A fireworks import and wholesale company is going to court to block the city from enforcing its recent fireworks ban.

American Promotional Events, Inc. — Northwest, which does business as TNT Fireworks, filed a lawsuit and request for preliminary injunction in federal court this week.

TNT claims it stands to lose more than $800,000 worth of fireworks in its warehouse near Hono­lulu Airport intended for sale on the neighbor islands, where they are still legal.

The company also claims it invested more than $750,000 to improve its warehouse to comply with the city fire code for storing fireworks.

The city’s fireworks ban, which took effect this year, prohibits importing, storing, selling, offering for sale or keeping consumer fireworks except for firecrackers.

The company says the warehouse serves as its central distribution facility because overseas cargo arrives on Oahu on large container ships and go to the neighbor islands on smaller ships. The company said it has not found a suitable warehouse location on the neighbor islands.

TNT’s licenses for importing, wholesaling and storing consumer fireworks expired March 31.

It applied for new licenses on March 16, but the city has not responded and said it cannot guarantee that the company will not face criminal and civil penalties while officials deliberate on the applications.