How China’s Supply Chain Is Helping Europe Survive a Record Heatwave
As a historic heatwave sweeps across Europe, shattering temperature records and claiming hundreds of lives, an unlikely lifeline has emerged: China’s manufacturing and supply chain network. From air conditioners and fans to innovative no-installation cooling units, Chinese companies are rushing to meet surging demand in a continent where fewer than one in five homes have air conditioning.
The Heatwave Crisis
In late June 2026, Europe experienced one of the most extreme heatwaves on record. Germany recorded 41.7°C in Coschen, France hit 43.8°C in Pulluau, Poland broke a 105-year record at 40.5°C, and the UK broke its June temperature record for three consecutive days, reaching 37.3°C, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
The human toll has been severe. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported more than 1,300 excess deaths linked to the extreme heat since June 21, impacting over 150 million people across the continent.
“Heatwaves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate,” said John Kennedy, Head of Climate Information at WMO. “In the 50 years since the historic heatwave in 1976, Europe as a whole has warmed by around two degrees.”
A Continent Unprepared for Extreme Heat
Europe’s vulnerability to extreme heat is compounded by historically low adoption of air conditioning. Only approximately 19-20% of European households have AC, compared to over 90% in the United States and China, as reported by Xinhua News.
Cultural and structural factors explain this gap. Europe’s milder historical climate made AC unnecessary for generations. Strict building preservation laws, complex rental regulations, and prohibitively high installation costs — ranging from 1,000 to 3,600 euros, often exceeding the price of the unit itself — have created formidable barriers. In Germany, approximately 40% of home AC installation applications were rejected in 2024.
Frankfurt resident Lucas Nickel told Xinhua: “I applied to my landlord for many years, but never got permission” to install AC in his rented apartment.
Chinese Brands Fill the Gap
As demand has skyrocketed, Chinese manufacturers have stepped in with products specifically designed for European conditions. The results have been dramatic.
On Joybuy, JD.com’s European online retail platform, air conditioner sales surged nearly 40-fold during the June 19-25 heatwave period compared to the first week of June. Midea’s PortaSplit sales grew nearly 42 times, tower fans over 80 times, and neck fans over 100 times, according to Xinhua.
Midea’s PortaSplit, launched in Europe in 2025, has become a standout success. The unit requires no professional installation — no drilling, no structural modifications. In the first half of 2025 alone, a single model sold 60,000 units in Germany, with second-hand prices reportedly marked up three to five times.
Tobias Strobel, Midea’s Home AC Technology Innovation Lead, explained the design philosophy: “From the bracket to the AC body, the product design avoids drilling and complex construction as much as possible. No professional installers are needed, and no structural modifications to the building are required.”
The approach has paid off in market share. In 2025, Midea captured 35.5% of the German room AC market, ranking first, while Haier secured 22.4% in second place, pushing Japanese and Korean competitors like Daikin, Mitsubishi, and Samsung behind, as reported by Jiuyang Gongshe.
Supply Chain in Overdrive
The scale of China’s response reflects its dominant position in global AC manufacturing. Over the past decade, global AC production capacity has grown by 140 million units, with China accounting for 80% of that growth. For every 10 ACs sold globally, eight come from China. The top three Chinese brands — Gree, Midea, and Haier — together hold over 50% of the global market.
Export data underscores the surge. In the first five months of 2026, China’s air conditioner exports to France, Netherlands, and Belgium doubled year-on-year, while mobile AC exports to Western Europe grew over 70%, according to Southern Metropolis Daily.
Logistics infrastructure has been critical to meeting demand. The China-Europe Railway Express, combined with sea freight and European local warehousing, forms a cross-border supply chain network ensuring stable delivery. Joybuy, leveraging its European warehouse network and JoyExpress delivery system, offers next-day delivery for large appliances.
Seif, a Joybuy delivery driver in Paris, described the pace: “Many customers are surprised by our delivery speed.” During peak demand, he delivered and installed seven cooling units in a single day.
Xiaomi, Dreame, and the Broader Wave
The demand extends beyond Midea. Xiaomi flagship stores in Paris and Germany have seen long queues before opening, with fans selling out within half a day on the French website and within minutes in German stores.
Dreame, a newer entrant, launched its P-Wind10 mobile AC in Southwest Europe in May 2026. First-week sales exceeded expectations, with over 1,000 units sold per week in June. On AliExpress, mobile AC categories sold out across multiple European countries, while UK ice maker sales surged 10 times year-on-year.
Analysis: A Structural Shift
The current crisis represents more than a temporary demand spike. It signals a structural shift in European consumer behavior as extreme heat becomes the new normal. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned during London Climate Week: “We have just lived through the eleven hottest years ever recorded. Climate disasters are becoming more frequent, more destructive, and more costly.”
For Chinese manufacturers, the heatwave has accelerated a broader strategy of building brand recognition and market share in Europe through innovation tailored to local conditions. As Liang Yu, a commentator at China Economic Net, noted: “What goes overseas is merchandise, but what is conveyed is an understanding of a better life. The next chapter of Made in China is on its way, and it will surely be even more brilliant.”
What to Watch
As European summer temperatures continue to climb, the demand for cooling solutions will only intensify. Chinese companies are well-positioned to capture this growing market, but challenges remain — including navigating complex EU regulations, building after-sales service networks, and managing potential trade tensions.
For now, however, the focus is on meeting urgent needs. A Joybuy representative confirmed: “We have accelerated restocking of hot-selling cooling products like air conditioners. We will also do our utmost to ensure price stability.”
In a continent facing the harsh realities of climate change, China’s manufacturing ecosystem has become an unexpected but essential partner in keeping Europeans cool.