Marginalising health information: Implications of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement for alcohol labelling

Abstract

This article explores the public health implications of a novel set of trade rules for the labelling of wine and spirits included in the final text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement ('TPP'), signed in February 2016. While the TPP seems unlikely to proceed in its current form, its alcohol labelling provisions are beginning to appear in subsequent regional trade agreements. These provisions include the requirement that parties allow wine and spirits suppliers to place country-specific information on a supplementary label rather than the main label. A government's interest in prioritisation of health warning, for instance, would thus be subordinated to the supplier's interest in its de..