The New York Times reported this weekend that an explosion three months ago destroyed 20 fireworks warehouses in China. The result:
Fireworks vendors said that because of the sudden shortage,
fireworks like bottle rockets, ladyfingers and Roman candles, as well
as mortars used in professional displays, will be hard to get, meaning
many of the usual pyrotechnic extravaganzas across the country may have
to be curtailed or even canceled.
"Everybody in the industry is
scared to death that their orders aren't going to get here in time,"
said Ken Sprague, president of Hamburg Fireworks Display in Lancaster,
Ohio, which choreographs fireworks shows throughout the Midwest. "I
haven't slept a full night in months."
The blast on Feb. 14 in
the Chinese port city of Sanshui shook homes miles away and fireworks
soared and burst in midair for more than 24 hours, according to local
news reports. It is unclear whether anyone was harmed.
The story says it's hard to ship fireworks from China, partly because only one shipping company will handle fireworks.
Here's more from the story:
"It's been a perfect storm," said Harry Chang, president of
marketing for Black Cat fireworks, a division of Shiu Fung Fireworks in
Hong Kong. Wholesale prices for fireworks are up 30 percent this year,
he said, because of the limited supply, as well as higher shipping
costs and increased prices for chemicals, paper and labor.
"People
will need to be prepared to dig deeper," said William A. Weimer, vice
president of the B. J. Alan Company in Youngstown, Ohio, one of the
largest importers of fireworks in the United States.
Because he
ordered earlier than usual this year, he already has 85 percent of his
shipments from China. "A lot of other guys are in big trouble," he
said, adding that he has received frantic calls from competitors hoping
to buy some of his inventory. "It looks like some communities aren't
going to have shows this year."
What does this mean for your town?
