Fireworks are as American as apple pie. The colorful displays are synonymous with celebrating the country's independence. But nearly all of those aerial shells, paper rockets and sparkly fountains are imported from China. While big-city organizers and backyard revelers are set for this year's festivities, the trade fight between China and the U.S. has lit a fuse of uncertainty as the price tag for future displays could skyrocket if an agreement isn't reached. “We had probably 70, 75 percent of our products already in the United States when those tariffs were imposed,” said Bill Weimer, vice president at Youngstown, Ohio-based Phantom Fireworks, which bills itself as the nation’s largest fireworks retailer. “We have maybe 30 percent that are coming in since then. We've already paid some tariffs,” Weimer said in a recent interview. “So, on about 30 percent of our products, there's going to be some effect in the price. We're not going to pass all of it on to the consumers.” There were similar concerns in 2019 as trade talks between the U.S. and China dragged on. Industry groups had called on officials then to exempt fireworks from escalating tariffs. The American Pyrotechnics Association and the National Fireworks Association reignited the lobbying effort this spring, noting in letters to President Donald Trump that fireworks play a crucial role in American celebrations. The groups say the industry is made up mostly of family-owned companies that are often locked into long-term contracts that leave them unable to raise prices to offset cost surges brought on by higher tariffs. And there are few options for sourcing the more than 300 million pounds (136 million kilograms) of fireworks needed to feed demands. China produces 99% of consumer fireworks used in the U.S. That’s according to the APA. Peggy Senich recently stopped by a Phantom Fireworks retail store in Youngstown, not far from the company headquarters, to pick up some items for the neighborhood fireworks show her husband puts on every year. Neighborhood residents typically pitch in for the show, according to Senich, who said they spent over $500 on fireworks the past few years. This year, the 66-year-old retiree came armed with coupons, fearing the prices would be “a little bit higher because of all the tariffs, but it’s really just the same.” Weimer already is looking ahead to next year, when the nation will celebrate its 250th birthday. He’s hoping for the gift of an exemption. “We're going to skate this year. In 2025, the consumers will largely pay what they paid last year,” Weimer said. “But we will not escape it if the trade war continues and the tariffs continue through, into 2026.”