Hong Kong has become the latest market to recognise the term ‘Scotch whisky’ as a trademark.
The Scotch Whisky Association confirmed the success of its application this week, which means spirits sold in the territory and labelled with the term meet the definition requirements for Scotch. The ‘special administrative region of China’ is now in line with mainland China as well as Macao, on the other side of the Zhuijang River Estuary to Hong Kong, both of which protect Scotch whisky as a ‘Geographical Indication’.
“Hong Kong is an increasingly important market for Scotch whisky, with exports to the region worth more than GBP31m [US$39.2m] in 2022,” said SWA deputy legal director Lindesay Low. “Hong Kong’s recognition of the … certification trademark gives consumers in the market the confidence and certainty that what they are purchasing is the genuine … product.”
Hong Kong sits outside the top ten of Scotch’s export markets in value terms, with tenth-placed South Korea selling GBP64m worth in the first half of this year, according to figures released by the SWA this month. The territory is a gateway into China for some trade, however, with its larger neighbour delivering a strong bounceback in sales during the six months to the end of June.
Overall, the category’s value sales in H1 declined by 3.7% year-on-year as the disruption from the pandemic continues to settle.
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