GUANGZHOU, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- As scorching heatwaves grip the globe this summer, air conditioners have become essential everywhere, fueling a boom in sales both domestically and abroad.
A local resident of Panjin City in northeast China's Liaoning Province, surnamed Dong, described the summer as a relentless "sweat bath," despite it already being August. "This summer is just too hot. Even electric fans can't provide enough relief," Dong said, noting that he held out all summer but finally gave in and ordered air conditioners a few days ago.
This sentiment is shared across coastal cities in northeast China and Shandong Province in the east, where temperatures have climbed above 35 degrees Celsius, turning air conditioners from an optional comfort for northerners into an almost essential refuge from the heat.
Data from Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com reveals a telling trend. Starting from June, the overall transaction amount for air conditioners on the platform has increased by over 60 percent year on year, with the number of customers placing orders surging by nearly 90 percent. In the first half of July, purchase of air conditioners in northeast China's Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang -- provinces renowned for ice and snow tourism -- soared by 25 times, 10 times and eight times, respectively.
Notably, the number of first-time buyers in these northeastern provinces has jumped by over 800 percent year on year. Similar spikes are evident across north, central, northwest and southwest China.
At the Ouya Shopping Center in Changchun, Jilin Province, customers are flocking to the home appliance section to learn about various air conditioner models and inquire about prices.
To meet the high demand, Hisense's production bases in Shandong, Zhejiang and Guangdong are operating at full capacity. Some popular air conditioner models have even sold out in physical stores in north and northeast China.
As regions that once relied on fans switch to air conditioners, the industry is responding with innovative solutions and strategic supply chains to keep up with the escalating demand.
To ensure timely installations, companies have launched a "South-to-North workforce transfer," dispatching after-sales service teams to the northern regions for emergency support.
The "cooling economy" is also powering air conditioner exports at a pace that has exceeded expectations. In July, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius across much of Europe, upending the long-held belief that summers could be endured without air conditioning.
Data from the General Administration of Customs shows that in the first seven months of this year, China's air conditioner exports amounted to 46.81 billion yuan (6.56 billion U.S. dollars), up 4.9 percent year on year, with exports to Europe surging 28.9 percent to 12.92 billion yuan.
This year, Hisense air conditioners have seen strong demand in many key overseas markets, such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. "With our continuous optimization in local marketing, product adaptation and channel layout, Hisense's air conditioner export growth rate reached 17 percent in the first half of 2025," said Yang Xiangxi, brand director of the air conditioning division at Hisense.
In the first half of this year, Midea's air conditioner sales in Europe increased by 35 percent year on year. Zhu Zhou, director of the company's European air conditioner division, explained that Midea's Solstice model, featuring AI-powered ECOMASTER technology, cuts unnecessary energy use by over 30 percent, and has seen strong sales in Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Italy.
To tackle high installation costs in Europe, Midea developed the innovative PortaSplit air conditioner, designed for easy self-installation. This summer, Google searches for "Midea/PortaSplit" in Germany surged 20-fold year on year, with cumulative sales exceeding 80,000 units.
Jiangmen POSI Refrigeration Appliance Co., Ltd. swiftly adjusted its production structure to capitalize on the current surge in demand. "Currently, Europe is speeding up the phase-out of old models, with many cities, especially in Southern Europe, demanding air conditioner manufacturers demonstrate 'green capabilities,'" said Li Xueliang, executive president of Jiangmen POSI. In response, the company has expanded its zero-carbon factory to focus on high-efficiency products.
China accounts for nearly 80 percent of the world's air-conditioning production capacity, supplying energy-saving, efficient and low-carbon products globally. With climate extremes worsening and demand rising in developing countries, China's air-conditioning export potential looks strong for the future, said Zhou Nan, secretary general of the home appliances branch at the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products. ■
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