"Made in China" – How reliable is information about origin?

In China, the geographical indication (GI) protects products originating from a particular territory with a geographical name and whose quality, reputation or other characteristics depend on the natural and human factors of the location of origin. They include products that come from this region and are produced and processed in this region according to specific techniques and with raw materials that come entirely or partially from this region. In addition, the geographical designation of origin can be entered as a collective or certification mark, e.g. the name of the region to which the geographical mark refers, or other visible characters that can identify the product as originating from the specified region.

On 01.03.2021, a bilateral agreement on the protection of geographical information (GI) between the European Union (EU) and China came into force. The agreement serves to identify the geographical origin of a product and marks an important type of intellectual property right. According to the agreement, 100 protected designations of origin were included in the list for spirits, tea, food and agricultural products on the date of signing by the EU and China.

Autor: Marcel Brinkmann