Zhenghe White Tea Gets Its First New National Standard in 18 Years
China approved a revised national standard for Zhenghe white tea, GB/T 22109-2026, its first in 18 years, widening its quality rules to more grades and to compressed white tea.
China's State Administration for Market Regulation and the Standardization Administration of China approved a revised national standard for Zhenghe white tea on 31 March 2026.
It is the first update to the standard in about 18 years. The standard, GB/T 22109-2026, replaces GB/T 22109-2008 and takes effect on 1 April 2027, according to the National Public Service Platform for Standards Information.
Its title shifts from "geographical indication product" to "geographical indication product quality requirements: Zhenghe white tea."
The 2008 standard covered essentially the two bud grades, silver needle (bai hao yin zhen) and white peony (bai mudan). The revision extends the quality requirements to gong mei and shou mei, and to compressed white tea.
The revised text specifies designated tea cultivars, fresh-leaf harvesting requirements, traditional withering methods, sensory characteristics, physicochemical indicators, and food-safety requirements, Great Wuyi News reported.
Zhenghe is one of white tea's two home counties in Fujian, alongside Fuding. Zhenghe is traditionally associated with indoor withering, Fuding with sun-withering.
Sources: Great Wuyi News, 一把"新尺"量出千年茶香新高度; National Public Service Platform for Standards Information, GB/T 22109-2026 revision record.