Export orders for air purifiers produced in China rose nearly eight times and the cumulative gross merchandise value rose nearly 10 times from April to November 2020, with orders from virus-hit economies, such as the US and European countries rising rapidly, driven by growing demand for clean air to prevent COVID-19 infections.

From April to November, exports of air purifiers via Alibaba.com posted year-on-year growth each month, according to data the e-commerce giant sent to the Global Times on Monday.

The largest export markets were the US, some countries from Asia-Pacific and Europe, accounting for nearly 70 percent of global consumption, the data showed.

The penetration rates of developed countries are much higher than developing countries, while China, Southeast Asia and Latin America countries are growing rapidly and have huge market potential, according to Alibaba.com.

Air purifiers with the UVOR ozone sterilization function, HEPA filters, and non-consumable water filters have gained particular popularity among international consumers, said experts in the home appliance industry operation at Alibaba.com.

BeiAng Tech, an air-purifier supplier based in East China's Jiangsu Province, has been riding on the market trend for its self-developed high-pressure purification equipment in its products that provide deeper filtration of air than ordinary filters.

"Our overseas orders increased eight to 10 times year-on-year in 2020, with products gaining popularity in countries like the US and Japan," Zhang Yan, co-founder of BeiAng Tech, told the Global Times. Zhang expected further gains in 2021 amid the ongoing need for public health associated with the pandemic.

A manager at Haike Technology based in South China's Guangdong Province said that orders were strong last year and there's a backlog in deliveries until April.

The effective containment of the pandemic -- making it possible for production to resume in China -- and complete supply chains in goods such as electronic devices allowed China to support the world market, despite logistics disruptions caused by the outbreak, Hong Shibin, executive director of the marketing committee of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association, told the Global Times on Monday.

"The demand for public health is expected to further boost the demand for corresponding products in 2021," said Hong.

Apart from air purifiers, other Chinese products also saw gains. Data from Alibaba.com showed that the cumulative transaction volume of home appliances in the third quarter of 2020 increased significantly, with demand for air purifiers, air fryers, small facial appliances and refrigerators increasing by more than 200 percent year-on-year.