Start a China trademark filing scope with the goods and services your mark will identify. A class number helps organise the work, but the decision also needs specific item wording, China similar groups and the business facts behind each item. This guide includes a reusable worksheet and three fictional examples to make that first handoff more concrete.

China trademark classes, similar groups and “subclasses”

The Nice system has 45 classes: 1–34 for goods and 35–45 for services. China also uses a national Classification of Similar Goods and Services that divides items into similar groups. English searches sometimes call these “subclasses”; the China table’s similar groups, parts and notes are the records to check. CNIPA explains the classification structure.

One class does not automatically cover every item in it. Items in a group are often treated as similar, but group parts and cross-search notes can change the analysis. A class or group number is therefore a starting point, not a complete filing instruction or a guarantee of protection.

Use the classification version in force on the filing date

For a filing made in 2026, check NCL(13-2026) and the current China table and amendments. NCL(13-2026) took effect on 1 January 2026. WIPO has published a 2027 version in advance; that future version does not replace the version applicable to a 2026 filing.

Use CNIPA’s filing guidance and classification materials to check precise Chinese item wording. Do not submit only a class heading, group number or industry label. The working English description and the final Chinese filing list should be reconciled before instruction.

Prepare a goods and services worksheet

Use one row for each product or service, rather than one row for an entire company. Write the business description first. Then record the proposed class and leave the Chinese wording or similar-group fields blank until they have been checked. A blank field makes an unresolved question visible; an unverified code can conceal it.

Download the China trademark scope worksheet (CSV)

  • Identify the mark version: English wording, Chinese characters, logo or combination.

  • Describe what the buyer receives, its intended purpose and how it is delivered.

  • Mark each activity as current, documented near-term or unresolved.

  • Record a candidate Nice class, the filing-date version and the source used.

  • Add verified Chinese wording, item identifiers, similar groups and cross-search notes during scope review.

  • Keep the reviewer, check date, open questions and business approval with the final list.

The worksheet is a preparation tool. It does not select an exhaustive filing scope, decide similarity or authorise an application. Use product pages and launch briefs where helpful, while keeping confidential commercial material out of a public download or initial enquiry.

Three fictional scope examples

These examples illustrate how to separate business facts from candidate classes. They are not client matters, recommended filing packages or completed Chinese specifications. The candidate Nice classes follow WIPO’s 2026 explanatory notes linked below. China-accepted Chinese terms, item identifiers, similar groups and any cross-group notes remain subject to a separate check.

Example 1: a non-medicated facial cream

A fictional brand sells a non-medicated facial moisturising cream under its own mark. It does not provide medical treatment or manufacture cosmetic ingredients for other businesses.

Candidate Nice class to review: 3. The 2026 Class 3 explanatory note covers non-medicated cosmetic and toiletry preparations. The Chinese item wording and similar-group fields are deliberately unfilled. See WIPO’s Class 3 explanatory note (2026).

  • Does the product make medicinal or therapeutic claims?

  • Are cosmetic applicators or separately branded accessories sold?

  • Does the business actually provide services for others?

Example 2: ordinary adult clothing

A fictional company sells ordinary adult cotton T-shirts carrying its own mark. It does not sell protective workwear or provide a marketplace for other sellers.

Candidate Nice class to review: 25. The 2026 Class 25 explanatory note concerns clothing, footwear and headwear for human beings. The Chinese item wording and similar-group fields are deliberately unfilled. See WIPO’s Class 25 explanatory note (2026).

  • Are bags, jewellery or other separately sold products part of the same launch?

  • Are any items protective or specially adapted for another purpose?

  • Are services genuinely provided to third parties, beyond selling the company's own goods?

Example 3: a hosted inventory SaaS service

A fictional provider offers businesses browser access to hosted inventory-management software. The customer uses the hosted service; this example assumes no separately supplied downloadable software product.

Candidate Nice class to review: 42. The 2026 Class 42 explanatory note expressly includes software as a service. The Chinese item wording and similar-group fields are deliberately unfilled. See WIPO’s Class 42 explanatory note (2026).

  • Is a downloadable app or software product separately supplied under the mark?

  • Is the provider supplying a software tool or actually performing another business service for its clients?

  • Are training, payment, marketplace or other services separately offered?

Check whether Class 35 services are actually supplied

Selling a company’s own products does not, by itself, make all Class 35 services appropriate. CNIPA distinguishes promotion for others and operating an online marketplace from simply selling goods or opening a shop on another platform. Its Class 35 guidance should be checked against the actual service supplied.

For the fictional cream or T-shirt business above, ask what it does for another party under the mark. Record a separate service row only when that activity exists or has a supported launch plan. Class 35 should not be used as a replacement for reviewing the goods themselves.

Keep the search and application scope aligned

Share the same working list with the search reviewer and the person preparing the application. If a product, mark version or service changes after the search, flag the change before filing. Otherwise, the search result and the application may answer different questions.

Use the China trademark search service for a scoped assessment. If you are starting with a public self-check, first read the China trademark database guide so that an absent exact result is not treated as clearance.

Turn the worksheet into a filing brief

Before approving the China trademark application scope, reconcile the proposed owner, each mark version, the current and planned activities, the search scope, the intended filing date and the approved budget. Record who can resolve the remaining questions and authorise the final Chinese list.

Separate essential launch items from credible extensions. Leave speculative additions visible as questions rather than silently adding an entire class. A commercially grounded list is easier for the business and its advisers to review, price and maintain.

Review My Goods and Services List

Frequently asked questions

What do English searches mean by China trademark subclasses?

They often refer to the similar groups in China’s Classification of Similar Goods and Services. Check the actual group, any subdivisions and the notes; an English “subclass” label is not a filing specification.

Does one class protect every item in that class?

No. The specific goods or services in the approved specification matter. A class can contain different groups, and the applicable similarity analysis also needs the relevant notes and facts.

Can one business need both goods and service classes?

Yes. Separate what the business sells from services it actually provides. For example, a hosted software service and a separately supplied downloadable software product need their own descriptions and review.

Are the three examples ready to file?

No. They are fictional preparation examples. Only the candidate Nice categories have been checked here; Chinese accepted item wording, identifiers, similar groups and cross-search notes still need filing-date review.

Can I copy a foreign registration’s goods and services list?

Use it as an input to the worksheet. Check it against the actual China business and current China filing terminology before authorising a Chinese specification.

Official sources checked

Sources checked on 15 October 2026. This guide provides general information, not advice for a specific application. Classification, accepted wording, similarity and search scope need review against the actual facts and the rules in force on the filing date. No classification worksheet or search guarantees registration or enforcement.