Fireworks sales have fallen back to Earth after years of explosive growth – here’s why

By Jay L. Zagorsky, Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy and Law, Boston University

It’s almost the Fourth of July – a day of parades, barbecue and, of course, fireworks. But while parades and barbecues are still very popular, shockingly, this year fireworks are less so.

Imports of fireworks reached a peak in 2022 of almost US$600 million, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. But today, just two years later, my estimate is that fireworks imports will only reach about $350 million in 2024. What happened to one of U.S.’s favorite Fourth of July activities?

The answer, I believe, lies…

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