China, New Zealand Extend Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot

Summary

The China National Intellectual Property Administration and the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand have agreed to extend the China-New Zealand Patent Prosecution Highway pilot programme for five years, running from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2031. Requirements and procedures for submitting PPH requests to both offices remain unchanged. The PPH is a fast-track patent examination channel between countries and regions, speeding up examination through work sharing among patent authorities.

Since the first PPH pilot launched in November 2011, CNIPA has established PPH cooperation mechanisms with patent examination authorities in 38 countries or regions, providing effective support for Chinese applicants seeking rapid overseas patent grants. The extension was jointly decided by the two offices under this cooperation framework.

Commentary

The China National Intellectual Property Administration and the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand have agreed to extend the Patent Prosecution Highway pilot programme for five years to 2031, continuing a cooperation mechanism launched in 2011. The PPH allows applicants who have obtained a patent grant in one country to request accelerated examination in another, significantly shortening the grant timeline. China has now established PPH cooperation with 38 countries and regions, with New Zealand an important partner among them.

For New Zealand small and medium-sized business owners, this means that when applying for patents in China they can use a New Zealand grant to request accelerated examination, and vice versa. In fields such as biotechnology, agricultural technology and high-end manufacturing, New Zealand firms often face market access risks from delayed patent grants, and the PPH extension provides stable institutional expectations. Against the industry backdrop, IPONZ has in recent years actively promoted international examination cooperation, while China has become the world's largest patent applicant, with invention patent grants exceeding one million in 2025.

The typical timeline for New Zealand firms applying for patents in China is two to three years, which can be shortened to about one year through the PPH, saving time and cost. At the same time, Chinese applicants can also obtain rapid grants in New Zealand, facilitating technology introduction and cooperation. However, the PPH does not apply automatically; applicants must meet conditions such as sufficient correspondence of claims, and New Zealand SMEs need to assess whether the quality of their patents is sufficient to support a PPH request.

In addition, the extension decision does not change procedural requirements, meaning existing operational experience can continue to be applied. For New Zealand exporters reliant on intellectual property protection, it is worth monitoring changes in China's examination standards in relevant technical fields and considering incorporating the PPH into their overseas patent filing strategies.

Keywords: China-New Zealand Patent Prosecution Highway, PPH pilot extension, China National Intellectual Property Administration, Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, accelerated patent examination, 1 November 2026, 31 October 2031, 38 countries or regions, rapid overseas patent grants

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

根据中国国家知识产权局和新西兰知识产权局的共同决定，中新（西兰）专利审查高速路（PPH）试点项目将自2026年11月1日起延长五年，至2031年10月31日止，两局提交PPH请求的有关要求和流程不变。PPH是不同国家或地区间的专利快速审查通道，通过专利审查机构之间的工作共享加快专利审查进程。自2011年11月启动首个PPH试点至今，中国国家知识产权局已经先后与38个国家或地区的专利审查机构建立了PPH合作机制，为我国申请人的海外申请快速获权提供了有效支撑。

此次中新（西兰）PPH试点项目延长，是在上述合作框架下，由两局共同决定实施的，延长期限为五年，自2026年11月1日起算，至2031年10月31日结束，期间相关要求和流程维持不变。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

中国国家知识产权局与新西兰知识产权局决定将专利审查高速路（PPH）试点项目延长五年至2031年，这一举措延续了双方自2011年启动的合作机制。PPH允许申请人在一国获得专利授权后，请求另一国加快审查，从而显著缩短授权周期。目前中国已与38个国家和地区建立PPH合作，新西兰是其中重要的伙伴。

对于新西兰中小企业主而言，这意味着在中国申请专利时可利用新西兰的授权结果请求加快审查，反之亦然。在生物技术、农业科技、高端制造等领域，新西兰企业常面临专利授权延迟导致的市场准入风险，PPH延长提供了稳定的制度预期。从行业背景看，新西兰知识产权局近年来积极推动国际审查合作，而中国已成为全球最大的专利申请国，2025年发明专利授权量超过百万件。

新西兰企业在中国申请专利的周期通常为2-3年，通过PPH可缩短至1年左右，节省时间和成本。同时，中国申请人也可在新西兰获得快速授权，有利于技术引进和合作。不过，PPH并非自动适用，申请人需满足权利要求充分对应等条件，且新西兰中小企业需评估自身专利质量是否足以支撑PPH请求。

此外，延长决定未改变流程要求，意味着现有操作经验可继续沿用。对于依赖知识产权保护的新西兰出口商，应关注中国在相关技术领域的审查标准变化，并考虑将PPH纳入海外专利布局策略。

关键词: 中新专利审查高速路, PPH试点延长, 国家知识产权局, 新西兰知识产权局, 专利快速审查, 2026年11月1日, 2031年10月31日, 38个国家或地区, 海外申请快速获权

Source: State Intellectual Property Office