GIs are protected by World Trade Organization members, including all 28 European Union (EU) Member States and China. This protection is designed to avoid misleading consumers and to prevent unfair competition.
The market for imported foods in China is large and growing. China is now the world’s fourth largest importer of food and the food and grocery retail market is set to grow by 15% annually.
Addi t ional ly, Chinese domestic consumers have concerns over food safety and the quality and origin of ingredients. If you intend to export products that come from a specific geographical region to China, obtaining a GI registration can provide the necessary proof of the product’s origin and can increase trust from domestic consumers.
Geographical Indications in Chinese Trademark Law
Article 16 of the China Trademark Law (2014) defines a Geographic Indication as follows, ‘Geographic Indications refer to the signs that signify the place of origin of the goods in respect of which the signs are used, their specific quality, reputation or other features as mainly decided by the natural or cultural factors of the regions.’
More detail on the recent publication of the Chine-Eu IPR SME Helpdesk.
http://www.china-iprhelpdesk.eu/docs/publications/EN_GI_online.pdf
This guide takes producers and intermediaries through the necessary steps to register GIs, which enables them to market their produce, via their region of origin, exclusively in China