Chinese air conditioner makers ramp up production as Europe's record heatwave drives demand

Chinese air conditioner manufacturers are operating on continuous shifts to meet surging European demand for portable cooling units, as record-breaking heatwaves sweep the continent and expose a long-standing shortage of residential air conditioning infrastructure, according to company statements and industry reports. 

Midea, one of China's largest home appliance manufacturers, said its air conditioner plant in Shunde, South China's Guangdong Province, is currently running around the clock to ramp up production of its PortaSplit models. The units are being rushed to Europe via China-Europe freight trains in a bid to reach consumers before the peak summer season ends.

"We have seen robust sales growth in parts of Western Europe. Our air conditioner sales in markets with relatively low air conditioner penetration, including France, Spain, Germany and the UK, all posted a year-on-year increase of more than 70 percent," Midea said in a statement to the Global Times.

Other major Chinese brands including Gree and TCL have also ramped up production of similar portable units, according to Chinese financial outlet Yicai.

Hisense Group said sales of its air conditioners achieved robust growth in several European countries in the first half of 2025. The company reported that sales in Hungary doubled year on year, turnover in Italy rose more than 20 percent, and online sales in Spain climbed approximately 42 percent, according to en.europe.cn.

Record temperatures expose Europe's cooling gap

The production surge comes as temperatures in France, Germany, Spain and neighbouring countries soared to between 39°C and 41°C and beyond, breaking multiple June records, according to en.europe.cn. The BBC reported that temperatures broke June records in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, while the death toll from the heatwave climbed in Spain and France.

The extreme conditions triggered heat-related health incidents, power disruptions, closures of schools and tourist sites, and widespread adjustments to business schedules, with retailers reporting that fans and portable air conditioners sold out rapidly.

Europe's vulnerability to such events is structural. Only around 20 percent of European households own air conditioning units, according to en.europe.cn, with many buildings historically designed to retain heat through cold winters rather than to facilitate summer cooling.

In Paris and other historic districts, strict facade regulations prohibit wall drilling required for conventional split-unit installations, while professional installation costs frequently exceed the price of the appliance itself, according to media reports cited by the Global Times. High energy prices and environmental standards have further constrained uptake.

Consumer demand spills onto social media

The scarcity has generated intense online activity. On social media, numerous users praised Chinese cooling products for their affordability and practicality. A German user created a dedicated website enabling consumers to track real-time stock availability of Midea's PortaSplit units.

One consumer reported spending two days searching across the European Union and ultimately driving 200 kilometres to purchase the last available unit — by which point the price had already risen by 100 euros, according to the Global Times.

Export figures reflect dominant supply position

The commercial momentum is underpinned by China's commanding position in global cooling equipment manufacturing. China exported $27.2 billion worth of air conditioners in 2025, accounting for nearly 40 percent of global exports, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC).

Figures from the China Household Electrical Appliances Association show that China's air conditioner exports to the European Union and the United Kingdom reached $1.39 billion from January to May 2025, a year-on-year increase of 20.25 percent, while export volume rose 20.14 percent over the same period to 7.97 million units, according to en.europe.cn.

China accounts for more than 50 percent of worldwide air conditioner production, with complete domestic supply chains and economies of scale enabling competitive pricing for consumers abroad.

Beyond air conditioners, Chinese-made cooling products including fan-equipped sun hats, handheld fans and cooling blankets have also gained popularity across Europe.

Analysts cite design and manufacturing competitiveness

Liu Dingding, an internet commentator, told the Global Times that the popularity of Chinese portable split air conditioners stems from consumer demand and innovative product design tailored to local conditions, with user-friendly products filling critical gaps in the European market.

Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said China's complete industrial chain and manufacturing competitiveness offer complementary trade advantages to Europe, and that meeting growing European demand should pose no difficulty.

However, Cui cautioned that conditions had shifted. "Unlike before, Europe is now adopting protectionist measures in its trade with China," he told the Global Times, urging the EU to "respect market rules and consumers' independent choices, and uphold open, inclusive bilateral trade cooperation to unlock win-win development for both European consumers and Chinese manufacturers."

China's energy base underpins domestic and export capacity

Analysts note that China's ability to sustain both domestic cooling demand and surging exports is partly anchored in the scale of its power infrastructure. China's total electricity consumption surpassed 10 trillion kilowatt-hours for the first time in 2025, reaching 10.4 trillion kWh — a year-on-year increase of five percent — according to data from China's National Energy Administration cited by en.europe.cn.

This makes China the first country to exceed the 10-trillion-kWh threshold in annual power consumption, more than doubling that of the United States and exceeding the combined consumption of the EU, Russia, India and Japan, en.europe.cn reported. Renewables form a growing share of that capacity, with nearly all new demand increasingly met by additional renewable generation.

As climate change drives more frequent and intense heatwaves, analysts say Europe's traditional approach to cooling is under pressure to evolve — and that China's manufacturing scale and energy infrastructure are playing an increasing role in shaping the continent's response.