Suzhou’s Dongting (Mountain) Biluochun tea, Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs, and Zhenhu embroidery were included in the second batch of geographical indications (GI) protection list under an agreement between China and the European Union (EU) on GI protection.
After many rounds of official negotiations since 2011, China and the EU signed a bilateral agreement on geographical indications (GI) on September 14, 2020 to strengthen their cooperation in GI protection and facilitate exports and imports of related products.
According to the agreement which provides high-level protection for GIs from both sides, Chinese products have the right to use the official certification mark of the EU, making it easier for Chinese companies to export products to Europe, and vise versa.
GI is a label used for identifying the geographical origin of a product and is an important type of intellectual property right. According to the agreement, 100 GIs from each side came under protection on March 1, 2021 when the agreement took effect. And the second GI list, consisting of 175 GIs from each side, is set to go through protection procedures within the next four years.
Among the three products from Suzhou included in the second GI protection list, Zhenhu embroidery is the only handicraft in Jiangsu Province which made the list.
