China's impact on American life couldn't be more obvious than on the 4th of July when the whole nation lights up its skies with sparklers and pyrotechniques crafted by the Chinese.

For more than 30 years now, Chinese-made firecrackers have dominated the U.S. Market, with only a small fraction of pyrotechnic products supplied by Thailand, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA).

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This year, 98 to 99 percent of fireworks used by individual consumers to celebrate American Independence were imported from China.

Some 75 percent of the professional-grade pyrotechniques set up around national landmarks and in public fireworks displays across the country also came from China, the association said.

Americans may feel iffy about having to express their patriotism using China's fireworks, but the situation has been that way in the last three decades.

APA Executive Director Julie Heckman admits that the process of making fireworks, which is still basically done by hand, is very labor intensive and that if these were to be manufactured at home, the retail prices would likely be 10 times higher than those imported from China.

As a result, China has practically cornered the U.S. fireworks market with sales shooting up to US$675 million this year alone, Heckman added.

The U.S. began importing fireworks from China in 1979 when the two countries re-established trade relations. By mid-1990, China's annual pyrotechnic exports to the U.S. had reached US$60 million, and in 2013, the annual export figure rose to US$213 million.

What kept the US-China pyrotechniques trade robust through the years was the fact that the American Fireworks Standards Laboratory has been working closely with Chinese manufacturers to ensure that China's fireworks would meet U.S. safety and environmental standards.

APA's Heckman says American fireworks importers, who normally take several trips to China every year, have established good business relations with their Chinese suppliers, making the pyrotechniques industry an example of a healthy trade cooperation between China and the U.S.

Tags4th of July, Happy Fourth of July, fireworks, Independence Day