The push for local: how labelling can support Australian Made claims

This week is Australian Made Week, but buying local is back in the spotlight for other reasons too. With renewed economic pressures and global trade tensions, sparked most recently by new US tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium, Australia is turning inward.

The Federal Government has recommitted to promoting Australian-made and grown products. Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced in March 2025 that the upcoming Budget would include measures to encourage shoppers to “buy wonderful Australian products”.

But this shift isn't just political. It’s also powered by consumers who want to buy products from Australian manufacturers, and labelling is pivotal in making it possible.

What does ‘Australian Made’ mean?

The iconic green-and-gold kangaroo of the Australian Made logo is a familiar sight in supermarket aisles across the country. But while the label looks straightforward, what qualifies as “Australian Made” is more nuanced.

According to the Australian Made Campaign (AMCL), more than 4,500 businesses are licensed to use the logo, supporting approximately 40,000 jobs and generating an estimated $8 billion annually.

To carry the logo, a product must undergo its last substantial transformation in Australia. That means it might still contain imported components or even be produced by a foreign-owned company.

There are several variations of the logo to indicate different levels of Australian content:

• Australian Made: The final major manufacturing step occurred in Australia.
• Australian Grown: All key ingredients were grown in Australia, with most processing carried out in Australia.
• Australian Owned & Grown: Businesses can add ownership information to their claim, but it’s optional.

And that’s where the confusion starts.

Labelling is the key to consumer trust

Labelling is already a legal requirement under Australian consumer law for most food products. Labels must indicate where the food was grown, produced made or packed – but not who owns the business behind it. Adding this information is voluntary.

However, a growing coalition of Australian-owned food companies – including Norco, Sanitarium, SPC, Mayver’s Foods and Sunshine Sugar – is calling for more explicit ownership labelling to help consumers make informed decisions.

And it’s not just about food. The Australian timber industry is also advocating for mandatory country-of-origin (CoO) labelling on imported timber. With concerns about falsely labelled wood products entering Australia from countries such as Russia and Belarus, local suppliers are urging tighter controls to protect consumers and the local industry.

Country of Origin (CoO) Labelling: What’s required now?

Under current legislation, most food sold through retailers must comply with CoO labelling laws. Foods fall into two categories:

1. Priority foods (e.g., meat, dairy, bread) must include a CoO label.
2. Non-priority foods (e.g., tea, snacks, confectionery) are exempt, though some retailers, including Woolworths, voluntarily apply labelling to all Own Brand products.

The CoO label identifies where the product was made, produced, grown or packed, or from which country it was imported.

Country of Origin labels typically feature:

• The kangaroo logo (if the product is genuinely Australian)
• A bar chart showing the percentage of Australian ingredients
• Explanatory text stating whether it was grown, produced, or made in Australia

Multiple-origins labelling is used if an imported food cannot claim to have been grown, produced or made in a single overseas country. It must have a “packed in” statement identifying the country where it was packed and indicate that the food is of “multiple origins” or from imported ingredients.

Changes to CoO Labelling

From 1 July 2026, mandatory CoO labelling for seafood will be introduced to menus in hospitality venues, allowing consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.

This will indicate the origin of the seafood with three options:

• Australian (A)
• Imported (I)
• Mixed (M) origin – containing both Australian and imported seafood