Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'Australian Made' mean? 

The 'Australian made' claim is about the production process rather than content of a product. A product with an 'Australian made' label will not necessarily contain Australian ingredients or components.

A product can be described as 'Australian made' or 'made in Australia' if it underwent its last substantial transformation in Australia.

A product has been substantially transformed in Australia if:

• it was grown or produced in Australia, or
• as a result of one or more processes carried out in Australia, the end product is fundamentally different in identity, nature or essential character from all of its imported ingredients or components.

Example: a business buys imported plastic pellets and wire. Through an injection moulding process, the pellets are melted and formed into a bucket. The wire is cut and bent to form a handle. The end product (the bucket) is fundamentally different to all the imported ingredients. The product has been substantially transformed in Australia.

If the body of the bucket and the handle were imported and simply assembled in Australia, the bucket would not have been substantially transformed in Australia.

 

Where does this definition come from?

Part 5-3 of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) has provisions for country of origin claims. These include the definition of substantial transformation.

The ACL is part of a larger piece of Federal legislation called the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

The rules for using the Australian Made logo are based on the country of origin provisions of the ACL.

 

What if all the ingredients or components come from Australia?

If all the ingredients and components come from Australia and the last substantial transformation occurs in Australia, then of course that product could claim to be Australian made. For example, jam made in Australia using Australian fruit and sugar qualifies as Australian made.

 

Is there a requirement for a percentage of Australian content?

There is no requirement for a percentage of the ingredients or components to come from Australia when determining whether a product is Australian made.  The only requirement is that the last substantial transformation has happened in Australia.

 

What about costs?

Prior to February 2017, there was a requirement in the Australian Consumer Law that at least 50% of the cost of making a product had to be incurred in Australia. This requirement has been removed from the ACL and also from the rules for using the Australian Made logo.

 

What about packaging?

Packaging a product is not a substantial transformation.

Example: a business imports artificial sweetener in bulk and packs it into single use sachets. The sweetener has not been substantially transformed and the business cannot claim that the sachets of sweetener have been made in Australia.

 

What does 'Australian Grown' mean? 

If a product is labelled 'Australian Grown', it means all the significant ingredients or components of the product have been grown in Australia, and all or virtually all of the processing has taken place in Australia.

Example: olive oil extracted in Australia from olives grown in Australia can be described as 'Australian Grown'.

'Australian Grown' is usually used in association with fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables, meat and cut flowers.

 

What does 'Product of Australia' mean?

'Product of Australia' is very similar to 'Australian Grown' - it means all the significant ingredients or components of the product have originated in Australia, and all or virtually all of the processing has taken place in Australia.

The difference is that the components don’t have to have been grown here, so this claim can be used on products such as steel, minerals and spring water, as well as on fresh produce.

 

What’s a significant ingredient?

A significant ingredient is important to the product – if it was removed, the product would not be the same. An ingredient does not have to be a certain percentage to be significant.

For example, iodised salt is normal salt with a very small amount (a fraction of 1%) of an iodine compound added. The iodine is a significant ingredient because without it, the salt would not be iodised salt.

However, preservative added to fresh orange juice would not be a significant ingredient.

Packaging is not considered to be a component or ingredient of the product.

 

Where can I get more information about what constitutes ‘Australian Made’?

The ACCC has published a helpful booklet about country of origin claims. It can be downloaded here.

 

What is the Australian Made logo?

The Australian Made logo is a registered certification trade mark which indicates that the products which carry it have been made or grown in Australia.

The logo consists of a stylised kangaroo inside a triangle and is usually depicted in green and gold colours.

The logo can only be used on products (goods) – it cannot be used on services.

It is sometimes referred to as the Australian Made, Australian Grown logo.

 

When was the logo created?

The logo was created in 1986 at the request of the then Prime Minister, the late Robert J. (Bob) Hawke. The logo was designed by internationally renowned designer, Dr Ken Cato.

