December 1, 2015
The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), representing more than 135 distillers of all sizes, says the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement, once implemented, will benefit the U.S. distilled spirits industry by opening markets for its products. The historic trade agreement, the text of which was released on Nov. 5, includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.

"While it is not a perfect agreement, TPP is a positive step forward to ensure U.S. spirits exports will have a level playing field in several overseas markets,” says Christine LoCascio, Council Senior Vice President for International Trade, who serves as an advisor on two United States Trade Representative Trade Advisory Committees.

“First, the TPP includes important new protections for bourbon and Tennessee whiskey—the top U.S. spirits exports globally—as well as a number of other provisions to help streamline exports of spirits throughout the TPP countries,” she pointed out. “For example, for the first time in any U.S. Free Trade Agreement, the TPP agreement includes a separate annex on distilled spirits establishing certain best practices regarding labeling and certification requirements, which will create more predictable rules for exporting U.S. spirits.”

Read more at Source | Beverage World