Some fireworks could be more expensive due to Chinese tariffs

TAMPA, Fla. — Firework tents pop up all over the place when we’re ready to celebrate some major holidays. 

Very few holidays are more “firework dependent” than our nation’s birthday.

“We constantly are ringing up,” said Sarah Lozito, a tent operator for a firework stand in Crystal River. “I think we have two customers per minute is our average.”

According to Lozito, she’s been a tent operator for about four years up in Citrus County, totaling about six seasons of fireworks sales for New Years and the Fourth of July.

Even in this dreary weather, she’s surpassed her sales goals earlier this week with the anticipation of it really stepping up today.

“It’s exhausting,” Lozito said. “But we survive, and it goes by fast.”

For many operators, the exhaustion doesn’t stop with the long hours but whether the cost of these fireworks will drastically change because of tariffs with China.

It’s estimated that 99 percent of fireworks are made in China and looking at labels of fireworks at Lozito’s stand It’s hard to miss.

U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods got up to about 145 percent this year but are now down to about 30 percent for fireworks which is good news for firework vendors like Lozito, considering the alternative.

“Some of the bigger items have went up a few dollars this year,” Lozito said. “A lot of our smaller stuff rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, sparklers have stayed the same.”

While the smaller things are still the same price, those bigger items, Lozito says, have gone up anywhere between $10 to $40.

“These are hazardous materials being shipped over, so they have passed on a little bit of the price on that,” Lozito said.

Even with minor price hikes, Lozito says it was much worse following the pandemic, so she isn’t really concerned right now.

Instead, her main concern is mother nature.

“We just hope the rain stays away,” she said. “And then, of course, we got next year coming the 250th anniversary.”

Which is expected to be a big year barring any drastic economic changes.

Lozito says their tent will be open until midnight tonight and open tomorrow for people looking to still buy some last-minute fireworks.

They’re located near West Norvell Bryant Highway and West Gulf to Lake Highway.