Likely No Fireworks for US Independence Day Celebration: Trump’s Former Adviser Says Americans Will Miss Chinese Products the Most

Sweeping tariffs rolled out by the new US administration are rattling global trade and hitting millions of American families at home. Across the media landscape, warnings abound: consumer prices are climbing, and The New York Times bluntly asks whether Americans can even picture daily life without Chinese-made goods.

American Households and the “Made in China” Bind

A recent New York Times visual analysis illustrate vividly the extent of American dependence on Chinese imports. 

Visualization from The New York Times

The report color-coded everyday products by their Chinese import share : gray for less than 20%, Green, 20-40%, Yellow, 40-60%, Orange, 60-80%, and red for over 80%.

More than 99 percent of toasters in American homes are imported from China.

The takeaway: many household essentials are overwhelmingly sourced from China, and new tariffs threaten to push prices even higher.

Step into any American kitchen and you’ll find that nearly every toaster, actually up to more than 99%, is made in China. Personal care staples like makeup brushes, nail clippers, and combs, almost all bear the “Made in China” label.

The pattern repeats throughout the American home: metal patio chairs, charcoal grills, umbrellas, computer monitors, desk lamps, first-aid kits, irons, flashlights, fireworks, baby strollers, and Christmas ornaments – 70% to 90% of these goods come from Chinese factories.

98 percent of umbrellas (red) sold in the United States come from China.

Decades of manufacturing investment have made China the world’s workshop, producing nearly one-third of all physical goods -- more than the US, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the UK combined. As the South China Morning Post once quipped, even the pen President Trump used to sign his tariff orders was likely made in China.

No Fireworks for the 250^th National Day Celebration?

America’s reliance on Chinese manufacturing extends to its most cherished celebrations. Between February 2024 and January 2025, the U.S. imported $508 million in fireworks – 95% from China. With tariffs now as high as 145%, fireworks companies have halted orders from Chinese suppliers. The United States’ 250^th National Day Celebration might go without fireworks.

Stacy Schneitter Blake, president of the National Fireworks Association (NFA) and co-owner of Schneider Fireworks, says the industry is facing an unprecedented crisis.  With Chinese factories soon to pause for their summer recess, she warns that unless tariffs are lifted soon, American importers may miss the window for placing orders for the 250th Independence Day celebrations next year.

The NFA and The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) have jointly pleaded for relief, stressing that 99% of consumer fireworks and 75% of display fireworks come from China, and that there is simply no domestic alternative. “Tariffs will not incentivize US production. They will only increase costs. The reality is that there are no manufacturing alternatives available outside of China,” the associations stated.

Julie Heckman, CEO of the APA says bluntly, “Fireworks will not be manufactured in the US. It’s just impossible. We don’t have the necessary raw materials or chemicals, and even if someone wanted to start, you’d have to import all the chemicals.”

In early April, the APA sent a letter to Trump asking him to remove the tariffs on fireworks. In the letter, the association referenced the Trump administration’s 2019 decision to exempt the fireworks industry from similar tariffs, emphasizing the sector’s unique characteristics and its significance to American traditions. The APA urged the administration to take sensible action now.

Businesses Squeezed-“Am I to Sell Bald Dolls?”

The impact of tariffs is rippling through the broader economy. According to data from SmartScout, average prices for nearly a thousand products on Amazon jumped 29% after the April tariff hikes, hitting categories from clothing and jewelry to toys and electronics. Many businesses that rely on Chinese suppliers are freezing shipments and suspending orders, sending shockwaves through supply chains.

Screenshot from CNN report

The US toy industry is particularly exposed: nearly 80% of all toys sold in America are made in China. Isaac Larian, CEO of MGA Entertainment, says he’s been left with no choice. “We have no choice but to increase our prices by double digits. The life of my business, 46 years, is on the line.” He stressed that domestic sourcing isn’t an option. The US doesn’t produce the materials needed for doll hair, for example. “What am I supposed to do – sell bald dolls?” he asks in despair.

Jay Foreman, CEO of Basic Fun!, says his entire supply chain is tied to China. Higher tariffs, he warns, threaten not just prices and supply, but the very survival of the US toy industry.

