The United Mexican States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain signed on December 2020 an agreement on the mutual recognition and protection of designations for spirit drinks between the tow countries, looking to improve the conditions for the marketing of spirit drinks on their respective markets, in accordance with the principles of equality, mutual benefit and reciprocity, and to give post-Brexit protection to Scotch Whisky and Mexican spirits in the UK and Mexican markets.
The parties agreed, on the basis of non-discrimination and reciprocity, to facilitate and promote trade between them in spirit drinks.
The agreement commits Mexico to protecting UK designations for spirit drinks “Scotch Whisky”, “Irish Whisky”, “Uisce Beatha Eireannach/Irish Whiskey”, “Irish Cream” and “Irish Poteen/Irish Poitín”. In return the UK will protect Mexican designations for spirit drinks, namely “Tequila", “Sotol”, “Charanda”, "Mezcal", “Bacanora” and “Raicilla”. The transitioned agreement has removed reference to the non-UK GIs protected under the EU-Mexico Spirits Agreement.
“It is an important geographical indications agreement to protect the spirits of both countries. This agreement will protect our traditional spirits like Irish and Scottish Whisky and Tequila, Sotol and Mezcal and is a positive step towards continued negotiations for a UK-Mexico Free Trade Agreement, which would secure the most robust future terms of trade for the UK and Mexican spirits industries,” both counties said in a joint statement.
