Chinese Home Appliance Exports: From "Selling Products" to "Selling Brands"

        China's home appliance industry is undergoing a critical transition—from exporting products to exporting brands. In the first half of this year, exports of self-owned brands grew by 21.2% year-on-year, with both refrigerators and washing machines maintaining double-digit growth. Orders from Africa, South America, and Europe performed particularly well, making exports a key buffer against softening domestic demand. According to customs data, self-owned brands now account for one-quarter of China's total home appliance exports—a clear sign that more Chinese manufacturers are moving beyond their traditional role as invisible OEMs for international brands and are competing head-to-head in global markets under their own names.
        At the company level, the numbers tell a compelling story. Hisense's overseas revenue reached RMB 21.383 billion in the first half, up 4.56% year-on-year, with its overseas share rising further to 45.72% of total revenue. Within that, white goods revenue in Europe grew 20%, with washing machines surging 39%, while refrigerator revenue in the ASEAN region jumped 50%. TCL Smart Home has taken overseas expansion to an even more extreme level—its overseas revenue hit RMB 8.407 billion, accounting for an all-time high of 84.63% of total revenue, while its self-owned brand business grew 77.07% overseas, with revenue growth exceeding 100% in both Europe and North America. Haier Smart Home's overseas revenue share surpassed its domestic share for the first time in 2025, reaching 51.12%. These figures paint a clear picture: the performance engine of China's home appliance giants is rapidly shifting from the domestic market to a global footprint.
       The growth, however, is not evenly distributed across categories and regions. Refrigerator export production increased 6.9% year-on-year, while washing machines rose 4.3%, with strong orders from Africa, South America, and Europe. In Europe, declining local production has created a structural import gap, further supported by improved logistics efficiency along the China-Europe Railway Express. Africa and Latin America are emerging as major new growth markets, where demographic dividends and low home appliance penetration rates offer Chinese brands a long-term runway for expansion. Leading companies are proactively building overseas production capacity to smooth out market cycles. Haier's South Asian revenue grew 17.1% to RMB 10.149 billion in the first half, while Southeast Asia delivered double-digit growth. Its industrial parks in Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia not only support the Southeast Asian market but also serve as export bases for North America and Europe. TCL Smart Home is similarly accelerating the construction of its Thai production base, with phase one (300,000 units of freezer capacity) already operational and phase two (1.4 million units of refrigerator capacity per year) under construction.
       Yet while scale is growing, profitability pressures are emerging. Currency volatility has become a common "profit killer" for companies expanding overseas. Haier Smart Home recorded a foreign exchange loss of RMB 704 million in the first half due to RMB appreciation, compared to a gain of RMB 882 million in the same period last year—a swing of nearly RMB 1.6 billion that directly weighed on net profit. TCL Smart Home suffered similarly, with a foreign exchange loss of RMB 198 million, up RMB 280 million year-on-year, contributing to a 19.88% drop in net profit—a classic case of "growing revenue without growing earnings." Hisense also felt the impact, with its financial costs surging 256.62% due to exchange losses. These figures serve as a stark reminder: expanding overseas is one thing, but protecting profits is another. Mastering currency risk management through hedging instruments and building localized production to reduce exchange rate exposure are becoming essential skills for any Chinese appliance company serious about global competition.
       In summary, China's home appliance industry is at a pivotal moment. The trend is clear—export volumes continue to grow, and the share of self-owned brands is rising fast. But globalization is a marathon, not a sprint. Success requires a three-legged stool: brand building, localized operations, and rigorous currency risk management. Those who can execute on all three fronts will be the ones truly positioned to compete—and win—on the global stage.