Selling alcoholic drinks: the rules by market
The rules alcoholic drinks must meet before going on sale in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia: who writes them, who enforces them, and what has to be registered, tested and labelled, with the official source for each. Compliant Always shows which of them apply to your product.
Europe
- European UnionIn the EU, drinks above 1.2% alcohol show their alcoholic strength and are exempt from the general ingredients list and nutrition declaration. Wine has its own labelling rules under the wine market Regulation and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, and spirit drinks under Regulation (EU) 2019/787. Excise and licensing are national.Selling beer, wine and spirits in the EU
- United KingdomIn the UK, drinks above 1.2% alcohol show their alcoholic strength by volume. Spirit drinks have a minimum strength of 15% and must display the name they are sold under, which differs between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Wine has its own labelling rules, and producers pay Alcohol Duty to HMRC.Selling beer, wine and spirits in the UK
- SwitzerlandIn Switzerland, beer, wine and cider are foodstuffs under the Foodstuffs Act, while distilled spirits also fall under the Alcohol Act (AlkG). The FOCBS (BAZG) collects spirits tax, at CHF 29 per litre of pure alcohol, and beer tax; wine is not taxed. Fermented drinks may not go to under-16s, spirits not to under-18s.Selling alcoholic drinks in Switzerland
The Americas
- United StatesIn the US, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates the labelling of alcohol beverages, working with the FDA on safety. Distilled spirits bottled in the US need a certificate of label approval before bottling, labels carry set information in one field of vision, and alcohol beverage containers carry the government health warning.Selling beer, wine and spirits in the US
- CanadaIn Canada, alcoholic drinks are food under the Food and Drugs Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Act, with standards for beer, wine, cider and the main spirits. The CFIA enforces federal labelling. Provinces control sale: liquor imported into a province is consigned to its liquor authority, and provincial boards may add their own requirements.Selling beer, wine, cider and spirits in Canada
- MexicoIn Mexico, alcoholic drinks contain 2% to 55% alcohol by volume and fall under the General Health Law. NOM-142-SSA1/SCFI-2014 sets their sanitary specifications and labelling, in Spanish, with the warning "EL ABUSO EN EL CONSUMO DE ESTE PRODUCTO ES NOCIVO PARA LA SALUD" and pictograms on minors, pregnancy and drink-driving. Product NOMs cover tequila and mezcal.Selling beer, wine and spirits in Mexico
- BrazilIn Brazil, alcoholic drinks are beverages under Law 8.918/1994, with wine under Law 7.678/1988, and Decree 12.709/2025 sets the definitions, labelling and import rules, enforced by MAPA. Labels are in Portuguese, Law 9.294/1996 adds a moderation warning and advertising limits, and imports need MAPA authorisation.Selling beer, wine and spirits in Brazil
Asia and the Pacific
- AustraliaIn Australia, alcoholic beverages follow the Food Standards Code: Standard 2.7.1 requires an alcohol content statement, the number of standard drinks and, above 1.15% ABV, a pregnancy warning label. Energy labelling becomes mandatory by 13 August 2028. Wine claims about vintage, variety and region are policed by Wine Australia, and beer and spirits are excisable goods.Selling beer, wine, cider and spirits in Australia
- New ZealandIn New Zealand, alcoholic drinks are labelled under Standard 2.7.1 of the joint Food Standards Code: alcohol content, the number of standard drinks and, above 1.15% alcohol, a pregnancy warning label. Health claims are not permitted. Making or storing alcohol duty-unpaid needs a Customs-controlled area licence, and excise or excise-equivalent duty applies.Selling beer, wine, cider and spirits in New Zealand
- JapanIn Japan, liquor is a drink of 1% alcohol or more under the Liquor Tax Act, overseen by the National Tax Agency. Selling it needs a licence for each place of sale, tax falls due when it leaves the brewery or bonded area, and labels follow the liquor rules and the Food Labelling Standards.Selling beer, wine and spirits in Japan
- South KoreaIn South Korea, alcoholic beverages are taxed under the Liquor Tax Act, which classes them and sets the rates, and the Liquor License Act requires licences to make and sell them from the competent tax office. As beverages they are also foods under the Food Sanitation Act, so food labelling and the imported food rules apply.Selling beer, wine and spirits in South Korea
- SingaporeIn Singapore, supplying liquor needs a licence from the Singapore Police Force under the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015. Imported liquor pays customs and excise duty per litre of alcohol. Liquor is food under the Food Regulations, labelled in English, though it needs no ingredients list, and is imported as processed food under SFA.Selling beer, wine and spirits in Singapore
- IndiaIn India, alcoholic drinks are food under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, so FSSAI sets their standards and label rules. The states license the trade itself: manufacture, import into the state, transport, sale and excise duty are governed by each state's excise law, and price declarations follow state excise rules.Selling alcoholic drinks in India
The Middle East
- United Arab EmiratesIn the UAE, dealing in food or products that contain alcohol without permission is an offence under Federal Law No. 10 of 2015 on Food Safety, with a prison term and a fine of up to AED 500,000. Permission comes before anything else; the product then meets the quantity labelling and product safety rules that apply to goods generally.Selling alcoholic drinks in the UAE
- Saudi ArabiaIn the official Saudi sources read for this guide, ZATCA lists intoxicants among items prohibited for travellers, and under the Food Law's Implementing Regulation food with a non-halal component violates Islamic law and may not be handled. This page sets out those sources; non-alcoholic drinks are covered in the beverages guide.Alcoholic drinks and Saudi Arabia
Other products
- Food
- Supplements
- Beverages
- Infant formula and baby food
- Pet food
- Cosmetics and beauty
- Cleaning products and detergents
- Toys
- Electrical and electronics
- Clothing, footwear and textiles
- Kitchenware and food contact articles
- Consumer goods
Selling alcoholic drinks somewhere not listed here? Tell us the product and the market, and we will come back to you with the rules that apply.
Tell us where you sellCompliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.