Chinese AC makers profit on Europe's heatwaves

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The European heatwave is benefiting Chinese air-conditioning makers and e-commerce platforms.
On Alibaba’s international retail site, a Midea AC model that debuted this month is completely sold out in Germany, Italy saw a 100% month-on-month jump in sales of cooling appliances and sun-protection apparel, and a French politician ordered Chinese-made AC systems for several schools in his district.
Total exports of portable air conditioners from China to Western Europe had already surged 70% in the first five months of 2026, before severe summer heat swept the AC-shy continent.
China was “everywhere” at a recent solar and energy storage exhibition in Munich, a German executive said, even as Brussels looks to counter Europe’s reliance on China’s clean-energy hardware.

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