CHINESE cooling devices, ranging from pump products to air conditioners, have made significant gains in the US and European markets amid lingering heat waves, the Global Times learned from some domestic companies and industry analysts on Monday.
"Driven by global energy structure adjustments, overseas demand for heat pumps continues to grow. From large-scale constant-temperature projects in European water parks to hot water supply for hotels in Africa, and drying lines for tobacco and mushrooms in Asia," said Huang Kaichen, general manager of Foshan Airosd Thermal Technology Co.
Foshan-based Airosd is a leading enterprise in the air-source and ground-source heat pump sector. Its products have been exported to about 80 countries and regions, serving more than 1 million households.
"Heat pumps use a small amount of electricity to move heat from the air or water sources, achieving three to four times the efficiency of traditional electric heating. It's like using a cup of water to draw a bucket — we simply borrow existing heat from nature."
Huang revealed that these products are popular with customers from North Europe and Russia.
Heat waves have continued to affect many parts of the world, including the US and countries across Europe.
At least 3,700 excess deaths have been recorded in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands alone as a result of the June heat wave that sent temperatures soaring above 40 C, German media DW reported on July 3.
Meanwhile, at least 25 people are suspected to have died in New Jersey from the sweltering, multi-day heat wave that has enveloped a large portion of the country leading up to and over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, ABC News reported.
In addition to the pump products, other cooling devices have also gained popularity overseas.
This year's persistent summer heat in Europe has driven up demand for Chinese air conditioners in Western Europe, according to the latest industry report from Chinaiol.com, an industry information consultancy platform.
According to the report, China's exports of household air conditioners to Western Europe grew 9.7 percent year on year from January to May, with portable air conditioners showing particularly strong momentum, rising more than 70 percent.
Representatives from multiple companies say that in several Western European markets, consumers are lining up to purchase units, while offline retail stores are experiencing shortages and supply falling short of demand, the report said.
The North American market also saw a pickup, with air conditioner exports reaching 469,000 units in May, marking year-on-year growth of 12 percent, according to Chinaiol.com.
Driven by US subsidies for electrification and heat pumps under the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as the global push for energy efficiency and emissions reduction, the US heat pump market is reaching a turning point, TCL told the Global Times in an interview.
Some European consumers who struggled to secure air conditioners have increasingly turned to B2B platforms to purchase fans in bulk. Orders for portable fans in France recently rose 31 percent year on year, according to a document shared by e-commerce platform Alibaba with the Global Times.
Even consumers in Sweden, close to the Arctic Circle, were preparing in advance by stockpiling fans, with fan orders on Alibaba's international platform in the Swedish market surging 375 percent.
Li Xuefei, an analyst at Chinaiol.com, said that the recent stockouts triggered by the heat wave reflect a phase-specific surge in demand, as once temperatures ease, the market is expected to return to normal.
Hu Qimu, a professor at the Maritime Silk Road Institute of Huaqiao University, said amid a complex international environment, Chinese manufacturing is still able to respond quickly to sudden overseas demand, deliver products to market in a timely manner, and effectively fill supply gaps during periods of concentrated demand, meeting local needs.
