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Brazil grants Scotch whisky GI status to cut ‘fake knock-offs’
Scotch whisky has gained protected status in Brazil, a move worth £25 million over the next five years, the UK government has said.
Distillers in Scotland will now have better access to South America’s largest economy thanks to a deal between DEFRA, including the agri-food attaché in Brazil, DBT and the UK’s Intellectual Property Office.
Scotch whisky’s new status in the country, known as a Geographical Indication (GI), will help stop bootleg products being labelled ‘Scotch Whisky’.
British business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the GI will give distillers in Scotland “the confidence they need to export to one of the world’s largest economies without having to compete with fake knock-offs and pale imitations”.
Scotch whisky is the first foreign product to be granted Denomination of Origin status in Brazil since 2019. Tequila, Cognac and Champagne also have special legal protection in the country.
Brazil, home to more than 200 million people, is in the top five global growth markets for alcohol over the next five years, according to government figures.
UK whisky exports to the country amounted to almost £90 million in 2023 alone. The government has estimated that the move could be worth £25 million to the industry over the next five years.
Reynolds continued: “”Businesses who export more are better off, and removing trade barriers like this will unlock more global markets and drive economic growth across the UK.”
Minister for food security Daniel Zeichner said of the decision yesterday (21 August): “Today’s announcement shows both demand for authentic Scotch Whisky abroad and the value of promoting British products on an international stage.”
The trade secretary visited Glengoyne Distillery in Scotland yesterday to celebrate achieving protected status in Brazil.
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