In 2007, the logo was modified slightly – the corners of the triangle were rounded and the shape of the kangaroo was tweaked.

 

Who manages the logo?

Between 1986 and 1996, the logo was administered by a not-for-profit organisation called the Advance Australia Foundation. The Foundation was wound up in the mid-90s.

In 1999, a new organisation – Australian Made Campaign Ltd (AMCL) – was established by the chamber of commerce movement with the assistance of the Federal Government.

AMCL administers the logo under a formal legal agreement with the Federal Government.

AMCL is not a government body - it is a not-for-profit public company and its Members are the Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the various state and territory chambers and the National Farmers Federation.

AMCL is governed by a Board of Directors with extensive business experience. Directors do not receive any remuneration for their work with Australian Made.

AMCL does not receive government funding for its core functions which are licensing use of the logo and promoting the logo and the products which carry it.

 

What does the logo mean?

When the logo is used on a product, it means that AMCL has certified that the product is Australian made, Australian grown or a product of Australia.

 

Can anyone use the logo?

The logo cannot be used without a licence from AMCL. Companies and individuals can apply to use the logo on their products. Before granting a licence, AMCL will assess each product to determine whether it meets the rules for use of the logo.

 

What are the rules for using the logo?

The rules for using the logo are set out in the Code of Practice. The Code of Practice includes the compliance criteria for using the logo and other information about how the logo should be used.

 

What do the words under the logo mean?

The logo can be used with a number of different descriptors underneath. These are:

• Australian Made
• Australian Grown
• Product of Australia
• Australian Seafood
• Australian.

The full rules for using these different descriptors under the logo are set out in the Code of Practice but in summary they are:

Australian Made - the product has undergone its last substantial transformation in Australia. For more information about what this means go to 'What does Australian Made mean?' above.

Australian Grown - all of the product's significant ingredients have been grown in Australia, and all or virtually all of the processing has been carried out in Australia.

Product of Australia - all of the product's significant ingredients come from Australia, and all or virtually all of the manufacturing or processing has been carried out in Australia.

Australian Seafood - the product is a seafood product, and all of the product's significant ingredients have been grown or harvested in Australia and all or virtually all of the processing has been carried out in Australia.

Australian - this descriptor can only be used in export markets and the product must satisfy the criteria for at least one of the four claims above.

The logo cannot be used with other descriptors which are not set out in the Code of Practice. For example, it cannot be used with the words “Australian Designed”.

 

Does the logo have to be green and gold?

The logo is usually depicted in a green and gold colour combination. However, this is not mandatory - it can be used in any colour combination.

 

How do I get the logo?

Products must be licensed by AMCL to carry the logo. You can apply for a licence online here. You can fill out a simple online application or download an application form.

Once your completed application has been received, our compliance team will review your application and will contact you for any further information they need.

Once your products have been approved, AMCL will send you an invoice for the licence fee. As soon as the fee has been paid, you will be given access to the logo artwork and your products will be listed on the Australian Made website.

 

Why is there a fee to use the logo?

AMCL is a not-for-profit organisation and does not receive any government funding for its core operations. The licence fees paid by logo users are its primary income source.

Licence fees are used to support AMCL’s key activities:

• Licensing and licence administration
• Compliance monitoring and enforcement
• Promoting the logo and the products which carry it.

More than 50% of our annual licence fee income is spent on marketing and promotion, including running our website and social media platforms, advertising in a wide range of media and other marketing and promotional activities.

 

How much is the licence fee?

The annual licence fee is based on the combined sales for the last 12 months of the products which are licensed to carry the logo. The minimum fee is $330 per year including GST. The full fee schedule is on the website here.

You pay one fee which covers all of your products – it is not a per product fee. There are no additional charges for the assessment process or for your website listing.

 

What if the logo is misused?

AMCL is responsible for making sure that the logo is used properly. Our compliance team carefully assesses every product to make sure they meet the criteria.

