According to AHAM, the American and Canadian Association of home appliances manufacturers, on May white goods delivery to the country fell by 1.4%, while shipments in the year through May were up to 3.4%. Energy efficiency and connected smart home are among the priorities for North America home appliances industry. The Association is working for the alignment of U.S. and Canadian energy-efficiency standards and test procedures to remove barriers to the flow of goods between the two countries. Many appliance manufacturers market their products in the U.S., Canada and globally. “Misalignment – they say from AHAM – can dramatically increase costs by requiring manufacturers to put their products through duplicate testing”.
As regard connectivity, the American Association formed its first Smart Appliance Task Force in 2000, led the development of the AHAM CHA-1 standard, the first that addressed communications elements of connected appliances. AHAM also developed the AHAM SA-1 standard, the most current standard for common commands of connected appliances. AHAM members will continue to innovate and use connectivity to add valuable features to home appliances.