Economic Fallout Mounts - “Americans Will Miss Chinese Goods Most”

The broader economic toll is becoming clear. Ryan Petersen, founder of Flexport, reports that container bookings from China to the US have plunged by over 60% in three weeks since tariffs took effect. Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, warns that store shelves could be bare within weeks, with layoffs looming for dockworkers, truck drivers, and retail staff.

Gary Cohn, former chief economic adviser to Trump, sums up the dilemma: “I think we're all starting to realize that the country we're most dependent upon in the United States and for our shelves and what we would miss the most would be what comes out of China.”

Mao Paishou

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On April 29, amid the ongoing China-US trade war, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) published a high-profile bilingual video titled “China Won't Kneel Down!” on its official WeChat account. The video sharply criticizes the United States for launching a global tariff storm, sidelining China, and coercing other countries to restrict economic and trade cooperation with China. The video likens this to the eye of a typhoon where murderous threat is hidden-“Bowing to a bully is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It only deepens the crisis”- and firmly declares, “China will never kneel!” History, the video argues, has proven that “compromise won’t earn you mercy. Kneeling only invites more bullying.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

The video opens with a rhetorical question:

“Have you heard of the eye of the storm? It appears calm for a moment, but is actually a deadly trap. The calm before an even fiercer storm. The US has stirred up a global tariff storm and deliberately targeted China, playing a ‘90-day pause’ game with other nations, forcing them to limit trade with China. This is just like the deadly trap of the eye of the storm. Bowing to a bully is like drinking poison to quench thirst. It only deepens the crisis.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

The video then details past US acts of “hegemonic behavior,” stating:

“The US once accused Japan of dumping semiconductors and crushed companies like Toshiba. Later, it forced Japan to sign the Plaza Accord, pushing the economy into decades of anemic growth. The US also used long-arm jurisdiction as a weapon, breaking up France’s industrial giant Alstom, robbing the country of a national champion. History has proven compromise won’t earn you mercy. Kneeling only invites more bullying.”

The MFA underscores:

“China won’t kneel down. Because we know, standing up for ourselves keeps the possibility of cooperation alive. While compromise snuffs it out, China won’t back down. So the voices of the weak will be heard, bullying will be stopped, and justice will not disappear from the world.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

The video continues:

“All bullies are just paper tigers. The US does not represent the entire world. Its trade makes up less than a fifth of the world’s total. When the rest of the world stands together in solidarity, the US is just a small, stranded boat. Imperialists are always arrogant. If they show a bit of reason, it’s only because they’re forced to do so. Make no mistake, the US will keep flip-flopping and playing hardball. But China will stand firm, no matter how hard the wind blows, no matter how clouds rage. The darker the night, the brighter the stars shine. Someone has to step forward, torch in hand, to shatter the fog and illuminate the path ahead. When every nation stands tall, the world will break through the walls of hegemony. For China, for the world, we must rise and fight on.”

Screenshot from the MFA video

Meanwhile, Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated China’s position at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He stated that the US is using tariffs as bargaining chips to extort exorbitant demands from other countries. If the international community chooses silence, compromise, or retreat, it will only embolden the bully. Wang stressed that BRICS nations should jointly oppose all forms of protectionism.

Wang Yi emphasized that multilateralism is the cornerstone of the post-WWII international order, and solidarity and cooperation are the greatest common denominators of the international community. However, some countries have developed a seriously distorted understanding of the world; the US pursues unilateralism and “America First,” placing its own interests above the global public good.  While the current international system underpins global stability and prosperity, the US -- as its biggest beneficiary -- is now undermining it.

Wang further stated that “the law of the jungle” is making a comeback, with coercion and bullying no longer disguised, and the foundations of international relations under continuous threat. He stressed that defending multilateral trade rules is now the most urgent task. Trade, by nature, is about complementary strengths and mutual benefit, not a tool for selfish gain. BRICS countries, he said, should resolutely oppose all forms of protectionism, uphold a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, maintain its core values and basic principles, and promote trade liberalization and facilitation.