The Chinese market can present significant potential for Ukraine small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in the food and beverage sector. However, exporting to China requires navigating a complex business environment with strict regulatory requirements, intellectual property considerations and strong domestic competition.
This session will give an overview of the market access requirements, the mandatory CIFER procedure for food and beverage products, as well as the main sales channels available, from e-commerce platforms to traditional in-store retail, assessing their respective advantages and limitations. It will also highlight the importance of taking early action to protect a company’s intellectual property rights. Companies will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to business and IP experts during a live Q&A session to gain a better understanding of their market entry options.
Agenda
Tuesday 10 November (Kyiv Time – EET)
11:00–11:15
Opening remarks – Denys Merzliuk, Second Secretary, Embassy of Ukraine in the People’s Republic of China – Andrii Talama, Director, Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office (EEPO) – David Lavorel, Business Advisor, EU SME Centre
11:15–12:00
Exporting F&B to China for Ukrainian SMEs – The Basics David Lavorel, Business Advisor, EU SME Centre
12:00–12:25
Protecting your IPR in China: Brands, Patents, and Design Lisa Lu, IP Business Advisor, China IP SME Helpdesk
12:25–13:00
Q&A session
About the speakers
David Lavorel
Business Advisor, EU SME Centre
As the Business Advisor of the EU SME Centre, David Lavorel advises European SMEs on how to access opportunities and mitigate risks in the Chinese market.
A seasoned advisor with extensive experience on China-related matters, he has spent most of the past 30 years in China. He worked for a French electric utility company, a European chemical group, the Trade section of the French Embassy in Beijing and a leading European Intellectual Property Law firm. In 2010, he was selected by the European Commission and a consortium of chambers of commerce to launch the EU SME Centre Phase I.
During his career, he has advised hundreds of SMEs on how to approach the Chinese market.
Lisa Lu
China IP SME Helpdesk, IP Business Advisor
Lisa Lu is the IP Business Advisor at China IP SME Helpdesk in Beijing, where she advises European SMEs on intellectual property rights matters. She holds a double master’s degree in law from the China University of Political Science and Law and University of Hamburg. Before joining the China IP SME Helpdesk at the European Chamber, Lisa worked as a trademark attorney for the Ferrante Intellectual Property and Chang Tsi & Partners. She mainly focused on the fields of trademark prosecution, trademark enforcement, copyright protection and unfair competition.
During her time working in both law firms, she dealt with a variety of clients including but not limited to automotive performance, media, entertainment, new energy, apparel, architecture design, data management, e-commerce, household products, HVAC, and fire & security. Her clients included a range of globally leading companies and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Lisa is fluent in Chinese and English.
