Air-Conditioner Imports

Last year, the U.S. imported $15.169 billion worth of air-conditioners. Over 90% of U.S. air-conditioner imports come from just five countries, with Mexico and Canada together accounting for just over half of the trade. Nearly $6 billion in AC units arrived in containers delivered to the nation’s seaports. The Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach handled 41% of the import trade.

U.S. AC exports in 2025 amounted to $2.791 billion, with neighboring Canada accounting for 50.4% of those shipments, with Mexico the destination of an additional 16.5% of U.S. AC exports last year.

Exports of AC equipment to the United Kingdom in the first four months of 2026 jumped by 72.3% from a year earlier even as overall U.S. AC exports slipped by 4.7%.

Demand for air-conditioners understandably soared as the onset of the COVOF-19 pandemic obliged people to isolate themselves at their homes. The demand further furthered by businesses and government agencies opting to allow many of their employees to work from home. The demand was strongest in the East and Southeast, where the majority of Americans live. The geography of demand accounted for the direct shipment of TEUs loads of AC units to where they were most desperately needed. Once that demand slackened, shipments resumed their routings through USWC ports.