Japan’s Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced an application for Geographical indication (GI) protection for “Tsuruta Steuben,” filed by an association from Tsuruta town in Aomori Prefecture on October 18, 2018.
The Steuben is a black-skinned hybrid grape variety developed in the United States, originating from a cross made in 1925 between Wayne and Sheridan grapes by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York
The variety is grown mostly in the north-eastern United States, such as New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio. Steuben is a high quality dessert grape, but also suitable for juice and wine production. However, Steuben wines often appear as rosé or blush wines rather than single-variety wine. Japan implemented GI systems for agricultural and food products in 2015.
As of November 2018, Japan designated 69 domestic GIs for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products. In addition, their Ministry has approved 71 European Union (EU)-proposed GIs for agricultural and food items. These EU-proposed GI protections will become effective in Japan on the date the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) enters into force.
If Tsuruta Steuben is designated as a new GI product, the compound term “Tsuruta Steuben” will be protected in Japan. It is also possible that this term may be protected in countries with whom Japan has concluded an EPA.
Japan produced 180,500 MT of grapes (approximately five percent of Japan’s fruit production by volume) in 2015. Japan imported 31,319 MT of fresh grapes in 2017, 35 percent of which were from the United States (valued at $36 million). For additional information on the Japanese fresh fruit market.