An annual compliance audit program looks at a random sample of logo users to make sure their products comply and that they are using the logo properly. The audits are carried out by an independent auditor.

Some companies deliberately do the wrong thing by using the logo on imported products. In cases like this, AMCL can take legal action against the companies involved. The logo is registered as a trade mark in many countries around the world, which means that AMCL can take legal action in those countries if businesses misuse the logo.

Quite a few genuine Australian manufacturers are not aware that they need to have a licence to use the logo. AMCL follows up with these businesses to make sure that they understand the requirements around using the logo and use it correctly.

If you have concerns about a business which may be misusing the logo, you can report it by email to info@australianmade.com.au Your details will be treated as confidential.

 

What about food labelling?

The logo which is found on Australian food products is a little bit different. In 2016, the Federal Government introduced legislation requiring country of origin labelling on all food products for retail sale in Australia.

Most food products (priority products) which are made or grown in Australia are required to use a special label which includes the logo and also shows the percentage of Australian ingredients in the product. (Some products, known as non-priority foods, are only required to make a text statement about their country of origin.)

AMCL does not administer the use of the logo in food labelling – this is a matter for the Federal Government. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) is the body which monitors and enforces the food labelling requirements.

More information about food labelling can be found on the ACCC website.

Some consumers are concerned about the use of the logo on products with very low percentages of Australian content. It is important to remember that the requirements for a claim that a product is “Australian Made” focus on the production process, not the ingredients. See our FAQ “What does Australian Made mean?” for more information about this.

Example: Bacon may be made with either Australian or imported pork. The process of curing the pork to turn it into bacon is considered a “substantial transformation” so that the bacon qualifies as 'Australian Made' regardless of where the pork comes from. Under the food labelling laws, it must carry a label which includes the Australian Made logo and a statement such as “Made in Australia from less than 10% Australian ingredients”. This allows consumers to easily identify products made from imported pork.

 

What is a certification trade mark?

A certification trade mark is a special kind of trade mark which tells you that a product meets certain criteria or standards. It must be administered by a responsible, independent organisation and be governed by a set of rules.

The Australian Made logo is a certification trade mark registered with IP Australia and its rules (Code of Practice) have been approved by IP Australia, the ACCC and the Department of Industry, Science, Energy & Resources.

Here are some other well-known Australian certification trade marks:

 

What about the new logo launched in 2020?

In 2020, the Federal Government unveiled a new “Nation Brand” symbol featuring a gold wattle design. The Nation Brand is intended to represent Australia in high-level promotions of its products and services to overseas countries.

The Nation Brand symbol was never intended to replace the Australian Made logo which will continue to fulfil its role as Australia’s best known and most trusted product symbol.

 

What about Australian Owned?

The Australian Made logo is a certification trade mark for products which are made or grown in Australia. It does not certify whether the company producing the products is Australian Owned.

When products are manufactured in Australia, there are significant economic benefits for the country. Manufacturing provides jobs in Australia and boosts the economy through spending on materials and services. AMCL recognises that all manufacturing activity, regardless of company ownership, is beneficial to Australia.

However, AMCL understands that company ownership is important to many Australians and for that reason our licensees are permitted to use (at their own discretion) the words “Australian Made & Owned” or “Australian Grown & Owned” with the logo.

The logo cannot be used on products which do not meet the criteria in the Code of Practice, regardless of whether the company is Australian owned or not.

 

How can I find Australian made products?

The Australian Made website lists thousands of products which have been certified to carry the logo. You can search by product or company name, or by product category.

The website is a directory with how-to-buy information for each product - you can’t purchase products directly from the website.

The fact that a company is listed on the website does not mean that every product it sells is Australian Made. A company’s listing on the website will tell you exactly which products or product ranges are certified to carry the logo.

 

For more information, visit the Australian Made website or contact the AMCL office on 1800 350 520 or info@australianmade.com.au