The Beloved American Kitchen Appliance Brand That's Been Owned By A Chinese Company Since 2016

When spotting a GE refrigerator or washing machine in American kitchens and appliance stores, many assume it's a homegrown product made and managed by a U.S. company. After all, what we know as General Electric has been a quintessential part of American domestic manufacturing for generations. But here's the shocker, at least if you've never considered it: the GE Appliances division has been owned by Haier, a Chinese company, since 2016. Though perhaps surprising to hear, the whole thing is more nuanced than it sounds.

The GE Appliances brand belongs to Haier Smart Home, which produces electronics and appliances for worldwide sales. Nevertheless, the iconic GE name brand still exists. It's a name that personifies American ingenuity with each and every purchase. Yet, after the over $5 billion acquisition, branding rights are now shared with its Chinese owner. Beyond the GE name, these branded appliances are also sold under a string of new names, including Haier, Monogram, Café, Hotpoint, and GE Profile, which boasts a great indoor smoker.

Products involved in this new agreement are those with a huge presence in American homes, including dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, washers and dryers, ovens, water heaters, and many more. The Haier-owned GE Appliances also includes countertop appliances and the newer small smart kitchen appliances, streamlining our cooking and making light dinners more convenient. Here's the good news: even though GE Appliances changed hands, it still maintains a manufacturing presence on American soil and in American facilities. And that's apparently going to increase.

There's been much speculation on whether kitchen appliances will be affected by tariffs announced in 2025, and rightfully so. Many such appliances are manufactured in China these days, so bringing them into America could become considerably more costly, translating into expected higher sticker prices for end consumers. So, how does that look when an appliance division, such as GE Appliances, is owned by a Chinese company but still headquartered in America? 

That's a complicated issue, but fortunately, Haier and General Electric seem to be inching ahead of that game, at least in one category. Toward the end of June 2025, Haier-owned GE Appliances announced it will spend $490 million to bring production of washing machines back to U.S. factories. Known in industry terms as "reshoring," this move increases the production footprint on U.S. soil, potentially bypassing threatened or realized import tariffs. Production will return to Louisville, Kentucky's "Appliance Park," joining a massive U.S. hub operation. Plans are for 800 new appliance manufacturing jobs at the Kentucky plant by 2027. 

So, yes, GE Appliances is indeed owned by a Chinese company, giving the brand a wider global reach in competitive markets. But it still has deep American roots, carrying the same product lines that have populated American homes since 1907. GE has come (and gone) a long way since its first electrically wired wooden cooktop, and many folks are hoping they'll successfully reshore in coming years.