EU heat driving sales of cooling devices
Strong overseas demand has also boosted household appliance exports
As persistent heatwaves sweep across Europe, Chinese manufacturers are rapidly ramping up exports of cooling appliances, underscoring the country's ability to respond swiftly to shifting global demand through resilient supply chains, product innovation and flexible manufacturing.
From portable air conditioners and electric fans to household ice cream makers, manufacturers in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces are reporting strong orders from European customers, supported by well-developed industrial clusters and cross-border e-commerce platforms.
Ningbo Fuda Intelligent Technology Co, a manufacturer of portable air conditioners, fan-based coolers and dehumidifiers in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, exported about 80 percent of its portable air conditioner output in the first half of 2026, with Europe accounting for around 60 percent of overseas shipments.
Fang Zhihao, the company's sales director, said that in previous years, orders usually declined from May or June. This year, however, many clients, particularly from Germany and Poland, continue to place additional orders and the company's production schedule is already fully booked through the end of August.
To address restrictions on installing external air-conditioning units in many European countries, as well as the high installation costs, the Chinese company has developed a customized all-in-one portable air conditioner. The unit requires no installation and meets the European Union's energy-efficiency standards.
The heatwaves have also driven strong demand for household ice cream makers across Europe. At a factory operated by Ningbo Borine Electric Appliance Co, a Ningbo-based home appliance manufacturer, household ice cream makers are rolling off the production line. More than 20,000 units are scheduled to be shipped to European countries in batches by mid-July.
Europe accounts for around 30 percent of Borine Electric's export sales, with Germany, France, Italy and Spain among its largest markets. Since late May, persistent heatwaves across Europe have fueled particularly strong export growth for the company's ice cream makers.
"Since its launch in March, we have exported 48,000 units, generating sales of about 22 million yuan ($3.24 million)," said Yu Hanfen, the company's vice-president. "Demand remains strong, with additional orders continuing to come in from customers in Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain."
"Based on our current order pipeline, we expect to receive orders for more than 100,000 additional units in the second half of this year," Yu said.
Ningbo exported more than 57 million cooling appliances, including various types of fans and air conditioners, between January and May, up 6.5 percent year-on-year. The exports were valued at 8.29 billion yuan, with the European market accounting for about one quarter of the total, statistics from Ningbo Customs showed.
Strong overseas demand has also boosted household appliance exports from neighboring Jiangsu province. According to Nanjing Customs, Jiangsu exported 31.99 billion yuan worth of household appliances, including air conditioners, electric fans, refrigerators and washing machines, in the first five months, up 6 percent year-on-year.
Analysts said the export growth illustrates that China's manufacturing strength is increasingly being driven by its ability to respond to global market demand with innovative and customized products, rather than simply competing on costs.
Responding to the so-called "China Shock 2.0" narrative that portrays China's development as a disruption to the global economy, Chen Bin, deputy director of the expert committee of the Beijing-based China Machinery Industry Federation, said the country's exports are increasingly driven by market demand, product innovation and efficient supply chains rather than low-cost manufacturing.
Instead, China's manufacturing ecosystem helps improve supply chain resilience and provides consumers worldwide with more efficient and affordable products, said Tu Xinquan, dean of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn
