Excitingly, the U.S. "Liberty 250" fireworks display will be the largest fireworks show in history!
The main fireworks powering this spectacular event are made in China.
July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The White House is leading the establishment of the special "Liberty 250" celebration, with the fireworks display serving as the grand finale of the day-long festivities.
The White House officially promotes it as the largest fireworks display ever held globally, aiming to break a Guinness World Record.
The planned total number of fireworks to be launched ranges from 850,000 to 860,000 (surpassing the previous Guinness record of 810,904 set in Manila in 2016).
This is 50 times more than Washington’s usual Independence Day fireworks (17,000–20,000 shells), lasting approximately 40 minutes—double the duration of past displays.
Tens of thousands of spectators are expected to gather for the show.
Historically, up to one million people attended the 1976 fireworks display in Washington D.C.
At that time, one million people gathered at the National Mall or nearby areas.
Then-President Gerald Ford delivered a speech outside the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where another million people had gathered.
In today’s context, it's hard to imagine millions gathering together to watch a fireworks display or listen to a speech by Trump.
The cost of this performance remains opaque: the organizers have never disclosed the total budget for fireworks procurement, venue setup, or security.
According to reports, the core fireworks for the U.S. "Liberty 250" event are produced in China (mainly in Liuyang and Liling, Hunan Province).
Over 90% of large-scale professional fireworks used across the U.S. are manufactured in China, and nearly 99% of consumer-grade fireworks come from China.
This massive fireworks show, involving 850,000 shells, consists mostly of Chinese-made firecrackers, launch charges, and shaped fireworks—custom-designed large-scale performance fireworks specifically produced for this event by Hunan’s fireworks production zone.
Ninety percent of global fireworks manufacturing capacity is concentrated in China, supported by a complete industrial chain, low costs, and ultra-high output—something the U.S. domestic industry cannot match for large-scale events requiring hundreds of thousands of shells.
The U.S. only produces a small quantity of high-end handmade specialty fireworks, but with extremely limited capacity—insufficient to serve as more than minor accents, let alone support a world-record-level fireworks spectacle.
Previously, U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese goods once threatened to create supply shortages and cause skyrocketing costs for this massive 250th-anniversary fireworks display. The U.S. Fireworks Association repeatedly lobbied the government to ease these tariffs, ultimately enabling the large-scale import, customs clearance, and transportation of Chinese fireworks.
The main fireworks supporting this "largest fireworks show in history" are entirely made in China.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869735235281920/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.