Samsung entered China in 1994 with a television factory in Tianjin. In 2006 led the Chinese TV market selling three million units of its Bordeaux model annually. Twenty years later, its share in televisions is 3.62%. The story of Samsung in China is the story of how a market can build its own champions and expel outsiders without having to close the doors. Strategic change in Samsung’s commercial policy in China.
Rumors about an exit in its home appliance division were on the table since April, and at the beginning of May the company itself has confirmed it. Samsung is withdrawing from the home appliance market in China to focus on mobile phones and semiconductors.
what has happened. Samsung leaves the Chinese market for home appliances and home products. Televisions, AC systems, refrigerators, washing machines, audio equipment and all home-related products will no longer be sold in China. The company will maintain after-sales and warranty services and will continue to “continue to comply with relevant laws and regulations” of consumer protection.
“The company will do everything possible to minimize any impact on customers arising from this decision and is reviewing various support measures for its business partners.”
The reasons. Samsung has communicated that the decision comes after a “prudent study”, without going into excessive detail about the reasons why it is abandoning the Chinese market in this product category. Despite this, it is clear that the numbers have had something to do with it.
Samsung barely had a 3.62% market share in televisions, and did not reach 1% in categories such as refrigerators or washing machines. China is a country in which the local market has greater weight than in any other territory, and the rise of manufacturers such as Hisense, TCL or Xiaomi in these product categories has been noticeable.
The Chinese market. The Chinese home appliance market is dominated by domestic manufacturers. In refrigeration, Haier has a 45% share, followed by places like Midea and Hisense. Chinese brands control more than 90% of the television market in Chinawith an important boost in the form of state subsidies.
This 2026 is being a year of important renewal cyclewith subsidized exchange programs in order to boost sales of local products.
And now what. Samsung’s plan is not to completely close itself to China. It will continue to sell smartphones, tablets and accessories, although for years it has not risen to a top 5 in which only Apple manages to sneak among the national giants.
The question that remains in the air is not whether Samsung has lost China. It is whether what has happened in household appliances is a dress rehearsal for what can happen to the rest of the Western manufacturers with a presence in China.
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