This summer, as extreme heatwaves have swept across Europe, China-made cooling products such as portable air conditioners and handheld fans have proved popular among consumers.

Customs data show that in the first 5 months of this year, Zhongshan exported 29.5 billion yuan worth of household appliances, up 5.2% year on year. Air conditioners, fans and refrigerators accounted for 16.31 billion yuan, or more than half of the total.

In Europe, where conventional air conditioners are often costly and difficult to install, China-made portable ones, installation-free and cost-effective, have become a household favourite.

TCL's European business team said its air conditioner sales in Western Europe grew more than 27% year on year in the second quarter, with Northern Europe and France each surging over 300% and Spain rising 100%.

To meet urgent cooling demand, TCL plans to use the China-Europe freight truck service to speed deliveries, while shortening its production cycle from the usual 30-40 days to a 10‑day turnaround.

Conventional air conditioners are also in peak sales season. Changhong's Zhongshan base, located in the same home‑appliance manufacturing cluster in northern Zhongshan as TCL, exported more than 2.9 million units from January to June.

Exports of refrigerators and other traditional cooling appliances have also been strong. Homa, based in Nantou Town, shipped over 6.4 million refrigerators in the first 5 months, up 9.3% year on year.

As high temperatures persist, handheld fan exports have surged. Jixiang Technology, based in Dongfeng Town, saw its fan exports grow nearly 40%, with monthly sales reaching about 200,000 units.