Consumers warned to do their research on ‘Australian Made’ claims

The campaign body behind the ‘Australian Made’ certification is urging consumers to ensure they’re buying genuine products.

The global pandemic, drought and last year’s horror bushfire season have resulted in a resurgence in consumer interest for Australian made products.

However the campaign body behind the ‘Australian Made’ logo has reminded consumers to do their research when it comes to identifying genuinely Australian made products.

As momentum grows for locally made products, favoured by consumers due to Australia’s stringent safety and quality requirements, some brands are capitalising on the momentum and marketing knock-off or inferior goods as Australian made.

Australian Made Chief Executive Ben Lazzaro said the ‘made in Australia’ claim held considerable power in the strained retail environment.

“It tells consumers that the products that carry the claim are made to some of the highest manufacturing and safety standards in the world, with inputs often sourced from Australia’s clean green environment. It also makes a compelling statement about generating local jobs and economic activity.” 

However Mr Lazzaro warns consumers not to confuse products marketed as being ‘Australian’, ‘Australian Owned’ or ‘Designed in Australia’ with the ‘Australian Made’ certification, and to look closely at any Aussie marks and symbols used.

The Australian Made logo is regulated and accredited by a third party system overseen by the Australian Made Campaign and can only be used by products that meet strict, legislated criteria.

He urges consumers to follow a few simple steps to ensure they are not being misled by claims; the first being to look for the Australian Made logo.

“Here, the famous Australian Made logo provides a solution for both consumers and businesses. As Australia’s only registered country of origin certification trademark, the Australian Made logo is the true mark of Aussie authenticity,” he said.

Consumers should be particularly scrupulous when buying from online retailers, e-commerce platforms and products promoted on social media, he added.

“Here, consumers need to maintain their vigilance, researching, questioning and only buying and engaging with trusted platforms with the appropriate compliance and governance protocols in place to ensure the Aussie products are genuine and the information accurate.”