TOPEKA (KSNT) – Firework stands across Kansas are feeling the impact of tariffs on goods from China, where most of their products are made.
Some stand owners say they had to order inventory months earlier than usual to avoid higher costs. Despite their efforts, some only received 80% of their usual orders, leaving warehouses partially empty ahead of the holiday.
For customers, that might mean paying a little bit more this season.
“Everything goes up every year. So, the prices did go up,” Second to None Fireworks Owner, Billy Tomlin said. “Soon as I got wind of the tariffs, I placed my order immediately. I placed two or three months earlier than I usually do, which was a nightmare, to be honest.”
Even with the setbacks, vendors say they’re doing everything they can to keep sales steady, despite the tariff uncertainty.
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“We’re a very volatile industry, in that we are, it’s seasonal. We’re doing international business, international shipping,” Garrett’s Fireworks Owner, Eric Garrett said. “There’s politics at play between the United States and China. So, there’s always going to be some kind of wild card thrown in our direction every year.”
Owners say they are already thinking about next year’s stock to get ahead of any uncertainty.
If you want to light a specific firework this year, you should buy it sooner rather than later.
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