Hot weather continues to affect daily life as high temperatures persist across the London, United Kingdom on June 26, 2026. Photo: VCG

Leading Chinese air conditioner manufacturers are working around the clock to keep up with soaring demand for portable split air conditioners, which have seen booming sales as record-breaking heatwaves sweep across Europe, according to one firm and relevant media reports on Saturday.

Chinese air conditioner manufacturer Midea told the Global Times on Saturday that the company's air conditioner plant in Shunde, South China's Guangdong Province, is currently working 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 catch what remains of the peak summer season, the company said in a statement. "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 addition to Midea, major Chinese home appliance brands including Gree and TCL have also ramped up production of similar portable air conditioners, according to yicai.com.

The explosive popularity comes as Europe has been gripped by record heatwaves, triggering widespread public demand for efficient cooling devices. Temperatures broke June records in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands on Friday as the death toll from Europe's heatwave climbed in Spain and France, according to BBC.

Europe has long maintained a low overall air-conditioning penetration rate. In Paris and other historic areas, many buildings are protected by strict facade regulations that prohibit wall drilling for traditional split systems, and professional installation costs often exceed the price of the air conditioner itself. For years, local consumers have long been cautious about buying air conditioners for these reasons, according to media reports.

On social media, there are many positive comments praising Chinese cooling appliances for their affordability and practicality. A German netizen even built a dedicated website allowing people to track the stock availability of Midea's PortaSplit.

One user said they spent two days searching across the EU, eventually driving 200 kilometers to purchase the last available unit - at a price that had already increased by 100 euro.

China exported $27.2 billion worth of air conditioners in 2025, accounting for nearly 40 percent of global exports, according to OEC data, underscoring the country's dominant position in the global cooling equipment supply chain. 

Beyond air conditioners, a wide range of Chinese-made cooling products - from fan-equipped sun hats to handheld fans and cooling blankets - have also gained popularity across Europe.

The massive popularity of Chinese portable split air conditioners and other cooling products stems from consumer demand and innovative product design tailored for local demand, and against the backdrop of the record heatwaves across Europe, user-friendly Chinese cooling products effectively fill critical gaps in the regional market and meet the urgent needs of local residents, Liu Dingding, an internet commentator, told the Global Times.

China, with its complete industrial chain and strong manufacturing competitiveness, offers complementary trade advantages to Europe and should have no problem meeting growing demand from Europe, Cui Hongjian, a professor at the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Saturday, 

"But unlike before, Europe is now adopting toward protectionist measures in its trade with China," Cui said, adding that the EU ought to discard protectionist actions, 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.