Foreign buyers shop at the store run by Zhou Xueyan, owner of the European supermarket-focused brand Rory in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province in August. Photo: Courtesy of Zhou Xueyan

Sustained heat waves followed by severe drought have pushed water saving high on the agenda across Europe, boosting the market appetite for water- and energy-saving household goods and opening a fresh export window for Chinese-made products in these categories.

In Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, hardware merchants are witnessing surging market demand. Liu Junming, a local dealer specializing in kitchen and bath hardware, noted that European buyers are switching from traditional 30-millimeter valve cartridges to 25-millimeter ones to reduce water flows. His firm has also launched mist-spray faucets that turn solid water jets into fine mist to slash water consumption.

"Since May, European orders for water-saving faucets have shown striking growth. Monthly faucet exports have climbed from 1,000-2,000 pieces previously to nearly 10,000 last month," Liu told the Global Times on Sunday.

Another Yiwu-based faucet exporter, Zhou Xueyan, owner of the European supermarket-focused brand Rory, said that the company's faucets cut water use by one-third compared with traditional faucets and have gained growing popularity across Europe, with annual sales growth of about 20 percent. "Current European-bound orders are booked through the end of this year," Zhou told the Global Times on Sunday.

Though Europe has not enforced mandatory water-efficiency certification, rising public environmental awareness is evident among retailers and end-users. "We are making preparations ahead of potential regulatory updates," Zhou said.

The responsive speed, technology and custom-manufacturing capacity underpin the competitiveness of Chinese products. 

"In Yiwu, we can make quick sample adjustments for appearance, color and packaging—even for small-batch orders—before clients place bulk purchases. In addition to water-saving functions, we offer customized lighting that responds to water temperature, and we are developing music-integrated shower systems to align with trends in home decor and provide a relaxing bathing experience," Zhou said.

In Cixi, another city in Zhejiang Province and a key domestic manufacturing hub for garden-irrigation products, Wang Xiaoyu, deputy general manager of a local enterprise, noted that conventional garden irrigation uses seven to 10 liters of water per session, whereas the firm's drip-spray combo kits require only one to two liters, achieving roughly 70 percent water savings, China Media Group reported.

More than half of the company's products are exported to Europe. Confirmed orders for the UK, France, Germany and Spain stretch into January 2027, with additional contracts still under negotiation.

Chinese home appliance leader Haier has rolled out a tailor-made triple-drum washing machine for European consumers, prioritizing water efficiency. Equipped with an independent small drum catering to small laundry loads of one to two kilograms, the model cuts water consumption by about 70 percent, compared with cleaning lightweight garments in conventional eight- to 10-kilogram large-capacity washing machines. The product has garnered solid early market feedback following its debut in Italy and France, with pre-orders surpassing hundreds of units, the Global Times learned from the company.

In Western and Central Europe, record precipitation shortfalls mean that some regions are experiencing their longest and most consistent annual precipitation deficits in more than six decades, said the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Chinese manufacturers are well-positioned to support Europe's response to the water shortage — providing cost-effective, climate-resilient products thanks to a complete industrial system, deep local parts backing, and tightly clustered manufacturing bases, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

"When European demand surges amid drought, these clusters can move fast — tweaking specs, ramping up output and delivering on time. It is this readiness that allows Chinese suppliers to answer the call at critical moments," Wang said.

He added that these climate-adapted functional products align well with the EU's green transition agenda, opening up new space for China-EU cooperation in water conservation, energy efficiency and climate adaptation technologies. 

Building on strong sales, both sides can advance the mutual recognition of standards and regulatory alignment in water efficiency and other areas. Such cooperation enables Chinese enterprises to expand into Europe's growing green market, while offering European consumers cost-effective, climate-resilient products to adapt to heat waves and water shortages — delivering tangible benefits to both sides, Wang added.