The export demand for portable wrinkle-removing garment steamers presents a pattern of rapid growth, market differentiation, and huge potential, as detailed below:
- Overall demand growing rapidly**: Customs data shows that the export value of steam-based household appliances increased by 34% year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2024, and the export volume of garment steamers rose by 45% year-on-year in 2025, making the export market a new growth driver.
- Significant regional differences in demand**: The Southeast Asian market has a strong demand, with orders surging by 82% in the first three quarters of 2024, and its share in the total export volume reaching 38% in 2025. The RCEP agreement has reduced import tariffs in Southeast Asia to within 5%, and the market share of Chinese brands in Vietnam and Thailand is increasing at a rate of 8% per year. The European market's acceptance of foldable portable wrinkle-removing garment steamers has exceeded expectations, with the export growth rate of related products reaching 60%.
- Changes in product structure demand**: The demand for composite portable garment steamers with drying and sterilizing functions has grown significantly, accounting for more than 50% of the exports of steam-based household appliances for the first time in the first three quarters of 2024. In 2025, mid-to-high-end models with a steam output of 30-45g/min will occupy 52% of the market share, the penetration rate of intelligent garment steamers will exceed 35%, and the market share of models with IoT functions will rise to 22%.
- Prominent role of e-commerce channels**: With the development of cross-border e-commerce, the export volume of portable wrinkle-removing garment steamers through e-commerce platforms has been increasing. According to statistics from AliExpress, the sales of Chinese brand garment steamers in the Southeast Asian market increased by 145% in 2022, and by 89% in the European market. It is expected that by 2030, the export value of Chinese garment steamers through e-commerce platforms will exceed 5 billion yuan, accounting for more than 60% of the total export volume.
- Rising demand for high-end products**: Overseas customers are paying more attention to product functions and appearance design, and the demand for high-end portable wrinkle-removing garment steamers has increased. For example, Spanish customers placed a trial order of 1,000 units with domestic manufacturers because they valued the folding function, and the unit price was 2.5 times that of the domestic price.