For 159 years, Ceylon Tea has stood as one of Sri Lanka’s most powerful global brands, commanding recognition in more than 140 countries and generating billions in export earnings. Yet, despite its unmatched heritage and international reputation, the country’s most celebrated export remains without Geographical Indication (GI) registration a startling oversight that industry experts warn could undermine its long-term competitiveness in an increasingly protectionist global marketplace.
The revelation came from an unexpected source. Addressing the Sri Lanka-USA Business Council (SLUSABC) breakfast forum last week, National Intellectual Property Office (NIPO) Director – Information and Examination Nalinda Atapattu disclosed that the Sri Lanka Tea Board has not even submitted an application to register Ceylon Tea as a GI.
“The NIPO has not yet received an application from the Sri Lanka Tea Board to register Ceylon Tea as a GI,” Atapattu said, exposing what many in the export sector describe as a glaring institutional failure.
The disclosure raises uncomfortable questions. How has one of the world’s oldest and most recognised tea brands remained outside Sri Lanka’s own GI protection framework while rival producing nations aggressively safeguard their premium agricultural products?
Geographical Indications are far more than legal labels. They certify that a product possesses qualities intrinsically linked to its place of origin, protecting it from imitation while allowing producers to command premium prices. Around the world, names such as Champagne, Darjeeling Tea and Parmigiano Reggiano derive significant commercial value from GI recognition.
Without similar protection, Ceylon Tea remains vulnerable to misuse of its identity in overseas markets. Although trademarks offer some protection, Atapattu stressed that GIs represent collective intellectual property belonging to entire producer communities rather than individual companies.
That distinction places responsibility squarely on industry stakeholders.
“It is important to understand that GIs are not owned by individual businesses,” Atapattu explained, urging producer organisations and industry bodies to unite behind a common registration strategy instead of waiting for government intervention.
The timing makes the delay even more alarming.
Only weeks ago, Sri Lanka launched the National Export Development Plan (2026-2030), targeting total exports of US$36 billion by 2030, with merchandise exports expected to reach US$28 billion. Policymakers have repeatedly identified value addition and brand differentiation as essential to achieving these ambitious targets.
Yet the country’s flagship agricultural export remains without one of the world’s strongest forms of intellectual property protection.
Sri Lanka has already demonstrated the benefits of GI registration. In 2022, the European Union granted GI status to Ceylon Cinnamon, marking the country’s first internationally recognised geographical indication. That achievement illustrated the commercial opportunities available to uniquely Sri Lankan products.
Tea, however, represents a far larger economic asset.
Failure to secure GI recognition could limit Sri Lanka’s ability to distinguish authentic Ceylon Tea from competing products in international markets, particularly as counterfeit branding and origin-based marketing become increasingly sophisticated.
The delay also highlights broader weaknesses in coordination among public institutions and industry organisations. While NIPO has established the legal framework, Atapattu acknowledged that industries themselves must initiate applications after reaching consensus on common standards.
Until that happens, Sri Lanka’s most iconic export brand remains legally exposed—an uncomfortable paradox for a nation seeking to expand exports through premium branding while leaving its greatest commercial asset without one of the strongest protections available under international intellectual property law.
By Special Correspondent