Boats carrying fireworks from Shanghai will be under stricter supervision this year to ensure safety and eliminate any illegal trade, the Pudong Maritime Bureau said yesterday.
Chinese New Year is a peak season for the fireworks industry and the bureau is sending more staff to check boats and carry out stringent open-package inspections.
Last year, 40,000 boxes left city ports, according to the Shanghai Fireworks Trading and Transport Association, over 80 percent of the country's total firework exports.
Shanghai bans fireworks within the Outer Ring Road area and at specific venues outside, such as hospitals, schools and airports, to curb air pollution.
In a crackdown on the illegal trade in fireworks, Shanghai police have detained 144 suspects and seized 11,462 boxes already this year.
