Meeting global demand for cool products

Inside the bustling workshop of Dongguan JHS Electrical Co Ltd, a manufacturer of mobile air conditioners and dehumidifiers in Dongguan, South China's Guangdong province, the hum of machines filled the air as workers move swiftly through the assembly line, fastening, inspecting and packaging in early July.

A total of 458 portable air conditioners rolled off the production line, neatly boxed and ready for export to Mexico. As sweltering heat waves grip many regions around the world, China's "summer economy" is gaining momentum, with domestic manufacturers racing to meet soaring overseas demand for cooling solutions.

With operations spanning more than 40 countries and regions, the Chinese company has established itself as a major player in the global cooling equipment market.

"Our portable air conditioners are independently developed, compact in size, energy-efficient and offer strong cooling performance," said Gao Yueping, the company's chairman. "Compared with traditional wall-mounted units, they are more cost-effective to install and far more portable."

Overseas demand has exceeded the company's expectations this year. By the end of April, its orders for portable air conditioners had surged 10 percent year-on-year, data from Huangpu Customs showed.

With a new 80,000-square-meter factory becoming fully operational earlier this year, Dongguan JHS Electrical expects total orders in 2025 to exceed 2.3 million units, generating an estimated output value of 1.6 billion yuan ($223.02 million).

To cope with unilateral trade policies in the United States, Gao said his company has expanded into new markets such as Southeast Asia, where demand, particularly in less urbanized areas, is rising steadily.

While production ramps up in southern China, activity in the eastern part of the country is just as intense.

Roughly 1,400 kilometers from Dongguan, an air conditioner factory owned by Trane Air Conditioning Systems (China) Co Ltd in Taicang, East China's Jiangsu province, is also working at full capacity to ship products overseas as global demand for air conditioning systems continues to grow.

"They are mainly exported to countries and regions such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Latin America and Europe," said Chen Jianfeng, director of the administration and public relations unit of Trane Air Conditioning Systems (China) Co Ltd, which is a subsidiary of Trane Technologies plc — a Swords, Ireland-based multinational corporation.

"Our products, which are tailored for hotter climates and feature only cooling functions, have gained strong popularity in overseas markets due to their cost-effectiveness," said Chen.

In the first half of this year, the company exported air conditioners and related components worth over 1 billion yuan, jumping 34 percent on a yearly basis, according to Nanjing Customs.

As heatwaves scorch large parts of the globe, Chinese manufacturers — from beer producers to refrigerated container makers — are riding a wave of soaring demand for summer essentials, including air conditioners, fans, portable misting systems, refrigerators, freezers and swimming suits.

For instance, Europe has been warming at twice the global average rate since the 1980s, making it the fastest-warming region, according to the 2024 European State of the Climate report released in April.

Data from the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization show that 23 of the 30 most severe heat waves in Europe since 1950 have occurred since 2000, including five between 2021 and 2023.

Pushed by surging global demand, China exported 36.46 million units of air conditioners in the first five months of 2025, up 12.9 percent year-on-year, while its exports of refrigerators totaled 33.64 million units, representing a 4 percent year-on-year increase, according to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs.