On November 12, 2026, in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh met and worked with Baroness Sue Hayman of Ullock, Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom , along with representatives from the British Embassy in Vietnam and the Scotch Whisky Association. During the meeting, both sides discussed the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, geographical indications, and future cooperation opportunities.
Speaking at the meeting, Deputy Minister Hoang Minh emphasized that intellectual property is a crucial resource in Vietnam’s growth model transformation. From an economy heavily reliant on labor, resources, and tangible assets, Vietnam is moving towards a growth model based on science, technology, innovation, and intangible assets, in which intellectual property plays an increasingly significant role.
According to the Deputy Minister, along with the creation and development of intellectual property, the requirements for protection and enforcement of rights must be given a commensurate position. First and foremost, this is a requirement stemming from Vietnam’s own development process to protect the legitimate rights of entities, create a healthy business environment, and enhance the competitiveness of the economy.
Vietnam is implementing regular and continuous intellectual property enforcement work, while simultaneously improving legislation to increase the effectiveness of handling infringements, especially trademark counterfeiting, geographical indication infringement, and cross-border violations. An inter-agency coordination program involving nine agencies has also been implemented, with the Ministry of Science and Technology playing the coordinating role.
According to the Deputy Minister, international cooperation needs to shift from handling incidents to proactive prevention. Management agencies, enforcement forces, and rights holders need to exchange information early to promptly identify signs of violations, verify them, and take appropriate action.
The Deputy Minister requested the British Embassy, relevant agencies, and the Scotch Whisky Association to establish close communication channels with the Vietnamese side, promptly sharing information on cases showing signs of infringement; and at the same time, strengthen training and capacity building for enforcement officers, especially in identifying counterfeit goods, collecting evidence, and handling fraudulent activities in the e-commerce environment.
A general overview of the working session.
The protection of geographical indications was one of the key topics discussed by both sides. Specifically, the geographical indication for Scotch Whisky has been protected by Vietnam since 2010 and continues to be protected within the framework of the Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement.
According to the Deputy Minister, cooperation in this field brings two-way benefits, helping British products to be better protected against counterfeiting and misuse of geographical indications in Vietnam; creating more basis for Vietnamese geographical indications, trademarks, and distinctive products to be protected, increasing their value and expanding their market in the United Kingdom.
Building on the existing cooperation framework, Deputy Minister Hoang Minh proposed that Vietnam and the United Kingdom explore establishing a new cooperation program on innovation and intellectual property. The specialized working groups will continue discussions to finalize the cooperation content.
On the UK side, Baroness Sue Hayman of Ullock stated that intellectual property is a key component of cooperation frameworks between the two countries, including the Vietnam-UK Free Trade Agreement and the CPTPP.
The UK proposed that both sides continue discussions within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement to expand the list of protected geographical indications in each market.
Baroness Sue Hayman of Ullock, Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom; Mr. Mark Kent, President of the Scotch Whisky Association; and Mr. Iain Frew, British Ambassador to Vietnam, exchanged views at the meeting.
Currently, four UK products are protected by geographical indications in Vietnam, while 39 Vietnamese products are protected in the UK. Expanding protection could help distinctive products from both countries access markets and protect their commercial value.
Representatives from the Scotch Whisky Association focused their discussions on the issue of counterfeit and imitation products, as well as the entry of spirits into the market through unofficial channels. They also proposed clarifying the legal definition of Scotch Whisky; strengthening inspections and controls of imported goods at border crossings; and coordinating efforts to address counterfeit products or those misrepresenting their origin.
The association also raised the issue of strengthening technical support and sharing implementation experience, including identifying counterfeit goods, handling infringements of geographical indications, and coordinating between rights holders and relevant authorities.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Minh and Baroness Sue Hayman of Ullock, Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom.
Regarding future areas of cooperation, the UK side expressed its readiness to collaborate in early information sharing, capacity building training, and addressing infringements in the e-commerce environment. According to Mr. Iain Frew, the UK Ambassador to Vietnam, the Embassy will continue to monitor and coordinate efforts to concretize the discussed contents, including strengthening connections between the intellectual property agencies of the two countries.