Fireworks were originally invented in China in the ninth century to scare away evil spirits for the New Year. Today, "99 percent of backyard consumer fireworks come directly from China," Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association, toldNPR. "Thankfully, the fireworks industry has not been impacted by the tariffs," Heckman said. China's fireworks capital, the city of Liuyang in Hunan province, is home to about 1,000 companies producing all manner of pyrotechnics. Despite the large amount of imports, the US fireworks industry is still booming.