Nation's fireworks light up festivals abroad

CHANGSHA — The fireworks industry is gearing up for its most vibrant season in Liuyang, Hunan province, as holidays approach.

The exhibition halls of fireworks companies are crowded with merchants who have come to negotiate orders, and workers are rushing to fulfill orders. At the entrance to warehouses, vehicles wait to transport fireworks for export.

The cities of Liuyang and Liling in Hunan and the counties of Shangli and Wanzai in neighboring Jiangxi province are China's four major fireworks-producing areas.

According to Changsha Customs data, in the first 11 months of this year, Hunan exported 4.11 billion yuan ($579.26 million) of fireworks and firecrackers, accounting for 61.2 percent of the country's export value of fireworks and firecrackers.

Liuyang Yihelong Trade Co Ltd exports over 500,000 boxes of fireworks via various transportation methods, including sea and land routes, every year.

Peng Xuejun, the company's general manager, said Liuyang's fireworks are renowned globally for their cutting-edge technology, which attracts many foreign clients.

Peng said his company's fireworks boast bright colors, diverse styles and unwavering quality. The company can also cater to the specific demands of clients from different regions.

The fireworks industry has brought wealth to Liuyang, employing nearly 300,000 people from the entire supply chain in the city.

In a bustling plant of Liuyang Dingteng Fireworks Co Ltd, workers are busy producing fireworks for overseas orders. The company has been exporting its products since 2004. Currently, 80 percent of its business comes from overseas markets. This year, its exports totaled over $28 million.

Deng Dashu, the general manager, said the company mainly exports products to European and American markets, including Germany, France and the United States.

The company studies foreign standards and markets thoroughly, and invests more in research and development for innovation. This has helped win the trust of many overseas customers, it said.

As global demand for Liuyang's fireworks grew, trade talent flooded the industry around 2008. Many fireworks factories in Liuyang have established their own trading companies, making the fireworks exports more convenient and receiving plenty of overseas orders.

Liuyang Dingteng has received more orders for the upcoming year.

Deng has been delighted to observe a significant increase in orders from developing countries in recent years.

For example, orders from Malaysia have seen rapid growth, and the number of orders in 2022 doubled that in 2021.

"We enjoy overseas exhibition subsidies and online promotion assistance from the local government. The Customs provide us with a timeliness guarantee in Customs declaration and inspection, and the process has been optimized continuously," Deng said.

Product innovation has also led to the growth of overseas markets. With the acceleration in innovation of domestic fireworks enterprises in recent years, especially the wide variety of small fireworks, China's fireworks are leading the trend globally.

Xinhua