Scotch whisky has become the “first international product” to secure geographical indication (GI) status in Argentina.
The decision, confirmed by the UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) this week, “follows six years of collaborative work between Defra, the Department for Business & Trade and industry associations who submitted the application to Argentine authorities”. Distillers and brand owners will now be able to “expand their presence in a market without risk of imitation products undermining their reputation,” the governmental department said.
GI products represent around 25% of the UK’s food and drink exports and an estimated annual value exceeding GBP6bn (US$8.2bn), according to Defra.
To qualify as scotch, the liquid must be made from cereals, water and yeast, distilled and aged in Scotland for at least three years, and bottled at no less than 40% ABV, according to the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).
Another win for scotch came in May when an agreement was reached between India and the UK that will see the rate of tariffs halved on spirits exports from the latter to the former. Speaking to Global Drinks Intel at the time, the head of the Scotch Whisky Association described the development as being “transformational for our industry”.
