A major fireworks shortage is expected, making everything from sparklers to the big mortar shells hard to find.
Here’s why the pandemic is to blame.
Ironically, for a day that we mark our country’s independence, how we celebrate this year will depend on a different country at least when it comes to lighting up the night sky.
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Aaron Blankenship, the owner of Titan Fireworks, says it normally takes him about 30 days to get fireworks shipped from China.
“Most of your powder components and everything are produced in China,” Blankenship added. “We’ve got a lot of fireworks either sitting in the ocean or in port stuck there. It’s been anywhere from six weeks to even 10 weeks.”
That’s because international shipping companies are trying to make up for the time and money they lost during the pandemic and fireworks are just not as high of a priority.
“So, as these boats are being unloaded, a lot of the fireworks and those type items are being put on the side of the yard and they’re prioritizing Walmart, Amazon, Target, a lot of the large retailers,” Blankenship said.
Blankenship says he had to start buying his supplies 10 months in advance to make sure he had enough to stock his shelves. But even that wasn’t enough, so they decided to reduce their number of locations.
“We wanted to make sure when people went to the stand that they weren’t disappointed to see a half-stocked tent,” Blankenship said. “We anticipate, starting as early as this weekend, things are really going to start ramping up,” according to Blankenship. “If they want a good selection, they need to come as early as possible.”
If you’re one of those people who like to convince the neighbors they’re living through a second revolution you better come stock up while you can.