CHINA’S firework companies are feeling heavy pressure as they face a stagnant market going into their busiest sales period, with demand shrinking amid bans on fireworks.

    Setting off fireworks during the Lunar New Year is an age-old tradition in China, with ancient superstitions holding that the light and sound scares away evil spirits. In more recent years, they’ve been used to bring a festive atmosphere during the country’s most important holiday.

    However, fireworks have been increasingly blamed for contributing to the country’s smog problem, pushing local governments to implement measures forbidding or limiting the use of them.

    Yan Zhengbin, an official with the Ministry of Public Security, said a total of 138 cities have introduced bans and 536 cities have issued restrictions so far.

    Though the move has been applauded by those concerned for the environment, companies who rely on fireworks for a living are feeling unprecedented pressure.

    According to a salesman with Panda Fireworks, based in central Hunan Province, the company has stocked 150,000 cases of fireworks, much less than previous years. “The orders we received this year have fallen off by 20 percent compared to last year,” he said.

    A salesman surnamed Wang with Beifanghuapao Fireworks Company in northeastern Jilin Province said business has been on a downward slope during the past few years.

    Sales for this year have been reduced by half from the same period last year, he said, adding that their current inventory may be enough for the next few years with the current market outlook.

    “The company will have to consider turning to other businesses if the market continues to deteriorate,” Wang said.

    In Beijing, the official period to sell fireworks has been shortened from 20 to 11 days this year. The number of licensed retail outlets fell by 20 percent year on year to 942. The city has stocked up 315,000 cases of fireworks, 200,000 cases less than last year.

    In December, the government of Nanchang, capital of East China’s Jiangxi Province, announced the cancellation of a large-scale fireworks display that was to be held Dec. 31 in order to “reduce emissions and maintain air quality.”

    Lidu Fireworks Company, located in Jiangxi, is a leading producer of large-scale fireworks. The company’s vice general manager Hou Zhongping said their business has been hit by nationwide cancellations of large fireworks shows in the past few years.

    The green way out

    Under the pressure of environmental concerns, producers are working to develop more environmentally friendly fireworks.

    The alternative products are mostly made with improved gunpowder and new chemicals that contain less heavy metals and sulphur, reducing emissions of the harmful chemical sulfide.

    According to Panda Fireworks, the company developed sulfide-free fireworks last year and they now account for 70 percent of the products they are prepared to sell this Spring Festival.

    Now, 70 to 80 percent of Lidu’s production is environmentally friendly, Hou said.

    Green fireworks, however, are still a new concept, with high research and development costs pushing up the retail price.

    According to Wang Sheng, a fireworks store owner, the price of one box of sulfide-free fireworks is about 600 yuan (US$95.9), 10 to 15 percent higher than normal ones.

    In Henan Province, an inventor has created a new kind of firecracker that uses no explosives.

    Producing an explosive sound by releasing compressed air from a closed cavity, his fireworks cost around 150 yuan per unit, 10 times the price of traditional firecrackers.

    The price of green products will hopefully drop as market demand and production expand.

    Chen Jian, a political advisor in Jiangxi Province, said local governments should take measures to help the fireworks companies research and develop environmentally friendly products.

    Rao Hui, chief engineer of the environmental monitoring station of Nanchang, said green fireworks can satisfy both the needs of environmental protection and preservation of traditions.

    Authorities should help strengthen the market demand for green fireworks by heightening public awareness of the merits of the products, he said.

    (Xinhua)