US demands for fireworks surging

Solid quality

Fireworks is a popular consumer product and has narrowly avoided additional tariffs imposed on wide-ranging Chinese imports by the previous US administration.

Heckman had attended a June 2019 hearing to speak against the increased tariffs at the International Trade Commission in Washington. She said US companies have forged close ties with their Chinese partners to produce the "highest quality and safest" fireworks, and it would take 10 to 15 years if they were forced to shift production elsewhere.

While July 4 is still the big day for the big bang, Americans continue to use fireworks all year round to celebrate festivals, special events and sporting traditions such as the Olympics and Super Bowl.

"China is the global supplier. They have done a phenomenal job in making quality safe goods that comply with US regulations," Heckman said. "It would be very difficult for our industry to shift away from that."

Heckman had been to China numerous times, talking with quality inspection officials and visiting manufacturing sites in Liuyang of Hunan province, where she found the quality of the products "solid".

"The Chinese factories take great pride in producing these fireworks, not just for the US, but also for the global market," she said.

The US has a third-party testing lab, the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory, which has technicians and laboratories based in China to maintain quality control and product testing.

In a report released by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission on Tuesday, the US reported a 50 percent increase in deaths and injuries in fireworks related incidents in 2020 as compared to the previous year.

"It's not the quality of the product. The vast majority of injuries and or fires occur due to the misuse of fireworks," Heckman said. "And I will say that the Consumer Product Safety Commission in their estimate of injuries, they do not factor in consumption, and consumption doubled. Therefore, the injury rate actually was quite nominal."

CPSC's Acting Chairman Robert Adler also said consumers should be more aware when handling fireworks.

"Consumers should enjoy professional fireworks displays from a distance and be extra vigilant when using consumer type fireworks," he said.