By Joy Dong
In 2025, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) released its 2024 Annual Report on Trademarks, providing valuable insights into the state of trademark registration, examination, opposition, and international filings. The data highlights not only the sheer scale of China’s trademark system but also ongoing reforms aimed at efficiency, transparency, and internationalization.
Strong Growth in Registrations
Trademark activity in China continues to expand. In 2024, 4.78 million trademarks were registered, representing a 9.1% year-on-year increase. Domestic applicants accounted for 97% of registrations, while foreign applicants contributed 3%, reflecting both the strength of the Chinese market and its appeal to international brands.
By the end of 2024, China’s valid registered trademarks reached nearly 50 million, a 7.9% increase from 2023. This massive volume underscores China’s position as the largest trademark jurisdiction in the world, both in scale and in growth trajectory.
Improving Efficiency and Quality
Efficiency in trademark examination remains a government priority. The average examination period for new applications stabilized at four months, while the full registration process generally takes seven months. Quality control has also been strengthened, with a 97% pass rate in random inspections of examination work.
Notably, CNIPA continued to implement the fast-track examination mechanism, which prioritizes marks tied to national interests, public welfare, or major regional development strategies. In 2024, over 500 trademarks benefitted from this accelerated process.
International Outlook: Madrid Filings on the Rise
China’s role in the global trademark system is also expanding. In 2024, Chinese applicants filed 7,039 Madrid international applications, a 13.6% increase that placed China third globally within the Madrid Union. The most popular classes for outbound filings included technology, machinery, advertising, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and clothing, a reflection of the diverse industries seeking global brand protection.
Chinese companies primarily designated Southeast Asian partners (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines) alongside major markets such as the United States, Japan, the EU, and Russia. Domestically, the leading provinces for Madrid filings were Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and Beijing, consistent with China’s major innovation hubs.
At the same time, foreign applicants filed 20,000 Madrid designations for China, with technology, scientific services, advertising, fashion, and pharmaceuticals being the most common categories. Examination of these designations averaged four months, while procedures for renewal, assignment, and change were processed in just one month.
Trademark Opposition and Review: Transparency and Digitalization
Disputes remain an important part of the trademark ecosystem. In 2024, 122,000 opposition filings were submitted, a 6% increase from 2023. The success rate (including partial success) stood at 63.1%, reflecting both the volume of conflicts and the active use of opposition as a tool for brand protection.
CNIPA has emphasized transparency and digitalization: over 85,000 opposition decisions were published online in 2024, and the online opposition filing rate exceeded 80%.
In the area of trademark review and adjudication, applications reached 416,000, mostly related to refusals. Average processing times were shortened to 6.5 months for refusals and 10.5 months for more complex cases, reflecting efforts to reduce backlog and deliver more timely outcomes.
Key Takeaways for Businesses
The 2024 figures demonstrate several trends relevant to both Chinese and international companies:
1. Scale and Competition: With nearly 50 million valid marks, China’s marketplace is saturated, requiring careful strategy in brand selection, clearance, and portfolio management.
2. Faster Procedures: Continued efforts to shorten timelines and improve quality benefit both domestic and foreign applicants, though early filing remains essential in such a crowded register.
3. International Strategy: The strong growth in Madrid filings shows that Chinese companies are increasingly global in outlook, while foreign applicants continue to prioritize protection in China.
4. Dispute Resolution: High opposition and review activity suggests that trademark conflict is inevitable, reinforcing the need for monitoring, enforcement, and proactive defense of rights.
5. Digital Transformation: The digitalization of procedures and publication of decisions supports greater transparency and predictability for rightsholders.
Conclusion
China’s 2024 trademark statistics illustrate a system that is expanding in scale, improving in efficiency, and integrating more deeply with global IP frameworks. For businesses, both domestic and foreign, the message is clear: China remains a critical and highly competitive trademark market. Effective brand strategies (spanning registration, enforcement, and international portfolio coordination) will be essential in navigating this dynamic landscape.