Surging demand for Chinese air-conditioners amid record heatwave in Europe
In a TikTok video, French politician Geoffroy Boulard said he had air-conditioners, produced by Chinese manufacturer Haier, delivered to several schools in his district in Paris.
An air-conditioning unit is seen at a window of an apartment building as temperatures rise in Nantes, during a heatwave affecting France, on Jun 25, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Stephane Mahe)
BEIJING: Chinese air-conditioner manufacturers are ramping up production to meet surging demand from countries in Europe as the region swelters through record-breaking temperatures.
Unlike in major cities across Asia and the United States, air-conditioning remains rare in many European homes - where public housing and older buildings have been built historically for winter insulation rather than regulating extreme summer heat.
Chinese air-conditioning brands told state media outlets that they have been increasing production to meet the demand for portable split models.
Chinese electrical appliance giant Midea told the Global Times state tabloid that its air-conditioner manufacturing plant in Guangdong has been working around the clock to ramp up production of its popular PortaSplit models.
On its website, Midea’s PortaSplit air-conditioning units are advertised as requiring no installation, no tools and no drilling - and are also "perfectly compatible with most European window types".
In cities like Paris for example, where many buildings are not built for air-conditioning - experts said installing traditional air-con units can often be expensive or complicated.
Rules also exist to protect historical buildings in the city, and installing fittings like a traditional split air-con unit would be deemed to change the exterior look of buildings, which is prohibited.
Midea told the Global Times that it has 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 per cent,” it said on Saturday (Jun 27).
Another major Chinese manufacturer, Gree Electric Appliances, reported air-conditioner sales in European countries including France, Italy and Spain rising by more than 40 per cent year-on-year between January to June.
Its portable air-conditioners are especially popular among overseas customers due to the easy installation process, a company representative told the Yicai Global news outlet - with global distributors reporting almost no stock left.
“We started selling split-type portable air-conditioners a while ago, and are currently researching easy-to-install split-type models,” the spokesperson told Yicai.
China exported nearly US$28 billion worth of air-conditioners in 2025 and accounted for around 40 percent of global exports, according to data compiled by the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) - underscoring the country’s dominance in the global supply chain.
Other Chinese-made cooling products - from fan-equipped sun hats to handheld fans and cooling blankets - have also gained immense popularity overseas.
Official Chinese customs data showed that Chinese air-conditioner exports to EU countries reached US$3.76 billion in the first half of 2026 - marking a year-on-year increase of 43.2 per cent and setting new sales records.
Exports to France, the Netherlands and Belgium more than doubled year-on-year between January and May, while shipments to Spain and Germany also posted double-digit growth.
South Korean and Japanese manufacturers have also been seeing surging demand from the European markets - with companies like Samsung and LG Electronics reporting double-digit growth sales in Spain, Italy and France and production lines operating at full capacity to meet "seasonal summer demand”.
WORST RECORDED HEATWAVE IN EUROPE
Europe’s summer weather has deteriorated rapidly after decades of climate warnings.
This year’s heatwave, which began on Jun 20, is the worst recorded in history - with temperatures hitting 40 degrees Celsius in countries like Poland, the Czech Republic and Germany over the weekend.
The blistering heat and humidity damaged infrastructure and overwhelmed healthcare systems.
More than 1,000 excess deaths were recorded in France, with the country’s public health agency noting most heat-related fatalities involved elderly people.
Even as countries struggle to stay cool, air-con ownership in Europe stands at around 20 per cent, said the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Air-con fittings and installation are often complicated and can be costly, manufacturers have said - with average waiting times also lengthy.
Midea said the cost of installing an air-conditioning unit in Europe could cost more than US$1,137 - putting it out of reach for many households.
Chinese social media users discussed news of the sweltering heatwave in Europe. Many also expressed surprise at the lack of air-conditioning in many households.
On Weibo, the hashtag "France urgently orders 30,000 units of air-conditioners" was the number one trending topic.
“I saw someone living in France complaining about the process of installing an air-conditioner,” wrote Weibo user Alina.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu approved an order of 30,000 air-conditioners for hospitals in the country, according to a Jun 26 report by French news outlet Le Parisien.
French politician Geoffroy Boulard also posted on TikTok that he had air-conditioners delivered to several schools in his district in Paris as authorities had been “slow to act”.
The units were produced by Chinese manufacturer Haier, Boulard's video showed.
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