Domestic refrigerator

China produced about 60 million household refrigerators in 2006, including 6 million portable refrigerators, accounting for an estimated 35 percent of global output. Twelve million units worth US$777 million were exported, mainly to the European Union, United States, Asia and the Middle East. Refrigerator and freezer exports together amounted to US$1 billion. Despite the consolidation that the industry has been going through, exports have grown substantially in the past few years. Refrigerator exports grew 46.3 percent in 2005 and 50 percent in 2005, while the exports of freezers jumped from 18.2 percent in 2003 to 51.2 percent in 2004. The robust export growth is mainly attributed to manufacturers being able to apply new technologies and offer these at lower prices. Intense competition from multinational companies in the domestic market is also driving makers to expand their export markets.