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China and EU Sign Landmark Geographical Indications Agreement

September 18, 2020

According to reports from Xinhua News and international media, on Sept. 14 Chinese and EU representatives held an online conference to sign a bilateral agreement providing greater protection for geographical indications. Negotiations for this agreement began in 2011 and concluded in late 2019, and the recent formal signing is expected to have a profound impact on China–EU trade relations.

This is the first comprehensive bilateral GI protections agreement that China has signed, and it will afford consumers in both the EU and China stronger protection from imitation products.

Under the agreement, 14 fresh fruits from China will receive immediate protection in the EU, including Gannan navel oranges, Yantai apples, Nanfeng tangerines, Korla fragrant pears, Anyue lemons, Jingning apples, Cangxi red kiwifruit, Changshou pomelos, Jinzhou white pears, Ji County apples, Wendeng apples, Tai Po honey pomelos, Baise mangos and Mei County kiwifruit.

In the future, Chinese products with GI protection will not be permitted to be sold from any country or region beyond their designated place of origin.

According to the agreement, Chinese goods will also be able to enter the European market with EU-certified indications, which is anticipated to increase consumer trust in the authenticity of these products. This should in turn promote Chinese exports to the EU, deepen bilateral cooperation and solidify the strategic trade partnership between the two sides.

European exports to China will receive equal levels of protection. In 2019, the EU exported €14.9 billion ($17.7 billion) worth of agricultural goods to China, making the country the EU’s third-largest export destination.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.

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