UK Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has visited Glengoyne Distillery in Scotland to celebrate Brazil’s decision to grant special protected status to Scotch Whisky – bolstering ‘Brand Scotland’ by promoting iconic Scottish products across the world.
This new protection means the Brazilian legal system recognises the special status of Scotch Whisky, making it easier to tackle counterfeits and giving distillers the confidence to up their exports to Brazil, boosting a sector that already contributes billions to the UK economy.
According to industry estimates, Brazil is in the top five global growth markets for alcohol over the next 5 years and its population of over 200 million people already have an appreciation for whisky, with the UK exporting almost £90 million of the spirit to Brazil in 2023 alone.
This new status, known as a Geographical Indication (GI), could be worth around £25 million over five years and will give distillers better access to South America’s largest economy, strengthening international recognition and intellectual property for Scotch Whisky.
Chief Executive at the Scotch Whisky Association Mark Kent said: “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.
“Achieving this status is ‘Brand Scotland’ in action. Removing trade barriers and securing legal protections for Scotch Whisky is critical to the industry’s success, helping to increase exports and in turn creating more jobs, investment and prosperity in Scotland and across the UK.”