The export scale of domestic cold foam refrigeration equipment continues to rise, occupying the core global manufacturing capacity

According to the statistics of import and export equipment from the Customs in the first half of 2026, the export volume of domestic ice bath cold foam refrigeration machines and core heat exchange components increased by 47.3% year-on-year, covering more than 110 countries and regions worldwide. Domestic manufacturing capacity accounts for 72% of the total supply of cold foam refrigeration equipment worldwide, making it a core production base for global cold therapy hardware. Overseas market orders have become a key increment driving industry revenue growth. North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia are the three core export regions, accounting for 37.8%, 29.2%, and 18.5% of the total export share, respectively. In the early days, the global manufacturing capacity of cold foam equipment was concentrated in Europe and America, but the local component supply chain was not perfect, labor production costs were high, and the price of the whole machine remained high. Later, overseas brands gradually turned to domestic OEM and whole machine procurement models, relying on the complete domestic refrigeration industry chain to achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement. After nearly five years of process accumulation, domestic manufacturing no longer only undertakes simple OEM tasks, but independently completes the research and development of whole machine structures, intelligent systems, and low-carbon refrigeration technology. The proportion of overseas direct sales orders for self owned brands has been increasing year by year.
There are significant differences in demand characteristics among different regions, with the North American market having the highest maturity level and the popularity of cold foam culture for many years. The demand for household and commercial equipment is balanced, with a high proportion of orders for high-power, high-end intelligent IoT models. Local consumers are willing to pay a premium for silent, energy-saving, and intelligent interconnection functions; The European market is strictly constrained by environmental regulations, with low GWP refrigerants and high-efficiency machines as mandatory procurement standards. Low carbon refrigeration machine orders have the fastest growth rate, while the demand for complete sets of equipment for gyms and professional sports teams remains stable; Southeast Asia is located in a tropical region with high temperatures throughout the year, making it difficult for water bodies to naturally cool down. The demand for 0.5 horsepower and 1 horsepower refrigeration machines is extremely strong, and the shipment volume of entry-level affordable basic models is leading. Portable small refrigeration equipment is particularly popular; The Japanese, Korean, and Australian markets focus on household lightweight and low-noise models, and the demand for small cold foam equipment in courtyards continues to rise.
The compliance system for export products continues to improve, and domestic manufacturing entities have generally completed international safety and environmental certifications such as CE, UL, ISO, ROHS, etc., adapting to import access standards in different regions, synchronously building overseas localized after-sales systems, and setting up warehousing and maintenance outlets in major European and American countries to solve the pain points of overseas customers' after-sales maintenance and consumables replacement, further enhancing the overseas competitiveness of domestic equipment. The export structure of the industry continues to optimize. In the past, low-end basic models were mainly exported, but now the export proportion of intelligent all-in-one machines and high-end models with cold and hot dual modes has exceeded 35%. The added value of products has greatly increased, and the average export price of a single device has risen by 28% compared to three years ago, breaking away from the low price competition pattern.
The competitive environment in overseas markets is changing synchronously, and some local small manufacturing enterprises are gradually reducing production and exiting due to cost and supply chain disadvantages. Market share continues to concentrate on domestic manufacturing entities with complete research and development, large-scale production, and compliant export qualifications. According to industry association data, the total export value of cold foam refrigeration equipment for the whole year of 2026 is expected to exceed 3.2 billion US dollars. In the next three years, emerging markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East will become the core areas for new export growth. With the advantage of a complete industrial chain, domestic manufacturing will maintain its dominant position in the global supply of cold foam refrigeration equipment for the long term.