Western Europe is suffering successive heatwaves this summer. Restricted by building rules and environmental standards, local air conditioner supply falls far short of demand with low household penetration rate.
While European consumers rush to buy cooling appliances amid high temperatures, local industrial associations and politicians push for trade barriers. They propose punitive tariffs of 15%-25% on imported Chinese portable ACs and plan product reclassification to impose extra certification requirements. Such restrictions mirror previous trade measures targeting Chinese EVs and solar products.
Europe lacks a complete home air-conditioning industrial chain due to historical mild summers. Chinese manufacturers tailor product specifications to meet local limits on refrigerant and noise. Supported by a full industrial supply chain, Chinese brands enjoy flexible production and stronger cost competitiveness.
The trend highlights deep-seated Sino-European economic frictions: conflicts between residents’ cooling needs and domestic industry protection, tensions between climate emergency demands and EU low-carbon policies, as well as the gap between Western “overcapacity” rhetoric and market realities.
Experts warn of lingering trade risks. Chinese exporters need to adapt to upcoming EU F-Gas regulations, upgrade low-GWP refrigerant models and complete full certifications. Local assembly and overseas warehouse layouts can help offset tariff pressures.
The competition reflects the long-term game between global division of labor and regional protectionism. Continuous compliance improvement and diversified global layout will help manufacturers seize overseas growth opportunities.