Southport’s Fourth of July fireworks show on track despite tariff concerns
BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — City officials said their vendor, Munnerlyn Pyrotechnics, agreed to honor a price quote issued shortly after last year’s event. That means the city will not see increased costs from tariffs recently imposed on imported fireworks.
The city said the show will be extended by two minutes this year to honor Charlie Perry for his longtime support of the North Carolina Fourth of July Festival.
Although this year’s show is unaffected, some industry leaders say future celebrations could be at risk if current tariff policies remain in place.
Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, said most U.S. fireworks companies depend on imports from China.
“What we are seeing for this upcoming Fourth of July we don’t think it will have a significant impact,” Heckman said. “There may be some product shortages at point of retail but not significant.”
Heckman said fireworks importers were impacted by a 145% tariff this spring. Many paused shipments as a result.
“When you agree to bring it in and it only has a 5 percent tariff or duty, that’s one thing. When it escalates to triple digits, that’s another,” she said.
The industry has since seen a 90-day pause on the tariff increase. But Heckman said uncertainty remains.
“But with the recent announcement earlier this week about a potential 55 percent tariff, again the uncertainty is really out there and we are concerned it could impact next year’s celebration in particular because production in China has halted,” she said.
She said those conditions can make it difficult for vendors to plan ahead.
“Because the tariffs situation still it’s highly unstable, it’s very hard for a small family business to make decisions not knowing the exact price of the product,” Heckman said.
The association is asking the federal government to consider a tariff exemption or reduced rate to help stabilize the supply chain.
“It’s the one time a year that communities as neighbors gather regardless of religion, politics, race, creed,” Heckman said. “It’s we are all together and we can all celebrate what’s great about America.”
Heckman said municipalities looking to reduce costs may consider shortening their displays by a minute or two in future years. She also warned that continued tariff pressure could lead to congestion at West Coast ports, which could further disrupt the fireworks supply chain ahead of the 2026 season.
