BRAZIL – The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has revealed its whisky recently obtained the Protected Geographical Indication (GI) status in Brazil.
This designation integrates Scotch whisky into Brazil’s legal framework, offering standardized quality and protection against counterfeiting.
Geographical Indication status grants products intellectual property rights based on qualities or characteristics linked to their geographical origin.
Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, highlighted: “As the first foreign product to be granted Denomination of Origin status in Brazil since 2019, Scotch whisky now sits beside Tequila, Cognac, and Champagne with special legal protection. This is fundamental to ensure that millions of Brazilians can have confidence in the quality and history of what they’re buying.”
Brazil, the largest economy in South America, is projected to be a top five global growth market for alcohol over the next five years.
In 2023, it ranked as the eighth-largest export market for Scotch whisky by volume, importing 43 million bottles.
The UK government estimates that the GI status will contribute an additional £25 million to Scotch exports over the next five years.
In 2023, SWA reported a decline in overall Scotch exports, which totaled £5.6 billion (US$7 billion), down by £600 million (US$786.8 million) from the previous year.
In response to a recent 10.1 percent increase in spirits duty—a tax hike that remains frozen until February 2025—the association has urged the UK government to support the Scotch industry.
In 2022, it received a certification trademark in the United States, safeguarding against counterfeiting and establishing strict legal standards.
This trademark ensures that Scotch whisky is recognized as “a distinctive product of Scotland manufactured in Scotland in compliance with the laws of the United Kingdom,” with enhanced standards regarding geographical origin, manufacturing processes, and quality controls.
Additionally, last year marked increased security measures for Scotch whisky in China through a trademark granted in Hong Kong.
This trademark mandates that all products labeled as Scotch whisky must adhere to production requirements, including being produced in Scotland using only water, cereals, and yeast, and matured for at least three years in oak casks.
The SWA noted the growing importance of the Hong Kong market for Scotch whisky, with exports nearly doubling in value since 2013.
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