet? Get ready to break the bank

As the sun sets on July 4, people in the United States look at the skies painted in a splash of colours and light. Fireworks have become an integral part of the independence day celebration in the United States. 

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However, this year parts of the country are reporting a shortage of consumer fireworks. People are buying crackers rampantly, WWMT reports. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the prices of fireworks increased by as high as 25%. Hence, if you have not bought your crackers yet, you are going to have a hard time finding what you need at a decent price.

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A manager at Jake’s Fireworks in Portage, Alec Raifsneider says that people, owing to the pandemic, did not go to shows last year. They bought crackers for themselves, causing a rise in sales.

“The people who did more shows last year on their own ended up getting the experience doing it. I’ve seen more return customers from last year that were first-time buyers,” Raifsneider told WWMT. 

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However, while consumer fireworks did well last year, the displays suffered. According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, consumers bought 385 million pounds of fireworks in 2020, compared to 248 million in 2019. Only $93 million display fireworks were sold in 2020 compared to $375 million in 2019.

The state of Massachusetts has banned the personal use of fireworks completely. Cities like Oregon, California and Washington will not see fireworks amid fears that they might spark wildfires during a historic heat wave.

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Highlighting one major reason for the fireworks shortage, the Wall Street Journal quoted the National Fireworks Association when it said that the shipping chains from China have affected a wide range of consumer goods. China provides 90% of the US fireworks supply.

The vice president of Phantom Fireworks told the Wall Street Journal that the has paid more than double to ship fireworks this year compared with last year. Because of increased shipping costs, the company has raised prices by as much as 25% for some items.