Fourth of July: Stars & Stripes and Fireworks

Oregonians across the state will be celebrating the 241st anniversary of our nation’s Declaration of Independence with barbecues featuring Oregon-grown fare, pies made from Oregon cherries, and fireworks as permitted under Oregon Revised Statutes 480.111 through 480.165. 

Fireworks

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that $296.2 million worth of fireworks were imported from China in 2016. U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $10.0 million in 2016. According to the 2012 Economic Census, sales of fireworks by wholesalers totaled $482.6 million, while sales of fireworks by retailers totaled $368.6 million.

Stars and Stripes

In 2016, the annual value of imported U.S. flags was $5.4 million according to the International Trade Statistics. The majority of imported flags were from China, with a value of $5.3 million. The U.S. exported $27.8 million worth of U.S. flags, with Mexico being the leading customer ($26.1 million).

Population

In July 1776, about 2.5 million people lived in the thirteen independent colonies, according to Historical Statistics of the United States, 1789-1945. Last Fourth of July, the estimated U.S. population was 323.1 million and Oregon’s population was 4 million.

The British Are Coming!

The United States and the United Kingdom eventually let bygones be bygones and repaired political, cultural, and economic ties. Centuries later, the value of trade between the U.S. and the U.K. was $109.7 billion in 2016, making our adversary in 1776 the seventh-leading trading partner today. Oregon exported $345 million in goods to the United Kingdom in 2016, making the U.K. the eleventh largest importer of Oregon's goods.

Learn more fun facts about the Fourth of July on the U.S. Census Bureau website.