Chinese HVAC manufacturers ramp up European sales as Paris mayor installs Chinese air conditioners in schools

Unusually high temperatures across Northern Europe have sharply increased demand for air‑conditioning units. Chinese manufacturers – notably Midea, Gree and TCL – have accelerated production, with Midea reporting a 70 % rise in sales in Western European markets such as France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom over the past year. Portable units are especially popular, and distributors say inventories are nearly exhausted.

In Paris’s 17th arrondissement, mayor Geoffroy Boulard announced the rapid deployment of Chinese‑made air‑conditioners, including Haier models, to schools, day‑care centres and senior residences, citing temperatures that have exceeded 44 °C. The move aims to protect the most vulnerable residents during the heatwave.

China’s overall output underscores its capacity to meet the surge: between August 2024 and July 2025 the country exported more than 99 million air‑conditioning units worldwide, a 17 % increase from the previous year.