Fireworks for the Fourth shortage? North Texas wholesaler says it's possible

CBS News

6 hours ago

If you're buying fireworks this year, some items may be pricier because of the tariff war between the U.S. and China.
John Palmer said tariff prices kept many companies from ordering fireworks earlier this year. Last-minute shoppers may not get what they want, he said.
Firework enthusiasts began making their way to Pyro Penny's Fireworks in Dallas County to purchase goodies for the Fourth of July.
Darius Beacham said he's a first-timer whose family usually watches the holiday fireworks display at Fair Park. They decided to change things up this year.
"I think you get more thrill when you light it yourself," Beacham said. "And so, that's what we wanted. We want the thrill."
Beacham is one of the predicted thousands who will come to the Dowdy Ferry Road looking for John Palmer's inventory. He owns the retail stand and Palmer Wholesale Fireworks.
With 55 years of experience in the pyro business, Palmer is both prepared and concerned at the same time.
Prepared, Palmer said, because he had more than 90% of his inventory when the United States and China got into a tariff showdown.
"China, they're the fireworks people. They do it better than anybody on the planet," he said.
Palmer said he got in touch with his suppliers in China to ensure a deal as the war with the US escalated.
"I went to China, and I negotiated some prices with some of the Chinese," Palmer said. "So, I didn't have to go up as much as a lot of people did."
Still, he admits that some of his prices increased by as much as $5 while others decreased. Firecrackers, he said, have remained the same price, 99 cents.
Customer Taylor Martin came prepared to carry on a family tradition.
"I'm just going to have a good time," Taylor Martin said. "I didn't even think about the prices, to be honest. I mean, of course, there's a budget involved."
Budgets became a factor for many fireworks businesses that had to deal with 125% reciprocal tariffs. It made the industry fragile, according to the National Fireworks Association.
Palmer believes there may be a fireworks shortage going into Independence Day, connected to the price of the tariffs.
"There'll start to be a shortage of fireworks because so many people canceled containers, like thousands of them," he said.
Palmer sells to other retail stands and supplies his own. He advises customers not to wait until the last minute to buy fireworks, which is the typical purchasing pattern. According to the business owner, enthusiasts may end up with items they don't want if they procrastinate.
Beacham is not in that category. His first experience, he said, was informative and pricer than expected. It's worth what his family hopes for on the Fourth of July.
"Everybody pulls out those phones and gets a recording and, you know, having a good time," Beacham said. "Just something that we can catch your family memories, you know."